AFGHAN, YUGOSLAV LEADERS POINT TO CHANGE AS THEIR SOCIETIES EMERGE FROM CONFLICT

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

3^rd Meeting (PM)

AFGHAN, YUGOSLAV LEADERS POINT TO CHANGE AS THEIR SOCIETIES EMERGE FROM CONFLICT

Continuing International Support Stressed as Assembly General Debate Continues

As the general debate of the fifty-seventh General Assembly continued, this afternoon, the leaders of two nations in transition -– Afghanistan, emerging from more than 20 years of war, and Yugoslavia recovering from lingering political instability and ethnic strife –- stressed that while more international assistance would be needed, their countries had undergone real change and their people were devoted to peace, solidarity, and nation-building.

Highlighting the unprecedented success of the Emergency Loya Jirga convened by the Afghan people in June, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan said the people of his country had expressed their unequivocal repudiation of war -– proving they were well on the way to enjoying peace and the benefits of reconstruction.  The very people who had once been the prime victims of war and violence at the hands of the Taliban, and the frontline fighters against terrorism, were now determined to take every measure to avoid a relapse into lawlessness.

He went on to say that the Government’s strong commitment to eradicate poppy cultivation and the destruction of narcotics had resulted in the destruction of drugs with an estimated street value of $8 billion.  In another sign of peace and security, more than 1.6 million refugees, and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons had returned to their homes.

While agreeing that Afghanistan still faced a humanitarian crisis, he requested the international community to focus more on reconstruction, to support long-term recovery efforts and to treat the causes of poverty, rather than the symptoms.  Building highways and repairing the road networks was an important undertaking that would create jobs, help with security and provide better connectivity, but sadly, the donor community had been slow to respond to that urgent need.

President Vojislav Kostunica of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia said that the people of his country knew only too well that peace in the Balkans region, attained at great sacrifice, must never be threatened again.  Yugoslavia had joined a large group of European countries in transition which to build their future on the common values of respect for human rights, democracy, free market economies and commitment to European and Euro-Atlantic integration.  Regional stabilization required continuous action, not only by the region’s States, but also by the entire international community.

He emphasized that Yugoslavia’s success required the success of its neighbours.  In cooperation with Croatia as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia would work to establish trust and cooperation among the three countries.  Change had really happened in Yugoslavia and the return of a totalitarian regime had no chance of success.  However, while prejudice against his country continued, the fact that the political situation was still developing should not be used as a pretext for interfering in internal affairs.

Echoing many similar concerns was President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, who said that while combating terrorism, organized crime and violence were of the utmost importance to the countries of Central Africa, covert terrorism carried out under the pretext of defending human rights, was even more disturbing.  The international community should ensure that States did not presume to combat terrorism in some situations and then carry it out in others.  Equatorial Guinea and other countries like it were suffering from that very practice.  The war on terrorism should not be a pretext for encouraging intolerance or political extremism, he stressed.

Like others this afternoon, Dominique de Villepin, Foreign Minister of France, urged the international community to monitor closely the "dark side" of the world today:  international terrorism.  At the same time, he cautioned that force could not be the sole response to terrorism.  He cited Afghanistan, saying that the mobilization of the international community there made it possible to overthrow a backward, totalitarian regime which had sheltered and supported the Al Qaeda network.  Regarding Iraq, he said the international community was obviously concerned and determined that the status quo be brought to an end, but cautioned against exacerbating the situation.  A politically-motivated, ill-defined or poorly mounted intervention would not garner the necessary broad support, but might galvanize regional public opinion in favour of the Baghdad regime, which was currently isolated.  Furthermore, it might aggravate tensions in the Middle East and beyond at a time when a redoubling of efforts was required for a return to the path of dialogue and peace.

Presidents Luis Angel Gonzalez Macchi of Paraguay, Alfonso Portillo Cabrera of Guatemala, Mireya Moscoso of Panama, Leo Falcam of the Federated States of Micronesia and Fradique Bandeiro Melo de Menezes of Sao Tome and Principe, also addressed the Assembly.

