CONSTRUCTIVE SPIRIT PREVAILS, PRESIDENT SAYS, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES DISCUSSION ON STREGTHENING UNITED NATIONS

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

42^nd Meeting (AM)

CONSTRUCTIVE SPIRIT PREVAILS, PRESIDENT SAYS, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

CONCLUDES DISCUSSION ON STREGTHENING UNITED NATIONS

In the face of exasperation expressed by the representative of Bolivia about the achievements of the United Nations in world affairs, the President of the General Assembly today wound up discussions on the report to strengthen the United Nations by noting the generally constructive atmosphere in which those discussions had taken place.

President Jan Kavan (Czech Republic) said he was pleased to realize that it would not be difficult to move forward in consensus on measures to make the United Nations more effective and efficient.  Although there was disagreement, a constructive spirit prevailed, and he would co-chair informal consultations on the reform measures with Ambassador Abdul Hussein (Ethiopia).

The representative of Bolivia underscored the need to strengthen the Organization, saying it had entered the new millennium with outstanding problems on its agenda.  He drew attention to such challenges as the sustainability of democracy in many quarters of the world, lack of respect for international law and human rights and the question of extreme poverty.

But even as the Organization pitted its resources against those problems, new ones had been spawned by globalization, he said.  Now added to the agenda were the new threats of international crime and terrorism, disease and trafficking in drugs and arms.  In answer to these, the Secretary-General had offered proposals that appeared too modest when compared to the problems and challenges of the real world.  Preoccupation with internal changes, as exemplified by the report, did not strike a responsive chord in him.  What he wanted to know was how the Organization would strengthen its external operations, as the United Nations had a leadership role to play on the world stage.

But even the proposed internal changes were greeted with mixed reactions by some delegations.  The representative of Trinidad and Tobago felt the Organization’s agenda was bulging with matters that could perhaps be deleted.  Always, he noted, there was a tendency to add to the agenda, but no corresponding tendency to remove items that were no longer pressing.  The Assembly’s General Committee should determine the “periodicity” with which agenda items were considered.

A matter of concern for the representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were the difficulties small countries, with small delegations, faced in attending meetings of the Assembly.  The time frame for consideration of the

Organization’s agenda was far too short, with too many meetings being held simultaneously.  Perhaps it would be better for the Assembly to spread its work out evenly throughout the year.  The time had also arrived for a system to be devised that would allow for equitable and automatic representation in the principal organs of the Assembly on a rotating basis.

Arguing that the role of the Assembly and the work of the United Nations were, indeed, diminishing, as indicated in the Secretary-General’s report, the representative of Yemen supported corrective measures to check this deterioration.  It was, in his view, necessary to revitalize the Assembly and expand the Security Council.  He supported reform as a means of correcting the mistakes of the past.

Also making statements to conclude the debate were the representatives of Kazakhstan, Peru, Ecuador, Romania, and Syria.

The Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 4 November, to elect members to the Committee on Programme and Coordination (CPC), as well as consider the following items:  culture of peace; Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries; the role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order; information and communication technologies for development; and the report of the Ad Hoc Committee for the review and appraisal of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa (NADAF).

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to conclude its consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the Strengthening of the United Nations:  An Agenda for Further Change (document A/57/387 and Corr. 1).  (For background, see Press Release GA/10090 of Wednesday, 30 October.)

Statements

MADINA B. JARBUSSYNOVA (Kazakhstan) agreed with previous speakers on the proposals contained in the Secretary-General’s report on the economic and social fields, public information, the General Assembly, human resource management and the Security Council.  Further improvement of United Nations information activities was an integral part of the proposed reform package, she said, in which the role of the Department of Public Information (DPI) was of utmost importance.  That was because the United Nations was repositioning itself for even greater relevance as an indispensable global institution.  The activities of the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) deserved the most serious consideration.

