SPEAKERS IN ASSEMBLY'S GENERAL DEBATE ADDRESS HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN CONTEXT OF UNITED NATIONS REFORM
Press Release
GA/9312
SPEAKERS IN ASSEMBLY'S GENERAL DEBATE ADDRESS HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN CONTEXT OF UNITED NATIONS REFORM
19970926 King of Swaziland, Prime Ministers of Malta and Albania, Foreign Ministers of Malaysia, Poland, Spain and Iceland Address AssemblyIn the push for reform, the United Nations should be equipped with mechanisms capable of ensuring greater respect for human rights, the Foreign Minister of Poland, Dariuz Rosati, told the General Assembly this morning, as it continued its general debate. There was a clear connection between international security and respect for human rights which should be reflected in the work of the Security Council, he added.
Several speakers praised the Secretary-General's efforts to strengthen the work of the United Nations in the field of human rights. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, Halldor Asgrimsson, said the increasing link of peacekeeping to the United Nations humanitarian role demonstrated the significance human rights had gained in the international agenda over the last decade.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, said the elevation of the importance of human rights in the international agenda had been exploited and politicized for narrow, self- serving interests and specific political agendas. Blatant violations of human rights must be condemned and prevented. Member States must rededicate themselves to a balanced approach to all aspects of human rights -- civil, political, social, economic and cultural. Selective interpretation or application of human rights would not only demean their value but undermine the well-being of individuals.
Also addressing the Assembly were the King of Swaziland, the Prime Ministers of Malta and Albania and the Foreign Minister of Spain.
The General Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m today to continue its general debate.
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Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this morning to continue its general debate. It was scheduled to hear statements by King Mswati III of Swaziland; the Prime Ministers of Malta and Albania; and the Foreign Ministers of Poland, Spain and Iceland.
Statements
King MSWATI III (Swaziland) said that reform of the United Nations into a cost-effective, accountable and fully representative organization was one of the main challenges facing the Secretary-General. Swaziland had given full support to the Secretary-General's "track one" reform proposals and had welcomed the "track two" proposals. He hoped that the welfare of those affected by the necessary cuts had been well considered. Member States should back the proposals and allow the reforms to forge ahead.
On Security Council reform, he said he supported the "African common position", which called for Council membership to be based on a geographical formula -- on a regional or continental basis -- to ensure fair and equal representation. Africa should have at least two permanent seats with full voting and veto rights to represent the views of the other 51 African Member States. The two States should be appointed by a mechanism designed by the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
Stressing that financing was at the heart of the reform debate, he urged all Member States to fulfil their financial obligations to the Organization and show similar support for it. He called on others with resources to follow Ted Turner's example. He supported the Secretary-General's proposal for a new department of disarmament as well as initiatives to ban the production, use and sale of all types of landmines.
Turning to Africa, he said the continent continued to experience instability and conflict which had unfortunate effects on all Africans. Recently, there had been crises in Sierra Leone, Congo, and the Comoros, while problems continued in the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa and Angola. Swaziland continued to support efforts to find peaceful solutions to those crises. He welcomed the encouraging events in Liberia and looked forward to a lasting resolution of the dispute in Western Sahara.
The recent initiatives of the OAU, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) towards preparing the region to cope with the continent's crises were also welcomed, he said. Swaziland had pledged troops for African peacekeeping forces. The Assembly should review the resolution which denied the Republic of China on Taiwan the rights of representation in the United Nations. There was need for more understanding for developing countries in the difficult
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economic times ahead, particularly for the severe short-term penalties that trade liberalization imposed on those countries least prepared to deal with them.
ALFRED SANT, Prime Minister of Malta, said his country's foreign policy aimed to maintain the best and most transparent relationship possible with all its neighbours in the Euro-Mediterranean region and beyond. Its active neutrality foreign policy aimed to deepen its ties with the European Union while implementing an active Mediterranean policy to encourage regional cooperation and unity. Malta also aimed to forge close relations with the Union by negotiating ties in the form of free trade areas coupled with a long- term political and security cooperation agreement, and cooperation in technical, economic, financial and social affairs. His country's neutrality was a direct response to specific and unique geopolitical factors in the surrounding region and it could help promote stability and understanding. The policy served Malta's interests and those of its neighbours in the Mediterranean and members of the European Union.
