IN MESSAGE TO OPENING OF ESCWA SESSION, KOFI ANNAN SAYS ECONOMIC INTERESTS CAN AND SHOULD PLAY CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN PURSUIT OF PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

28 May 1999

Press Release
SG/SM/7012
REC/55

IN MESSAGE TO OPENING OF ESCWA SESSION, KOFI ANNAN SAYS ECONOMIC INTERESTS CAN AND SHOULD PLAY CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN PURSUIT OF PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

19990528 Pledges UN Will Do All It Can to Help Usher in Era of Cooperation, Construction and Development That Should Benefit All Peoples in Middle East

Following is the text of a message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the opening of the twentieth Ministerial Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), which was delivered yesterday in Beirut on his behalf by his Special Envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi:

I am pleased to convey to you my best wishes on this twentieth Ministerial Session and twenty-fifth anniversary of ESCWA. This is a celebration in many respects. It is also a housewarming.

In the quarter of a century of its existence, ESCWA has moved no fewer than six times. Indeed, the life of the Commission has been a veritable odyssey through the Middle East. On behalf of the United Nations, I want to thank the Governments of Iraq and Jordan for their generosity as hosts to the Commission in the past. And I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Lebanon for providing ESCWA with such a magnificent new home. This building, which so eloquently combines beauty and functionality, has also given life to the concept of the United Nations family living together in a United Nations house. Let me also thank, therefore, the governments of Member States who contributed to financing the move.

Like all the regional commissions, ESCWA has a key role to play in coordinating the activities of the United Nations family in their respective regions. Its position between Europe and Africa makes it a natural gateway between continents.

But more than anything, as an impartial body promoting universal values, ESCWA is uniquely qualified to help meet emerging regional and geo-economic challenges. That unique status allows it to complement other regional

groupings, while addressing the shared geo-economic concerns of all States in the region.

ESCWA's research in crucial areas such as population, human development and the advancement of women benefits both the entire United Nations system and the region as a whole. The Commission has become an authoritative source of reference on the economic and social conditions in all Western Asia. For two decades, the annual Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the ESCWA Region has provided an impressive body of work, which the United Nations is proud to publish.

ESCWA is equally active in providing technical assistance on the ground. Regional advisers regularly visit Member States to provide guidance and know-how -- whether in the field of statistics and national accounts, social development, technology, environment, energy, telecommunications and others. As the vital issue of water becomes a growing concern to all countries in the region, ESCWA is expected to play an ever-greater role.

In this increasingly globalized world, the Commission has made a key contribution in establishing a unified transportation system linking all countries of the region. This will not only facilitate intra-regional trade and promote greater economic integration; it will also connect you with neighbouring regions and further integrate Western Asia in the global economy. Both are essential for the region to prosper in our new, interconnected era.

The entire United Nations family as a whole has a long and close relationship with this region. Our commitment to its peace and security is as long-standing as the United Nations itself. The first United Nations military mission was the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), still operative today. The continued presence of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also bears witness to continuity of our cause. Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978) remain the framework for our efforts towards peace.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) continues to work to alleviate the plight of Palestine refugees. Despite its precarious financial situation, the Agency provides education, health care and relief to millions of refugees, and promotes the economic and social development of the Palestinian territories. I take this opportunity to stress the fundamental importance of UNRWA's work -- and to renew my appeal to international donors to pledge generous support.

In its development efforts, the United Nations is following up with the region the concerns of the global conferences of the decade; it is integrating

- 3 - Press Release SG/SM/7012 REC/55 28 May 1999

into the development process key issues such as the advancement of women, the environment, water, population and human rights.

When I visited this great city last year, I was struck by the tremendous progress which the people and Government of Lebanon have made to overcome the ravages of civil war. And as I approached the great horse-shoe that forms the structure of this building, I could see something else: the gateway to a promising future for the entire region -- a future that I hope can be built with the helping hand of the United Nations.

Economic interests can and should play a constructive role in the pursuit of peace and development. After five lost decades of war, conflict and destruction, we are now at long last on the threshold of a new era; an era of cooperation, construction and development that should benefit all peoples in the Middle East, I pledge that the United Nations will do all it can to help you on that journey.

* *** *