UNPRECEDENTED POLITICAL WILL REQUIRED TO REORIENT UNITED NATIONS AND ACHIEVE DEVELOPMENT TARGETS, SPEAKERS TELL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

25^th & 26^th Meetings (AM & PM)

UNPRECEDENTED POLITICAL WILL REQUIRED TO REORIENT UNITED NATIONS AND ACHIEVE

DEVELOPMENT TARGETS, SPEAKERS TELL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Although events of the past year had affirmed the relevance of the United Nations, recent challenges had underscored its limitations and revealed that system-wide reform, driven by unprecedented political will, was the surest way to reorient the world body and to ensure the achievement of global development targets, delegations addressing the General Assembly said today.

During day two of a debate on Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s annual report on the work of the United Nations, as well as his progress report on implementation of the Millennium Declaration, speakers stressed that in 2003, the world had seen more violent conflict, accompanied by heightened international tension and the fear of terrorism.

They said that recent crises, including escalating Middle East violence, bitter divisions in the Security Council over the Iraq war and the deadly        19 August terrorist bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad had challenged the world body and tested the principles of collective security.  Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals was also a growing concern, they added, referring to the targets set by the 2000 Millennium Summit, which ranged from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education, all by 2015.

The representative of Mozambique said that while the fight against terrorism had originally brought the international community together in a climate of global consensus and cooperation, recent challenges to multilateralism had tested the international system.  In addition, progress in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration had been slow.  Both those situations could be altered with the necessary political will, he said, stressing that achievement of the Millennium Goals must remain the most important task of the United Nations.

Guyana’s representative echoed that sentiment, saying that the reports under consideration today painted a checkered picture of progress and setbacks.  “Three years after the adoption of the historic Millennium Declaration, the story was decidedly mixed”, he said.  And while he welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision to create a high-level panel to review the Organization’s functions, there was no substitute for the political will of Member States to take the decisions needed to enhance the multilateral system and ensure it could address modern realities.

But correctly timing the push for reform was essential, said the representative of the Netherlands.  Just as momentum had a limited shelf life, the present window of opportunity would not be open forever.  The natural deadline to bring together discussions related to development, financing for development, security, human rights, and the adequacy of multilateral institutions should be September 2005.

Thus, in the next three months, attention must be focused on three major areas -– financing for development, the budget and the revitalization of the Assembly, he proposed. The 2004 Assembly would then be devoted to discussing the Secretary-General’s proposals, as well as the report of the panel of eminent personalities, for the structural reform of the Organization.

The representative of Sweden concurred that a “window of opportunity” for reform existed.  What was lacking was the political will to do so, since there was no lack of constructive ideas.  The establishment of a panel of eminent personalities challenged all Member States to work with even more determination to achieve tangible results.  But rather than trying to look for the optimal solution now for decades to come, he urged Members to accept that any reform may have to be considered again, in five or 10 years.  Such reform would clearly signal that the Organization was prepared to adapt and adjust, in order to safeguard its authority in world politics.

The representative of Chile agreed that the United Nations was urgently in need of renewal and that Member States must seriously consider necessary changes for the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Assembly itself.  But one aspect of reform that was rarely mentioned was that of the Organization’s decision-making mechanisms.  The obsessive search for consensus often resulted in “decisions of the lowest common denominator”, or taking decisions that had little relevance outside the United Nations.  Member States must examine that issue closely, since, while consensus was useful, good decisions must not always be “sacrificed” on its altar.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Belarus, San Marino, Canada, Uganda, Mozambique, China, Syria, United States, Viet Nam, Portugal, Argentina, Tunisia, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Mongolia, Yemen, Malawi, Iceland, Ukraine, Eritrea, Mexico, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ecuador, Sudan, Liechtenstein, Fiji, Lesotho and Poland. 

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

The Assembly will meet again on Thursday, 9 October, to conclude its debate on the reports of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization and follow-up of the Millennium Declaration.  It was also expected to consider the reports of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

Background

The General Assembly met today to continue its consideration of the Secretary-General’s annual report on the work of the Organization (document A/58/1), as well as his report on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration (document A/58/323).  For summaries of the two reports, see Press Release GA/10167 issued on 6 October.  

Statements

ALEG IVANOU (Belarus) said that recent crises, including escalating violence in the Middle East, terrorist attacks in different parts of the world and the unresolved situation in Iraq had challenged the United Nations.  Unfortunately, the Organization had not shown its unique potential in the area of maintaining international peace and security.  That was a clear signal that the role of the United Nations, particularly that of the Security Council, must be strengthened on the international scene.  He hoped that this year, the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council would finally come to a definite decision on ways to reform that 15-nation body.

At the present stage, he said, it was extremely important for the United Nations to play a coordinating role in the international fight against terrorism.  He called for greater resolve to finalize negotiations on the various international treaties against the scourge that were currently under consideration.  Failure to come together on outstanding issues regarding an international multilateral regime simply played into the hands of the terrorists.  He added that efforts to curb terrorism should not infringe on civil liberties, sovereignty of States or fundamental freedoms.

He went on to say that the Assembly and the Security Council had played an important role in resolving crisis situations in various African countries.  But those successes would not have been complete without the assistance of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  He supported the trend of incorporating and coordinating regional, subregional and national initiatives with international efforts.  Such partnerships were critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and to further coordinate and integrate the work of the various organs of the United Nations.  He added that the upcoming 2004-2005 budget should be strategic, with a focus on promoting ways to ensure broad achievement of the Millennium Goals.

GIAN NICOLA FILIPPI BALESTRA (San Marino) said that, in addition to economic and technological globalization, terrorism, organized crime, pandemics and pollution had also been globalized and now represented constant threats to the international community.  Strengthened cooperation for multilateral action would be the only means by which the international community could face and defy those destructive aspects of globalization.  Furthermore, the root causes of those phenomena must be addressed.  With regard to terrorism, while a universal condemnation of it must continue to be firmly and inflexibly applied, the motivations for it must be analyzed attentively within their own specific context.

