Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

23^rd & 24^th Meeting (AM & PM)

REFORM OF UNITED NATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM CRUCIAL

TO ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, GENERAL ASSEMBLY TOLD

Assembly Also Extends Term of High Commissioner

For Refugees Ruud Lubbers until 31 December 2005

Having three years ago ushered in the new century with an unprecedented declaration of solidarity and determination to rid the world of poverty, the international community now confronted the need to radically reform the United Nations and the international financial system to achieve the goals elaborated within the Millennium Declaration, the General Assembly was told today.

At the Millennium Summit, in September 2000, world leaders committed themselves to a set of targets, including halving the number of people living on less than one dollar a day by 2015, and halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other major diseases.  They had also resolved to take action on a number of issues such as intensifying international cooperation to reduce the number and effects of natural and man-made disasters.

At the very moment the international community had expected to witness accelerated progress on the Millennium Development Goals, noted Morocco’s representative, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, new threats had arisen to jeopardize the international climate of cooperation and consensus.  Restoring that climate should be the overriding objective guiding multilateral efforts to preserve the credibility of the United Nations and increase its effectiveness.

Achieving the Goals, he added, depended on increased financing for development through official development assistance and debt relief, as well as successful trade negotiations within the framework of the World Trade Organization.

The representative of Italy, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, reaffirmed that the United Nations was the most effective forum to monitor progress and address the challenges of achieving the Millennium Goals.  All Member States must show the political will, pragmatism and imagination needed to effect meaningful organizational reform.  In awaiting the 2004 report of the proposed high-level panel of eminent personalities on United Nations reform, “we must not put off until tomorrow what we can do today”, he stressed.

Bangladesh’s representative noted that progress reported on the Goals had been far short of expectations.  Achieving the Goals would require the translation of commitment into concrete action, especially regarding increasing official development assistance and debt relief.

While calling for the empowerment of the Economic and Social Council to bring about a “fair and just economic order”, Brazil’s representative said the mixed results relating to the implementation of the Millennium Declaration should not lead to a sense of defeat that “at the current pace, many countries and regions will not be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals”.  On the contrary, that realization should strengthen the international community’s resolve to work together to create the conditions to achieve the Goals.

At the outset of today’s meeting, the Assembly extended the term of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, for two additional years, until 31 December 2005.  Mr. Lubbers, a former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, was appointed High Commissioner in 2000 for an original three-year term ending this December.

Welcoming the extension of Mr. Lubbers’ term, and expressing their appreciation of the job he had done thus far, were the representatives of China (on behalf of the Asian Group), Lithuania (on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States), Spain (on behalf of the Group of Western European and Other States), Costa Rica (on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States) and Rwanda (on behalf of the Group of African States).

Also addressing the Assembly today were the representatives of Algeria, Peru (on behalf of the Rio Group), Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Norway, Guatemala, Pakistan, Indonesia, Namibia, Russian Federation, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Switzerland, Libya, Japan, Jamaica, Serbia and Montenegro, Kuwait, India, Austria and Australia (on behalf of Canada and New Zealand).

The Assembly will continue its consideration of the reports of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization and the follow-up to the 2000 Millennium Summit at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 7 October.

Background

The General Assembly met this morning to take up matters related to the election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  It was also expected to review Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s annual report, and begin its joint debate on follow-up to the 2000 Millennium Summit and implementation of its outcome.

Before the Assembly is a note by the Secretary-General on election of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (document A/58/396), which states that after having elected Ruud Lubbers to head the agency for a three-year term beginning in 2001, the Assembly decided to continue the Office for a further five year period from 1 January 2004.  The Secretary-General now proposes that Mr. Lubbers’ term as High Commissioner be extended for a period of two years, beginning on 1 January 2004 and ending on 31 December 2005.

The report on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration (document A/58/323), the Secretary-General States, is not a report on the United Nations as such, but rather “on the distance travelled by humanity as a whole towards –- or away from -– the objectives set for it by the world leaders who met in New York in September 2000”.  Nonetheless, it was essential, he said, to begin by referring to the “major disaster” which befell the United Nations on 19 August, when a terrorist attack on its Baghdad headquarters killed 22 people, including the mission chief, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

The attack was “a direct challenge to the vision of global security, rooted in the United Nations Charter”, which inspired the Declaration adopted by all world leaders at the Millennium Summit exactly three years ago, he says.  The Millennium Development Goals range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education, all by 2015.

In the chapter on peace and security, the longest in the report, he warns that “the international security architecture… must be able to adapt to the needs of our time”, but notes a worrying lack of consensus about what those needs are.  While some States focus primarily on terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction, for many around the globe, poverty, deprivation and civil war remain the highest priority.

He states it is “vitally important that the international community not allow the differences of the past months to persist, and that it find unity of purpose around a common security agenda”, which, he adds, can only be achieved if States, in pursuing their national interests, show understanding and respect for global realities, and for the needs of others.

The common security agenda, he continues, “should reflect a global consensus on the major threats to peace and security, be they old or new, and on our common response”, and “should not shy away from the need to improve and, where necessary, change the structure and functions of the United Nations and other international institutions”.

The Security Council needs to “regain the confidence of States and of world public opinion”, he continues, and will be better able to do so “if it is perceived to be broadly representative of the international community as a whole and of the geo-political realities of the contemporary world”.  He hopes, therefore, that Member States will redouble their efforts to reach agreement on enlarging the Council’s membership.

