SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES REITERATE CALL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY INDEX

Fifty-sixth General Assembly

Plenary

56^th Meeting (AM)

SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES REITERATE CALL

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY INDEX

As Assembly's General Debate Winds Down, Speakers Agree

Terrorism Is Located in Gap between Affluence and Poverty

The most effective and least costly global anti-poverty measure was for developed countries to open their markets to the products of developing countries, the President of the Philippines told the General Assembly this morning as it began the last day of its week-long general debate.

National governments must fight the poverty that breeds terrorism with measures to raise the income of the poor faster than that of the rich, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said.  Yet the international community was also responsible for eliminating poverty.  The ODA commitment had a place, but the global trading system must not allow developed countries to subsidize agricultural imports while developing countries could not help their own farmers.

The recently completed Doha round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) must prove a true development round by opening the global market to agricultural commodities, textiles, clothing, footwear and electronics, both appliances and components.  She added that, speaking as a woman head of State, head of Government and Commander-in-Chief, she believed the gender gap was a part of the development gap, and must be addressed with equal vigour.

Haiti’s Minister for Foreign Affairs called for a “grand coalition” against poverty, starvation, disease and marginalization by giving developing countries access to world markets.  He said the International Conference on Financing for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development would be good opportunities to address those issues.

The representative of Antigua and Barbuda echoed the theme for other small island States this morning when he drew attention to the vulnerability of countries whose economies were open to foreign products but for whom the trade doors were slammed shut.  He called for concessionary financing through the World Bank and for innovative, long-term financing that would allow economic growth.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation also said terrorism was rooted in the gap between affluence and poverty.  It was urgent to ensure sustainable development in all regions, with a focus on social aspects of globalization.  He called for establishing a centre to coordinate assistance to

States affected by terrorism, and for a possible inclusion in international law of the concept of State responsibility for failure to take measures against terrorists.

Pointing out that development depended on sound fiscal policies and rational management of human and natural resources, Sierra Leone’s representative said much more cooperation was needed between developing and developed countries in such areas as trade, debt relief and external financing.

Tuvalu’s representative said universal cooperation against threats to peace and stability could not be achieved as long as the United Nations lacked the will to recognize a democratically developed State.  He noted that the WTO had recently admitted the Republic of China on Taiwan as a member, and called on the United Nations to consider Taiwan's membership of the Organization.

Also this morning, the Assembly decided to allocate to the Sixth Committee (Legal), the consideration of a question concerning the granting of observer status in the General Assembly to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.  It was further announced that the election of the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) would be taken up on Wednesday morning, 21 November.

Other speakers this morning were the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Sao Tome and Principe, Republic of Moldova and Lebanon.

The representatives of Rwanda, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Seychelles, Tonga and Swaziland also spoke.

The Assembly will meet again at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, when the general debate is expected to conclude.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning for the last day of its general debate, which opened on Saturday, 10 November.  (For more background information, see Press Release GA/9957 of 10 November.)

The Assembly was expected to hear from the President of the Philippines and other high-level government officials from various countries.

Statements

JOSEPH PHILIPPE ANTONIO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Haiti:  The international community already has 10 conventions and two protocols dealing with terrorism in all its manifestations.  Two additional initiatives are now being considered.  We all stand to gain from supporting international legality, and Haiti is willing to back all measures necessary.  These instruments are indispensable in our fight against this scourge, but we must also think of other factors that might spawn terrorism.  We should build a grand coalition against poverty, starvation, disease and marginalization.

The international community must arrive at a consensus on Security Council reform.  The Council must be expanded on the basis of geographic distribution, and the current form of the veto is no longer in tune with international relations. Attaining these goals will make the Organization more effective.

Developing countries are being marginalized from the global economy.  We must refashion a partnership for development, and find a common approach that will attack poverty in the new Millennium.  We must translate the Millennium commitment into deeds.  Fundamental is the need for developing countries to gain access to world markets where they can sell their products.  We believe that the International Conference on Financing for Development as well as the World Summit on Sustainable Development will be good opportunities to address these issues.

