Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

13^th & 14^th Meetings (AM & PM)

CONCERNS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HIGHLIGHTED, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

CONCLUDES FIRST WEEK OF HIGH-LEVEL DEBATE

Debt, Trade Barriers, HIV/AIDS, Concerns of Landlocked and Small

Island Nations Stressed by 27 Speakers, Including Presidents, Top Ministers

Amid fresh calls for radical United Nations reform, delegations today urged the world body’s 191-Member General Assembly not to ignore crippling debt, protectionist trade barriers, and the insidious spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases -- all core concerns of developing countries.

As the fifty-eighth General Assembly wrapped up the first week of its general debate today, 27 presidents and top ministers from the developing world -- small island developing States, landlocked countries and nations with economies in transition -- stressed the challenges they faced in the hope that a revitalized United Nations would be better prepared to address modern realities.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the debate this past Tuesday challenging the Assembly to decide whether it would commit itself to radical change in dealing with pressing global threats, which, in addition to the persistent debt burden, drastically reduced development assistance and persisting protectionist barriers, included terrorism and arms proliferation.

In response, Janez Drnovsek, President of Slovenia, today declared that, in this time of growing global interdependence, the United Nations’ multilateral action must be grounded upon an awareness that none would be satisfied in the long term, so long as some lived in poverty, bereft of the basic necessities of human dignity.  He stressed that the focus on the Iraqi crisis should not take away attention from other areas of conflict.  South-Eastern Europe, which had posed one of the most serious threats to global peace in the 1990s, still required the active involvement of the international community for successful political and social consolidation in the region.

Nguyen Dy Nien, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, said development cooperation, and fair international economic and trade relations, could only be ensured if developing countries were provided favourable assistance and were allowed to compete on an equal footing.   But protectionist measures and unfair trade schemes had prevented their products from entering markets in the developed world.  The recent failure of the World Trade Organization’s Cancun round was proof that efforts to restructure global trade and financial mechanisms must be stepped up if developing countries were ever expected to have a fair chance.  Botswana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs M.S. Merahfe urged the Assembly to remain focused on the challenges of development and poverty eradication, pointing out that an estimated 1.2 billion people still lived in poverty and a large portion of them were in Africa.  He emphasized the link between poverty and political instability, noting that people marginalized by poverty were more likely to resort to violence.

Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, said that, if the world was to overcome crises that could result in calamitous wars and social breakdowns, it would be necessary to ensure humane global governance led by the United Nations.  But, he said, “we now have anachronistic institutions” which had become too comfortable with traditional norms to address new challenges.  Mechanisms must inevitably be adapted, transformed or even radically changed for, in the current world order, what could the Security Council do to one of its permanent members whose actions threatened world peace?

Among the many speakers who called for a speedy and just solution to the situation in Iraq, Mr. Mugabe urged the Assembly to reject the present “road map of naked unilateralism”.  He hoped that lessons had been learned from this “costly mistake” of waging an “unjust and illegal” war on Iraq, and that the Coalition was willing to let the United Nations reassert its authority in the broader search for peace and security in Iraq.

In the aftermath of the international crisis sparked by the war in Iraq, Felipe Perez Roque, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, said the very future of the United Nations was at stake.  Declaring that, he believed many in the Hall would agree that the role of the United Nations was now irrelevant, or at least, was on its way to being so.  Frankly, what role did the Assembly play today?  “Almost none, really”, he said.  It was merely a forum for debate without any true influence or practical role whatsoever.

Still, he believed that the international community could not relinquish multilateralism.  “We cannot relinquish the United Nations, and we cannot and should not relinquish the struggle for a world of peace, justice, equality and development for all.”  The Assembly must honestly discuss the prospect that many nations would not be able to achieve their Millennium Development Goals, and must not allow the Declaration to becoming a “dead letter”.

Also addressing the Assembly today were the Presidents of Honduras, Haiti, and the Philippines.

The Prime Ministers of Tonga, Sri Lanka and Samoa spoke, as did the Deputy Prime Ministers of Bahrain, Turkey, and Qatar.

The Assembly also heard statements from the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Yemen, Greece, New Zealand, Barbados, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Gabon, Iceland, San Marino, Chile, and Venezuela, as well as from the Minister of External Relations of Angola.

The representatives of Iran and the United Arab Emirates spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

The General Assembly will continue its general debate Monday, 29 September, at 10 a.m.

Background

The General Assembly met to continue its general debate.

Statements

JANEZ DRNOVŠEK, President of Slovenia, said that, in a time of growing global interdependence, the multilateralism of the United Nations must be grounded in an awareness that no one could be satisfied in the long term, as long as there were people living in poverty, without the basic necessities of human dignity.  Values grounded in that awareness must become an inseparable component of relations between countries.

He stressed that freedom must not be sacrificed in the fight against terrorism.  “We must be aware that the sacrifice of freedom for security frequently results in achieving neither.”  International commitments to respect human rights must, therefore, be upheld, and he lauded the creation of the International Criminal Court as an important step in the protection of human rights.

Turning to Iraq, he said the course of events in Iraq demonstrated the limits of unilateralism.  The country’s reconstruction demanded the widest possible support of the international community and of Iraqis.  The United Nations was the only body capable of serving as the embodiment of such support, and the Organization’s role in Iraq must become more active while retaining its autonomy.  Only a strong United Nations with a broad mandate would be able to fulfil that role.  The Iraqi crisis must not be reduced to an issue of military security, he said, urging the international community to focus on the gap between rich and poor that had fed the threats to international security.  It was necessary to promote trade rules that enable less developed countries to use their resources to their maximum benefit.

He said the focus on the Iraqi crisis should not take away attention from other areas of conflict.  South-Eastern Europe, which posed one of the most serious threats to global peace in the 1990s, still required the active involvement of the international community for successful political and social consolidation in the region.

He expressed Slovenia’s support for reforming the General Assembly and enlarging the Security Council, so as to give the Council a satisfactory level of legitimacy.  He concluded with a call for an increase in efforts to expand the global network of universities to help counter misconceptions about the United Nations, and to spread the values embodied by the Organization to meet the challenges of globalization.

RICARDO MADURO, President of Honduras, said that his country’s commitment to the United Nations had been demonstrated by its decision, although possessed of only modest resources, to send a humanitarian mission to Iraq.  In the same spirit of participation, Honduras also renewed its commitment to see the Organization hold a referendum on the status of Western Sahara.  Along with its sister republics of Central America, it had developed plans to combat international terrorism, as well as organized crime, in all its forms.  His Government had put forward timely initiatives aimed at increasing exchanges of information and creating an order for regional arrests, so that the enjoyment of impunity through the crossing of a border was put to an end.  The Central American region had, moreover, moved forward in adequately limiting investment in weapons, so as to ensure adequate spending on social issues. 

That commitment and concentration to development had been reflected in the most recent Human Development Report, he noted.  Honduras had considerably reduced the inequality of its economic growth, as compared to other nations, and had also achieved important progress in areas of social development and institutional reform.  Even as access to the Global Fund had increased its ability to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, Honduras had increased its school lunch programme -– now reaching 80 per cent of those children going to school hungry –- and which the World Food Programme (WFP) had now established as an example for others.  The country had also established an aggressive programme designed to combat corruption. 