The Mediterranean epitomized many of the problems associated with the North-South debate, including maritime safety, pollution, illegal immigration, terrorism and weapons proliferation, he said. Malta was particularly concerned with the widening demographic gap and economic disparities in the region between the affluent North and the underdeveloped South. Poverty and lack of job opportunities and deteriorating living conditions were fuelling extremist tensions throughout the Mediterranean. Malta believed it could attract the attention and resources to tackle security challenges in the region, which was still dominated by tensions and conflicts such as the Israeli/Palestinian relations, the Cyprus question, the situation in the former Yugoslavia, sanctions against Libya and the situation in Algeria. His Government believed perceived threats to stability and thus to security in the Mediterranean were of a political, environmental, economic, and social and humanitarian nature, rather than of a military one.
An important part of Malta's foreign policy was directed toward combatting drug related matters -- illicit trafficking, money laundering and organized crime, he said. It also believed the creation of a nuclear-weapon- free zone in the Mediterranean established on the basis of arrangements unanimously agreed to by all the States in the region, would inevitably contribute to peace and stability. This year, Malta was host to the Second Euro-Mediterranean Conference where 27 States met. It reiterated that serious and deep-seated problems in the region needed to be addressed through dialogue and common action.
Malta supported the Secretary-General's proposed reforms for the United Nations, he said. Three types of transnational security challenges required immediate attention by the international community: the war on drugs, environmental degradation and the eradication of poverty. The United Nations
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was well-placed to coordinate the war on illicit drug trafficking. He welcomed the Secretary-General's recommendation that the functions of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justices and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs be consolidated. The reconciliation of environmental concerns with development needs was the second major challenge facing the international community and cut across national boundaries. Malta was actively committed to a proactive role in supporting regional initiatives in the Mediterranean for the conservation and management of its marine habitat. The United Nations system was also uniquely placed to deal with poverty and it must dedicate more time and attention to coordinate effective action to alleviate the problem, which was a latent source of political instability.
On the issue of United Nations reform, he said Malta was not in favour of extending the right of veto in the Security Council. The Council should be more representative of the current Membership but that could be achieved by increasing the number of non-permanent seats on the Council. While supporting the use of fair sanctions, imposed appropriately and for the minimum period, Malta believed the decision to impose them, especially those which affected the whole population of a country, must be justified and imposed only as a last resort. Malta would also like to see the Department of Political Affairs devote more time and attention to the situation in the Mediterranean region and consideration should be given to the creation of a Mediterranean desk within the Department.
ABDULLAH HAJI AHMAD BADAWI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, said the monopoly of international information and communication by vested interests had made the free expression of differing views in the Assembly more valuable than ever. Its annual debate, which brought the attention of the international community to the priority issues of concern of Member States could not be replaced.
In recent weeks, Malaysia and a number of countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had experienced the severe effects of the turmoil in the currency and stock markets, he said. The stock price plunge had exacted a heavy toll on economic growth and development. That could occur in other parts of the world that were increasingly dependent on capital flows for economic growth. The positive response of multilateral financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as of developed countries was important to maintain the confidence of developing countries in globalization.
The elevation of the importance of human rights in the international agenda had been exploited and politicized for narrow, self-serving interests and specific political agendas, he said. Blatant violations of human rights cannot be ignored and must be condemned and prevented. Member States must rededicate themselves to a balanced approach to all aspects of human rights -- civil, political, social, economic and cultural. Selective interpretation or
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application of human rights would not only demean their value but undermine the well-being of individuals.
There was no intrinsic contradiction between the rights of the individual and those of the community, he said. They thrived on the basis of a mutually-reinforcing and balanced relationship. There should be no artificial separation between the two.
The United Nations commitment to development remained its most significant role, he stressed. The Organization should insure that it involved the private sector in development while also ensuring that it was not dominated by the interests of the business community. The private sector, with its vast resources, could operationalize certain aspects of sustainable development.
The Organization's energies must also be centred on building peace and prosperity, he said, adding that they were two sides of the same coin. Peace was sustained through democracy. In the Middle East, peace and security was threatened by mutual distrust between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, mutual mistrust and animosity among the different ethnic groups cast doubts over the future of the country. The withdrawal of the international forces could trigger a new wave of violence and bloodshed.
The process of democratization of the United Nations was important, he said. The Security Council must reflect current realities, in particular, the significant role of the developing countries in international affairs. At the same time, there should be no discrimination between the old and the new permanent members. The veto power should be removed or at least restricted if reform of the Council was to be truly comprehensive and consistent.