In the chapter on development, he places particular emphasis on the need for developed countries to meet their commitments to the developing world in the areas of trade, debt relief and aid.  The success or failure of all the MDGs hinges on this, and developed countries should agree on time-bound deadlines for fulfilling their pledges, comparable to the 2015 target for outcomes such as halving extreme poverty and hunger.

In the chapter on human rights, democracy and good governance, he says “there is a danger that we may retreat from some of the important gains” made during the 1990s, as human rights come under pressure both from terrorism and from the methods used by countries to fight it.

The report concludes with a chapter on “reinforcing multilateral institutions” in which the Secretary-General calls for “a hard look” at the existing architecture of international institutions and, in particular, a review of the principal organs of the United Nations itself -– not only the Security Council, but also the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and perhaps even the Trusteeship Council.

The Secretary-General’s report on the work of the Organization (document A/58/1) takes stock of United Nations activities in the past year and emphasizes the ever-increasing number and scope of its tasks.  Covering action in such areas of achieving peace and security, meeting humanitarian commitments, cooperating for development, international order and human rights, and enhancing management and partnerships, the report acknowledges that it has been a trying year for the United Nations in the area of peace and security.  Despite its imperfections, the United Nations still embodies the hopes of the peoples of the world for a peaceful and just world.

The war in Iraq severely tested the principle of collective security and the resilience of the Organization, according to the report.  Moreover, the 19 August attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad was the most deliberate and vicious attack in the history of the Organization.  In the report, the Secretary-General emphasizes the need for the people of Iraq to see a clear timetable with a specific sequence of events leading to the full restoration of sovereignty as soon as possible.

Also within the scope of peace and security, the report draws attention to the emergence this year of the Quartet’s Road Map for peace in the Middle East, as well as to Security Council resolution 1497 (2003), by which it authorized Member States to establish a multinational force in Liberia, and declared its readiness to establish a follow-on, longer-term United Nations stabilization force to relieve that Multinational Force.

Within the scope of cooperation for development, the report notes the establishment of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), which was welcomed by the General Assembly in 2002 as the framework for the international community’s support for Africa’s development.  The Assembly also endorsed the establishment of the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa within the Secretariat.  Additionally, HIV/AIDS continued to be a key priority for the Organization’s operational activities in development.  During 2002, United Nations theme groups on HIV/AIDS assisted countries to develop multi-sectoral plans and to integrate HIV/AIDS into development planning instruments.

Human rights retained a central role in the work of the Organization, states the report.  In the past year, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has assisted some 50 national human rights institutions, engaged in technical cooperation projects in 32 countries, and maintained a field presence in 29 countries.  Moreover, the last session of the Commission on Human Rights included an unprecedented high-level segment.  However, the panel itself is not without problems, notes the report.  There has been public disquiet in the past year over the fact that governments accused of gross violations of human rights are admitted to membership in the Commission, as well as concern about its tone and the fact that it does not address certain situations of grave violations of human rights.

MOHAMED BENNOUNA (Morocco), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that at the moment the international community had expected to witness accelerated progress on the Millennium Development Goals , new threats had arisen to jeopardize the international climate of cooperation and consensus essential to achieving international peace and development.  The restoration of that climate should be the overriding objective guiding multilateral efforts to preserve the credibility and increase the effectiveness of the United Nations. 

Although there had been some progress in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, Africa’s prospects remained a source of concern.  Current data showed that the number of people living in extreme poverty would decrease in all areas, except Africa.  Thus, the successful implementation of the Millennium Goals depended on increased financing for development through official development assistance (ODA) and debt relief, as well as successful trade negotiations within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO).  While the Doha Round had stressed the central role development concerns should be given in negotiations, he noted there had been little concrete progress in that regard during subsequent negotiations.  The outcome of the Cancun Conference should encourage WTO members to redouble their efforts to achieve results satisfactory to the developing countries. 

The Bretton Woods institutions, along with the private sector and civil society, he said, must increase their support for implementing the development agenda.  While the United Nations had made every effort to improve access to food and medical care, and to help the developing countries to draft, adopt and strengthen their food security and agricultural development strategies, there was a need for national and international indictors to assess progress made in implementing the Millennium Development Goals.  Moreover, a multi-year work programme would make it possible to address all the crosscutting themes identified within the Copenhagen and Johannesburg Plans of Action.

The need to reform the United Nations would be the overriding theme of the current session, he predicted.  Yet, it must be recognized that reform was not an end in itself, but should serve to increase international cooperation in implementing the commitments undertaken at various international conferences and summits.  The process of reform should allow the developing countries to attain sustainable development for the well-being of their peoples.  Finally, while noting the General Assembly’s adoption this past spring of an important resolution on the integrated follow-up to the major international conferences and summits, calls for the convening of an international conference on development in 2005 should be heeded.

MARCELLO SPATAFORA (Italy), speaking on behalf of the European Union, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, said that the United Nations was the most effective forum to monitor progress and to address the challenges of reaching the Millennium Development Goals.  All Member States must show the political will, pragmatism and imagination needed to effect meaningful organizational reform.  The issue was “complex”, particularly since the Secretary-General’s reform proposals extended to the Organization’s principle organs, including the Security Council and the Assembly itself.