Hopeful that the slow pace of human development seen throughout the world could be overcome with growing international solidarity and the more equitable and just distribution of the benefits of globalization, he urged the United Nations to increasingly become a meeting place between cultures and civilizations.  The Organization should be made more efficient in meeting new challenges and channeling differences.  Pressing situations of conflict, such as those in the Middle East and Asia, must be addressed.  In response to the concerns voiced by the Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions, a special unit to investigate the deaths of minors had been created.  His Government did not, in any way, promote or tolerate the killing of youths.  Moreover, Honduras declared its intent to abide by the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as they related to the two cases involving the country.

On the economic stage, foreign debt relief must become a reality, he stressed, while cooperation and solidarity were obligations, not charity.  Globalization and international trade continued to represent hope for growth.  The country was in the process of negotiating free trade agreements with the United States and Canada, and, next year, would undertake such negotiations with the European Union.  And yet, there was still a need for Honduran products to benefit from increased access to developed markets.  Calling for the elimination of agricultural subsidies, he stressed the lack of equity seen in regard to the added value on basic export goods.  For example, while the retail value of the worldwide coffee market today had reached $65 billion, in the end, only 9 per cent of that

-- $5.5 billion -– was returned to producers.

JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE, President of Haiti, said that after celebrating 500 years of Indian, black and popular resistance in 1992, the world’s first black republic was set, on 1 January 2004, to celebrate the bicentennial of its hard-won freedom.  The island’s Indian populations had first suffered years of oppression and degradation.  Next to be enslaved were some 15 million Africans wrested from their native lands.  Slavery was a crime against humanity, he stressed.  The freedom Haiti’s ancestors had won in 1804 was a beacon for all those yearning for liberty.  He invited all to share in his country’s celebration and build on its bicentennial of freedom towards the creation of a millennium of peace.

He said that Haiti was actively working towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  But, economic globalization threatened to derail those efforts.  To reach its objectives, the country must promote good governance, fight the war on corruption, curtail the drug trade and ensure free and fair elections.

For the flowering of a new Haiti and the empowerment of a new world, he said it was imperative to address the issue of environmental degradation.  During the past three decades, 400 million hectares of forests and woodlands had been lost worldwide -- 40 per cent of which were in the Latin American and Caribbean regions.  Needless to say, the poorest in that region suffered most.  Highlighting the impact of another scourge, he said that while the extinction of animals and natural resources deserved prompt concerted action, it was also necessary to recognize the gradual extinction of mankind as the HIV/AIDS virus continued to rampage throughout the world.

He hoped that the reduction in global military spending during the past decade and the rise in spending for human development would promote both human and economic growth.  At the same time, the international focus of the war against terror should not lead to another arms race or spark the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction throughout the world.  He hoped that the international community would work assiduously to ensure peace wherever wars were inflicting untold suffering.

Violence and slavery were rooted in darkness, he said, but peace and freedom were rooted in light.  Haiti, though impoverished, would continue to shine beyond the darkness of colonization like a gleaming beacon.  It was the geographical axis for the freedom of all blacks.  It was the mother of liberty, and its sons and daughters the product of that liberty.

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Philippines, reported that the vision of the Millennium Summit, and the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals, had begun to bear fruit in her country as witnessed through the peace process for Mindanao in the south.  Both the Philippine Government and the Muslim separatist group, the MILF, believed that peace was an “indispensable condition for economic development”, just as development was an essential component of peace.  Nothing would do more to lift the Philippines out of poverty than peace itself, she said, adding that the Government of Malaysia had helped her country continue peace negotiations with the separatist group.

She said that the Philippines had launched a bid for observer status in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and would attend the OIC conference next month to advance the peace process in Mindanao and further understanding between faiths.  Regarding peace efforts around the world, she said, the Philippines had contributed military and police personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and was preparing to contribute a contingent to Liberia next month.  She encouraged United Nations involvement in Iraq’s reconstruction.

Turning to security issues, she said democracy was the most conducive condition for the rule of law to flourish, and stressed the importance of erecting machineries and infrastructure as a key part of any exit strategy by United Nations peace operations.  The Security Council should provide a stronger commitment to the rule of law where the United Nations was conducting peace operations.  The challenges posed by terrorism were being addressed through growing international coordination and cooperation, particularly in the exchange of information, best practices and lessons learned.

Actively assisting in the work of the Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, she also was working with heads of State to ensure continued cooperation in the fight to rid South-east Asia of terrorism threats.  She said no country, big or small, rich or poor, could feel safe or remain unaffected by violence, environmental degradation and human suffering.  To fulfil its envisioned role, the United Nations must continue to adapt to changing conditions.

Prince ´ULUKALALA LAVAKA ATA, Prime Minister of Tonga, said attacks such as “9/11” and those that were carried out at the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad last month served as stirring reminders to all to remain vigilant and strong in fighting terrorism.  Thus, after careful study of the United Nations conventions on terrorism, Tonga was now a party to all 12 instruments.  But merely becoming parties to those instruments was not enough, as concrete steps would continue to be needed for small countries like his to fully and meaningfully implement their obligations.  Tonga continued to participate in national and regional activities designed to assist countries implement viable counter-terrorism measures.  In that regard, the ongoing assistance of traditional development partners and other organizations, such as the Commonwealth and Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, had been a boon.

He reminded the Assembly of his reference last year to “signposts” which lined the development path, namely the Millennium Summit, Doha, Monterrey and Johannesburg.  They, together with other United Nations summit and conference outcomes, had inspired hope and vision for the international community’s collective development aspirations.  While recent events in Cancun might not be encouraging, it had served to emphasise that implementing those “signposts” would be a critical and deciding factor.  Also, it was a timely reminder, as small island developing States proceeded to implement Chapter VII of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.  That Chapter referred specifically, among other things, to the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action that was planned for Mauritius next year.

His country would continue to refine its priority and capacity needs to take greater advantage of available financial and technological support, he stated.  As a developing island State, Tonga remained interested in the ongoing developments in ocean affairs and the Law of the Sea.  He was pleased that the second informal meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement recently resulted in a framework to enable the concrete implementation of Part VII of the Agreement, with particular emphasis to small island developing States and their fisheries aspirations.  He urged other Member States to become party to that Agreement.

On HIV/AIDS, he said the epidemic remained a devastating development and public health challenge for all, particularly in small and remote island communities.  He welcomed the work of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the funding it had recently approved to assist Tonga and other countries in the region.  That action complimented the country’s own national strategies and programmes to combat the epidemic.

Concluding, he said that one of the lessons of “9/11” and Iraq was not just that the United Nations was in need of reform, but the urgency with which that reform was so desperately needed.  Describing Iraq as a “sharp backdrop” for the Organization, he reiterated his support for calls to reform the Security Council by expanding its permanent and non-permanent members, adding, “Otherwise we shall be dealing with today’s realities through mechanism of yesteryear”.

