Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

22^nd and 23^rd Meetings (AM & PM)

RESULTS ARE MIXED SO FAR IN IMPLEMENTATION OF MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT

GOALS, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Assembly Also Takes up His Report on the Work of the Organization

The international community's record in the first two years of implementing the Millennium Declaration was mixed at best, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the General Assembly this morning as he presented his first annual report on follow-up to the Millennium Summit.

He said that some Millennium Development Goals had benefited from the necessary hard decisions and courageous reforms, while others had not.  Without progress on a much broader front, the ringing words of the Declaration would serve only as grim reminders of human needs neglected and promises unmet. 

At a time when grave decisions must be taken about threats to international peace and security, some might be tempted to put the broader and longer-term agenda of the Millennium Declaration “on the back burner”, he said.  He implored the international community to resist that temptation, pointing out that it was not at the United Nations, or by the work of the Organization's officials that the goals could be achieved.  They had to be achieved in each of its Member States, by the efforts of their Governments and peoples.

During the ensuing day-long joint debate on the outcome of the Millennium Summit and on the Secretary-General’s report on the Organization's work, Assembly President Jan Kavan (Czech Republic) stressed that the implementation of the Millennium goals must remain the Assembly's top priority, noting that it was time to seek the most effective approach to ensure the due results at the due time.

It was generally felt that while the United Nations was imperfect, there was no alternative to the Organization.  At the same time, many speakers emphasized the need to revitalize the Assembly and reform the Security Council.  The Assembly, Singapore's representative said, was seen as the “weakest link" in the tripod comprising the Assembly, the Security Council and the Secretariat.  It was clearly over-burdened with an ever-expanding agenda. 

Worse still, she went on, it had continued with its old working methods, rituals and habits, resulting in repetitious statements and exhausting negotiations.  The most worrying aspect was that the energies expended in the Assembly were often not commensurate with the outcomes achieved.  The result was

22^nd and 23^rd Meetings (AM & PM)                   4 October 2002 

exhausted delegates, dissipated energies and unsatisfactory implementation of agreed goals.

Several speakers endorsed the Secretary-General's efforts to move the United Nations from a culture of reaction to one of prevention, specifically addressing the root causes of potential conflicts.  There were clear links, noted Norway's representative, between peace and security, sustainable development and good governance, and respect for human rights.  No government could ignore the crucial responsibility to help build democracy, whether or not it was gauged against attainment of the Millennium goals.

New Zealand's representative, describing the Secretary-General’s report as a useful account of the Organization's activities during the past year, suggested that it might be useful to combine that report with the one on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, which had met with a disturbing lack of achievement.  The representative of the Russian Federation proposed that the Assembly adopt a resolution at its current session to encourage efficient and coordinated actions aimed at responding to the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Others speaking today included the representatives of Sudan, Peru, Liechtenstein, Algeria, China, Mexico, Philippines, Argentina, Nigeria, Namibia, Egypt, Cuba, Iran, Denmark (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 7 October, to continue its consideration of the Secretary-General's reports on the outcome of the Millennium Summit and on the work of the Organization, as well as to begin considering the second report of the General Committee.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to consider the follow-up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit as well as the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization.

For its consideration, the Assembly had before it the Secretary-General's first annual report on implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration (document A/57/270 and Corr.1), which focuses on commitments made in all chapters of the Declaration and on issues that were particularly salient over the past year, and pays particular attention to cross-cutting relationships among them.  It contains a statistical annex that tracks the progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  It also highlights the two themes designated for the current year:  preventing armed conflict, and the treatment and prevention of major diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

Endorsed by all Member States of the United Nations, the eight Millennium goals comprise a series of time-bound and measurable targets, all to be met by 2015.  They are:  halving extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; empowering women and promoting equality between women and men; reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds; reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters; reversing the spread of diseases, especially HIV/AIDS and malaria; ensuring environmental sustainability; and creating a global partnership for development, with targets for aid, trade and debt relief. 

According to the Secretary-General's report, there has been some progress towards meeting the goals, but in most places it is too slow.  Net primary school enrolment has risen from 80 to 84 per cent over the past decade and the proportion of people getting inadequate nutrition fell from 20 per cent to 17 per cent over the same period.  However, both trends now need to be accelerated. 