The Government of Haiti reaffirms its faith in the democratic future of Haiti, and will do all that is necessary to strengthen the rule of law.  It is experiencing a crisis situation that has arisen out of an electoral dispute.  As a result of the dispute, international aid has been suspended, poverty is raging, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic is stripping people of years of their life expectancy. The mortality rate for mothers and infants is clearly advancing, with 500 dead women for every 100,000 births.  Children, women and men are dying for lack of resources.  Would this be a form of economic terrorism?  Can it be justified by reference to electoral disputes?  The survival of our people cannot be linked to political manoeuvres.  The Government is doing all it can to resolve the post-electoral crisis and put the country back on the road to development.

IGOR S. IVANOV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation:  This session is proceeding under the shadow of an unprecedented challenge posed to humankind by international terrorism.  We still have to analyze how we, with the political, economic and military power at our disposal, allowed it to happen.  Either we pool our efforts to construct a really just and democratic world order, guaranteeing equal security and sustainable development to all States, or we continue to fail to counter real threats to global stability and security.

A universal anti-terrorist coalition has been formed.  The decisions taken by the Security Council and the General Assembly provide a solid political and legal framework for neutralizing the threat of terrorism, including the use of military force.  Consolidation of the international legal framework for combating terrorism is now on our agenda.  Early completion and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism are a high priority.  It would be useful to establish a mechanism within the United Nations to monitor compliance by States with their treaty obligations.

It is a promising idea to establish, under the aegis of the United Nations, a centre for coordination of assistance to States in resolving crises caused by terrorist acts.  Russia also proposes studying the inclusion in international law of a principle of responsibility of States for failure to take measures against terrorists in their territory or under their jurisdiction.  Maintaining and strengthening strategic stability at the global and regional levels, as well as consolidation of non-proliferation regimes for weapons of mass destruction are of key importance in the fight against terrorism.  That fight is not aimed against any particular religion, civilization or culture.  We hope that the initiative by Islamic religious leaders from Russia to organize an international conference on “Islam against Terrorism” in Moscow will make a contribution in that area.

Terrorism is rooted in the gap between affluence and poverty, both within States and in the international arena.  The task of ensuring sustainable development in all regions of the world and of focusing on social aspects of the globalization process is as urgent today as ever.  Successful settlement of regional conflicts should be integral elements of counter-terrorist activities of the international community.  Russia advocates development within the United Nations of an integrated strategy aimed at blocking the channels for outside fueling of conflicts, and the Commonwealth of Independent States has established an anti-terrorist centre.

PATRICE TROVOADA, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Community of Sao Tome and Principe:  The present debate is taking place during a particularly important moment in the history of international relations.  The international community as a whole has mobilized to face the devastating phenomenon of terrorism, the power of which was seen in the attacks on New York, Washington D.C and Pennsylvania.  Sao Tome and Principe has strongly condemned these criminal and monstrous attacks committed against the American people.  We agree that the perpetrators of these barbaric acts must be brought to justice and that the terrorist networks must be dismantled.  We reiterate our support and our readiness to cooperate regionally and internationally to fight the scourge of terrorism, which constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The phenomenon of asymmetric development persists in both social and political fields, both within countries, between countries and between entire regions.  This asymmetry can be seen from a glance at the social and economic situation in sub-Saharan Africa.  There is an urgent need for a concerted and collective effort to eradicate extreme poverty once and for all.  When we see rich countries side-by-side with poor nations, we have to ask whether there is indeed the political will to reverse the situation, which is dominated by egoism and the interests of certain individuals and States. 

How can one explain the indifference of the developed nations to the suffering of the developing countries?  I am thinking, in particular, about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other epidemics, such as malaria and hepatitis B.  Coming on the heels of disease-linked development in Africa, the situation on the continent was severely affected by the many ongoing conflicts in the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa and in Angola.  On the situation in Angola, we reiterate our firm desire to see this conflict come to an end.  We condemn the many terrorist acts in that country which have caused innumerable victims, particularly among the innocent civilian population. 