While the European Union awaited the 2004 report of the proposed high-level panel of eminent personalities, “we must not put off until tomorrow what we can do today”, he continued, adding “we must push ahead with action to reform this year and in this session”.  Indeed, during the current session, the Assembly must address the issue of establishing a single stage budget review for the United Nations regular budget.  Member States themselves must do more to reform, strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the Organization’s intergovernmental bodies.  There was a need to make the Security Council more representative, effective and democratic.  In the same spirit, the coordinating role of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) must also be strengthened.

Turning to the Millennium Development Goals, he urged the Assembly to recognize that all the objectives in the Millennium Declaration were linked; development, for example, could not flourish without peace and security.  Indeed, the development agenda must be better integrated into conflict prevention and peace-building efforts.  That would be the only way to sustain economic and social development.  The issue was not whether to address “hard” or “soft” threats, but to deal with them all as effectively as possible.

Ensuring broad achievement of the Millennium Goals, he stated, would require reinforced commitment to the outcomes of the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development and the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). It would also require renewed commitment to deal with the terrible scourge of HIV/AIDS, reverse environmental degradation, and ensure a successful conclusion of the World Trade Organization’s Doha development round.  The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) would also require support.  He joined others in expressing support for a major international event in 2005 to review progress and make further decisions on the Millennium Development Goals.

MOURAD BENMEHIDI (Algeria) said that there was greater need than ever before to make the United Nations strong and effective, given that the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals would not be achieved without radical reform of the Organization.  The effectiveness of the United Nations, as the only universal Organization, must be strengthened to adequately address old and new challenges, such as globalization, poverty reduction, and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, as well as to raise living standards, address threats to international peace and security, and protect human rights and the environment.  Reform was absolutely necessary to ensure the Organization’s effectiveness and coherence as a catalyst for change.

The climate of cooperation and consensus, which had prevailed since the attacks of 11 September 2001, had been jeopardized by the Security Council’s lack of unity over Iraq, he added.  That crisis had created profound divisions between Member States.  It must be hoped that the Council would now regain its unanimity and that the United Nations would emerge strengthened from that trial.  Recalling that the great power of the Organization was rooted in its legitimacy, the Security Council must be made more representative.  It was time, after years of inconclusive debate, to address the issue within the context of radical reform, which should be complemented by the revitalization of the General Assembly and a redevelopment of the Trusteeship Council.  Moreover, the establishment of the panel of eminent personalities must meet a number of conditions, among them, adequate geographical representation, consultations with Member States, and the submission of the panel’s findings to the General Assembly for consideration.

OSWALDO DE RIVERO (Peru), speaking on behalf of the Rio Group, said that he supported prompt and urgent reform of the United Nations, based on the universal values of the San Francisco Charter.  Among other things, the Assembly demanded an immediate re-organization of its working methods and agenda, and the different organs of the United Nations required better coordination.  He also backed proposals to ensure greater coordination between the Organization and civil society, especially with non-governmental organizations and the private sector.  In addition, he called on all States to strengthen the promotion of democracy and respect for human rights.

Further, he believed that the Organization’s agenda and concerns regarding international peace and security should not disguise or overlook the challenges that faced the international community today in the sphere of economic development.  The international community did not only have the responsibility, but also the obligation to act firmly against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons, terrorism, international crime, drug trafficking, and other issues.  Nevertheless, States also had the political and moral obligation to face firmly poverty, social exclusion and unemployment.

He called on industrialized countries to fulfil their commitments on cooperation for development, as well as on higher levels of public and private investment, so that all developing countries could reach a sustained level of growth to reduce poverty and generate employment.  In May, the Presidents of the Rio Group agreed on the need to apply innovative financial mechanisms to support their countries’ efforts in strengthening democratic governance and reducing poverty, as well as to give special attention to employment, and to allow for sustainable economic growth.

M. JAVAD ZARIF (Iran) said that, despite the welcome ouster of the Iraqi dictator, damage had been done to the legal regime governing the use of force under the United Nations Charter.  It was necessary to remedy the damage done to the integrity of the rule of law, and vital that the Iraqi people see a timetable leading to the full restoration of their sovereignty.  Strategies aimed at reducing terrorism should take into account some of its root causes, including poverty and injustice.  Maintaining a global coalition against terror required progress on other fronts of the struggle for a humane and just world.

Regarding weapons of mass destruction, he said that the only powerful and legitimate tool was universal adherence to negotiated multilateral agreements.  He also noted that the momentum generated after the International Conference on Financing for Development seemed to be dying down, shattering prospects for meeting the Millennium Development Goals and building a global partnership for development.  In addition, the inability to produce favourable results in Cancun demanded that the international community pay urgent attention, once again, to the insufficient voice of developing countries in the areas of trade, financial institutions and democratic reform.  Finally, strengthening the efficacy of the Organization and its centrality in the international arena was essential to responding to current and future challenges.

AHMED ABOUL GHEIT (Egypt) said his country supported the Secretary-General’s vision of reform.  The United Nations was an organization made up of all States, large and small, and should be representative, diverse and dynamic at all levels to address the broad needs of all humanity.  The Organization had faced many challenges this year, particularly the new concept of preventive action, which went beyond the traditional framework of the United Nations.  That new concept, and what it meant for the future of international relations and collective security, must be addressed as Member States begin to press ahead with reform issues.  To that end, the proposed eminent panel on reform should be diverse, fair and geographically representative of the United Nations as a whole.