Prime Minister Kjell-Magne Bondevik of Norway and Vice-President Carlos Mesa Gisbert of Bolivia also spoke.

Canada’s Minister for Foreign Affairs also made a statement.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow to continue its general debate.

Background

The fifty-seventh General Assembly met this afternoon to continue its general debate. 

Statements

LUIS ANGEL GONZALEZ MACCHI, President of Paraguay, said that the disquieting events of the past year had given resounding proof of both the importance of the work of the United Nations and the need to reform its organizations and structure so that it could respond more efficiently to the changes that had emerged with unexpected speed on the international scene.  There was need to reaffirm the central role of the General Assembly, the Organization's most equitable and representative organ, which should not continue to be an arena in which speeches were mere rhetorical exercises to which the audience barely listened.

He said the Security Council also required reform to bring it into harmony with current times.  The representation of both permanent and non-permanent members, developed and developing countries, must be addressed and the right of veto must eventually be abolished to make the Security Council more fair and democratic.

A year on from 11 September, its implications for the United Nations and each country must be examined, he said.  Paraguay had taken a firm position against terrorism and had implemented the relevant Security Council resolutions.  It had signed the 12 international agreements on terrorism, as well as the Inter-American Convention on Terrorism, developed in the context of the Organization of American States.  Paraguay also supported the establishment of an international legal foundation for combating terrorism and urged support for the convention on terrorism proposed by India.

He said Paraguay was proud to have been among the first 65 States to ratify the Rome Statute and stressed the need to preserve the independence, impartiality and purpose of the International Criminal Court.  Paraguay was also proud to be a member, for the first time, of the Commission on Human Rights, and would work toward the noble aims of that body.  In that vein, he expressed grave concern over the situation in the Middle East and the loss of innocent lives on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides.  The international community must work to pave the way for the peaceful coexistence of two independent States within internationally recognized borders.  The situation in Afghanistan must also be watched carefully, he added.

Urging that representation for the Republic of China (Taiwan) be considered in terms of the principle of universality, he also noted that the democratic situation in Latin America had been threatened by increasing poverty and worsening economic situations.  Sustainable development required the cooperation of the whole world, and the elimination of measures that distorted free trade, he emphasized.

VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, noting he was the country's first democratically elected President in nearly 60 years to address the gathering of world leaders, said Yugoslavia had joined a large group of European countries in transition which built their future on the common values of respect for human rights, democracy, free market economies and commitment to European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Emphasizing that peace in the region, attained at great sacrifice, must never be threatened again, he said that lasting peace in the world and the region was still threatened by ideological, religious, ethnic and political extremism.  Organized crime was often linked with extremism and was the lifeblood of terrorism.  In South-Eastern Europe, there were many links to leading terrorist and criminal groups throughout the world.  Yugoslavia was firmly committed to the struggle against that threat and the United Nations was the right place for the coordination of international efforts to rid the world of that evil.

The stabilization of the Balkans region required continuous action, not only by the region’s States, but also by the entire international community, he continued.  Yugoslavia had undertaken constitutional transformation with facilitation by the European Union in order to define relations between its two member republics, Serbia and Montenegro.  The goal was to produce a state union based on respect for human rights and cultural diversity, the rule of law, good governance and a socially responsible market economy.  Yugoslavia's success required the success of its neighbours.  In cooperation with Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia would continue to establish trust and cooperation among the three countries.

ALFONSO PORTILLO CABRERA, President of Guatemala, evaluating the transformation process that had followed the cessation of hostilities in his country, said full reconciliation had not yet been achieved, but work was being done to make Guatemala a tolerant, non-exclusionary, democratic society.  While much had been done as part of the peace agreements, there were setbacks.  The unfavourable overall international situation had had negative effects on the economy and conditions had been made more complex by the severe drop in prices for Guatemala’s traditional export products.

Even so, tax reform had been initiated, as had educational reform, he said. Other priorities included access to land and poverty reduction.  Several components of the country’s strategy to reduce poverty had been put into effect. “These are long-range policies whose fruits will be fully appreciated only by later generations”, he noted.

