ECONOMIC REFORM, DEVELOPMENT AS TOOL IN MAINTAINING PEACE AMONG ISSUES RAISED, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEBATE CONTINUES

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

15^th Meeting (PM)

ECONOMIC REFORM, DEVELOPMENT AS TOOL IN MAINTAINING PEACE

AMONG ISSUES RAISED, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY DEBATE CONTINUES

The General Assembly continued its general debate this afternoon, with speakers focusing on two facets of the development agenda:  that sustainable development was not possible without reform of the international economic system; and that economic development could aid in the maintenance of peace and security in countries newly emerging from conflict.

Julian Hunte, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation of Saint Lucia said that the development agenda was in a state of crisis. Calling for a Marshall Plan to address the terror of poverty and the stark disparities between the developed and developing countries, he deplored the failure of the international community to establish a citizen’s agenda, with clear targets, resources and commitments to implement development goals at the Monterrey and Johannesburg Summits.  Without development, the war on terrorism was in vain; it had to encompass economic and social factors, as well as the military option. 

Roberto Tovar Faja, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, said that combating extreme poverty and the growing economic gap between the various social groups were among the ways to ensure the sustainability of democracy.  Globalization, he cautioned, while offering enormous opportunities for economic and social development, also posed serious dangers.  Structural barriers, financial imbalances and the lack of funds for social and productive investment could cause the breakdown of entire regions.  Subsidies, restrictions in the access to international markets and capital flight distorted free competition. 

Abou Drahamane Sangare, Minister of State and Minister for External Relations and Ivorians Abroad of Côte d’Ivoire, expressed a similar sentiment, saying that it could never be overemphasized that the efforts made by developing countries would be in vain without a lessening of their debt burden and the perverse effects of globalization.   

Several speakers also made reference to the advantageous effect that economic development could have on efforts to stabilize peace and security in countries newly emerging from conflict. 

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, detailed the progress towards peace made in his country.  He said that the way forward entailed a clearly representative interim administration in which the rights of all communities were safeguarded, and decentralization encouraged people to be

responsible for driving economic growth in their own regions.  The economy, dragged to near bankruptcy, needed to see the momentum of growth re-established, for which international support was needed. 

Reaffirming the contribution that economic development could make, the representative of Turkmenistan said that her country viewed the creation of the trans-Afghan gas pipeline as a project of international significance, which would be of benefit to Afghanistan and would help to strengthen stability and security in the region.  Because of that, she called on the United Nations to assist in the effective implementation of the project.

Also this afternoon, the Assembly was informed that Chad had made a payment to reduce its arrears in keeping with Article 19 of the Charter.

Also speaking in the general debate were the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Chad, Costa Rica, Niger, Haiti and Nicaragua. 

The representatives of Indonesia and Turkey spoke in exercise of the right of reply. 

The General Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m.Thursday, 19 September to continue its general debate.

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Background

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

Statements

RANIL WICKREMESINGHE, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, reaffirmed the global nature of terrorism and said that his own country, ravaged by 20 years of war, knew better than most the tragedies that conflict and terrorism had created.  His party’s victory in last year’s election had given the Government a clear mandate to end the conflict in the north-east, towards which goal there had been swift movement.  The ceasefire, signed last February with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) had held; confidence-building measures had encouraged the free movement of peoples and revived the economic activity; and two days ago peace talks with the LTTE had begun.  A flexible approach to these negotiation was necessary, taking into consideration the aspirations and concerns of the LTTE.  In this early stage, the immediate needs, meant to bring relief and normalcy to society, were being addressed.

Already, he said, there were signs of people enjoying their rediscovered freedom.  Exchange groups between North and South had revealed to many that the two sides were not so different and a peace rally had brought activity in the capital, Colombo, to a halt.  But, with peace came risk -- as the people demanded peace, it was imperative that the politicians and negotiators deliver.  The economy, dragged to near bankruptcy, needed to see the momentum of growth

re-established, for which international support was needed.  It was clear that the way forward entailed a clearly representative interim administration, in which the rights of all communities were safeguarded and decentralization encouraged people to be responsible for driving economic growth in their own regions.

Turning to other issues, he said that Sri Lanka strongly supported a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, providing for two States that could prosper in conditions of peace and security.  It was time for the resumption of a serious dialogue between the parties; in Sri Lanka, dialogue and negotiations had turned around a drawn-out conflict.  However, the approach taken in regard to the fight against terrorism should be different.  Global terrorism needed to be eradicated in all of its manifestations. 

