Sixty-second General Assembly

Plenary

8^th & 9^th Meetings (AM & PM)

SMALL ISLAND STATES, LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES SEEK URGENT COLLECTIVE ACTION

BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO HELP THEM COPE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

Alarmed that their countries were buckling under the physical impacts of global warming, and reeling from the heavy economic toll on local industries and livelihoods, leaders from several small island nations and least developed countries today challenged the General Assembly to take collective action to help them cope with the increasingly severe effects of climate change.

Emanuel Mori, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, emphasized that, long before the global warming issue had become “fashionable”, his country had been on the front lines of those calling for action on what was now being acknowledged as a global emergency.  “For years, we have argued that, as a small island developing State, we are among the most vulnerable -- climate change threatens our very existence,” he declared.

Collective -- and responsible -- action was now needed to save the planet, he stressed, and for such action to be effective, it must be carried out within the United Nations framework.  At the same time, developed countries must provide adequate and additional funding to help small islands with their adaptation and mitigation strategies.  To that end, the Federated States of Micronesia supported the appropriate institutional backing for the Adaptation Fund, established to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing-country parties to the Kyoto Protocol.  The Fund should be responsive to the needs of small island developing States.

Highlighting measures that his country had undertaken, he said his Government had presented a proposal to enhance the effectiveness of the landmark Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.  In addition, at the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau had showcased the “Micronesia Challenge”, a regional intergovernmental initiative that would facilitate more effective conservation of marine and forest resources.  It aimed to conserve 30 per cent of near-shore coastal waters and 20 per cent of forest land by 2020.  The Federated States of Micronesia was seeking international assistance and partnerships within and outside the region to overcome hurdles in implementing the Challenge.

Echoing that call, Camsek Chin, Vice-President of Palau, said ocean ecosystems provided the backbone for his island nation’s existence, and efforts to eliminate the destructive practice of sea bottom trawling would be fruitless if rapid progress on climate change was not made at the international level.  When temperatures increased, corals were bleached and seas rose, jeopardizing livelihoods and destroying identity, “we are no longer in total control of our own destinies,” he said.

He stressed that, given the particular vulnerability of small island developing States to the impacts of climate change, there was an absolute need to reach agreement on quantified emission reduction targets for the second implementation phase of the Kyoto Protocol.  Targets must reflect the urgency of collective circumstances and be consistent with a mitigation framework that protected the most vulnerable parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  It was imperative that the post-2012 regime address the mitigation of climate change impacts on small island developing States as a benchmark of its effectiveness.

The adverse affects of global warming, deforestation and increased salinity were already evident, said Fakhruddin Ahmed, Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh, noting that his country was still recovering from two devastating rounds of floods that had forced the evacuation of more than a million people earlier this month.  The reality for Bangladesh was that 30 per cent of its land would be submerged if the Bay of Bengal rose just one metre.

Pointing out that floods like those occurring this year had become an annual calamity, he said the resilience of the Bangladeshi people and the quick mobilization of limited national resources had helped overcome the crisis.  The Government envisaged that such action could become more difficult and enhanced international cooperation was therefore needed to alleviate the climate change burden.

Adding a developed-country perspective, David Milliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, acknowledged that the poorest countries and people would suffer the greatest devastation from climate change.  The United Kingdom called for urgent agreement by States on steps towards progress, and beyond that, for the development of a road map for the Conference of Parties to UNFCCC, scheduled for Copenhagen, where a global deal for the post-Kyoto period would be hammered out. 

All countries should take on equitably distributed responsibilities, with the richest taking the greatest action, he explained.  The United Kingdom’s climate change bill, to be enacted soon, would cut carbon emissions by at least 60 per cent of 1990 levels by 2050.  Similar binding commitments by all rich nations were needed.

Also speaking today were the Presidents of Rwanda, Croatia, Serbia, Colombia, United Republic of Tanzania, Dominican Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Timor-Leste, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and the Comoros.

The Prime Ministers of the Netherlands, Slovenia, Andorra, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Albania, Viet Nam and Guinea also participated in the debate, as did the Vice-Presidents of Burundi, Liberia and Gambia.

Others addressing the Assembly were the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait and Togo.

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply were the representatives of Serbia and Albania.

The Assembly will reconvene at 9 a.m. tomorrow to continue its general debate.

Background

The General Assembly reconvened today to continue its general debate.

Statements

PAUL KAGAME, President of Rwanda, said it was vital that the United Nations continued to undergo comprehensive reforms to render it more versatile and effective.  Calling reforms such as the implementation of “one programme, one budgetary framework and one office” at the country level a good start, he was pleased that Rwanda had been selected as one of the first eight pilot countries.  The proposed restructuring of the gender portfolio was welcome, and he agreed that the Organization’s contributions to gender issues had been incoherent.  Rwanda eagerly awaited Security Council reform to render the body more representative of the world, and more transparent.

Detailing current global challenges, he said that in the Great Lakes Region, forces that had committed genocide in Rwanda in 1994 continued their operations almost 14 years later: they raped, murdered and plundered with impunity.  Their leaders were active in Europe, America and Africa, where they promoted the “ideology of genocide”.  There could be no doubt that those terror groups constituted a threat to international peace and security.  The presence of the costly United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had not diminished their activities, and he urged the international community, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to end the threat posed by those negative forces.

He renewed Rwanda’s commitment to restoring peace and stability in the Great Lakes region, expressing solidarity with the long-suffering people of Darfur.  He committed his country to contributing to peace efforts in close cooperation with Sudan, the African Union and the United Nations.  Welcoming Security Council resolution 1769 (2007), he called for the speedy deployment of the United Nations-African Union hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur.  Similarly, he urged support for peacebuilding efforts in Somalia, and said it was critical that resources were made available.

He went on to express collective determination to promote socio-economic transformation for greater wealth creation, as that challenge remained “daunting” in the developing world.  Solutions included increased productive capacities from developing countries, and the opening of global markets by developed nations.  Improving the quality of development aid would supplement such efforts, as aid was most effective when aligned with national development priorities.

The ultimate goal of improving people’s lives, however, could not be realized if the problems of climate change and environmental degradation were not tackled, he continued.  Rwanda looked forward to the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Bali, which should provide a clear road map for consolidating gains.  Global challenges such as poverty, ignorance and terrorism required collective action, he said, and he urged countries to recommit themselves to common aspirations for realizing peace, prosperity and freedom.  Only then could the world hope to realize the ideal contained in the Charter to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.

STJEPAN MESIĆ, President of Croatia, said seven years ago, when he had first addressed the Assembly as his country’s representative, he had started with the words “time is running out”.  He didn’t imagine that he would have to repeat those words, but today, compelled by the international community’s inability -– or inadequate ability -– to deal with global problems, he repeated it with much greater urgency.  The millennial session of the General Assembly had identified the international community’s responsibilities and aspirations for the future in the Millennium Development Goals.  Unfortunately, the implementation of those Goals had not proceeded at the proper rate or in the proper way.  “We are late,” he said, “hence my warning: time is running out!”

The stratification of the world into “haves” and “have-nots” had continued unabated, he said.  Underdevelopment and poverty still weighed upon a substantial part of mankind and the fight against terrorism was “under-efficient and sometimes even counterproductive”.  Consequently, he called for the reform of the United Nations to “transform the Organization from a reflection of a world long gone into an instrument for safeguarding peace, establishing stability and ensuring development in the present-day world and the world of the coming generations”. 

Croatia’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council was an affirmation of its commitment to the Organization and its reform, he continued.  He described his country’s long struggle for independence, its commitment to peacebuilding, and its dedication to the United Nations.  “We are putting forward our candidacy as a mature European democratic country committed to the goals of the UN.”  New political and economic relations should be based on equality.  Though the “big and the mighty” had a greater responsibility, none should have greater rights than another or deny another’s rights by force.  “Unfortunately”, he said, “force is still present in international relations, and on the European continent we are witnessing dangerous signs of a possible renewal of the arms race.” 

Uncontrolled development had given rise to “aggressive requests of capital guided exclusively by interest and never by a social component”, he said.  Millions had been condemned to poverty or death because of those acts.  He added that the destruction of nature had jeopardized the survival of all.  Anyone who underestimated or denied the dangers of climate change and global warming would soon have to face reality.  Fast, coordinated, and responsible action was necessary.

“We have not met again in the General Assembly in order to describe our world and our environment from our individual angles,” he said.  “Our mandate is not mere diagnosis.  Our mandate involves healing, changing, improving as well.”   His country was ready and able to act, he said, “to get things going in a positive direction -- in its own interest but also in the interest of others”.

BORIS TADIĆ, President of Serbia, said this was a very important moment in the history of his nation as the negotiation process for the future status of Kosovo was now under way.  He offered Kosovo Albanians special rights for an autonomous development of their community within his nation, but said that full independence was unacceptable.  A decentralization model based on European solutions would protect the rights of Kosovo Albanians, as well as Serbian and non-Albanian ethnic communities.  His country was ready for compromise, but legitimate Serbian interests and the needs of Serbs and other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo must be respected.  Only the Security Council could decide the future of Kosovo, as only its decision would be based on international law.

“We call for the attainment of a compromise solution through diplomatic, legal, and peaceful means, and not through war and violence,” he said.  “Democratic Serbia does not accept that the threat of violence of the party we are negotiating with is an argument for re-drawing the borders of legitimate democracies and for violating the norms of international law.”  He warned of the “unforeseeable consequences” of such a policy, adding that the “international legal order would never be the same” if Kosovo provisional institutions unilaterally declared their independence.

He said that the strategic interest of Serbia was to become a member of the European Union, and it was ready to develop “in accordance with the highest European standards” in order to achieve its goal.  He promoted better relations and greater stabilization in the Balkan region, but said the question of war crimes continued to burden relations among Balkan countries.  Despite those challenges, South-Eastern Europe was becoming “a region of good-neighbourliness and cooperation”.

