HEADS OF STATE, GOVERNMENT UNDERLINE NEED FOR CONCERTED ACTION TO PREVENT INERTIA, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONTINUES GENERAL DEBATE

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

9^th & 10^th Meetings (AM & PM)

HEADS OF STATE, GOVERNMENT UNDERLINE NEED FOR CONCERTED ACTION TO PREVENT

INERTIA, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONTINUES GENERAL DEBATE

Speakers Tell Assembly of Need to Ensure ‘Advent of Century of the Global Village’

Addressing the notion that recent events had left the United Nations at a crossroads, as the General Assembly continued its general debate today, world leaders underlined the need for concerted action to prevent inertia and ensure the advent of the “century of the global village”.

In two meetings, 27 speakers, who included 20 heads of State and government, began to outline the parameters of a new collective security for the world and a more just international socio-economic order in which the United Nations would play a central role.

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, stressing that notions of international security were now framed by the events of 11 September 2001, said that the global fight to eradicate terrorism must not erode the moral values of societies.  "It must not be hijacked by those who seek to use it as an excuse to suppress other peoples.  It must not be allowed to engender a clash of civilizations."

Everyone must work to bridge the gulf of misunderstanding between Islam and the West, he said, adding:  “We must be the catalysts of change, not the prophets of doom.”  The way forward was to adopt a strategy to build harmony, promote moderation, oppose extremism and ensure justice.  That would call for Muslim nations to assume responsibility for internal reform and renewal, and reject extremism and confrontation.  The West, for its part, must help resolve disputes and situations where Muslim peoples were oppressed, such as in Palestine and Kashmir.

Mexico’s President, Vicente Fox, said the war in Iraq and its fallout had sparked deep debate throughout the United Nations and the wider international community, particularly about the use of force, the United Nations Charter, and the efficacy of the Security Council and its resolutions.  He stressed that perhaps the very future of the Organization hung on the decisions that would be made concerning the reconstruction and future of Iraq.

Strongly reaffirming the primacy and relevance of the United Nations in such matters, he said that throughout its history, the world body had consistently forged dialogue into the cornerstone of efforts aimed at solving shared dilemmas.  The response to global challenges required vigorous political efforts that could only come “from inside this house”.  Security could only be built by promoting truth and understanding among all nations on equal footing.

Enrique Bolaños Geyer, President of Nicaragua, said that even though the United Nations had suffered a shocking blow last month, with the bombing of its Baghdad headquarters, the international community must not be intimidated by terrorism.  The role of the United Nations as a guarantor of collective security was irreplaceable, he added, proposing that the global community forge a new era of world order, in which all nations would cooperate within the multilateral system to combat corruption and drug trafficking, among other scourges.

But international cooperation was not sufficient to achieve economic development, he argued.  “We must promote a more equitable international trading system through the World Trade Organization (WTO)”.  What good was cooperation for productive development when growth was stifled by tariff and non-tariff trade restrictions?  Calling for fair treatment, he expressed the hope that developed countries would be favourably disposed to new trade relationships with less developed countries.

Similarly, President Domitien Ndayizeye of Burundi stressed that the economic and social imbalances arising from the inequitable and non-inclusive nature of the international financial system had contributed to a growing gap between rich and poor.  The struggle to achieve sustainable development remained a priority concern, particularly in rural areas.

The poorer countries required multifaceted international support to achieve developmental success, he said.  In that regard, the pledges made last year at the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development should be honoured with concrete action.  Moreover, the economic marginalization of the least developed countries merited particular attention in terms of public development assistance, foreign direct investment, debt relief and access to international markets.

Leonid D. Kuchma, President of Ukraine, said the new challenges facing the world today called for an effective response by way of urgent actions to reform the United Nations, beginning with the Security Council.  Further delay in the long-overdue reforms could result in a serious crisis of confidence in the Organization, a situation Member States should not allow to happen.

While acknowledging that there were more questions than answers in the task of reforming the United Nations today, he pointed out that there was no viable alternative.  He fully supported Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s efforts to strengthen the conflict-prevention component of the world body’s activities.  There was also a need to further develop and improve the principles and application mechanisms of international sanctions intended to curb the supply of weapons to conflict areas.

Also speaking today were the Presidents of Mozambique, Estonia, Ghana, Algeria, Ecuador, Serbia and Montenegro, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea.

The Vice-Presidents of Bolivia and Costa Rica, also spoke.

Also addressing the Assembly were the Chancellor of Germany, as well as the Prime Ministers of Lesotho, Tuvalu, Mauritius and Azerbaijan.

The Assembly also heard statements by the Foreign Ministers of China, Australia, Denmark, Lebanon and Romania.

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply were the representatives of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Chile, and Bolivia.

The General Assembly will continue its general debate tomorrow, 25 September, at 10 a.m.

Background

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

Statements

JOAQUIM ALBERTO CHISSANO, President of Mozambique, said that, today, more than ever, Africans believed in the strength of their will, cohesion and unity, as well as in realizing the potential of their human and natural resources and capacities.  They also believed in learning from past experiences to restore peace and stability and to generate wealth and prosperity throughout the continent.

During the past 11 years, he said, Mozambique had been achieving continuous progress in consolidating peace and democracy.  The prevailing peace and socio-economic stability had created an enabling environment for domestic and foreign investment, which was pivotal for employment generation and poverty reduction.  With the objective of creating a national vision for development in the next 25 years, his Government had launched the “Agenda 2025”, a national initiative based on dialogue with all political parties and stakeholders on the country’s future.

He said that, in July, Mozambique had hosted the Second Assembly of the heads of State and government of the African Union, during which the Union took important decisions laying down its foundations, which would contribute to an effective implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).  The New Partnership, launched in 2001, as an African led, owned and managed initiative, was a serious commitment to addressing the challenges before the continent.  To that end, the commitment and political will of African countries to take effective and concrete measures for the implementation of NEPAD reflected the recognition that the primary responsibility for the implementation of that initiative rested with the African governments and peoples.

Stressing that international support for NEPAD’s implementation was essential, he stated that the initiative should be the framework within which the international community, including the United Nations system, concentrated its efforts for Africa’s development.  In that connection, he urged the continent’s development partners to continue to assist with a view to translating pledges of support to NEPAD into reality.

With respect to the situation in Burundi, he said that Africans had discharged their responsibilities by establishing the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB).  He appealed to the Security Council to adopt a resolution formally endorsing that mission, and to take the necessary measures to provide political, financial and logistical support to that operation.  Failure to act decisively would lead to the deterioration of the situation, with serious implications for the stability of Burundi and the subregion.

ENRIQUE BOLAÑOS GEYER, President of Nicaragua, said that even though the United Nations had suffered a shocking blow last month when its Baghdad headquarters had been bombed, the international community must not be intimidated by terrorism.  The role of the United Nations as a guarantor of collective security, he added, was irreplaceable.

He proposed that the international community forge a new era in world order, one in which all nations cooperated within the multilateral system to combat, among other scourges, corruption, drug trafficking, trafficking in arms and persons, transnational crime, and terrorism.  All those threats were harmful to democracy and progress.  Such an era had been launched in Central America, and that region was now more united than ever and a model of democratic security.  It now also adhered to an innovative strategy for facing traditional challenges and modern threats.

In mid-July, at a meeting of regional heads of State in Guatemala, he had submitted a proposal for a programme for arms limitation and control in Central America, with the aim of fostering stability, mutual trust and transparency.  The programme also aimed to establish necessary controls and a reasonable balance of power.  He added that Nicaragua was paying equal attention to international trafficking in small arms, and would soon be the focal point for a major project to achieve progress in that area as well.