Any reform proposals must reaffirm the international ideals of multilateralism and State sovereignty, he stated.  They must also reject selectivity in the area of human rights.  He proposed that the Assembly adopt a short resolution restating the consensus of the body to press ahead with concrete reform.  He stressed, however, that there were many reform initiatives already on the Assembly’s table, which had thus far not been acted on.  So, there was an urgent need to review and, if necessary, adapt many of those important previous proposals in light of the Organization’s new commitment to reform.  He added that change did not necessarily mean reform, just as reform didn’t necessarily mean change.  He hoped the discussions would lead to concrete recommendations, and looked forward to a high-level dialogue in 2005 to review implementation of the Millennium Declaration up to that point.

OLUSEGUN AKINSANYA (Nigeria) said that, while conflicts and wars still presented some of the greatest challenges faced by the United Nations, there had been some progress towards the attainment of the targets spelled out in the Millennium Declaration, regarding conflict resolution.  For example, in West Africa, the establishment by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of the Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Management Mechanism, among other programmes, aimed to institutionalize a conflict prevention strategy.  And yet, as the second anniversary of the attacks of 11 September 2001 was commemorated, the international community should remain seized of several issues of particular concern, including the continued threats posed by international terrorism, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, and landmines.  With regard to small arms and light weapons in particular, a legally binding international instrument to combat their illegal trafficking should be elaborated.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic also continued to pose a grave threat to African development efforts, he added, in which context the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, as well as the Plan of Action adopted at the African Union Special Summit –- and which provided for the intensification of efforts to mobilize resources for the prevention, care and treatment of those infected -– were welcomed.  Moreover, as the Millennium Declaration had stressed the importance of eliminating poverty and ensuring the right to development for all, there must be a deliberate effort to accelerate economic growth in developing countries, including through increased ODA, foreign direct investment and improved market access for the products of developing countries.  Having accepted the responsibility to ensure their own development with the adoption of NEPAD, African countries urged that a coherent and integrated strategy to support NEPAD be adopted.

DUMISANI S. KUMALO (South Africa) stressed the need to ensure the Organization’s future as a strong and effective multilateral body, which enjoyed the confidence of the world’s people and was capable of addressing matters of critical concern to all.  He welcomed the decision to create a panel of eminent persons to make recommendations on improving effectiveness and to point the way toward broad based organizational reform.  While, it was important to revitalize the Security Council and Economic and Social Council, it was also important to strengthen and enhance the Assembly itself as the Organization’s main decision-making body.  A study of the relationship between the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations was also necessary.

He went on to say that while South Africa remained fully committed to combating terrorism, it believed that human rights should not be sacrificed for short-term goals in that fight.  Turning to the Millennium Development Goals, he said the Organization had done its best to mitigate the effects of globalization, as prescribed in the Millennium Declaration.  The platform for moving forward had been set at Monterrey and Johannesburg, where world leaders reaffirmed their commitment to, respectively, help finance the international development agenda, and to address fundamental issues of underdevelopment such as clean water and protection of the environment.

But the march to overall achievement of the Goals, he said, would be an arduous one, and developing countries would need the support of and partnerships with, developed countries and the Bretton Woods institutions.  He added that NEPAD was already in place to promote such partnerships.  In the face of the AIDS pandemic, the African continent was facing major challenges to its development initiatives.  While, the Global Fund had begun its disbursement programme, it remained insufficiently funded.  He urged all Member States to increase their contributions to the Fund.

JOHAN L. LOVALD (Norway) said the Secretary-General’s report focused both on the shortcomings of Member States in living up to the obligations in the Charter and of the Organization itself in fulfilling its mandates.  As a result, the time had come for a hard look at fundamental policy issues and a review of structural changes that might be needed to deal with them.  He said terrorism was a challenge that must be faced with determination and resolve, and treated like any other serious threat to international peace and security.  The result of that resolve must be more than swift retribution.  It was essential to eliminate the root causes of terrorism.  There were clear links between peace and security, sustainable development, good governance and respect for human rights.  Every country bore the responsibility for building a democratic society, including creating and fine-tuning national mechanisms for sharing political, social and economic goods, and ensuring the protection of civil liberties, gender equality and human rights.

Addressing the reform issue, he stated that change was needed, both in the way common challenges were addressed and in the institutions which were established to deal with them.  Additionally, he called for a return to the vision of global solidarity and collective security and the setting of ambitious deadlines for trade, debt relief and the provision of ODA.  To achieve the Millennium Development Goals and win the war on poverty, it was necessary to make changes and mobilize resources simultaneously in four areas.  First, international conditions for debt reduction, trade and investment must be improved and angled more towards the Goals.  Secondly, developing countries needed to assign priorities, draw up strategies, invest in human resources and implement poverty oriented policies based on good governance and respect for human rights.  Thirdly, ODA should be increased considerably.  Fourthly, a concerted effort must be made to ensure that the Goals were the focus of both global and national action.  Another area where progress was essential was meeting the special needs of Africa, which practically involved all eight goals.

IFTEKHAR AHMED CHOWDHURY (Bangladesh) expressed support for strengthening the universal multilateral institutions through reform, and highlighted the serious threat to international peace and security which the war in Iraq had brought to the forefront.  Given the challenge Iraq had come to represent to the credibility of the United Nations and the principle of collective security, the Organization must play an effective role in facilitating the post-war economic and political reconstruction.  Moreover, the United Nations and the international community must address, in a credible, effective and collective manner, the resolution of the Middle East conflict and the war on terrorism. 