The prevention and resolution of conflict and the provision of assistance to populations emerging from conflict remained one of the most exacting commitments of the Organization, he added.  Thus, the United Nations should reinforce, as a priority, the development of a conflict prevention policy through the strengthening of dialogue, creating adequate mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the constant monitoring of international commitments.  Among other areas for improvement, the working methods of the General Assembly should be reformed so as to guarantee greater efficiency.  Finally, given the insufficient coverage of the activities of the United Nations and General Assembly in national and local press, he welcomed the new operational model and organizational structure of the Department of Public Information.

PAUL HEINBECKER (Canada), endorsing the statement made by Australia, stressed one additional point.  While one often heard the refrain of “never again”, the international community had in the past stood by while civilians, women and children, were massacred in Rwanda and Bosnia.  The international community must not avert its eyes from such horrors simply because some insisted on the narrowest interpretation of sovereignty.  Thus, while military intervention was rarely justifiable, in the event that governments could not or would not protect their citizens, or when they were the perpetrators of such violence, it was the responsibility of the international community to step in and protect the victims.  Therefore, any reform of the United Nations, whether to its mission or architecture, must come to grips with that most critical of issues -– nothing less than the integrity and the very future of the Organization depended thereon.

FRANCIS K. BUTAGIRA (Uganda) said he supported measures to strengthen the Organization’s role, and, in particular, the proposed panel of experts to address current security threats and the best use of collective action to address them.  Addressing conflicts in Africa required strengthening regional and subregional organizations in order to respond quickly to crisis.  On peacekeeping, he welcomed the robust mandate given to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and pledged his support to the Transitional Government in Kinshasa.  Terrorism must be fought, for it threatened all nations without exception.  He called on the international community to help nations such as Uganda, which had been the victims of terrorist attacks, to build capacity and avail itself of resources to respond effectively to terrorist threats.

Uganda was using debt-relief proceeds to expand primary education in line with the Millennium Development Goals, he stated.  However, some difficulties had slowed progress, including a decline in commodity prices, and agricultural subsidies by developed nations, which undercut efforts to keep the debt-to-export ratios below 150 per cent.  Poverty eradication was at the heart of his country’s development agenda and progress had been made with the support of international donors.  Still, increased resources were necessary to continue implementing the Poverty Eradication Action Plan.  Uganda was committed to achieving the Goals, and with the support of its development partners, would keep the current momentum.

FILIPE CHIDUMO (Mozambique) said that while the fight against terrorism had originally brought the international community together in a climate of global consensus and cooperation, recent challenges to multilateralism and collective security had tested the international system.  In addition, progress in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration had been slow.  Those issues could be altered with the necessary political will.  For example, although conflicts continued to undermine their sustainable development, African nations had begun, step by step, to discharge their responsibilities for the maintenance of peace and stability on the continent.  Thus, the entry into force of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union would contribute to collective efforts already under way.

Globally, the collective security agenda should most appropriately be pursued through the United Nations, he said.  Thus, it was essential to strengthen the Organization, particularly the Assembly, to regain the confidence of Member States and world public opinion.  Without reform, the Security Council would continue to provide inadequate qualitative and quantitative representation for developing countries while the Assembly would see its powers further undermined.

Moreover, the achievement of the Millennium Goals must remain the most important task of the United Nations, he concluded.  As global implementation required global partnerships and cooperation, the international community, in particular developed countries, was urged to provide the necessary support to developing countries, including through increased official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment.

WANG GUANGYA (China) said a multilateral approach, with the United Nations at its core, could not be cast aside when addressing global security threats and achieving development.  It was in the common interest of all countries to safeguard the authority of the Organization.  Yet, appropriate reforms were necessary to keep pace with the times, including improved efficacy and increased capacity to respond to various challenges and promote economic and social development.  The restoration of security in Iraq and the resumption of the exercise of sovereignty by its people were of priority.  He urged Israel and Palestine to stop violence and resume talks as early as possible.  In Africa, progress had been made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia, but it was still a long-term task to achieve peace in other areas of the continent. Terrorism and the proliferation of dangerous weapons required consistent measures that touched on their root causes.

To achieve coordinated and balanced development in the world, it was vital to implement the Millennium Development Goals, he said.  To do so, globalization should be geared towards universal enjoyment of benefits by all through joint participation.  Also, the United Nations should establish a culture of development, strengthen development agencies and ensure development funds.  In addition, accelerating the implementation of the Goals lay in a fair and reasonable evaluation framework.

GEORGE TALBOT (Guyana) said the reports under consideration today painted a checkered picture of progress and setbacks in addressing the challenges facing the United Nations and the wider international community in the quest for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.  Three years after the adoption of the historic Millennium Declaration, the story was decidedly mixed.  On average, the international community, by dint of progress made in a few large countries, notably China and India, stood a chance of achieving the goal of halving poverty by 2015.  At the same time, the reports noted troubling statistics at the national level, with 37 of the 67 countries, for which data was available, showing that poverty had increased during the past decade.

He shared concern over the lack of progress to reverse the spread of the AIDS virus, malaria and tuberculosis.  The need for access to medicines and affordable healthcare, particularly for those living with AIDS, could not be overemphasized, he said, urging increased contributions to the Global Fund established to turn back those diseases.

He went on to say that the persistent debt burden, inadequate ODA flows and uncertainties in the world trading system continued to hamper achievement of the Goals.  Prompt provision of debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative would be a major step in reversing that trend.  On United Nations reform, while he welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision to create a high-level panel to review the Organization’s functions and mechanisms, there was no substitute for the political will of Member States to take the decisions needed to enhance the multilateral system and ensure the United Nations could adequately address modern realities.  The Assembly should, therefore, not relent in its search for ways to strengthen its role and that of the wider Organization. 