Unfortunately, Sao Tome and Principe is still poor, a lesser developed or an underdeveloped country, despite the concerted efforts and political will of its Government and people.  Today, my country is without a doubt a country where liberty, democracy and fundamental human rights are respected, promoted and protected.  However, due to the constraints and inequalities of the new international economic order, my Government has been prevented from creating a more dignified life for its people.  The Millennium Declaration had a particular resonance for developing countries, particularly in its stress on the protection of children.  The well-being of children is seriously threatened by the climate of war and conflicts, exploitation, famine and poverty.  It is necessary to act, if only for the protection of children, the future generation.

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines:  The face of terrorism this city saw on 11 September is a familiar one to Asians.  It has taken a terrible toll in the lives of peoples and economies.  It has deterred investments and caused Asian Governments profound embarrassment to be caught flat-footed and unable to provide the most basic security to their citizens.  It has taxed resources and patience to the limit, because terrorism is the argument of those not interested in reason but only in getting what they want on their own terms alone.

The Philippine police apprehended the perpetrators of the first attack on the World Trade Center.  The Philippines negotiates with its secessionist groups but throws the law’s full weight against those who resort to terrorism, because terrorists are not people to talk to but people to fight.  They are a minority seeking to enslave the world through fear, an enemy filled with hate, without pity or compunction, prepared to use any means for the greatest destruction.  It is a fight between tolerance and bigotry, between law and anarchy, between justice and murder pretending to justice.  And while terrorism cannot be placated and no terrorist should be appeased, the concerns they claim as the inspiration for their terrible deeds must be addressed.  Stripping the terrorists of their moral pretensions and taking up the causes they pervert will defeat them.

First, no nation will indefinitely endure the yawning gap between rich and poor, a gap growing bigger across the world.  Poverty can be reduced by national economic growth, but societies must also adopt deliberate policies to ensure the income of the poor rises faster than that of the rich.  Domestic demand must increase by increasing the purchasing power of the masses.  The Philippines does this by addressing the affront of mass poverty at all levels, from housing and education and lowered medical costs to development of remote areas, protection of the environment and provision of credit.

The international community also has a responsibility to eliminate poverty.  The overseas development assistance (ODA) commitment has a place, but the most effective and least costly anti-poverty measure on the global scale is for developed countries to open their markets to the products of developing countries, especially those of the poor in the poorest countries.  This applies particularly to agricultural commodities, textiles, clothing, footwear, and electronics, both appliances and components.  The global trading system cannot allow developed countries to subsidize their agricultural imports while developing countries are without the means to help their own farmers.  The recently completed Doha round of the World Trade Organization must be proven a true development round.

But poverty cannot be reduced in places where women and girls are mistreated and their rights trampled.  Speaking as a woman head of State, head of Government and Commander-in-Chief, I believe the gender gap is part of the development gap -- and must be addressed with equal vigour.  The heightened virulence of terrorism, the renewed sense of insecurity among the world’s people and the alarming slowdown in the global economy have intensified the urgency of United Nations work.  Let us get on with the job.  It is serious, essential and urgent.

NICOLAE DUDAU, Minster for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova:  The tragic events of 11 September have shown that the international community must seek with renewed determination to resolve the long-standing international problem on which terrorism feeds.  I feel obliged to add my voice to those who see the phenomenon of separatism as an additional root cause of conflicts, as well as a threat to international peace and security.  Besides being anachronistic in a globalized and interdependent world, separatism affects the very basis of multicultural societies and poses grave danger to the sovereignty and integrity of States.  Like the scourge of international terrorism, it emphasizes what divides and segregates rather than what unites and integrates.  As a country affected by separatism, we are alarmed at the persistence of this scourge and the connections it may sometimes have with other serious criminal activities, including terrorism.

It is no accident that I direct a particular focus on the issues of conflict settlement and separatism.  Over the years, my delegation has informed this Assembly about efforts to resolve the conflict in the Trans-Dniestrian region of the Republic of Moldova.  I am obliged to note with regret the lack of any discernible movement towards a comprehensive settlement.  Despite the reasonable compromises offered by the constitutional authorities, the separatist regime continues to oppose any proposals aimed at elaborating a special status for the region as a constituent part of the Republic of Moldova.  The few political documents worked out with the active mediation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OECD), of Ukraine and of the Russian Federation are interpreted unilaterally, contrary to their true sense, by the Trans-Dniestrean leaders.