The Government’s security goal was to have a smaller, better equipped army, with the resources saved being used to advance public education and build up civilian security forces, he said.  He also requested the extension of the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission of Guatemala until the end of 2004.

Expressing his country’s support for multilateralism, he urged reform of the United Nations to reflect the reality of globalization.  Guatemala looked forward to the new reform proposals to be put forward by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The Security Council must be expanded and veto power must conform to the United Nations Charter.  The General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council should be strengthened, he added.

HAMID KARZAI, President of Afghanistan, said that not very far from the United Nations, two towers had once stood as symbols of freedom, prosperity and progress.  Halfway around the globe, two magnificent Buddhas had represented a culture of tolerance and a nation with a rich history.  Those symbols -– gone now through heinous acts of global terrorism –- had been forever linked.  But while terror might have demolished those physical structures, it had also strengthened the willpower of the international community never to allow the diminution of the spirit in which those icons had been built.  Terrorism and violence were against the teachings of Islam and the Taliban who had destroyed Afghanistan and its cultural heritage did not represent Afghans.  The Government of Afghanistan did not consider Al Qaeda to represent the Arab world and neither the Taliban nor Al Qaeda represented Islam.

Highlighting some of his administration's achievements during the past eight months, he said the implementation of the Bonn Agreement and the peace process in Afghanistan were completely on track.  In accordance with the Agreement, the people of Afghanistan had manifested their robust resolution and solid consensus for democracy and the rule of law by gathering under one tent to convene the Emergency Loya Jirga from 11 to 17 June 2002.  The success of that meeting, which had included the broad and unprecedented participation of women, had been a significant step in the quest for peace, stability and nation-building.  The people of Afghanistan had expressed their unequivocal disdain for violence and war, and the Loya Jirga had proved that Afghans were determined to take every measure to avoid a relapse into lawlessness.

He went on to note that as a result of Afghanistan’s back-to-school campaign, three million boys and girls had resumed their education.  The Government's strong commitment to eradicate poppy cultivation and the destruction of narcotics had resulted in the destruction of drugs with an estimated street value of $8 billion.  In another sign of peace and security, more than 1.6 million refugees and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons had returned to their homes.  The Government had formed a Constitutional Commission to undertake the historic task of drafting a new constitution.

However, despite all those achievements, Afghanistan was realistic about the countless challenges and problems it would have to confront, he said.  They included security –- the principle demand of the Afghan people and the most fundamental requirement for sustainable peace.  The answer lay in the creation of a national army and police force, as well as a comprehensive demobilization programme.  A commission to form a national army had already been established and the donor community was requested to further support that strategy by turning international pledges into concrete contributions.  The Afghan people urgently needed the transformation of the pledges made at the Tokyo Donors Conference into reality.

While agreeing that Afghanistan still faced a humanitarian crisis, he requested the international community to focus more on reconstruction, to support long-term recovery efforts and to treat the causes of poverty, not the symptoms.  Building highways and repairing the road networks was an important undertaking with a significant economic, political and social impact for the people.  It would create jobs, help with security and provide better connectivity.  Sadly, the donor community had been slow to respond to that urgent need.

Recalling his warning to the world prior to the tragic events of 11 September, he said the Afghan people had suffered tremendously at the hands of the Taliban and terrorist groups, who had killed many people, destroyed villages and burned orchards.  His vision of Afghanistan was one of a modern State built on Islamic values and promoting justice, the rule of law, human rights and freedom of commerce.  It would be a model of tolerance and prosperity based on the rich heritage of Islamic civilization.  Moreover, Afghanistan was committed to continue its friendly relations with its neighbours and would be a resilient partner in the war against terrorism.

MIREYA MOSCOSO, President of Panama, noting that the 11 September terrorist attacks had been aimed against the whole world, said terrorism must be defeated by whatever means were necessary.  In that context, Panama had ratified all the major international instruments on terrorism and enacted domestic reforms designed to combat support for and financing of terrorism.