HERALDO MUÑOZ (Chile) said the United Nations was urgently in need of renewal, particularly in the wake of the events of 11 September 2001 and the crisis in Iraq.  Member States must seriously consider necessary changes for the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Assembly itself.  On today’s international scene, relationships and security priorities were greatly changed and new threats, such as terrorism and the spread of pandemics, underscored the need to promote the principles of multilateralism.  The Security Council, whose reform would probably be the most complex, needed to be expanded to make it more democratic and representative, without affecting its efficiency.  Moreover, despite the clear desire of the permanent members to retain it, the veto must be modified and its use limited to exceptional circumstances.

He went on to say that the Assembly had suffered a clear devaluation in its status as a political body.  That had been chiefly due to its consideration and adoption of a long list of repetitive resolutions, which served narrow interests and were almost never implemented.  The Economic and Social Council, he continued, needed to have a closer and more cooperative role with the Security Council in conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.  One aspect of reform that was rarely mentioned was that of the Organization’s decision-making mechanisms, he said.  The obsessive search for consensus often resulted in “decisions of the lowest common denominator”, or taking decisions that had little relevance outside the United Nations.  Member States must examine that issue closely, since, while consensus was always useful, good decisions must not always be sacrificed on the altar of consensus. 

ABDOU AL-MOULA NAKKARI (Syria) said that half a century after its creation, the United Nations still faced a global environment in which storms raged, and acts of occupation and aggression, violations of international legitimacy and sovereignty, the use of coercive force and social ills, such as hunger, poverty and illiteracy, continued to plague many areas of the world.  Given those challenges, globalization had placed an enormous responsibility on the international community, as people around the world had become more able to feel the suffering of others due to worldwide media coverage.  And, as the worldwide rejection of the war on Iraq had demonstrated, decision-makers now had to take more care to make their policy-making just.

The fundamental challenge faced by the international community, he continued, was to ensure that globalization benefited all people.  While States must adopt national development strategies to maximize their own economies, it must be recognized that even if all developing countries adopted sound policies and maximized local resources, an additional $50 billion of assistance -- at a minimum -- would be needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.  Also, the international system of trade must be reformed.  Achieving a more comprehensive multilateral agreement that gave greater market access to developing countries and eliminated subsidies and barriers to trade was vital.

Finally, welcoming the Secretary-General’s denunciation of the Israeli air strike against Syrian territory, he drew attention to recent acts of Israeli aggression and the unprecedented nature of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people.  Many Syrians had also suffered from the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.

ANN CORKERY (United States) advocated management reform at the United Nations, including implementation of results-based budgeting and the phasing down of redundant or obsolete programmes.  Reinvigorating the role of the Organization was necessary, particularly in economic and social matters.  She welcomed the creation of the Commission on the Private Sector and Development, which would develop recommendations on how to promote a strong, indigenous private sector in developing countries, as well as the Secretary-General’s initiative to reorient the Organization’s work towards implementation and action.  Increasing support for Africa’s development was a priority, and the United States was taking action to meet the need for food assistance there.  In 2003, the United States had provided $1.4 billion in global emergency food-aid and The Famine Fund would make $200 million available for rapid response.

The Millennium Development Goals represented clear, time-bound targets, and success depended on partnerships in which developing and developed countries focused on positive outcomes.  She concurred with the Secretary-General’s attention to follow through and political will, and stressed that her country was deepening partnerships with countries committed to good governance, investment in their people and free markets.  On HIV/AIDS, she said that President Bush’s $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief was intended for 14 of the most affected countries in Africa and the Caribbean.  In addition, the United States would introduce a resolution on women and political participation during this year’s Assembly session.

DIRK JAN VAN DEN BERG (Netherlands) said that the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration was as crucial as it was courageous, dealing with matters of substance such as the threats faced by the international community, as well as organizational matters such as the need for reform.  There were, however, three issues which remained to be addressed -- pitfalls, timing and sequencing.  Among those pitfalls, which could derail the sense of urgency and momentum driving reform, were the possibilities for:  progress in one area to be made dependent on progress in others; losing the innovative and expeditious spirit reform demanded; and using the panel of eminent persons as an excuse to sit back and wait.

Correctly timing the push for reform was essential, he added.  Just as momentum had a limited shelf life, the present window of opportunity would not be open forever.  The natural deadline should be September 2005, which should come to represent the bringing together of discussions related to development, financing for development, security, human rights, and the adequacy of multilateral institutions.  Moreover, in setting September 2005 as the deadline, the sequencing of reform must be considered so as to make the best use of the two General Assembly sessions left.

Thus, in the next three months, attention must be focused on three major areas -– financing for development, the budget and the revitalization of the Assembly.  The 2004 General Assembly would then be devoted to discussing the Secretary-General’s proposals, as well as the report of the panel of eminent personalities, for the structural reform of the Organization.  While that was an ambitious schedule, he said that, counting all the Missions’ staff, there were approximately “3,000 kilograms of brains” at the disposal of the United Nations.

NGO DUC THANG (Viet Nam) said that recent developments had shown that peace and development remained the international community’s primary tasks.  In addition, it was necessary to redouble efforts for economic and social development and poverty eradication.  In the current global trading system, developing countries would always remain disadvantaged due to protectionist measures and anti-dumping, which prevented their products from entering developed countries’ markets.  That situation would only be corrected through the establishment of more democratic and open trade and financial systems, which would also ensure favourable conditions to developing countries.

While some progress had been made in reaching the Millennium Development Goals, a long way still remained in meeting the international community’s common needs and expectations.  The attainment of those Goals required a more effective and democratized United Nations.  In that regard, he welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision to establish a high-level group to consider proposals to strengthen the Organization.  In reforming the Organization, it was imperative to ensure that the Assembly assumed its authoritative and political role as the universal, representative body and that the Security Council effectively discharged its functions and mandates in a manner that reflected the common will of the Organization’s membership.

GONÇALO SANTA CLARA GOMES (Portugal) said that the usefulness of the United Nations would always be judged by its capacity to avoid and handle conflicts.  Conflict prevention had three fundamental dimensions, namely security, institution building and development.  Those three dimensions were closely intertwined; the failure of one put in jeopardy, all the others.  The Security Council, besides its continuing efforts in security and peacekeeping, had recently considered justice and the rule of law as essential elements for nation and state-building, and had explored ways to give more emphasis to that dimension.  The Economic and Social Council, on its part, had been trying to address the development component of conflict prevention through the formation of ad hoc working groups for specific countries.