The report notes that while the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day, the benchmark for extreme poverty has fallen from 29 per cent to 23 per cent in the last 10 years, the figures mask significant regional differences.  In the same period, East Asia has seen the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day drop from 28 per cent to 14 per cent.  South Asia, where nearly half the world's very poor still live, has seen a more modest drop, from 44 per cent to 37 per cent.  In Africa, the drop has only been from 48 per cent to 47 per cent. 

Prospects for achieving the goals given current trends were "decidedly mixed", according to the Secretary-General, with marked differences between and within regions.  He cautions that insufficient progress was being made in meeting the broader objectives of the Declaration on such issues as human rights, democracy and good governance, conflict resolution and the special needs of Africa.  In the remaining 13 years, progress must be made on a much broader front.  A coordinated strategy, with the will and resources to apply it, can make the difference between progress and retreat, the report stresses. 

The report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (document A/57/1) examines the following six areas:  achieving peace and security, meeting humanitarian commitments, cooperating for development, the international legal order and human rights, enhancing management and partnerships.  It states that during the past year there have been extraordinary challenges to security and stability.  The attacks of 11 September dramatized the global threat of terrorism and highlighted the need for a broad strategy to combat it.  The terrorist menace must be suppressed, the Secretary-General says, but States must ensure that counter-terrorist measures do not violate human rights. 

In the wake of the attacks, the report says, the international community has focused its attention on the challenge of reconstructing weak or collapsed States, like Afghanistan, which provide fertile breeding grounds for terrorism.  Simultaneously, there has been a sharp escalation of violence and tension in the Middle East, South Asia and central Africa over the past year.  There were also positive developments on the international scene, including independence for East Timor, the holding of peaceful elections in Sierra Leone and the entry into force of the International Criminal Court. 

The awarding of the centennial Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations was a fitting recognition of its role as an instrument for making and maintaining peace and promoting human rights, the Secretary-General states.  The United Nations is an imperfect institution with limitations but every Member State has a stake in ensuring that the Organization continues to strive to achieve its purposes. 

Statements

KOFI ANNAN, Secretary-General of the United Nations, introducing his report on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, said that the international community's record in the first two years was mixed at best.  Some Millennium goals had benefitted from the hard decisions and courageous reforms that were needed while others had not.  In the remaining 13 years, progress must be made on a much broader front, otherwise the ringing words of the Declaration would serve only as grim reminders of human needs neglected, and promises unmet. 

At a time when grave decisions had to be taken on how to deal with threats to international peace and security, he said, some might be tempted to put the broader and longer-term agenda of the Millennium Declaration “on the back burner”, he noted.  He implored the international community to resist that temptation, stressing that nothing could be more contrary to the spirit of the United Nations and its Charter, in which the goal of saving future generations from the scourge of war was so closely linked to that of promoting social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.  The United Nations must be able to confront immediate threats to peace and security without slackening its efforts on behalf of those who struggled to survive on less than a dollar a day, without clean water or sanitation, and went to bed hungry every night.

“And yet, at present we are falling short”, he said.  “If we carry on the way we are, most of the pledges made in the Declaration are not going to be fulfilled.”  The first big test of the international community’s commitment would come in 2005 –- little more than two years from now –- by which time Member States hoped to have achieved parity of girls and boys in both primary and secondary schools.  Regrettably, that goal was unlikely to be met.  Between 1990 and 2000, the gender gap had narrowed by only 25 per cent.  Without greater success in placing more girls in school, it would prove even more difficult to reach the other goals, he warned.

It was not at the United Nations, or by the work of United Nations officials that those goals could be achieved, he said.  They had to be achieved in each of the countries, by the efforts of their governments and peoples.  That was why he had started a Millennium Campaign to make the goals better known throughout the world, and to try and mobilize the force of public opinion behind them.  While he would deliver his annual report each year, each country would hopefully also produce its own annual report, so that people in those countries would know how they were doing.

With the Declaration, the Road Map, the Millennium Development Goals, and the decisions taken this year in Monterrey and Johannesburg, the international community now had an impressive corpus of international commitments, all brought together in a single coherent vision, on which all Member States agreed.  That vision could become a reality only if all those who had a stake in it played their due part, he concluded.

