CONTINUING GENERAL DEBATE, ASSEMBLY HEARS STATEMENTS ON MIDEAST SECURITY, STRATEGIC STABILITY, HORN OF AFRICA

Press Release
GA/9771

CONTINUING GENERAL DEBATE, ASSEMBLY HEARS STATEMENTS ON MIDEAST SECURITY, STRATEGIC STABILITY, HORN OF AFRICA

While the Jewish people had the deepest respect for the Islamic civilization, under whose wings Jewish history had known some of its finest hours, they had never abandoned their dream of, and yearning for, Jerusalem, Shlomo Ben-Ami, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, told the fifty- fifth regular session of the General Assembly this morning as it continued its general debate.

For the past 33 years, Israel had consistently demonstrated its commitment to the freedom of religion and worship in Jerusalem, he said. Just as the Jews did not question the sincerity of the sentiments of others toward their holy sites in Jerusalem, they expected that others would not question the Jewish people's deep attachment to Jerusalem and its holy sites -- from which they would never again be parted.

He said that while his country was determined to pursue peace and take the calculated risks attached to it, Israel would never compromise on its vital security and national interests. While building peace with the Palestinians, the Israelis could not ignore security concerns inherent in their dispute with Syria. Israel was still exposed to the most serious regional threats emanating from revolutionary powers in the region. Peace required the active involvement of the international community, and once again the United States had proven to be the "indispensable nation".

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Igor Ivanov, said the ambitious goal of sustainable development and prosperity for mankind could only be achieved through the preservation and strengthening of strategic stability. His country was ready to move towards the conclusion of a START-3 Treaty, which was feasible only if the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty remained intact. That treaty’s preservation was a key element of global stability and a strong barrier against the race to acquire nuclear and missile arms as well as other weapons of mass destruction.

Strategic stability also meant the security and tranquillity of civil society, he said. International terrorism posed a direct threat to security and stability. He expected that the United Nations would step up mobilization of international capacities to counteract terrorism based on the principles of no support and no safe haven for terrorists, and the inevitability of punishment for every terrorist act.

General Assembly Plenary - 1a - Press Release GA/9771 20th Meeting (AM) 18 September 2000

In the particular case of Africa, support for the International Criminal Court was not only desirable, it was a must, James Victor Gbeho, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, told the Assembly. Censure by the international community was now very necessary in dissuading warlords and rebels from committing heinous crimes such as those committed in Sierra Leone, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ghana recommended, therefore, that international law should ensure that there was punishment and no immunity for perpetrators of such crimes.

Alexander Downer, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, said the United Nations human rights committee system needed to adopt a more consistent approach to its role and understand the pitfalls of simply accepting without analysis the submissions offered by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Adequate recognition must be given to the role and views of governments, which were democratically elected and which took their treaty commitments and reporting obligations seriously. The committees also needed to be more balanced and strategic about targeting key human rights offenders, and to avoid unfairly focusing their criticism on countries with good human rights records.

He called on Indonesia to fulfil its responsibility to provide effective security in West Timor through such steps as bringing an end to militia activity, bringing to justice those responsible for crimes, creating the necessary conditions for the return of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and resolving the refugee situation.

The Vice-President of the Assembly, Brizuela de Avila (El Salvador), reminded the Assembly of the appeal in connection with the observance of the Olympic Truce during the Olympic Games, held in Sydney, Australia, from 15 September to 1 October. The appeal was made on 5 September, at the closing of the fifty-fourth General Assembly, by the President of that Assembly, Theo- Ben Gurirab.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment of Belize, John Briceño, also addressed the Assembly.

Seyoum Mesfin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Abdul Sattar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, and Aleksandar Dimitrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, also spoke.

The Assembly will meet again at 3 p.m. to continue its general debate.

General Assembly Plenary - 2 - Press Release GA/9771 20th Meeting (AM) 18 September 2000

Assembly Work Programme

The fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly met this morning to continue its general debate.