In the same vein, Panama had ratified the Rome Statute last March.  The International Criminal Court was needed to end impunity in the commission of appalling crimes against humanity.  She said her country's foreign policy was based on the fundamental values of democracy and good government, solidarity and international cooperation.  As Panama wanted to promote sustainable development, it had embraced the principle of free trade.  However, there was a need for a fairer economic regime that enhanced possibilities for cooperation, equality and symmetry.  In that context, Panama was proud to serve as the interim Secretariat for the Free Trade Area of the Americas and hoped to become the permanent Secretariat.

Regarding reform of the Security Council, she commended the way in which that body had done business over the last year.  Panama supported the inclusion of a larger number of members and urged caution with regard to the issue of permanent and non-permanent membership.  The proposed reforms must be in keeping with the new vision of the world and not perpetuate obsolete privileges.

She expressed concern about the situations in the Middle East, Colombia and many other areas of the world that were still awaiting United Nations support.  She also urged consideration of representation for Taiwan at the United Nations.  A broad debate, designed to facilitate the peaceful reconciliation of the Chinese people, must be encouraged.  Only through unity would those who aspired to live in a peaceful and prosperous world achieve their goals.

TEODORO OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, President of Equatorial Guinea, said that combating terrorism, organized crime and violence were of the utmost importance to the countries of Central Africa.  But even more disturbing were manifestations of covert terrorism carried out under the pretext of defending human rights.  The international community should ensure that States did not presume to combat terrorism in some situations and then carry it out in others.  Equatorial Guinea and other countries like it were suffering from that very practice.  The war on terrorism should not be a pretext for encouraging intolerance or political extremism.

He said his country had always stressed the need to preserve peace and security in the world and the international community must urgently reactivate its mechanisms to that end.  Because of its geographical location, Equatorial Guinea was concerned about the protracted disputes in the region -- usually sparked by greed for its enormous natural resources.  Equatorial Guinea would continue to work for the preservation of those areas of natural beauty as havens of peace and prosperity for its peoples.

Turning to the recently concluded World Summit on Sustainable Development, he said that in order to give real effect to the Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation, a new civilization and political culture must take root.  The international community must recognize that all countries –- rich or poor, large or small -– must be allowed to achieve sustainable development, peace, security and prosperity.  The Assembly faced the challenge of addressing several burning issues, including HIV/AIDS, and implementing the outcome of Johannesburg.  The United Nations must reassert its primacy as guarantor of international peace and security and the Assembly should use the session as an opportunity not to revive ideological confrontations, but rather for opening dialogue and pursuing debates that would lead to prosperity of all.

LEO FALCAM, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, said the new spirit of global cooperation that had resulted from last year's tragic events would lead to a better world for all.  The Pacific Islands Forum meetings this year had been dominated by security considerations and the Nasonini Declaration had enhanced existing regional security measures.  Sadly, however, the same was not true of most other primary issues on the agenda, notably poverty elimination and stemming the tide of environmental degradation.

Underscoring the inexorable link between development and the environment, he said the planet could not hope to support six billion people at the level of consumption now sustained in the developed world.  There was no justification for the notion that the privileged minority could continue driving air-conditioned SUVs while billions struggled each day to survive on less than a dollar a day.  How long could industrial nations hope to sustain their over-extended lifestyles while the planet's natural resources were steadily degraded and diminished? he asked.

Positive accomplishments in ocean policy were threatened by the continued violation of his country’s sovereignty in the form of illegal fishing and transshipment of hazardous material, he said.  Only a few weeks ago, in defiance of international obligations, several of the world’s largest industrial powers had collaborated in yet another extremely dangerous shipment of radioactive material that had passed within 30 miles of the Micronesian capital.  All objections to the violation of the exclusive economic zone had been flatly ignored.  Effective regulation of ocean-based transshipment of those dangerous materials must find its way into the priorities of the General Assembly, he stressed.

FRADIQUE BANDEIRA MELO DE MENEZES, President of Sao Tome and Principe, said the people of his small, poor and remote island-nation off the coast of West Africa, as much as any people on the planet, deplored terrorism and unconditionally supported efforts to protect innocent people from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.  The United Nations must lead the way in that fight, and the nations of the world must act together.  That was a moral duty.