He reiterated his Prime Minister’s suggestion for the creation of a new Commission with a mandate to routinely monitor cases of conflict prevention and to promote the creation of conditions for peace and development.  In conjunction with the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council; which would both, preserve their respective areas of competence, and under a mandate given by them, that committee could identify and deal with the most pressing needs.  It could also draw up, for countries at risk, integrated strategies allying the objectives of security, reinforcement of institutions, and economic and social development.  To create conditions for development, the commission would need to be closely linked with the Bretton Woods institutions and with the United Nations agencies.

ARNOLDO M. LISTRE (Argentina) said the urgent threats to global security should not make Member States lose sight of the need to ensure sustainable socio-economic development for all.  He agreed with the Secretary-General that there was currently a huge gap between the rhetoric of inclusion and what was actually practiced.  To that end, he supported efforts to follow-up on implementation of the major United Nations conferences of the past decade.  As the Secretary-General’s report pointed out, major differences existed in the way developed and developing countries viewed international macroeconomic and fiscal policies.  That, coupled with the failure of the recent Cancun round of the World Trade Organization, had underscored the need for a successful round of international trade talks aimed at revitalizing the economy and strengthening the process of development, so that small countries could achieve growth, based on resources derived from their respective competitive advantages.

On United Nations reform, he believed revitalization of the Assembly was key to making the wider Organization more efficient and transparent.  As for the Security Council, reform should be aimed at democratization, not merely increasing the number of privileged countries with permanent seats.  It was more important to first increase the number of non-permanent members –- from all regions -– so that the Council could reinforce the legitimacy of its decisions.  The use of the veto should be limited and procedures overall should aim for more transparency, he added.

ALI HACHANI (Tunisia) said that while the Millennium Declaration had traced the path to be followed collectively, to ensure that peace and security reigned in a world where fear had been banished, the democratization of the Security Council would be indispensable in addressing the political realities and new challenges of the twenty-first century.  Among the areas in which the Council’s activities should be strengthened were the reconstruction of Iraq, the conflict in the Middle East and the stabilization of Africa.  He noted that Africa continued to face serious challenges and that international mobilization would be needed to help the continent avoid further destabilization.  That should be accomplished through reinforcing the Security Council’s partnership with regional and subregional security mechanisms, as well as improving cooperation between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.

Despite the consensus and cooperation to eradicate poverty that had emerged at the beginning of the century, he stressed that, in many areas, the Millennium Goals would not be achieved within the specified timelines.  In order to achieve them at all, the debt burden of developing countries must be rapidly lightened and their products’ market access facilitated, through the reduction of subsidies and elimination of tariff barriers in the developed world.  It was also essential for developed countries to increase their ODA to 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP).  Returning to the issue of United Nations reform, he stated that the panel of eminent personalities must reflect the broadest possible geographical representation and meet the requirement of neutrality.

SUSANA RIVERO (Uruguay) reiterated her country’s support for the United Nations and reaffirmed that multilateral solutions were the only way to achieve the Organization’s objectives.  It was impossible to put an end to all questions of peace and international security when, as one conflict subsided, another one quickly appeared.  Therefore, it was important not to abandon efforts to solve issues of peace and security, and devote more time, energy and resources to the underlying tasks of economic and social development.

Despite progress in child health, approximately 11 million children died each year before reaching the age of five, she said, adding that it was unacceptable that such a human tragedy continued to take place.  She called for a mechanism, comprised partly of civil society and the business sector, which would seek an end to the problem by placing vaccines and medicines in the hands of those most vulnerable.  She expressed concern for the lack of progress in economic and social development, in particular, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  It was unwise to wait until 2015 and risk discovering that the Goals had not been reached.  She urged the creation of a timetable with short-term goals, and the political commitment to ensure that the Millennium Declaration would become a reality.

YERZHAN KH. KAZYKHANOV (Kazakhstan) said that the international community’s main task should be the strengthening of the United Nations without which it would be impossible to resolve global and regional problems.  The reform of the Organization needed to be comprehensive and had to encompass all its main bodies.  In that regard, he shared the Secretary-General’s opinion that reforming the Security Council should be expedited to eliminate any doubts about its legitimacy and authority.  Also, improving the work of the General Assembly was particularly relevant in view of its unique role as a forum for dealing with today’s global issues.  He supported the Secretary-General’s proposal to establish a high-level panel to examine the current challenges to peace and security and to strengthen the United Nations system.

He also believed that coordination between the United Nations and regional organizations needed reinvigoration.  That would enable the Organization to effectively address threats to international peace and security.  In that context, he recalled the proposal of his government to establish a Permanent Council of Regional Organizations under the Secretary-General.  In addition, he shared the Secretary-General’s opinion that the Millennium Development Goals could be achieved if the momentum generated during the past three years could be increased during the next 12.

BONIFACE CHIDYAUSIKU (Zimbabwe) said his country, “against the odds”, had made modest strides towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, namely in poverty reduction, the provision of universal primary education, and gender equality.  But those and other important gains were in danger of being reversed by the spread of the AIDS virus.  Indeed, turning back the pandemic was one battle that Zimbabwe, like many sub-Saharan countries, could not fight alone.  The Government had declared the pandemic a “national disaster” and established policy frameworks to ease its devastating healthcare, social and economic effects.  Still, he called on the international community to meet the commitments made at the Assembly’s special session, as well as at its special one-day high-level meeting on the scourge two weeks ago.

He was concerned that the developed countries were not moving fast enough to meet their obligations on issues such as trade, debt relief and ODA.  The deadlock and collapse of the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) Cancun round had proved that developing countries believed that their trading partners could no longer determine a negotiating agenda that only met the needs and narrow interests of a few.  World trade schemes needed to benefit all nations, he said, stressing that such an approach would go a long way towards ensuring that governments met their commitments on the Millennium Goals.