Praising the Secretary-General’s initiative of the Global Compact, which provided for the launching and negotiation of positive partnerships between corporate and State sectors, he emphasized the importance of re-establishing an investment-friendly State, with an efficient bureaucracy and a thriving private sector.  He had brought a team from Sri Lanka’s industrial sector to talk to United States businessmen.  Close encounters with the business sector would provide insight into the opportunities for collaborative economic and development ventures, as Sri Lanka moved forward on the path to peace. 

M. MORSHED KHAN, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, described several of the successes of his country -- including cutting population growth, self-sufficiency in food-grains and massive investments in education -- that had resulted in it being singled out as a successful development model.  His country now needed not larger but fairer trade and more investment.  "We may still have a long way to go, he said, "but we believe we are on the right track.”

In South Asia, he continued, the volatility of the situation between two nuclear-capable countries was deeply worrisome.  He encouraged all concerned in the region to exercise restraint and seek solution to their differences through dialogue and meaningful engagement.  On Afghanistan, he said that after emerging from the most destructive episode in its history, that country had yet to recover and reconstruct.  The international community must redouble its efforts to secure peace and accelerate reconstruction.  Unless that was done, the long-term security and stability of the entire region would remain “deadly” uncertain.

Turning to the Middle East, he said the continued denial of the rights of the Palestinian people to their own State and freedom was another source of concern.  “The continued illegal occupation of Palestinian land, trampling of human rights and atrocities perpetrated against the Palestinian people by Israel must end immediately”, he said.  He called for the resumption of serious efforts to seek a comprehensive solution to the problem that addressed the legitimate concerns of the Palestinian people. 

He also welcomed the decision in Baghdad to allow the return of United Nations weapons inspectors as a significant step towards that country’s fulfilling of its obligations under Security Council resolutions.  He said in Africa, the havoc wrought by ethnic conflict, disease and famine was similarly disturbing, as was the financial turmoil in Latin America.  The commitments made to the least developed countries remains largely unmet.

JULIAN HUNTE, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation of Saint Lucia, noted that in a world of cutting edge technology, scientific miracles and the conquest of space, it was inconceivable that human misery and suffering were still not decreasing.  The development agenda was in a state of crisis.

He said Saint Lucia wanted reformation of the global economic governance system to ensure the equitable sharing of resources, so that all could enjoy a decent quality of life.  It also called for the democratization and reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) into an organization supportive of the sustainable development of all States.  The omission of the principle of "special and differential treatment" in the recent round of trade agreements had to be corrected.  The notion of a level playing field in the area of trade was a myth. Equitable participation in world trade demanded that special consideration and assistance be given to the developing world, particularly to vulnerable small island States.

He called for a Marshall Plan to address the terror of poverty and the stark disparities between the developed and developing countries.  The message from Monterrey, however, was that there was neither the political will nor resources available for development.  There were no mechanisms for debt relief.  The sustainable development Summit represented more of the same.  It failed to establish a citizen’s agenda, with clear targets, resources and commitments to implement development goals.  Today, everything was left to the market.  He warned against the reorientation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bretton Woods institutions away from development.

Without development, the war on terrorism was in vain, he said.  The war had to encompass economic and social factors, along with the military option.  The United Nations needed to heed the fainting voice of humanity in a universal chorus proclaiming global peace, justice, prosperity and equality for all.

TALBAK NAZAROV, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, said one of the most valuable resources on the planet was water.  However, even today, many regions of the world faced a lack of freshwater and according to United Nations Secretary-General, if the current practices of water usage persisted, in the short-term perspective every third citizen on earth would be living in a country experiencing “water stress”.  The urgency of the problem had prompted Tajikistan to propose the initiative of proclaiming 2003 as the International Year of Freshwater.

He said his country also believed time had come to convene in 2003 a special General Assembly session to discuss all aspects of combating terrorism and to adopt consolidated decisions.  At such a session, the progress made over five years on the implementation of the decisions of the twentieth special session dedicated to the illicit production, sales and trafficking of narcotics could also be discussed.  He said that in view of an ever-increasing drug threat, Tajikistan regarded the creation of an anti-narcotics coalition of States as an issue of critical importance.  The war against international terrorism would not be effective until the international community made substantial progress in its struggle against drug cartels and narcotics barons.

A future global system of countering terrorist and narcotics threats could not be created without the support from regional and subregional structures and institutions that had been active in that and other areas of international cooperation, he stated.  On Afghanistan, he said it was important for the United Nations to coordinate the common efforts of the international community in reinforcing the course of Afghanistan's restoration towards complete elimination of the hotbeds of international terrorism on its territory, and eradication of religious extremism and the narcotics threat.