JAN KAVAN, (Czech Republic), President of the General Assembly, said the call for multilateralism in the maintenance of international peace and security resonated through the Organization more than ever.  It was necessary to further strengthen the United Nations legal framework and to renew efforts to negotiate a comprehensive convention against terrorism.  Despite some positive developments, tensions had been growing and conflict escalating in many parts of the world.  To be more effective in peacekeeping, the United Nations needed to implement reforms, including enhancing its rapid deployment capabilities, taking action on lessons learned and generating sufficient resources.

Efforts should be concentrated on conflict prevention, he said.  The United Nations could contribute through the effective and timely use of existing preventive tools such as early warning systems, mediation and political guidance, good offices, fact-finding and goodwill missions, or preventive deployment and disarmament.  Policy advice and development cooperation were equally important in the areas of good governance, capacity-building and poverty eradication.  The General Assembly’s work in drafting the resolution on conflict prevention would assure the continued focus on that issue.

He expressed his determination to stress the issue of coordinated and integrated follow-up to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences, saying that the active support and participation of Member States in the work of the Plenary and Main Committees could result in a synergy of different views to formulate a holistic approach.  Emphasizing that the implementation of the Millennium goals must remain the Assembly's top priority, he said it was time to search for the most effective approach to ensuring results.

OMER BASHIR MOHAMED MANIS (Sudan) said that the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in 2000 had laid down the goals to be achieved and how the challenges of the twenty-first century, such as extreme poverty and deadly diseases, would be met.  One of the most important reform steps in which no tangible progress had been made was reform of the Security Council -- the expansion of its membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, and reform in its working methods to make its work more transparent and efficient. 

The challenge today, he said, was to turn globalization into a positive force and to use information technology in the service of development.  The gap between North and South was ever widening, reflecting the failure of international and regional policies for development cooperation and assistance.  There was an urgent need to establish a more just international economic system that would lead to an increase in official development assistance (ODA) and relieve the debt burden.  Urging the international community to pay special attention to the needs of the least developed countries (LDCs), he called for the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action, noting that human rights could only be realized through the elimination of poverty and the improvement of economic life.

OSWALDO DE RIVERO (Peru) said that the major threats to international security today were generated by the asymmetrical conflict created by terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking.  Extreme poverty, environmental degradation and the economic stagnation of developing countries threatened international stability.  The remedies to those problems would not come from increasing military budgets and for that reason, Peru had reduced its military budget by 20 per cent and pursued concrete initiatives to create a zone of peace and cooperation in South America.  Hopefully, that type of initiative could be replicated elsewhere, he said. 

Stressing the need for structural prevention -- the necessity of resolving political, economic and social factors contributing to rising violence -- he said the challenge facing the international community was the creation of societies governed by democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.  Latin America had made advances in that respect, but now faced a critical economic and social situation.  With the lowest rate of economic growth in the world, the region faced a latent systemic and financial crisis, which threatened to spread and deepen poverty, eroding efforts to achieve the Millennium goals, as well as democratic governance in the South American countries.  As strong democratic governance required economic strength and stability, the time had come to find a way to finance the defence of democratic governments, he stressed.

CHRISTIAN WENAWESER (Liechtenstein), noting that the rule of law had become a predominant theme over the past few months, said that the Organization, particularly the Security Council, was challenged to live up to its role as the guardian of the rule of law, first and foremost by ensuring the legality of its own actions.  The controversy surrounding the International Criminal Court had taken on an unfortunate new dimension with the Council’s adoption of resolution 1422 (2002) during the summer, whereas its functions and powers did not include the competence to alter or interpret international treaties.  Expressing concern that such action taken outside the mandate given by the United Nations Charter could weaken the Council’s political credibility in the long run, he reiterated his Government’s full commitment to preserving the integrity of the Rome Statute as adopted at the Diplomatic Conference in 1998. 

International rule of law was particularly at stake when it came to the use of armed force, he said.  The legitimacy provided by a Council decision was unique, and that legitimacy was necessary to ensure that armed intervention, where inevitable, enjoyed the support of the international community as a whole.  The use of armed force should only be considered as a last resort in cases where non-compliance clearly posed a threat to international peace and security.

