US embassy cable - 05MADRID3177

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SPAIN ON UNGA DEVELOPMENT ISSUES

Identifier: 05MADRID3177
Wikileaks: View 05MADRID3177 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Madrid
Created: 2005-09-08 13:58:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: EAID ECIN PREL SP UNGA
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

081358Z Sep 05

 
UNCLAS MADRID 003177 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR IO/UNP AND EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ECIN, PREL, SP, UNGA 
SUBJECT: SPAIN ON UNGA DEVELOPMENT ISSUES 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 160880 
 
     B. SECSTATE 162146 
 
1.  DCM passed reftel points September 2 to MFA Secretary of 
State for International Assistance Leire Pajin, outlining 
U.S. concerns about the UNGA High Level Event (HLE) Outcome 
Document and the six-country (including Spain) draft 
"Declaration on Innovative Sources of Financing for 
Development."  Manuel Alhama, a member of Paijin's immediate 
staff, briefed ESTHOFF September 8 on Spain's reaction to our 
points. 
 
2.  Alhama said Spain's overarching development-related goal 
at the UNGA was to foster greater development assistance 
flows from rich countries to poor ones.  Spain hopes both the 
HLE Outcome Document and the Declaration help advance this 
policy goal.  Spain remains flexible regarding altering the 
text of the HLE Outcome Document as long as such changes do 
not prejudice the GOS' policy goals. 
 
3.  Regarding specific aspects of the Outcome Document and 
Declaration, Spain: 
 
--  strongly supports the call (including targets and 
timetables) for all developed countries to reach an Official 
Development Assistance (ODA) level of 0.7 percent of GNP by 
2015; 
 
--  opposes any tax on airline tickets to help finance ODA; 
 
--  remains undecided about the UK's proposed International 
Finance Facility (IFF), but believes the concept deserves 
further study; and, 
 
-- believes further action is required to help reduce 
remittance transaction costs. 
 
4.  COMMENT:  Although U.S. and Spanish views on ODA-related 
issues clearly do not coincide, we would note that Spain has 
generally been a supporter of U.S. positions on many UN 
reform issues, and has been a particularly strong ally in 
defeating the G-4 framework resolution and supporting the 
U.S. proposals for a UN Human Rights Council and the 
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. 
AGUIRRE 

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