It expected to hear representatives from Belize, Ethiopia, Russian Federation, Israel, Pakistan, Ghana, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Australia.

Statements

JOHN BRICENO, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment of Belize, said that despite the many advances the world had made, many continued to allow differences to lead to conflict. Peacekeeping efforts must therefore be proactive and efficient. The international community must commit itself to reinforcing the preventive capacity of the United Nations peacekeeping forces. Such forces must be well equipped and capable of defending themselves.

For developing countries, he said, globalization posed serious concerns. Globalization in its current form was neither responsible nor sustainable, because those who led the way sought only the advancement of their own interests. The proponents of globalization said that market liberalization would lead to prosperity. Countries had been encouraged to transform their economies and create more effective and efficient governments. However, the call for assistance with that transformation had not always been heard.

In Belize, for example, much had been done to ensure equitable development. The country enjoyed a vibrant and working economy where 85 per cent of the voting population exercised their franchise to vote, an open economy where all were encouraged to participate and Belize had worked in partnership with civil society to address social needs and protect the environment. Yet all its people ever saw of globalization was the threat of the elimination of their livelihood. If that was to be the legacy of globalization, then it must be asked whether globalization today was responsible or beneficent. He believed that it could be. But developed countries must ensure that globalization was free and just. The institutions and administrators of globalization must be more open, democratic and representative; they must work together with international civil agencies to provide for the poor. To eradicate poverty was an international moral responsibility.

Sustainable development could not occur without the protection and preservation of the environment. There was a global responsibility to protect natural resources, which was why Belize was a signatory to the Convention on climate change and was in the process of signing the related Kyoto Protocol. He called on Belize's developed-country partners to continue to honour the commitment made in Rio to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, 40 per cent of Belize's land was under protected status. Together with local non- government organizations, his Government sought an adequate balance between the protection of its resources and the fulfilment of the development needs of its people.

Over the last year, he noted, a lot had been accomplished. That should not distract the Organization, however, from the suffering and injustice still endured by millions. His country was greatly concerned by the situation in Africa, in particular the conflicts in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus. The situation in Timor was also of great concern. Belize joined others in support of the Middle East peace process and continued to support the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. He also called upon the Organization to recognize the desire of the 23 million people of the Republic of China and Taiwan to participate in the work of the Organization and other international bodies.

SEYOUM MESFIN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, said that the problems of Africa were very closely related. Africa’s development continued to be arrested by insecurity, instability and the lack of peace. On the other hand, it appeared unrealistic to expect durable peace in Africa without hope for the future -- hope that could only be born of visible indications that there were possibilities for progress. Whether related to debt relief or to declining terms of trade, the kinds of cooperation made available to Africa had always been both limited and ensnared in all kinds of conditionalities. That was not limited to the field of economic development. The same problems had been apparent in Africa’s efforts to promote respect for the rule of law.

Ethiopia had recently celebrated its New Year, and in that spirit his Government had fully committed itself to put the crisis with Eritrea behind it. Even before the deployment of peacekeepers -- contrary to experiences in other places -- the cessation of hostilities had held for months. His people wanted to be identified with peacemaking, not war making. The peace initiative on Somalia, under the auspices of the President of Djibouti, was also welcome. It was hoped that what had already been achieved in Djibouti would be built upon, and that the momentum for peace and national reconciliation would be maintained, so that the people of Somalia could put their 10-year nightmare behind them.

For Ethiopia, and Somalia’s neighbours, issues of peace and stability were critical. Ethiopia, along with its Inter-Governmental Authority on Development partners, would continue to do the maximum possible for peace and national reconciliation in the Sudan. A broader national reconciliation in the Sudan could easily be achieved on the basis of democratic principles and mutual accommodation. His Government would continue to support peace in the Sudan on that basis. Without peace, Africa would have little chance of ensuring a better future for its people.