While advances had been made against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, he stressed that more could be achieved through the cooperation of all international actors on the basis of shared responsibility to prevent the proliferation of drugs and drug related crimes.  The country would also continue its fight against corruption, where significant gains had already been charted.  While it greatly appreciated efforts to elaborate a United Nations treaty against the scourge, the broader fight against graft must be coupled with stronger judicial and electoral systems at home.

Nicaragua’s commitment to democratic security was consistent with the struggle for peace and the establishment of a just international order, he continued.  Who could make a more effective contribution to preventing war than those who had known it? With that in mind, Nicaragua would announce its candidacy to the Security Council for the 2006-2007 term.  Nicaragua advocated multilateral action to find peaceful solutions in accordance with international law.  It was concerned by the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East, and supported the immediate resumption of the peace process on the basis of the “Road Map”.

Acknowledging that Nicaragua needed external cooperation to augment its innovative ideas to achieve sustainable development, he said the country also needed additional new resources if it was to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  But international cooperation was not sufficient to achieve economic development.  “We must promote a more equitable international trading system through the World Trade Organization (WTO)”, he said.  What good was cooperation for productive development when growth was stifled by tariff and non-tariff trade restrictions?  “We want fair treatment”, he said, expressing hope that developed countries would be favourably disposed to new trade relationships with less developed countries.

ARNOLD RÜÜTEL, President of Estonia, condemned the terrorist attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, and said the war in Iraq had been a lesson and deepened the conviction that the United Nations should be even more decisive and efficient in the future.  Recent events in Iraq had clearly demonstrated a need for the presence of stabilizing forces.  “In order to enforce peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region, enhanced cooperation between coalition forces, the United Nations and the international community is necessary”, he said.  In May, the Estonian Parliament approved the deployment of a unit of its Defence Forces to Iraq, and servicemen began their mission in June.

He stressed the environment and sustainable development as two of the most significant commitments for the United Nations and States.  The welfare of people would primarily depend on the ability and will to use “wisely and sparingly” the limited resources of the planet, he said, adding that the pressure of human activity on the environment was adding up.  In 1992, as head of the Estonian delegation, he had signed Agenda 21, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.  Still, he reminded the Assembly that the world’s population had increased by another billion since the Rio Conference.  In addition, climate change in the last decade had become worrisome, setting a lasting impact on human life.  “In 1997, floods devastated Eastern Europe, and last summer Western and Central Europe were hit by a heat wave.  These facts should convince us that environmental protection is a matter of common concern for mankind”, he said.

He said that Estonia had done its best to collaborate on environmental issues, and had acceded to all essential conventions, including the Kyoto Protocol.  Highlighting new hazards, such as rising marine traffic on the Baltic Sea, he said that Estonia was working to achieve an agreement to reduce oil tanker pollution hazard to a minimum.  In addition, it supported the initiative of the European Union to ban traffic of single-hull tankers on the Baltic Sea, and was committed to having the Sea classified as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).

In conclusion, he said he shared the priorities expressed by the European Union, including those on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, peacekeeping, protection of human rights and combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  He remarked that the United Nations needed improvement and restructuring, stressing that a reform of the Security Council would allow the Organization to participate more efficiently in problem-solving and crisis resolution around the world.

JOHN AGYEKUM KUFUOR, President of Ghana, said the United Nations and the world had undergone a “near apocalyptic ordeal” in the past two years, caught in the crossfire of terrorism, violence and war.  Moreover, the uncertainty resulting from that situation had yet to be dispelled, leaving much of the world groping in the dark to understand the future of the Organization, and of international relations as a whole.  For Ghana, the United Nations retained its role as the global repository of humankind’s aspirations, as the problems of the twenty-first century could not be addressed without a universal commitment to multilateralism.  Yet, in order to ensure the Organization’s continued credibility and relevance, it was essential for fairness, humanity and a sense of balance to characterize its responses to all crises, regardless of their locale.

Thus, he said, while African nations had accepted the responsibility for resolving their own internal conflicts, the massive shortcomings of financial and technological resources suffered by the continent made the continued support of the international community, and the United Nations in particular, necessary.  Although the West African sub-region had witnessed the success of conflict resolution in Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone, post-conflict peace-building had failed in other instances because many problems had not been addressed in a systematic, sustained and holistic manner.  Those problems included disarmament, demobilization and the reintegration of combatants.  Furthermore, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons continued to pose a serious menace to the subregion.

“This is the century of the global village”, he proclaimed, and yet, according to the 2003 Human Development Report, it would take sub-Saharan Africa 150 years to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  Faced with such a prediction, the international community must urgently extend partnership and assistance to the African Union, and to its development initiative, NEPAD.  Moreover, even as globalization engulfed all corners of the globe, it should be realized that free trade and competition could prove inimical to many nations, particularly to the developing and least developed. 

Africa’s current stage of development, he noted, limited its exports to raw minerals and agricultural commodities, yet without the removal of agricultural and mineral subsidies in the developed world, Africa could not compete.  And though the WTO had recognized the need to accord Africa a special status, that had not been given practical effect, as evidenced by the failure at Cancun.  A combination of trade and aid must be applied to nurture and empower the economies of Africa.

Turning to the work of the Organization, he said the biennial budget for 2004-2005 should ensure adequate funding for all of the Organization’s prioritized mandates, including those for the development and stability of Africa, and reiterated the imperative need for Security Council reform, including two permanent seats for Africa.

ABDELAZIZ BOUTEFLIKA, President of Algeria, said that preventing and combating terrorism required a high level of vigilance, mobilization and multifaceted cooperation.  He expressed a need to accurately define terrorism so as not to affect liberation struggles and the legitimate right to self-determination.  “Such a clarification should be brought forward as part of the draft global convention against terrorism currently on the international agenda”, he said.

Turning to the Middle East, he said Palestinians were being denied the right to exist, as Israel continued to defer the settlement of the Palestinian problem, leading to an explosive situation threatening regional and global peace and security.  He asked that the international community step in more decisively to put “an end to this spiral”, and urged Israel to fully cooperate for a global, just and lasting solution including the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian State.  He also expressed the need to help the Iraqi people establish their own institutions, and exercise unhindered control on their economy and natural resources.

On Western Sahara, he said that 28 years after the withdrawal of the former colonial Power, the people of that Territory still awaited their inalienable right to self-determination.  He expressed Algeria’s support for the Settlement Plan and the Houston agreements, and said it was the right of the people to decide their destiny through a referendum monitored by the United Nations.  He maintained that challenges to peace, security and economic and social development were particularly acute in Africa, and that partnerships to aid Africa should be intensified.  In addition, efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly that of halving poverty on the continent by 2015, should be increased.

Regarding globalization, he was concerned that the recent WTO meeting had not managed to draw a framework for negotiations to revitalize the Doha round, already behind schedule.  In addition, international action was required to address the growing phenomena of speculative flows, money laundering, financing of terrorism, illicit payments and harmful practices in the area of corporate governance. GA24Sep.a10   Veronica

LUCIO GUTIÉRREZ, President of Ecuador, said that the situation in Colombia had been his Government’s major preoccupation since the beginning of his presidency.  Given the serious threat the Colombian conflict posed to the entire region, the Presidents of the Rio Group had this past spring urged Secretary-General Kofi Annan to use his good offices to spur a peace process in Colombia, and to exhort the guerrilla movements to cease hostilities and enter into an open-ended and transparent dialogue for a peaceful and definitive resolution of the conflict.  The pointless, fratricidal bloodletting in Colombia not only affected that nation and the wider community of Andean nations, but threatened global stability as a whole.  Free nations the world over should support the Secretary-General in the quest for peace in Colombia.