The General Assembly also had a stronger role to play, he added.  The implementation of the Millennium Declaration offered an ideal opportunity for the Assembly to assert its place as the only universal organ of the United Nations.  Hopefully, the Organization was about to enter an era of implementation and application of the agreed standards and goals.  

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said that in spite of the new awareness of the dangers posed by international terrorism, much remained to be done in the field of peace and security.  The United Nations should urge Member States to ratify the twelve international conventions against terrorism and to finalize the last two draft resolutions.  More than ever, the United Nations needed increased means and potential to be effective in the prevention of conflict.  Moreover, although the United Nations had received considerable contributions of human and financial resources for peacekeeping in the past two years, implementation of the Brahimi recommendations required better communication, planning and management of peacekeeping operations.

The breadth of humanitarian problems engendered by violence indicated that it was essential to strengthen the ability of the United Nations to ensure the vital needs of civilian populations, he said.  The international community should set up a mechanism for the coordination of aid between different humanitarian organs and institutions.  Agreed policies and mechanisms should be established to address the problems of Internally Displaced Persons.  Moreover, the implementation of actions agreed at the Monterrey, Johannesburg and Doha conferences was essential to the elimination of obstacles to economic growth and sustainable development, and to the achievement of the Millennium development goals.  In this context, it was important to adapt United Nations programmes to the approach utilized by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

TIM MCIVOR (New Zealand) called for more dialogue on the ideas expressed in the report of the International Commission on Intervention and Sovereignty entitled “The Responsibility to Protect”, pointing out that the Security Council had a role to play in that regard.  However, the power of the veto undermined such responses.

Describing the Secretary-General’s report as a useful account of the Organization’s activities during the past year, he said it would perhaps be useful to combine that report with the one on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, which had met with a disturbing lack of achievement.

He commended the Secretary-General for highlighting the successful conclusion of the transitional administration in East Timor and noted the progress being made in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, where he anticipated an autonomous Bougainville government in 12 months.  Not to be overlooked were the report’s comments on the rejuvenation of global commitment to sustainable development. Taken together, the various international conferences had provided Member States with a clear road map for global progress.

WANG YINGFAN (China) said that humankind, having entered the twenty-first century, continued to face severe challenges to international peace and security, including the continuing conflict in the Middle East, the possible outbreak of war in Iraq and the worrying situation in South Asia.  While the international struggle against terrorism had borne fruit, the task of addressing its root causes was onerous.  The United Nations must play a central role in the maintenance of international peace and security, he emphasized, saying it was vital to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.  China had always opposed the proliferation of such weapons and would soon be establishing a comprehensive system of export controls for a variety of weapons materials.  He welcomed the new treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation on the reduction of strategic defence forces and expressed the hope that the two countries would continue to drastically reduce and destroy their nuclear weapons.  Also, the Conference on Disarmament should start substantive work on preventing the weaponization of outer space.

Over the past year, he noted, the United Nations had hosted a number of development-related conferences, that had been of great importance for the implementation of the Millennium goals.  However, progress in that regard was not up to expectations.  Based on current trends, it would be difficult for developing countries to meet the goal of halving poverty by 2015.  It was of the utmost importance that developed countries open their markets to developing countries, increase ODA, expand debt relief and strengthen the development capacity of the developing world.

ADOLFO AGUILAR ZINSER (Mexico) noted with concern that advances in fulfilling the Millennium goals had been uneven, adding that the report should be an early warning sign of the need to pool resources to remedy those disparities.  While the Monterrey Consensus recognized the primary responsibility of each country for its own development, it also recognized the connection between national economies and the international economic system.  Foreign direct investment (FDI), ODA, international trade, sustainable financing of external debt and greater coordination and coherence of international finance and trade were fundamental in helping the developing countries.

A sustainable environment was another of the Millennium goals, he said, noting that the international community had moved away from that goal by allowing continued deforestation and dependency on fossil fuels.  As the consequences of global warming could be more serious for developing countries, developed countries should lend assistance to those countries that were most vulnerable to climate change.  Regarding terrorism, he reiterated the need to attack its causes while taking care to respect human rights.  In addition, he warned that democracy could go into crisis if its principles and policies were not applied to the international economic system as well.