However, for billions around the world, he noted, non-military threats to security retained the highest priority.  The Millennium Development Goals remained the best hope for the world’s poor in addressing those threats, which included extreme poverty, environmental degradation, HIV/AIDS and malaria.  And although the Secretary-General had done well to place special focus on the socio-economic agenda in both his reports, the progress reported had fallen far short of expectations. 

Thus, achieving the Goals would require the translation of commitment into concrete action, especially with regard to the Goal of increasing ODA and the need for debt relief.  Those would drive the international community’s efforts to realize the first seven Goals.  The disappointing outcome of the Cancun Conference must spur the international community to greater action.  Trade, as an instrument of development, must be treated as such, with special preference given to Africa, as it deserved. 

GERT ROSENTHAL (Guatemala) said the United Nations still embodied the hopes of the world’s people, but supported action to bring about reforms that enabled the Organization to better respond to changing circumstances.  Iraq’s disarmament and the divisions created by the war and its aftermath had provoked disagreements within the international community.  Also, the “far from impressive” performance of the global economy in recent times prejudiced the potential for meeting key Millennium Development Goals.  Yet, none of those setbacks could annul the Organization’s achievements, including the process leading to the independence of Timor-Leste, the collective response to combat terrorism post-11 September, and the approval of the Monterrey Consensus.

The most far-reaching success was the celebration of the Millennium Summit, and the approval of the Declaration it produced, he said.  The Declaration offered, among other things, a shared vision for all Member States, facilitated greater coherence to the Organization by offering a set of common goals, and constituted an implicit justification to preserve and strengthen multilateralism.  The United Nations continued to be an indispensable tool for humanity, and deserved to be defended, updated and strengthened.

MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan) agreed with the Secretary-General that it had been a “trying year” for the United Nations.  The crisis over Iraq had severely tested the principles of collective security.  The Security Council’s refusal to authorize the use of force led to unfair judgements about the adequacy and effectiveness of the Council as the primary instrument for the maintenance of international peace and security.  The Council did not “fail”, he noted, but, in accordance with the Charter, set a high bar for the use of force.  He agreed with the Secretary-General that it was not enough to denounce unilateralism, but also to squarely face the concerns that “make some States feel uniquely vulnerable, and thus drive them to take unilateral action”.  But, he did not believe the answer necessarily lay in changing the rules for State behaviour.

The United Nations, he said, had continued to grapple with what were now referred to as “old” and “new” threats to international peace and security.  The fight against terrorism had become more comprehensive.  Terrorists must be prevented from ever acquiring weapons of mass destruction.  Also, States which possessed such weapons, sensitive materials or technology should exercise effective controls over them.  There were two separate dangers -– terrorism and weapons of mass destruction –- and both must be dealt with effectively and separately. 

He endorsed the Secretary-General’s call for urgent action by Member States to avoid further setbacks and to accelerate progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  The developing countries must undertake necessary structural reforms at the national level, while the developed countries must honour their commitments, particularly regarding ODA and equitable trade.  On United Nations reform, he welcomed the establishment of the panel of eminent personalities to examine the current challenges and recommend ways of strengthening the Organization through reform of its institutions and processes.  He hoped the panel would be broadly representative and would interact with the wider United Nations membership before formulating its recommendations.

DARMANSJAH DJUMALA (Indonesia) said the war in Iraq tested the principle of collective security, as well as the resilience of the United Nations, bringing the Organization face to face “with its own mortality”.  Tackling terrorism required that its root causes be adequately addressed, and that indirect links, such as poverty and injustice, be taken into consideration when fashioning strategies against it.  Development was a natural answer to conflict, in the same way that addressing poverty and injustice could combat terrorism.  He noted with concern, the shortfalls in funding to deal with international humanitarian crises, and    re-emphasized that international security was at risk when individual security was threatened.  He was pleased, however, to note the humanitarian accomplishments of the United Nations in Iraq.

Cooperation from the private sector facilitated development and mobilized societies to attain national development goals, he stated.  At the same time, governments must live up to their responsibility to create environments where development could flourish.  Last July, Indonesia had hosted the Asian-African Subregional Organizations Conference as a way to supplement efforts to promote South-South cooperation, and establish a partnership between the two continents.  Regarding the situation in Aceh, he said there was no resumption of military activity against the separatist movement, but what existed was a combined operation featuring humanitarian aspects.  In the five months since the operation, the situation there had improved considerably.  Hundreds of armed separatists had surrendered and accepted government training to use after their return to society.

MARTIN ANDJABA (Namibia) said that in an interdependent world, developmental problems were connected to security challenges.  The Millennium Declaration comprehensively addressed all problems facing mankind, since one problem could not be pursued at the expense of the others.  As such, the war on terrorism could not be effectively carried out while ignoring respect for human rights and fundamental freedom.  “We cannot strive for sustainable development while neglecting security challenges.”

He believed that gender equality and the empowerment of women were crucial to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.  The full participation of women in political and economic decision-making was key to bringing about gender equality, which would, in turn, contribute to poverty eradication and to enhancing social justice.  He welcomed the initiatives of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to assist low-income producers in developing countries to find markets for their products, and urged the international community to enable UNIFEM to reach more women, especially in rural areas.  Also, as efforts were maximized to create a world fit for children, nations needed to pay attention to the children caught up in conflict as well as the increasing number of AIDS orphans.

