GLOBAL MARKETS CANNOT ALONE HOLD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TOGETHER, FOREIGN MINISTER OF BELGIUM TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Press Release
GA/9448
GLOBAL MARKETS CANNOT ALONE HOLD INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TOGETHER, FOREIGN MINISTER OF BELGIUM TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
19980922 Continuing General Debate, President of Lithuania Tells Assembly United Nations Must Increase Regional Cooperation on Global ProblemsTo achieve sound economic and social development -- the building blocks of peace -- the United Nations must work to cut poverty rate in half by 2015, Janet Jagan, President of Guyana, told the General Assembly this afternoon as it continued its general debate.
Developed and developing countries, which depended on one another for markets, as well as economic prosperity, must work together, she continued. Dialogue between those nations was urgently needed to lay a firm foundation for international cooperation. Within such future collaboration, official development assistance (ODA), sufficient investment flows, technological transfer and trade opportunities would be essential for small economies to develop.
The President of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus, said the United Nations alone could not deal with all global problems demanding immediate solutions. Instead, the Organization must interact more vigorously with regional organizations, which might succeed where global bodies had failed. He noted that the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had cooperated successfully with the United Nations to resolve regional disputes.
The Foreign Minister of Belgium, Erik Derycke, said that global financial markets could not alone hold together the international community. It was also clear that governments were incapable of dealing individually with the problems that confronted them. A decade of structural adjustments had not put the world economy back on the road to sustainable development. The development of new ways of dealing with those issues was unavoidable and, without questioning the existing consensus on continuing controlled liberalization of trade, the international community should consider some form of increased regulation, he added.
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Also this afternoon, several speakers discussed expansion of the Security Council. Isack Mudenge, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, said Africa remained steadfast in its just demand for two permanent seats in the Council, to be shared on a rotating basis, as well as for three non- permanent seats. The Non-Aligned Movement had spoken repeatedly against the anachronistic and undemocratic nature of the veto power. However, as long as the veto existed, all new Council members should equally wield its power, in accord with the principle of sovereign equality of Member States.
Statements were also made by the President of Paraguay, and the Foreign Ministers of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Denmark, Finland, Namibia and Mozambique. A statement was also made by the Chairman of the delegation of Panama.
The Assembly will met again at 10 a.m. tomorrow to continue its general debate.
Assembly Work Programme
The General Assembly met this afternoon to continue its general debate. Statements in General Debate
VALDAS ADAMKUS, President of Lithuania, said membership in the Security Council of the two most qualified industrialized countries would strengthen the Council and ensure democratic decisions. A broader representation of developing nations, both as permanent and non-permanent members, would also reinforce its legitimacy. The Council should also be expanded through a more just representation of regions, particularly Central and Eastern Europe.
The adoption of the statute of the International Criminal Court demonstrated the international community's readiness to base international relations on an effective system of international justice, he said. Inclusion of the "crime of aggression" in the statute remained a pending issue, which required States to apply political will while efforts were made to develop a more precise legal definition.
Without further delay, illicit arms circulation should be forestalled by restricting the sale of small arms and light weapons in conflict zones, he said. An effective solution to the issue of general and complete disarmament also had to be found. The nuclear arms race, which emerged in South Asia, had uncovered the resilience of the cold war ideology of the balance of powers in the political thinking of certain States. Such reasoning was short on constructiveness, since it did not enhance international security and diverted human resources and creative powers in erroneous directions. The United Nations today acted not only in a multi-polar but also multi-problem environment, he said. By itself, the United Nations was not capable of addressing and resolving all problems. The Organization should work vigorously with regional organizations which, in many cases, could succeed where global bodies had failed. European nations had, through the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, engaged in concrete cooperation with the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Smaller European organizations, could also contribute to reaching the goals of the United Nations. The Council of the Baltic Sea States, in which Lithuania had recently assumed chairmanship, was one of them. That Council united geographical neighbors working to promote confidence, trade, culture and environmental protection.
RAUL CUBAS GRAU, the President of Paraguay, said for the first time in 50 years, the Paraguayan presidency had been passed on through a democratic process. A new economic plan had been launched to ensure sustainable and equitable development for all the people. His Government was well aware that such achievements would have been impossible without the cooperation of friendly countries.
A pragmatic and realistic agenda was being pursued to restore the public's belief in their leaders, he said. The Government had launched a war
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against poverty with appropriate social programmes and it was building a viable infrastructure to help transport goods from rural areas to urban centres. It had also begun a housing programme, a campaign to combat drug trafficking and had enacted laws against impunity. Measures to fight financial crimes and protect private property aimed to encourage investment.