TAN YEE WOAN (Singapore) said that the General Assembly was increasingly seen as the weakest leg of the United Nations tripod comprising the Assembly, the Security Council and the Secretariat.  The media had little or no interest in statements delivered in the Assembly and there was a perception that it was saddled with an ever-expanding list of issues, many of which had been on the agenda for years.

She said issues that were clearly within the General Assembly’s prerogative were increasingly being raised in the Security Council, where their chances of catching media and public attention were greater.  HIV/AIDS and the protection and promotion of the rights of women and children were two such examples, she said.  The Assembly was clearly over-burdened with an ever-expanding agenda.  Worse still, it had continued with its old working methods, rituals and habits. 

The most worrying aspect was that the energies expended in the Assembly were often not commensurate with the outcomes achieved, she said.  The result was exhausted delegates, dissipated energies, dissatisfactory implementation of agreed goals and a disinterested public with consequential impact on follow-up.  Agreeing with the Secretary-General’s observation that efforts to revitalize the General Assembly must continue if the Organization was to assume its full responsibilities under the Charter, she said it was important for the Assembly to align its activities with the goals agreed upon in the Millennium Declaration.

OLE PETER KOLBY (Norway) said every country was responsible for its own development, including the responsibility to create national mechanisms for sharing political, social and economic goods and ensuring the protection of civil and human rights.  There were clear links between peace and security, sustainable development and good governance, and respect for human rights and no government could ignore the crucial responsibility to help build democracy, whether or not it was gauged against attainment of the Millennium goals.

Another equally important responsibility that had a universal and global parallel was that of providing ODA, he said, describing such assistance as a development tool (ODA) of the first order.  ODA should by any reasonable standard have reached at least 0.7 per cent of donors countries' gross national product a long time ago.  Official estimates showed that the funds needed to fulfil the goals were at least equal to a doubling of the present ODA and could well be higher.

He said that meeting the special needs of Africa was a challenge that in one way or another involved practically all the Millennium goals.  That was another challenge whose real magnitude had to be seen in scale with the problems and met accordingly, both by the international community and by the African countries themselves.  In that regard, better ways had to be found to support NEPAD as well as other national and regional initiatives.

ENRIQUE MANALO (Philippines) endorsed the Secretary-General's efforts to move the United Nations from a culture of reaction to one of prevention, specifically addressing the root causes of potential conflicts.  He also encouraged the Secretary-General to assist Member States to comply with Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) in combating terrorism and supported the convening of an international disarmament conference.

Regarding the deepening humanitarian crises in many parts of the world which had caused widespread displacement, he expressed particular concern about the fate of migrant workers and called on Member States to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.  Migration involved hundreds of millions of people, he noted.

On other development issues, he called for concrete action to make the Monterrey Consensus a reality and shared the Secretary-General’s view that the Johannesburg Summit had put the global community on a path that would reduce poverty without harming the environment.  The Philippines also supported fully the Organization's commitment to NEPAD and would provide technical assistance to Africa, especially in capacity-building.

ARNOLDO M. LISTRE (Argentina) said that the lessons learned from the past century indicated that the problems faced went beyond national borders and required global responses.  The United Nations was the institution in which agreement must be reached so that humankind could advance in addressing pressing challenges.  The Secretary-General had noted that the gravity of events witnessed in different regions was closer to the state of anarchy described by Hobbes than the noble ideals expressed in the Millennium Declaration.

The Secretary-General’s warning not to wait for challenges to break out but to work to prevent them was an essential component of the solution, he said.  It was necessary to devote human and financial resources towards that goal.  He encouraged cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in conflict prevention and coordination, noting that despite the continuation of several conflicts, there were causes for satisfaction, such as the recent accession of Timor-Leste to the United Nations and the progress made in Sierra Leone.

Noting with satisfaction the contents of the Secretary-General’s report on the Organization’s work, he expressed firm support for developments in information and communication technology, and said he also looked forward to forthcoming reports on the Capital Master Plan and its financing.  The Secretary-General’s initiatives would also strengthen the Organization in the areas of administration and management, he added.  However, no reform of the Organization would be complete without the reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, efficient and transparent.

