AS GENERAL DEBATE CONTINUES, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT URGES UNITED STAND IN TACKLING COMMON CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HUMANITY

Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Plenary

5^th & 6^th Meetings (AM & PM)

AS GENERAL DEBATE CONTINUES, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT URGES UNITED STAND

IN TACKLING COMMON CHALLENGES CONFRONTING HUMANITY

Leaders Stress Role of Multilateralism in Solving

World Crises, Strengthening United Nations, Combating Global Poverty

Casting the modern quest after social justice and equality for all as a struggle to balance the will of the powerful and the needs of the weak, South African President Thabo Mbeki today urged developing and developed nations alike to face up to the common challenges and threats confronting humanity.

Addressing the general debate of the fifty-ninth United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Mbeki said that depending on their positions relative to the power equation, nations would have radically different views about what constituted humanity's most serious challenges, and what must be changed to respond to that perceived reality.

He was among more than 30 speakers, including heads of State and government, who addressed the Assembly’s annual high-level segment over two sessions today.  National leaders, mainly from Africa and Latin America, highlighted the vital role of multilateralism in solving world crises, strengthening the United Nations and tackling the threat posed by global poverty.

Mr. Mbeki deplored the situation in which the contemporary distribution of power often made it difficult for the concerns of the poor to take high priority on the global agenda.  The powerful and wealthy felt threatened by terrorism, and the poor and weak by poverty or natural disasters such as Hurricane Ivan, which had so recently devastated Grenada.  Yet, he stressed, both the powerful and the disempowered would agree that the international community must act together, to confront successfully those challenges and threats.

Enrique Bolaños Geyer, President of Nicaragua, said the world had changed and there was a need to adapt to new circumstances.  Therefore, the United Nations itself should be reinvented.  In that light, he joined President Elías Antonio Saca González of El Salvador, as the two fledgling Latin American democracies said their experiences with the horrors of war, as well as democratization and post-conflict reconstruction, could provide valuable lessons as the Organization pressed ahead with revitalization.

Charles Gyude Bryant, Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia, stressed that the “phenomenal” role the United Nations was playing in bringing sustainable peace and human dignity to his country was indicative of the new challenges the Organization faced, and which must be met if “we the peoples of the United Nations” were to live in peace and enjoy their rights.  Domitien Ndayizeye, President of Burundi, stressing the importance of reforming the Organization in the face of current complex challenges, listed the need to mobilize resources for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals -- combating HIV/AIDS, eradicating poverty, increasing official development assistance (ODA) and opening international markets -- among the priorities.

Today, the people of the world demanded urgent decisions, noted Alejandro Toledo Manrique, President of Peru, adding that those decisions must ensure global governance based on international law, place the United Nations back at the centre of a strengthened multilateral system, and reinforce the values of peace and international justice.  However, no amount of reinforcement would help unless hunger, poverty and inequality among nations were also addressed.  "The international community must understand -- we all must -- that peace, security and the stability of the world system are not uniquely related to political, military or strategic issues", he warned.  "Poverty and exclusion are some of the new threats to peace and security."

Striking a similar note, Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf cautioned that the growing asymmetries in power among States, discrimination in the dispensation of international justice, repression of peoples’ legitimate aspirations, and growing economic disparities had precipitated new threats.  Welcoming a resurgence of support for multilateralism based on the principles of the United Nations Charter, he said, "All our collective aspirations can be best pursued within this world organization ...  The United Nations must be strengthened and revitalized to respond to the challenges of the 21st century."

Also speaking this afternoon were the Presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Namibia, Djibouti, Paraguay, Latvia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Romania, Guatemala, Bolivia, Marshall Islands, Estonia, Panama, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lithuania, as well as the Interim President of Haiti.

The Prime Ministers of Canada, Portugal, Andorra, Croatia, Equatorial Guinea also spoke.  The Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon also addressed the Assembly, as did the Foreign Ministers of the United Arab Emirates and the Congo.

Following the debate, the representatives of Zimbabwe, Iran, United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands spoke in exercise of the right of reply, while the representative of Spain spoke on a point of order.

The fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly will continue its general debate tomorrow, 23 September, at 10 a.m.

Background

The General Assembly met today to continue the general debate of its fifty-ninth session.

Statements

SULEJMAN TIHIĆ, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thanked the United Nations for everything it had done for his country.  After describing the multi-ethnic nature of that country, he went on to describe the progress achieved in the past few years.  The infrastructure destroyed in the war had been reconstructed, and macroeconomic stability had been achieved.  It was on course for negotiations with the European Union (EU) on a stabilization and association agreement.  With stabilization, the country was now participating in peacekeeping missions instead of being merely an international aid consumer.

His country, he said, had met all requirements for the Partnership for Peace programme, with the only obstacle being the failure of Serbia to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).  He urged full cooperation with the ICTY, including through prosecution of thousands of war criminals, who were still at large, in the local courts.  He stressed the importance of apprehending, in particular, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, and of finding and identifying the bodies of about 15,000 remaining missing persons.

In addition, he said, the current political system in his country was overly complicated and had become an obstacle to further progress there.  He requested international support to make the necessary institutional changes that would lead to European Union membership.  He also urged resolution of the outstanding issues among neighbouring countries, without reopening the issue of borders.

Regarding global matters, he said that the Iraqi crisis needed to be resolved simultaneously with the Palestinian issue.  The United Nations should take the leading role in Iraq.  He called for the protection of Islamic and other world-heritage sites in that country.  In addition, he said his country was sincerely committed to combating international terrorism.  Finally, he called for reforms in United Nations mechanisms, saying that efficient mechanisms could have prevented the aggression against his country.  In that light, he expressed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s wish to serve on the Security Council.

ALEJANDRO TOLEDO MANRIQUE, President of Peru, said that in this new century, the world faced a contradiction:  it was unified in the areas of production, trade, finance and the information and communication technology (ICT) revolution, but it was divided by increasing conflicts, civil strife, international terrorism and cultural and ethnic violence.  All this, along with the socio-economic disparities between nations wrought by the spread of globalization, was taking place at a time when human rights and the rule of law were under pressure, and the international multilateral system was “in crisis”.  Nations and peoples demand urgent decisions, he said, decisions assuring global governance based on international law, placing the United Nations back at the centre of a strengthened multilateral system, and the reinforcement of the values of peace and international justice.

The best way to address the paradoxes of our global era was to adhere to yet another contradiction:  the world today needed both continuity and change, he declared.  The people wanted consensus as well as growth and social integration.  It was therefore up to the international community to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, as well as ensure that the United Nations was the central multilateral Organization in our ever-evolving times.  Without it, the goals of global governance, preventing and curbing international conflicts, punishing crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing and defeating international terrorism, among others, would be impossible.

Peru stood for a world of peace and security and the juridical equality of States, he continued.  So while the continuity of the United Nations was essential to promoting those ideals, Peru understood the need for changing the tools, measures and mechanisms at the Organization’s disposal.  To that end, efforts to reform the Security Council must bear in mind that body’s ultimate goal of ensuring collective security and the need to ensure that democratic order and legitimacy were maintained.  He added that if the Council’s permanent membership were to be expanded, Peru would support the legitimate candidature of the Government of Brazil.

He went on to stress that peace, international security and development, required not only democratic order, but the promotion and protection of, and respect for, human rights.  The rule of law and the international legal order must guarantee justice, particularly for the victims of crimes against humanity and other grave violations of human rights.  “Denying that justice is tantamount to endorsing impunity”, he declared, as he recalled the heinous crimes and atrocities committed during the regime of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.  He then appealed to the Government of Japan to cooperate in the extradition of Mr. Fujimori, so that he could be tried for the crimes for which he had been indicted in Peru, including crimes against humanity, torture, corruption, forced disappearances and executions.  Democratic Peru assured the former President of a fair trial and due process under the rule of law.