The problem of external debt, he continued, could not be dealt with solely as an economic issue, but must be recognized as constituting a social and human tragedy.  The heavy burden of debt stymied the efforts of poor but committed nations fighting social injustice and impunity.  Servicing their external debt, devoid of generosity from developed nations, absorbed the vast bulk of many nations’ efforts and savings.  Poor nations were not, however, asking for charity, only a chance to grow.  Ecuador, for example, devoted over 40 per cent of its income to servicing its external debt.  Thus, a global agreement between debtors and creditors was needed to increase the availability of funds for social development.

Another issue of particular concern for his country, he said, was migration.  Although the original migrants to the Americas had left the Old World for the New World, the pattern had now been reversed.  Should not the developed world welcome back its children?  Legal and physical barriers would not halt migration.  Instead, Ecuador was working to improve the situation of its citizens abroad and to stimulate economic growth at home.  One major aspect of the strategic plan to achieve and consolidate economic growth included the uprooting of corruption.  He noted that a handful of people, bereft of morals, had seized government funds and bank deposits and now enjoyed that stolen money with impunity by abusing the welcome extended to them by other countries.  All nations were asked to give their immediate and unconditional backing for the extradition of such people, so they could be returned and prosecuted, as they deserved.

Finally, after detailing the economic improvements achieved by Ecuador in the past year, he concluded that the energy sector remained an important source of potential for the country’s economy.  Among its other economic opportunities, the country had been working to improve its hydroelectric and mining industries, and anticipated great benefits to arise from its significant environmental assets:  the Galapagos Islands, the exotic Amazon jungle and the majestic volcanoes of Chimborazo and Cotopaxi.

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, President of Pakistan, said that the hope for a new age of cooperation and peace, free of ideological confrontations, that emerged following the fall of the Berlin Wall, had been dashed by a series of conflicts, lingering regional hostilities, and deepening poverty throughout the 1990s.  The tragedies of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans and Kosovo, failure to end occupation in Palestine, brutal suppression of the Kashmiris’ demand for self-determination, unending war in Afghanistan and a series of crippling international crises had been capped by the terrorist atrocity of 11 September 2001.  And even though the response to that event had weakened Al Qaeda, it had not eliminated its associates and extreme terrorists bred in Afghanistan’s climate of war and international neglect.  The tragedy of 9/11 had transformed security policies and changed geopolitical calculations.  Pakistan itself had taken a strategic decision, based on principles of humanity and its national interest, to support the war on terrorism.

Pakistan’s intentions in that regard should not be doubted, he said, adding, “Our actions speak louder than words.”  Pakistan was acting against Al Qaeda and its associates effectively.  It had also acted against other organizations or groups involved in terrorism, and would remain at the forefront of the fight.  He stressed that eradicating terrorism was a global fight, but a battle which must not erode the moral values of societies.  “It must not be hijacked by those who seek to use it as an excuse to suppress other peoples.  It must not be allowed to engender a clash of civilizations -– a clash between Islam and the West.”

The notion of a clash of civilizations was a sham, he stated.  “We must bridge the gulf of misunderstanding between Islam and the West.  We must be the catalysts of change, not the prophets of doom.”  Islam was a faith of peace and must not be confused with the narrow vision of a few extremists, he added.  The way forward was to adopt a strategy to build harmony, promote moderation, oppose extremism and ensure justice:  “Enlightened Moderation”.  That would call for Muslim nations to assume responsibility for internal reform and renewal, eschewing extremism and confrontation. “They must embrace the march of civilization, address the deficits in their social and economic development ... and seek science and technology, higher education and human resource development.”

For its part, he continued, the West must help resolve disputes and situations where Muslim peoples were being oppressed, such as in Palestine and Kashmir.  They must reject attempts to equate terrorism with Islam, and must assist the Muslim world in poverty alleviation and socio-economic development.  The United Nations also had a role to play in the vision of enlightened moderation.  It must quickly reach consensus on a way to restore Iraq’s stability, security and sovereignty.  “Iraq cannot remain and open wound”, he said.  The consensus evolved must enable the Iraqi people, through an inclusive political process, to determine the sequence of steps to a fully representative government and an end to occupation.  Pakistan would be prepared to help in a collective United Nations-sanctioned Arab and Islamic effort to help the Iraqi people, if that was their wish.

Jammu and Kashmir, he said, had been rightly described as the most dangerous dispute in the world.  A just solution of the dispute held the key to peace and security in South Asia.  While India had stepped back from its “dangerous and failed experiment in coercive diplomacy” last year, it continued to ignore relevant Security Council resolutions on the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.  It also had refused Pakistan’s offers of dialogue to help resolve the dispute.

He invited India to join Pakistan in a sustained dialogue.  “I am convinced that, with goodwill, we can find a just solution which is acceptable to India, to Pakistan, and, above all, to the Kashmiri people.”  He also invited India, jointly with Pakistan, to observe a complete ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir.  Apart form addressing Kashmir, sustained security in the region required India and Pakistan to institute measures to ensure mutual nuclear restraint and a conventional arms balance.  Unfortunately, India had embarked on a massive arms build-up of its conventional and non-conventional military capabilities.

VICENTE FOX, President of Mexico, said the world today hung in a “fragile and perilous” balance, mainly as a result of a collective inability to ensure sustained development and peace.  All nations were facing the fallout of a type of globalization which had triggered economic imbalances, particularly among poorest countries.  Unchecked, it was also triggering violence, and supporting organized crime and terrorism.  “We all share these problems, as well as the responsibility to come up with solutions to them”, he said, adding that no country, large or small, could shoulder the responsibility alone.  Acting together, the global community could end hunger, exclusion, crime and inequality once and for all.  Broad cooperation could ensure the right of every individual to live in peace with prospects for full social development and achievement.

Mexico had made major strides to ensure democracy, gender equality and equity among its people, he said. The country was already a third of the way towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals.  However, much remained to be done if it was to achieve them well before 2015, as currently expected.  Mexico was on the right track, and understood the benefits of working as a team, both nationally and internationally, to ensure all-around progress.  With that in mind, he reiterated that the United Nations was the most fitting forum to promote the idea of collective action.  Throughout its history, the world body had consistently forged dialogue into the cornerstone of efforts aimed at solving shared dilemmas.

He said that the war in Iraq and its fallout had sparked deep debate throughout the Organization and the wider international community, particularly about the use of force, the United Nations Charter and the efficacy of the Security Council and its resolutions.  Mexico, meanwhile, stood by the principle of seeking peaceful solutions to all disputes, and had been actively participating in the negotiation of resolutions aimed at ensuring sovereignty for the people of the Iraq.  He stressed that perhaps the very future of the Organization hung on the decisions that would be made concerning the reconstruction and future of Iraq.

Above and beyond Iraq, he said, there were other problems, particularly unresolved and escalating hostilities in the Middle East, ongoing conflict in Africa, and increasing tensions in Asia surrounding weapons of mass destruction.  It was time to ensure that diplomacy and dialogue pointed the way forward on those issues.  He appealed for peace and global cooperation so that security and development could flow unhindered.

He said the fight against terrorism was fashioning a new way of perceiving international legalities. It also meant ensuring a United Nations system endowed with enough capabilities to ensure international laws were respected.  The root causes of conflict must be examined and resources must be committed with a strategic awareness of priorities.  Only an organization of universal scope -- such as the United Nations –- could effect those realities with any moral authority.  The response to global challenges required vigorous political effort that could only come “from inside this house”.  Security could only be built by promoting truth and understanding among all nations on equal footing.

No one could deny the relevance of the United Nations, he said, reaffirming Mexico’s belief in the organization and the multilateral system.  He joined the Secretary-General’s call for innovative ideas and radical reform to cope with the times.  Real reform should be based on several guiding criteria, including strengthening the system of collective security, guaranteeing support for economic and social development, guaranteeing respect for sovereignty and independence of States and promoting and protecting human rights.