Also of concern is the fact that in recent years, different types of armaments have been manufactured in the region.  These arms have reached other conflict zones through some third countries, supporting terrorist and criminal groups as well as secessionist movements.  A complete and unconditional withdrawal of foreign troops, munitions and armaments, as stipulated in the Istanbul Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Summit Documents, and as required by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, would undoubtedly facilitate the peaceful and lasting settlement of this conflict.

My Government is encouraged by the recent efforts of the Russian Federation to reduce its treaty-limited equipment, located in the Trans-Dniestrian region of the Republic of Moldova.  Given the considerable progress already made, we hope that the process of destruction or removal of foreign combat weaponry will be completed before the Bucharest OSCE Ministerial Meeting this December.

MAHMOUD HAMMOUD, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lebanon:  I would like to reiterate Lebanon’s condemnation of the 11 September terrorist attacks.  Lebanon stands ready to cooperate with the United States and the United Nations in the fight against terrorism, in accordance with the rules of international law and with the prerogatives of national sovereignty.  We stress the need to distinguish between terrorism and the legitimate right of the peoples to struggle for the liberation of their territories from foreign occupation.  Had it not been for the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1978, there would have been no Lebanese Resistance. Had Israel not occupied the Palestinian territories, there would have been no need for a courageous uprising against occupation.

Intransigent Israeli policies, the deviation from the Madrid principles and the stripping of the peace process in favour of so-called Israeli security considerations, indicate that attempted solutions to the Middle East crisis are torn between many conflicting rationales.  Those rationales include the partial versus the comprehensive solution; the solution based on force versus one based on what is right and just; the rationale of achieving security at the expense of peace as the foundation of security.

Due to the gravity of the situation in Lebanon, I stress that the realities on the ground call for maintaining the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's (UNIFIL) existing mandate and refraining from reconfiguring it to an observer force.  The Sheb’a farms remain under Israeli occupation, together with three additional points along the line of withdrawal drawn by the United Nations.  Israel continues to violate Lebanese sovereignty on a daily basis, described by the Secretary-General as “provocative”.  We would be deceiving ourselves if we were to believe that peace and security can be restored to the region outside the context of a comprehensive overall solution of the conflict on all its tracks.  I call on the United Nations Secretariat and on the Security Council to preserve UNIFIL’s existing mandate.

Lebanon attaches great importance to the release of Lebanese kidnapped by Israel during its occupation of our land.  The 130,000 landmines left behind are still killing and harming civilians.  The United Nations and the international community should make a greater effort to compel Israel to hand in all maps and records disclosing the locations of those mines.  We reiterate our demand for a just solution to the cause of Palestinian refugees provisionally housed on Lebanese land, on the basis of their right of return and of our refusal to allow their implantation in Lebanon.  During the long years of occupation, Israeli bombardment and destruction destroyed our infrastructure, houses, schools and bridges.  Growth and development were hindered.  Lebanon must be adequately compensated, and will resort to political and judicial organs to back its request that Israel pay reparations for the damages resulting from its acts of aggression.

ENELE SOPOAGA, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affair of Sierra Leone:  We believe the new coalition to counter the scourge of terrorism is absolutely necessary.  However, Sierra Leone strongly believes that we should also strengthen existing coalitions or build new ones against those forces that continue to kill millions of children and adults throughout the world.  Hunger, poverty, malnutrition, malaria, HIV/AIDS, brutality and intolerance –- these are but a few of those forces.  We call upon the international community to use the current international solidarity against terrorism to form a series of new coalitions –- against childhood diseases, poverty and human underdevelopment, HIV/AIDS and malaria, and the accumulation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

We are aware that primary responsibility for alleviating poverty, for stimulating economic growth and reducing conflicts and their often disastrous consequences lies in the hands of the developing countries themselves.  We are also aware that development requires sound fiscal policies and rational management of both our human and natural resources.  However, the international consensus is that sustainable development also requires greater cooperation between developing and developed countries in such areas as trade, debt relief and external financing.

There are many and more pressing problems on the international peace and security agenda of the United Nations.  One of them is the situation in Palestine. It continues to remain the core issue in the search for peace in the Middle East. It also breeds tension and directly fans the flames of war in other parts of the world.  It is no longer enough to speak about the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.  They have a right to an independent State of their own.  In short, the establishment of an independent Palestinian State is well overdue. We cannot afford any further delay.