SAM NUJOMA, President of Namibia, emphasized his country’s commitment to the development targets of the Millennium Summit, noting the widening income gap between the industrialized North and the developing South.  It was a dangerous time bomb, he said, and the planet was too small to perpetuate the coexistence of abject poverty and abundance of prosperity within its fold.  Namibia, for its part, had adopted a country-wide programme to implement the Millennium Development Goals and Targets.

He said the world had enormous resources to fight and defeat poverty and hunger, and the international community must insist on a realistic balance between global spending on war and weapons technology on the one hand, and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and Targets on the other.  What was required was political will and compassion on the part of world leaders.  Developed countries should consider their support to the countries of the South as an act of enlightened contribution to regional and global stability.

He saluted “the visionary leaders of the African continent who shaped the vision of African unity and the continent’s emancipation from the yoke of colonialism, foreign occupation, and apartheid”.  He noted Africa’s resolve to pursue a new beginning, marked by the launch of the African Union and NEPAD.  He said gender equality and the empowerment of women in decision-making and resource mobilization was critical to the African Union’s progressive agenda.  He stressed that without sustained peace Africa’s dream of economic growth would remain unfulfilled.

Turning to the issue of United Nations reforms, he said the organization, and in particular the Security Council, could not continue operating on the basis of undemocratic structures of representation.  While the overall reforms had been agreed upon, political will was lacking.  Africa needed its place as a key player in this world body.  Africa demanded its share of responsibility, and now was the time for that to happen.

THABO MBEKI, President of South Africa said the global community had failed thus far to achieve the goals, set out in the Millennium Declaration in 2000, of a world of peace, free of war and poverty, and characterized by shared prosperity.  The world had yet to seriously confront the difficult issues related to the uses and abuses of power.  Both the powerful and disempowered would undoubtedly agree that terrorism and war were a serious threat to humanity, and that the international community must jointly confront those situations.

He opposed the bombing of the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the 11 September 2001 bombing of the WorldTradeCenter and acts of terrorism in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Spain, Israel and Russia.  Violent conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere as well as the right to self-determination in the Western Sahara cried out for solution.

Terrorists targeted the powerful because of their power, he said.  The decisions of the powerful to address terrorism and war would necessitate changes in global governance and translate into mandatory injunctions issued by the United Nations which all Member States must accept and implement.

Similarly, poverty, want and underdevelopment constituted a central and principal threat to humanity, claiming the lives of millions annually and resulting in shortened life expectancy and depravation for many, he continued.  The powerful and wealthy felt threatened by terrorism, the poor and powerless by poverty or natural disasters such as Hurricane Ivan which had destroyed Grenada.  However, the poor lacked the means to respond to the present and immediate danger of “a permanent hurricane of poverty”, which also threatened all humanity.

ISMAIL OMAR GUELLEH, President of the Republic of Djibouti said that while there were enough examples of state terrorism, terrorism had become essentially stateless and enlisted participation across borders, nationalities and inclinations.  Although it must be confronted promptly and vigorously, a “knee-jerk” military reaction failed to address its many manifestations, or get at its roots and causes.  It should also be accepted that terrorism was not a faith or ideology.  To address its possible underlying causes with “only cursory lip service”, could be fatal and self destructive.

He said Africa’s need for development assistance had created the impression that the continent was a major financial burden to the international community.  It in fact did not receive a disproportionate amount of aid.  Overall, least developed countries would not be able to reduce poverty, achieve universal primary education, or reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS to the targets set for the 2015 deadline.

The divergent views that had prevailed for a long time among the countries of the Horn of Africa on ways to resolve the Somali conflict had now yielded to common sense in helping Somalia restore legitimacy and lasting peace.  The peace conference had culminated in a Somali Transitional Parliament, in which all the factions and various components of the Somali civil society were represented.  Last week, a speaker was elected, and today, deputies were being elected.  The parliamentarians would then proceed to elect the President of the Transitional Government on 10 October.  He thought the international community now had a unique opportunity to help Somalia in its quest for peace, stability and unity.

He said Djibouti had been fortunate in achieving a period of sustained growth, stability and improved governance.  His country sought to improve its private sector development by reducing the cost of doing business, improving its labour force and eliminating gender disparities.  The Government also recognized that it must strengthen institutional capacity and governance, while enhancing the absorptive capacity to manage, as well as effectively utilize, much needed donor support.

NICANOR DUARTE FRUTOS, President of Paraguay, said that while Latin America had undergone astounding changes over the past few decades, the region was still fraught with the serious threat of falling standards of living and a lack of access to developed country markets.  Globalization had not contributed to sustained growth or the reduction of poverty and inequality.  Paraguay believed that efforts underway to correct such imbalances -– in the South American region and throughout the world –- should result in a healthy change of attitudes and greater political motivation towards building a just global society where developing countries could participate equitably in the international economy.

He called for the equitable management of globalization, which would do much to ensure that the world’s poorest countries achieved the Millennium Goals.  He said that social investments throughout the South American continent would ensure that that region reached the Goals.  Among several innovative socio-economic initiatives in that regard, he proposed “soft financing” schemes by which international civic organizations could target funds for the region’s poorest countries.  He added that political leaders must ensure that such assistance led to widespread innovations in management and public administration, which particularly promoted transparency.  Any such formulae must also be in keeping with the cultures of all the countries of the region, with the full involvement of civil society.

He went on to say that the debt question must also be adequately addressed, declaring that “Restoring the lives of the millions of dispossessed must take precedence over the need to repay debt”.  Strategies to that end must be aimed at the eradication of poverty and enhancing the livelihoods of marginalized people.

Turning to highlight areas of particular concern in Paraguay, he said the country’s small indigenous population had no means of meeting their vital needs and that the indiscriminate policies of lazy landowners and modern agrarian schemes were destroying much of their land.  Paraguay had therefore worked to implement programmes and policies based on social, fiscal and environmental responsibility.  Such plans aimed to provide basic necessities, avoided deficits and chronic indebtedness, and promoted the protection of natural resources.  He added that it was important to ensure access to markets based on preferential terms and special consideration must be given to landlocked countries like Paraguay, which had been punished for centuries by unjust geopolitical schemes and policies.  Paraguay joined others that called for a strengthened multilateral system, in which all nations could participate and cooperate equitably.

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, President of Pakistan, described a profound transformation in international relations following the cold war.  He called one resulting factor, terrorism, a threat to his country’s vital national interests, saying that Pakistan was a leader in the campaign against it.  That campaign was succeeding, but would not be ultimately successful unless the root causes of the scourge were addressed.

For that purpose, and to prevent a clash of civilizations, he proposed a strategy that he called “Enlightened Moderation”, endorsed by the last Islamic Summit.  It involved internal socio-economic reform in the Muslim world, on one hand and, on the other, support from the Western powers for the just resolution of outstanding political disputes and the socio-economic revival for all Islamic peoples.  The major powers had not yet moved toward the latter objective, he said; action had to be taken before an iron curtain finally descended between the
West and the Islamic World.

In that regard, he said that the tragedy of Palestine was an open wound inflicted on the psyche of every Muslim.  He called on Israel to move its separation wall to pre-1967 boundaries and to stop atrocities against Palestinians.  He also called on Yasser Arafat to use his influence to stop the intifada, and on the Quartet, in particular the United States, to fairly and effectively broker a two-state solution.