It was very important to work together to fight the scourge of international terrorism, he said. Paraguay condemned all terrorist acts, noting the recent bombings of the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Addressing other matters of international importance, he said the responsibility for fighting drug trafficking should be shared by producer, consumer and transit countries. The United Nations system should identify measures to encourage international, economic and technical cooperation and adopt decisions aimed at increasing assistance for developing countries.
The United Nations must welcome, without any exclusion, all States that fulfilled the membership requirements as spelled out by the United Nations Charter, he said. Therefore, it should consider extending United Nations membership to Taiwan, Province of China. Regarding United Nations reform, his Government supported an increase in both permanent and non-permanent members of the Council.
The recent financial crisis in Asia, and elsewhere, had threatened emerging economies, he continued. The next century offered rich opportunities and challenges, but not all countries were adequately prepared. States were looking to the United Nations to provide leadership. The problems created by a growing inter-dependence and globalization bound countries together in the challenge of effective dialogue and cooperation.
ISACK MUDENGE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, said he fully supported the proposal to convene a millennium Assembly to articulate a vision for the United Nations in the new century. However, the proposed "sunset" mechanism, which would call for review of certain matters prior to their renewal, should be carefully considered. Any dividend generated by administrative efficiency should be channelled into a development account, especially for the benefit of developing countries.
Africa remained steadfast in its just demand for two permanent seats in the Security Council, to be shared on a rotational basis, as well as for three non-permanent seats. On several occasions, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) had spoken against the anachronistic and undemocratic nature of the power of the veto. But as long as the veto existed, all new Council members should equally wield the power of the veto, in accordance with the principle of sovereign equality of Member States.
After discussing the significance of the return of democracy to Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as steps in his country to return it to democratic governance, he said the deteriorating situation in Angola deserved urgent
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attention. He urged the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) leader, Jonas Savimbi, to heed the voice of reason and strive for peace. He called on members of the international community who had influence on the UNITA leader to persuade him to do so.
He said that in August, when the Democratic Republic of Congo had found itself under siege from rebels supported by foreign troops, it had appealed for assistance from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to enable it to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Allied forces from the SADC States of Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe had responded to the call. He appealed to the international community to support Africa's various initiatives aimed at establishing durable peace in the Great Lakes region. Referring to the critical economic situation in Africa, he said that in addition to dealing with the debilitating debt, there was a need for an increased flow of resources in the form of both official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment.
SOMSAVAT LENGSAVAD, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, said that in the past year the world situation continued to undergo profound changes. World peace remained fragile and conflicts lingered. Some countries deliberately provoked conflicts against the sovereignty of other States. The United Nations needed to focus its energies on diffusing tensions and solving problems through negotiations. On the eve of the third millennium, States and peoples throughout the world should endeavour to lay the foundation for a new era of peace, social justice and equality.
In certain regions of Europe, there had been a resurgence of deadly ethnic violence, he said. The international community should launch an appeal, to those countries involved, to use restraint. In Africa, ethnic confrontations, civil strife and territorial disputes continued to threaten peace and security. Countries in the region should offer support and assistance to those in need. In the Caribbean, an atmosphere of peace continued to reign although it was unfortunate that the economic and financial blockade by the United States on Cuba had still not been lifted. In the interest of world peace he hoped both countries would commit to reasonable negotiations to obtain a resolution.
In the wake of South-East Asia's financial crisis, the countries of that region were going through grave economic problems, he said. His Government had engaged in far-reaching programmes of restructuring and adjustment in order to recover. The international community was now called on to offer desperately-needed assistance. Also, the elections held in July in Cambodia had been significant. He hoped that the Cambodian parties would speedily form a coalition government, in accordance with the constitution, to establish national concord in that country. That, in turn, would promote peace in the region.
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In his country, socio-economic stability continued to be guaranteed, he said. In the economic sphere, a recovery programme had produced satisfactory results. The spillover from East Asia's crisis had affected his country's economy, although the Government had mobilized its capacity and resources to minimize the effects. In the era of globalization, while some countries gained, most of the least developed countries had been marginalized. Industrialized countries had to do their part in rendering assistance, so the least developed countries could also benefit.
His country had taken measures to ban drug trafficking and welcomed the adoption of the declaration and plan of action of the General Assembly's special session on drugs, he said. He hoped that the international community would mobilize the necessary resources to implement those commitments. Today's world was confronted with numerous challenges. In pursuing the establishment of peace and security, the United Nations needed reform, which was an ongoing and difficult process. In order for reform to succeed, the Organizations needed a sound financial base. All Member States must fulfil their financial commitments, to give reform a chance.
