UN Update: Resolution Regarding Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores
Posted on: November 18, 2009

UNGA Update
by Noah Shack
Government Relations Research Associate, Canada-Israel Committee

Canada voted against the resolution titled “Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores” in the Second Committee yesterday, November 17th. Canada has voted ‘No’ on this resolution since it was first introduced in 2006 on the grounds that “the General Assembly is not the appropriate forum to address the questions of legal liability or compensation for the costs of repairing the environmental damage from this oil slick.”

The draft resolution reiterates the General Assembly’s deep concern over the destruction by the IAF of oil storage tanks in Lebanon and calls on Israel to compensate Lebanon and Syria accordingly. However, the text excludes any reference to the context of the conflict, namely the armed attack launched by Hizbullah across an internationally recognized border, and makes no mention of the 500,000 trees and 52,000 dunams of forests in Israel burnt as a result of Hizbullah’s rocket attacks. It also ignores Israel’s extensive cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), other agencies of the UN and non-governmental organizations to assess the environmental situation of Lebanon’s coastline.

Nevertheless, the draft resolution was approved by a recorded vote of 154 in favour to 8 against (Australia, Canada, Fiji, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 3 abstentions (Cameroon, Colombia, Panama).

Vote on the Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores:

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against: Australia, Canada, Fiji, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States.

Abstain: Cameroon, Colombia, Panama.

Absent: Angola, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Honduras, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Micronesia (Federated States of), Niger, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Republic of Tanzania.