RANIL WICKREMESINGHE, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, hailed the peace process in Sri Lanka as a demonstration of the value of the international community’s support in Sri Lanka’s efforts to resolve a long-running conflict.  “After 20 years of conflict, our people are now enjoying the fruits of 20 months of peace”, he said.  He commended the assistance of Norway, India, the European Union, Japan, Canada, United States, and United Nations institutions.

In moving from conflict to peace, Sri Lanka initiated fundamental changes in policy and strategy, shifting from confrontation to negotiation, and identifying root causes of the conflict.  He informed the Assembly that the peace process was presently at a temporary impasse.  The Government was awaiting the response of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to its proposals regarding the interim administrative arrangements for the north and east of the country.  Meanwhile, economic growth was proceeding, having gone from 1 per cent in 2001, to 6 per cent this year, and tourism was booming.

He noted recent United Nations successes in Haiti, Somalia, Angola, Kosovo and East Timor, but said they were not enough.  The United Nations was under enormous stress because of the Organization’s structure, and, as a result, the adequacy and effectiveness of rules devised 50 years ago were being questioned.  The apparent irrelevance of the current multilateral rules and institutions to deal with the world’s problems compelled urgent attention.

Turning to Iraq, he said the attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad represented a challenge for the Organization to initiate reform to better serve a changed world from that which it was called on to serve in 1945.  The United Nations had to move from rhetoric to decisive action.  He called for the expansion of the Security Council to include Asia, which was ignored in 1945.  The Assembly should think creatively and unconventionally in its proposals for reform.  He suggested that the Secretary-General, with a select group of leaders, present recommendations to be considered by a special session of the Assembly.

TUILAEPA SAILELE MALIELEGAOI, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Samoa, said that the range of challenges now confronting the international community in a globalized and interdependent world required nations to unite in common endeavour.  Only through cooperation and multilateral effort could human rights, social and economic justice for all, and the achievement of peace and security be guaranteed.  As the Organization uniquely suited to pursue those global objectives, the United Nations should be reformed and modernized.  Substantive changes were required in the General Assembly and Security Council, which should be enlarged to permit the inclusion of new permanent members such as Germany and Japan.

Reaffirming the Samoan commitment to the fight against terrorism, he endorsed fully the United Nations continued engagement in Iraq, stressing the need to provide humanitarian assistance, as well as to restore law and order.  Also seriously concerned over the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Samoa advocated the strengthening of the internationally agreed instruments controlling the manufacturing, transportation and deployment of weapons of mass destruction.  There should be effective disarmament and total elimination of all such weapons.  Moreover, the continued suffering of families and communities in all parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, was appalling.  It was hoped that those working to bring stability and peace to those communities would be successful.

Samoa, he added, had supported United Nations peacekeeping operations through contributions to the United Nations mission in Timor-Leste.  It had also participated, through the Pacific Islands Forum, in the Regional Assistance Mission to help restore law and order and economic recovery in the Solomon Islands.  Furthermore, while the full institutionalization of the International Criminal Court was welcomed, every effort must be made to ensure its impartiality in bringing to justice those guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Within the context of development, he reaffirmed his country’s commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and said the forthcoming international meeting in Mauritius would present a unique opportunity for the international community to assess progress to date in implementing the Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island developing States, and to focus extra attention where needed.  The collapse of the Cancun WTO meeting was disappointing, he concluded, especially as trade remained a vital and unavoidable aspect of the sustainable development of small island States like Samoa.

Shaikh MOHAMMED BIN MUBARAK AL-KHALIFA, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, said that since its inception, the United Nations had carried out the responsibilities of its Charter in a range of fields relevant to both the lives of individuals and to the international community as a whole, such as peacekeeping operations, development programmes and the promotion of human rights.  However, any achievements the Organization had made during the past 58 years threatened to be undone by lingering regional conflicts, civil war and ethnic strife in many parts of the world.

For its part, Bahrain had moved quickly to entrench constitutional democracy and the rule of law following the overwhelming popular approval of its National Action Charter in 2002.  It had also reaffirmed the role of women in society by ensuring their right to vote, stand for elections and hold important positions in both public and private sectors.  Bahrain was a regional centre for trade, and had well-established social and economic foundations based on a tradition of openness.

While Bahrain’s success and stability made it attractive to investors within and beyond its region, he said that achieving economic integration and regional cooperation between the Gulf and Middle East regions and other major trading blocks depended on the strong foundation of a peaceful and cooperative political and strategic environment.  With that in mind, he said that the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East could only be brought about through the recognition of the inherent rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state.  Bahrain would call on the diplomatic Quartet and the international community to pressure Israel not to implement its recent “dangerous” decision to remove Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

Stressing that the wider Middle East also faced great challenges, as well as unique opportunities that would determine the future of the region for generations to come, he said it was fundamental that the international community, the United Nations and influential parties, like the United States, normalize political, economic and civil life in Iraq.  That country must regain its Arab, regional and international role.  Furthermore, the Iraqi people must be allowed to rebuild their own economic, political and social foundations.  Turning to the situation in the islands of the Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Moussa, belonging to the brotherly United Arab Emirates, he hoped that country’s current constructive dialogue with Iran would lead to a peaceful settlement of the issue.

ABUBAKR AL-QIRBI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen, said the United Nations must face the tragic events occurring on the world stage with collective action.  During its fifty-seventh session, the General Assembly had unanimously condemned terrorism, welcomed the “Road Map” and committed itself to avoiding war in Iraq.  And yet, one must ask how well those goals had been accomplished.  Had the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime brought democratic self-governance to Iraq?  That war had served only to fan the flames of terrorism.  As for the Arab-Israeli conflict, its settlement must be accomplished within the context of the principles laid down by the Quartet.  The settlement would only be achieved if Israel ceased its delaying tactics and acted to implement the relevant international resolutions.

The Security Council had been paralysed in the last year, he noted, with the emergence of a global order in which policies of hegemony were pursued.  However, the need to proclaim adherence to the ideals of democracy, devotion to freedom and human rights and the elimination of poverty remained.  The rich and powerful States must heed the cries of the poor and fight against injustice.  That would prove to be the true guarantee of international peace and security, and an end to international terrorism.  Without such a concerted fight against the ills of the world, there would be a “revolution of the poor, a rebellion of the oppressed”.

Much needed to be done, he continued, to avoid a clash of civilizations.  The occupation of Iraqi territory must be brought immediately to a halt, its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the democratic self-governance of the Iraqi people assured.  Moreover, the United Nations must implement its resolutions with regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Israel must be prevented from killing or expelling Palestinian President Arafat, and it must withdraw from occupied Syrian and Lebanese territory.  As one of the Arab countries that had accepted Israel as a State and agreed to deal with it in terms of achieving peace, Yemen subscribed to the belief that the Middle East must be a nuclear weapons-free zone.  Israeli nuclear installations must be subjected to international inspection.

