PRESS CONFERENCE BY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF FRANCE

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF FRANCE

Human rights, peace-building, development assistance, and assessment reform would be the priorities of the European Union in the context of the French presidency at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference yesterday afternoon.

A more effective modus operandi, in giving voice to the collective positions of the European Union on all those issues, would also be sought, he said. "Our ambition as the French president is that we be increasingly present in the negotiations while listening to all our partners, especially the associated States", he said. The 670 coordination meetings held during the Portuguese presidency would probably be surpassed and methods of finding consensus streamlined. In this way, the Union would be involved earlier and more strongly in all discussions.

In addition, all Member States would be mobilized to individually promote the position of the Union, as well as their own ideas. "It has struck me, he said, "that the United States is a single country, but it makes as much noise as if it were 15; whereas, we are 15 and we speak as if we were one."

"I feel it is desirable for the 15 all together to make their weight felt very clearly", he continued. He emphasized the magnitude of that weight, pointing out that the Union represented 30 per cent of the world's gross product -- a slightly higher percentage than the United States -- while paying 36 per cent of the contributions to the ordinary budget of the United Nations, 39 per cent of the peacekeeping budget, and fully half of special funds and programmes. "And we pay right on time, with no arguments and we are entirely up to date in our payments", he added.

The European Union's voice was further strengthened by 16 associate members. All, he said, must be heard in a unified, yet representative manner.

In looking towards the next six months, Mr. Levitte said that the Millennium Summit would be a highpoint. Europe was working to make it a success and French President Jacques Chirac would attend. In his address, and throughout the General Assembly, four main areas would be given priority.

In the first, human rights, efforts would coalesce around the upcoming World Conference against Racism, he said. The European regional conference would be held in Strasbourg from 11 to 13 October this year, chaired by France, and there were high expectations for its results.

Second, in peace-building, peacekeeping, and conflict-prevention, he pointed to Africa, the Balkans, and the Middle East as priority concerns of the European Union. In the Balkans, the European Union had made a particularly large commitment -- providing 80 per cent of the troops on the ground in Kosovo, for

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example -- because the region was, after all, in Europe. The Union was trying to provide a path out of conflict by saying, "Your future awaits you, and the future is the European Union." In that connection, he mentioned a French proposal for a summit to be held between the European Union and the heads of State of the western Balkans.

To enable Europe to better shoulder its peacekeeping responsibilities whenever necessary in the European theatre, the Union also hoped, Mr. Levitte said, to create a rapid-response force of around 50,000. That force might or might not be part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

As far as the Middle East was concerned, Mr. Levitte said, the General Assembly should be ready to act in response to any new agreements that were reached. The Union should make sure its statements reflected the developing situation.

In the third area of priority, development assistance, Mr. Levitte noted the conference on the least developed countries, to be held in Brussels in May 2001.

The final area of priority was the debate on the review of United Nations finances. The European Union wanted a result that was truly fair to all. The Union paid 20 per cent over and above their share. That was enough, he said, in terms of European generosity.

A correspondent noted that there didn’t seem to be the kind of unity between France and Britain in the Security Council that the Union tried to foster in the General Assembly, especially on Iraq. He asked if there was any reason to foresee increased unity in positions in the Council.

Mr. Levitte pointed out that, even though the Security Council was set up to give permanent members distinct voices, such disagreements were more an exception than the rule. In the Balkans, Sierra Leone, and many other situations, they stood side by side, and this was happening with greater frequency.

In response to another question, Mr. Levitte said that Security Council reform was indeed an important matter to be discussed at the Millennium Summit. It would be interesting to hear what heads of State had to say about it then.

Another correspondent asked if Serbia would be represented at the proposed Balkan summit. Mr. Levitte replied that President Slobodan Milosevic, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court, would not be invited. But they would find a way to invite representatives of the Serb people, as well as representatives of the authority of Montenegro. That was being discussed right now.

A correspondent asked if a Palestinian State was declared it would immediately be recognized by the Union. Mr. Levitte responded that the results of the current Camp David talks and its aftermath were awaited before any response would be given, but that the Union warmly hoped the talks would be successful.

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Mr. Levitte was then asked about the process for lifting European Union sanctions against Austria. He said that a study had been commissioned on the human rights situation and other matters in Austria. After the report was published, the heads of State would take a decision. As of now, the 15 Union members were not sponsoring Austrian candidacies for any given body in the United Nations, and there were no high-level exchanges of visits between Austria and other capitals, but for the most part the European Union was proceeding normally and effectively.

A correspondent asked whether an American reduction of payments or continued arrears would affect scale of assessments reform and the share of the Europeans. "We believe countries who have a greater capacity to pay can pay more, and we do, he replied." Pointing out that the American gross national product was proportionately higher than the ceiling that they had put on their contributions, he said that the issue of American payments created a difficult problem.

In response to further questions on the assessments issue, he stressed that all anomalies should be rectified, especially as regarded countries, such as Singapore and Saudi Arabia, whose status had completely changed since 1973.

Rectifying such anomalies should not be tied to positions on the Security Council or any other linkages, he stressed. In the financial area, it was most important to improve the system of peacekeeping operations. He called for operations which were more effective in complex situations, such as Sierra Leone, where a truly global approach was needed.

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