It was also essential, he said, for Pakistan and India to resolve all their differences.  Pakistan was firmly committed to the dual process of confidence measures and dialogue, which must proceed in tandem.  The normalization process had so far been cordial, and he looked forward to resolving the difficult issues that lay ahead with boldness.  This was the moment for peace, which must not be allowed to slip away.

Regarding Iraq, he stressed the importance of national control over security and natural resources.  As for Afghanistan, he said his country would do all it could to prevent terrorists from using its territory to disrupt the crucial election process.   The building of the national army and reconstruction needed to be accelerated as well.  On the subject of global poverty, he stressed the importance of good governance, official development assistance, and new sources of financing, as well as an end to corruption and glaring inequalities in trade, which must be reversed.

Describing progress in his country toward a progressive, democratic Islamic State, he also stressed the importance of multilateralism based on the principles of the United Nations Charter.  He urged reform in the Security Council through an expansion that ensured representation for the small and medium States that had joined the organization in the past three decades, and he called for a new paradigm for the Organization towards the achievement of universal peace and prosperity.

VAIRA VIKE-FREIBERGA, President of the Republic of Latvia, said that rather than disappearing from news headlines, terrorism was becoming a main method of warfare of disaffected groups seeking to achieve political ends and blackmail governments.  The events of the past few years showed that military means alone had not been effective in rooting out terrorism nor had terrorism proven effective in achieving political aspirations.

The United Nations Road Map for peace was the only feasible means to end hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians, she continued.  The transition of power, reconstruction of infrastructure and free and fair elections in January in Iraq would require continued international assistance, she said, encouraging an active United Nations involvement.  Latvia would continue to support peace and security efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the 18 September United Nations Security Council resolution urging the Sudanese Government to cease violence in Darfur.  Noting that the United Nations peacekeeping budget would nearly double next year as a result of new peacekeeping missions in Sudan, Burundi and Haiti, she said the United Nations must maintain its crucial role in mediating international disputes and its Member States must support it as a truly credible force for peace.

The Working Group on Security Council Reform must set forth proposals to make the Council more representative of current political and economic realities, give it greater legitimacy and render it more effective, she continued.  She called for continued serious debate to expand the Council’s permanent and
non-permanent membership, adding that Japan or Germany could and should play an increasingly stronger role.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) functional commissions must be restructured and made more efficient, she continued, proposing that ECOSOC issues be reviewed twice a year instead of the present four times a year, in order to free vital financial and human resource for socio-economic development projects in developing nations.  Latvia was committed to promoting global development and poverty reduction.  As it completed its transition from a receiving country to a donor nation, Latvia would allocate at least one third of one per cent of its gross national product for development aid by 2006, a requirement of all European Union Member States.

Promotion of democratic and civil societies, economic development, environmental protection and other issues in neighbouring countries in the European Union were top development cooperation priorities for Latvia, she said, noting that it had provided bilateral technical assistance to Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

ROBERT MUGABE, President of Zimbabwe, stressed the need to address the issue of democratization of international governance, which lay at the core of the current debate on enhancing the authority of the United Nations.  Debate on the reform of the Security Council had been drawn out because of attempts calculated to protect those whose interests were best served by the status quo.  It was some of these same forces that had rained bombs on innocent Iraqis, purportedly in the name of democracy.  Iraq had become an inferno created by illegal acts of aggression by the United States, Britain and their allies, resulting in the mass destruction of human lives and property, and with them human rights and the norms of international law enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

Noting the recent droughts that had wreaked havoc on the economies of the Southern-African region, he said Zimbabwe, like many other developing countries, might not be able to meet the Millennium Declaration Goals and Targets.  Furthermore, health and education conditions had been worsened by the brain drain and by the devastating effects of the HIV-AIDS pandemic.  To combat the pandemic, Zimbabwe had taken measures at the national level, within its limited means, and had also coordinated its efforts with the South African Development Community (SADC).

He said his country had had to withstand unprovoked sanctions imposed by Britain and its allies who were bent on bringing down Zimbabwe’s legitimately elected Government.  Regime change was an inalienable right of the Zimbabwean people, who through their sovereign vote, could make and unmake their governments.  Zimbabwe would hold parliamentary elections next March, which like other elections before them, would be conducted in accordance with national laws and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.  Zimbabwe welcomed election observers, whose sole purpose would be to observe the process and not to meddle in the politics of his country.

He said the fight against terrorism had exposed the duplicity and insincerity of erstwhile leading democracies and human rights monitors with regard to the observance of human rights.  Zimbabwe was seriously concerned that the United Nations, the preeminent instrument for the maintenance of international peace and security, had to watch helplessly while Iraq was plundered by the United States and United Kingdom led so-called coalition of the willing.  Such “gunslinging diplomacy” and illegitimate territorial occupation of the State of Iraq were blemishes on the fair-play image of the United Nations.  Conditions in Abu Ghraib and GuantanamoBay illustrated that Western countries did not have the moral authority to parade themselves as torchbearers of human rights.

BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, President of Malawi, stressed that one of the most daunting challenges facing developing countries was to transform their economies and achieve growth.  Malawi’s strategy to gain a share in global prosperity was to move from being an importing and consuming country, to a predominantly producing and exporting one.  The critical issue for Malawi was to create new wealth to eradicate poverty.  Significant domestic savings would be encouraged as well as inflows of resources, especially foreign direct investment.  The Government was determined to create conditions for sustainable macroeconomic growth through fundamental policy reforms to improve economic and political governance and to stamp out corruption.  The challenge for industrialized countries was to share with poor countries the prosperity of globalization and to assist them to stand on their own.

Malawi had adopted a holistic approach to dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and appealed to the United Nations to raise new awareness and assumptions about it.  He also urged it to re-design its policy in providing support for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.  The on-going efforts of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS and the World Food Programme that focused on nutrition interventions deserved the support of the international community.

He stressed the need for world peace to aid efforts for sustainable growth and development of the world economy.  He was pleased that international peace and security issues remained on the General Assembly’s agenda, and commended the Secretary-General and the Security Council for the decisive steps taken to prevent, resolve and manage conflicts around the globe.

The conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region was a sad chapter in the history of sub-Saharan Africa, and one that African people could ill afford, he said.  A quick and lasting solution to the crisis should be found, and Malawi welcomed initiatives towards that end.

Malawi fully endorsed proposals to reform the United Nations, he stated, adding that a more representative and democratic United Nations would enhance its efficiency and credibility.

PAUL MARTIN, Prime Minister of Canada, proposed United Nations reform that would put the world’s common humanity in centre focus.  To that end, he urged the development of rules and political will that would allow interventions to prevent humanitarian catastrophes such as Darfur.  There was, in fact, no explicit provision in humanitarian law for intervention on humanitarian grounds, and he called for that gap to be filled under the “Responsibility to Protect”, which would allow interventions when a government was unwilling or unable to protect its people from extreme harm as a result of war, repression or State failure.

To accelerate the development of related international law, he said Member- States should adopt a General Assembly resolution recognizing that the evolution of sovereignty encompassed international responsibility to people.  The Security Council should design thresholds to assure that the “Responsibility to Protect” was not a license for intervention but an international guarantor of political accountability.

In addition, proposing a “responsibility to deny”, he said more rigorous controls on nuclear technology were needed, and non-compliance needed to be dealt with more effectively.  The United Nations Conference on Disarmament must also get back to productive work.  Proposing also a “responsibility to respect”, he outlined a broad notion of human rights that encompassed individual rights, the protection of collective rights and the protection of cultural diversity.  It was not enough to simply develop legal instruments in those areas -– they must be put into practice.