As for the policies of embargo and economic sanctions followed by some States, he said they constituted flagrant violations of international law.  The unilateral measures against Sudan and Cuba should be brought to an end to allow for a dialogue of peace and understanding.  Yemen also urged the United Nations to act to ensure security in Somalia, and underscored the need to ease the debt burden of the developing countries.  Together with the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions, the international community should establish a fund for the eradication of poverty and the improvement of the situation of refugees.

FELIPE PÉREZ ROQUE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, said that 60 years ago, a bipolar world order had emerged from the effort to sustain the military balance between two super-Powers.  The new world order should be founded on the honest and generous recognition by the only remaining super-Power that it should contribute to, and not interfere with, the creation of a peaceful planet, where everyone was entitled to justice and development.  Did the war in Iraq contribute to that objective?  “No, it does not.”  The outcome of the war ran counter to the ideal of preserving peace, strengthening the role of the United Nations and enhancing multilateralism and international cooperation.

Unfortunately, he continued, the truth was that those with the greatest ability to prevent and remove threats to peace were the ones causing war today.  The United States must recognize what almost everyone in the Assembly Hall today knew to be true.  After unleashing a war supported by just a few -– either by short-sightedness or motivated by self-interests –- and after the pretexts for the invasion were proved to be false, it was time to end the occupation of Iraq.  The Iraqi people must be left to freely establish their own government, and institutions, as well as take control of their natural resources.  Further, the Security Council must not be pressured into adopting decisions that would further undermine that body both ethically and morally.

In the denouement of the international crisis sparked by the war in Iraq, the very future of the United Nations was at stake, he said.  The most critical danger was the persistence of a world where “the law of the jungle prevailed”.  All must be wary of the might possessed by a handful of countries, the dangers of aggression and underdevelopment, and the hopelessness of the majority.  The question was whether a worldwide dictatorship would be imposed or whether multilateralism would prevail.

He believed that all would agree that the role of the United Nations was irrelevant today, or at least, was on its way to being so.  Frankly, what role did the Assembly play today?  “Almost none, really”, he said.  It was merely a forum for debate without any true influence or practical role whatsoever.  Sadly, international relations were not governed by the purposes and principle of the United Nations Charter or respect for the sovereignty of States.  The unilateral action in Iraq, as well as imposition of a near 40-year economic blockade on Cuba, was proof of that.

Still, he believed that the international community could not relinquish multilateralism.  “We cannot relinquish the United Nations and we cannot and should not relinquish the struggle for a world of peace, justice, equality and development for all.”  He offered three objectives that must be pursued immediately:  ending the occupation in Iraq; reforming and profoundly democratizing the United Nations; and a return to discussing the serious economic and social problems of the day.  “We have to make the battle for the development of 5 million people a priority”, he declared.  The Assembly must honestly discuss the prospect that many nations would not be able to achieve their Millennium Development Goals, for the Declaration itself was in danger of becoming a “dead letter” and the Assembly had not even discussed that.

This year, he continued, some 17 million children under the age of five would die, not as victims of terrorism, but as victims of undernourishment and preventable diseases.  This year, the developed countries would provide Third World nations with some $53 billion in official development assistance.  In return, the foreign debt interest charge would be $350 billion.  Did creditors believe that unjust situation would last forever?  Should debtor nations resign themselves to be poor forever?  Those were but a few of the questions Cuba would like some delegations to answer in the Assembly today.

GEORGE A. PAPANDREOU, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, said the United Nations had undergone one of the most testing periods in its history this year, largely caused by the Iraqi crisis.  During that crisis, the world’s citizens put their faith in the Organization and its power to respond to the potential threat of weapons of mass destruction, while at the same time, preserving peace and the legitimacy of international law.  Although the leaders of the world could not unite around global public opinion over Iraq, and war ensued, people today expected more, rather than less, from the United Nations, whose legitimacy was at the heart of the debate.

Turning to his country’s historical confrontation with Turkey over Cyprus, he said that Greece and Turkey had ratified 14 agreements in areas ranging from tourism to agriculture, education to security.  They had also agreed on 10 confidence-building measures.  Although fundamental differences remained on specific issues, the two countries were now working cooperatively to deal with some of the most contentious and controversial questions that had divided them for decades.  Another testimony to that was the submission yesterday, at United Nations Headquarters, by the two nations of the ratification instruments of the Ottawa Convention banning landmines.

He said that over the years, Greece had actively supported the efforts by the Secretary-General for a comprehensive settlement to the Island’s political problem, in conformity with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the principles on which the European Union was founded.  He called for the implementation of those resolutions.  Further, Greece would not give up hope until all Cypriots could live together in harmony and security, in a federal State with a single citizenship and without foreign troops in its territory.

He noted that if the world had differed on the means of dealing with Iraq, Europe remained united in its conviction that the United Nations had a vital role to play in the reconstruction and stabilization process of that country.  Indeed, the current predicament in Iraq was a stark reminder that multilateral cooperation was an imperative for world peace and security.

Noting that in less than a year from now, Greece would be hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, he said on the occasion of those 2004 games, his country had introduced a new resolution on “Building a Peaceful and Better World through Sport and the Olympic Ideal” for adoption by the current General Assembly session.  Greece wanted to encourage the notion that it was possible to create lasting peace from a pause in hostilities.  The draft resolution, like the ones before it, called on all Member States to observe the Olympic Truce.  “Let us send a symbolic message from this international body of peace, for a peaceful Olympics, and, ultimately, for a more peaceful world”, he concluded.

M.S. MERAHFE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Botswana, addressed the ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East and called on Member States to rededicate themselves to the pursuit of peace and security.  The inability of the international community to act resolutely to address ongoing conflicts would make it more difficult for the continent to implement development programmes such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).  He urged the international community to tackle those conflicts through a multilateral framework, noting that small States like Botswana were especially reliant on multilateral partnership and cooperation.

Turning to the Middle East, he said the decision by Israel and others to insist on determining which Palestinian leader they would do business with was unacceptable, and condemned Israel’s threat to expel Yasser Arafat.  In Iraq, the situation clearly called for an intervention by the Security Council to ensure the Iraqi people were given the mandate to govern themselves, and to expand the role of the United Nations in the reconstruction of the country.

He urged the Assembly to remain focused on the challenges of development and poverty eradication, pointing out that an estimated 1.2 billion people still lived in poverty and a large portion of them were in Africa.  He emphasized the link between poverty and political instability, noting that people marginalized by poverty were more likely to resort to violence.  On the issue of HIV/AIDS, he said that as one of the countries most affected by the disease, Botswana supported the conclusions of the high-level interactive panel on the subject held on 22 September, and urged Botswana’s development partners to “dig deeper into their pockets” and lend greater support to efforts of developing countries to tackle the pandemic.

ROBERT MUGABE, President of Zimbabwe, said that against the tragedy and inauspicious developments in Iraq, the Assembly could not allow itself to treat this session as merely routine. At the heart of that tragedy was the unprecedented assault on the ethic and multilateral nature of the Security Council, the only guarantor of global peace, order and security.

Some powerful nations, led by the Governments of the United States and Britain, had entered into a war of unclear objectives in the face of clear opposition from the rest of the world and, as all knew now, with clear opposition from their own people.  “It remains an unjust and illegitimate war”, he said, and there could never be world peace under conditions of foreign occupation.  Also, there could never be world security and order when naked aggression was allowed to replace the hallowed principle of multilateralism with unilateralism.