He added that although some detractors had attempted to vilify his Government, its Fast Track Land Redistribution Programme had gone some way in forwarding the country’s quest to meet the Goals.  That programme had been a “bold decision” to give the land back to the people as a way of addressing the issue of poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

BRUNO RODRÍGUEZ PARRILLA (Cuba) said that it was clear the international system of collective security had been broken once and for all, leaving the contemporary world more dangerous and uncertain than it had been before the criminal attacks of 11 September 2001.  The current reality was that the United Nations had been made irrelevant and the world was run by a de facto dictatorship.  For those reasons, the Assembly must reaffirm that the purposes and principles contained in the Charter retained their full effect.  In addition, Member States must respect the principles of sovereignty and non-interference, among others, while refraining from the use or the threat of use, of force.  Multilateralism must be defended, including, through the revocation of the veto and the enlargement of the Security Council’s membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.  Moreover, the Assembly must reclaim the powers mandated to it within the Charter.

Stating that the Security Council’s imposition of sanctions represented a seizure of the powers mandated to the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, he declared that the blockade against Cuba must be brought to an end.  The genocidal nature of the blockade had already been clearly demonstrated.  The way forward must be to forge a common future based upon an inclusive and equitable process of globalization.  Under the current system, the objectives of the Millennium Declaration, and the promises of the Doha trade round, remained pure fantasy.  Yet, one must recognize that there could be no peace, security or stability, no prosperity for opulent societies, without development in the South.

Moreover, he continued, achieving that development would become feasible by adopting measures such as the cancellation of debt, increasing ODA to the target of 0.7 per cent of GNP, and devoting resources, accrued through bringing to an end the arms race, speculative financial flows and corruption, to meeting the needs of developing countries.

O. ENKHTSETSEG (Mongolia) said that the importance of forging strategic partnerships at both the national and global levels and the active participation of all stakeholders in implementing the Millennium Development Goals was highlighted at the Fifth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, held last month in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar.  She believed that national reports were an important tool in measuring the progress made and ensuring that the Goals remained at the heart of development efforts.  Mongolia’s first national report, which it was currently finalizing, outlined the major challenges, obstacles and priorities for future activities under each Goal.  Her Government had made poverty reduction its key priority, and had identified the following core strategies, among others, in that regard:  ensuring sustained economic growth; addressing urban poverty and disparity; and providing adequate social protection.

She fully shared the view that the international institutions needed reform.  Measures to reform the Organization had to include the revitalization and rationalization of the Assembly, the enlargement and democratization of the Security Council, the reinvigoration of the Economic and Social Council and the review of the role of the Trusteeship Council, in light of the new responsibilities entrusted to the United Nations.  She supported the idea to set 2005, when the international community was to review the progress achieved in implementing all the commitments made in the Millennium Declaration, as a target date for reaching agreement on reform measures.

ABDUL-DAYEM M. S. MUBAREZ (Yemen) acknowledged that the United Nations had gone through a difficult phase, with the war in Iraq threatening the concept of collective security and undermining multilateral action.  However, the statements made thus far during the session, had universally reaffirmed the importance of working collectively to face global threats.  Multilateral action was most effectively undertaken through international and regional organizations, foremost among which was the United Nations.  However, it must be noted that it was not just the challenges of the past year that had threatened the credibility of the Organization.  Israel’s defiance of the United Nations resolutions for the past  40 years had also challenged the legitimate power of the universal Organization.  Moreover, while the terrorist attacks perpetrated against the United States had exposed the danger posed by international terrorism, international reaction had been limited to addressing the instances and not the root causes of the phenomenon.

While observing that many important achievements had been made in the field of human rights, he noted that the practical implementation of international norms had been limited due to the narrowness of national political interests.  Furthermore, the slow pace of progress with regard to the Millennium Development Goals could be attributed to the international community’s lack of clarity of vision and political will.  The United Nations remained the best forum for international action to face future challenges.  In that regard, he welcomed the Secretary-General’s recommendations for reform, including the establishment of a panel of eminent personalities.

ISAAC C. LAMBA (Malawi) said the realization of the Millennium Development Goals would largely depend on how much progress was achieved with regard to the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences.  Africa continued to be affected by poverty, disease and conflict, but the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) was a positive step in addressing those issues.  However, the resources for NEPAD’s implementation had not been forthcoming.  Tangible support for NEPAD should include trade liberalization and external debt cancellation in order to reduce poverty.  Peace and security were also a prerequisite for development and, in that regard, the issue of dangerous weapons needed to be addressed.

He believed that the new challenges to peace and security could only be fully addressed through international partnerships.  To that end, he encouraged the United Nations to collaborate with organizations such as the European Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Organization of American States (OAS) to address regional conflicts.

Considering that poverty was exacerbated by the instability and conflict, development in most countries would remain an illusion.  Critical elements to promote development included enhanced and increased financing for development, private sector cooperation, success of trade negotiations, improved governance and access to information and communication technologies.

HJÁLMAR W. HANNESSON (Iceland) supported reform of the United Nations to ensure that it would serve contemporary and future generations in an effective manner.  He supported the proposal to establish a high-level panel to make recommendations on reform.  That panel would need to address the role of the General Assembly as the chief policy-making body, and the need for better representation in the Security Council.  By adopting the best in information technology, the Organization would be more efficient and better able to bridge the world’s information divide.

The United Nations was in constant flux, he stated.  The Organization must continue adjusting to an ever-changing world.  He agreed with the European Union that the values sought were best guaranteed through multilateralism.  He urged timely reform, and the creation of an Organization that was task-oriented, representative and focused.

PIERRE SCHORI, (Sweden) said that a “window of opportunity” for reform of the United Nations existed.  What was lacking was the political will to do so, since there was no lack of constructive ideas.  The establishment by the Secretary-General of a panel of eminent personalities challenged all Member States to work with even more determination to achieve tangible results in those areas that were fundamental to the Organization’s work.  If members wished the General Assembly to be a vigorous actor on the international political arena, they needed to reflect on the way it operated and also to ask themselves if the resolutions they traditionally introduced, sometimes with very few changes from year to year, served their intended purpose and reflected the current situation.