Sierra Leone is obviously not a nuclear power, but we are concerned about the threat or use of nuclear weapons, which pose a huge threat to human survival. We are also seriously concerned about the proliferation of conventional arms, including those that have brought untold suffering to the people of Sierra Leone during the past decade.  We have pleaded in vain for action to prevent the transfer of these weapons to non-State entities, such as terrorists and rebels, who commit atrocities against innocent civilians.  The recent terrorist attacks, and the awareness that biological weapons in the hands of non-State entities threaten us all, should prod those Member States who were unable to support our plea to seriously reconsider their position on this important issue of arms transfer to non-State entities.

ANASTASE GASANA (Rwanda):  This session opened in a tragic climate because of the ignoble acts of 11 September.  For three months in 1994, the people of Rwanda lived with the terrorism of a murderous and genocidal State.  The instruments of that terrorism are known:  the interahamwe militia and the old Rwandese armed forces.  We demand that those two organizations, which for a decade have functioned as killing machines, be properly listed as terrorists.  The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been harbouring those forces of evil.  It should meet the demands of the Security Council to halt support for those organizations.

My country is determined to implement the Lusaka Peace Agreement.  That agreement has two components:  the inter-Congolese dialogue, and the disarmament and withdrawal of negative forces, which should lead to peace along the borders of Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.  We reaffirm our support for the primacy of law in international relations.  The report on human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo contains allegations that we envisage the annexation of that country.  We reiterate that the regular Rwandan army did not cross the border to annex the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but to secure the safety of our territory and population, under the legitimate right of self-defence recognized in Chapter VII, article 51 of the Charter.  We hope that Phase III of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will lead to the complete disarmament of the interahamwe and to peace and stability in the region.

We are pleased with the installation of the Transitional Government in Burundi.  We feel that a definitive solution to the problem of Western Sahara finally must be found.  The question of Palestinian refugees needs to be re-examined.  The existence of an independent Palestinian State side by side with the Israeli State, the security of which must be ensured, is essential for peace and stability in the region.  Poverty and external debt have been stressed as major obstacles to development.  Globalization does not seem to solve those problems.  We therefore ask the United Nations to re-examine the report to the Security Council by an independent Committee of Inquiry led by the former Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Carlsson.  Member States should ensure that follow-up to that report takes place, including the task of economic and social reconstruction of post-genocide Rwanda.

ENELE S. SOPOAGA (Tuvalu):  Tuvalu is committed to its United Nations obligations to adhere to resolutions to eliminate terrorism.  As such it is taking steps to accede to the 12 related international conventions.  Honouring such obligations, however, is easier said than done.  We need technical and financial support from the international community to build up our legislative, surveillance, and enforcement tools if we are to have any hope of meeting these obligations.  And we must not lose sight of the necessity for strong coalitions against other pressing issues, including conflicts and wars, globalization, poverty, underdevelopment, environmental degradation and climate change.

Universal cooperation against threats to peace and stability cannot be fully achieved as long as the United Nations lacks the will to recognize the fair and just representation of a democratically developed State.  The 23 million people of the Republic of China on Taiwan have been left to fend for themselves, denied the right of proper representation not only in the United Nations but in just about every other inter-governmental body.  Their voice is silenced.  While we welcome the decision of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to admit the Republic of China on Taiwan, we strongly believe that the United Nations must take the lead from this body and seriously consider Taiwan's membership.

The economic vulnerability of my country and many others in the Pacific is fertile ground for terrorists, and we are worried about the growing global interdependence and what this may bring to our shores.  We need to improve our ability to share and disseminate information on transnational crimes and other dubious schemes that often end up in the Pacific islands under a cloak of legitimacy.  Left on our own, we believe these threats will continue to expose Tuvalu and other Pacific island nations to forces outside our control.  It is vital, therefore, that individual Pacific island governments should be given the backup needed to boost their ability to tackle security threats and fight crime.