He stressed that the Iraqi people must have the sovereign right to determine the affairs of their country restored immediately.  Like all peoples of the world, they were unwilling to be occupied and governed by a foreign coalition, however willing, however powerful it might be.  “And we of Africa know that.”  He urged the Assembly to reject the present “road map of naked unilateralism”, for a more cooperative, consent-oriented approach. He hoped that the Coalition that willingly went to war with Iraq without the Council’s sanction was ready to admit that defeating others was not always the same thing as winning peace.  He hoped that lessons had been learned from this “costly mistake” and that the Coalition was willing to let the United Nations reassert its authority in the broader search for peace and security in Iraq.

If the world was to overcome crises that could result in calamitous wars and social breakdowns and to achieve peace, justice and stability, it would be necessary to ensure humane global governance led by the United Nations.  To that end, he said, however, that “we now have anachronistic institutions relying too comfortably on traditional norms to address new challenges”.  The world had changed a great deal since the United Nations was founded, and the reality was that its existence, in a unipolar world, could not be taken as a given. Mechanisms must inevitably be adapted, transformed or even radically changed, for in the current world order, what could the Security Council do to one of its permanent members whose actions threatened world peace?

At a time when citizens everywhere were pressing for a greater say in national governance, he continued, it was imperative for heads of State and government to seek, in turn, fairer representation through the democratization of multilateral organizations, such as the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).  The Security Council must democratize and re-evaluate its composition in light of current geopolitical realities.  The same was essentially true for the Bretton Woods institutions, which had been established to assist the developing world, but had finally succumbed to the whims of major Powers.

Notwithstanding the determined and frustrating attempts by the Bretton Woods institutions to frustrate Zimbabwe’s land reform programme, that initiative’s fast track phase had been largely concluded and was yielding positive benefits.  It was regrettable that developed and developing countries could not resolve their differences on trade issues, he said.  That impasse had resulted in the collapse of the WTO’s recent Cancun round.  He urged the North to engage in honest negotiations and to stop using the WTO for “hegemonic ends”.

ABDULLAH GÜL, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkey, called for strengthened international organizations, especially the United Nations.  He said his country had shown a strong will to solve bilateral and regional foreign policy problems and highlighted Turkey’s increasingly relevant experience as the main reason for its candidature for a seat in the Security Council for the years 2009-2010.

Describing the situation in the Middle East as crucial for the evolution of the international environment, he called on the entire international community to rally behind Iraq’s rebuilding efforts.  On the Arab-Israeli conflict, he said that sending the President of the Palestinian National Authority into exile would be counterproductive and urged the Israeli Government to review its position.  At the same time, he urged the Palestinian side to exert every effort to prevent further terrorist attacks.

Mr. Gül further called for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction and expressed strong support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).  Despite the relative peace and stability in the Balkans, he said the situation in certain parts of the region should still be monitored.

His country was determined to enhance relations with Greece, and he expressed satisfaction with the dialogue process to date.  Turkey sincerely desired a lasting political settlement and the establishment of a new partnership in Cyprus.  Such a settlement should be based on a compromise between Turkish and Greek Cypriots, and on equal status.  Furthermore, a settlement should preserve bi-zonality in the island and ensure the security of the Turkish Cypriot people.  To that end, the window of opportunity opened by President Denktaş should be seized by both sides, and all embargoes and restrictions on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus should be lifted.

He called for an end to the long-standing conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh and Abkhazia, also emphasizing Turkey’s contributions to the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.  His country was pleased with the implementation of the Bonn Process so far, and he commended the performance of the Transitional Administration.

Without peace, security, democracy and sustainable development in Africa, global stability could not be achieved.  He said he was encouraged by the recent trends in crisis management in that continent and by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

PHIL GOFF, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, said that the recent attacks upon the United Nations in Baghdad, with their concomitant loss of life, had not been the first in which the Organization was targeted, nor did history suggest they would be the last.  And yet, given its need to interact with local communities, the United Nations could not operate from behind barbed wire or concrete barriers.  Member States must do more to protect those employed to work on their behalf.  All countries were urged to become parties to the Convention for the Protection of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which should also be widened to cover all situations in which United Nations and other associated personnel were engaged in peacekeeping, humanitarian and other assistance-related activities.

Stressing the needed for intensified regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including through collaboration in the intelligence, military, social and economic areas, he highlighted the role played by the Pacific Islands Forum, which with its regional assistance mission to the Solomon Islands had worked to assist one of its members to restore security, stability and progress.  The cooperation and commitment shown by the Pacific States should serve as a model for other regions. 

Committed to the international community’s ongoing engagement in Afghanistan, he said his country shared the dread that weapons of mass destruction might fall into terrorist hands.  As that possibility increased with the expanding number of States possessing such weapons, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear weapons programme was a source of major concern.  Urging that country to resume its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as its commitment to the NPT, he stressed that Iran too must take urgent steps to restore confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear intentions. Furthermore, in taking meaningful steps towards permanent disarmament, the nuclear powers would add moral authority to the proscription on developing nuclear capacity.

The invasion of Iraq had had a profound impact on the Organization, he said, and it was to be regretted that the different points of view had not been resolved within the Security Council.  However, the reconstruction of the country, the restoration of its sovereignty, and the rebuilding of its political and social structures were now the critical issues.  New Zealand would contribute to those efforts with the deployment of a light engineer group to conduct humanitarian and reconstruction tasks.  Moreover, the decade long discussion on the need to reform the Organization must go forward to ensure that it became more representative of, and responsive to, the needs of its current 191 Members. 

HAMA BIN JASSIN BIN JABR AL-THANI, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, said it had become necessary for the international community to strengthen the role of the United Nations by enhancing its institutions and providing it with adequate resources to fulfil its mission worldwide.  To that end, it was imperative that Members mobilized the political will to enable the Organization shoulder its responsibilities.  That imperative particularly applied to the five permanent members of the Security Council who bore the primary responsibility for achieving that objective.  Only then would the world body perform its functions in a genuinely democratic spirit that reflected the new international conditions, interests and aspirations of the world without exception or preference.

He stressed the need for agreement on a new formula that would guarantee the reform of the Council’s composition and would update its work methods as an international body responsible for the maintenance of peace and security.  Its current composition, methods of work and decision-making process, he said, did not meet the international community’s needs and did not afford Member States the opportunity to be heard on critical and decisive issues that affected all.

On Iraq, he looked forward to the success of the international efforts to consolidate security and stability and called on the Coalition forces to intensify their efforts in coordination with the competent international bodies and institutions.  That would pave the way for the return of Iraq to normalcy and allow its people to exercise their right to choose their new political leadership through free, democratic elections.  The United Nations should have a fundamental role in helping Iraq achieve those objectives, and the international community should contribute promptly to the rebuilding of the country and help it meet its people’s needs.  Qatar had been contributing to international efforts to rebuild Iraq and had developed a special programme that included the building of hospitals, educational and residential units.

