SECRETARY-GENERAL, SPEAKING IN KINGSTON, IDENTIFIES HUMAN RIGHTS, DRUGS, ENVIRONMENT, AMONG PRESSING CHALLENGES AHEAD
Press Release
SG/SM/6516
SECRETARY-GENERAL, SPEAKING IN KINGSTON, IDENTIFIES HUMAN RIGHTS, DRUGS, ENVIRONMENT, AMONG PRESSING CHALLENGES AHEAD
19980406 Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's statement delivered today at the University of the West Indies, Kingston:It is with great pride that I accept this honorary degree from your renowned University. But it is not only me you have honoured today: you have also, through me, honoured the United Nations and the entire United Nations community, and the cause of universal progress to which we are dedicated. On behalf of my colleagues, too, therefore, I express my deep appreciation.
Let me say, at the outset today, how pleased I am at the close ties that exist between Jamaica and the United Nations and between Jamaica and my country, Ghana; the bonds that tie us together are deep rooted.
Jamaica has been a Member State for more than 35 years, an important voice for human development and human rights and one of those welcome nations that pays its United Nations dues in full and on time. It is one of only eight countries currently whose permanent representative to the United Nations is a woman.
And Jamaica is an important centre of United Nations activity. Much of the United Nations system is at work here, and Kingston is the headquarters of the International Seabed Authority: one of the most important aspects of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is itself one of the most important treaties of the century.
This esteemed University also enjoys important contacts with the United Nations.
Your Chancellor, Shridath Ramphal, served on the World Commission on Environment and Development, which gave birth to the idea of sustainable development -- the marriage of environment and development, of economy and ecology, which was the centrepiece of the Earth Summit held six years ago in Rio de Janeiro. Chancellor Ramphal has since become one of the world's leading advocates of democratization, governance and international cooperation for the global good.
Vice-Chancellor Alister McIntyre, meanwhile, continues to serve as my personal representative in efforts to settle the long-standing territorial
dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. His quiet work is in the best tradition of the Secretary-General's use of his good offices to promote diplomatic solutions to intractable conflicts. Earlier, he had also served brilliantly as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva and at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The international community is well aware of these contributions, which illustrate Jamaica's abiding commitment to human progress and to the search for common solutions to common problems. That work, as you know, is never- ending. In the brief time we have together today, I would like to direct your attention to three of the more pressing challenges ahead: human rights, drugs and the environment.
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is fair to say that in half a century, we have made great progress in setting global standards for human rights: for women, refugees, minorities, indigenous peoples and others. We adopted legally binding treaties on genocide and racial discrimination; on freedom of speech and religion; and on the right to work, education and health. And we realized a long-held dream in creating the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
I know that Jamaica played an important role in the fight against apartheid in South Africa, and that even before independence Jamaica declared a trade embargo against the apartheid regime. So you will not be surprised to hear me say that despite the triumph in South Africa, and despite a growing body of human rights law, the situation around the world remains unacceptable and often brutal.
One problem is that some treaties are more popular than others. The International Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Families was adopted in 1990 after many years of drafting and negotiation, but still has not entered into force. Twenty ratifications are needed, but to date only nine States -- out of 185 United Nations Member States -- have become party to the agreement. Compare this to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which nearly all States have ratified and which entered into force within a year of adoption.
But, of course, the main problem is that every day hundreds of millions of people experience some serious violation of their human rights: violations of civil and political rights such as torture and arbitrary detention; and violations of economic and social rights such as hunger, child labour and lack of access to safe drinking water. That is why, more than anything else, this anniversary year must be dedicated to prevention, and to upholding the highest standards of human rights not only on the books but on the ground, in people's lives, where it counts.
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And that is why I am pleased that in this year we could well see the establishment of an international criminal court to deal with the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Such a court has been called the missing link in the international legal system. I urge you to pay close attention in June when delegates gather in Rome for what I hope would be the culmination of the final negotiations, leading eventually to the establishment of an international criminal court.
A very different challenge, but one which also affects humanity at large, is the scourge of drugs. The month of June will also see the General Assembly convene a special session on drug control. No country is immune from the scourge of illegal drugs. The Caribbean community, in particular, is a vulnerable transshipment point in the drug trade. You are well aware of how drug-traffickers take advantage of open borders and open markets. You understand that the globalization of the drug trade requires an international response.
A large number of heads of State and government are expected to attend the upcoming special session in order to voice their support for a renewed attack on drugs. We certainly have our work cut out for us: at an estimated $400 billion, annually, the drug trade is larger than the oil and gas trade, larger than the chemicals and pharmaceuticals business and twice as big as the motor vehicles industry. This is an enormous challenge that affects the future of young people everywhere across the world. We must not shirk it.
Nor can we afford to shirk the third major challenge I wish to raise with you today. Last year, the General Assembly held a special session on another subject of great concern to Jamaica and its neighbours: the follow-up to the Earth Summit.
We are all convinced that more must be done to safeguard the environment and life on Earth. But small island developing nations have special circumstances and needs. You are especially vulnerable to natural disasters and the impact of climate change through rising sea levels. You face limits in terms of resources and scale.
I know that small island developing States feel exasperated at the rate of progress in implementing international environmental agreements, in particular, the programme of action adopted at the Barbados conference on small island States. At the same time, a positive sign was the agreement reached last December in Kyoto, in which the largest industrial economies agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Indeed, with this agreement it is quite possible that we have taken a major step towards fulfilling Chancellor Ramphal's original vision of sustainable development: a vision as relevant today as when it was first put forth, but one that still awaits a decisive infusion of political will.
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I have reviewed for you a number of important challenges on the international agenda. But that is the easy part. How shall we now move forward?
In keeping with the spirit of this visit to the University of the West Indies, I would like to emphasize the inherent, liberating power of education and knowledge.
Without education, we cannot see beyond ourselves and our narrow surroundings to the reality of global interdependence. Without education, we cannot realize how peoples of other races and religions share the same dreams, the same hopes. Without education, we cannot recognize the universality of human aims and aspirations.
Education not only enriches a culture, it is the first condition for freedom, democracy and sustainable development. That is why the United Nations places so much emphasis on promoting universal education. As the Charter of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) so memorably puts it, "As war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the foundations of peace must be constructed."
The worlds of the university and of the United Nations are more similar than one might think at first. We both embody universal ideals and precepts, such as pluralism and tolerance. Our staff include both theoreticians and practitioners. We are constructs of reason, engaged in a permanent struggle against the forces of unreason. We are agents of cooperation, and of progressive change.
Today, by making me a member of your academic community, you have generously recognized these bonds. You have brought our two worlds even closer together. I look forward to enhancing this partnership, and to working with you on one of the great challenges of our times: bringing the fruits of education and knowledge to all parts, and all peoples, of our world.
I know I can count on you to do your part: you who will live most of your lives in the twenty-first century; you who will be the actors who shape the world of tomorrow; you who will be the leaders -- ambassadors to the United Nations or even Secretary-General -- who will set the international agenda.
Each of you has something to contribute; let no one tell you otherwise. Already, you are building the Jamaica of the future, based on your country's motto, "out of many, one people". I challenge you to become part of global society as well. Help us build and protect the fragile edifices of peace. Allow me to take up where Jamaica's motto leaves off: out of many peoples, let us make one United Nations.
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