He said a reform of the Security Council, including its enlargement, was not only essential, but inevitable, if the Council was to remain relevant.  Rather than trying to look for the optimal solution now for decades to come, he urged Members to accept that any reform may have to be considered again, in five or ten years.  Such reform would clearly signal that the United Nations was prepared to adapt and adjust, in order to safeguard its authority in world politics.

IHOR SAGACH (Ukraine), speaking on behalf of GUUAM Member States (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), supported the need to strengthen the United Nations as a major forum for international cooperation, to examine current challenges to peace.  He hoped recent discussions in the area of conflict prevention would bring the Organization closer to establishing an international system capable of timely and efficient prevention of armed conflict.  Slight progress had been made towards achieving the Millennium Goals, and more vigorous and coordinated efforts were necessary, both by the donor community and recipient countries.  National ownership and leadership were critical for the successful implementation of the goals.  In the meantime, there was need to strengthen capacities to prepare the Millennium Development Goals reports and to consolidate information on the poverty-related index.

A favourable external environment was no less important for sustainable development than internal economic growth.  Trade was crucial to fostering growth and reducing poverty.  He urged the international community to facilitate accession of two States, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, to the WTO.  The United Nations had a leading role in pursuing the Millennium Declaration Goals, and GUUAM stood ready to cooperate in their implementation.

AHMED TAHIR BADURI (Eritrea) said the two reports made it clear that there was a distinct relationship between peace and development, and they also pointed out that conflicts and war spawned instability which, in turn, caused socio-economic dislocation, stagnation, deterioration and frustrated development efforts.  Additionally, economic and social breakdown bred extreme poverty which resulted in human insecurity that was the root cause of conflict and war.  He said that was the message which informed the Millennium Development Declaration and the achievement of those goals demanded collective action for mutual benefit.  Calling for humanity to accept the problems and challenges of the new millennium, he noted that the United Nations had an indispensable role to play in the promotion of both peace and development.

While, he acknowledged that during the past two years achievements had “seriously lagged” behind the timetable set by the Millennium Declaration, he insisted that disparities between the various regions of the world must be addressed as a matter of priority.  He said he was pleased that Africa was being given the attention it deserved, since it had been ravaged the most by poverty, conflict and pandemics.  However, he went on, there was still hardly any progress made on the continent which assured the achievement of the Development Goals.  He also pointed to the problem of poverty eradication as another issue needing particularly urgent attention.  In third world countries, investment in the health sector was critical, not only to improve health conditions, but also to ensure human security as envisaged in the Millennium Development Goals.  He called for a coordinated and holistic approach, and international assistance, to tackle threatening diseases such HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in a meaningful way.

ADOLFO AGUILAR ZINSER (Mexico) said that while the need to implement the objectives of the Millennium Declaration had been made clear, the consensus and cooperation for implementation, which had been evident three years ago, had waned somewhat.  Nationally, Mexico had made headway in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  They had been fully adopted into national policy, and some progress had been made on the path to poverty eradication.  Moreover, there had been important advances in respect for human rights and the fight against corruption. 

He said that radical reform was needed for the Organization to respond to the many challenges and threats confronting the international community.  He reaffirmed that the great strength of the Organization was found in the legitimacy and principles enshrined in its Charter.  It must be recognized that there was no adequate alternative to the United Nations.  He supported the establishment of a panel of eminent personalities, and felt that the working procedures of the Assembly must be revitalized and updated and the role of the ECOSOC, strengthened. 

The ECOSOC should act as the coordinator of activities between and within specific agencies, including those of the Bretton Woods system, he concluded.  The ability of the United Nations to impact economic and financial issues would depend largely on its understanding of the role ECOSOC was to play.  Moreover, the work of the Security Council must be made more transparent, its membership more representative and the use of the veto curtailed, in order to ensure greater legitimacy and support for its decisions.

TERUNEH ZENNA (Ethiopia) welcomed the proposal to establish a panel of eminent personalities, and said that reform was needed to enable the United Nations to play a more central role in fighting poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  It was a cause of grave concern that the world was falling short in the achievement of the Millennium Goals.  The most recent human development report showed that some 54 countries were now poorer than they had been in 1990, while in 21 countries a larger proportion of the population suffered from hunger.

The fundamental challenge in the wake of the Millennium Summit, he continued, was to translate the commitments and pledges into deeds.  ODA must be, at a minimum, doubled, and programmes such as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative must be reinforced with even deeper debt relief mechanisms.  Furthermore, meeting the special needs of Africa must remain a priority for the attainment of the Goals.  While, it had been estimated that African economies must grow at least 7 per cent annually to meet the Goals, the 2003 Economic Report on Africa, issued by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, indicated that average gross domestic product (GDP) growth had actually declined from     4.3 per cent in 2001 to 3.2 per cent in 2002.

Finally, he concluded, as 85 per cent of Ethiopia’s population lived in rural areas, rural and agricultural development would be key to achieving the Goals in his country.  With that in mind, the Government had embarked on a programme whose objectives included substantial and sustained investment in research and extension, farmer education and training, water harvesting and building the physical and institutional infrastructures of rural markets.

U KYAW TINT SWE (Myanmar) said his country had given special priority to the development of border areas in a programme that sought to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas.  To that end, development activities that had a direct impact on improving the living standards of the people had been initiated.  They included the construction of roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure.

He said the new level of commitment by the international community in seeking appropriate and timely responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic were encouraging, as the scourge posed no less a threat than terrorism or drugs.  While the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration cited Myanmar as one country where “resistance to democracy was strong”, he said nothing could be further from the truth.  Myanmar was firmly committed to the attainment of democracy and had the political will for a systematic transformation to that end.

As one of the first countries to embrace the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he said that Myanmar was making every effort to fulfil the fundamental rights of its citizens. The rights of women, children, the sick, the aged and other vulnerable groups were closely guarded, he continued, adding that the Myanmar Human Rights Committee had been established to guarantee citizens’ rights. 