His country also had a special programme for rebuilding Afghanistan that had so far received $62 million.  He said the Arab-Israeli conflict and the question of Palestine were at the forefront of those conflicts, and it was necessary for the international community to work together to achieve a just, final and comprehensive solution.  Qatar had embraced and supported the Quartet’s Road Map as a basis for a final solution to the establishment of two States existing side by side.

He said terrorism and extremism constituted one of the most important challenges facing the world.  Totally rejecting and condemning terrorism, Qatar reaffirmed its support for measures to eliminate it to ensure global security and stability.

BILLIE A. MILLER, Senior Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, said some of the most intractable problems facing the international community resulted from the divisions, uncertainties and doubts that had emerged since the invasion of Iraq.  A multidimensional approach was needed to collectively respond to non-traditional threats to security.  Also, the challenges to small States in an uncertain environment were numerous and overwhelming.  Barbados lacked the financial dexterity to respond to economic crises, and without military might her only avenue for responding to security threats rested within a multilateral framework.

Celebrating commonalties, expressing tolerance and adhering to the principles of democracy were “a simple but sure formula” for maintaining peace and stability in the region.  She wished to commend that formula to those who found the key to peaceful coexistence elusive.  Good governance was as important at the international level as it was at the national level, and perhaps the most important factor to promoting development, reducing inequities and advancing the cause of peace.  Too many of the premier multilateral institutions charged with shaping rules by which global society was governed were constrained by too much structure and tradition to carry out their mandates.  Reforms were necessary beyond New York to reach deep into the international financial institutions, including the WTO and others.

Sufficient progress had not been forthcoming on matters pertaining to international tax cooperation, and the fight against money laundering must be waged by the international community as a whole, she said.  An International Convention against Money Laundering, under the auspices of the United Nations, would be an important step.  Focus must be restored to the Doha Development Agenda and the Work Programme for Small Economies, adding that the Barbados Programme of Action remained a blueprint for the sustainable development aspirations of small island developing States.  The issue of ships passing through the Caribbean Sea bearing nuclear material remained unresolved.  And despite assurances, there was no guarantee that terrorism would continue to ignore such a target, or that an accident would not occur.

JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, called attention to the threat of terrorism and to the pervasiveness of “soft threats” such as poverty, hunger, environmental degradation and HIV/AIDS.

He said that, for those threats to be effectively addressed, strong collective action was needed.  However, it was doubted that the existing multilateral system could respond effectively.  Consequently, he welcomed the proposal of United States President George Bush, which called for the Security Council to tighten up non-proliferation rules and making existing export-control regulations universal and legally binding.  He also called for a more forceful multilateral system based on greater attention to conflict prevention, better use of sanctions, upgrading the IAEA’s inspections regime and a creating a permanent instrument for inspections at the disposal of the Security Council.

The Netherlands, he said, encouraged more robust action regarding failing States and was encouraged by the willingness of the international community to take action during the recent conflict in Liberia.  Peacekeeping efforts could only be effective with a strong mandate and full backing from the Security Council.

He urged General Assembly members to put their differences aside and support the Iraqi people in their reconstruction efforts.  Highlighting the need for stronger measures to promote and protect human rights, he called for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to receive a larger allocation of funds from the United Nations core budget, and underlined the importance of the International Criminal Court in ensuring that international norms were upheld in cases in which national governments failed to do so.

Trafficking of arms, drugs, small weapons and women and children constituted a concrete threat, he said, citing an action plan by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to tackle those issues as a possible model for action elsewhere.

On development, he said, the Netherlands was committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and violence in Africa.  To that end, it had set up a fund and would continue to contribute 0.8 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to development programmes. Trade liberalization was essential, and it was regrettable the WTO talks in Cancun had failed.

Mr. Scheffer said that the legitimacy of the Security Council was being questioned because its composition no longer reflected current geopolitical realities.  However, expansion was not a solution in itself, and he called for better interaction between members of the Security Council and United Nations membership at large.

Emphasizing the European Union’s support for the United Nations, he called for increased cooperation between the United Nations and the other regional organizations.  He also urged the General Assembly to try and find a more focused message in response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  He also called attention to the Greentree report, which aims to restore the United Nations General Assembly to the centre stage of world deliberations.

RASHID ABDULLAH AL-NOAIMI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, said maintaining stability and security in the Gulf area was an essential priority, not only to people of the region but to the whole world.  He called for an end to Iran’s occupation of three United Arab Emirates islands -– Greater Tanb, Smaller Tanb and Abu Moussa -- and reaffirmed the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over the three islands, which he said had been occupied by Iran since 1971.

Regarding Iraq, he said the United Arab Emirates was deeply concerned about the continued suffering of the Iraqi people and called on the international community to work collectively to help them reform their constitutional institutions to enable Iraq’s return to the international community.  He hoped the United Nations would play a bigger role in the reconstruction of Iraq and the promotion of its right to self-determination.

The United Arab Emirates condemned Israel’s policy of targeted killings and extrajudiciary executions in the occupied Palestinian territories, in violation of international and humanitarian laws.  He called on the Quartet to revitalize the peace process and compel Israel to implement the Road Map, which stipulated an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian State by 2005.  The United Arab Emirates demanded that Israel stop placing obstacles in the way of implementing the Road Map and urged Israel to lift the siege of President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian people, to dismantle the separation fence, and release the prisoners in Israeli prisons.  A fair settlement of the Palestinian question required Israel’s commitment to adhere to international resolutions and called on Israel to join the Nuclear Non–Proliferation Treaty.

He said the United Arab Emirates condemned all forms of terrorism and called on the international community to hold a conference to tackle terrorism and uproot its causes and tools.  He reaffirmed the importance of respecting human rights and of promoting mutual respect for the cultural heritage and beliefs of people, as a way to discourage the creation of breeding grounds for the frustration and hatred that motivate terrorists.

He urged the international community to fulfil its commitment to provide developmental assistance for developing countries, noting that, despite numerous international conferences, the majority of the world’s people still lived in poverty.  He concluded by calling on the international community to adhere to the principles of the United Nations Charter as the basis for solving disputes and differences.

HABIB BEN YAHIA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tunisia, said the continued lack of security and stability, the proliferation of crises and conflicts, the propagation of diseases, and the increase of poverty and exclusion in many parts of the world had all contributed to a further deterioration of the world situation in the last year.  That should be met by a strengthened United Nations commitment to work together, within the framework of international consensus, to maintain peace and security and meet the challenge of those pending issues.  To accomplish that, the Organization must be reformed, particularly the Security Council and General Assembly.  Furthermore, the implementation of a comprehensive and multidimensional approach, based upon the interdependence of peace, security and development, would help to eliminate the root causes of instability through the eradication of the poverty and deprivation that constituted breeding grounds for trouble and tension.

In 1989 at the General Assembly, the President of Tunisia had called for the conclusion of a pact for peace and progress, he said.  His country now reiterated its call for help in promoting the economic empowerment of development countries, which had suffered greatly from fierce trade competition and protectionist measures, currency fluctuations and the exacerbation of the debt burden.  Debt relief -– especially through debt recycling for middle-income countries –- and transfers of science and technology should form the basis of that assistance.  Moreover, State and private organizations must mobilize the financial resources necessary to enable the newly established World Solidarity Fund to fulfil its humanitarian objectives.