GERHARD SCHRÖDER, Chancellor of Germany, recalling that year was the thirtieth anniversary of Germany’s admission to the United Nations, repeated the urgent appeal issued by Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt in 1980 to recognize that “the globalization of dangers and challenges -– war, chaos and self-destruction -– calls for a domestic policy which goes much beyond “national items”.  Committed to intensive international cooperation under the aegis of the United Nations, he believed the Organization must be further strengthened, including through courageous reform, so that it could guide the international community towards a universal order based on law, human dignity, good governance and prosperity for all.  To achieve that, peace, security and respect for human rights should be resolutely pursued, conflicts prevented and stable structures created within an effective multilateral strategy.

Mindful of their history, Germans advocated cooperative policies based upon economic, political and humanitarian means in pursuit of peace and justice in the Middle East, Africa and other areas, he said.  Yet, shoulder-to-shoulder with its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union partners, Germany would assume the military responsibility to secure peace and protect human beings when there was no other way.  Thus, more than 9,000 members of the German armed forces and police were currently deployed on international missions.  In the wake of the 19 August attack on the United Nations headquarter in Baghdad, the Organization’s response must be to strengthen its role and commitment in Iraq, to which end Germany stood ready to provide humanitarian, technical and economic assistance, as well as training for Iraqi security personnel.  Only the United Nations could guarantee the legitimacy required to enable the people of Iraq to rebuild their country under independent and representative government.

Posing a danger to all States were the threats of international terrorism, failed States and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, he added.  To enhance security, terrorists and their masters must be apprehended and their infrastructure destroyed.  The further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction must be prevented, inspection regimes strengthened and verification of disarmament pursued.  Furthermore, the roots of terrorism and insecurity must be addressed.  Social, material and cultural security should be ensured as a means of combating fanaticism.  Also, outlawing infamy required putting an end to lawlessness, which was the core task of international courts, such as the International Criminal Court.

The fight against terrorism, he concluded, would only be won if people experienced first-hand freedom and security, better development opportunities and a greater stake in society.  While major advances had been secured in the realization of the common goals enshrined in the Charter, the fight against hunger, injustice and poverty had yet to be won.

CARLOS D. MESA GISBERT, Vice-President of Bolivia, said his Administration was working to overcome great levels of poverty in Bolivia, which threatened to break down order and the people’s faith in democracy.  To overcome its economic crisis, the Government had broadened its political base by integrating an additional party, “Nueva Fuerza Republicana”, and had implemented a programme to increase State revenues through increased public investment.  In addition, priority had been given to the most vulnerable sectors of society, with measures such as an annual solidarity bonus for citizens over 65, and free medical insurance for mothers and children below the age of five.

He said that recent violence had forced the Administration to reflect, in the face of legitimate pressure exercised by the marginalized sectors of society. “Real and enriching” dialogue regarding the most difficult issues was needed, he said, noting that one of the Administration’s principal tasks was to generate fundamental change in the behaviour of political parties, and indeed, in every politician.  The country was going through difficult times, during which compliance with the law and respect for State authorities threatened to collapse.  At the same time, the fight against corruption had become a State policy, with the creation of a Secretariat for the Fight against Corruption.  “During this year we have made public cases of corruption involving State authorities, several corrupt civil servants have been given prison sentences, and many others are currently on trial for illicit acts”, he said.  The fight against drug trafficking continued, and Bolivia’s efforts required further support.  In that regard, he stressed that the most effective international assistance was that which respected the decisions and plans of those countries that received it.

Latin America had seen its role in the international concert diminished, he said, and integration was the only solution to “face the future with optimism”.  As host of the Thirteenth Ibero-American Summit of Nations, Bolivia was working to strengthen that mechanism.  Noting the existing gap between rich and poor, he said that the only effective solution was a fair trade agreement.  In addition, the issue of anti-personnel mines continued to be a sensitive one for Bolivia.  He asked that countries responsible for planting the mines continue their destruction and prompt removal.

Finally, he stated that Bolivia would never waive its just vindication for sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean.  “Our landlocked condition is a deterrent to our growth and the well-being of our citizens”, adding that the current Administration would continue to demand solidarity and support from nations on that issue.

LI ZHAOXING, Foreign Minister of China, said that local wars and conflicts that flared up from time to time in many parts of the world were worrisome aspects of today’s international situation.  For example, although the Iraq war was over, peace in that country and the region remained elusive while the situation between Israel and Palestine was still in a state of instability.  In Africa, wars still raged in some countries and non-traditional security concerns such as terrorism, drug trafficking, weapons proliferation, the spread of diseases and environmental degradation had become more pronounced.

Mankind’s future well-being depended on closer international cooperation, multilateralism and world multi-polarization, he said.  That meant the promotion of a new order in international relations in which all countries -- big or small, rich or poor, strong or weak -- were treated as equals, with no one country imposing its will on others.  The United Nations was the most universal, representative and authoritative international organization in the world, and as such, all Member States were obligated to adhere to the purposes and principles of its Charter if democracy and the rule of law in international relations were to be realized.

In matters of regional and international peace, he continued, the United Nations, and its Security Council, should maintain the leading role and authority.  That was why China supported an important role for the Organization in Iraq’s post-war reconstruction efforts and a resumption of the Iraqi people’s sovereignty as early as possible.  China also backed calls for United Nations reform, which would enhance the Organization’s role and efficacy in the light of changing circumstances.

Regarding the still-widening gap between the rich North and the poor South, he said development was the foundation for world peace and human progress and only stronger international cooperation and common development would guarantee it.  The current state of affairs had to change without further delay.  The key to that lay in the establishment of a fair and equitable new world economic order capable of responding to the needs of economic globalization, he added.

ALEXANDER DOWNER, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, said that a combination of pragmatism, vision and reforming innovation would be necessary if the United Nations was to avoid “frittering away its credibility and influence by failing to exercise its power effectively”.  Major global challenges -– primarily the emergence of international terrorism -– must be met.  And as terrorism continued to be a scourge from which there was no immunity, a new urgency was needed to solve a more familiar problem –- the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, given the possibility that such weapons might fall into terrorist hands.  Ignoring failed States and transnational crime, the incubators and mainstays of terrorism, was no longer an option; the promotion of good governance and democracy had become moral and pragmatic imperatives.  They were the preconditions of international security.

Good governance served both global and national interests, he said, adding that, without it, developing states would never fully realize the benefits of globalization.  Thus, in spite of the failure of Cancun, the Doha process remained the best framework for alleviating poverty and its attendant ills in the developing world.  Confronting the challenges of security, governance, poverty, terrorism and pandemics required effective collective action, including at the regional level.

However, while the virtues of collective action were self-evident, he warned that collectivism should not serve as an obstacle to effective action.  Australia remained a strong supporter of multilateral institutions and processes, but only insofar as they proved effective.  While the major global disarmament and non-proliferation treaties were critical to setting norms of international order, they must ultimately be enforced.  States were not merely entitled, but obliged, to take action to uphold those norms, a recognition that had prompted Australia to join the coalition to disarm Iraq.

While the United Nations had a critical role to play in promoting international peace and security, its role in international affairs had come under scrutiny for good reason, he said.  The Organization had much work to do in adapting to the evolving global environment.  Much of the work carried out by the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council was without practical import, while the composition of the Security Council was out of step with geopolitical realities.  Japan, India, Brazil, Indonesia and an African nation should be given permanent seats.  The group system should also be overhauled, to make Australia part of a new East Asia and Pacific grouping, while the old divide between East and West Europe should be discarded, he concluded.

DOMITIEN NDAYIZEYE, President of Burundi, reviewing the progress made in his country’s peace process since the signing of the Arusha Accords in August 2000, said that, among other advances, transitional institutions had been created, bringing together all political elements, and judicial reform had been initiated.  Negotiations with various armed groups had also been undertaken for a permanent ceasefire agreement.  However, those relatively positive results should not eclipse a number of difficulties; continued conflict had hindered the implementation of the Arusha Accords, and more than 68 per cent of the population lived below the poverty threshold.  For these reasons, the international community should make additional efforts to fulfil the promises made to Burundi.