Tuvalu is not in a good position to take advantage of the opportunities offered by trade and liberalization.  Small island developing States (SIDS), landlocked and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) will for some time continue to rely on external financing through ODA to address their unique development needs.  The upcoming conferences on Financing for Development and the World Summit for Sustainable Development next year, must also capitalize on the premises laid out under the reviewed Barbados Plan of Action on SIDS, the Conference on LDCs and the Secretary-General's roadmap to implement the Millennium Declaration as the key tools for addressing the unique circumstances and vulnerabilities facing SIDS.

AMRAIYA NAIDU (Fiji):  Our leaders are committed, under the Millennium Declaration, to the principles of human dignity, equality and equity, especially to the most vulnerable.  It is a timely and constructive commitment, laying the necessary global framework to address the plight of the poor and vulnerable, who face the accelerating impact of globalization and trade liberalization.  As the most powerful destabilizing force, poverty threatens democracy and good governance.  Some 1.2 billion people live on less that $1 per day, more than a billion people in developing countries lack access to safe water, and more than 2.4 billion people lack adequate sanitation.  Poverty reduction is, therefore, our greatest challenge today.

Growing imbalances and marginalization in the world economy are threats to humanity, particular for Fiji and other small island developing States (SIDS). Sustainable development depends on a given level of resources to propel these fragile economies forward.  Moreover, these resources are needed to sustain long-term, sound, socio-economic and environment-friendly development.  The critical role of the international community is to assist us in nation building and efficient resource utilization.

Fiji has long stressed to the international community how vulnerable and heavily dependent our economies are on the vagaries of the global economy.  Our small size, extreme remoteness from international markets and increasing susceptibility to natural disasters do not lend themselves well to production economies of scale, to building export-based trade, or gaining competitive access for our products on foreign markets.  Clearly, our ability to benefit fully from globalization is doomed from the start, further aggravating the rich and poor divide.  Fiji hopes that the scope for equitable and tangible benefits from globalization and trade liberation remain to be fully realized, if we are to meaningfully tackle global poverty.

PATRICK ALBERT LEWIS (Antigua and Barbuda):  My country, as a small island developing State, is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters.  The most prevalent threat is hurricanes, three of which impacted our sister States of Belize, Cuba, and the Bahamas.  A single hurricane can set back the development of a small island developing State by 10 years.  Between 1995 and 2000, Antigua and Barbuda was hit by seven hurricanes.  We call on the international community to acknowledge in a meaningful way the vulnerability of small States like my country.  We lack the capacity, in financial and human resource terms, to bounce back from natural disasters and external shocks.  It is therefore imperative that we should be able to continue to access concessionary financing through the World Bank.  Our social and economic development needs, including infrastructure, seem not to register in the boardrooms of the international financial institutions.

Countries like Antigua and Barbuda are viewed as middle-income because of the per-capita income criterion, but this is a flawed measurement and should be abandoned.  Financing for development should take account of a mix of factors and should be linked to the vulnerability index, on which the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has done important work.

No account is taken of the considerable transaction costs faced by small island developing States because of their remoteness and the disproportionate burden they bear in their efforts to participate in world trade.  No account is taken of the openness of our economy to goods and services from all over the world, without corresponding market access for our own limited range of goods in the markets of Europe and North America.  Non-tariff barriers continue to slam the trade door in our face.  Programmes by international financial institutions should not merely prescribe the traditional formula of large-scale public-sector dismissals and reduction of public-sector investment programmes.  Instead, innovative ways should be found to provide long-term financing, at repayment schedules and rates of interest that would allow small States to maintain democracy, human rights, low crime rates and economic growth.

RAYNARD GIDEON (Marshall Islands):  The blatant worldwide increase in attacks human dignity and freedom spurred the early ratification of the Rome Statute by the Marshall Islands, which calls for the establishment of an International Criminal Court.  We welcome early establishment of the Court and implementation of its mandates.  We remain fully committed to the principles enshrined in the human rights Declaration.  The Government is currently in the process of ratifying, several human rights conventions. 

While our Government, given the unique conditions under which we live, has been prompt to support new scientific breakthroughs, innovations that uplift the betterment of the world, there are certain scientific initiatives that run counter to human decency.  In this regard, we fully associate ourselves with Germany and France in calling for a universal convention banning human cloning for reproductive purposes.