He said that the implementation of the Monterrey consensus would give impetus to the realization of the Millennium Goals.  He concurred with the Secretary-General’s view that, for the first time, the international community had the resources, knowledge and expertise to eradicate poverty, and to do so within the lifetime of a child born when the Millennium Declaration was adopted.

GENNADY GATILOV (Russian Federation) said that, like any complex Organization, the United Nations needed improving, particularly in light of present challenges, both real and potential.  Even though recent trials had shown the flexibility of the Organization to adjust to global threats while sticking to its founding principles, it must, nonetheless, continue to adapt its structures and mechanisms to global realities.  To that end, it was necessary to sort out which structures within the system were still effective and productive, and which had already fulfilled their missions and were no longer needed.  In that regard, he urged caution so that any measure aiming to modernize any part the United Nations would be based “on a most thorough analysis and a most accurate calculation”.

He was convinced that any reform should consolidate the central role of the United Nations in matters of international relations.  He reiterated the suggestion made during the Assembly’s high-level segment by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the adoption of a new resolution, which would specify further steps to be taken by the international community to counter global threats and challenges.  A key element of such a text would be the encouragement of closer interaction between States to forge a more comprehensive response to terrorism and regional conflicts.

He also highlighted the importance of improving peacekeeping operations.  The United Nations must be able to carry out a more effective deployment of peace operations, and, where needed, peace enforcement initiatives.  It was also important to ensure that the key role of the Security Council was reaffirmed at every stage of a peacekeeping operation; that body’s authority must not be circumvented.  On the Millennium Development Goals, he welcomed United Nations efforts to help countries to realize the objectives agreed to by world leaders at the Millennium Summit.  He stressed the need to ensure that the United Nations had a key and politically mobilizing role in efforts to increase policy coordination in the field of international trade, finances and investment.  That would require strengthening interaction between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods Institutions.

RONALDO MOTA SARDENBERG (Brazil) said the moment had come for the international community to strengthen its commitment to multilateralism and to the principles and values at the core of the Organization.  On the issue of reform, he felt that the Security Council must be strengthened and “made more legitimate”. Its composition, particularly regarding its permanent membership, could not remain unaltered.  The Council could no longer ignore the emergence of developing countries, which had become important actors and often exercised a critical role in promoting the pacific settlement of disputes.

He also called for the empowerment of the Economic and Social Council to bring about a “fair and just economic order”, and insisted that the cause of peace would be better served with an Economic and Social Council that was able to fully and actively cooperate with the Security Council in preventing conflicts and nation building.  In turn, the General Assembly must be reinforced politically so that it could guide the work of the Organization.  It had to be more involved in the debate and in the determination of solutions for the new challenges that faced humanity.

He said that the Millennium Declaration had become a landmark in the United Nations since it embodied the essence of multilateral efforts in the past decade and pointed, with clarity, at what must be done to build a world that was more fair, inclusive and equitable by 2015.  The review of progress on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration showed mixed results.  “We should not be defeated by the prospect that, at the current pace, many countries and regions will not be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.”  On the contrary, that realization should strengthen the resolve to work together to create the conditions for the international community to fully achieve those Goals.

VLADIMIR DROBNJAK (Croatia) said there was need for reform within the Organization, and that, in particular, no Member State’s political agenda should outweigh the need to reform the Security Council.  Terrorism had shed a new light on the issue of collective security and the need to maintain international peace and security.  Multilateralism was the most efficient weapon in the fight against terror, and the United Nations provided the best possible framework for a long-term anti-terrorism strategy.  Disarmament remained a matter of high priority within the international community, and he shared the Secretary-General’s concern that dangerous weapons could be used by State or non-State actors.  In addition, soft threats such as environmental problems, disease, crime and corruption, also needed special attention, with global poverty being the most daunting of all challenges.

It was necessary to increase efforts to ensure a smooth transition from humanitarian assistance to development activities, and he encouraged increased financing for development, a strengthening of the private sector’s involvement, and a successful round of trade negotiations.  Global threats necessitated the globalization of the legal order, and he welcomed efforts taken to raise awareness of the importance of the rule of law, including annual treaty events.  He called for the accelerated ratification and implementation of major human rights treaties.  He was also encouraged that the Organization’s financial situation had shown improvements in the past two years.

HAKEEM ABDULMAGEED (Saudi Arabia) said many of the challenges confronting the international community today were due to some States’ lack of respect for international law, and the fact that others wished to turn to unilateral action.  There was no room for unilateralism, whether to deal with terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, or even in cases of self defense, he said.  Unilateral action only served to undermine the Charter.  He went on to say that Israel continued to flout international law, and because the international community remained silent, it continued to subject the Palestinian people and other Arab peoples in the occupied territories to daily violence, aggression and oppression.

On the Millennium Development Goals, he said it was crucial to ensure that globalization was harnessed for the benefit of small countries.  Achieving the Goals would also require the political will of the international community to seriously address issues such as HIV/AIDS and poverty.  That pandemic was the most serious scourge of the day and Saudi Arabia was participating at all levels to ensure that the virus was turned back. Overall, there was much to do to ensure that the Goals were achieved. In all efforts and at all levels, the international community should recognize that success would only be achieved if the Charter was respected and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations were implemented.