Burundi had also benefited from a subregional environment more conducive to peace, he noted, as evidenced by the advancing peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the democratic breakthrough in Rwanda.  Yet, one wished also to see peace prevail in the wider world.  Whereas, world leaders had pledged, during the Millennium Summit, to spare no effort to protect the world from the scourge of war, the collective conscience required renewed and sustained action, given the serious setbacks experienced on the road to peace.

The world of the twenty-first century was not safe from war, terrorism, destitution or natural disasters, he pointed out.  Terrorist attacks had contributed to increasing military spending and the rise of unilateralist trends, while hotbeds of tension continued to flare among and within States.  Faced with a veritable crisis in the architecture of international peace and security, there was an urgent need to pursue, unflaggingly, an intelligent reform of the institutions charged with upholding the peace.  Within the United Nations, the General Assembly should become more functional, and its work more streamlined, particularly in its follow-up functions and with regard to the equitable implementation of its resolutions and decisions.  Moreover, the Security Council membership should be reformed to reflect a regional balance.  The regular and voluntary financing of peacekeeping operations, regional and subregional mechanisms for conflict resolution, and the advancement of stability were of vital importance, particularly in Africa.

He said that the economic and social imbalances arising from the inequitable and non-inclusive nature of the international financial system had contributed to a growing gap between rich and poor, and must be redressed.  The struggle to achieve sustainable development remained a priority concern, particularly in rural areas.  The poorer countries required multifaceted international support to achieve developmental success, in which regard, the pledges made last year at Monterrey should be honoured with action.  Moreover, the economic marginalization of the least developed countries merited particular attention in terms of public development assistance, foreign direct investment, debt relief and access to international markets.  The welcome extended to NEPAD should be backed up with concrete gestures of solidarity.

SVETOZAR MAROVIC, President of Serbia and Montenegro, said the union of the two States had been in the interest of peace, stability and the democratic right to the freedom of choice, and getting quickly on the European track.  The union also demonstrated that, in the Balkans, a region that used to be burdened with division and conflicts, it was possible to work out an agreement that would push the country forward.

Terrorism could be defeated when nations joined forces, he said, adding that there was no alternative to multilateralism.  As the guarantor of multilateralism, the United Nations had demonstrated in Kosovo that, with good intentions on all sides, there was hope for dialogue instead of hatred and conflict, enabling people to discuss and resolve problems instead of creating new ones.  It was encouraging that dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina could begin by mid-October, and that it had been supported by the Contact Group. “I hope it will be supported in Pristina as it is supported in Belgrade”, he added.

While Serbia and Montenegro was aware that the past could not be changed, a great deal could be done to improve the present and the future, he said, pledging to seek peace for all people left without their homes.  There were more than 65,000 people without homes in Serbia and Montenegro who should be allowed to live where they felt they belonged.  Furthermore, within the Tripartite Agreement with Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, a common solution would be found to resolve that problem.  Referring to his country’s own experience, he called for an end to violence in all parts of the world, including Iraq and the Middle East.  Serbia and Montenegro would contribute to peace efforts and to defending each nation’s right to a democratic future. 

He said Serbia and Montenegro was primarily committed to stabilizing the situation in the Western Balkans and to cooperation among the countries of the region, including the fight against organized crime and full cooperation with The Hague Tribunal. “No crime should be left unpunished and all perpetrators should be brought to justice”, he said, adding that joining the Partnership for Peace was a priority.

BORIS TRAJKOVSKI, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, stressed the crucial importance of reforming the United Nations -- particularly the Security Council –- and revitalizing the General Assembly, saying that those objectives should be pursued in an effective and efficient manner.  United Nations involvement in various parts of the world would essentially improve the responses of democratically minded countries.  It was obvious that all needed to be more vocal in their support for multilateralism, particularly to ensure the eradication of poverty, combat HIV/AIDS, protect the environment and prevent conflict.  Noting that terrorism was the most serious contemporary threat for humanity, he said it would be immensely helpful for the international community to come together and address open issues concerning the drafting of an international treaty on the elimination of that scourge.

Looking homeward, he said his country had launched numerous regional initiatives in order to contribute constructively to productive cooperation with and among its neighbours.  At the same time, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had also recognized that the country could move beyond its unfortunate past by promoting the significant links among the people living in south-eastern Europe.  To that end, just last month in Ohrid, it had held a successful regional forum on the Dialogue among Civilizations, in which scholars from all over the world had spoken openly about ensuring cultural exchange and dialogue.  Such continued dialogue would significantly change the image of the region as a “powder keg” and promote peace and security.

In the Balkans today, he said, the spirit of collaboration and mutual respect was emerging, even between yesterday’s enemies and opposing factions.  While the recent upsurge in inter-ethnic violence in Kosovo was a cause for deep concern, there had been gradual but steady reconciliation in other areas.  The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was an indivisible part of regional efforts to transform its part of Europe and would, therefore, need solid support from the rest of the international community to ensure it joined the efforts to secure liberty.  The greatness of countries did not depend on the size of their armies, but on their commitment and dedication to the promotion of peace and the noble ideas enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

Turning to other regions, he urged the parties to the Middle East conflict to recommit themselves to the implementation of the Road Map.  At the same time, the wider international community must step up its efforts to ensure the peace process was restarted.  On disarmament issues, Macedonia strongly advocated international action towards stemming and preventing trafficking in small arms and light weapons.  And with respect to Africa, the main priority was the fight against HIV/AIDS.  The international community must work hand in hand with African governments to defeat that deadly disease.

LEONID D. KUCHMA, President of Ukraine, said the new challenges facing the world today called for an effective response by way of urgent actions to reform the United Nations, beginning with the Security Council.  Further delay in the “long overdue” reforms could result in a serious crisis of confidence for the Organization, a situation Member States should not allow to happen.

While acknowledging that there were more questions than answers in the task of reforming the Organization today, he pointed out that there was no viable alternative to the United Nations as a global organization.  In that context, the experiences of the Organization in reforming its activities in the areas of peacekeeping and conflict prevention could serve as a good example for all Member States.  He fully supported Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s efforts to strengthen the conflict-prevention component of the Organization’s activities.  Additionally, there was a need to further develop and improve the principles and mechanism of application of international sanctions intended to curb the supply of weapons to conflict areas.

On the situation in Iraq, he expressed confidence that, the tragic losses in Baghdad notwithstanding, the international community’s commitment to support the Iraqi people to rebuild their country would not diminish.  Further, it was his hope that the adoption of a Security Council resolution on the establishment of an international force to keep peace and security in Iraq, under the aegis of the United Nations, would enable as many countries as possible to join in those efforts.  Similarly, on the situation between Israel and Palestine, he hoped that the obstacles created by the current controversies would not block the resumption of the peace process, within the context of the Road Map put forward by the Quartet.

Despite repeated declarations by the developed countries about their readiness to increase the volume of financial and other assistance to help developing countries tackle the issues of sustainable development, he was concerned that actual efforts in that direction were insufficient for the timely attainment of the goals set forth in the Millennium Declaration. The international community was not paying sufficient attention to such acute problems of global development as poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the environment.  Ukraine had made its contribution towards a peaceful and safer world in the twenty-first century by its renunciation of its nuclear arsenal, one of the most powerful on the planet, and by its decommissioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

ABDOULAYE WADE, President of Senegal, recalling that the world had first glimpsed the new face of international terrorism two years ago, said that in the intervening period, none had been spared, not even the United Nations.  The threat required a collective response, and Senegal believed that Africa should not be the “soft underbelly” in the fight.  Senegal had also demonstrated its commitment to the resolution of conflict in Africa and, by urging the parties in Côte d’Ivoire conflict to commit to the French-brokered January peace accords, had proclaimed that the time for coups d’état in Africa was past.