Even more insidious, pervasive and deadly than war was the poverty that needlessly killed millions of men, women and children every year, he said.  His country could not continue without clean water, health care, electricity, jobs, schools and infrastructure.  The people did not want their neighbourhood in the global village to be a ghetto or a slum.

Noting that Sao Tome and Principe was strategically situated in the most important petroleum area in the world today, he said that with successful exploitations, enormous wealth and potential power would come to his country.  It therefore faced a moment of opportunity that African nations rarely encountered or had historically squandered.  Sao Tome and Principe, a robust democracy and one of Africa’s most stable countries, would be a model of oil transparency and sustainable economic development, based on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, supporting a free market diversified economy.

Turning to the question of representation for the Republic of China on Taiwan, he said that with a population of more than 20 million inhabitants, that country had achieved admirable economic and social progress through democracy. Yet, the international community had failed to recognize it as an independent and sovereign nation.  It was hoped that the United Nations would accomplish shortly the just task of accepting Taiwan as an independent and sovereign nation.

Saving the earth itself was the final -– and perhaps most difficult –- challenge before the Organization, he emphasized.  Turning to those who fuelled the factories of globalization he said, “You are the ones who endanger the planet with your pollution, who cut down the forests, burn the fossil fuels, poison the oceans, destroy the atmosphere and warm the planet.  You are the ones who can lead the world to develop cleaner technologies, more efficient uses of natural resources and, ultimately, effective ways to restore our land, air and sea.  There is no time left”.  If sea levels rose from global warming, Sao Tome and Principe would disappear beneath the waves.

KJELL-MAGNE BONDEVIK, Prime Minister of Norway, said that today the world stood united in unwavering determination in the struggle against international terrorism and in the fight for the values, ideals and human rights upon which the United Nations had been founded.  To succeed in the fight, three crucial priorities must be met:  the response must be global and comprehensive, with a strengthened global coalition capable of denying the terrorists the access to weapons of mass destruction; common efforts to maintain peace and security must be strengthened, which required effective multilateralism with a strong United Nations and effective regional organizations; and there must be a focus on root causes.  Member States must fight extremism and fanaticism, protect human rights, resolve conflicts and eradicate poverty.

To invest in development was to invest in peace, he continued.  The Johannesburg World Summit had demonstrated that promoting development and protecting the environment must go hand in hand.  Norway intended to increase development assistance to 1 per cent of GDP by 2005, and urged other industrialized nations to make speedy progress towards achieving the agreed contribution of 0.7 per cent of GDP.

Turning to the Middle East question, he said that while Israel had a right to self-defence, a human disaster was unfolding before the world’s eyes in the Palestinian areas.  The Palestinians must deal effectively with the terror attacks and the Israeli Government must recommit itself to the political process while halting its military operations and withdrawing its forces.  Only a political process, aiming at an independent Palestinian state and security for Israel, could lead to peace.  Norway was working with other donors to help rebuild economic and social infrastructure in Palestine and had pledged its continued support for Afghanistan as well.

On Iraq, he said the country must comply immediately with United Nations demands.  While the responsibility for non-compliance lay with Iraq alone, further action by the international community must be rooted in the United Nations.

He reiterated Norway’s resolve to promote social development, economic growth, democracy and human rights as the strongest means with which to fight against poverty and injustice, as well as in the long-term struggle to eradicate terrorism.

CARLOS MESA GISBERT, Vice-President of Bolivia, said his Government intended to institutionalize the fight against corruption as a State policy because corruption threatened to undermine the State’s essential foundations.  That approach, an offshoot of the specially formulated “Bolivia Plan”, would stimulate the economy and reduce social inequities, thus favouring the most vulnerable elements of society.

The Bolivia Plan sought to address the complex challenges of globalization and would redefine the State’s role in promoting sustainable development based on the rule of law, he said.  Urging international support for such efforts, he said that sustainable social and economic development must be redefined according to a new logic because the current paradigm had created problems for Latin America, which yesterday had been the hope of the planet.