There was also a responsibility to build, he said, and genuine development required a holistic approach to such issues such as debt, market access, social investment and functioning public institutions.  Stressing that last factor, he said development depended on governance.  Finally, he pointed to a responsibility for the future, involving all aspects of a common heritage –- health, the environment, oceans and space.  All these areas required not only legal instruments, but also strong international cooperation and real reform of the United Nations, whose activities gave force to the world’s common humanity.

ISSAM FARES, Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon, expressed his country’s gratitude to the United Nations for dispatching the UNIFIL forces stationed on its frontiers with Israel, and for the continuing aid from United Nations agencies.  Lebanon had moved from destruction to construction, from rule by militias to the rule of law, from anarchy to stability, and from division to unity.

He recalled Security Council Resolution 1559, which called for the withdrawal of all non-Lebanese forces in Lebanon.  He said there were still Israeli forces occupying part of Lebanon and his country called for the immediate withdrawal of these forces.  It also called for Israel to stop its daily violations of his country’s air space.  He noted that there were also Syrian forces in Lebanon, but these forces were there upon the request of his Government because of security conditions in the region.  He said Lebanon’s disagreement with the United Nations concerning the withdrawal of the Syrian forces was one of timing, not one of principle.  As for the internal dimension of the resolution related to the amendment of Lebanon’s constitution, his country considered it an inappropriate and unacceptable intervention in its internal affairs.  Its constitution, promulgated in 1926, may be the oldest democratic constitution in the entire Middle East.   Lebanon was a liberal democratic country that abided by international policy.

Noting that Lebanon had witnessed terrorism on its soil, he said his country stood with the United Nations in opposing international terrorism in all its forms.  It also condemned the smearing of national liberation movements by branding such legitimate movements as terrorism.  His country called on the
United Nations to multiply its efforts to solve the Middle East problem.  It should do so by implementing its resolutions concerning Israel’s withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1976 and by giving the Palestinians an independent sovereign State.  Lebanon also called on the United Nations to assume more responsibility in resolving the violent conflict in Iraq and in restoring peace, stability and unity to the Iraqi people.

ION ILIESCU, President of Romania, said it was necessary to speed up reform of the United Nations, now more than ever, adding that he hoped the sixtieth anniversary of the Organization would mark significant progress in addressing new challenges, especially within the Security Council.  As a non-permanent member of the Council, he said it should better reflect present realities by increasing the numbers of permanent and non-permanent States.  He supported reform of the Council’s working methods, improving its transparency, and expanding and adjusting its decision-making mechanisms.

Globalization was unavoidable and affected all, he said.  Given its nature, the United Nations was ideally placed to manage the phenomenon.  Romania fully embraced the Global Compact, which needed “support and strengthening”.  The promotion of regional and transcontinental integration as vehicles and instruments of a “harnessed” globalization was also necessary.  The European Union, for example, stood out as a success story, since it acted not only as a vector of economic integration, but also of democratic values and human rights.  The United Nations should try to find ways to adjust the rules of the world market to diminish, in the medium and long term, the gaps that existed between rich and poor nations.  In addition, the diffusion of information technology, at better prices, by the agencies and specialized institutions of the Organization, aided efforts to harness globalization.

He went on to underline the rule of law as another essential factor for a better future, saying the principles of the Charter had withstood the test of time and had been reaffirmed by a network of new international agreements that created standards and norms of action to which States voluntarily acceded.  As proof of faith in international law, Romania appealed this year to the International Court of Justice on the issue of maritime delimitation.

Romania had joined international efforts for the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq, and had been consistent with its participation in the peace operations, as well as in assistance in the post-conflict phase.  His nation’s aspirations were closely related to its European destiny and, therefore, focused its diplomacy towards democratic stabilization in neighbouring regions.  Lastly, he said Romania was ready to contribute to the stability and development of all nations in the Black Sea region.

ENRIQUE BOLAÑOS GEYER, President of Nicaragua, said the world had changed and there was a need to adapt to new circumstances.  In light of that, the United Nations also had to be reinvented.  That should begin with an effective reform of the Organization.  He stressed broader participation in the Security Council by Member States, including permanent seats for Germany and Japan.  Development also needed a new approach -- one that included more active participation by populations and people in the decisions that would affect their future.

He said that education, health, development, freedom of expression, among other things, were rights that also came with responsibilities and duties that had to be contributed.  Principles needed to be updated.  He proposed an ethic for development based on the responsibility and duty of individuals and nations.  The yardstick used to measure programmes should indicate how many people were off of those social programmes rather than on it.  Positives rather than negatives should guide development, he added.

Nicaragua had implemented a number of approaches to fight corruption and to promote transparency and accountability, he said.  It was reforming its institutions.  His country had started the fight against the culture of corruption, which involved inculcating values and putting the individual at the centre of his or her own destiny.  He welcomed the Fund for Democracy and the fact that part of it would be used to train and support prosecutors, underscoring that the biggest enemy of democracy was corruption.

He noted that the most recent world events showed the pervasive nature of terrorism and the way it degraded human values and civilizations.  His country deplored one of the most recent acts that took the lives of innocent children in the Russian Federation.  Nicaragua, he went on to say, had experienced the horrors of war and had also fostered its own democratization.  That was a valuable lesson that his country could share with the Security Council.  Those who had experienced the horrors of war could now help to avoid them.

He said that Taiwan was a country of 23 million people with a democratic Government.  The fact that it was still not a Member of the United Nations was inexcusable.  He also expressed condolences to Haiti and the Dominican Republic and other countries that had suffered from recent nature disasters.

DOMITIEN NDAYIZEYE, President of Burundi, said that following the establishment of the United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) some two months ago, his country was now entering the final phase of the peace process.  Acting on the basis of its firm commitment to implement existing agreements, his Government was resolved to break the cycle of violence and promote peace and development in the country.  Efforts were under way to build the country’s infrastructure; disarm, demobilize, reintegrate and rehabilitate former combatants; and establish the national army and police.  Despite all its efforts, however, the country was experiencing a terrible shortage of resources.

Among other recent developments, he mentioned the fact that the country’s draft constitution had been adopted unanimously by the Parliament on 17 September.  A referendum on the draft was scheduled for next month.  The country was now putting its hopes and faith on the independent national commission, which had been established to prepare Burundi for elections.  However, its efforts could only be successful if it received support from both bilateral and multilateral partners, and he urged the international community to provide assistance in that regard.

The efforts to achieve peace found resistance from the PALIPEHUTU-FNL Movement, which refused to come to the negotiating table, he continued.  A recent summit of the heads of State participating in the regional initiative on Burundi had qualified that movement as a terrorist organization and urged the African Union and the United Nations to take measures against it.  He urged the Organization to support that decision.

Security problems were not limited to the borders of his country, he said.  A regional conference on peace, security, democracy, economic development and integration, which was to take place in Dar-es-Salaam in November, was expected to give new impetus to the development of the region as a whole.  African countries had also demonstrated their resolve to contain and stop conflicts in Africa.  Now, it was time to strengthen international support for those efforts, which should be all-inclusive.  The United Nations could play an important role in strengthening international solidarity and addressing the problems of today’s world.

In the face of current complex challenges, it was important to reform the United Nations, and he welcomed the steps already initiated in that respect.  He hoped that the reform of the Security Council would proceed “with the same dynamic”.  Among other important questions that needed to be addressed by the international community, he listed the need to mobilize resources for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, poverty in least developed countries, debt relief, the need to increase official development assistance (ODA), and to open international markets.  All those issues deserved careful and timely attention.  He also encouraged the World Trade Organization (WTO) to continue its discussion of the matter of agricultural subsidies in industrialized countries.