“Terrorism is one of the greatest scourges of the present-day world,” he said, and a global, coordinated approach was necessary to fight it.  His country had cooperated closely with its neighbours to forestall threats in their region.  It was taking a regional approach to fight natural disasters as well.  Cooperation, mutual respect and peaceful dialogue were the best solutions to achieving lasting peace and security throughout all regions of the world.  The United Nations continued to be an “irreplaceable” international authority and mechanism in conflict resolution.  It was also the correct forum for finding solutions to the “major problem” of global warming and its impact.

He called on the United Nations to focus on bridging the gaps between different cultures, civilizations, and religions.  “We are entrusted with great responsibility to invest every effort to make sure that all the diversity of this world be comprehended and accepted as the wealth of all, rather than the cause of new divisions,” he said.  International relations should be democratic and firmly based on the principles of the United Nations Charter.  Only “equitable cooperation” among nations would guarantee international peace and security.

ALVARO URIBE VÉLEZ, President of Colombia said, after five years in office, he had come to the Assembly to describe the crucial issues for Colombian democracy.  Statism had been rejected and 420 state entities had been reformed.  The country was now committed to an entrepreneurial society, providing for private initiative with social responsibility.  There must be transparency between investors and the State, as well as good relations with labour. Participatory unionism had been encouraged in certain sectors.  Improved economic factors had allowed for improvements in the reach of social benefits, such as social security and an increased minimum wage.  Per capita income had grown and the distribution of wealth improved.

“Since the first day of my Government, with its democratic security policy, we made the decision not to tolerate the murder of any Colombian and to defeat impunity,” he said. Security had improved substantially.  In 2006, there had been a 40 per cent reduction in general violence and a 70 per cent reduction in violence against trade unionists.  More than 6,700 individual citizens had been provided state protection, and 1,200 of them belonged to trade unions.  The fight against impunity in the murder of trade unionists was carried out under the International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines.  “Murders and kidnappings have been the work of terrorists,” he said, first guerrillas and then paramilitaries, and the security policy was aimed at eliminating that scourge.

“We are winning, but we have not won yet,” he continued.  “With persistence and transparency,” Colombia would overcome terrorism, which was financed by illicit drugs.  His country had a long, respectable, ever-deepening democracy, in a country that five years ago faced 60,000 terrorists.  To fight them, democracy had been deepened, instead of restricted; liberties protected instead of repressed; and dissent stimulated instead of silenced.  That democratic practice gave his Government the authority to say that those up in arms, financed by illegal drugs, were not insurgents against oppression, but terrorists against liberty.  The country was prepared to negotiate with them if they would cease violent actions, but it would not allow negotiation to become a trap to destroy democracy.

He described the humanitarian agreement to release Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia kidnap victims and said the Government had unilaterally freed 177 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia members, as well as a high-ranking member, at the request of the President of France.  The Government had given consent for many people and institutions to be facilitators, but the response from the terrorists was the murder of assemblymen and the continuous assassination of defenders of democracy.  His Government would not permit the recovery of its democratic sovereignty to be frustrated by giving back space to the murdering power of terrorism.  “If terrorists want to be involved in politics, they have to renounce their bloody activity and must submit to the Constitution,” he said.

The dismantling of paramilitaries, the weakening of the guerrilla, the recovery of effective guarantees for democracy, the protection of a free press in a country where there were once 15 murdered journalists in one year –- this year there had been one –- allowed his Government to look the world in the eye and demand support for its security policy.  Today, the Colombian people had become more confident as indicated by investment and unemployment rates.  The country had made advances in providing universal education, poverty reduction, through increased subsidies for food and education to poor families, and had been working to provide universal access to health care and micro-credits to families with scarce resources.

Further, the country was committed to fighting global warming, through the construction of mass transport systems, construction of indigenous communities to serve as a barrier for the recovery of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, rain forest protections and prevention of land use change, he said.  Families, remunerated by the state, have been designated “Forest Keepers” in exchange for abandoning illicit drug production and supervising forest recovery.  The production of biofuels, without loss of food production or rain forest, was also a priority.  He thanked the international community for its assistance, singling out the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime, the ILO and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  He said the country was working toward a society without exclusions or class hatred, which enjoyed constructive debate, and looked for options to surmount obstacles with respect for its Democratic Constitution.

JOSEPH KABILA KABANGE, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said the Secretary-General’s visit had reassured the Congolese people of the United Nations commitment to their quest for freedom and development.  The sixty-second session marked his country’s return to international affairs as a credible partner and stakeholder.  Today, his country was aware of the evils of war and poor governance, and also of a future that promised stable institutions; it was an example of the United Nations successful work.

He said it was the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s turn to contribute to peacekeeping operations, noting that his country had made a modest contribution of civilian police officers in two States.  However, the path leading to the end of his country’s own crisis remained full of obstacles.  On security, both the process of disarmament and the training of national police and army forces must be finalized.  A credible justice system should also be operationalized.  Moreover, everything must be done to solve the insecurity in North Kivu, as nothing could justify a situation in which Congolese people continued to be the targets of abuse from national and foreign armed groups.  Peace and security must be restored to that part of the country.  He called on the United Nations to help in the repatriation and reintegration of foreign armed groups.

Notwithstanding those differences, he said the Democratic Republic of the Congo had successfully organized democratic elections and launched economic growth.  Current priorities focused on reconstruction and development, with the goal of rolling back social inequalities.  That was an enormous challenge, and the unreserved commitment of all partners was indispensable.

The United Nations was the “conscience of humankind,” he said, and its role must be seen in the context of world evolution.  The future would see increased competition among nations, particularly for natural resources, which were becoming increasingly scarce.  The credibility of the Organization would depend on its ability to ensure implementation of decisions, and effective fulfilment of commitments.

Turning to the Middle East, he said the credibility of the Organization would always be questioned, as long as the Security Council did not do everything possible to find a two-State solution.

On climate change, he said that impacts would be more harmful in developing countries, particularly in Africa, which contributed the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions.  He asked for an equitable, unified approach to sustainable development problems, adding that the high-level meeting on climate change had provided an opportunity to focus on the issue.  The Democratic Republic of the Congo held unparalleled biological diversity, and would take part in creating an effective strategy.  As such, he called for fair compensation, so as not to jeopardize his country’s own development.

On United Nations reform, he said the Organization must have an architecture that allowed it to meet diverse challenges.  Democracy should be reflected within the body, and he welcomed the reform process.  Calling for increased representation in the Security Council a democratic requirement, he said Africa must be represented in that body on a regular basis.  Council reform, however, should not eclipse the reform of other working methods, and the General Assembly should be reinforced.

In closing, he reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the founding text of the United Nations, and stressed the need to unite efforts to achieve social progress.  Concerted action was proof of the international community’s genuine engagement to improve the state of the world.

JOSÉ RAMOS-HORTA, President of Timor-Leste, discussing the political situation in his country, said that in April and May of last year, less than five years after Timor-Leste’s accession to full independence, the country had been plunged into its first major crisis.  At that time, the President, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Prime Minister had decided to request urgent assistance from the United Nations and the rapid intervention of friendly countries.  He thanked all those that had come to his country’s aid, including Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Portugal.  The Security Council had approved the deployment of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT).

He said that significant progress had been made since those “dark weeks”.  Presidential and legislative elections had been held this past spring.  The election period had been mostly violence-free, and few irregularities had been reported.  At the same time, while the elections results had been welcome, the announcement of the new Government had met with some resistance.  The former ruling party, the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, won most of the votes, but not enough to govern on its own.

After several weeks of lobbying, the former ruling party failed to form a coalition, he said.  A post-election four-party parliamentary alliance opposed to the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor secured 37 seats in the new 65-seat Parliament, and had been invited to form the Government.  Subsequently, there had been violence in a number of locations, in which law enforcement entities had been implicated, but swift United Nations Police and International Security Forces intervention had brought the situation quickly under control.  Adding that Timor-Leste’s defence force had played its role in defusing the situation, he also acknowledged that the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor leadership had also helped the situation by restraining their more passionate followers.

He went on to say that law and order had been restored, but the relative tranquillity was precarious.  That would remain so until Timor-Leste’s police force could be reconstructed and turned into a credible and effective force.  He said that would take a minimum of two to five years, but meanwhile, the Timorese Government would continue the national dialogue, so as to heal the wounds of the past. 

He and other senior Government officials had established a high-level mechanism to address security sector reform.  An expert team of national and international advisors currently interface with UNMIT’s own security sector reform group.  The shared goal was to ascertain a sound strategy for the appropriate reform of Timor-Leste’s police force and the development of its defence forces.

On the social situation, he said that the 2006 crisis had sparked widespread looting and destruction in the capital, Dili.  More than 30 people died, some 30 had been wounded and tens of thousands had been displaced.  “We are slowly recovering, however,” he said, adding that the Government was nevertheless concerned about the situation of hundreds of thousands of people living in “precarious” camps in and around Dili.  On related issues, late rains last year, floods and a locust plague had significantly damaged the agricultural sector.  As a result, the Government anticipated an acute food shortage in the coming months and was planning to purchase significant amounts of food items from regional markets to fill the expected gaps.

He said that, as of July, Timor-Leste’s petroleum fund had accumulated more than $1.4 billion.  Monthly revenues of some $100 million were being deposited into the fund, but that had not translated into any visible improvement in the lives of the poor.  Among other positive steps, the new Government had accepted his fiscal reform proposal to turn Timor-Leste into a tax-free country.  However, those and other initiatives were not enough to improve the living standards of the people, the vast majority of whom had been poor for centuries, and, therefore, could not –- and should not -– wait.

Having pledged to be the “President of the Poor”, he said he intended to be their best advocate.  Towards that goal, he was establishing, among other instruments, a fast-track mechanism to provide direct assistance to individuals, groups and rural communities.  With that initiative, coupled with public investment in infrastructure and the agriculture sector, Timor-Leste should see, in the medium-term, a significant reduction in unemployment and poverty levels.

