GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES SUPPORT FOR THE MARGINALIZED, AT DINNER IN HIS HONOUR HOSTED BY ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS
Press Release
GA/9105
GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES SUPPORT FOR THE MARGINALIZED, AT DINNER IN HIS HONOUR HOSTED BY ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTERS
19960927 Razali Ismail (Malaysia) Cites Special Responsibility of More Advanced Developing CountriesThe following is the keynote address by the President of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, Razali Ismail (Malaysia), at a dinner hosted by the Foreign Ministers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), in his honour at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York, on 26 September:
I thank the host of this dinner, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Chair of the Standing Committee of ASEAN.
This is a special moment for me, and one that I shall savour and play back in my mind time and again. It is an honour. I am deeply appreciative. This occasion is also outrageously embarrassing. What is the Permanent Representative of Malaysia doing at a dinner in his honour, in the presence of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and a lexicon of brilliant ambassadors and influential people of the United Nations, being feted by the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN -- arguably one of the most experienced, influential and successful coterie of Foreign Ministers anywhere in the world. To top it all, my boss is here as well, the Foreign Minister of Malaysia, beaming away in complete approval of the situation. I am moved, elated and embarrassed all at once. I should perhaps point out that the ASEAN Foreign Ministers did not plan it this way, and this is not an ASEAN strategy to take over the United Nations, though one is tempted to believe there is a deeper meaning to such providence.
On a more serious note, let me point out that the tradition of this ASEAN dinner, which began many years ago for reasons that divided us, has now become a dinner that continues to unite us. This dinner exemplifies the path of reconciliation and reconstruction within the countries of South-East Asia and ASEAN. Looking back, it seems as if those earlier days of inter-State conflicts and deeply held suspicions never happened. And even if they did, many good lessons have been learned, and that chapter is history when considered against the background of the cooperation and friendship that now prevails. ASEAN is growing. We are now seven and will be 10 soon. The
prophecies that saw the future of South-East Asia as a simmering region of instability, with serious ethnic and identity problems, never came true. It is as if the region was seriously unstable and divided only when external Powers were present.
Now the world looks at South-East Asia afresh. The ASEAN countries have been dubbed "the miracle tiger economies". In some respects, the sustained rates of economic growth and rapid development enjoyed by countries in the region do indeed seem miraculous, but to consider it so would be to ignore the inspired leadership, resourcefulness and discipline of these governments and societies.
Are there valuable lessons to be learned from this phenomenal turn of events, and can the ASEAN experience be beneficial to the United Nations? The forces that compelled greater and deeper regional cooperation in ASEAN are the same ones that occupy the deliberations of the United Nations today. The demise of the cold war, the ascendency of global market forces, and the persistence of unequal international economic relations left developing countries little choice but to pool their resources, skills and markets, and cooperate with their neighbours for economic development.
The reason ASEAN countries continue to score highly on virtually all the global economic and development indicators is not because of sound government policies alone. It is also the result of "the ASEAN spirit of cooperation", which values tolerance, consensus-building and the pursuit of common interests, as instruments that promote peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
The ASEAN is also characterized by two unique features -- the diversity of its cultures and traditions, and its ability to resolve disputes and disagreements in a peaceful and harmonious manner, with virtually no losers in the process.
It is pertinent to ask at this point whether the prosperity of ASEAN is for ASEAN alone, or whether ASEAN is prepared to grasp this opportunity to realize new responsibilities in the wider international community -- these responsibilities being commensurate with new-found prosperity and stability. This question applies equally to all the dynamic economies of East Asia and Latin America.
It could be argued that in an era of economic roller-coaster rides, a strengthening of multilateral relations and commitments beyond the purely economic will ensure that the fortunes of developing countries do not wax and wane according to the domestic concerns of powerful countries, or according to the dictates of multilateral financial institutions. Strong linkages based on mutual respect between peoples across boundaries are indispensable for ensuring stability.
