Global Policy Forum

The UN General Assembly adopted by near unanimous vote a resolution criticising unilateral sanctions, which Libya said was aimed at the United States.

The measure, sponsored by Libya, calls for the repeal of ''unilaterally imposed extraterritorial coercive economic measures on trade and financial and economic cooperation, including at the regional level.'' The text had been negotiated with the European Union whose 15 members supported it.

In a lengthy speech, Libyan Ambassador Abuzed Omar Dorda said Thursday that Washington, which has imposed sanctions against his country, might eventually be rewarded in kind. ''As we impose embargoes on others, the others will start imposing the same on us,'' he told the Assembly. ''They could close their markets to American goods.'' ''Does this serve the interests of the American economy?'' he asked.

Until a Scottish court in the Netherlands rules on two Libyan men accused of blowing up a Pan American airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, the United States is expected to keep most embargoes against Libya in place.

The vote was 136 to 2 with 10 abstentions. The United States and Israel, itself the target of off and on boycotts from Arab countries, voted ''no.'' Australia, Canada and New Zealand were among the 10 abstentions because the text had been renegotiated by the EU without consulting. New Zealand's ambassador Michael Powles called it a ''blatant failure to inform or even consult other delegations in this house.''

France, representing the European Union, however, interpreted the resolution differently from Libya. Its envoy, Emmanuel Lenain said the EU rejected attempts to apply national laws to third party states, a violation of international law.