OLUSEGUN AKINSANYA, Director, International Organizations Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, noted the decline in the number of armed conflicts, especially in Africa, saying that a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to conflict prevention was yielding food results.  In West Africa, the United Nations had collaborated with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Mano River Union countries to address complex humanitarian, political and security situations affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Commending the continued United Nations support for ECOWAS initiatives in promoting dialogue among those countries, he said that without such dialogue efforts to address the root causes of the subregion's conflicts would not yield the desired results.  He welcomed the appointment of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa as an important commitment to work closely with regional organizations and States.

Recalling that world leaders had resolved at the Millennium Summit to eliminate weapons of mass destruction and to reduce the global risk posed by small arms, light weapons and landmines, he noted that their excessive accumulation hindered peace-building and development as well as threatening human security.  Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to the progamme adopted by the United Nations Ministerial Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons on July 31 and urged the international community to control the movement of those weapons, especially to non-state actors.  Nigeria also noted with satisfaction the successful implementation of the 1999 Ottawa Convention relating to landmines.

MARTIN ANDJABA (Namibia), addressing the need to combat international terrorism, said that worldwide challenge had strained considerably the limited capacities of developing countries to implement Security Council resolution 1373 (2001).

Regarding the HIV/AIDS crisis, he juxtaposed the annual expenditure of $800 billion on arms with the urgent but largely ignored need for $10 billion annually to combat the epidemic in developing countries.  He welcomed efforts by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to harmonize their policies in dealing with the impact of HIV/AIDS, food security and rural poverty.  Calling for poverty eradication assistance for Africa, he said it was particularly important for women owing to the feminization of poverty.

Turning his attention to the causes of conflict and their prevention, he agreed with the Secretary-General that more had to be done to bolster the capacity of States and the United Nations in that regard.  Cooperation between the Organization and the African Union should be strengthened to promote conflict-prevention and peace-building.  He conceded that while the United Nations was imperfect, there was no alternative to the Organization.

AHMED ABOUL GHEIT (Egypt) said that history’s final verdict would not depend on good offices and intentions, but on the international community’s success in implementing the outcomes of this year’s major conferences.  Following up on commitments was a joint responsibility requiring the efforts of both developed and developing countries and the goals to be achieved should be linked to the availability of financing in accordance with limited time frames.  To achieve the goal of halving poverty by 2015 required multilateral action to ensure that the economy of the African continent increased by 7 per cent annually.  The unfavourable international economic environment must therefore be redressed, he said.

The world had failed to control the spread of infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, he added.  The best that could be done was to provide drugs to reduce the spread of the disease, yet the overwhelming majority of HIV/AIDS victims could not afford those drugs. 

Calling upon all parties to conflict to respect the rights of civilians, he said the same standards should be applied in all situations.  In that regard, the international community must address the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people, provide them with protection and revive the peace process in the Middle East.

The following statements were made during the General Assembly's afternoon plenary session:

SERGEY LAVROV (Russian Federation) said a strong and efficient United Nations was the key tool for collectively managing international affairs and building a stable, multipolar world order based on the Charter and international law.  It was necessary to continue improving and strengthening the Organization, which was one of the most important tasks when implementing the Millennium Declaration.

Agreeing with the Secretary-General’s estimation of the growing role of preventive diplomacy as a reliable means to safeguard stability in the world, he said that the unique set of political and diplomatic tools to resolve almost every acute international problem should be used effectively.  He also shared the Secretary-General’s opinion that despite the complexity of implementing the first stage of the Millennium Declaration outcomes, the gains showed that the given tasks were within the power of the international community. 

He proposed that the Assembly adopt a resolution at its current session to encourage efficient and coordinated actions aimed at responding to the challenges of the twenty-first century.  The Russion delegation would put forward a corresponding text, which would hopefully receive the support of all other delegations.

ORLANDO REQUEIJO GUAL (Cuba) said that the follow-up to the Millennium Declaration could be a special opportunity for the creation of a more just and sustainable world order.  The present unjust and profoundly unequal order should not be followed by an even more unfair order based on unilateralism -- a neo-interventionism disguised by humanitarian pretexts.  Today's security problems would not find their solution in preventive wars or humanitarian interventions, which, in addition to destabilizing developing countries, subordinated the United Nations to powerful countries. 