Like other small island States, the Marshall Islands is plagued with a unique set of problems.  Our coastal zones have become highly vulnerable to erosion, our groundwater systems are affected by higher salt-water intrusion, and increasing salinity impacts directly on our subsistence cropping.  Such a set of vulnerabilities, together with prolonged droughts, constitutes a deadly peril to our health and survival.  The Kyoto Protocol is the best available solution to our environmental concerns.  While we would certainly look back in the coming days and commend ourselves for a mission accomplished, we certainly owe it all to our children and our children’s children.

CLAUDE MOREL (Seychelles):  Terrorism is a threat to international peace and security for which there is no political or religious justification.  Following

11 September, Seychelles recognizes the right of the United States to react under the guiding principle of international law to bring the perpetrators to justice. But there is also a need to acknowledge the root causes of terrorism, including extreme poverty, despair and injustice, and to strongly advocate concerted efforts and collective commitment throughout the world to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment.

Considering the unprecedented international mobilization against terrorism and the magnitude of the present situation, we believe that the larger, influential members of the United Nations, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, should manifest their strong political will and backing in resolving conflicts in all parts of the globe.  Above all, they must intensify their efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East.  Let us not underestimate the fact that regional conflicts are often breeding grounds for terrorism.

The United Nations must direct its full potential to the vigorous pursuit of its development agenda.  This should comprise the drive to alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable development, the quest for equitable distribution of the benefits of globalization, the achievement of the Millennium Summit goals, and the success of next year’s International Conference on Financing for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

SONATANE TU’A TAUMOEPEAU TUPOU (Tonga):  While Tonga recognizes the merit of the economic vulnerability index as a measure for economic assessments, its application should encompass all small island developing States and not operate as a means of drawing superficial differences between them.  After all, the economic vulnerability index is an accurate reflection of the true realities of small island developing States.  If those realities are not fully addressed, we shall continue to perch precariously on the edge of the precipice.  We therefore continue to support the development of an appropriate environmental vulnerability index for small island developing States, and commend the ongoing work of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission in this regard.  It is our belief that such an index will provide an accurate indicator of the vulnerability to which small islands are exposed, such as natural disasters, sea-level rise and climate change.

As a developing ocean State, we continue to see our fair share of the “harvest” from the ocean that bounds us on all fronts.  We welcome in particular the preparations for the coming into force of the Western Pacific and Central Pacific Conventions on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks.  We urge the distant-water fishing nations in our region to make every effort to become a party to a convention that is the hallmark of our commitment to the conservation and sustainable management of a critically important resource.

We continue to support the effort to reform the Security Council.  In this regard, we could support either a proposal for an expansion of the number of permanent seats by two, with an expansion of the number of non-permanent seats by three, or alternatively we could support an expansion of the number of permanent seats by three, with an expansion of the number of non-permanent seats by four.

CLIFFORD S. MAMBA (Swaziland):  On the African continent, security challenges continue to cause suffering and restrict the development of millions of our people.  While this is undeniable, it is also clear that Africa is assuming its own responsibility for finding solutions to the crises affecting several of her nations.  The peace processes in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia/Eritrea and Angola have all benefited from the involvement of our regional and subregional groups and from the efforts of dedicated African men and women.

In developmental terms, there is a new wind blowing through African countries, bringing fresh hope to our people for improved standards of living.  The continent will no longer tolerate the notion of unconstitutional governments, and we have all confirmed our belief that transparency and accountability are the watchwords of a governance that places people at the centre of development.  We also believe that trade with the rest of the world is the lifeblood of our

economies, encouraging businesses, foreign and local investment, and increasing employment.

We are on the edge of a global recession, and its effects will be felt hardest in the developing world.  After a decade of encouraging talk about the benefits of globalization, we are not even close to benefiting from a world of liberalized trade.  Globalization in its unfettered form is likely to do more harm than good to small, vulnerable economies, unless measures are taken to protect them in the short to medium term.  There must be agreed ground rules to regulate free trade in goods and services, to ensure an equitable exchange between unequal partners.  We believe it is the responsibility of the wider international community to continue to provide resources and help developing countries fight their way out of poverty.

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