IGOR IVANOV, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, said the outgoing century’s strategy of survival should give way to one of sustainable development and prosperity for mankind. That ambitious goal could only be achieved through the preservation and strengthening of strategic stability. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons provided an indispensable international legal basis for nuclear disarmament. His President had put forward an initiative for an international project to phase out the use of enriched uranium and pure plutonium in the civilian nuclear energy sector.

He expected that the United States would complete the ratification of the START-2 Treaty on the reduction of strategic nuclear arms, and he was ready to move towards the conclusion of a START-3 Treaty. That would only be feasible if the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty remained intact. Its preservation was a key element of global stability and a strong barrier against the race to acquire nuclear and missile arms as well as other weapons of mass destruction. Strategic stability also meant a reliable deterrent to the use of scientific and technological achievements for purposes incompatible with universal progress and the maintenance of international peace.

He said the notions of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States were still very much alive. Disregard for those principles, as well as military intervention that circumvented the Security Council, undermined the very foundations of the world order and paved the way for arbitrariness in international affairs. It was important to enhance the United Nations capacity for prompt deployment of peacekeeping operations through an early completion of the system of stand-by arrangements and a strengthening of the peacekeeping units by the Secretariat. He advocated the expansion of cooperation between the Organization and regional structures in the field of peacekeeping.

Strategic stability also meant the security and tranquillity of civil society. International terrorism posed a direct threat to security and stability. He expected that the United Nations would step up mobilization of international capacities to counteract terrorism, based on the following principles: no support, no safe haven for terrorists and inevitability of punishment for every terrorist act. Strategic stability meant preservation of a clean and healthy environment for present and future generations. His country supported the expansion of international cooperation within the United Nations framework in the area of biodiversity, climate, combating desertification and forest preservation.

SHLOMO BEN-AMI, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, stressed that while the Jewish people had the deepest respect for the Islamic civilization under whose wings Jewish history had known some of its finest hours, they had never abandoned their dream of, and yearning for, Jerusalem. For the past 33 years, Israel had consistently demonstrated its commitment to freedom of all religion and worship in Jerusalem. The city had never been so open to all believers. During the last month of Ramadan, more than 4,000 Muslim worshippers, a number unheard of in the annals of Islam in Jerusalem, had attended Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Just as the Jews did not question the sincerity of the sentiments of others towards their holy sites in Jerusalem, they expected that others would not question the Jewish people's deep attachment to Jerusalem and its holy sites -- from which they would never again be parted.

It was a travesty of historical truth to present the Palestinian refugee problem as the result of mass expulsion, he said. While the Palestinian refugees had clearly been victims of the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel could assume neither political nor moral responsibility for that tragedy, which had been the direct result of the all-out onslaught against it by the Arab armies in 1948. Once established, the Palestinian State should provide for the vindication of the Right of Return. However, Israel was willing to participate actively in any international effort to resolve the refugee problem. Out of humanitarian considerations, it might also accept a small number of refugees within a scheme of family reunification.

He said that while his country was determined to pursue peace and take the calculated risks attached to it, Israel would never compromise on its vital security and national interests. While building peace with the Palestinians, the Israelis could not ignore security concerns inherent in its dispute with Syria. Israel was still exposed to the most serious regional threats emanating from revolutionary powers in the region. Peace required the active involvement of the international community, and once again the United States had proven to be the "indispensable nation". The European Union was also rising to the task. Israel expected also to work closely with the Egyptian Government. It was also important that the Russian Federation, Asia and the Arab world express their opinion that now was the time to make historic decisions.

With the Middle East still replete with armed conflicts, political hostilities and animosities, regional arrangements were crucial for arms control. Israel was concerned by the expanding stockpiles of conventional weapons in the region, complemented by attempts by Iran and Iraq to acquire and develop non-conventional weapons and by an increasing missile threat. Israel attached great importance to the eventual establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons of mass destruction in the region. To achieve that goal, direct negotiations must be held among all States of the region.