Intervention was a violation of international law, even humanitarian intervention, which sought justification in the protection of human rights, he said.  Absolute and single concepts of democracy that followed the models of others without considering the particular circumstances of nations gave more power to the powerful.  The resolution of the real causes of conflict and the problems of poverty and underdevelopment was a commitment made in the Millennium Declaration, he added, noting that for developing countries, the right to development was an age-old hope. 

But developing countries should cease to be passive participants in development, he stressed.  The international financial, monetary and trade systems must be redressed.  Moreover, the international community had committed itself to stem and reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases two years ago, but the situation was still worsening.  In Africa, the majority of the 28 million people affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic did not have access to medications, yet they had to allocate their resources to servicing external debt.  Without budgetary allocations on the part of developing States and contributions from rich countries, it would be impossible to reverse the trend and the epidemic would worsen, he said.

M. JAVAD ZARIF (Iran), noting a growing tendency towards unilateral action, said it ran counter to the principles and practice of multilateralism endorsed by the United Nations.  Unilateral action posed fundamental risks to the international system because it created conflicting notions about such public goods as peace, security, trade and aid.  It could not be sustained in the medium and long term, as the Secretary-General had made clear in his report.  In dealing with terrorism, there was a need to address the political issues that inspired it, he added.

He said it was unfortunate that Israel had frustrated and finally defeated all efforts by the Secretary-General and his representative to seek the restoration of the basic rights of the Palestinian people.  The Secretary-General’s proposal for a multinational force in the region was a courageous one, but regrettably, the Security Council had failed to act on such initiatives.

Regarding disarmament, he said that unilateral action was the main stumbling block hindering progress towards disarmament.  On development, Iran concurred with the Secretary-General on the need for stronger collaboration among the United Nations system, the Bretton Woods institutions and the WTO.  It was also important to strengthen the United Nations through an intensified mechanism to instill accountability throughout the Organization.

ELLEN MARGRETHE LOJ (Denmark), speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said that strengthening and enhancing the United Nations at the Secretariat, inter-governmental and country levels was a prerequisite for success in implementing the Millennium Declaration and meeting its goals.  The Declaration should be the main basis for the continued improvement of the Organization’s intergovernmental structure, the Secretariat and the budget and programme processes.  She also pointed out the necessity to ensure coherence between the follow-up to the Declaration and the other major United Nations conferences and summits.

The Secretary-General’s report on the Millennium Declaration had focused on two topics that required urgent attention -- prevention of armed conflict and the treatment and prevention of major diseases, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.  The European Union had embarked on its own programme with clear political priorities for preventive action and would continue to work actively towards strengthening the capacity of the United Nations in the area of peace and security.  The Brahimi Report offered a unique opportunity to improve the international community’s approach to peace operations and the Union would continue to contribute to the implementation of its recommendations.

She reaffirmed the importance that the European Union attached to an enhanced and balanced approach to all dimensions of the HIV/AIDS pandemic through strong and coordinated efforts covering prevention, treatment and care.  The Union’s Member States and the European Commission had committed substantial resources to the Global Fund, which hopefully would establish itself as an effective mechanism for the delivery of essential support to those most in need.  She underscored the need to implement national and sectoral policies and plans, which also incorporated universal access to reproductive health care and services, as well as population and gender issues, with a focus on adolescents.

LUCIA H. RUSTAM (Indonesia) said the challenge before the international community was to make life worth living for all, so that terrorism had no hidden corners in which to breed.  The war against terrorism could only be won if there was victory in the more basic struggle against poverty.  With faithful implementation of the outcomes of the Johannesburg Summit, there was a good chance of making progress in reducing poverty and restoring the planet’s integrity.  It was also important to achieve an international trade regime in which genuine multilateralism would win over unilateral practices and protectionism, she added.

The General Assembly, alongside other agencies, had a responsibility to address the root causes of conflict, especially those relating to socio-economic development, she said.  The link between conflict prevention and sustainable development had already been established, and if the Millennium Declaration was to have any meaning, the international community must demonstrate its ability, not only to resolve conflict, but to prevent it in the first place.