He said his Government was aware that the international community faced several threats that could be considered more critical than the current situation in his country.  At the same time, he hoped that the United Nations would consider longer-term engagement to help further stabilize the situation in Timor-Leste, as well as help strengthen national institutions and consolidate peace and democracy.

Turning to other issues, he expressed concern and disappointment at current events in Myanmar.  He also expressed concern that the Asian region was the most weaponized region in the world, and stressed that its scientists had “Frankenstein monsters” -– nuclear weapons –- “that can destroy us all”.  He called on those nations to dismantle those dangerous weapons as soon as possible.  Finally, he applauded the Assembly for finally adopting last week the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, said that it was indisputable that global warming was largely attributable to man’s activity.  Unfortunately, Africa, the continent that had contributed least to the phenomenon, was suffering the most.  Indeed, for many African countries, years of development gains were on the verge of being undone by the negative effects of global warming and wildly fluctuating weather patterns.  International cooperation was essential to develop an effective response.  His Government intended to contribute actively to the relevant negotiations at the upcoming Bali conference.

He went on to urge the United Nations to step up resource mobilization for the Millennium Development targets, particularly those on infant and maternal mortality.   He welcomed the Secretary-General’s convening of a “Millennium Development Goals Steering Group” for Africa, as well as the Assembly President’s decision to convene a Millennium Goals meeting during the current session.  He also welcomed the decision of the Panel on System-wide Coherence to pursue the “One United Nations” policy, which aimed to consolidate and simplify the Organization’s various activities at the country level.  He was pleased that his country had been chosen as one of the eight pilot countries for the initiative. 

On Africa, he welcomed the peace efforts underway in Burundi and in many parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  The United Republic of Tanzania, other countries in the region -- and the wider international community –- should now do all they could to encourage and ensure the peaceful return of displaced persons.  Such return was their inalienable right and the entire international community should ensure that they exercised it.

On Darfur, he welcomed the Security Council’s approval of a hybrid African Union-United Nations Mission in the troubled region, and pledged his Government’s willingness to help in any way it could.  Likewise on Somalia, he also welcomed political progress there and hoped that all political factions would continue to search for negotiated solutions to outstanding issues.  He welcomed the United Nations and wider international community’s renewed interest in ensuring peace and lasting development in that country.

The United Republic of Tanzania was also following the ongoing negotiations and talks on the situation in Western Sahara and hoped that the parties would soon find an honourable and just solution to that long-standing decolonization issue.  Looking outside the African region, he called on the international community to support efforts to re-invigorate the Middle East peace process, especially towards the realization of a two-State solution that would end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

LEONEL FERNÁNDEZ REYNA, President of the Dominican Republic, said that during the four years following the 2000 Millennium Summit, the country suffered an economic crisis which caused suffering to the working class, reduced the country’s credibility globally, and allowed drug trafficking and crime to gain a foothold.  According to United Nations agencies, more than 1.5 million of the Dominican Republic’s 9 million citizens fell to the worst levels of poverty.

Since 2004 the country has recovered the confidence of investors and entrepreneurs, reactivated the economy and improved social conditions, he said.  Today, however, international circumstances threaten that recovery.  In the past weeks, rising oil prices have asphyxiated the region’s economy.  Further, free trade zones in the region have been losing their competitive edge to Asia.  Along with worldwide price increases in basic nutritional staples that have sent shock waves throughout the global food chain, that has caused a vicious circle of poverty for his country.  Despite continued praise for free trade, the world’s most powerful countries remained protected. 

He compared the situation of a farmer in the United States with state of the art equipment and government subsidies, producing corn for 7 cents on the dollar, with a farmer in the Dominican Republic with a tractor that “explodes in clouds of smoke every morning” and who secures no subsidies producing corn for 12 cents a pound.  When the Government asked the Dominican farmer how it could help, he said, “All I want is fair trade to be able to sell my corn.”  The fact was that the challenges of globalization had a harsh impact on countries such as the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic has already suffered from global warming through increased volatility and frequency of floods, droughts and hurricanes.  Dominican beaches have been eroded and coral reefs bleached, reducing marine biodiversity and leading to worsening prospects for tourism.  “[T]here cannot be solidarity when there are those in the world who seek to profit and accumulate wealth at the expense of the misery and tragedy of others,” he said.

Only the United Nations, created to promote solidarity and cooperation, could address those issues, he said.  To do so the Organization must reform itself.  Its current structure corresponded to the cold war era while the world had moved beyond it.  The Dominican Republic could not understand why the President of the World Bank must be from the United States or the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from Europe, or why all major global issues are decided by only five countries.  As a founding member of the United Nations, he said, the Dominican Republic aspires to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, so that it might speak for the most vulnerable and deprived. 

TEODORO OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO, President of Equatorial Guinea, said that his country was participating in the Assembly with a bit of discomfort, because the wider Organization was “drowning in a tumultuous sea” of grandiose statements and declarations which did nothing to ensure peace, security and development.  It was time to move beyond words and to take concrete actions.  Just look at the ailing planet, he said.  The Earth was being destroyed by nuclear testing, ravenous consumption of natural resources, and industrial pollution that was depleting the ozone layer.  Despite the fact that all the world’s nations had gathered to discuss climate change and global warming three days ago, and despite the fact that the Kyoto Protocol had set out clear steps to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, those nations that were largely responsible for climate change still refused to own up to that fact, or even step up to their obligations.

Moreover, there had, as yet, not been an international instrument created that could effectively ensure financing for development.  Despite high-minded assertions, everything -- every issue, every cause, and every claim developing countries brought forward -- was reduced to political conditionality and the erection of hurdles that few developing countries could surmount.  He said that his own country was moving ahead with its efforts to make the best use of its oil resources and, to that end, was organizing a conference in early November on the way forward.  He invited all those wishing to provide advice and assistance to attend.

He said that humanity had never been threatened by terrorism as much as it had in the past decade.  Terrorism was a threat against all of humanity and nothing could excuse the killing of innocent people.  All countries of the world that loved peace, justice and freedom had a duty to combat that scourge, which threatened to drag the world back to the dark ages.  At the same time, the international community seemed to be ignoring the use of mercenaries to destabilize Governments, for whatever reason.  He said that Equatorial Guinea had discovered that mercenaries who sought to undermine the Government in 2004 had been backed by certain United Nations Member States.  After the Government had revealed that fact, it had heard nothing further.  All United Nations Member States must seek tolerance and dialogue and must reject actions that destabilized Governments.  They must also respect the principles of State sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On United Nations reform, he said that the Organization had undergone many changes over the past 60 years -– so much so that its members were now regularly violating its Charter.  While it had begun life as an Organization that encouraged dialogue among nations, it was now one that seemed to promote the powerful over the weak.  The most important reform that the United Nations could undertake to start to address such inequity was to make the Security Council more representative of modern realities.  He said that it was woeful that Africa had no permanent membership in the 15-nation body, and called for the right of veto attributed to the continent itself, and not a State, since that continent represented a third of humanity.

ÓSCAR BERGER PERDOMO, President of Guatemala, said that barely two weeks ago, Guatemala had initiated an electoral process that would conclude on 14 January, and he would bestow the presidential sash on his democratically elected successor.  International observers had described the process as “highly satisfactory”.  During his tenure, democratic institutions had been strengthened, fresh impetus had been given to economic development, and human rights had been accorded full respect.  His Government had improved the quality of public management by developing coherent policies and updating legislation.  Areas of focus included food security, energy, and revenue administration.  Guatemala had created new democratic control mechanisms and promoted result-oriented management.

In that context, he said that expenditures had been subjected to civil society scrutiny.  In the last four years, his country had achieved economic recovery, having passed a 3.5 per cent growth rate in 2004-2005.  The overall poverty index had fallen 5 percentage points from 56 per cent to 51 per cent; however, that percentage was still unacceptably high.  Public policies dealing with poverty had been redirected to rural development.  Roads were being built, among other things, and the target of assigning 4.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to social expenditures had been surpassed.  Social indicators had begun to show progress, as seen in the higher rate of health coverage.

On the inclusion of indigenous people, he noted the enactment of a policy to eliminate racism, the incorporation of multicultural criteria into policies and the creation of an affirmative action policy.  His Government had promoted a human rights approach to all public sector policies, the right to indemnification for victims of human rights violations had been acknowledged and a national plan of compensation had been developed.  On the new national and regional challenges of organized crime, Guatemala had concentrated on boosting institutions and governance.  His administration also had put into place a transition programme to hand over all relevant information to the new Government.

On the United Nations, he discussed Guatemala’s cooperation with the world body on the implementation and follow-up of its peace agreements. In 2006, Guatemala’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had been established and efforts were being made to work with the United Nations.  That represented an unprecedented collaboration between a Member State and the Organization to combat transnational crime and impunity.  The Central American integration process had also produced remarkable advances.

Turning to climate change, he said that, while scientific data on negative impacts was unquestionable, there were opportunities to reverse the trend, particularly through the principle of shared and differentiated responsibilities.

On the General Assembly, he said Guatemala had worked with other countries to achieve the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  He believed the greatest challenge for the Human Rights Council was to design the universal periodic review mechanism.   Guatemala would be among the first to be reviewed.  He noted what had been enacted in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, but was concerned that reform issues relating to the development agenda were not being accorded the same priority.   Guatemala was pleased that a conference for middle-income countries had been held in Spain and he noted that the second conference on the topic would be held in El Salvador in October.  The country looked forward to Security Council reform, and trusted that efforts would be pursued during the current session.

PAUL BIYA, President of Cameroon, said nuclear proliferation, and the fact that terrorist organizations were attempting to acquire weapons of mass destruction, constituted a menace to peace and security.  Recalling that terrorism represented a danger that could only be handled through a combined and unshakeable effort, he said it was with that force of conviction that Cameroon supported last year the adoption of a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

In Africa, he regretted that various enclaves of tension persisted.  The Ivorian crisis appeared to have reached a decisive turning point in its evolution.  With the support of all parties and the international community, Ivorians would persevere in choosing national peace and reconciliation.  In that context, he encouraged implementation, in good faith, of the Ouagadougou Peace Accord.