MAHAMAT SALEH ANNADIF, Minister for Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Chad, said that the United Nations was challenged, more than ever, to establish a more prosperous global society.  The point was not to have more conferences and summits, but to ensure that the international community committed itself to deeds.  Chad was working towards the early development of its mining, agriculture and livestock sectors, in order to move forward on the path to economic development. The Government was aware of the weaknesses of the national economy and the heavy indebtedness it faced.  He called for support from Chad’s bilateral and multilateral partners to write off its debts. 

Chad was ready to shoulder its responsibility in the global community, he said.  It intended to make the African Union a genuine tool for political and economic integration.  The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) deserved the support of Africa’s development partners.  The salvation of Africa lay in the hands of Africans themselves.  They must take courageous political decisions and enable the vision of the African Union to become a reality.  The news that some conflicts seemed to be nearing their end was a real source of hope for the population of Africa. 

He expressed concern about the situation in the Middle East, which was the result of the failure to comply with the resolutions of the Assembly and the Security Council.  Given its obligation to be fair to all Member States, the Security Council should banish its policy of double standards and enforce its resolutions.  Real peace in the Middle East demanded it.  Similarly, Chad was concerned about the issue of Taiwan, for which a solution must be found.  He called for the admission of Taiwan to the Organization. 

The United Nations, he added, needed to reform its structures to reflect the growth in membership since its creation.  The restructuring of the United Nations was essential and should focus on two points -- strengthening the role of the Assembly and increasing the number of members of the Security Council to ensure better representation.   

ABOU DRAHAMANE SANGARE, Minister of State and Minister for External Relations and Ivorians Abroad of Côte d’Ivoire, said that there were four pillars around which multilateral relations should be reconfigured:  reform of the United Nations; the fight against poverty; human rights; and international security.  Misery and poverty constituted the number one threat to international peace and security today.  Within Côte d’Ivoire, the fight against that threat was addressed through a decentralized system of governance, which revisited the needs of each region of the country.  There was a need, however, for international support in funding the decentralization.

It could never be overstressed, he said, that the efforts of developing countries would be in vain without a lessening of their debt burden and the perverse effects of globalization.  With NEPAD, Africa now offered itself a framework conducive to the establishment of international economic solidarity.  On the issue of human rights, he expressed deep concern about the status of the right to health, given the extent of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  In spite of national and international efforts, the results of the fight against that disease had not been up to par.  As the world awaited a miracle cure, the efforts towards prevention and providing access to medications for all needed to be redoubled.

Peace and the security of goods and persons were the alpha and omega of all development, he said, and the recent evolution of contemporary history in this area was not satisfactory.  Within the field of disarmament, the destruction of light weapons had not gone far enough, as their suppliers continued to prosper.  In addition, the abandonment of the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty was alarming.  However, Côte d’Ivoire had been glad to see the United States and the Russian Federation conclude a new disarmament accord and continued to agree with the non-aligned countries’ position that the denuclearized zones needed to be respected.

The crisis in the Middle East constituted a grave threat to international peace and security, he said.  Its persistence seemed to expose the impotence of the international community.  The central challenge was to have a viable Palestinian State and Israel living within internationally recognized and secure borders; in that light, the Saudi initiative should be saluted, as it recognized Israel’s right to exist alongside a Palestinian State.  Continuing on the subject of conflict, he commended the progress towards peaceful resolution made in many of Africa’s conflicts.  Only a willingness to settle differences peacefully would put to an end the suffering of the African people.

SEYOUM MESFIN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, said that NEPAD was a realistic initiative that specified the obligations of African countries in areas relevant to the creation of a conducive environment for economic and social development.  Good governance was one such vital obligation.  The commitment to democracy and good governance had major implications for Africa, not only for economic development, but also for creating conditions for nurturing peace and stability.  Nonetheless, NEPAD could not succeed without the cooperation of Africa’s partners and the international community.  Succeed it must, because NEPAD’s success was vital not just in the interest of Africa, but the world's. 

All effort to ensure success in the fight against poverty was bound to fail without peace and durable stability, he said.  In that area as well, Africa, including the subregion of the Horn of Africa, required the effective support of the international community.  What was needed was enlightened support, which was transparent and targeted at ensuring durable peace and stability.  What was required was support that was not compromised by tactical considerations, which were shortsighted and likely to aggravate already existing problems.  Coddling unaccountable governments would not promote peace in the long run, and would not bring about durable stability.

The promotion of peace in the Horn of Africa had not been easy, he noted.  His subregion had long been vulnerable to terrorist activities.  The fight against international terrorism required for its success the genuine cooperation and solidarity of the entire international community, no matter who might be the target.  All those who directly or indirectly supported and encouraged terrorism should be held accountable.  What was required was zero tolerance for terrorism, regardless of its intended targets. 