RASTAM MOHD ISA (Malaysia) advocated change to the United Nations, but not at the expense of its principles.  No country could act alone to resolve problems concerning the international community, as the situation in Iraq had showed.  The proliferation of dangerous weapons must be curtailed, and eventually eliminated, if the goal was a peaceful and secure world.  The Middle East remained an important issue for international peace and security.  He encouraged continuous efforts to revive the peace process.  Concerted and coordinated action by the international community was essential to ensuring the prevention of terrorism.  Equally important was the need to understand the conditions that generated it.   On human rights, it was necessary for the Commission on Human Rights to continue reconsidering its working methods to reduce the level of politicization in its work.

It was obvious, he said, that a lot more needed to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  He agreed with the Secretary-General, that the central challenge the world faced today was the eradication of poverty and hunger.  He joined the call on the developed countries to translate their support and commitment to the Goals into real action to enable the developing countries to deal effectively with many of the problems discussed by the Secretary-General in his report.  He informed the Assembly that Malaysia had, in general, achieved, and in some instances exceeded, the first seven of the Goals.

JENO C.A. STAEHELIN (Switzerland) said that the consensus achieved during the Millennium Summit was failing.  To contribute effectively to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations must reaffirm its commitment to multilateral cooperation and to the objectives spelled out in the Millennium Declaration.  Recognizing that there could be no development without security, attention should be focused on eliminating the causes, and preventing the outbreak of conflicts, rather than dealing with their consequences after the fact.  Moreover, a broader understanding of human security, to include economic, social and political stability, must be adopted to achieve true progress in development.

At Monterrey, he continued, the international community had established a global partnership to attain development goals, recognizing that mere increases in public assistance for development and growth were insufficient to win the fight against poverty.  More effective assistance necessitated the creation of sound national policies, good governance in developing countries, support for the international financial institutions, and better protection of natural resources.  Thus, as increased trade liberalization would further contribute to the fight against poverty, the United Nations, Bretton Woods institutions and World Trade Organization (WTO) must strengthen their coordination, cooperation and consistency when implementing strategies aimed at achieving sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.

JUMA AMER (Libya) said that although the Secretary-General had characterized the past year as a trying and painful one for the United Nations, he had highlighted several successes, including the broad support that had been given to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences of the past few years.  Those conferences had provided a basis for hope that peace and security could be achieved in many regions of the world.  They had also laid out the framework for, among other things, financing for development, and ensuring sustainable development and environmental protection.  He hoped that trend would drive broader efforts to eradicate poverty, and help developing countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

He went on to say that terrorism was one of the gravest scourges facing humanity.  But there must not be double standards applied to efforts to combat it or to address its root causes, whether they are occupation, racism or oppression. It was also critical to ensure that terrorism was not linked to one particular religion or group of people.  It was unthinkable to link a people’s fight for self-determination with terrorism, he added.  Libya had been very active in global efforts to eradicate terrorism, and looked forward to the elaboration of an international treaty on the phenomenon, as well as the convening of an international conference or special session of the Assembly.  He added that it was also important to adequately set an international definition for terrorism.

KOICHI HARAGUCHI (Japan) said the international community was getting increasingly more interdependent, and insisted there was an increasing need for an effective, properly structured, multilateral framework.  The challenges being faced today were getting more and more diverse and complex, and as a result, effective lasting solutions had to be sought in a comprehensive and integrated manner.  While he believed the Organization should continue to play an important role, there was no question that it needed reform in a number of aspects.  He stressed the need for reform of the Security Council, as well as administrative and budgetary reform and revitalization of the General Assembly.

The restoration of security in Iraq and its reconstruction was high on his country’s agenda, he said.  It was critically important for the international community to extend support to Iraq, so that it would become a moderate, unified country, which could co-exist peacefully with neighbouring countries.  Turning to peace in North-East Asia, he noted that North Korea’s nuclear development programme was of grave concern not only to Japan, but also to the international community. He urged North Korea to promptly dismantle all of its nuclear development programmes in a verifiable and irreversible manner.  In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, he said, all countries concerned must increase their efforts to realize their commitments and work to produce concrete and positive results.

STAFFORD NEIL (Jamaica) said that among the lessons to be learned from the Iraq crisis was that there was no safe alternative to multilateralism and the collective system, which was the foundation for international security.  On the Millennium Development Goals, he noted that limited progress had been achieved and there seemed to be, in significant areas, some loss of momentum.  The implementation of the Monterrey and Johannesburg commitments were moving at too slow a pace towards the targets set within the prescribed time frames.  The sluggish growth in the world economy might explain that in part, but it was also apparent that the political solidarity and commitment to international development cooperation was still far below desirable levels.  The critical problem remained the quantum of resources.  He commended those donor countries that had consistently met the ODA target, and urged that their example be followed. 

He also stated that overall development needs and the achievement of the Millennium Goals required that the United Nations play a more important role in the formulation of policies affecting the development process.  Those were still largely determined within the Bretton Woods institutions, which had a system of governance in which little voice or influence was allowed to developing countries.  That resulted in the formulation of substantive policies in finance and trade tailored to ideological prescriptions, rather than the economic and social dynamics and the diversity of circumstances existing in the developing countries.  For that reason, it was necessary for the United Nations to bring a greater influence and play a more central role in determining the policies guiding international economic relations.  He felt it was necessary to develop a mechanism within the Organization to oversee development policy, and devise prescriptions for development problems.