He was, however, worried about violence in Somalia.  While congratulating the African Union Mission for its support of federal transition institutions, he said the rapid deployment of a United Nations force would have a positive effect on the stability of the country and security of the population.  He was equally concerned at the death toll in Darfur, and said all efforts should be put into bringing an end to the tragic cycle of violence in the Sudanese region.  The effects of the crisis had been felt in neighbouring countries, and risked spreading, which was why he was delighted by the announcement of a United Nations-African Union hybrid operation.  Such a force would help stabilize the situation and preserve innocent lives.  It was equally important, however, to re-launch the political process and put into place a regional development programme, notably to assure access to resources, such as water.

He said Cameroon followed with interest the evolution of the situation in Chad and the Central African Republic.  Instability in those countries had been fostered by different rebel groups, which in turn, had provoked a terrible humanitarian tragedy and trans-border insecurity, which had affected neighbouring countries, including his own.  That was why he resolutely supported the next deployment of a multidimensional United Nations-European Union presence on the borders of Chad, Central African Republic and Sudan.  Cameroon was ready to collaborate in those efforts.

He congratulated the Democratic Republic of the Congo for its success in establishing democratic institutions.  He was concerned, however, at the situation in the eastern part of the country.  A diplomatic and political solution to the crisis between the two Kivu areas was needed.

A focus on peace and security problems should not preclude focus on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, he said, noting that the mid-way point had been reached.  The reduction in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2006 had shed light on the need for additional donor support, so that the Goals for 2010 and 2015 could be reached.  He hoped negotiations in the Doha trade round would be completed on time, and that the interests of southern countries would be safeguarded.  On the migration of young Africans to Europe, he said it was important to reflect on solutions that took into account the causes of the phenomenon, including the development gap between the North and the South.  It was clear that neither controls nor repatriation would be adequate or sustainable responses.

JAN PETER BALKENENDE, Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs of the Netherlands, said that the success of the United Nations depended on three factors: inspiration drawn from the common values of respect for human rights, the rule of law, and the planet; how members of the international community would assume their responsibilities; and efforts to make the Organization more relevant and to increase the impact of the international community.

He noted that for the last sixty years the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been the world’s moral compass.  The international community must not lose sight of that common ideal.  “Respect for human rights and the rule of law is our deepest motive and our highest aspiration,” he said.  “Our diversity rests on this unity.  We should not hesitate to hold one another to account.”

As the Assembly meets, however, the situation in Burma calls for urgent action.  Together with the European Union and the United States, he called on the Security Council to take urgent action on the current situation in Burma, including consideration of sanctions.  He said the Netherlands was prepared to act with other well-intentioned States should the Security Council not reach agreement.

He was not talking about abstractions, he said.  Every child that could attend school, every family that could live in peace and freedom, and every country that could enjoy prosperity and tolerance -– “each of these is a step towards fulfilling our dream.”  He noted that religious freedom was under threat in many parts of the world and that the Netherlands would join all who would promote tolerance and dialogue between civilizations, a dialogue that must not undermine the universal validity of shared values.  Progress could be made only through unity in diversity.  The rule of law must be strictly enforced so that people might feel safe and we must also be “tolerant and willing to take a critical look at ourselves”.  Respect for the planet, which gives us life, was essential.  Therefore sustainability must also be a common value.

It was time to put the principle of “responsibility to protect” into practice, he said.  Lasting peace in area of conflict could only be achieved if defence was combined with development and diplomacy.  His country, with its Australian partner, was putting that concept into practice in the Afghan province of Uruzgan.  The international community “must not abandon” Afghanistan.  The United Nations should broaden its role in Afghanistan for that difficult task.  Further, the Netherlands supported the role of the Peacebuilding Commission in bridging the gap between conflict and development in Africa and elsewhere.  He also supported prompt action to tackle climate change.  All industrialized countries should take the lead, but those undergoing rapid economic growth should also practice sustainable development.  The Netherlands would like to develop new strategies to mitigate the negative effects of climate change as well as reduce greenhouse gases and supported the start of follow-up negotiations to the Kyoto Protocol in Bali.

For the United Nations to remain relevant the rule of law must be strengthened and impunity ended, he said.  “Without justice, there can be no lasting peace and no reconciliation.”  The jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court must be more widely accepted.  He stressed the need for cooperation from both Member and non-Member States, particularly regarding the execution of arrest warrants.  He asked for greater coordinated efforts in achieving common aims and suggested that each country with a United Nations presence have a single programme coordinating efforts.  He also suggested funding through multi-year plans.  Reforming the Organisation to reflect a changing world was essential.  He supported the Secretary-General’s plan for reform of the entire system, as well as of the Security Council.  “What we need in the twenty-first century is: united values; united ideals; a united world; and the United Nations.”

SHEIKH MOHAMMAD AL-SABAH AL-SALEM AL-SABAH, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, said that two years after the Assembly’s World Summit, and five years after the adoption by world leaders of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the international community faced serious challenges and threats to peace and security, such as terrorism, the spread of infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and malaria, and unprecedented environmental degradation.  Despite the solid reforms adopted by the United Nations, including the creation of the Human Rights Council and Peacebuilding Commission, as well as the establishment of global funds to funnel aid more quickly to disaster areas and humanitarian emergencies, those had not been enough to combat terrorism, eliminate weapons of mass destruction, or achieve lasting development in developing and least developed countries.

Moreover, he said, the revival of racial bias, religious seditions, incitement of hatred and xenophobia represented a serious threat to international peace and security, which required firm opposition from the United Nations.  The time had come to change the method by which the international community dealt with those and other challenges.  The United Nations should move from “what should be done?” to a phase of implementation that would ensure that Member States fulfilled the commitments they had taken upon themselves at global conferences, and joined international accords and treaties.

Kuwait, for its part, had made good progress in the wake of the 2005 Summit, and had also achieved the Millennium Development Goal targets for health, education and advancing the role of women in society.  The Government had designed policies capable of uplifting society and driving more progress and socio-economic development.   Kuwait’s efforts were also leading to the consolidation of the principles of tolerance, moderation and the end of fanaticism.  Since its independence, Kuwait had undertaken a broad initiative to provide aid to developing countries.  Beginning in 1961, the Fund for Arab Economic Development had financed numerous infrastructure projects in more than 100 countries, valuing more than $12 billion.  Kuwait had also recently appropriated some $300 million to the Islamic Development Bank, towards the elimination of poverty in Africa.

He went on to say that, with so many people still living on less than $2 a day, it was time to take a close look at the real factors that were hindering lasting development in countries around the world.  Towards that goal, Kuwait demanded that the World Trade Organization and the Bretton Woods institutions end restrictions on developing country exports and promote a more just and equitable trade system, which took into account the needs of developing and least developed countries.

Turning to other issues, he said that his Government was closely following the situation Iraq, and it welcomed the improved security situation in some areas due to expanded operations by international forces.  However, there was a dire need to step up efforts at all levels -- especially on the political track -- to confront the security challenges posed by terrorist operations that targeted civilians, houses of worship and State institutions, killing innocent civilians on an almost daily basis.  Hopefully, the efforts exerted by the Iraqi Government to achieve reconciliation would be fruitful, and lead to a comprehensive national consensus, which took into consideration the rights of all Iraqi people.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said that the plight of the Palestinian people continued, their lands were occupied, their rights were violated, and relevant Security Council resolutions were ignored.  Despite recent regional and international attempts to revive the peace process, the Israeli Government, instead of taking confidence-building measures, continued to erect checkpoints and increase tensions, with ongoing acts of violence.  Urgent action was required, therefore, to protect the Palestinian people.  He also called on the international community to promote the newly revived Arab Peace Initiative, as well as the Quartet-backed road map.  All efforts should lead to a comprehensive and just solution, including a Palestinian State and the withdrawal of Israel from all Arab lands it had occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan.

JOÃO BERNARDO VIEIRA, President of Guinea-Bissau, said his country fully supported the Secretary-General’s report on climate change.  Regarding the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts and the preservation of international peace and security, which occupied a central position in the United Nations Charter, Guinea-Bissau believed it was the duty of all Member States to try to attain those ideals, and the creation of an international coalition for peace, security and the defence of human rights would be the ideal way to resolve conflicts.

He said that while terrorism and drug trafficking affected the stability of all nations, the weakened infrastructure of his own country and the challenges of border control had allowed drug traffickers to develop in Guinea-Bissau.  Despite the State’s actions, the eradication of drug trafficking would only be possible through international cooperation.  While programmes like the Emergency Plan to Combat Drug Trafficking proved the country’s earnestness in fighting the problem, it lacked the resources, materials and financial means to carry it out.  Guinea-Bissau welcomed upcoming regional conferences on the topic and appealed to all countries to share their experience and technology and saluted United Nations efforts to create an international network to eradicate the scourge.

In terms of development, he said his country had decided to launch a financial recovery programme as an instrument of adjustment in working with international financial institutions.  That would allow the country to strengthen its development framework.  Approval by the International Monetary Fund of a post-conflict programme would be an important step towards economic recovery.  While recognizing the country’s responsibility to fight corruption and support good governance, the firm support of the international community was indispensable in its efforts to consolidate stability and political national reconciliation.

He paid tribute to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) for their support as well as for the contributions of the International Contact Group for Guinea-Bissau, the Economic and Social Council’s ad-hoc Consultative Group on Guinea-Bissau and the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS).  Guinea-Bissau also thanked the leaders of the community of Portuguese-speaking countries for having created an arena of solidarity and reaffirmed its support for United Nations efforts to achieve peace, international stability and development.

Noting the persistence of conflict situations and humanitarian crises around the world, and particularly in Africa –- most notably in Darfur and Somalia -– he expressed the hope that a new spirit of cooperation would prevail in the international community, allowing a lasting peace in the Middle East.  Guinea-Bissau called for an efficient Security Council that would represent the world’s diversity and defend with equal commitment and determination the legitimate aspirations of all its countries while providing just representation and participation in its deliberations and decision-making.