ROBERTO TOVAR FAJA, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, said that combating extreme poverty and the growing economic gap between the various social groups was among the ways to ensure the sustainability of democracy.  Those ills weakened the social fabric and eroded confidence in political institutions.  Financial crises fostered conditions favourable for the existence of extremism and groups that sought to overthrow democratic governments.  Greater international cooperation for development was required to consolidate democracy.  He called on developed nations to implement the Monterrey Consensus and, in particular, their commitment to increase official development assistance (ODA). 

Costa Rica fully supported the efforts of the United Nations to promote and strengthen democracy, but it equally emphasized that the Organization should not give lesser priority to the creation of the economic and social conditions indispensable for the consolidation and preservation of democratic institutions around the world.  Globalization offered enormous opportunities for economic and social development.  Without a doubt, to create a better world for all, it was necessary to take advantage of those opportunities.  However, globalization also posed serious dangers.  Structural barriers, financial imbalances and the lack of funds for social and productive investment could cause the breakdown of entire regions.  Subsidies, restrictions in the access to international markets and capital flight distorted free competition. 

Globalization, he continued, might deepen the gap between the wealthiest and poorest sections of society.  The digital divide might exclude vulnerable groups from the benefits of the modern economy and cast a long shadow on the future of those left behind.  To enable developing countries to benefit from globalization, the United Nations must call on developed nations to open their markets and to abolish their subsidies. 

Without multilateral mechanisms for the protection of human rights and to monitor and punish their violation, the whole regime for the promotion of human rights would grow weaker, he said.  To provide the greatest protection for all, he advocated the creation of a new generation of human rights mechanisms.  That effort had already borne fruit in the form of the Draft Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.  Likewise, with the entry into force of the International Criminal Court, humankind had an effective, independent and impartial judicial organ with jurisdiction over the most serious crimes that offended human dignity. 

AICHATOU MINDAOUDOU, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of Niger, said terrorism could not be eliminated on a piecemeal basis and fought under modalities epitomized by the United Nations.  For success in that area, there also had to be a more just and equitable world order, because terrorism thrived in an environment of ignorance and deprivation.

Part of Niger’s contribution to peace and security in Africa was its effort to monitor and control the trade of small arms in the region.  She said small arms threatened the peace and stability of many African countries.  Since 1994, Niger had established a commission which was involved in the collection of small arms. In addition, Niger, despite its limited resources, had been contributing to

peacekeeping efforts on the continent and overseas, in such places as Haiti.  In its bid to bring peace to the Middle East and as an expression of support for the Palestinian people, it had broken ties with Israel.  Niger also wanted the situation in the Western Sahara to be resolved and urged negotiations to defuse tensions between India and Pakistan, two States with nuclear capability, over Kashmir.

She said the world’s abundance made possible prosperity for all.  In that regard she welcomed NEPAD and expressed the hope that it would bring prosperity to all of Africa.  Niger endorsed the need for partnerships, as adopted by the Johannesburg Summit, and urged the availability of more ODA.  It appreciated external support for its national framework policies aimed at eliminating poverty.

JOSEPH PHILIPPE ANTONIO, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Haiti, said that Security Council reform was now more important than ever.  He called for more openness in the Council’s operation and more representation in its decision-making.  Regarding the escalating violence in the Middle East, he called on key players to settle their differences peacefully through dialogue.  Also, despite Iraq’s acceptance of the return of weapons inspectors, he expressed concern about how that situation was proceeding.  

Today, humanity was facing particular challenges, among them poverty, HIV/AIDS and illiteracy, he noted.  With weak institutions and deficient infrastructures, the least developed countries faced specific challenges.  Countries left the three recent development conferences -– Doha, Monterrey and Johannesburg -- with hope.  Education and training could free people from ignorance and put them on the path towards development.  It was in that connection that President Aristide had launched a national literacy campaign on 7 September 2001.  

The Government, he said, had always done its best to deal with the economic embargo imposed by the international community, following the elections of 21 May 2000.  Unfortunately, it was the most vulnerable that were harmed by those unjust sanctions.  He hoped that the international community would help Haiti, particularly regarding assistance and electoral observers.  He urgently appealed for an end to the economic embargo. 

He expressed gratitude to those countries that had cooperated with and assisted Haiti during its difficult time.  Haiti needed to galvanize its collective energy in order to build up the country.  He reiterated his appeal that man be given pride of place in relations between countries.  Finally, he invited the international community to start the process that would help Haiti overcome the shocking reversals of the past and move forward into the future. 