ABDUL SATTAR, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, said that the Kashmir question had been the root cause of tensions in South Asia since 1947, and that its settlement was indispensable for peace and stability. Massive human rights violations, repression and brutalities perpetrated on the Kashmiri people by occupation forces were a grave crime of State terrorism. Two years ago, the Security Council had once again emphasized the need to solve the dispute. Faced with intransigent rejection of peaceful means, the Council had a responsibility to act, as the United Nations Charter empowered it to do. In the absence of a stronger commitment to action, mere talk of crisis prevention and resolution of disputes would lack credibility.

Regarding Afghanistan, he said the protracted liberation war of the 1980s had left the country devastated, and the internecine war in the 1990s had inflicted further ravages. The economy was a shambles and drought in southern Afghanistan had added to the people's misery. Tied to the Afghan people by geography, history and culture, the people of Pakistan viewed the tragedy of Afghanistan with sympathy. Despite economic stringency, they continued to provide shelter to 1.5 million Afghan refugees. Because an interruption of food supply from or through Pakistan would further aggravate hardship and trigger a fresh refugee influx, Pakistan opposed sanctions that would hurt the people.

He said his Government had been encouraged to note a similarity of approaches by the Foreign Ministers of the six contiguous countries as well as the Russian Federation and the United States at the Six-plus-Two Group meeting of 15 September. Pakistan also supported Iran's parallel efforts on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as those of Turkmenistan. All those efforts complemented and reinforced each other. Pakistan urged not only a ceasefire, but also a ban on the supply of military equipment to the Afghan parties, and the establishment of a monitoring mechanism to enforce it. Engagement with the Afghan Government offered better hope of amelioration than attempts to drive it into isolation.

He said his country had voted in favour of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty in 1996 and intended to sign it along with others, especially the designated States. Its entry into force had been derailed by events not of Pakistan's making. Meanwhile, restraint and responsibility remained the guiding principles of Pakistan's nuclear policy. The country would not enter into any nuclear arms race and its capability was meant only to deter aggression. At the global level, Pakistan supported calls for continued observance of the ABM Treaty. It would participate in negotiations on the proposed fissile material cut-off treaty and make a positive contribution to evolving a fair and equitable text which all countries could support.

JAMES VICTOR GBEHO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana, said that the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone amply demonstrated the complexities of the challenges the United Nations faced. In the West African subregion, there must be cooperation in imposing a ban on the purchase of small arms and especially of diamonds not controlled by the Certificate of Origin regime. Unless the international community helped out by implementing that aspect of Security Council resolutions, international peace and security would continue to be prejudiced by the greed and ambition of individuals. Enhancing Africa’s peacekeeping capacity was a crucial goal. Ghana attached great importance to regional and subregional peacekeeping initiatives. However, such initiatives should not become an excuse for the United Nations or the Security Council to shirk its primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in Africa.

Ghana believed United Nations efforts to promote and maintain peace and security should rest on a firm international legal framework. In the particular case of Africa, support for the International Criminal Court was not only desirable, it was a must. Censure by the international community was now very necessary in dissuading warlords and rebels from committing the heinous crimes the world continued to witness in countries such as Sierra Leone, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ghana recommended, therefore, that international law should ensure that there was punishment and no immunity for perpetrators of such crimes. The spirit of compromise which had led to overwhelming endorsement of the Rome Treaty of the International Criminal Court, must be kept alive.

In spite of the regular acknowledgement by world leaders of the need for poverty alleviation, those in a position to do so had failed to offer credible solutions, he said. On the contrary, they were using their pre-eminent political and economic positions to try to control and manipulate developing countries, especially in countries whose governments they did not support. To transform the context of international cooperation for development, it was essential to reinforce and enhance the network of linkages between the United Nations and civil society. He urged the Secretary-General to examine ways of ensuring common acceptable standards for accountability and transparency, even in the operations of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with respect to their participation in the United Nations.