Legitimate power could be acquired, conserved and transmitted only through elections, not through force of arms, he stressed.  Thus, constitutional legality had been restored just days after a coup d’état in Sao Tome and Principe, while the overthrow of the elected Government in Guinea-Bissau 10 days ago had met with the immediate resolve of African leaders to promote the establishment of a civilian government.

He said that as Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Senegal continued to be concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  Too much blood had been shed, too much suffering endured.  Thus, negotiations on the basis of the Quartet’s Road Map must be resumed, and Israel warned that any attack on the physical integrity of President Yasser Arafat would bring incalculable consequences.  Moreover, the international community should cease making empty statements or the cycle of violence would still be unfolding in years to come.  International forces should be sent to monitor those borders that were uncontested by the parties to the conflict, while the disputed territories remained on standby in order to end the cycle of mutual accusations.

Raising the inherent paradox of a system based on a liberal philosophy that spent billions of dollars on agricultural subsidies, he stressed the need to rethink radically the mechanisms of international trade to provide not simple assistance, but the fair application of free trade standards.  The problems of globalization and interdependence made a new type of partnership necessary if the insidious cycle of poverty was to be broken.  It was for that reason that the African Union had set forth its NEPAD on the basis of clear parameters aimed at fostering peace, stability and good governance.  Africa needed to establish a hospitable climate for investment.

Finally, he urged States to renounce the temptation of isolationism and the rule of force, saying that universal values such as peace, liberty, democracy and respect for human rights should be safeguarded.  In addition, the odious international sex trade, an issue raised in the past two days, required that vague declarations be set aside in favour of concrete measures to combat it.  He also called for the fulfilment of the pledges made at the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development.

JOSEPH KABILA, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said that at a time when all were recalling the tragic events of 11 September 2001, and when the United Nations was still mourning the loss of some 22 members of its staff in Baghdad, the Congolese people joined the wider international community in reaffirming their total condemnation of terrorism.

Turning to the situation in his country, he briefly outlined the events of the past spring and summer, when ethnic violence had swept the resource-rich north-eastern Ituri province and devastated the main town of Bunia.  While the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping force had quelled the violence, the fighting had left a gaping wound and the slightest slip could reignite hostilities.

Thanking the international community and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), he stressed that the situation in the country required close observation, particularly North and South Kivu, where a recent flare-up of violence was troubling.  It was important that neighbouring countries respect international law and the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Urging the United Nations to establish a fund to ensure peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and throughout the Great Lakes region, he said his country was moving ahead with its efforts to ensure reconciliation and reform, efforts that would culminate in the holding of free and fair elections.  It was hoped that the international community would provide assistance at all stages of the electoral process.  What was critical now was ensuring reform of the justice system and ending impunity, which would be a major step towards ensuring national reconciliation.  It was equally important that the international community consider establishing a tribunal to deal with the genocide, crimes against humanity and massive human rights violations that had occurred during nearly five years of war.

He said the Democratic Republic of the Congo was making strides towards ensuring economic and regional integration, as well as open, honest dialogue and reconciliation among all the peoples of the Great Lakes.  Determined to promote good neighbourly relations, the country would reject interference and destabilizing forces in order to instil peace and promote sharing to combat HIV/AIDS, and the proliferation of small arms and anti-personnel mines.  It was within the country’s power to play a stabilizing role in order to cement recovery in Central Africa, he continued.

TEODORO OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, President of Equatorial Guinea, condemned unilateralism, saying that the concepts of democracy, human rights, technical assistance and cooperation had been misused to the detriment of some and the unequal benefit of others.  In particular, the principles of State sovereignty and non-interference, enshrined in international law, had been violated under the pretext of humanitarian intervention, conducted without the approval of the United Nations.

Efforts to create a new international economic order had ended with division between North and South, he said, while development assistance was offered only with imposed political conditionalities.  There had been much talk of providing for a more equitable international order, and yet poor countries remained weak, while terrorism, war and poverty fed upon the deepening economic crisis.  Humankind had been dehumanized and the United Nations had lost its authority, he stated, calling on the international community to shoulder responsibility for rebuilding the United Nations as the forum in which universal consensus could be achieved.  It was from the rostrum of the United Nations that every view could be heard, he said.

Warning that the use of force against terrorism could be turned against the coalition itself, he said it was time for the adoption of a strategy to prevent the impartiality of United Nations peacekeeping missions from being construed as protecting any particular interests.  Equatorial Guinea remained loyal to its commitments as a full-fledged Member of the United Nations and the African Union, dedicated to the maintenance of peaceful relations, friendship and cooperation among nations.  Respectful of the principles of sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, it favoured the socio-political development of nations and was, therefore, party to all the international conventions aimed at protecting the human, economic and socio-cultural rights of peoples.

PAKALITHA B. MOSISILI, Prime Minister of Lesotho, said HIV/AIDS was the single greatest obstacle to the development of his nation.  In southern Africa, governments were overwhelmed by the high levels of morbidity and mortality, especially among working-age people in all sectors, including health and agriculture.  HIV/AIDS had become the leading cause of the food insecurity and famine plaguing so many people.  Efforts to achieve education goals by 2015 were faltering due to high rates of absenteeism by both teachers and pupils.  “Teachers are sick and dying.  Children, especially girls, are dropping out of school to take care of their sick relatives”, he said, stressing the need for antiretroviral drugs and other anti-HIV/AIDS assistance.

The goal of eradicating poverty could elude the international community, he said, noting that in 2002 only five out of 53 African countries had achieved the 7 per cent growth rate required by the Millennium Development Goals.  Forty-three countries had grown at rates below 7 per cent, and five had registered negative growth.  Without new inflows of external resources, the pace of development in Africa would forever remain elusive, unless the commitments made by developed countries at major United Nations conferences and at the Millennium Summit were met.

Expressing concern that armed conflict would continue to hinder economic growth in Africa, he said it was equally regrettable that the rights of women and children were frequently violated.  Africa hungered for peace and wished never again to witness such atrocities as those recently committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia.  The international community should intensify its efforts to assist millions of displaced Congolese who were suffering serious food shortages.  The future of Somalia was hanging in the balance, despite efforts to end the carnage in that country.  It had been turned into a breeding ground for warlords who had no respect for human life, but were greedy for power and money.  The deployment of an international force could help facilitate disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in Somalia.

Turning to the Middle East, he said the recent resumption of violence between Israel and the Palestinians could render futile the Road Map to peace.  The root cause of the problem was the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and the fact that no country could act as an honest broker in the region.  The United Nations should take the initiative and lead the process, he added.

He called upon the international community to intervene in the Western Sahara, whose people had suffered long enough.  On a positive note, however, he welcomed the lifting of sanctions against Libya, but said it was time to consider lifting the economic blockade against Cuba.  Calling also for the reform of the Security Council, he applauded the Secretary-General’s decision to establish a high-level panel to look into challenges to peace, security and other global issues.

SAUFATU SOPOANGA, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tuvalu, said that conflict prevention was vital to national, regional and world peace.  The United Nations must continue to address the underlying causes of conflicts, and be the common forum where nations resolved their differences.  Attempts to resolve conflicts by unilateral means, outside the United Nations, inevitably resulted in ongoing mistrust and instability.  The stakes were too high to allow that to happen.

He said that each year highly radioactive and toxic material passed by ship through the Pacific on its way to and from North Asia and Europe.  It was known that some of the materials were weapons grade.  He was concerned about those shipments because of the massive threat they posed to the Pacific Ocean -– a vital source of livelihood and economic development.  It was essential that those shipments cease, for the sake of lives in the islands and the stability of the broader Pacific basin.