BONIFACE ALEXANDRE, Interim President of Haiti, thanked the Secretary-General for the constant interest he has shown in Haiti and also expressed deep gratitude for the many expressions of sympathy and solidarity towards the Haitian people following the terrible floods of 18 and 19 September.

In this bicentennial year of Haiti’s independence, the Haitian people required the assistance of the United Nations to help stabilize the country, following the events of 29 February.  He said that Haitians were grateful to the Security Council for its passage of resolutions 1529 and 1542, which gave the international community the mandate to help Haiti with its political transition.

He said that a process of democratic renewal was under way.  New political parties were forming, while others were reorganizing themselves.  An agreement reached on 18 September between government authorities and representatives of a demobilized military had “spared the nation a bloodbath and a pointless fratricidal struggle”, he said.  He pledged to end the political struggle that dated back 20 years.  “May this transition put an end to the transition.”  General elections were due in 2005, and he would hand over power to a democratically elected president on 7 February 2006.

He thanked the States that made possible the deployment of the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Haiti (MINUSTAH), especially those that provided troops for the Mission.  He invited MINUSTAH to work more closely with the Haitian authorities to achieve genuine disarmament in the country.  It was not acceptable that armed groups committed misdeeds with impunity, in the presence of MINUSTAH, he said.  The Haitian national police, though gaining strength, required more training and equipment.  He warned that without the active support of the international community, the objectives of the transitional Government might not be achieved.  “This failure would mean a return to anarchy and chaos in Haiti”, he said, “and would be a grave setback to the United Nations.”

Referring to the recent criticism of a court verdict by members of the international community, he said that it was unfair to blame the present Government for a matter in which no member of the executive branch had any role.  He said that while judicial reform was obviously an imperative, he could not tolerate the interference of political authorities in judicial system.  Justice must be independent, he said.

OSCAR BERGER PERDOMO, President of Guatemala, said his Government was committed to the full observance of human rights, convinced that each Guatemalan should enjoy basic rights and freedoms, and that their right to development was fulfilled.  Accordingly, the country would pursue a policy of cooperation with international bodies that promoted and protected human rights.  It had also taken firm measures to eliminate extreme poverty and curtail social exclusion, fully respecting, at the same time, the country’s diversity as a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multilingual country.

He and the heads of other Central American countries had imparted greater dynamism to their integration process, he said.  For example, this year, they took the decisions required to bring to fruition a customs union between El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala.  Also, a final, just and equitable settlement of the territorial dispute between Guatemala and Belize should proceed simultaneously with a constructive effort to resolve the socio-economic problems afflicting their peoples.  In addition, the Central American countries had just completed trade negotiations with the United States, and, in a few days, Guatemala would be signing a trade agreement with Colombia.

All the efforts his country was making to overcome poverty and bring about the socio-economic development of its people, he continued, depended on the progress made in multilateral trade negotiations. He appealed to the international community to fulfil its long-standing commitments, and called for the elimination of all measures and practices that distorted markets, for the liberalization of trade in developing countries’ products, and, more generally, for measures that would enable a country such as his, which had strived to open its economy, to obtain better opportunities of access to markets for its exports.

He also paid tribute to the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA), which, after 10 years of “fruitful work”, was coming to the end of its mandate.  The Mission had left behind a significant legacy in his country.  He was hopeful that the difficult situation in the Middle East, which had deteriorated lately, would be resolved in conformity with Security Council resolutions 242, 338, 1397 and 1402. He also expressed concern over the situation of the 23 million inhabitants of the Republic of China in Taiwan, whose aspirations for representation in international bodies remained unfulfilled.

ELÍAS ANTONIO SACA GONZÁLEZ, President of El Salvador, said internal and international conflicts, terrorism and organized transnational crime, the persistence of extreme poverty, environmental deterioration, and the unresolved problems of development were global issues that required a harmonizing centre.  That centre would guide the international community in finding common solutions through consensus and in establishing an international order that responded to the needs and aspirations of humanity.  The central integrator for all that must be the United Nations.  He proposed the creation of a panel of eminent persons to present recommendations for collective security and strengthening multilateralism in order to confront global challenges.

He said the irrational and criminal acts of terrorists had demonstrated the necessity of joining forces and cooperating irrespective of differences that existed between States, unifying views and adopting collective actions to find solutions to confront that phenomenon in a framework of respect for international law.  El Salvador had responded to the appeal of the United Nations and would contribute to the reconstruction in Iraq.  His country had suffered a long war before lasting peace had been achieved.  He believed his country’s wisdom and accumulated experience could be of benefit to the United Nations.  In light of that, El Salvador had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Organization as a sign of its commitment to help resolve complexities and disturbances in the world.  El Salvador was also interested in presenting its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, in order to make its experience in conflict and post-conflict situations available to the Organization.

Addressing domestic issues, he said his Government was an open one based on inclusion and national integration, and guided by the aspirations of its people.  The improvement of services was at the forefront of all policies, as was strengthening the rule of law and fighting against crime at all levels.  He also noted that because of migration, due to war, national policy was now guided by the principle of including the views of Salvadorans both in and outside the country.

He stressed his country’s support for the global fight to reduce poverty and hunger.  The eradication of poverty, however, required the assistance of the international community and the United Nations system.  He also noted that in a globalized and increasingly interdependent world, economic phenomena affected all.  The present situation, nevertheless, had some negative effects on poor countries.  The United Nations should be used as the forum to explore ways to help those poorer countries.  Since institutions must evolve according to the changes of the day, reform of the Organization was necessary at the highest levels -- particularly the Security Council, he stressed.

CHARLES GYUDE BRYANT, Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia, expressing gratitude to the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for bringing stability to his country, said that the power-sharing National Transitional Government comprising all warring Factions, political parties and civil society was working.  Today, 73,600 fighters had been disarmed by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).  However, that high number of demobilized combatants had overwhelmed the country’s capacity to rehabilitate and reintegrate them, a situation exacerbated by war-related damage to infrastructure.  In addition, Liberian refugees and internally displaced persons were expected to return to their local communities.

He said the “phenomenal” role the United Nations was playing in bringing sustainable peace and human dignity to the country was indicative of the new challenges the Organizations was facing and must be met if “we the people of the United Nations are to live in peace and enjoy our inalienable rights”.  Peace and freedom to enjoy those rights under the rule of law required not just curative measures, but preventive actions such as addressing the problems of poverty, ignorance and disease.  The Transitional Government’s recovery agenda focused on creation of employment to put returnees and ex-combatants to work.  If they were excluded, many might return to violent crime and conflict.

It was, therefore, urgent that the economy be revived, he said, adding that he had asked the Security Council to lift the sanctions on timber and diamonds as the reasons for the sanctions no longer existed.  The Government was not buying arms; on the contrary, it was disarming combatants and cooperating with international institutions to put in place proper mechanisms for transparency and accountability in the use of State resources.

Noting that Liberian elections had often been characterized by widespread rigging, a major source of conflict, he said that this time around Liberians were determined to undertake free and fair elections as an equity participation in the investment of sustainable peace and national renewal.  The Government remained committed to holding elections in October 2005 and to the smooth transfer of power to a democratically elected government in January 2006.  There was now a growing sense of hope and optimism among the people.  “We cannot fail now, for we have seen the cost of war as compared to the price of peace.”

CARLOS D. MESA GISBERT, President of Bolivia, expressed concern over the global problem of terrorism -- one of the most important challenges that the international community needed to tackle together.  It must also be related to the fight against other problems of concern to all, including drug trafficking.  On the latter, Bolivia was taking measures to eradicate the harvest of coca and curb its consumption.  The country had also developed an idea of alternative development, which encouraged community participation, allowing the people of the villages where coca were produced to take part in the elaboration of strategies and work on reasonable economic alternatives.