He expressed concern over the persistence of discrimination against women in most parts of the world, and called upon countries that had not yet ratified Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to do so. The protection of children’s rights was of equal importance to his delegation, and was the reason for its co-hosting with the Government of Canada of a workshop on Children in Armed Conflict. He then turned to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Ghana supported the Secretary-General’s proposal for the adoption of 2005 and 2010 as the deadlines for reducing the rates of infection of young people through the easy availability of inexpensive vaccines made possible by developed-country partners. To reach that goal, there must also be investment in education, publicity, open discussion and the moral counseling of youth.

ALEKSANDAR DIMITROV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, said that his country had and would continue to have a vital role for peace and stability in the region of South-Eastern Europe. The Stability Pact among States and international organizations in the region, which aimed to provide faster revitalization of regional States and their integration into European structures, had failed to deliver on many of its promises. The democratization of the former Republic of Yugoslavia was a key factor for the comprehensive stabilization of the situation in the region. The reform processes undertaken in Montenegro and its democratically elected Government were welcomed in the region. The International Force in Kosovo must strengthen its activities in border control, he said, noting that several serious incidents at the border of his country had occurred. Some indicators suggested that those incidents were the result of transnational organized crime and attempts at illegal trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings.

To have a successful United Nations in the twenty-first century, reform was essential. The reform must include the strengthening of the role of the General Assembly and the restructuring of the Security Council in conformity with today’s reality. The former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia continued to uphold its position in favor of nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons. And the banning of all weapons of massive destruction. Trafficking in small arms and light weapons posed a large threat to peace in many regions of the world. The international community was urged to take strong measures to stop such trafficking.

It was important that developing countries not be excluded from the world’s economic trends. Writing off the debts of countries affected by objective external influences would have a positive impact, he said. The eradication of poverty and an increase in living standards were the main priority of every society, but also the priority of the work of the United Nations. The Organization must have a dominant role in the shaping of

international economic relations, he said, especially in the management of the globalization of the world economy.

ALEXANDER DOWNER, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, said reform and expansion of the Security Council were driven by two fundamental imperatives: the need to restore the representative nature of the Council, and the need to enhance its credibility, authority and legitimacy. New permanent seats should be assumed by the under-represented developing regions. They should also be allocated to the major industrialized powers best able to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security. Expansion of non-permanent membership would enhance the representative nature of the Council. There must be limitations on the use of the veto. Renewed commitment and flexibility on Security Council reform was needed from all sides.

One key element in the debate about United Nations reform had been missing, he said: that of electoral groups. Now that three decades had passed since the formalization of the present groups, it was timely to focus on their relevance to present and future geopolitical realities. The original rationale for the configuration of the electoral groups had eroded, creating dissonance with the way many Member States organized themselves politically and electorally. While there were many possible configurations for revised electoral groupings, the dramatic global changes had created historic anomalies in the current system that cried out to be redressed.

His country had recently completed a review of the United Nations human rights committee system, and had found that the committees needed to adopt a more consistent approach to their role and to understand the pitfalls of simply accepting without analysis the submissions put before them by NGOs. Adequate recognition must be given to the role and views of governments, which were democratically elected and which took their treaty commitments and reporting obligations seriously. The committees also needed to be more balanced and strategic about targeting key human rights offenders and avoid unfairly focusing their criticism on countries with good human rights records.

East Timor faced a long and difficult path to peace and prosperity, he said. The pro-integration militia continued to pose a major threat to security and stability. Intimidation and violence against Timorese refugees and humanitarian aid personnel in camps on the East-West Timor border must be halted. He called on Indonesia to fulfil its responsibility to provide effective security in West Timor, through such steps as bringing an end to militia activity, bringing to justice those responsible for crimes, creating the necessary conditions for the return of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and resolving the refugee situation.

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