DARIUSZ ROSATI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, said the United Nations work in maintaining world peace and security and resolving local conflicts had stood the test of time. However, the time had come to pay more attention to building a world of all people, of all races, religions and cultures. He welcomed the significant progress made in the field of disarmament, such as towards eliminating weapons of mass destruction, and limiting or banning conventional weapons, including anti-personnel landmines.
The United Nations needed a solid financial foundation for its activities, he said. Regular contributions by all Members were indispensable. The Secretary-General's reform proposals provided the basis for fundamental changes in the Organization that would allow it to serve better the needs and expectations of the twenty-first century. Poland supported all attempts by the Organization to institute the concept of rapid deployment to allow the United Nations to improve its capability to respond quickly to crisis situations. The Security Council's effectiveness was greatly enhanced when it enjoyed the full support of the respective regions. The representation of
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central and eastern Europe in the Council should be increased by an additional member. His Government favoured Japan's and Germany's bid for permanent seats in the Council.
He stressed the importance of responsibility for regional conflicts being taken by regional organizations as in the case of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the OAU. In taking over the duties of Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1998, Poland would make every effort to maintain and develop a high standard of cooperation between that organization and the United Nations. Poland had crossed two great thresholds this year -- it had been invited to join NATO and the European Union. It was now considered a reliable and respected member of the community of democratic nations. His Government's initiative last year for an international convention against organized crime had received encouraging support. The international community must take action to stop the spreading cancer of transnational crime. He hoped that the Assembly would receive a final draft of the convention at its next session.
FATOS NANO, Prime Minister of Albania, said the international community's prompt reaction in dealing with the unprecedented chaos and anarchy which threatened his country earlier this year had displayed a remarkable sense of responsibility, unity and solidarity. The involvement of Member States, the OSCE and the European Union; the Security Council's benediction; and the well-balanced, all-out efforts of important neighbours and friends had helped Albania prevent further aggravation and alleviate and gradually overcome the crisis.
The highly appreciated assistance had helped Albania start a process of reconciliation and gradual restoration of political stability, he said. The successful holding of elections on 29 June, considered adequate and acceptable by the international community, could and must be the foundation of a stable democratic system. They showed the strong desire of his people for the democratic future of Albania. The coalition government which emerged from those elections was fully determined to work with a new philosophy based on cooperation and coexistence, on sharing and taking over responsibilities. The guiding yardstick would be making maximum use of internal capacities, as the best way to ensure continuation of the spirit of understanding, the process of reconciliation, constructive cooperation, economic recovery and the overall return of normalcy to the country in the shortest possible time.
In a variety of ways, Albania's past, present and future were closely linked with its neighbours, he said. Like all neighbours, they also shared not only common borders, but hopefully, common interests, common values and a common future. That required overall participation in the European integration processes, in a common Europe united by values and not characterized by friction and confrontation. Relations with neighbouring countries, peace and stability in the region were of paramount importance.
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The situation in Kosova might continue to be a serious issue threatening peace and regional stability, unless it was properly dealt with and settled accordingly, he said. It had been on the international community's agenda for many years but police violence and brutality, massive repression, gross violation of human, political and national rights, which his country condemned, continued unabated. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had not given any real concrete sign of changing its attitude despite three Assembly and one Security Council resolutions, and countless OSCE decisions and statements.
He appealed to the international community to continue to exert pressure to channel the issue onto the path of negotiations with proper international mediation for just, peaceful and democratic solutions. Perhaps a mini Dayton-type conference could solve the remaining problems of the former Yugoslavia, including and centring on the Kosova issue. Albania fully supported all the efforts under way to ensure the full implementation of the Dayton accords. It considered attempts to circumvent or avoid certain Dayton provisions as dangerous, with implications that could go beyond its scope.