On the humanitarian front, she said, it was important to strengthen the capability of the United Nations to respond quickly and effectively and to offer comprehensive protection to civilians facing war and natural disasters.  It was disturbing that the delivery of assistance and the mobilization of adequate resources for under-funded emergencies had not improved over the years.  Finally, it was necessary to revitalize the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and to enlarge the Security Council, she said.

ENIO CORDEIRO (Brazil) said that the international community was today confronting a crisis of confidence and profound discouragement in the outcomes of international cooperation.  That must be overcome because the alternative, as the Secretary-General had stated, was clear -- continue making efforts for peace through negotiation or return to a time when conflicts of interests were resolved through other means.

Turning to the fight against terrorism, he said that everyone was  unconditionally committed to that struggle.  Immediate response of the United Nations to the events of 11 September had been important as were efforts to improve instruments in that field.  At the same time, those efforts must comply with international law and respect human rights.  What was needed now was not more conferences, he noted, but real resolve and political will to implement the existing consensuses.

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, he stated that the lack of political consensus on how to restore the peace process had led to untenable inaction.  It was imperative that a solution be found and vital that the Security Council not confine itself to rhetoric, but fully shoulder its responsibilities. In the case of Iraq, action could not be taken without the Council’s explicit support, he reiterated.  It was a crucial time for the credibility of the United Nations.

MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan) said that since the Security Council had assumed an important role in peacekeeping and peace-building in various parts of the world, it was vital to ensure respect for the United Nations Charter.  Hopefully, the Secretary-General would find it possible to activate the procedures for the peaceful resolution of disputes as set out in Chapter VI, where necessary, without the precondition of open acceptance by all parties concerned. 

Peacekeeping would remain important for the management of crises and the restoration of peace to many fractured situations and States in the developing world, he said.  Welcoming efforts to improve United Nations peacekeeping operations and preparations for detailed standard operating procedures to streamline those operations, he said the Organization’s role in disarmament must also assume greater salience.  It was equally important to evolve mechanisms to ensure the durability of funding for humanitarian causes, he added.

Turning to economic issues, he said that while globalization had opened up enormous opportunities for development, its benefits were being experienced unequally.  Developing countries had little chance of integrating themselves into the global economy without the creation of an enabling environment.  A development-oriented strategy was needed to address the debt problem of developing States, including debt reduction and increased concessional financial flows.

C. MAHENDRAN (Sri Lanka) urged Member States to make available to the Secretary-General the assistance required to improve the Organization’s capacity to maintain peace operations, including its activities in disarmament, demobilization and the re-integration of ex-combatants. 

He said that in his own country, the United Nations system was providing development assistance to support the ongoing peace process, which had begun with the signing of a ceasefire early this year after several years of conflict.  The peace initiative had also provided opportunities for the resettlement of internally displaced persons.  Sri Lanka was grateful to the newly established Inter-Agency Unit on Internal Displacement, which was providing targeted support to teams conducting humanitarian operations in the country. 

The mixed results in the progress made thus far in meeting development goals painted a gloomy picture for the poorest of the poor, he noted.  Therefore, urgent activities were needed to remedy the situation and to ensure that the necessary resources were mobilized to make progress towards achieving those goals in all parts of the world. 

KULKUMUT SINGHARA NA AYUDHAYA (Thailand) said that the threat to international peace and security posed by international terrorism continued to be a major concern of the international community one year after the terrorist attacks of 11 September.  Although the promotion of international peace and security was the responsibility of all States, it required greater international attention and cooperation, particularly in conflict-prone areas.           

He said peace and security on their own, however, could not be sustained if Member States did not address the economic and social challenges of particular countries or regions.  Peacekeeping and peace-building were thus becoming increasingly symbiotic -- one could not be achieved without the other.  Successful peacekeeping operations had to be complemented by feasible and sustainable rehabilitation, reconstruction and comprehensive nation-building efforts. 

While the international community should continue to focus on the maintenance of international peace and security, and be more alert to international terrorism through multilateral frameworks, that should not divert attention from other equally important and pressing goals, particularly poverty eradication.  The United Nations had played a pivotal role in building up the dynamism for global partnership for development and it should continue to play a meaningful role to ensure that the Doha Agenda, the Monterrey Consensus, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and Declaration were implemented in a manner that benefited developing countries.

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