In the context of international peace and security, he deplored Israel’s continued imposition of occupation and continuous military campaigns against the Palestinian people, including the decision to expel President Arafat, in spite of the Palestinian Authority’s readiness to fulfil its commitments within the framework of the Road Map.  The need to respect the legitimacy of the freely chosen Palestinian leadership, as well as the independence and territorial integrity of Iraq, were stressed.  On the regional front, the resumed participation of Libya in a reinvigorated Arab Maghreb Union was anticipated now that the economic sanctions against that State had finally been lifted.  Tunisia also supported the strengthening of the League of Arab States and the African Union, especially in relation to its initiative, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

NGUYEN DY NIEN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, said that in the face of recent profound events, including the war in Iraq, the SARS outbreak, frequent terrorist attacks and the continued hostilities in the Middle East, efforts to strengthen international peace and security and enhancing development must remain top priorities.  Only in an environment of peace and security could nations concentrate on development and poverty alleviation.

He stressed that development cooperation, and fair international economic and trade relations, could only be ensured if developing countries were provided favourable assistance and were allowed to compete on an equal footing.  Sadly, protectionist measures and other unfair trade schemes had been imposed to prevent the products of developing countries from entering markets in the developed world.

Viet Nam had recently confronted such practices when it had faced a lawsuit against the sale of its catfish in the United States, he said.  Similar stories were coming in from cotton growers or cultivators of medicinal herbs in Burkina Faso and Brazil, respectively.  The recent failure of the WTO’s Cancun round was further proof that effort to restructure global trade and financial mechanisms and structures must be stepped up if developing countries were ever expected to have a fair chance.

After a brief overview of the current situation in Iraq and the Middle East, he said that Viet Nam supported the peaceful efforts towards the nuclear disarmament of the Korean peninsula.  He hoped that the recent six-party talks in Beijing would pave the way for peace and security in the region.  Looking homeward, he said Viet Nam faced complex challenges.  The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had come up with new initiatives and concrete steps to strengthen its solidarity and equitable development.

JEAN PING, Minister of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and la Francophonie of Gabon, said that the extreme seriousness of today’s world situation meant that, while the United Nations must rise to meet new challenges to international peace and security, it was not surprising that the Organization’s credibility would be put to the test, nor that the lives of its employees would be jeopardized.  Yet, the United Nations’ activities in rebuilding Iraq must continue.  In fact, the future of the wider Middle East region must be of primary concern for the Organization; the Road Map provided the sole hope for restoring peace between the parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Despite the persistence of certain areas of tension, the general situation in Africa had improved, he noted, particularly in regard to the situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.  However, those improvements contrasted sadly with the African incapacity to react quickly in the face of renewed violence, which threatened collective security and massive violations of human rights.  The African States had repeatedly demonstrated their ability to resolve conflict, but the will to do so was often impeded by the precariousness of the manpower situation and the lack of logistical means.  Would it not, he suggested, be wise to establish a partnership for peacekeeping between African States and the developed States possessing logistical capability, under the aegis of the United Nations?

As conflict was often rooted in poverty, there should be a concerted effort to research solutions for all the problems inherent to underdevelopment, he added.  Yet, while the Monterrey and Johannesburg Summits had stressed financing for development as a primary element in the global strategy for sustainable development, the decline in international private investment in developing countries had genuinely impeded recovery, particularly as those countries continued to bear the heavy burden of servicing external debt.  Among the other ills facing developing States, in particular, was the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which had become the leading cause of death in Africa.  In confronting the ills of the world, the international community must identify their structural causes and find the most effective collective response.  That same reasoning held true for the fights against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.  Because the challenges confronting the world were global in nature, they demanded collective responses.

HALLDOR ASGRIMSSON, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland, welcomed the establishment of the high-level panel of eminent personalities to make recommendations on issues ranging from peace and security to United Nations reform.  Among the questions facing the Member States was whether the General Assembly should, in the future, fulfil a deliberative or policy-making function.  If it was to be the main body for deliberation, its agenda and procedures should allow debate and deliberation to take place in an interactive manner.  If, however, it was to be the chief policy-making body of the Organization, its debates must be more closely linked with the decision-making process, and there needed to be a greater focus on implementation.

As for the Security Council, he reiterated his country’s position in favour of an expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.  The new permanent members should, moreover, have all the same rights and obligations of the current permanent members, but the use of the veto should be restricted and an obligation to state the reasons for its use should be established.  The transparency of the Council’s decision-making process should also be increased.

Iceland has contributing to Iraq’s reconstruction and would continue to do so, he said.  The situation demanded resourcefulness and cooperation by all Security Council members to ensure that the reconstruction of Iraq encompassed peace, democracy, equal rights and justice for all Iraqis.  He highlighted the need to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights, especially those of women and children, as one of the primary concerns of the Organization.  Ninety per cent of the victims of today’s armed conflicts were civilians, the majority of them women and children, who experienced conflict differently from men due to their status in society.  Furthermore, the international community must work to ensure that all States benefited from globalization; sub-Saharan Africa would continue to be the focus of Iceland’s bilateral development cooperation.

Finally, as an island State, Iceland’s well-being and development was crucially affected by the state of the marine environment, he recalled.  The sustainable harvesting of living marine resources was the mainstay of the economy.  Thus, while welcoming the establishment of a regular process for the global reporting and assessment of the state of the marine environment during the fifty-seventh Assembly session, Iceland now called for the convening of an intergovernmental meeting in 2004, to decide upon the modalities of that process.

FIORENZO STOLFI, Minister for Foreign and Political Affairs of San Marino, said the necessary conditions for social and economic development in Iraq would be established only through security, stability, independence, democracy, the rule of law and respect for rights.  In that light, he hoped that the transitional Government of Iraq, supported by the Security Council, could fully enjoy its right to self-determination and sovereignty and establish a democratic and representative government, which was internationally recognized and able to guarantee the conditions necessary for the country’s reconstruction.

He expressed hope that United Nations could strengthen further its active humanitarian and civil role in Iraq to contribute to its rebirth through democracy and development.  He also hoped all countries cooperating in Iraq under the aegis of the United States would reach agreement with the United Nations, and said a new Security Council resolution would be a major political and diplomatic achievement which would pave the way to democracy and progress in Iraq.  Small States could also contribute to finding balanced and shared solutions in order to foster dialogue and understanding, and he pointed out that San Marino would be pleased to contribute to the reconstruction process in Iraq.

San Marino reaffirmed its decision to reject any form of terrorism and to fully contribute to its defeat, he said.  Terrorism was not the “weapon of a particular region, culture, religion or social and economic group, but a strategy rooted in many civilizations and societies.”  It could, therefore, be countered by actively supporting international cooperation programmes to overcome poverty, discrimination and human rights violations, among other things.