ABEL MATUTES, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain, said the reform process must not be seen solely as a remedy to save the United Nations from crisis. On the one hand, the crisis was fundamentally financial or, rather, a crisis of payments. On the other hand, the Organization's supposed "failures" were a reflection of the current limits of cooperation in the international community. The United Nations had to adapt and do away with bureaucratic obstacles and develop new means with which to tackle complex problems. The great virtue of the Secretary-General's reform proposals was that they were a comprehensive plan to adapt to all sectors of the Organization. Recent experience had shown the difficulty of implementing partial reforms. The link between the main functions of the Organization were becoming increasingly clear: international peace and security could hardly be maintained without genuine cooperation to promote development, and without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Successful reform of the Security Council would determine if the Organization was able to enhance its legitimacy and efficiency in maintaining international peace and security, he continued. Council reform must be undertaken without haste, with general agreement, and must promote greater cohesion and not tensions among Member States. Increasing the number of permanent members of the Council would create more problems than benefits and, therefore, enlargement should be limited to non-permanent members. Current proposals to enlarge the number of permanent seats introduced formulas which tended to meet the interests of a few States, but failed to resolve serious problems raised by the vast majority of Member States. Eliminating the veto would be difficult in the current circumstances so it should be limited to situations involving Chapter VII of the Charter. Proposals for the creation
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of new permanent seats, with discussion as to whether they would have a veto postponed to a later date, were not very realistic.
Spain unreservedly supported United Nations efforts in the maintenance of international peace and security, he said. In the last year, Spanish contingents had been deployed in the International Police Task Force (IPTF) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations Human Rights Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) and in the Multinational Force for Albania. It was also studying ways to enhance the Organization's operational readiness, particularly through increasing its rapid deployment capabilities. Peacekeeping had become a multifaceted activity. It was essential to take into account humanitarian consequences of conflicts. Spain supported the Secretary-General's initiatives to enhance the coordination and rapid deployment capability of the Organization's humanitarian response through the establishment of the Office of the Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Spain was directly and painfully affected by the question of Gibraltar, he said. The existence on its territory of that colony of a State, which, like Spain, belonged to NATO and the European Union was an anomaly which Spain sought to resolve within the context of the doctrine established by the United Nations. Relevant resolutions had acknowledged that the colonial status of Gibraltar violated Spanish territorial integrity, and the principle of self- determination did not therefore apply. The territory of Gibraltar was an integral part of Spain and the Spaniards who lived there were expelled when a military base was established.
Pursuant to repeated invitations from the United Nations to Spain and the United Kingdom to settle the matter through the bilateral channel, the Brussels Declaration of November 1984 was established, he continued. Spanish authorities had given repeated assurances that the legitimate rights of the present inhabitants of Gibraltar would be respected. He said he had recently publicly formulated a generous offer allowing the incorporation of Gibraltar into Spain, the present inhabitants would be able to retain broad outlines of their present economic and legal situation. The offer should help advance the bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom.
HALLDOR ASGRIMSSON, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland, said the human rights of women continued to be disregarded. Violence against women had become the most pervasive of those violations. The international community must work harder to correct the situation and improve the lot of women, not the least through the creation of better education and employment opportunities.
Next year, which had been declared the International Year of the Ocean, must be used to raise public awareness and to reinforce efforts to protect the marine ecosystem, he said. A global, legally binding agreement should be concluded to limit the emission of persistent organic pollutants. The world's
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oceans were a crucial part of the earth's biosphere as well as the single largest source of protein for mankind.
The primary responsibility for harvesting marine resources in a sustainable manner rested with the States that depended on such resources for survival, he said. There was a need to resist the indiscriminate pressure of unaccountable protectionist groups that wish to sever the vital link between environmental protection and economic self-interest.
Iceland urged Member States to ratify the Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, which provided a framework for regional cooperation in the conservation and management of those stocks. It already had a positive impact in places like the North Atlantic, where fisheries management conventions were under review in order to adjust to the provisions of the Agreement.
At a time of vastly expanded trade and investment in the world, the least developed countries had seen their share of world trade drop by half in two decades, he said. The private sector, together with official development assistance, must be mobilized to help secure sustainable growth and poverty reduction in developing countries. The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative must result in a permanent solution to the unsustainable debt burden of the developing countries. There also needed to be a focus on human development strategies. The strengthening of education and school systems, health and social services must be an integral part of any sound strategy for development.
Arms control and disarmament should continue to occupy an important place in the activities of the Organization, he said. The most immediate goal should be in the area of conventional arms, especially the abolition of anti- personnel mines.
A troubled African continent remained at the top of the United Nations agenda, he noted. In sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the Great Lakes region, the situation was especially troubling. The United Nations, in cooperation with regional leaders and organizations, must spare no effort to prevent the peoples of the region from further suffering.
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