LUIS GALLEGOS (Ecuador) said that reforming the United Nations was a necessity, and would not be an easy task.  If the United Nations was to be relevant, it must accept not only procedural changes, but also substantial ones.  He noted that during the Organization’s 50-year history, the international community had not been able to solve the brutal conflicts that affected innocent human beings.  It was not sufficient to make “rhetorical declarations to stop the terrible atrocities, in which knives and machetes became weapons of mass destruction”.  The thousands who were mutilated, the women who were raped and others who were tortured and assassinated were evidence of the ineffectiveness of the system.  That must not continue.

The revitalization of the Assembly should not be limited to reducing the number of items debated, he said.  Also, the reform of the Security Council should go beyond increasing the number of its members.  It should be a profound change that responded, as the Secretary-General stated, to the political realities of the twenty-first century.  The dangers in today’s world were derived not only from States, but also from terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime. The Security Council must change because the world had changed.

MADGI M. TAHA (Sudan) said that the Millennium Declaration had set forth ways and means to tackle the challenges of the new century, which included pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as threats to international peace and security such as organized crime and terrorism.  Yet, the United Nations would need to be reformed in order to make significant progress in meeting those challenges and attaining the Millennium Goals.  Among the most important aspects of that reform was the need to make the Security Council more representative through expanding its non-permanent membership and making its working methods more transparent.  Moreover, the Malaysian proposal to limit the use of the veto was noteworthy, in that it would take the agreement of more than one State to wield the veto. 

Noting that the gap between rich and poor continued to expand, he stressed the need to redress the international system of trade, especially through the elimination of the debt burden of developing countries and the improvement of market access for their products.  Furthermore, while NEPAD had been welcomed as a purely African initiative for development, it was hoped that the international community would provide concrete support to it.  Particular attention should also be given to the needs of the least developed countries.  In that regard, he lauded the decision to create an Office of the High Commissioner for the Least Developed, small Island and Landlocked Countries.  As for its own situation, his Government hoped to announce the conclusion of a general peace agreement soon.

PIO SCHURTI (Liechtenstein) said the past year was uniquely challenging for the Organization, but the challenges came from within.  Therefore, the solution to the crisis was also to be found among and by the Member States.  He said it would be tragic if the international community lost its capacity for multilateral cooperation, while its enemies organized themselves along similar lines and participated in destructive activities, such as terrorist groupings.  Noting that events of the past months had made it abundantly clear that the crisis the Organization experienced in connection with the Iraq issue was a crisis of multilateralism, he observed that Member States seemed to have fallen out of step with world public opinion that clearly favoured joint multilateral efforts, under the rule of law.

He said legitimacy in accordance with international law was the outstanding quality of the Organization, and the world should not gamble away the unique feature of guaranteeing credibility and acceptance; the perceived legitimacy and impartiality of the United Nations must not be further compromised.  He said that standard-setting had culminated in the Millennium Declaration which included the Millennium Development Goals, in which States reaffirmed the vision outlined in the United Nations Charter and spelt out in concrete and specific terms, relevant to the times.  The Millennium Development Goals also reflected the recognition that poverty remained a serious threat to peace and security.

ISIKIA R. SAVUA (Fiji) said the Millennium Declaration remained a milestone road map for the development agenda for the twenty-first century.  There was a need for radical institutional reforms, and the General Assembly had heard many creative and practical suggestions in that regard.  It was imperative that the presidency and the Secretary-General take into consideration recommendations for reforms.  Meeting the Millennium Development Goals was a significant start to fighting terrorism, as doing so would uplift lives and serve to uproot adverse social, economic and human rights conditions in which terrorist tendencies flourished.

Replacing adverse conditions with an empowering socio-economic environment would satisfy global commitments to the conferences and summits throughout the past decade.  Fiji looked forward to the Secretary-General’s “high-level panel” on institutional reform and trusted that the panel would convene following full consultations with regional groups and partners.  He said the Organization had two options for improving the plight of developing countries.  It could continue working as it had for the past 50 years and maintain the status quo, or leave lasting footprints for the changes it instituted.

LEBOHANG K. MOLEKO (Lesotho) said the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals had shown that the international community was indeed focused on correct achievable goals.  However, their attainment had proven to be elusive because of a lack of political will, as well as protectionism.  The most intractable goal was that of combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases because of poverty.  Another failure was in the area of halving the proportion of people whose income was less than one dollar per day.  Any positive gain in this area would necessarily translate into achievement on other goals.

He said governments were failing to meet the targets they had set for themselves, and “in the process, we have relegated some regions of the world to doom and possible disappearance”.  Sub-Saharan Africa was facing the greatest threat humankind had ever had to face, and the global fund for HIV/AIDS represented a real hope for nations such as those to address this problem.

On the relevance of the United Nations in the wake of escalating wars, he pointed out that the Organization’s founding fathers had learned from two world wars that peace and international security could not be achieved through unilateralism.  The lessons learnt then were as relevant today as they would be in the future.  He also supported calls for the reform of the General Assembly, ECOSOC and the Security Council.

BEATA PEKSA-KRAWIEC (Poland) said she expected the final report of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel of eminent personalities to focus on a conceptual and holistic reflection on the nature of changes in the international system and a vision of a more effective international order.  That report should answer the many questions posed by today’s challenges, including security risks related to globalization and non-State actors, development gaps, international solidarity and good governance.

She called on the international community not to just wait for the outcome of the eminent personalities’ deliberations, but to continue its quest for smooth and timely implementation of the reforms already agreed upon and to intensify efforts to make the Organization’s work more effective and fruitful.  She also urged the General Assembly committees to continue consideration of the reform package on a priority basis.  The adoption of a new programme budget for

2004-2005 that supported the full implementation of the Millennium Declaration and the reform process would be crucially important.  Poland believed that Member States also needed to search for ways to improve the work of the Security Council and ECOSOC.

Member States should this year, engage more strongly in a process of revitalizing the General Assembly to make it more effective, capable and strong.  Since many proposals had already been put forward in that regard, a basis on which to build on already existed.