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There are also other reasons for encouraging an enhanced role for ASEAN and other newly industrialized countries in the international community. In the United Nations, the negotiating power of the South may be declining as the coherence of regional groupings of the North, such as the European Union, is strengthening. Consequently, the needs of developing countries may no longer be projected clearly in the context of the United Nations. Are ASEAN countries and others from the South ready to step into the fray, or will ASEAN hold back and be accused of being "a shy bride"?
The United Nations is suffering from a prolonged negative image. The United Nations appears to be ineffective in meeting the needs of developing countries and the basic aspirations of poor peoples. The more advanced developing countries can help to ameliorate this state of affairs by focusing on a special responsibility to articulate the needs of poor countries and the marginalized.
These countries can and should play a more proactive role in the United Nations and in its reform. Despite the litany of current criticism, the United Nations is a crucial organization for small and poor countries, who would remain voiceless in the international community if the United Nations did not exist. The current reform process provides a timely mechanism for the more advanced developing countries to enhance their role in, and commitment to, international affairs.
The challenges to international peace and security require recognition of the need to coordinate the efforts of regional organizations with the efforts of the United Nations. Regional organizations could make a greater practical contribution to eliminating hunger, poverty, disease, political lawlessness, social alienation, economic backwardness and the adverse consequences of natural disasters and environmental accidents.
In the wider context of maintaining international peace and security, upon which all countries and sectors of society depend for survival, it is imperative that developing countries begin to articulate their views on international issues with a coherence that is neither defensive and suspicious of the northern view point, nor merely rhetorical. Creative leadership, an essential ingredient for stability, requires breaking out of the rigidness of the North-South debate and demonstrating alternatives instead.
The United Nations was created to defend universal values. If these values are to have any meaning in the real world today, we have to break out of the North versus South values debate and get governments, private sector, and civil society to work together to improve the lives of the marginalized.
Universal values are rendered meaningless if only pursued by the elite and affluent, but who relegate the more pressing issues of social injustice and poverty to the sidelines. It is my belief that the growth of civil society is as paramount as safeguarding economic and social rights.
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Governments derive their just powers from the consent of those they govern. For the North and the South, the credibility, as well as the right to criticize others, hinges on the commitment to their own values on the sanctity and dignity of the human person, on justice, compassion and tolerance. The defence of these values is, and should be, universal.
So too with the issue of economic growth, where we need to unlock the debate over "sustained economic growth" and "sustainable development" and find a mechanism to reconcile the two.
The United Nations is now at a crossroads and needs to redefine itself to meet the challenges of the next millennium. The Organization has embarked on a process of soul-searching, to determine how it can make a tangible difference to peoples' lives and build a universal community of values to heal a divided world. The inadequate relationship between those in charge and those in their charge must be redressed.
Amidst the opulence of our surroundings tonight, I make no apologies for making a pitch for the marginalized. If we are tempted to think that the poverty of developing countries is not linked to us here tonight, we simply need to consider the food we eat. Let me give you an example. Many of us consume exotic food that is cheaply available in our markets of plenty. But most of these agricultural products originate from debt-ridden countries where hunger and malnutrition are endemic. In other parts of the developing world, productive agricultural land is ploughed up to grow luxuries such as flowers, which are flown fresh and direct to the cities of developed countries. While we enjoy cut flowers, many of the producers of those flowers are unable to meet their most basic needs. The relationship between us, as consumers in the developed world, and the producers of the developing world, is real and intimate.
If we believe in the interconnectedness of peace and human security, we must refashion national interest and our own behaviour so that it is not at the expense of others, especially the marginalized. The bonds between peoples across boundaries must be reinforced. The welfare of the planet and the human person will depend on the speed at which we put these universal values into practice. I would readily open all doors of the United Nations in pursuit of such a common endeavour, as I believe firmly that this is the basis of a renewed United Nations.
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