Bolivia in the past year had experienced a social upheaval, which threatened all of its institutions and its democratic system, he continued.  The country’s answer to that crisis was given peacefully, with respect to democracy, through an institution of democratic succession, which had allowed him, a vice-president at that time, to assume responsibility for the situation in the country.  The reason the crisis occurred was an accumulation of such historic factors as exclusion, discrimination, racism and dreadful poverty.

Among major challenges facing the country today, he mentioned resolution of Bolivia’s internal conflict and economic growth.  The country possessed enormous reserves of natural gas, and its energy policy had been determined through a binding referendum last July, in which the people expressed their will.  In the coming months, it was necessary to reach a new social covenant through a constituent assembly, which should draft a charter to respond to the people’s basic needs.  The majority must be able to express itself and define a new approach to a viable nation.  Austerity, transparency and the fight against corruption were among the priorities in a poor nation that needed to efficiently administer the resources it had.

The United Nations had supported Bolivia in its crisis and had helped it to resolve many problems, including a large fiscal deficit, he said.  On the regional level, Bolivia participated in the Andean Community and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR).  As part of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative, Bolivia was entitled to some debt relief measures, but paradoxically, that had limited its capacity to get non-concessional loans and implement some projects.  It was necessary to make international organizations more flexible in that respect.  He added that as a landlocked country, Bolivia demanded access to the Pacific Ocean, expressing “a rational will” for integration and cooperation with Chile.  His country was prepared to conduct a dialogue to find a solution to the problem.

KESSAI H. NOTE, President of the Marshall Islands, said small island developing States (SIDS) like his country suffered from unique vulnerabilities and disadvantages, including the effects of climate change and natural disasters.  The country’s remoteness restricted integration into the global economy, and it was hoped that the upcoming meeting in Mauritius to conduct the 10-year review of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS would produce practical outcomes.  He sought the assistance of the international community in the implementation of regional projects such as the Pacific Regional Action Plan on Sustainable Water Management.

An ongoing issue of utmost concern was that of nuclear weapons testing, he continued.  Between 1946 and 1958, the United States had detonated 23 atomic and hydrogen bombs in the Marshall Islands.  Many people suffered from long-term health effects, while others remained displaced.  He called upon the Government of the United States to address fully the issue of adequate compensation for affected populations and urged the international community to remain focused on disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.

Climate change, with rising sea levels, changing weather patterns and damaged coral reef systems, was also of critical concern, he said.  Urgent action was needed at the global level to halt and ultimately reverse the devastating impacts of climate change.  He urged all States that had not yet done so -– in particular, the major emitters –- to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and called upon the international community to assist SIDS in developing adaptation strategies.  As the Marshall Islands depended on the resources of the sea, there was increasing concern about the state of the world’s oceans and fish stocks and about the prevalence of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region.  Small island developing States lacked the capacity to adequately monitor their exclusive economic zones.

Regarding international terrorism, he said the Marshall Islands had taken many steps to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.  He welcomed the ongoing progress being made in the International Criminal Court and urged those States that had not yet done so to become parties to the Rome Statute.  Also, the continued exclusion of Taiwan -- a peace-loving, sovereign State -- from the United Nations was another important issue requiring action.  In addition, the Marshall Islands supported expansion of the Security Council in both categories of membership, as well as of the allocation of a new permanent seat to Japan.  The representation of developing countries on the Council must also be increased.

ARNOLD RÜÜTEL, President of Estonia, said the world had witnessed the rise of new threats that endangered international peace and security, as well as their relationship with economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.  In light of that, the need for joint solutions was more acute than ever before.

Regardless of what had already been done to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the gap between rich and poor was widening, he said.  In addition to economic inequality, the information era had led to a so-called “digital divide” between information-rich and information-poor nations and social groups.  Estonia had managed to create a favourable environment for development in the field of information and communication technology, and had facilitated close cooperation between the public sector, companies and civil society associations in order to build the necessary infrastructure.

He said that, while 2004 was the last year of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, that did not mean that the attention paid to the situation of indigenous peoples should lessen.  Their rights must be stipulated at the international level without further delay, and Estonia would support the elaboration and adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as soon as possible.

In conclusion, he said the United Nations must be strengthened and improved to better respond to new challenges.  Estonia fully supported the consistent development of the Organization and its reform into a multilateral body that would be as efficient as possible.

MARTIN TORRIJOS ESPINO, President of Panama, said he had come to the Assembly as thousands of his compatriots were suffering from the blows of nature -- floods as had never been seen before.  Many families had lost everything.  He said the tragedy in Panama highlighted the need to address the problem of poverty urgently.

He spoke also of the need for the United Nations to reform its principal structures so that they would be more representative.  The need for reform had been raised many times, he said, but people would lose faith in the Organization unless action was taken.

There was not a single region of the world where peace and harmony reigned, he said.  But the one crisis that was universal, and which required universal solutions, was that of hunger and poverty.  That was the subject of a meeting attended by more than 60 heads of State.  He endorsed the statement made by the meeting’s driving force, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva -- “Peace can never grow out of poverty and hunger.”

In Latin America, the danger of coups d’état has dropped, he said.  But it was the legions of the poor and unprotected that could ruin democratic institutions if their basic needs were not met.  Poor countries were being crushed by public debt, with massive consequences for their populations.  He noted that, for many people, patience had yielded to despair.  To address that problem, Latin America needed a new economic agenda, including absolute transparency in public administration, greater accountability and efficiency.  He suggested that there should be a relief clause to reduce interest on public debt if countries met certain goals.

He urged the international community to adopt bold approaches to tackle poverty, noting that issues such as cultural heritage, biodiversity, and endangered species were sometimes able to attract funding more easily than people dying of hunger.  He called it shameful that in the technological age, there was a failure to invent solutions for millions of people in the world living at a sub-human level.  Sometimes, it seemed as if international aid was only provided when there were natural disasters or acts of terrorism, he added.  While Panama was resolved to combat terrorism, “We must not forget that many more people die of poverty than in war or natural disasters”, he said.

JOSEPH KABILA, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said that looking back at recent developments, the rise of international terrorism in all its forms could only be deplored.  His country was committed to ratifying all international legal instruments in that area, a process that was nearing its completion.  Apart from terrorism, the international community was also confronted with a resurgence of other, equally devastating disasters, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other endemic diseases.  Poverty and national disasters should also not be forgotten.  Increasing tension, civil wars and armed conflicts contributed to the misery of humanity and tested international peace and security.

During the past year, he said, the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had been characterized by political transition, which would culminate, in the long term, in elections.  On 30 June, the transitional process had reached its mid-way point.  It entered now into a decisive phase which required a redoubling of efforts in order to meet agreed deadlines.  There had been significant progress in areas such as:  reunification of national territory; national reconciliation, symbolized by the presence in the Government of former enemies; and the beginning of the integration of the army.  However, much remained to be done, including restoration of State authority throughout the country and preparing for elections.

He said it was important that the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) was reinforced, both in quantity and quality, in order to put an end to the activities of the militias in the eastern part of the country.  He appealed to the international community to respect its promises and commitments in bringing about the objectives of the transition.  The Democratic Republic of the Congo was a peace-loving country, committed to developing and maintaining excellent relations with all countries, in particular with its neighbours.  Good-neighbourliness was, for his country, a daily reality.  Therefore, he urged the establishment of a joint verification mechanism on the eastern and northern borders, in order to create trust in the region.

