Press conference by General Assembly president

 

Addressing correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this morning, the President of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly, Jean Ping (Gabon), called on the media to support the United Nations in addressing the world’s burning issues and help the Assembly restore its leadership role.

Currently, the media displayed high interest in the work of the Security Council, but fewer journalists followed the deliberations and recommendations of the Assembly, he said.  Enhancing the role of the United Nations had several aspects to it, and the media had a part to play in that regard.

“We are facing many complex international challenges, and no organization is better equipped than the United Nations to address and resolve them”, President Ping continued.  The role of the world body had to be recognized and strengthened, for today’s challenges requiring collective solutions included not only wars and international terrorism, but also disease, poverty, environmental problems and development.  Emphasizing the crucial importance of the current session, he said that urgent and effective action was needed in preparation for the Organization’s sixtieth anniversary and next year’s review of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and outcome of major international conferences.

Mr. Ping, who succeeds Julian R. Hunte of Saint Lucia, stressed that numerous problems of the changing world could only be addressed if the major organs of the United Nations -- the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) -- worked in harmony.  The United Nations was the only universal framework where MemberStates and peoples from around the world could express their views. 

In that connection, he highlighted the reform of the Security Council and the need to restore the authority of the Assembly among the Organization’s main priorities.  The reform of the Council had been on the agenda since 1993 and, in preparation for the sixtieth session, it was important to move forward.  It was important to take into account that while in 1945 there had been 50 States Members of the United Nations, today there were 191.  In 1963, the Security Council was reformed, and the number of its members was increased from 11 to 15, but it was also necessary to reflect the changes in the world since then.  For example, many newly independent African States, which had not been represented at the United Nations at the time when it was founded, had joined the Organization in the 1960s.

Asked why a representative of Gabon had been chosen to head the current session, he said that all countries could and should be called upon to preside over the Assembly.  The rules required that there be a rotation of the presidency among continents, and when the turn of Africa came, the 11 countries of the Central African subregion -- the one that had not presided over the Assembly yet -- had decided to propose his country’s candidacy, which was later approved by other regions.

With President Bush expected to address the plenary next Tuesday, a correspondent asked what Mr. Ping expected from his statement, particularly as far as the questions of terrorism and the war in Iraq were concerned.  Mr. Ping replied that it was not for the General Assembly President to decide what the leader of a MemberState should say.  He did not even want to say what he would like to hear.  The Assembly would listen very carefully to what President Bush would say. 

On terrorism, of course, he believed all Member States condemned terrorism, and he was sure they would confirm it.  As for the role of the United Nations, he hoped all Member States would help to strengthen its role.  All countries had to contribute to the search for solutions on some issues, which no single country could tackle alone.  Among those, he listed the questions of the environment and sustainable development.

In response to a question about his plans to strengthen the role of the Assembly, he said that what was expected from the President of the fifty-ninth session was a contribution to restoring the authority and prestige of that unique body.  His predecessors had started the reform of the Assembly, and now it was important to continue and complete that work.  Cooperation and collaboration with the principal organs of the United Nations and the Secretariat were essential.  Non-governmental organizations and the media also had a role to play.

Asked to comment on Secretary-General Annan’s statement that war against Iraq had been illegal, he said that he needed time to analyze the Secretary-General’s position, for it had been only this morning that he had learned about his statement.

Regarding possible debate in the plenary on that issue, he said that Member States were free to discuss anything of concern and interest to them.  While no ban on specific issues existed, however, an item could not be discussed, unless proposed by Member States.

To a question about the Sudan, Mr. Ping replied that the crisis in Darfur could not leave anyone indifferent.  As an African and as President of the Assembly, he could not remain indifferent, either.  However, there were many players in the field, and one should not “add to the confusion”.  The African Union, especially the Council for Peace and Security, had taken up the question of Darfur from the start.  The President of Nigeria was in constant discussions with various protagonists, and talks were under way in Abuja.  The Security Council was also dealing with the situation in the Sudan.  As President of the Assembly, he had mentioned the matter as among the most important items in his opening statement earlier this week.  The issues of peace and security were closely related to the problems of sustainable development and, in dealing with the situation in the Sudan, it was important to address both.

On yesterday’s debate in the General Committee on the issue of the representation of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United Nations, he said that a number of States had requested the inclusion of that item on the agenda.  However, the overwhelming majority of the participants of the debate had insisted that the matter had already been settled and there was no need to reopen it.  The proposal to include the item had been rejected.

In response to another question, he added that in preparation for the session, he had visited many Member States, including permanent members of the Security Council, and held consultations with representatives of most major groups of countries.  His opening statement reflected the priorities defined during those meetings.  Personally, he had come to the Assembly without any “preconceived notions” about the programme of work for the session.  The Assembly’s agenda had been shaped on the basis of Member States’ wishes.

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