NIELS HELVEG PETERSEN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, told the Assembly that national societies must be based on the rule of law, which offered the strongest defence against the arbitrary exercise of power, but its importance was sometimes neglected in the international context. Nevertheless, the Charter had inspired an impressive body of specific treaty law governing the behaviour of States.
Addressing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he said that it must be observed by all countries irrespective of their form of government. Freedom from torture, for instance, must be respected everywhere regardless of local traditions or problems. Although standards existed by which governments were held accountable for their acts, effective international machinery to ensure implementation was still missing. The international community needed to move from international declarations to deeds. It was a proper contribution by the United Nations to adopt, this year, a declaration for the protection of the work of human rights defenders.
Continuing, he said Denmark urged all States to ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court; prospects for reconciliation and lasting peace were undermined if the perpetrators of atrocities remained at large. He called to mind the shocking events from Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and now Kosovo. It was an urgent task to put this historic building block of international society in place.
Concerning terrorist attacks, he said, that the international community needed to further strengthen cooperation to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms. There must be no safe haven for terrorists, and those responsible for such actions must be brought to justice. If traditional
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extradition agreements could not achieve that, less traditional arrangements must be contemplated, as envisaged in the Lockerbie bombing.
Noting that today's peacekeeping challenges differed from those of earlier decades, he added that much work had been done to adjust the United Nations to the new challenges. Denmark had taken an active part in the process. Together with other countries, Denmark aimed to improve the United Nation's capacity for rapid reaction within the framework of the Stand-by System. It was also engaged in the creation of a new peacekeeping capacity of the Baltic States and of Southern Africa. Concerning the demand for adjustment and reform of peacekeeping operations, there was still work to be done in pre-planning and logistic support. However, as peacekeeping went beyond military operations, a broader, more integrated approach involving civilian police, preventive diplomacy and humanitarian assistance was called for.
He continued, saying that the ability of the United Nations to deal with violations of international peace and security must be enhanced with the resolve and with the legitimacy of international law. Legitimacy was usually provided by the Security Council. Disagreements there, however, must never led to a paralysis of the international community. If, for instance, members of the Council could not agree on a mandate for a peace operation, they must allow for other possibilities of effective action. "When faced with an urgent agenda, the options should not be action or no action, but what line of action", he said. Noting that there was usually a broad range of actions available to the international community, he added that it did not suffice to leave everything to the humanitarian agencies. Emergency relief was not a substitute for political action.
JANET JAGAN, President of Guyana, said that after three decades of lost opportunities under an undemocratic regime, Guyana had rejoined the growing majority of democratic countries. Last December, for the second time this decade, elections were held in her country under international scrutiny, leading to the re-election of her Government. The outcome had been adjudged by international observers to be free and fair, but the minority opposition refused to abide by the result. Consequently, the will of the electorate had been questioned. Her Government could not tolerate that state of affairs and neither should the United Nations, whose Charter called upon it to protect the gains of new and restored democracies.
She said great importance was attached to reaching general agreement on how the Security Council could be transformed into an organ that enjoyed the confidence and the support of all States. Clearly, as a body that was created in the aftermath of the Second World War, it was no longer appropriate to the circumstances of today's world. A more representative and transparent Council was now needed to adequately address new threats to international peace and security. The working group that was formed to reform the Council must persist in the search for a suitably reformed body. Despite perseverance, the
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achievement of international peace and security remained a frustrating "will o'the wisp". The search for a collective system of security which all States could rely upon for their protection must be intensified.
True peace could only be built on a foundation of sound economic and social development, she continued. The foremost obstacle to peace was poverty, which, when it could no longer be borne, exploded with a vengeance. It was imperative, therefore, that the issue of poverty be squarely addressed by the United Nations, with a view to halving its incidence by the year 2015. Reaching that target required concerted action by both developed and developing countries. The assured provision of official development assistance, sufficient investment flows, technological transfer, and trade opportunities remained essential to the development of small economies, such as her own. A renewal of the dialogue between the industrialized and developing nations was also urgently needed.
Despite onerous debt obligations, Guyana had come a long way in overcoming poverty and maximizing its full growth potential, she said. It continued to rely heavily on external assistance for economic development. Thus, it was particularly concerned by the rapid diminution of resources available for financing, by both bilateral donors and multilateral agencies. Private investment flows had a role to play in the development process, but they were still far too selective to be of benefit to weak economies, which had already been marginalized by the present course of globalization and liberalization. Her country was now faced with a steep drop in the prices of its main export commodities, a reduction in developmental aid and adverse global weather conditions.