NORMAN CALDERA CARDENAL, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, said that in order to ensure that the crusade his country had began against public and private corruption was irreversible, he appealed for continued and sufficient support from the international community.  In that way, Nicaragua would preserve the great moral heritage of humankind -- democracy exercised with honesty and accountability.

He said by its very nature the scourge of corruption had an impact that transcended national borders.  In that regard, he offered Nicaragua’s full support to the work being carried out by the special committee to negotiate a United Nations convention against corruption.  “From this forum, we appeal to the international community to engage in the broadest possible mutual assistance and cooperation in investigating or prosecuting acts of corruption”, he said.  He declared that corruption was as abhorrent as terrorism.  In the same vein, he called for international cooperation in coordinating activities to prevent and punish perpetrators of terrorism.

Describing Iraq as “a challenge and a test case for the entire multilateral system we have been constructing”, he said that, while it was true that everyone was in favour of multilateral action, it was also undeniable that inertia and inaction undermined confidence in Member States’ collective will.  The multilateral system had to demonstrate its dynamism, and its very raison d’être, by taking joint, concerted and timely action to resolve conflicts.  “ We want a system capable of reacting with specific, timely and effective measures to the dangers that threaten international peace and security, a system that is not overtaken by circumstances.”

For that reason, Nicaragua considered that the immediate and unconditional return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq could only be considered an important part of a greater effort aimed at the elimination of all kinds of weapons of mass destruction, within the context of the global interests of the international community and in compliance with all pertinent Security Council resolutions.

AKSOLTAN ATAEVA (Turkmenistan) pledged her country’s continued commitment to cooperation with the United Nations.  The thrust of its foreign policy coincided with the main concerns of the United Nations:  namely, strengthening of peace, security and stability.  The scope of the United Nations’ operations should incorporate regional activities, along with global.  With support from the United Nations agencies, Turkmenistan had embarked on a number of large-scale projects of economic and social significance.

The events of 11 September 2001 made the region of Central Asia evaluate its approach to peace and security.  Multilateral dialogue on the issue had to be carefully constructed.  As a response to that challenge, the regional consultative council of the countries of Central Asia had been called into existence.  That was a high-level body that would involve regular consultations and joint decisions that would directly affect the fate of the region economically.  Turkmenistan had also convened a conference on cooperation between Central and South Asia and a number of developed countries and international financial institutions.

A matter of concern to Turkmenistan was the colossal inter-state, trans-Afghan gas pipeline, a project that had international significance.  The project would help to strengthen stability and security in the region and be of benefit to Afghanistan.  Because of that, she called on the United Nations to assist in the effective implementation of the project.  With development, care had to be taken to protect the environment.

She referred to problems which had arisen because of the discovery of huge deposits of hydrocarbons in the Caspian Sea.  The first summit of Caspian littoral States in April was a decisive step to resolve those issues.  It was agreed that the Caspian Sea would be a sea of friendship and peace, and problems related to it would be resolved peacefully. 

Right of Reply

In replying to the statement made earlier today by Vanuatu, DESRA PERCAYA (Indonesia) wanted to state that the status of Papua as an integral part of Indonesia had long been settled through the mediation of the United Nations.  Indeed, it was within the Assembly that the settlement was agreed on.  In addition, he drew the Assembly’s attention to the final communiqués of two consecutive annual meetings of the Pacific Islands Forum, last year in Nauru and this year in Fiji, which recognized Indonesia as the sovereign authority over that territory and expressed support for the special autonomy introduced for that province. 

Consequently, his delegation was left wondering how an active member of the Forum, such as Vanuatu, could make a statement that patently ignored those facts.  By doing so, it had also cast aspersion on the wisdom and integrity not only of the Forum, but also of the august Assembly.

ALTAY CENGIZER (Turkey), replying to the statement made by the Foreign Minister of Armenia on 16 September, said that during that address the Foreign Minister had announced that his country would continue to work for the recognition of the Armenian genocide.  Turkey shared a very long commonly forged history with Armenia.  For more than 900 years, Turks had lived peacefully side by side with Armenians in the towns and villages of Anatolia.  The terrible events referred to constituted a small slice of that history and should not be allowed to rob the two peoples of a better future.  Armenians were by no means the only victims of that era. 

He did not wish to belittle their loss, but in speaking of that era, it should not be forgotten that more than 2 million Muslims had also perished.  All the peoples of the region had to undergo enormous suffering.  “We must not pick among the dead; we must remember all of them.”  The Turkish Government had made available documents relating to that period of history.  It invited Armenian scholars to go through them.  To this day, the allegation of a premeditated scheme to eliminate the Ottoman Armenian population was unfounded.  That allegation was only one version of history. 

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