Another task for the Great Lakes region was to prevent such massacres as had occurred in Bukavu, in the Ituri region.  Recently in Gatumba, Burundi, 160 Congolese citizens had lost their lives.  That massacre of Congolese refugees was the work of the enemies of peace and of peaceful cohabitation in the region.  The Congolese people waited impatiently for the outcome of the inquiry carried out by the United Nations.  His country firmly believed in the United Nations, which had made so many sacrifices.

VALDAS ADAMKUS, President of Lithuania, said threats like terrorism recognized no borders and did not differentiate by race, religion or ethnicity.  Terrorism could not be justified and there could be no excuses or leniency in confronting it.  The fight against terrorism should remain one of the priority tasks of Member States.  Across the globe, almost a billion people survived with less than a dollar a day.  In sub-Saharan Africa alone, approximately 300 million people lived in absolute poverty.  With regard to Iraq, he said free elections were being marred by almost daily explosions, and security remained too precarious for the Organization to resume its pivotal role.  In the Middle East, “the desperate count of deaths” continued and the word genocide was once again being spoken due to the crisis in Darfur.  He called on the Organization to go the “extra mile” when dealing with those and other challenges.

The United Nations, he said, had to play the leading role in building societies that followed the path to good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law.  “We must be able to intervene and prevent situations of massive human rights violations”, he said.  The international community was vulnerable to the dangers posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international organized crime and the spread of dangerous diseases, among other threats and challenges, and efforts against those should be universal, consistent, and systematic.  In addition, he stressed that efforts to reduce poverty and hunger, and to improve the living conditions for women and children, should also be consistent.

Peace and development went hand in hand, he said, and that recognized link should be better reflected in the global agenda.  His country was ready to contribute bilaterally and multilaterally to the implementation of the Millennium Goals and to share its experience of national reform.  On the issue of reform, Lithuania fully embraced the need for the Organization to enhance its effectiveness and inclusiveness, and hoped that the Security Council would also be made more effective and representative.  Lithuania supported the idea of broader representation in the Council.  And, by renewing and strengthening the Economic and Social Council, there was a real chance to make it a more effective tool in the hands of its members.

PEDRO MIGUEL DE SANTANA LOPES, Prime Minister of Portugal, said that no cause or idea justified acts of barbarism and the spilling of innocent blood.  It was up to the United Nations to contribute to the establishment of a global strategy against terrorism that took into account security-related responses and other elements that had the potential to generate violence.  Hunger and poverty generated despair, and fighting poverty was an intelligent way to counteract factors that lead to violence.  Peace and development were intertwined and failing to recognize that was a failure to recognize reality.

The United Nations was at a crossroads and, while its relevance was not challenged, its efficacy was, he said.  That was an issue for the Member States, as the Organization was an expression of collective will.  However, Portugal supported the High-Level Panel to Examine Current Challenges to Peace and Security.  In addition, it supported Security Council reform, in particular its enlargement so as to better reflect today’s world through a rebalancing of its representatives.  Portugal was committed to having the African continent represented by a permanent seat in the Council.

Preventing conflicts was more important than solving them, he said, and its usefulness would be judged by its capacity for conflict prevention and management.  Portugal had been with the United Nations in many of its peacekeeping operations around the world, and the Organization still lacked an efficient instrument for the development of conflict-prevention policy.  That was why Portugal had proposed at the last session of the General Assembly the creation of a commission to promote peace and development under the mandate of the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.

In no other place as in Iraq was the United Nations confronted with such a predicament regarding its ability to act, he said.  Iraq needed the support of the international community, and it was necessary to give the Organization the means to fulfil the mandate given to it by the Security Council.  It was time for the international community to unite in its efforts to ensure that the Iraqi people found the path to peace and development.  In order for democracy to succeed, however, the people must have a say through elections.  In addition, the world could not look away from the tragedy unfolding in Darfur.  Also, the world’s collective security implied effective international control of the production of nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapons.

MARC FORNÉ MOLNÉ, Prime Minister of Andorra, said that a decade following his election as head of Government, there was considerable concern that the world was becoming more violent.  Terrorist attacks were met by a military response, which, in turn, seemed to generate new terrorist attacks.  It was becoming more difficult to believe in the heritage of peace and harmony because the notion of pre-emptive war had shaken the world.

It was necessary to address the causes of terrorism, to comprehend the forces that gave it power in order to respond together within the rule of law, he said.  Terrorism could not be allowed to unbind the rule of law, since that would mean undoing the tissue of civilized behaviour that served as a safety net within modern culture.  It was also necessary to give back to the United Nations its sense of determination and the ability to help in the all-too important fight against terrorism.  Andorra called, in particular, on the permanent members of the Security Council to think long and hard about what they could achieve together with the support of the other Member States to preserve international order and the models of civilized behaviour.

He said Andorra would support an increase in the number of Security Council members to 24 so that there would be a more accurate representation of the reality of today’s world in that important decision-making body.  As Andorra would honour its commitment to increase development aid up to 0.7 per cent of its budget for next year.  Also, Andorra intended to become a member of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help make its mission a reality.

The essential issues facing the world, he continued, could not be located in just one part of the world, nor could they be defined in terms of the advantages or interest of a single nation. Preserving the environment, as well as maintaining a strong global economy, dignified standards of living, and safe and peaceful political relationships, should all require a concerted effort.  Those tasks would require all the courage, energy, diplomatic talent and communications skills possible.

IVO SANADER, Prime Minister of Croatia, said tragic events in recent years had confirmed that terrorism stood out as the most pressing threat to the world, randomly taking thousands of innocent lives.  Equally dangerous was the threat of weapons of mass destruction, which could bring upon mankind destruction of an unforeseeable scale.  The fight against terrorism must remain a top priority, and any hesitation to address the issue in a timely manner could have unforgiving consequences.

With regard to reform, he called on all Members to redouble their efforts in the reform of the Security Council and the revitalization of the General Assembly.  Croatia supported the enlargement of the Council in all categories of membership based on the appropriate regional representation.  The credibility of the Organization did not depend solely on the political will of its Member States and on its capacity to manage crisis.  It also depended on its capacity to respond to those who were in need of assistance.  “We cannot shy away from seeking all available solutions to the fundamental global challenges we face today, including extreme poverty, drug smuggling, the spread of deadly diseases and global climate change.”  Globalization needed to be mastered, the opportunities it offered needed to be assessed, and its excesses rectified.

Croatia had presented its candidacy for membership in the Security Council for 2008/2009, and his nation’s membership would not only represent a great tribute to his country, but would also recognize all the efforts that had been invested in the peace and stability of South-East Europe.  Croatia was preparing for the openings of accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005, and he was confident that Croatia would meet all the criteria required for that demanding process.  He highlighted Croatia’s reform-making and decision-taking capabilities through the fulfilment of the Copenhagen Criteria required for the candidate status of the European Union.

His country was ready to serve as a model in South-East Europe, encouraging and assisting its neighbours in realizing their Euro-Atlantic ambitions.  The prospect of European Union membership had proved to be the best incentive for the nations in Central and South-East Europe to implement comprehensive political, economic, and democratic reforms.  A unified Europe was no longer a dream, it was a reality upon which the prosperity and security of the entire continent was based.

MIGUEL ABIA BITEO BORICÓ, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, said it was necessary to reconstruct the international authority that had been taken from the United Nations.  His nation was participating in this Assembly with concern because of the danger and threats that had been posed by nations intervening in less powerful nations.  The United Nations, he said, had not guaranteed its principal mission, which was to bring international peace and security, and he called for the international community to reform the Organization.  Equatorial Guinea was under threat, and he asked that his statement not fall on deaf ears as was often the case.  He asked that the United Nations adopt measures to aid Equatorial Guinea, as well as to put a stop to the situation, so other nations did not suffer the same defamation being offered about his nation -- including that it did not respect human rights; it was a dictatorship; and that it had taken oil revenues.