On the Middle East, he was convinced that both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples must be guaranteed the “undisputable right to live freely on a territory of their own”.  Efforts to restore favourable conditions for dialogue must not be jeopardized by obstacles to the Middle East Road Map.

On other issues, he said San Marino believed that the cloning of human beings was immoral and contrary to human dignity.  His country also opposed the death penalty and supported the promotion and protection of human rights.

He reiterated San Marino’s support for the Security Council, even though reform was needed.  The Council should include a larger number of non-permanent members to make it more representative, democratic and transparent.

This morning, he said, he had signed three important international instruments, namely, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil Procedure, which was aimed at abolishing the death penalty.

SOLEDAD ALVEAR, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Chile, said the United Nations would be what its Member States wished it to be.  The success of the Organization would be the success of its Members, and its failure would be the responsibility of none other than its Member States.

She emphasized the need to uphold human rights and to promote democratic values.  Highlighting the recent adoption of the Declaration of Santiago on Democracy and Public Trust, she reiterated Chile’s commitment to democracy in Latin America and the world at large.

She said the United Nations must play an active role in the future of Iraq, and Chile would continue to work in the Security Council to improve the security situation in that country and to establish a clear timetable for political transition.

Noting that globalization had created new opportunities, as well as imbalances for the world’s people, she called for technological innovation and economic growth to be placed at the service of integration and collective prosperity.

On United Nations reform, she said the main concern was how to overcome the immobility of multilateral institutions and how to embark upon a process of renewal. In that regard, she welcomed the Secretary-General’s initiative to establish a group of eminent personalities to put forward a series of suggestions for reform.  She also called for reforms in the Security Council, which should include the addition of new members, both permanent and elected, and a review of the veto power.  More active interaction between regional organizations was also needed.  The experience of the Organization of American States (OAS) could be useful in that regard.

JOAO BERNARDO DE MIRANDA, External Relations Minister of Angola, observed that the current session was taking place during “one of the most troubled times in our era”.  Recent events in the Gulf region were a severe test of the capacity and readiness of the United Nations to providing appropriate responses to the challenges that presently faced the international community.  “Something failed within the international security system, which put us in the position of having to make it more effective immediately”, he said.  An integrated system was needed, capable of dealing effectively with the major threats to international stability in the onset of the twenty-first century, namely, terrorism, international organized crime, weapons of mass destruction, internal conflicts and a problem specific to his area, generalized poverty and HIV/AIDS.

He said the prevalence of conflicts in Africa was a result not only of the divisions inherited from the post-colonial period and the cold war of ethnic and religious differences, but also a consequence of the fragility of national institutions, the marginalization of the African continent from the world economy, the illegal exploitation of natural resources, the consequent arms proliferation, and the weak monitoring of national borders.  That situation needed to be reversed, since the future of millions of Africans was endangered and certain areas of the continent risked becoming “true sanctuaries for terrorist organizations”.

Improving the United Nations political institutions and security systems constituted the most effective method of facing the threat that hovered over mankind, he continued.  New mechanisms outside of the traditional strategic doctrines must be established, since the international legal documents created by the United Nations, in addition to the current alliances between States, had proven insufficient to respond adequately and in a consensual manner to the threats.  It was crucial that the role be performed within a more democratic and participative framework by its Members, particularly concerning the major decisions on international peace and security.

The end of the armed conflict in his country last year and the success of the peace process were some of the most extraordinary political achievements seen in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, he said.  For the first time in several decades, the southern African region was free of conflict and it could focus on reconstruction and development.  Angola was committed to the task of overcoming the burden left by a 40-year conflict.  It had been a difficult and painful process.  The challenges were enormous and included the resettlement of refugees, reintegrating former soldiers, rebuilding infrastructure, among many others.

Despite those challenges, he added, Angola had received hardly any assistance from the international community compared to other countries in similar situations, some of which, even lacking de jure institutions, received an immediate response to their appeals.  There was no example in modern history of a State recovering from such a devastating war without outside assistance.  Up to now, the reconstruction effort had been borne solely by Angolans themselves.  He, therefore, renewed Angola’s appeal for assistance.  To that end, he would submit a draft resolution proposing an international donor conference for his country.

ROY CHADERTON MATOS, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, said that the example of the past years, examined through the lens of the deaths of so many leading advocates of change like Sergio Vieira de Mello and Anna Lindh, reaffirmed the persistence of social injustice and the repetition of conflicts.  The advocacy of violence dragged the world repeatedly back into terrorism and war.  Speaking from its position, as at once the richest and most democratic nation in Latin America and also as the nation that had squandered its privileged historical opportunities and fallen into social and economic decay, Venezuela recognized the need to initiate a process of profound change in the direction of peace and democracy.  Those interests most threatened by the democratic transformation had resorted to force to frustrate the rule of the majority:  to military coups, oil sabotage, financial panic and media terrorism.  And though they had failed, they had caused much damage.

Peace and reconciliation were desired by the Venezuelan Government for its own people, as well as for those of Colombia, Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Israel and Palestine, he said.  Yet, the painful repercussions of the war in Iraq, the tension in the Middle East, and the alarming rate of poverty worldwide made for profound reflection and must oblige Member States to strengthen the United Nations, for unilateralism was sluggish and oppressive, while multilateralism was animated and democratic.

Among other reforms, he said it was necessary to make the Security Council more democratic and representative.  The democratic and participatory nature of the General Assembly should also be reinforced, while the Economic and Social Council should be empowered to take its place as the powerful organ it was meant to be.

Terrorism, he continued, was a calamity afflicting all nations; there was no good terrorism -– not even in the name of race, nationality, justice, liberty or God.  And while the fight against terrorism must be continued, it must also be fought in its most widespread and destructive forms, which were poverty and social exclusion.  The developing countries suffered the terrible scourges of hunger, misery and disenfranchisement resulting from the unjust economic system.  Among those initiatives proposed by Venezuela to combat poverty was the creation of an International Humanitarian Fund, conceived as a source of financing arising out of the reduction of military expenditure, as well as from funds confiscated from the narcotics trade and corruption.

Statements in Right of Reply

The representative of Iran said the representative of the United Arab Emirates had earlier raised some unacceptable claims against the territorial integrity of Iran.  Since Iran’s position was already on record, he would not elaborate on it.  But he would say that Iran was fully committed to upholding its international obligations, particularly those agreed in 1971.  He hoped that a friendly solution could be found, based on that agreement.  Iran was pleased that mutual talks had continued to take place in which the two parties could address the issue and they could take positive steps.  He believed that such talks would remove any misunderstanding.

In response, the representative of the United Arab Emirates said his delegation was disappointed in Iran’s statement regarding the three occupied islands Greater and Lesser Tunb and Abu Moussa.  Sadly, Iran continued its false claims relating to its illegal occupation of those islands.  That position was a clear violation of the United Nations Charter, international relations and contrary to the spirit of good neighbourliness.  He wondered why Iran refused efforts to find a just settlement to the issue.  The United Arab Emirates was ready to accept any legal opinion handed down by the International Court of Justice.  He hoped Iran would reconsider its policies and work to bring about a just solution.

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