Acknowledging the need to strengthen the General Assembly, she said Kazakhstan believed that the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management should play a more active role in managing documentation and meetings.  She noted that her country supported the continuing improvement of human resource management, and attached particular importance to fulfillment of the principle of equitable geographic distribution of Secretariat posts.

Further, she wished to see a reformed Security Council.  It must be open to dialogue, and capable of sending to the international community a clear message that it stood ready to meet new global challenges.  She hoped that the President of the General Assembly would resume negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement on Council reform.

MARGARET HUGHES FERRARI (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) said her Government considered maintaining a presence at the United Nations to be vital to national interest.  However, the cost of establishing and maintaining a Mission in New York put a great strain on an already overburdened budget.  Moreover, there were additional reasons that made it difficult for mini-States to play the kind of role to which they aspired.

For example, she continued, the vast bulk of the United Nations agenda was crammed into a few short weeks from September to December.  During this time, the Plenary and each of the Main Committees met, often simultaneously.  Other events, seminars, briefings and meetings of regional groups were also held, and a vast quantity of documentation was issued on a daily basis.  For those Missions operating with “skeleton” staffs, it was impossible to contribute fully to the workings of the United Nations, as one could not be in two –- let alone three or more –- places at once.  Could the United Nations work not be spread more evenly throughout the calendar year?

Another issue was that of candidatures to the various United Nations bodies or organs, she added.  It was high time the Organization devised a system of equitable and automatic representation in the principal organs on a rotating

basis.  This would ensure equity, democracy and fairness as well as remove the need for “endless processions to and from the Indonesian Lounge”.  The money saved from not having to campaign could be given to help the world’s poor.

MARCO BALAREZO (Peru) said the proposed reforms must be accompanied by changes in the intergovernmental bodies.  Hence, it was urgent to streamline and prioritize the work of the Assembly, strengthen the Economic and Social Council and proceed to the democratization of the Security Council.  It was crucial that the programme activities of the Organization focus on poverty eradication.  Likewise, it was fundamental to implement the Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and the Johannesburg Plan of Action. 

In addition to the areas already given attention, he believed another problem that had to be studied was persistent unemployment in developing countries.  Creative formulas to strengthen democracy and governance were also needed.  He commended the Secretary-General for his proposal to present a revised programme budget in 2003.  He believed the Secretary-General should be given greater autonomy regarding resource allocation.

He supported the strengthening of the Organization’s relationship with civil society, the enhancement of the Department for Economic and Social Affairs and the reorientation of the DPI.  At the same time, he was not clear on what was being proposed in the area of technical cooperation for developing countries.  While there was fatigue when it came to global conferences, that should not prevent the review of commitments already undertaken.  Also necessary was more fluid and ongoing interaction between Member States and the Secretariat on the activities carried out based on the Medium-Term Plan.  In that regard, he suggested having periodic meetings between Member States and the heads of various departments on the different activities being carried out.  That would strengthen the sense of partnership between the Organization and Member States.

LUIS GALLEGOS CHIRIBOGA (Ecuador) said the report reflected the need to carry out reforms to make the United Nations an effective and efficient Organization, able to accomplish the objectives of the Charter, as well as the goals set at recent international conferences.  It was essential that the Organization meet the actual needs and new realities of a world offering new challenges, as well as new opportunities. 

The Millennium Declaration had outlined the future of the United Nations, he continued, and the objective of making the United Nations a more effective tool, focused on priority themes such as development for all peoples; combating poverty, ignorance and disease; fighting injustice; combating violence, terror and crime; and fighting the degradation and destruction of the planet.  At the Johannesburg and Monterrey conferences, explicit lines of agreed upon action had been established.  To achieve the agreed outcomes, the Organization needed immediately to begin implementing those agreements.  Innovative, viable and effective mechanisms were needed to attain the objective of international peace and security. 