In Tuvalu, he continued, people lived in constant fear of the impacts of climate change.  In that respect, Tuvalu had participated actively in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, and was dismayed that key industrialized nations did not share its concerns.  All nations must take positive steps to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions, but it was his belief that the industrialized nations should act first.  It was their historical emissions that were creating the problems of today, and steps must be taken to account for and to redress the past.

Sustainable development was also crucial, he stated, particularly for the most vulnerable, such as small island states.  Even with the best efforts to escape the cycle of poverty and marginalization, such States were doomed without the support of the international community, civil society and the private sector.  In that regard, proper and effective implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island States was essential. 

ANEROOD JUGNAUTH, Prime Minister of Mauritius, said the attack on the United Nations compound in Baghdad underscored the urgent need for the major overhaul and reform of the United Nations, and called on the international community to refrain from taking any measures that would weaken the Organization.  As a small island, Mauritius was highly vulnerable to terrorist threats; and with its limited means and scanty resources, it was only through international cooperation that it could effectively fight the war against terrorism.

Addressing the situation in the Middle East, he deplored the international community’s failure to find lasting solutions in the region.  President Arafat was an essential part of the solution to the conflict, and any attempt to sideline him would be detrimental to any peace initiative.  He called for the establishment of a Palestinian State and urged the international community to make that a priority.  On Iraq, he said it was important to restore the country’s total sovereignty as soon as possible, and that the United Nations had a leading role to play in that process.  It must be empowered to do so.

Deploring the long-running conflicts in Africa, he called on the countries that manufacture and market the weapons that fuelled those wars to ensure that Africa did not continue to be their killing fields.  There was some good news coming out of Africa, however, including the transformation of the Organization of African Unity into the African Union, the end of conflicts in Sierra Leone and Angola, the establishment of a government of national unity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the recent developments in Liberia.  He applauded NEPAD as an instrument of empowerment, and said Mauritius would do whatever necessary to attract investment.

Regarding United Nations reform, he said it was imperative that the Organization’s Charter provide for a more democratic Security Council that would be more representative of today’s world.   Furthermore, the General Assembly should support the upcoming international meeting on the comprehensive review of the Barbados Programme of Action, which would focus on the situation of small island developing States.  Mauritius and other small islands attached great importance to the meeting and hoped it would lead to more international assistance for them.

He concluded by renewing his appeal to the United Kingdom to complete the process of decolonization of Mauritius, which had consistently reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia.  Similarly, he appealed to France to resume a dialogue with a view to returning Tromelin Island to the sovereignty of Mauritius.

ILHAM ALIYEV, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, said that the events surrounding Iraq had revealed weaknesses in the international security system.  They had made it clear that existing United Nations mechanisms did not meet the requirements of the times, and it was necessary to reform the Organization, including the Security Council.  He supported the reform proposals of the Secretary-General, in particular, on the enlargement of the Council’s membership, and counted on the goodwill of its permanent members regarding the revision of its mechanisms, especially the right of veto.  He hoped the international community would now be able to consolidate its efforts to restore and strengthen a united and indivisible Iraq, and to establish democracy based on the will of the Iraqis.

The terrorist attacks on United Nations headquarters in Baghdad shocked the international community and convinced everyone that terrorists were capable of committing any crime, he said.  Faced with such a situation, the only response was an uncompromising fight against anyone who resorted to terrorism regardless of the goals.  Such an approach should constitute the basis of the international community’s actions and of the anti-terror conventions.  Selectivity and double standards had no place in that fight, he noted.

He stated that, with the increased threat of terrorists’ access to nuclear materials and technology, non-proliferation issues took on special significance.  His country, located in a region of increased nuclear threat, was particularly sensitive to that issue.  Additionally, success in the fight against terrorism could not be assured without eradicating its underlying roots and removing the environment that allowed it to flourish.  On the other hand, it was not possible to resolve conflicts throughout the world under conditions of continuing terrorism, particularly if such terrorism enjoyed the support of States.  Terrorist groups were often based on the illegally controlled territories -- the so-called “grey zones” -– that emerged as a result of acts of armed separatism and external aggression. 

He said that 10 years had passed since the Security Council adopted resolutions demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from Azerbaijani territories.  Armenia continued to challenge the international community by ignoring those decisions, and the Security Council and the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) were not taking adequate measures in that regard.  Azerbaijan would never accept a settlement on the basis of the “so-called existing realities”, and would not cede a single inch of its land.  Responsibility for the deadlock in the settlement, he stated, lay with the aggressor, Armenia, and not with his country.

He appealed to the Security Council to carry out necessary measures to ensure the implementation of its resolutions regarding the conflict.  In addition, he expected that decisive steps would be taken to stop criminal and aggressive actions on the occupied territories and on the line of engagement, as well as to push the occupying forces to unconditionally, immediately and completely evacuate the seized Azerbaijani territories.

LINNETTE SABORIO, Vice-President of Costa Rica, said that among the most important concerns of the United Nations was the promotion of the right to peace  –- the right that informed, nourished and justified all other human rights.  Costa Rica supported the strengthening of the machinery of international human rights, including through the establishment of objective criteria by which to measure the implementation of human rights.  Universality for those treaties promoting human rights should also be a goal.

However, the full observance of human rights had been threatened by recent advances in biotechnology, she warned.  In spite of their potential benefits, the advances raised new ethical challenges in their capacity to assault the intrinsic dignity of humankind.  For example, the use and destruction of human embryos for the purpose of scientific exploration was unacceptable.  Moreover, cloning reduced humanity to an object of assembly-line production and constituted a moral and legal wrong.  Costa Rica condemned cloning in any form.

Another step along the path to peace resulted from the need for disarmament and the reduction of military expenditures, she said.  The Central American nations had made progress in reducing their armed forces and military arsenals.  The achievement of a reasonable balance of forces in the Central American region would generate greater transparency and stability.  Moreover, there should be a ban on all transfers of arms to terrorist groups and stronger regulation of the arms trade.  All States should renounce the development of new nuclear weapons and ratify the Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaties.

The pursuit of the right to peace required the strengthening of United Nations mechanisms for the prevention of armed conflicts and humanitarian crises, as well as the means of re-establishing peace after a conflict had broken out, she said.  The Security Council must not let particular national interests prevent it from taking action where necessary.  In that regard, it was clear that the Council needed to be reformed.  Furthermore, sufficient financial, human and technological resources must be devoted to peacekeeping operations to ensure their success.  The United Nations must also undertake an extensive examination of the deep-rooted causes of conflict.

She said the change of regime in Iraq had given the United Nations and the international community a unique opportunity to integrate that nation fully into the international system, an opportunity that must not be missed.  Iraq could not be allowed to become a source of regional instability or a den of terrorists.  And while the fight against terrorism should have unswerving support, it must not be used as an excuse for violations of human rights or repression.

PER STIG MOLLER, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark, said the United Nations should provide a more secure world, fight international terrorism, resolve conflicts and halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction.  Denmark wished to see sovereignty transferred back to the Iraqi people as soon as possible, but with an international presence to ensure security was fully restored.

Highlighting three areas where the United Nations could be even stronger, he said the fight against poverty was at the forefront.  At last year’s Monterrey and Johannesburg conferences, developing countries had acknowledged responsibility for their own development.  In Africa, efforts to improve living conditions should be supported by every individual.  Only then could the tide be turned on a continent that has been lagging behind far too long.

Helping to develop international legal order was another essential United Nations role, he said.  The strength of the Organization’s values and principles should be measured by its ability to apply them to world realities.  Pointing to the International Criminal Court, he said its establishment was the single most important step in the modern history of international criminal law.