She said her country remained dedicated to preserving the environment and to the sustainable development of all resources. It was, therefore, concerned that when it sought to exploit its forests and other resources for the benefit of its people, it faced criticism by those who accused her country "of a disregard for the environment". Those reproaches were entirely ill- informed. Guyana was a land of abundant and pristine forests, which faced no risk of deforestation. It had, in fact, put firm legislative and administrative arrangements in place to ensure the conservation of its natural resources.
AQUILINO BOYD, Chairman of the Delegation of Panama, said the Secretary-General was promoting reform that could benefit the United Nations. His country endorsed the recommendation that reform of the Security Council should be carried out during the fifty-third session of the Assembly. His country also placed a great deal of importance on the discussion of economic issues, and felt that by improving education, countries could better focus on the process of gradual economic reform. Panama would also give full support to measures to encourage Member States to pay their contributions on time and without condition. In the current global crisis, there was also a need to
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promote growth and support financial institutions, while giving immediate protection to affected States.
He noted that financial and related problems were global, yet governments were carrying out efforts that were strictly local. In light of the global economy, it was important to strengthen the United Nations' ties with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other like institutions. There was also a need to create a level playing field in the international economic environment. Panama endorsed the Secretary-General's suggestion for more vigorous action to minimize the debt that was choking the poorer countries of the world.
He urged the Secretary-General and Member States to continue efforts to secure the obvious benefits of globalization and to ensure that interdependence established mechanisms to use the wealth generated by the process for more lofty goals. He cited hospitals and schools as examples of such goals. He said that Panama was preparing an environmental strategy, within a participatory framework, in which the Panamanian people in each sector of the society would individually shoulder responsibility.
The recent acts of terrorism in Africa and Europe were unjustifiable crimes, he said. He reaffirmed his country's support for the strengthening of cooperation to combat terrorism both at the bilateral and multilateral levels. In addition, he stated that the most effective way to address drug trafficking was to see it as a multilateral problem and to combat it in that manner. Panama was prepared to take full management of the Panama Canal on 31 December 1999. After that date, it would never renounce control of that waterway since it would be a symbol of the aspirations of many of the Panamanian people, who wanted a free, independent and sovereign nation.
ERIK DERYCKE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, said the political and social consequences of global independence had reverberated worldwide. Therefore, international organizations and national governments must seek solidarity and social justice when dealing with the tensions and constraints resulting from globalization. Global financial markets could not, by themselves, hold together the international community. It was clear that governments were incapable of dealing individually with the problems with which they were confronted. A decade of structural adjustments had been unable to put the world economy back on the road to sustainable development. The development of new forms of solidarity and new ways of dealing with those issues were unavoidable.
Without questioning the existing consensus on continuing controlled liberalization of trade, the international community should consider some form of increased regulation, he said. Liberalization could not be an end in itself. Its only purpose was to serve social progress for the largest number of people. At the very least, an intensified dialogue between the
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United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions was required to address that matter.
The United Nations, together with relevant regional and sub-regional organizations, should invest in an initiative to restore dialogue and to find solutions to the problems of the Great Lakes region, he said. A conference on regional security and cooperation could build confidence and stabilize the region.
Belgium, along with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and interested countries, was organizing a meeting, to be held next year on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. His Government would propose that the fifty-third General Assembly build upon its achievements with respect to the definition of norms governing the protection of children. One of Belgium's priorities would be to fight against exploitation of children in labour and their use as soldiers.
TARJA HALONEN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, in endorsing the Secretary-General's objective of knitting human rights into all United Nations activities, said adequate resources should be secured for the process. Also, human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations were vital in promoting human rights and needed special protection in that task. That protection would be strengthened when the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders was finally adopted.
Noting that the International Criminal Court would become an effective mechanism for the trial of war crimes and a real deterrent, she said that it was important that special provisions for the protection of women and children were included in the definition of war crimes against humanity and elsewhere in the statute. The experience of the two ad hoc tribunals showed special expertise was needed for that purpose. Finland also strongly supported the finalization of an optional protocol on children in armed conflicts based on an age limit of 18.
She called for ratification and full implementation of the International Conventions on suppression of terrorism and an early finalization and acceptance of the convention on the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism. Finland deplored the nuclear test explosions by India and Pakistan and called on those countries to confirm their promises not to test again through adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Referring to the issue of small arms, she said Member States needed to control their exports and other transfers of small arms. She supported a leading role for the United Nations on that issue.