Only development, in its largest sense, would lead to the establishment of solid and durable international peace and security, he added.  The General Assembly’s primary function as the main deliberative body to adopt policies, in which all States took part democratically, should be reaffirmed.  A renewed and stronger multilateral system of effective international cooperation based on common principles and norms was needed.  In relation to human rights, it was important to strengthen the United Nations capacity to assist States with the establishment of effective human rights mechanisms. 

ALEXANDRU NICULESCU (Romania) called for a flexible system for the allocation of resources when considering the budgetary and financial implications of the reform package put forward by the Secretary-General.  An accountable planning and budgeting process should be responsive to the dynamic environment of the United Nations Secretariat, through simplification and improvement of its procedures, he said. 

It was imperative that Member States were in agreement on ensuring a more streamlined and strengthened intergovernmental process, he said.  The main pillars of the United Nations system needed to be the subject of careful reform based on the priorities and targets set out in the Millennium Declaration.  Thus, both the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council needed to adapt in order to realize their potential, while the process of Security Council reform needed new political impetus.

He said that a comprehensive re-organization of the DPI was necessary and should include a clear definition of the Department’s role within the United Nations system, and a more coherent attribution of its responsibilities.  Through its repositioning, the DPI would be allowed to develop more strategic activities and become a more efficient tool in promoting international awareness of specific United Nations activities.

Romania looked forward with great interest to the Secretariat’s recommendations that were to be included in the additional Report on the comprehensive review of the Information Centres’ activities, drafted by the Office of Internal Oversight Services.  The UNICs should function in close cooperation with Resident Coordinators.

PHILIP SEALY (Trinidad and Tobago) said a vigorous review of the pattern of recurring agenda items, as proposed by the Secretary-General, would give Member States a better time frame within which to implement at the national level commitments undertaken at the international level.

He said that, although it was customary at most annual sessions of the General Assembly to allow Member States the opportunity to request the inclusion of additional agenda items, there was not the corresponding tendency on the part of Member States to remove any items from the Assembly’s agenda.  A proactive General Committee could determine the “periodicity” with which agenda items were considered, and the possibility of their deletion.

He supported the Secretary-General’s call for the consolidation of reports on related subjects and for the General Assembly to establish a mechanism to review the need of reporting requirements.  The respective bureaux of the main Committees, with “the prime movers” of individual resolutions, could play an effective role.

His delegation was prepared to work with interested delegations in any open-ended informal consultations to discuss in depth the action recommendations identified in the report and to prepare the necessary “omnibus” resolution, he concluded.

ABDUL-DAYEM M. S. MUBAREZ (Yemen) said that the Millennium Declaration had set the direction of the future work of the Organization.  International peace and security was the aim of the Organization’s activities, but peace would not prevail unless it was based on justice and equity.  He supported the Secretary-General’s proposals for the further strengthening of the Organization.  The nature of the challenges faced made the strengthening of the role of the United Nations, as the primary international multilateral organization, essential. 

Reform, he said, meant correcting the mistakes of the past.  He agreed with the report that the role of the Assembly and the work of the United Nations were diminishing.  That was a shortcoming that had to be corrected.  It was necessary to revitalize the Assembly and expand the Security Council.  Reforms should target, first and foremost, development.  That made it imperative to direct the activities of the various departments towards that goal.  Among the regions where intensive information activity was needed was the Middle East.  The Information Centre in Sana could perform that task if it was strengthened. 

ABDOU AL-MOULA NAKKARI (Syria) said there was no doubt that reform required making the Security Council more democratic and establishing a new framework between the United Nations and the various components of its system.  It would be beneficial to know what was required of the Assembly in light of the proposals contained in the report.  Informal consultations would allow delegations to have clarifications regarding questions raised during debate. 

As to the DPI, he said language parity on the United Nations Web site would allow the Organization to reach the widest audience possible.  On publications and the work of the Department of General Assembly Affairs and conference services, he noted the publication of documents should reach Member States in the six official languages simultaneously and in a timely manner, in keeping with current legislative mandates.  Also, the establishment of a new post of Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) was worthy of support.