EMANUEL MORI, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, recalling Monday’s high-level event on climate change, said that long before the global warming issue had become a fashionable topic, Micronesia had been on the front lines of those calling for action on what was now acknowledged as a global emergency.  “For years we have argued that as a small island developing State, we are among the most vulnerable:  climate change threatens our very existence,” he declared. 

Although the international community had come a long way in a very short time –- “Consider where we were when the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed?” he asked –- what was needed now was collective and responsible action to save the planet.  In order for such action to be effective, it must be carried out within the United Nations framework, he added.  Further, developed countries must provide adequate and additional funding to help small islands implement adequate adaptation and mitigation mechanisms.  To that end, Micronesia supported the appropriate institutional backing for an Adaptation Fund that was responsive to the needs of small island developing States.

Among other things to help them cope with the effects of climate change, small islands needed access to renewable energy sources, so that they could begin scaling back their dependence on fossil fuels.  Turning to highlight several initiatives and activities Micronesia had undertaken, he said that his Government had presented a proposal to enhance the effectiveness of the landmark Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.  In addition, two years ago at the Eighth Conference of State Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Micronesia and Palau had showcased the “Micronesia Challenge,” a regional intergovernmental initiative that would facilitate more effective conservation of marine and forest resources.  It aimed to conserve 30 per cent of near shore coastal waters and 20 per cent of forest land by 2020.  Micronesia was seeking international assistance and partnerships inside and outside the region to overcome some hurdles in implementing the Challenge.

He said that another important issue for small island nations was the critical role information and communications technology (ICT) played in helping them achieve long-term development.  “With the islands of the Federated States of Micronesia interspersed widely in the north-west Pacific and with limited resources and high transportation costs, we face many challenges,” he said.  Access to affordable ICT offered a solution that not only addressed the island nation’s infrastructure deficiencies, but could also help it attain the Millennium Development Goals and the ICT objectives set by the World Summit on the Information Society.

Finally, as a custodian of a vast ocean area, he touched on a few issues regarding the world’s seas.  He expressed gratitude to Norway and others that had contributed to the trust fund created to assist small islands in claiming their extended continental shelves, in compliance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  He was concerned, however, that there were far too many institutional hurdles hampering access to the Fund, and urged that the situation be immediately rectified.  He went on to raise concern about “collateral catches” and discards in commercial fisheries.  While they might be considered discards to some, they were critical resources to Micronesia and other small islands dependent on marine resources for their livelihoods.  The international community should vigorously seek ways to address that issue to minimize and eliminate the incidence of catching untargeted fish.

LUDWIG SCOTTY, President of Nauru, recalled that when he had first entered office, his country had been on the brink of collapse, having squandered its wealth through gross mismanagement and corruption.  A National Sustainable Development Strategy had helped it rebuild and it continued to push towards more transparency and accountability in government.  “It is a slow and painful recovery and we appreciate all the help we can get,” he said, noting that the Pacific was in danger of missing many targets of the Millennium Development Goals.  Nauru appreciated the upcoming leaders’ meeting on that issue.

He lamented the lack of progress in opening a United Nations office in Nauru as had been promised in 2006.  Delay in that initiative and the Organization’s assumption about the capabilities of small island States was short-sighted and ignored national priorities, thereby weakening cohesion between the United Nations and small island States.  The project could be salvaged, however, given the “will and sincere desire” to Nauru’s needs.

Climate change was an example of the inequities in the current world development paradigm, he said, pointing out that small island countries contributed little to the problem but would bear the brunt of the damage.  Developed countries should do more to slow global warming and help developing countries achieve the Millennium goals as well.  Persistent capacity constraints were the major obstacle to the implementation of sustainable development in the Pacific region.  Though grateful to its development partners, Nauru felt the world should do much more to both alleviate poverty and remove the constraints that frustrated the progress of many developing countries, including foreign debt.

Turning to the subject of Taiwan, he expressed support for that country’s bid for United Nations membership, saying, the United Nations Charter and the Security Council’s Rules of Procedure had been contravened when the Office of the Secretary-General had failed to forward Taiwan’s membership application to the Council.  Taiwan was a free State and its democratically elected Government was the sole legitimate Government of the island State.  Membership would also allow Taiwan to better dedicate its considerable resources to helping developing countries move forward.  Developed countries had a responsibility to provide financial, humanitarian and other assistance to small island developing States, especially in relation to their adaptation to climate change.  Capital investment was not enough; technology transfers and knowledge-sharing was necessary as well.

Finally, he called for Security Council reform of and revitalization of the General Assembly so that the Organization could move forward “with a common vision for a more coherent United Nations system capable of delivering as one and sparing no effort to continue strengthening the three pillars of peace and security, development, and human rights”.  In particular, Japan, India, Brazil and Germany should be included in the reform of the Security Council.  In general, all countries should now move forward with the “best of intentions” to make good on their promises to deliver.

AHMED ABDALLAH SAMBI, President of the Comoros, said conflicts in the Middle East, Darfur, Somalia and many others called for urgent measures, and his Government endorsed any action by the international community, particularly the African Union and the United Nations, in seeking solutions.  The world had reason to be concerned as fear and uncertainty had become widespread both in developed and developing countries.  Meanwhile, science and technology had never been so effective, and the world had never been so rich.  The countries of the South, however, laboured under the burden of debt, poverty and diseases.  Therefore, the international community should place an emphasis on ODA to help developing countries meet the challenges of environmental problems, desertification and soil degradation.  Solidarity was also needed in combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases that affected development.

Everything possible must be done to ensure that terrorism could no longer flourish in the “weakest links of the world chain”, he continued.  Fanaticism and intolerance must not destroy mankind.  In enhancing tolerance, the world could avoid possible attacks on human rights and the amalgam between terrorism and religion.  Also, while some progress had been achieved in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, their full attainment would depend on international security and the efforts of the wealthiest countries.  In addition, United Nations reform was necessary more than ever to better reflect its universal nature and ensure that Africa and all other regions were appropriately represented.

Turning to his country’s experience, he said his Government had committed to ensuring human rights, the rule of law, restoration of the justice system combating corruption and advancing the situation of women.  It was to be hoped that international solidarity would support the Comoros in meeting its challenges, including armed rebellion whereby the former Executive Head of the island of Anjouan had refused to organize free and democratic elections at the end of his term in office.  That uprising had jeopardized development by causing delays in repaying the national debt and hampered investment from abroad.  The Comoros appealed to the international community to help establish lasting stability by confronting the uprising.  The Government sought to settle the situation by peaceful means in the belief that it was important to preserve national unity.  Among other partners, the Comoros thanked the African Development Bank and all who had provided partial relief of the national debt and facilitate economic recovery.

He recalled that more than 30 years had passed since the independent Comoros had been admitted to the United Nations within its authentic borders and consisting of four islands:  Ngazidja, Mwali, Ndzouani and Maore.  Today, the Government wished to deal calmly with the French side on the matter of the island of Mayotte.  Among other things, it was important to solve jointly the human drama caused by frequent shipwrecks involving people visiting their families on Mayotte.  It was also necessary to facilitate the free movement of goods and people among all the islands of the Archipelago.  It was important to find a modus vivendi, which would take into account the social, cultural, linguistic, economic, religious and historical realities that shaped the lives of all the people of the Comoros.  Hopefully, the Comoros and France could move towards a final, just and lawful solution of the issue.

JANEZ JANŠA, Prime Minister of Slovenia, said the primacy of the United Nations in dealing with environmental challenges resulted from the sheer dimension and complexity of the issues involved.  With regard to climate change, Slovenia supported a regional approach, the principle of common but different responsibilities, and country-specific solutions.  It also took very seriously its commitments within the European Union.  Hopefully, those regional initiatives would set the tone for international action.

He welcomed progress on United Nations reform and said the Balkans would continue to work for a more responsive, effective and representative Organization.  The United Nations role in peace and security was indispensable.  On the final stages of the stabilization process in the Balkans, it was important to pursue solutions to secure the dividends of peace, which should then be invested in the common European project.

On other issues, he said that finalizing the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism must remain one of the key priorities in facing the challenges of the 21^st Century.  Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and equitable distribution of economic growth were also of paramount importance.  In addition, the implementation of human rights standards would be actively pursued by Slovenia, particularly now that it was a member of the Human Rights Council.

Finally, he said his country attached great importance to the concept of human security, especially as it related to the well-being of children.  Slovenia had cooperated extensively with non-governmental organizations in that area and participated in initiatives on intercultural dialogue in the Mediterranean region.  The establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean University would be a contribution to those efforts.

FAKHRUDDIN AHMED, Chief Adviser of the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh, said that Government had come into office last January amid a political stalemate, acting as a bridge between successive political Governments.  Its first and foremost task was to ensure a free and fair election.  However, the country had been brutally undermined by “ruinous corruption”, and, in order to deliver a free, fair and meaningful election, it had first to free politics from the clutches of corruption and violence.  Rebuilding public institutions and restoring public confidence through meaningful reforms was a Herculean task, but “one in which we cannot and will not fail”.  The Government had already over-hauled the Election Commission, guaranteeing its independence and giving it a broader mandate.  It had also reorganized the Anti-Corruption Commission and acceded to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. 

Recognizing the importance of an independent judiciary, within its first month in office, the Government had initiated the necessary steps to fully separate the Government’s executive and judicial branches, he continued.  It had also revamped the National Public Service Commission and the University Grants Commission to restore their apolitical status.  Various political parties had also initiated various reforms in response to the demands of the people.  In Bangladesh, the fight against corruption and the strengthening of the rule of law went hand in hand with the protection of human rights.  Therefore, the Caretaker Government had decided to establish a National Human Rights Commission.  In addition, Bangladesh had recently acceded to the Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, thus becoming a party to all terrorism-related United Nations instruments.