Concerning reform, she said it was high time to enter into real negotiations on the reform of the Security Council. All that was needed was political will. Finland valued the reforms undertaken by the
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Secretary-General. However, without a sound financial basis, efforts at reform were bound to fail. On better development coordination, she said intertwined problems called for integrated responses. Some good examples of integrated approaches were in southern Africa, Guatemala and El Salvador.
THEO-BEN GURIRAB, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Namibia, stated that challenges which lie ahead for the United Nations include management of the global economy, a top priority, enlargement of the Security Council and institution of effective, collective measures to ensure the Organization's financial stability.
The Minister said that the heavy burden of external debt was denuding the resources and capacity of poor nations, mainly those in Africa. External debt could not merely be reorganized. Debt write-off was the best and most humane thing to do. Continuing, he said that much more needed to be done in the areas of poverty eradication, human resource development, gender equality and transfer of technology.
Decrying acts of terrorism and indiscriminate counter-attacks which, he noted, had become frequent happenings, he called attention to the confrontation and human suffering in Kosovo, Bosnia and Albania. While he welcomed the high-level meetings taking place between some leaders of West and South Asia, he observed that the opposite was happening in the Middle East, where peace talks had, he said, reached a precipitous dead end. Namibia supported an early agreement on a just, comprehensive and durable peace for the whole of the Middle East.
He noted that the most recent summit of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) had condemned the forces of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola for violence against Angolan citizens and citizens of neighbouring States, including his own. Continuing, he called attention to serious situations in Lesotho, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He added that decolonization, peacekeeping, the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people, the initiatives of the Secretary-General to relieve the deadlock in negotiations between the opposing sides in Cyprus, and the question of East Timor were all areas over which Namibia would be vigilant during the current Assembly session.
LEONARDO SANTOS SIMAO, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, said that step by step, Mozambique was emerging from the scourges of war and was gradually proving that with hard work and adequate international assistance, it could be a valuable partner in the international market place. It was believed that by concentrating on basic economic fundamentals, including low inflation rates, a stable currency and a transparent exchange rate policy, and by stimulating private sector growth and an increase in foreign and domestic investment flows, his economy could achieve the desired results.
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Despite positive developments, Mozambique still faced acute problems whose solution was vital for the maintenance of stability, he said. The most critical was the debt burden which continued to be the single most significant impediment to national development. He welcomed the decision of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with regard to Mozambique's eligibility for debt relief within the framework of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC Initiative). While a significant step in the right direction, the Initiative in its present perspective was not a definite solution to the debt problem. Further assistance by the international community and the creditor community was required. Even with current relief measures, poor countries, particularly the least developed countries, remained poor. He encouraged the creditor and donor communities to continue to review and consider new relief measures, including the cancellation of official bilateral debt, to ensure that the affected countries could redirect their meagre resources to social programmes.
Mozambique was still confronted with the issue of the prevailing threat of anti-personnel landmines, which continued to disrupt the very existence of nations and peoples, he said. His Government had signed and ratified the Ottawa Convention prohibiting those landmines and offered to host in Maputo next year, the first meeting of States parties to the Convention.
The concept of "peace friendly" structural adjustment programmes as mentioned in the Secretary-General's report on Africa, should be fully implemented to minimize their negative consequences on the well-being of peoples, he said. Conditionalities should not be antithetical to peace processes; donors should not cut off funds from weak governments who are making good faith efforts to implement peace agreements; aid should be focused on high-impact areas to reduce dependency; the donors should strive to secure that at least 50 per cent of their aid to Africa was spent in Africa; and the HIPC Initiative should be expanded to benefit more African countries.
Regarding the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique was deeply concerned with the course of events which threatened not only the territorial integrity of that country, but also peace and stability in the Great Lakes region as a whole, he said. Africa and the international community could not afford to add a new chapter of conflicts of regional proportions, especially taking into account that virtually all other long-lasting conflicts in that continent continued to defy its collective imagination. Also, it was the failure by UNITA to live up to its obligations, which had led the peace process in that country to the brink of collapse. Mozambique was fully associated with the progress made by the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the search for peace which had eluded Guinea-Bissau since the outbreak of hostilities in that country. Those positive developments underlined the importance of political will by the parties concerned, which should prevail in conflict situations.
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The establishment of the International Criminal Court in July, represented a remarkable contribution of mankind towards the protection and promotion of human rights all over the world, he said. It created an unprecedented comprehensive legal framework to safeguard human rights and bring to justice those responsible for the most heinous crimes witnessed by humanity, such as those committed in the recent cases of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Although Mozambique would have liked a Court with more far-reaching powers, it understood that the present statute represented a very delicate and difficult compromise.
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