He said there had been an elaborate mercenary invasion planned on his country, comprised of 65 armed men from various nationalities, to take place on   7 March 2004.  Fortunately, the solidarity of other governments alerted his Government, which acted immediately and arrested the 18 men who had obtained cargo plane licences.  The pretext of the invasion was politically charged by the supposed opposition leader in exile in Spain.  The mercenaries, in statements, explained their objectives and financing with regard to the purchase of arms.  Equatorial Guinea was a victim because all it had done was exercise the rights of a sovereign State and its right to the use of its natural resources.  Why had so many negative things been said about his country?  Why was there talk of a dictatorship when there were 13 political parties for barely 1 million people?  He said that the only way to end the abuses, like the invasion, was to know who had supported the mercenaries.

The terrorism condemned today was no different than the mercenaries that acted around the world, he said.  His nation was under threat and the failure of the invasion would not go by the wayside.  The United Nations was responsible for maintaining peace and avoiding guerrilla warfare.  Some nations had been informed of the plan and simply waited for the plan to unfold.  He asked them to leave his nation in peace. The end of the cold war had led to uprisings of selfish feelings among those who had always wanted to run the world.  The tactics to create a negative image was not a surprise.

A globalized world was a fallacy, and it was not possible to accept globalization when colonization still existed.  Globalization did not mean exclusion; it did not mean the power relations such as those that some would like to impose.  His situation affected other Central African nations and that had led to destructive effects.  It was important to move to a universe where the weakest were not ignored and marginalized, and build a world that was more respectful to human beings.

RASHID ABDULLAH AL-NOAIMI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, stressed the importance of international multilateral experience, which could help the international community to address global challenges.  Reform of the United Nations system was an important priority.  Revitalization of the work of all the principal bodies of the Organization, including the General Assembly and the Security Council, would allow them to better fulfil their responsibilities.

The United Arab Emirates was confused about the Iranian Government’s rejection of the peaceful initiatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council for finding a peaceful solution to the problem of his country’s occupied islands.  He called on the international community to urge Iran to either enter into serious bilateral negotiations that would ensure restoration of the full sovereignty of the Emirates over the three islands in question, their continental shelf, air and economic zones, or to accept referral of that case to the International Court of Justice.

Continuing, he strongly condemned all acts of violence in Iraq, which could lead to an escalation of tension and instability in the region and in the whole world.  He also supported Iraq’s legitimate endeavours to complete a peaceful transition of authority as soon as possible, and that country’s inalienable right to decide its political future, control its natural resources, rebuild its national institutions and maintain security on its borders.

A settlement in the Middle East could not be achieved through imposing a de facto situation of occupation and siege of the Palestinian people, arbitrary killings, destruction, famine and unjustified mass detentions by the Israeli authorities, he said.  The United Nations and members of the Quartet had a historical, political and legal responsibility towards settlement of the Palestinian question through obligating Israel to unconditionally comply with the terms of the Road Map and relevant resolutions, especially those issued by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly, which called for dismantling the illegal separation wall in the West Bank.  A comprehensive, just and lasting peace depended on the ability of the international community to end Israel’s intransigence, revitalization of the peace process and full withdrawal from all territories occupied since 1967.  It also depended on the establishment of a PalestinianState, with its capital at Al Quds al Sharif, based on relevant resolutions and the Arab initiative.

Achieving and maintaining security equilibrium in the Middle East and the Gulf had become an important priority, he stressed, which required a comprehensive and non-discriminatory policy for building confidence.  It was necessary to eliminate all existing arsenals of weapons of mass destruction.  In that connection, he looked forward to the implementation of the outcome of a recent visit by the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to some countries of the region to convince them to give up their arsenals of nuclear weapons.  The international community should compel the Israeli Government to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and subject its nuclear facilities to international inspection, in order to establish a zone free from weapons of mass destruction in the region.

RODOLPHE ADADA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Congo, said despite progress made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the situation remained troubling.  The assessment of achievements in 2005 was, therefore, of particular importance.  He supported all initiatives to combat poverty and hunger, in particular the initiative of the President of Brazil.  Despite all the obstacles which hobbled the Doha cycle, the resumption of negotiations in Geneva gave some reason for hope for establishing equitable international trade rules.

In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, peace and security were also needed, but those conditions were still missing in many regions of the world, he said.  In the Sudan, the Darfur crisis remained a subject of great concern, and a greater mobilization of the international community was required to support the efforts of the African Union.  Referring to the situation in the Central African Republic, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he said the request of the Central African subregion to have a United Nations office was fully justified.  He welcomed the fact that there was a standing advisory committee for Central Africa.  He expected implementation of the conclusions of the multifaceted mission of the Secretary-General in the region, in particular those regarding disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes; HIV/AIDS; illegal trafficking in small arms; protection of the environment; and the creation of conditions for development.

He said the Congo was also in a post-conflict situation, and was striving to consolidate peace and to develop.  A disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, for which continued international support was needed, would involve some 40,000 ex-combatants.  Congo’s eligibility for the HIPC Debt Initiative would enable it to allocate resources for development.  The Congo had joined the Peer Review Mechanism of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).  Regarding the environment, he said his country would host a summit to consider plans to conserve the forest in the CongoBasin.

Rights of Reply

The representative of Zimbabwe said that the representative of the Netherlands, speaking on behalf of the European Union, had expressed concern over Zimbabwe, and he was not sure if that representative was alluding to the successful land reform that had taken place in his country.  He wanted to assure the Minister that there was no cause for concern but celebration.  Secondly, the Minister had asked that Zimbabwe comply with democratic elections.  The Minister was being arrogant, as he was not the enforcer of the guidelines.  The Southern African Development Community (SADC) was, and he did not accept tutelage by former masters.  Zimbabwe was implementing those guidelines.  Thirdly, he called on the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States to desist from their daily anti-Zimbabwe propaganda.  Those nations were destabilizing his nation with the weekly radio programmes, which were weapons of mass deception.  He called on the Netherlands and other nations to desist with the blatant interference.

Speaking on a point of order, the representative of Spain said that, given the comments by the representative of Equatorial Guinea, he reserved the right of reply, which his delegation would exercise at an appropriate time.

The representative of Iran said that the speaker from the United Arab Emirates had raised some unacceptable claims against the territorial integrity of her country.  The position of her country had been placed on record on many occasions, and there was no need to repeat it.  Her country was fully committed to its international obligations, especially the Memorandum of Understanding of 1971.  Misunderstandings of application of that Memorandum, if any, should be addressed with good will and through mutually acceptable mechanisms.  Meanwhile, her Government had always welcomed the exchange between the United Arab Emirates and her country on the issues of concern to both countries.  Such a dialogue could play a determining role in removing any existing misunderstandings.

The representative of the United Arab Emirates reiterated his deep disappointment with the repeated claims by the representative of Iran that contravened all documents, and legal, historical and demographic facts, that proved that the three islands belonged to the United Arab Emirates.  He asked again why Iran had not submitted all the documents and facts that would justify its occupation of the islands since 1971.  He called upon the international community to urge the Government of Iran to translate their good intentions into action, either by entering into bilateral negotiations or by resorting to the International Court of Justice for a legal settlement of the issue.  Stability in the region required the establishment of good neighbourly relations on the basis of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States.  His country would accept a ruling by the International Court of Justice.

The representative of the Netherlands said he regretted the reaction of Zimbabwe to the statement delivered by the Minister.  He wished to repeat the European Union’s commitment to the rule of law, including free and fair elections.  Those were international standards that all countries should adhere to.

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