Noting that the United Nations was at the core of efforts to tackle old and new security challenges, he said the Security Council had successfully taken on international terrorism and should continue to focus on weapons of mass destruction.  The Council, however, reflected power structures at the end of the Second World War, and needed reform.  Denmark was encouraged by the rapid intervention in Liberia and pressed for continued and expanded political and financial support to progressive African leadership.  Denmark would seek membership of the Security Council in 2005-2006, he added.

JEAN OBEID, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon, said that deviation from the United Nations spirit remained the source of repeated wars and injustices ever since the foundation, on the ruins of the Palestinian people, of an entity that did not recognize either its own borders, or those of others.  The international effort at Madrid to find a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict had adopted comprehensive and just approaches, resulting in principles that could not be reversed.  It had become certain to everyone, except to the arrogant in Israel, that there could be no security without a political solution, and no partial, peaceful, political solution without the comprehensive peace that embodied the spirit of the Madrid Conference and the integrated Arab peace initiative of the Arab Summit in Beirut.

Such a solution, he said, was based on the relevant international resolutions that had returned to Lebanon the remaining territory still under Israeli occupation, including the Sheba’a Farms; to Syria its territory up to the line of 4 June 1967; and which allowed Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland.  Such a process should ensure the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian State with Al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital.  Developments on the ground, however, ran contrary to hope as the Israeli Government continued to build settlements, carry out extrajudicial killings, demolish houses and carry out pre-emptive arrests and assassinations.

Lebanon also suffered from persistent Israeli threats, aggressions and violations by sea, land and air, he said.  The international community should pressure Israel to end those violations.  Lebanese detainees and prisoners were still illegally held hostage without trial inside Israel, which, besides retaining the maps of landmines it had planted during its occupation of south Lebanon, still coveted the country’s water and other natural resources.

The failure to implement the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes put the entire Middle East in an explosive situation, he said.  The Government and people of Lebanon were eager to implement that right, which they considered to be legal, natural and moral.  The so-called “realistic solutions” to the problem should not even be raised, as they were contrary to the principles of international law and the spirit of justice.  The commitment to the right of return and the refusal to settle the refugees in Lebanon were at the core of the Lebanese consensus that had ended the war in Lebanon, resulting in the United Nations-endorsed Taef Accord.  Those options were the only ones that could bring about a possible settlement to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

MIRCEA GEOANA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania, urged world leaders not to be distracted by talk of a unipolar, a multipolar or even a bipolar world.  They needed to concentrate on how governing the world could benefit the individual, in such a way as to bring about opportunity and pre-empt or deter terrorism and aggression.  True security was shared security, and true prosperity was shared prosperity, he noted, adding that, to achieve them, leaders needed to keep in mind that legitimacy brought credibility, which led to predictability and, in turn, to long-term commonality of views -- cornerstone of coalitions.

He said his country intended to put forward its candidate for membership of the Security Council from next January and thanked the Eastern European Group and others for their support.  As a State that was soon to become a member of both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Romania believed in the multilateral approach to tackling terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, and human rights violations.  Even though the country had struggled to rebuild a democratic society based on the rule of law, a market economy and respect for human rights, Romania was still able to understand the complex challenges of transition which now faced other countries.  It was not an easy process, but it was the only way to guarantee durable economic prosperity and social cohesion for the citizen.

Acknowledging that Romania’s international profile was defined by its location, history and capability in Europe, as well as its transition experience, he said the country was determined to play a responsible role in connecting the West with the East of the continent, reaching out to countries on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, in the Caucasus and the greater Middle East.  He also pledged to contribute to spreading Euro-Atlantic values beyond the NATO and the European Union areas which were consistently promoted by the culture of dialogue and regional cooperation.

He noted that challenges to international security and stability emerged as globalization processes expanded, but sustainable development was increasingly related to peace and security.  Globalization was inevitable, provided that it was combined with good governance, proper development assistance and awareness of environmental issues, as well as fair trade through open markets, as a force for progress.  However, global disparities were not disappearing and the ratio of per capita incomes of the richest and poorest countries now stood at more than 70 to 1.  It was for that reason that the World Trade Organization talks in Cancun had ended in deadlock, he said, calling on all parties to redouble their efforts in December to resume dialogue and close the gap.  The required success was not just that of freer and more open markets, but also that of equitable trade, which would create added value to regions, nations and communities.  Sustainable development demanded the responsible management of globalization for the benefit of all.

Expressing concern about conflicts in Africa, he said it was dangerous to ignore their consequences.  Furthermore, the international community needed to be more engaged in addressing poverty, intolerance and ethnic hatred.  The United Nations should enhance its peacekeeping capabilities and place particular emphasis on reconstruction and rehabilitation, which remained a test of ability and willingness to secure a successful offensive of democracy in the fight against terrorism.

Noting that many conflicts stemmed from the breakdown of nation States, he said porous borders, weak national institutions and the development of alternative allegiances based on religious, economic and other factors also led to the collapse of State structures, the principal feature of which were the absence of political legitimacy, an uncontrolled or unaccountable security sector and contempt for the rule of law.  However, South-East Europe was a good example of a situation where the international community had succeeded in preventing the relapse of a post-conflict situation.  In the past year, there had been real progress in that region due principally to increased efforts by the countries themselves, in partnership with the regional community and with support from international organizations and partners.

Rights of Reply

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea categorically rejected Japan’s allegations with regard to missiles, nuclear development and abductions by his own country.  Abductions had been the product of an unprecedented hostile policy pursued by Japan, which had led to hostile relations between the two countries for more than a century.  During its military occupation of Korea, Japan had inflicted horrible suffering on the Korean people, including through forcibly drafting and abducting more than 8.4 million Koreans, killing 1 million, and forcing 200,000 Korean girls and women to serve as “comfort women” for the Japanese military.  Under those circumstances, how could one dare to compare the deaths of a few abducted Japanese with huge human casualties amounting to genocide?

Japan continued to refuse to disclose the truth of its crimes and had abrogated its promises under the Pyongyang Joint Declaration, which was aimed at resolving such pending disputes.  Japan’s insistence on raising the issue in every international forum was a demonstration of its intent to politicize it and defame the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.  If genuinely interested in resolving the issue, Japan should make full disclosure of its past crimes.

Also exercising the right of reply, the representative of Japan said his Government did not think the abduction issue had been resolved at all.  Of the five abductees returning to Japan last October, none had been reunited with their families left behind in Pyongyang.  It was the policy of Japan’s Government that the issue of the abductions be resolved through all measures available.  Moreover, a comprehensive resolution of all issues between the two States was necessary in order to include those related to security issues such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme.  The Democratic People's Republic of Korea should take positive and responsible steps to resolve those issues

The representative of Chile, also exercising the right of reply, said his country was working with Bolivia on a future-oriented bilateral agenda based on unreserved respect for long-standing and valid international treaties, with a view to cooperation and effective integration.

Speaking again in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said that if Japan was truly trying to resolve the issue of abductions, it should stay true to agreements and resume efforts to implement the Joint Pyongyang Declaration, which Japan had already betrayed.  Japan should respond to all crimes committed against the Korean people.  Would Japan release the five survivors of the abductions?  Any failure to provide an accurate answer would lead all to believe that Japan was only interested in politicizing the issue.

Exercising the right of reply in response to Chile, the representative of Bolivia said his country would never abandon its sovereign right of access to the sea.  That was not a product of caprice, but of economic realities which hamstrung the true development of his country and all other landlocked nations.  All bodies of the United Nations had noted that lack of access to the sea had a negative impact on economic growth.

In response, the representative of Chile said he would not enter into a sterile debate:  international law was clear-cut on the issue.

Responding to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan’s representative said his Government’s position had been explained in his previous intervention.

The representative of Bolivia said that all who agreed with truth, law and the right of legitimacy wished to take a constructive posture on the need to give Bolivia sovereign access to the sea.

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