ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS COOPERATION, GOODWILL HALLMARK OF DELIBERATION ON UN REFORM
Press Release
GA/SM/11
ORG/1257
ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SAYS COOPERATION, GOODWILL HALLMARK OF DELIBERATION ON UN REFORM
19971113 Following is the text of the statement by the President of the General Assembly, Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine), on agenda item 157, "United Nations reform: measures and proposals", delivered yesterday, 12 November, at the Assembly plenary:We have reached an important point in our consideration of agenda item 157, "United Nations reform: measures and proposals".
By submitting his report, "Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform", to the General Assembly, the Secretary-General offered vivid proof of the ability of the United Nations to adapt to the changing international environment.
The Secretary-General's report has been recognized as a far-reaching attempt to transform the Organization into an institution that will be better prepared in the next century to effectively carry out the mandates emanating from the Charter and from the legislative intergovernmental machinery. It commanded broad support of the Heads of State and Government participating in the general debate, which has been reiterated since then in a number of other forums both within and outside of the United Nations. As the most recent example, I can cite the statement of 10 November by the Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries expressing their strong support for the Secretary-General's programme of reforms and emphasizing that it provides a unique opportunity to transform the United Nations.
In dealing with this agenda item, the General Assembly has broken new ground. By adopting the format of open-ended informal consultations of the plenary, it has exercised its responsibilities with a sense of pragmatism and respect for democratic procedures. Individual delegations and groups of countries were able to express their views on the wide range of measures and proposals contained in the report. Suffice it to say that during the 12 meetings held in this novel negotiating format, there were almost 200 statements and interventions from delegations, spanning the broad spectrum of the Assembly's membership.
- 2 - Press Release GA/SM/11 ORG/1257 13 November 1997
The consultations also generated a fruitful dialogue with the Secretary- General and his representatives that helped to clarify and elaborate issues on which questions were raised and suggestions put forward. As a result of this, six addenda to the report have been issued. In addition, the Secretary- General's statement at the informal consultations as well as Secretariat responses to queries have now been released as official documents.
The draft resolution that we have before us is the result of a truly collective effort. Initiative, creativity and the diplomatic skills of individual delegations and delegates, combined with a serious and constructive approach adopted by groups of States, has helped us to build a solid foundation for future progress.
Parallel to informal consultations of the plenary, I have been conducting -- personally and through the "Friends of the President", Permanent Representatives of Brazil and Norway -- extensive bilateral discussions with representatives of countries and groups of countries. I would like to stress the invaluable work carried out by Ambassadors Celso Amorim and Hans Jacob Biorn Lian, whose dedication and ability have been crucial to my endeavours and to whom I express my deep personal gratitude.
Another key factor in the success of our enterprise was the support and active involvement of several groups of States, among them the European Union, the "Group of 77" developing countries and the Non-Aligned Movement, whose chairmen have played a vital role in promoting an agreement.
As we went about our business, we may not have made big headlines, but we certainly made headway towards building a consensus, in part through compromise -- this essential instrument of multilateral diplomacy. In the process we have proven wrong the naysayers who often choose to see the Assembly's diversity as a detriment rather than the valuable asset that it is. I think this is an extremely important point to make, since there is sometimes a tendency to overlook the fact that the General Assembly is the most representative organ of the United Nations, comprising its entire membership. No less important, this main deliberative and legislative organ of the United Nations is a democratic institution, in which each member -- big or small, rich or poor -- has a say and a vote.
Indeed, the degree to which the Assembly can reconcile individual concerns and interests in the name of a common goal that has unquestionable value for all, can serve as a valuable yardstick for measuring the success of this august body.
As we mark today the passing of an important milestone, we should not forget that there is still a rather long and arduous road ahead of us in our joint efforts to renew and revitalize the United Nations. There is no doubt in my mind that we can successfully get there if we continue to work together in the same admirable spirit of cooperation and goodwill that has been so far the hallmark of our deliberations on United Nations reform.
* *** *