The problems facing the country were not unique to Bangladesh, he said.  After all, in the developing world, democracy did not necessarily ensure good governance.  “We feel that a greater understanding of our challenges, and more importantly, of our efforts to rebuild political and social institutions can serve as benchmarks for others facing similar situations.”  For example, Bangladesh represented an effective model of civil-military cooperation in crisis prevention, and its experience in crisis management could be relevant to many crisis-torn nascent democracies.

One of the world’s top troop-contributing countries, Bangladesh would continue to play a leadership role in multidimensional peacekeeping efforts, he said.  The country was ready to provide “comprehensive deployment packages” in future operations and would also remain active in peacebuilding endeavours in post-conflict societies.   Bangladesh strongly felt that troop-contributing countries should have equitable representation and play a greater role in deployment and other strategic decisions.  As for United Nations reform, the exercise should focus on the requirements of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and its speed must be gradual.  Reform should also take into account the diversity of the developing world, and allow individual countries to determine the structure of the United Nations at the country level, the representation of its agencies and their country programmes.

Turning to climate change, he urged enhanced international cooperation to meet the challenges of global warming and its consequences.  Bangladesh was particularly keen on those issues because some 30 per cent of its land would be submerged if the Bay of Bengal rose just one metre.  Moreover, the adverse affects of global warming, deforestation and increased salinity were already evident.  Floods had become an annual calamity, including this year, when the people of Bangladesh had suffered two rounds of devastating floods.  While their resilience and the quick mobilization of limited resources had helped overcome the crisis this year, the Government envisaged that such action might become more difficult in the future.  Enhanced international cooperation was needed to meet the myriad challenges of globalization and its consequences.

Along with many other least developed countries, Bangladesh was also facing significant tariff and non-tariff barriers in accessing developed markets, he said.  Global trade regimes must provide unimpeded access to all products from the least developed countries to ensure that the fruits of progress were shared by all.  With 140 million people, squeezed into an area roughly the size of New York State, Bangladesh also underscored the importance of migration to development efforts.  “If we are to reduce poverty by half by 2015, we must strengthen our efforts to ensure the free movement of labour”.  It was encouraging that the Global Forum on Migration and Development in July had accorded migration its due priority.  It was also necessary to intensify efforts to defend the rights of migrant workers.  Bangladesh called for renewed international efforts –- at the World Trade Organization and other forums –- to facilitate the free movement of labour services.

ALBERT PINTAT, Prime Minister of Andorra, quoted the poet Paul Eluard as saying that “the earth is blue like an orange”.  Earth moved and turned with infinite interdependence.  The latest data regarding the Millennium Development Goals had showed a positive trend; great steps had been taken to reduce child mortality, and surprisingly simple measures had proven to be effective in eradicating many illnesses.  Yet, there remained in the world much concern and great uncertainty.

The Prime Minister said that successive waves of contributions of capital or human resources had combined with pre-existing human substrata, creating superimposed strata, which accentuated differences.  When investments ceased to be profitable, resources had been redirected, resulting in change or crisis.  Progress could not hide profound shortcomings.  Power had to be provided to obtain more resources, to go faster, to have more ideas, to be more effective.

Since its founding, the United Nations had sought to be a moral and legal force by ensuring that dialogue, cooperation and solidarity replaced oppression, arms, famine, misery and injustice, he said.  New ills had emerged, however, such as the radicalization of fundamentalism, environmental degradation and more frequent natural disasters.  Most threatening were those in the weakest parts of the world.  Climate change would affect everybody, but not equally.

He said that trafficking and abuse of women and children had continued, and the “extreme situation” in Darfur had become an example of conflict, terrorism and human rights violations that had been with resignation or impotence.  It ought not be surprising that, in the face of such hard realities, international institutions had been suffering from a serious crisis of credibility.

The Prime Minister praised the General Assembly’s efforts towards Security Council reform, applauded the Millennium objectives, and called on everyone “not to loose speed (and to) press the foot down a little harder on the accelerator”.  Andorra’s small size had not prevented it from maintaining good relations with France and Spain for more than seven years.  Progress had to be made with modest but continuous reforms, tangible yet firm, that would lead to a better future.

SURAYUD CHULANONT, Prime Minister of Thailand, said one year had passed since his country had addressed an “unprecedented political paralysis” and it was committed to the timeline for the revitalization of parliamentary democracy, with general elections scheduled for 23 December 2007.  Thailand had faced an economic crisis 10 years ago but its economic fundamentals were strong.  Despite economic growth, however, challenges to sustainable development in the form of income disparities and the urban-rural divide remained and the Government had made it a national priority to promote growth with equity and to achieve development from within.  That approach, based on the His Majesty the King’s Sufficiency Economy philosophy, had been recognized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its 2007 Human Development Report on the country.  The Government would also lead efforts to overcome those challenges through universal education and investment in basic infrastructure for people-centred development.

Stressing that Governments should ensure that progress did not come at the expense of the environment, he said that the Sufficiency Economy’s concepts of moderation and mindfulness related directly to the sustainable use of natural resources.   Thailand would cut back its reliance on fossil fuels and lower its greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation.  It would meet its growing energy demands through renewable energy and biofuels and, possibly, nuclear energy.  Those emission reductions would take a few more decades due to the high costs of new technology.  Thailand called for greater partnership and technology transfer –- particularly of clean coal and methane reduction technologies –- between countries that had developed them and those that lacked them.  All nations should also make water management a priority in the global climate change agenda.

Highlighting his country’s commitment to human security and to protecting its people’s freedom from want, he noted that freedom from fear was another part of human security.  Thailand was committed to cross-cultural understanding and appealed to the majority of the world’s moderates to join forces against extremism.  Inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue and inter-civilizational dialogue should take place at the regional level as was happening in Southeast Asia.

Noting Thailand’s 2,400 kilometre border with Myanmar and the shelter it provided for more than 100 million of that country’s citizens, he expressed grave concern over developments in Myanmar.  The infliction of violence and bodily harm on Buddhist monks and other demonstrators in Yangon was unacceptable.  After having met this morning, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had demanded that the Government of Myanmar desist immediately from the use of violence against demonstrators and expressed revulsion over reports of violence and fatalities.  Myanmar was urged to exercise restraint, work towards a peaceful transition to democracy and release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

He said Thailand was eager to become a more capable partner in the international community, particularly by working with its ASEAN partners to create a closer community and to support United Nations reform.   Thailand had played a significant part in putting forth the Four Nation Initiative and contributing troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.  In addition, the country’s efforts to eradicate poverty would extend beyond its borders.  Thailand also believed that the immediate resumption of the Doha Round of negotiations was essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

MICHAEL T. SOMARE, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, said that his country was thriving under democracy, despite its challenges, and had found unity in diversity over the past 32 years.  He endorsed the Assembly President’s priority issues of climate change, development financing, achieving the Millennium Development Goals, countering terrorism and the United Nations reform agenda.  His country had joined with other countries in the Pacific region to pool resources and to address many of these issues.

On climate change, he said that only when industrialized nations take responsibility for their own actions would the pathway to lasting solutions be clear.  Developing countries were willing to contribute equitably towards a sustainable future.  Six key areas in fighting climate change were:  constructing a shared vision for lower global greenhouse gas concentrations; deepening reduction commitments of industrialized nations; creating more mechanisms to provide positive incentives for developing countries; launching a global framework to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation; scaling up adaptation finance for future generations; and mobilizing sufficient and sustainable resources to support positive incentives and adaptation.  Leadership on both sides of the economic divide were required for success.

Pointing to ongoing reforms in the Secretariat, he said that the process at the United Nations should take into account the different levels of development facing its membership.  Global trade was uneven and characterized by unfair trade practices, which favoured the advantaged.  The Doha round of negotiations were at a critical juncture, and he called for their revival.  His country would move forward on domestic economic growth strategies that emphasized agriculture, and it would also review policies that had been developed to meet the Millennium Development Goals.  Achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 would be a challenge, and he called on his country’s development partners to play a supportive role, particularly through fair trade opportunities, equitable markets, increased foreign investment, technology transfer, capacity-building and the provision of overseas development assistance.

Characterizing the HIV/AIDS epidemic a serious threat to social and economic security, he called for greater efforts to arrest it.  He pointed to his country’s treatment of HIV/AIDS as a development issue, but stressed that national policies were not enough.  He, thus, called for a global response.  He thanked the United Nations, its agencies and former United States President Bill Clinton for their contributions in combating HIV/AIDS in Papua New Guinea.  Equally important was the battle against malaria, tuberculosis and other preventable diseases.  Bill Gates’ help in fighting malaria in his country was also appreciated.

He appealed to all parties to the conflict in the Middle East to make the necessary concessions for a peaceful resolution to the long-standing issue.  Noting that the work of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization was unfinished, with 16 non-self-governing Territories remaining, he pointed to the forthcoming referendum in Tokelau and congratulated the parties involved.  Hopefully other administering Powers would follow New Zealand’s example and assist other Territories in reaching a decision of their choice. 

SALI BERISHA, Prime Minister of Albania, said his country, though small, was determined to strengthen freedom and democracy.  Its peacekeeping units had served, or were still present, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Afghanistan and Iraq.  The country had also staunchly supported international efforts to limit the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the unlawful use of small arms.  In July 2007, Albania had become the first country to be free of any kind of chemical materials and armaments.

He said that, in a few years, the Balkans had gone from a period of dictatorships, hatred and conflict into an age of peace, cooperation, friendship and integration.  However, resolution of the final status of Kosovo -– in full respect of the expressed will of its citizens for independence -– was a fundamental condition for durable peace and stability in the entire region.  Albania supported fully the project set out by Martti Ahtisaari, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Future Status Process for Kosovo, as well as Troika efforts to resolve Kosovo’s final status.  Belgrade’s rejection of the Ahtisaari project, due to “a lack of realism and the ghost of greater Serbia”, had been unhelpful.  Claims that Kosovo’s independence would set an international precedent or lay out the conditions for a Greater Albania were unfounded, he said, stressing that it was a unique case.  “The claim that the independence of Kosova may lead to the creation of a Greater Albania cannot be farther from the truth.”  The simple truth was that the province’s ethnic Albanians had decided to join Brussels, not Tirana.  Albania would respect fully the international borders of Kosovo and cooperate bilaterally with all countries in the region, including Serbia.  “I believe that the concern about independent Albanian States in the Balkans is xenophobic.  Two democratic States inhabited in majority by Albanians will be two more friendly countries to their neighbours.”