Likewise, free trade must be reformulated in order to bridge the gap between the rich and poor, which had reached scandalous proportions, he said.  Calling for an equitable commercial exchange system, he said it was unacceptable for prosperous nations to impose limits on developing countries which they were not prepared to apply within their own territories.

As part of its development thrust, he said, Bolivia was committed to recovering an outlet to the Pacific Ocean as a permanent principle of its foreign policy.  Such a commitment had nothing to do with stubbornness or whim, but much to do with overcoming difficulties that robbed Bolivia of economic resources and affected its competitiveness.

WILLIAM GRAHAM, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada, suggested that the ultimate response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September would be a rededication to the beliefs and principles of international law, security and humanitarianism, embodied in the United Nations Charter, which had been targeted by those acts.  Furthermore, the main challenge for the Organization and each Member State was to manage their interdependence through multilateral action, recognizing that interdependence did not threaten sovereignty in any way.

He said the reaction to terrorism must be steadfast to enhance both national and individual human security.  It should also be aimed at opening hearts and minds to the world’s diversity, which would help to eradicate much of the pain in the world -– pain that too often translated into rising hatred, extremism and fanaticism.

Noting that the contribution of resources and experience to Afghanistan’s new leaders and to the various United Nations programmes seeking to establish political stability and representative government had reaffirmed the value of multilateralism, he pointed out that the human suffering in Africa demanded action, as did the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian crisis.  Canada called upon the people of Israel and Palestine to end the targeting of civilians, assure the security of Israel, end settlement activities, meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, effect democratic reforms within the Palestinian Authority and resume the peace negotiations.

Also of concern, he said, was Iraq’s continued flouting of the will of the international community through its persistent refusal to comply with its obligations.  Welcoming the powerful message delivered by President Bush and his affirmation of his country’s commitment to work with the Security Council, he called on Iraq to grant immediate and unconditional access to United Nations weapons inspectors.

Praising the creation of the International Criminal Court, he said it reflected the desire of the world’s peoples to end the impunity of those who committed gross violations of international humanitarian law.  The Court represented a major change in the way the world worked, as did the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, in which Canada had participated, which shifted the parameters of the debate on intervention toward an agreement on the responsibility to protect people.

DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, stressing that the international community must not disregard international terrorism, cautioned, nevertheless, that force could not be the sole response to terrorism. Citing Afghanistan, he noted that the mobilization of the international community had made it possible to overthrow a backward, totalitarian regime that had sheltered and supported the Al Qaeda network.

Regarding Iraq, he said the international community was obviously concerned and determined that the status quo be brought to an end.  However, care should be taken not to exacerbate the situation because a politically-motivated, ill-defined or poorly mounted intervention would not garner the necessary broad support, but might galvanize regional public opinion in favour of the Baghdad regime, which was currently isolated.  Furthermore, it might aggravate tensions in the Middle East and beyond at a time when a redoubling of efforts was required for a return to the path of dialogue and peace.

Turning to Africa, he said the continent must be helped to move forward in the resolution of conflicts, especially those in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Sudan.  Those tragedies were of concern to everyone because there were no longer any "localized" crises.  In the Great Lakes region, the accords signed in Lusaka, Pretoria and Luanda should be implemented, leading to the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the disarmament of foreign armed groups, and to reconciliation and a return to peace in the region.

He said the deadlock in the Middle East must be broken and hope restored.  The situation would deteriorate as long as the parties remained “prisoners of the logic of violence”.  The Palestinian Authority, he went on, must use all available means to prevent and curb terrorist actions, with a view to the establishment of an independent, viable and democratic Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 borders.  It must also pursue reforms, in particular in the institutional domain.

Israel should defend itself against terrorism in compliance with international law, he stressed.  The imperative for security could not by itself

replace policy.  He called for an end to settlements, and the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from the occupied territories as demanded by the Security Council.  Measures were also needed to improve the alarming humanitarian and social situation of the Palestinian people.

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