Statement by Ambassador Elizabeth M. Cousens, U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council at the Adoption of the 2012 ECOSOC Ministerial Declaration

Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens
U.S. Representative on the Economic and Social Council 
U.S. Mission to the United Nations 

New York, NY

July 10, 2012

AS DELIVERED

Mr. President, the United States is pleased to join consensus on this Ministerial Declaration on Promoting Productive Capacity, Employment and Decent Work, including interlinkages to the three pillars of sustainable development. The Declaration highlights the importance of our shared commitment and collective efforts required to overcome common hurdles to grow our economies and generate the kind of decent jobs and opportunities that all working people around the world deserve in the 21^st Century. We also want to thanks the President of ECOSOC and Ambassador deAlba and the entire ECOSOC Bureau for their personal leadership in helping conclude our work on the basis of consensus.

The United States also wishes to clarify that we understand preambular paragraph nine as relating only to those international commitments and obligations already undertaken by states. The United States further understands that actions referred to in this declaration are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

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