The Prime Minister concluded by urging the political leadership of Kosovo to refrain from taking unilateral actions, and to continue –- as it had done so far -– to cooperate with the Contact Group and the international community to resolve the final status of Kosovo “in full respect of their will and the dignity they deserve”.  Albania congratulated the political leadership of Kosovo for submitting a treaty of reconciliation, friendship and cooperation with Serbia, “a treaty inspired by the highest European values”.

NGUYEN TAN DZUNG, Prime Minister of Viet Nam said that since the founding of the United Nations there had been no more world wars.  Science and technology had advanced and there had been a rapid proliferation of regional and global cooperation agreements.  Yet the world had not been freed from tense confrontation, acts of unilateral imposition, violations of national sovereignty and inequality and unfair treatment in international relations.  Pressing global issues that seriously threatened human life had arisen, such as epidemics, environmental pollution and climate change.

He said his country was aligned with the orientations charted by the United Nations summits in 2000 and 2005 toward securing peace, security, cooperation and development.  Viet Nam urged the Organization and Member States to intensify efforts to establish lasting peace in the Middle East, including by resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, end conflicts around Africa, restore stability in Iraq and Afghanistan and prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons.  Viet Nam supported the resolution of issues on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue, in conformity with international law, and shared the desires of the Korean people for peaceful reunification.

Viet Nam supported development cooperation between countries and the establishment of equal international relations in the economic, financial and trade areas, he said.  Special attention should be paid to the developing and least developed countries, and economic blockades and embargoes should be lifted.  The United Nations should be provided with more resources to implement poverty reduction, women’s advancement, child care, population planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.  Viet Nam supported United Nations reform to ensure that all Member States enjoyed broad participation.

He said his country had sought to join the Organization in 1946, but had not been admitted until 1977.  Since gaining membership, it had actively supported peace, stability, cooperation and development around the world, and had made significant contributions to the transformation of Southeast Asia from a conflict area to one of peace and cooperation.  Viet Nam had established diplomatic relations with 174 countries and trade ties with most countries.  It was a member of many international organizations, having recently become the 150^th member of the World Trade Organization, and had been elected to governing positions in many United Nations bodies.  Currently it was a pilot country in the “One UN” initiative.  Thanks to the support of the Organization’s agencies and the international community, the country had been able to fulfil a number of Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule.  Despite being a poor country, Viet Nam was an active participant in South-South cooperation through a United Nations programme to support the African agricultural sector.  That programme had produced encouraging results.

Thanking the Asian Group for endorsing Viet Nam as the continent’s only candidate for Security Council membership in 2008-2009, he promised to work closely with other countries to reduce tension and prevent or peacefully settle conflicts around the world.  Viet Nam would fulfil its obligations under all treaties on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and work to eliminate international terrorism.  The country’s own experience of reconstruction after years of war had left it ready to share that experience.  Viet Nam had contributed financially to peacekeeping operations and had been completing preparations to participate in such operations according to its ability.  The country also supported the Security Council reform so as to make the organ more representative and democratic in its procedures, and to help it develop relationships with regional organizations. 

LANSANA KOUYATÉ, Prime Minister of Guinea, said the items on the Assembly’s agenda were part and parcel of the long history of mankind.  Today, however, human survival was also threatened by serious environmental challenges.  Science had sounded the alarm, and the meeting on climate change had welcomed all the information that testified to the urgent need for action.  But while all nations should seek immediate and resolute action to stop environmental degradation, such political will should not turn into hidden dangers.  For instance, no restrictions should be placed on developing countries exporting their forests.  Some great world leaders had advocated remunerating Africa for the exploitation of its resources, but the continent’s role should be greater than that of a supplier of raw materials.   Africa should be able to generate wealth, and the transfer of technology presented great opportunities in that regard, without harming the environment.

The United Nations must be just and equitable, both in terms of its structures and in its decision-making, he continued.  Security Council reform and other bodies should take new realities into account as well as the universal nature of the problems facing the international community.  “How can we confront terrorism unless we address the need for greater tolerance and take into account the elements that constitute the dialogue among civilizations?  How can we overcome HIV/AIDS if profit remains the guiding principle of pharmaceutical companies?” he asked.

Commitments on many fronts had not been respected, he said. For example, in 1974, highly industrialized countries had promised to eliminate poverty in the “mythical” year 2000, deciding to allocate 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product to official development assistance.  Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the same Powers had foretold universal peace by the end of the twentieth century.  Unfortunately, poverty not only had not been eliminated, it had even increased; new wars were erupting in various parts of the world and the nuclear threat had not disappeared.  In 2000, the Declaration on the Millennium Development Goals had recognized that the only realistic objective was to halve poverty by 2015.  Today, all the expert reports agreed that the Goals would only be achieved if the international community changed the strategies and rules shaping the world today.  As for the prediction of peace, the best détente was the total absence of nuclear weapons.   Guinea emphasized the need to combat nuclear terrorism and address injustice, intolerance and difference between cultures and races.

Stressing that he did not believe in the inevitability of war and poverty, he said that, in the fight against poverty, the rich countries and the elites in poor countries were responsible for the failure to implement existing commitments.  They were in change of the policies that had strengthened poverty.  Peace involved promoting a planetary economic system based on common assets and global public services.  The eradication of poverty was not out of reach and to achieve that goal, it was necessary to declare poverty illegal in principle and unacceptable in practice, while abolishing provisions that created and maintained poverty around the world.  In that regard, Guinea advocated the example of the twentieth century when the world had initiated the process to eradicate slavery, which until then had been considered natural and permanent.  It had taken courageous leaders to declare slavery illegal.  There were similar possibilities to create a legacy for future generations today.

At the beginning of 2007, Guinea had been beset by crisis, resulting from the lack of governance, poverty and overall poor economic situation, he said.  Fortunately, the situation had been resolved, due to the combined efforts of the Government, society and friends of Guinea.  The Government was now doing its utmost to meet the people’s expectations.  However, the initiatives planned by the Government -– promising as they were –- needed effective partnership based on the country’s basic and specific needs.

MARTIN NDUWIMANA, Vice-President of Burundi, said it was the mission of the international community to build a viable world for humanity.  By consolidating peace and justice within its borders, Burundi had been contributing to global harmony.  At the domestic and regional level, the Government had been striving to create a good environment in which to consolidate peace and security and strengthen development and the rule of law.  The ceasefire signed on 7 September 2006 with the Front national de libération (FNL) rebel movement had contributed strongly to a return to peace and stability and, even though the FNL had unilaterally suspended talks recently, the Government was not discouraged.  Efforts had begun for the prompt resumption of the talks, with a regional summit on the issue due to be held soon.

To better succeed with national reconciliation, the Government had begun negotiations with the United Nations Secretariat with a view to establishing a truth and reconciliation commission.  The Government was fully aware that respect for human rights was the linchpin of democracy and would spare no effort to promote the necessary reforms and measures so that citizens as well as foreigners could stand on Burundi soil in complete calm.  Civil war had ravaged the country, generating extreme poverty and, in order to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals, the Government had taken measures towards providing free health care for children under five and expectant mothers, plus free elementary education.

He said Burundi had been participating actively in the work of the Tripartite Plus Commission, alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.  For Burundi that had proven to be an adequate forum to discuss security issues, including the presence of armed groups that placed democratic achievements and development in peril.  In December 2000, Burundi had been among 11 States to sign a stability and development pact for the Great Lakes region, with a view to turning it into a zone of peace, growth and sustainable development.  “ Burundi has been making small steps on the read to peace, and the results are visible and encouraging, even though the road remains a long one,” he said.

Despite those efforts, however, much remained to be done, he continued.  Burundi had decided to make a modest contribution to conflict resolution by providing military observers and police officers for Darfur, as well as military units for the peacekeeping mission sent to Somalia by the African Union.  However, conflict prevention could not be effective without taking into account the proliferation of small arms.  “We want to launch a vibrant appeal to nations that produce light weapons to adopt responsible exports policies that would genuinely contribute to stemming the illicit trade in arms,” he said.

In the wake of the Millennium Summit in 2000 and other major international meetings, poverty in most African and Latin American nations had remained unchanged or worsened, he said.  Official development assistance was far from the minimum levels needed, while debt weighed heavily on the fragile economies of poor States.  Another fundamental challenge for the twenty-first century was to overcome the apprehension of developing countries vis-à-vis globalization.  Since the cold war, the world had become divided between rich and poor.  The time had come to humanize relations between those two blocs and to favour concrete actions in respect of commitments undertaken.

JOSEPH N. BOAKAI, Vice-President of Liberia, commended ongoing international support for his country’s reconstruction, and expressed his Government’s appreciation for a recent Security Council decision to lift sanctions on Liberia’s timber and diamond sectors.  The Liberian people had viewed the sanctions as “prudent and corrective” measures.  Despite gains in establishing peace, however, Liberia remained fragile and it was grateful that the Council had renewed the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).

Democracy was on an “irreversible” course in Africa, he stated, adding that democratic governance and the rule of law were also on an upward march.  Liberia welcomed the relatively peaceful, free, fair and democratic elections held in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mauritania and Mali.  While democratic elections did not provide quick answers, they did create an environment in which freedom and individual enterprise could thrive and prosper.  Because such democracies were in their infancy, they needed bilateral and multilateral support.