A detailed and transparent budget, he said, would go a long way to ensure the alignment of the funding of programmes with set priorities and legislative policies.  He underscored the role of the Committee on Programme and Coordination (CPC) to ensure the coordination and funding of programme activities.  Regarding human resources, he emphasized that United Nations staff constituted the Organization’s most valuable asset.  It was necessary to build on what had been achieved so far and take into account the views of the staff. 

ERWIN ORTIZ GANDARILLAS (Bolivia) said strengthening the United Nations should be a constant concern of the international community.  The United Nations was the premier world forum for the discussion of the problems affecting mankind as a whole, as well as individually.  Yet the Organization had entered the new millennium with old problems still unresolved, problems that had taken on a new, global dimension.  Those included issues such as the sustainability of democracy; respect for international law; respect for human, political, economic and cultural rights; and extreme poverty.  Furthermore, globalization had given rise to new threats such as international crime and terrorism, disease, and trafficking in drugs and arms, while technological progress had opened new and wider gaps between information owners and the dispossessed.  Moreover, economic crises had occurred in developing countries as a result of globalization.

Highlighting continued food insecurity, worsened health statistics and the unequal distribution of wealth as examples of why the future was uncertain, he added that they were simply a few of the real problems faced by the United Nations and the international community.  In his report, the Secretary-General had proposed practical and pragmatic actions and measures, which taken as a whole could have a greater impact.  He was somewhat doubtful of the scope and implications in of the means of application and the cost-benefit analysis, but was sure the details would be clarified in informal consultations.  However, these proposals were too modest compared to the problems and challenges of the real world. 

The Secretary-General’s proposals were designed to improve the internal operation of the United Nations, he added, while he would have liked to see more clarification of how to strengthen external operations.  The Organization had a leadership role to play on the world stage, to make the face of globalization more human.  It was not through reallocating the budget, but through Member States complying with their commitments, that a better world would be effected.  The United Nations should actively promote implementation of internationally agreed commitments; it was in a special position morally and ethically, and it inspired a sense of social justice.

Closing remarks

Assembly President JAN KAVAN (Czech Republic) thanked all delegations for their thoughtful observations.  The Assembly had listened to 71 statements, which contained numerous constructive suggestions.  Despite the diversity of comments, almost all statements had points of agreement.  He had already found common ground, which would serve as a starting point for upcoming consultations.  He had heard strong appreciation of the Secretary-General for coming forward with comprehensive proposals and his continuing efforts to make the United Nations more productive, efficient and effective.

Secondly, there was recognition of the need for a holistic approach towards all agenda items, he said.  Thirdly, the United Nations development agenda clearly remained at the centre of the Organization’s work.  The next programme budget would better reflect the priorities set at the Millennium Summit and other United Nations conferences.  In addition, the implementation plan to strengthen the Organization’s work in developing countries was welcomed.

Also, he continued, there was general agreement to go ahead with the reform measures that fell within the competence of the Secretary-General.  He was pleased to realize that it would not be difficult to form an agreed position of Member States on many of the measures that required the authorization of the Assembly.  Also, where there was disagreement, a constructive spirit prevailed.  “It seemed that a constructive process of consultations and negotiations were before us.”

He then announced that he had asked Ambassador Hussein of Ethiopia to assist him in chairing informal consultations on the reform measures.  In addition, the following were asked to serve as facilitators for United Nations reform: Ambassador Movses Abelian (Armenia); Ambassador Iftekhar Chowdhury (Bangladesh);

Ambassador Luis Gallegos Chiriboga (Ecuador); Ambassador Denis Dangue Rewaka (Gabon); Ambassador Mochamad Slamet Hidayat (Indonesia); Ambassador Stafford Neil (Jamaica); Ambassador Mohamed Bennouna (Morocco); Ambassador Dirk Jan van den Berg (Netherlands); Ambassador Don MacKay (New Zealand); and Ambassador Munir Akram (Pakistan). 

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