Rights of Reply

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said that the nuclear situation on the Korean Peninsula, referred to yesterday by the representative of Japan, was the outcome of the United States’ hostile policy against his Government.  Furthermore, the Government of Japan would not contribute to the settlement of that issue by trying to put international pressure on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  The United States had threatened a pre-emptive nuclear attack against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and Japan’s determination to take the side of the United States, revealed its intent to accomplish the invasion of the Korean Peninsula anew.  Faced with all those threats, how could his Government put aside its deterrent force?

The example of Iraq, he added, demonstrated amply that no organization, not even the United Nations, could protect the weak and small from the armed aggression of the super-Power.  Thus, Japan must discard the “delusion of catching fish in the troubled waters of the United States-Democratic People's Republic of Korea confrontation”.

On the subject of compensation, he said that there would only be an improvement of relations between his country and Japan once the latter had compensated the people of Korea for its past crimes.  His country would not compromise its principles and national interests therein.  Moreover, Japan should break itself of the habit of betraying its dialogue partner in its statements.

The representative of Israel said that some delegates had abused the present debate in the Assembly to further their own narrow agendas.  They had expressed concern over counter-terrorism measures taken in self-defence by Israel, but had failed to express any concern over the countless innocent lives that had been lost as a result of terrorist acts.  Such a policy spoke to the double standards that plagued the Assembly.  The fact that 19 innocent lives had been lost in a restaurant in Haifa, in addition to hundreds of others in other attacks, had not moved those delegates to speak or act.  They only did so when action had been taken against a terrorist training facility.

The Government of Syria was a dictatorship, he said.  As a known sponsor of terrorism, it should be the last to speak of justice and law.  Yet, the delegate from Syria liked to preach about his country’s support for the resistance.  How did an attack in Haifa, perpetrated by those Syria supported, serve as an act of legitimate resistance?  One could also ask how Syria had dealt with resistance in its own experience, at Hamas, for example.  In order to revive the peace process and give the “Road Map” a chance to succeed, it was essential that State sponsors of terror not be absolved from their responsibilities under international law.  That would only push the day of peace further into the future.

The representative of Japan said that his country had not raised the issue of the nuclear situation on the Korean Peninsula solely because it sided with the position of the United States, but because that situation was intimately linked with his country’s national security.  Furthermore, on the issue of compensation, it should be noted that the Pyongyang Declaration, which had been duly signed by both sides, said that “pursuant to basic principles, upon normalization of their relations, both sides would mutually waive all their property claims and those of their individual citizens dating from before August 1945”.  Japan’s policy was aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea through a comprehensive resolution of all issues, including both nuclear and compensation issues.

The representative of Syria said he was not surprised by Israel’s statement, which had condemned Syria and ignored its own action.  That merely reaffirmed Israel’s continued practice of condemning others who held differing views.  Israel’s so-called concern for peace was somewhat hard to believe, since its current Government appeared to have no problem killing men, women and children and seizing property.  Israel knew nothing but war and importing war to its neighbours.  Syria, on the other hand, had taken every opportunity to promote peace in the region.

While the international community was in the midst of discussing peace in the Middle East, he said that Israel was now attempting to erase any progress that had been made toward that end.  The people of Syria had the ultimate faith in their Government, and the notion that a nation such as Israel, which killed and bombed civilians, would condemn Syria’s Government was nothing but pure ignorance.  He added that Israel’s claim that Syria was responsible for 19 Israeli deaths over the weekend was merely an attempt to find justification, and to take international attention away from a Government that was facing serious internal crisis.  In addition, Israel should allow some 500,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria to return to their homeland.

In response to the representative of Japan, the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea asked him whether or not it was true that Japanese authorities were clamouring for a pre-emptive strike against his country, as well as advocating aggression and hostilities against its neighbours.  Wasn’t it true that Japan was talking about constitutional reform that would herald its return to militarism?  He added that there would be no normalization of relations between the two countries as long as Japan maintained its policies and continued its betrayal.

Responding to Syria, the representative of Israel said Syria had chosen to turn the important debate into a series of attacks against Israel.  And now, the representative of Syria said he was surprised that Israel had responded.  If that response had not been so sad it would have been amusing.  Indeed, “wolves in sheep’s clothing” were always amusing.  He went on to give a detailed account of what he described as Syria’s involvement with terrorist groups.  He said Syria’s harbouring, training and financing of terrorists and terrorist organizations such as the Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah were well known.  Agents of those organizations were known to be housed at Syrian military bases.  Syria was known to promote the bombing of homes, shopping malls and other public places within Israel.  Israel’s retaliation had only been after exercising extreme restraint.

The representative of Japan said that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea had referenced imaginary facts.  He categorically denied that his country had either publicly endorsed a pre-emptive strike policy or undertaken to revise its Constitution. 

As for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s allegations that the Japanese had persecuted an organization because of its national affiliation, he said that as long as all organizations abided by Japanese law, they enjoyed the protection of Japanese law.  If they did violate the law, however, they would be punished, like all other organizations.

Finally, he recalled that the Pyongyang Declaration had been signed by both sides.  Perhaps the delegate from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea should read it more carefully.

The representative of Syria made reference to several articles from the Israeli press and their depiction of a favourable reaction to the air strike against his country.  He also recalled that several prominent Israeli rabbis had described the current Prime Minister of Israel as an ugly impersonation of Zionism.

The “real Jews”, he continued, had not experienced peace and tranquillity since before the establishment of the Zionist State.  The mentality of the Israeli Government had been revealed as truly terrorist; it was guilty of occupation and aggression, and had violated many international resolutions.  Moreover, it should be noted that, in spite of Israel’s claims that Syria harboured terror, Syria had been the foremost victim of terrorism in the 1980s. 

Furthermore, he continued, Hezbollah was a Lebanese entity.  It received no instructions from Syria.  There were information and humanitarian offices in Syria that provided support to the needy Palestinian people, that was all.  Those people should be allowed to return to their homeland.

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