GENERAL DEBATE SURVEYED PROS AND CONS OF HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION, GLOBALIZATION, POVERTY, UN REFORM, OBSERVES ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

Press Release
GA/SM/105

GENERAL DEBATE SURVEYED PROS AND CONS OF HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION, GLOBALIZATION, POVERTY, UN REFORM, OBSERVES ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

The following is the text of a statement made by Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia), President of the General Assembly, at the conclusion of the Assembly’s general debate:

We have listened to many world leaders and heads of delegation reflecting on the state of the world and sharing with us their views on the progress made by the international community over the past 54 years. The clarion call from delegations, shared by almost all speakers, was the need to create a world of peace and security and the development of humankind.

I would now like to express, briefly, a few thoughts on some of the issues which emanated from the last two weeks of the general debate.

Most speakers addressed various aspects of globalization. There is a clear consensus on the need to ensure that the benefits of globalization -– resources, global markets, global technology and global ideas -- are shared equitably among nations and peoples. Many speakers expressed the view that developing countries, for the most part, were too weak to take full advantage of the new opportunities, and often run the risk of increasing marginalization. They argued that in order for these States to benefit from globalization, the multilateral system should be strengthened, including the support for the United Nations and its work for global peace, human security, prosperity and sustainable development.

Poverty was identified by many delegations as the root cause of some of the world’s problems, such as political conflicts, degradation of the environment, violence and crime. Many delegations singled out the debt burden as a major contributing factor to the untold suffering of women, children and the elderly in the developing countries.

Most delegates agreed that the eradication of poverty and fulfilment of the peoples’ aspirations for development required genuine international solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation between the developed and developing countries.

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Most delegations drew attention to the state of the international financial and monetary system. Some stressed its qualities and argued to keep it as is. Others felt strongly about its shortcomings and proposed the need to enhance the process of reforming the Bretton Woods institutions. Still others argued that the system could not be reformed and that it should be scrapped altogether and replaced with a new, just and open system. Clearly, the debate on this matter will continue in the weeks and months ahead, not least during the Millennium Summit.

Regional wars and other armed conflicts featured prominently in virtually all statements in the general debate. All speakers acknowledged the destructive nature of wars and armed conflicts and agreed to further strengthen the international and regional systems of collective security. They further encouraged the idea of dialogue and negotiations as a means to resolve differences.

On the notion of humanitarian intervention, there were those speakers who observed that respect for human rights has become more important than the sovereignty of States. Against this background, it was argued that the international community should intervene in the face of gross and systematic violations of human rights, with or without prior approval of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council.

Other Member States expressed the view that the new notion of humanitarian intervention has the potential for destroying the Charter, undermining the sovereignty of States and overthrowing legitimate governments. They stressed that the protection of human rights is an obligation incumbent upon all governments within the context of the exercise of their sovereignty and constitutional order.

Still, other delegations, recalling the spirit of the Charter of the world body, emphasizd that nations could not intervene in the internal affairs of others without a specific Security Council mandate. They observed that any massive violations of human rights leading to humanitarian emergencies required the coordinated action of the international community through the United Nations, and not by a fiat of unilateral action and creation of faits accomplis that would set bad precedents.

Most delegates were of the opinion that the subject of humanitarian intervention needs to be discussed in depth during the current session of the General Assembly, for example, during the consideration of the Report of the Secretary-General

Most delegations agreed on the need for general and complete disarmament. Other speakers called for strict adherence to and implementation of the existing international instruments concerning disarmament. There was also a renewed call for nuclear disarmament,

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elimination of weapons of mass destruction and effective control of the proliferation of small arms.

Judging by the pronouncements of delegations on the reform, restructuring and democratization of the United Nations, there is a strong consensus by many States to further strengthen the Security Council through enlargement and make it more effective, representative and responsive to the challenges facing the world now and in the next millennium. Many speakers noted that the reform of the United Nations is a prerequisite for the continued existence and efficacy of the United Nations in the twenty-first century.

Others maintained that the manner in which the Organization dealt with issues such as eradication of poverty, regional conflicts, consolidation of the rule of law, human rights, democratic governance and a fair international economic order would define its role in the next century. In addition, there was a clear call for new forms of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations to advance the cause of peace, justice and development around the world.

There was a clear consensus on the obligation of all Member States to pay their assessed contributions in full, on time and without preconditions. And an emphasis that the United Nations cannot perform effectively without funds, resources and competent personnel.

Virtually all delegations addressed the plight of children, especially the phenomenon of child soldiers. There is a growing commitment that international instruments must be elaborated to outlaw the use of children under the age of 18 in armed conflicts, thereby contributing to protecting future generations from the scourge of war.

Virtually all delegations made reference to and expressed grave concern about the alarming HIV/AIDS pandemic. They underscored the importance of enhanced global cooperation in fighting this dreaded killer disease, which has declared war against humanity.

I should like to express my gratitude to those speakers who cooperated in ensuring time management by observing the 20-minute voluntary guideline established by the General Assembly.

On balance, for all the speakers, the average time was 23 minutes. When many delegations routinely ignore the 20-minute voluntary time limit, this results in the disruption of the scheduling of appointments of heads of State or government, foreign and other ministers and the time allocated for other speakers.

In future general debates, it would be appreciated, indeed, if delegations could continue adhering scrupulously to the earlier decision of the Assembly in this regard.

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May I also express my gratitude to the Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs, Yongjian Jin, and his able assistants, as well as the Secretariat staff, for their outstanding devotion to duty and professionalism.

It should be the business of this General Assembly session to endeavour to find solutions to the questions raised during the general debate. As we begin considering the remaining substantive items of our agenda, both in the plenary and Main Committees, I trust that we will bring to bear on the debates the concerns, hopes and aspirations expressed by all delegations over the past two weeks.

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