DEJAN SAHOVIC (Serbia and Montenegro) said he regretted the fact that the Secretary-General’s report had omitted any mention of the unsatisfactory conditions on the ground in Kosovo and Metohija.  The international presence had failed to put an end to the activities of several extremist organizations of ethnic Albanians, including the “ANA”, which the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) had proclaimed a terrorist organization.  Combined with high levels of organized crime, including trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings, the overall situation had led to the most significant failure of all, the lack of return of refugees and internally displaced persons. 

A successful and timely implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, he noted, would not only be a great contribution to the struggle against poverty and for meeting basic human needs, but would also address some of the main causes of tensions and armed conflicts, as well as intolerance and terrorism.  The Goals could only be reached if the efforts of developing countries were supported by those with the means to provide ODA, debt relief, market access and foreign direct investment.  He attached great importance to the holding of a major political event in 2005 to review the progress achieved in implementing the Millennium Declaration and the outcomes of conferences and summits in the economic and social fields. 

MANSOUR AYYAD A. AL-OTAIBI (Kuwait) said he agreed with the international community that the war against Iraq had been a challenge to collective security.  Its fallout had reaffirmed that there was no alternative to the authority and legitimacy of the United Nations.  But, he continued, that was not the first challenge to international legitimacy.  Others included Israel’s continued occupation of Arab territories, the previous Iraqi regime’s persistent flouting of international law, and the divisions within the global community on how to deter those challenges.

Regarding the reports of the Secretary-General, which were under consideration today, he noted with concern that they had not underscored the offhand manner in which the ousted regime in Iraq had brushed aside all efforts to address the issue of missing Kuwaitis inside Iraq.  Nor had the reports mentioned the most recent development -- the discovery of countless mass graves inside Iraq.  He hoped that the Secretary-General would not ignore that issue, or the issue of Kuwaiti property.  On the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and ensuring broad reform of the Organization, he stressed that neither process should become bogged down in a cycle of repetitive reporting, but should instead be linked to definite practical steps.

VIJAY NAMBIAR (India) said that the Security Council must garner the widest possible support for its decisions and actions, and that could only be achieved if it was perceived to be broadly representative of the international community and the geopolitical realities of the contemporary world.  He called for an expansion of the Council, both at the permanent and elected levels, to include countries that represented significant sections of the world’s population, economic aspirations, political values, and commitment to the United Nations system.

He said that the Secretary-General’s report correctly affirmed that it would be no exaggeration to state that the success or failure of the Millennium Development Goals hinged on whether developed countries met their commitments in the areas of trade, debt relief and aid.  The challenge for the international community was to translate the commitments undertaken into concrete actions to achieve the Goals.  Among other things, an additional $50 billion a year in ODA, forward movement on trade negotiations, and a sustained and broad-based annual per capita income increase of 3 per cent was required to make progress. 

He added that the importance of the current session lay in the fact that the Assembly would be considering the regular budget for the Organization for the coming biennium.  He welcomed the presentation of the regular budget in a results-based budgeting framework, and hoped that further development of results-based budgeting tools would help the United Nations to better justify the resources needed for its programmes and activities and improve accountability.

GERHARD PFANZELTER (Austria), noting that 2003 had been a difficult year for the United Nations, expressed support for the Secretary-General’s plans to increase the safety of United Nations personnel.  He also welcomed the Secretary-General’s call for reform, and urged Member States to commit themselves to vigorously debate issues and search for timely solutions.  While he welcomed the substantial progress made in the reform of the Organization since it began in the early 1990s, he believed there was still room for improvement.  At the same time, he called on Members to live up to their commitment for more effective and efficient multilateralism.

He said the composition of the Security Council was at odds with today’s geopolitical reality, as it neither reflected the growing number of the Organization’s membership nor the necessary regional balance.  Consequently, decision-making was perceived by many as lacking legitimacy.  The current discussion was not only about who was to be represented in the Council, but also about ensuring that decision-making was in the interest of world peace and global security.  In that context, regional groups had to accept their responsibility in finding solutions.  Additionally, repetitive and lengthy debates, as well as an overburdened agenda impeded the General Assembly’s proper functioning.  Also, revitalization of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which had been criticised for not playing its role as the major guiding and coordinating body in the economic and social fields, was of equally great importance.

JOHN DAUTH (Australia), speaking also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand, said that he endorsed the Secretary-General’s call for reform of the Organization, particularly the Security Council, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council, so that those organs could meet the challenges they faced.  Without that reform, their marginalization was inevitable.  Not least among those challenges was the enormous suffering, which brutal conflicts were inflicting on countless numbers of civilians. 

It was not enough, he continued, to simply urge governments and rebel movements to comply with the most minimal standards of civilized behaviour, and then shrug helplessly when they failed to do so, as thousands were raped, mutilated, tortured and murdered.  Robust international responses to suffering on such a scale could not be precluded by narrow interpretations of sovereignty.  The most fundamental duty of a State was to protect its own people.  Where governments could not or would not protect their people from harm, or were themselves the perpetrators of that harm, the responsibility to protect the people fell temporarily to the international community, acting through the Security Council.  

Turning to the Millennium Development Goals, he recalled that the eighth Goal had called on the international community to build a global partnership for development, recognizing that it would take more than aid to eradicate poverty.  In that context, the lack of progress at the Cancun WTO meeting was distressing.  Noting that there was a “profound contradiction”, he said that it was not possible to, on the one hand, advocate achieving the Millennium Goals, and on the other, allow the trade barriers, subsidies and quotas to remain.  The “rotten” structures must be dismantled and the Doha Round brought back on track.

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