The United Nations was the best institution to promote and protect peace and security and the resolution of crises worldwide, he said.  The temptation to use United Nations instruments for narrow agendas that undermined the Charter must be avoided.  But, as it pursued its objectives, the Organization had to undergo reform.  Liberia proposed a timely review and reconfiguration of the Security Council, the establishment of mechanisms to ensure the Charter remained inviolate, and the careful consideration of due process in dealing with Member States.  Furthermore, the United Nations should recommit itself to ensuring an equitable partnership of women and men in its leadership.

Expressing concern over the political situation in Myanmar, he called for restraint and dialogue.  While events in the Middle East continued to claim world attention, it was important not to loose sight of similarly grave situations in Africa, including the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur, and crises in Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic and Uganda, among others.  Liberia welcomed Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) as well as the consensus on a hybrid African Union-United Nations force for Darfur.  It urged States that had pledged logistical and other support to make good on their promises to ensure timely deployment.  Liberia also applauded progress made in resolving the crisis in its “sisterly” neighbour, Côte d’Ivoire, and urged strong support for the Ouagadougou Agreement.

Liberia was also concerned by rapid climate degradation and hoped the current Assembly session would produce a consensus on how to save future generations from its impacts, he said.  The political will to combat Africa’s health crisis -- including HIV/AIDS -- must be developed by nations on the continent itself.  To that end, the developed world should treat the question of antiretroviral drugs as a purely social and humanitarian issue of an emergency nature.  Liberia continued to be burdened by huge debts to bilateral and multilateral creditors and therefore renewed its plea for empathy and consideration of its request for debt cancellation.

ISATOU NJIESAIDY, Vice-President of Gambia, said that the Millennium Development Goals were far from being attained in most of the developing world.  The greatest difficulty was that commitments from the international community to aid, debt relief and market access had not been realized.  She called on the international community to rededicate itself to the Monterey Consensus and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.  She welcomed the panel established by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to monitor pledges made at the summits of the Group of Eight industrialized nations (G-8).  The framework governing international trade and finance, global competition, foreign direct investment, and migration should be re-examined, accommodating the views of developing countries, particularly the least developed, so that development could be addressed from the perspective of trade and market access, rather than aid dependency.

Poverty, she said, could affect the comfort and security of the privileged as it engendered economic, social and political problems.  She called for greater international solidarity in the fight against poverty worldwide.  Health concerns, particularly malaria and HIV/AIDS, health and malnutrition, continued to undermine development.  She thanked development partners who had been supporting the Gambian people in the areas of health, education and agriculture.

She noted progress in peace and security in Africa, singling out Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire for their successes in ending conflicts on their territories and organizing elections.  However, the international community’s attention was urgently needed in Somalia.  She called on the United Nations to support the efforts of the African Union and Somalia’s neighbours to bring lasting peace to the country.  The commitment to bolster the African Union Mission in the Sudan with a hybrid African Union-United Nations Mission that would have a greater mandate to keep the peace in Darfur was welcome and Gambia would continue its active participation in that effort.  She saluted the Sudanese Government’s cooperation in finding a lasting solution through the political process.  The international community should play a greater role in bringing all parties to the negotiating table in the Great Lakes region to shore up the fragile peace there and to address the humanitarian situation more vigorously.

Turning to the situations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, she said that the conflict in Iraq threatened peace and security in the Middle East and the world.  There was no justification for the alarming rate of civilian deaths in Iraq.  The overflow of refugees into neighbouring countries was too great to be absorbed without posing a threat to social and political security.  She urged that alternatives be found to resolve that conflict.  Dialogue with Afghanistan’s neighbours should supersede military engagement in Afghanistan.  In the Middle East, “the unresolved question of the self-determination of the Palestinian people remains the most important political and moral question of our time”.  She welcomed the new initiative from the United States and hoped the upcoming conference would help to settle the issue once and for all.  She urged all parties to negotiate in good faith.

She raised the issue of the illegal embargo of Cuba, saying that it was devoid of political and commercial sense, she said, urging that all related laws, measures and policies be repeated.  The serious problem of the militarization of the Taiwan Strait was ignored, and she called for the admission of Taiwan to the United Nations.  That was not intended to go against the interest of any other State, but as a means to achieve peace in that region and the world.

Gambia was frustrated by the stalled United Nations reforms, she said.  It was unacceptable that the Security Council, which made “life and death decisions” affecting millions of Africans, had no permanent seat for an African member.  She once again endorsed the “Ezulwini Consensus”, which represented Africa’s common position on Council reform.

ELIAS CAMSEK CHIN, Vice-President of Palau, said his country intended to send peacekeepers to Darfur.  Despite its capacity issues, that would not be Palau’s first peacekeeping deployment.  While a responsible and proud member of the United Nations, the country did not have a permanent United Nations presence.  Last June, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had announced that eight new joint offices would open in Pacific Island countries, including Palau, but “existing mechanisms” appeared to have blocked progress in that regard.  However, the original intentions of the project could be salvaged given the will to respond to the needs of small island nations like Palau, which would welcome the intervention and assistance of its partners, as well as the recommitment of the Secretariat in that regard.

He said country representatives had met with the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to advance their requests for assistance, particularly in the area of combating money laundering and terrorism financing.  Unfortunately, the Directorate’s efforts had been insufficient, and it was to be hoped that, during the current session, the Assembly and the United Nations would be able to help smaller countries to address that threat and meet their Security Council obligations.

Pointing out that ocean ecosystems provided the backbone of Palau’s existence, he said the island nation was committed to their preservation.  Last year, the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization had adopted interim measures towards eliminating deep sea bottom trawling, a destructive practice responsible for 95 per cent of worldwide damage to seamounts.  Palau encouraged all other relevant players to follow that example.  Under the Micronesia Challenge, the countries and territories of Micronesia had joined together to conserve 30 per cent of near-shore marine and 20 per cent of land resources by 2020.  That project was the first of its kind in the world. 

But, while eliminating bottom trawling and establishing protected areas were certainly important, those actions would be fruitless unless rapid progress on climate change was achieved at the international level, he said.  In light of the high vulnerability of small island developing States to the impacts of climate change, they stressed the absolute need to reach agreement on a set of quantified emission reduction targets for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.  Those targets must be ambitious, reflect the urgency of the situation, and be consistent with a mitigation framework to protect the most vulnerable parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Turning to the Organization’s reform efforts, he said there could be no genuine United Nations reform without reform of the Security Council, stressing that an early conclusion of that discussion was essential.  Japan, which had demonstrated its concern for and commitment to the Pacific and the international community, should become a permanent member of the Council.  Likewise, India, the world’s largest democracy, had earned the right to a Council seat.  Palau was also disappointed that Taiwan continued to be excluded from the United Nations, and was disappointed that the Secretary-General had failed to follow the Charter and the Security Council rules by refusing to transmit its membership application to the Council and the Assembly.  Ultimately, legitimate democracies must be recognized and supported, no matter how large or small the country.

ZARIFOU AYEVA, Minister for Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Togo, said that, over the last year, international peace and security had been threatened by persistent conflicts –- particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Iraq.  A majority of the world’s countries struggled with extreme poverty and endemic disease while natural disasters caused by climate change challenged the international community’s resolve to find a lasting solution.  That state of affairs should push the international community to seek a way forward, redoubling its efforts to reduce extreme poverty.

For its own part, after several years of a disjointed democratization process, Togo was moving beyond its past to solidify its democracy and achieve national reconstruction, he said, highlighting the upcoming elections for the National Assembly, to be held on 14 October.  Those elections would be a turning point whereby the will of the people would be respected.   Togo thanked ECOWAS, the African Union, the African Caribbean and Pacific countries, the European Union, the International Organization for la Francophonie, France, Germany, the People’s Republic of China, the United States and the United Nations for their help in preparing for those elections.  As part of its national dialogue to combat political violence and impunity, the Government had put in place two commissions to investigate past political violence and propose measures to achieve national reconciliation.  A national effort to combat impunity had already been initiated with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Stressing that Togo’s political realities must be taken into account, he said the economy had suffered greatly since the interruption of trade with its external partners in 1993.  The absence of that trade had negatively affected social programmes and economic development and eroded public infrastructure.  It had slowed Government efforts to improve living conditions and, as a result, 60 per cent of the population lived in extreme poverty.   Togo appealed urgently to its development partners for assistance, which coupled with Government efforts, would help the country attain the Millennium Development Goals.

Affirming Togo’s commitments to peace, he said conflicts in Africa required the United Nations to become more involved in the continent.   Togo saluted the efforts of the African Union in restoring peace in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the recent progress towards peace in Côte d'Ivoire.  Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) for the deployment of a hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur was welcome and the international community must become more involved, alongside the African Union, in Somalia, where a peacekeeping force should be deployed.  Beyond Africa, Togo supported the convening of an international conference under the aegis of the Quartet.  Israel and the Palestinian people should be encouraged to persevere in a dialogue to resolve their conflict, and the different Palestinian factions must overcome their differences for those negotiations to be successful.

On matters of disarmament and weapons of mass destruction, he welcomed the recent accords between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the international community.   Togo also appealed to parties interested in the question of Iran’s nuclear programmes, to pursue dialogue and negotiated solutions.   Togo supported the idea of a treaty on the small arms trade similar to the one undertaken by ECOWAS.   Togo also supported efforts to improve the international legal framework for combating terrorism.

Noting that globalization and the new economic world order had created a society in which profit reigned, he said that, as a result, solidarity was still slow to materialize and the economies of developing countries, which were obliged to open their markets against their own interests, were penalized.  All countries should honour their commitments to establishing global partnerships, and Togo appealed to developed countries to increase development assistance.  It was essential that the question of debt be taken up and the Doha round of negotiations be resumed.  With the survival of the planet at stake, urgent negotiations on climate change must take place.  Regarding United Nations reform, it should reinforce the principles of equality and international consensus.  That was why Security Council reform should guarantee that all regions were represented.

DAVID MILIBAND, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, making his first speech to the Assembly, said the United Nations had a duty to lead the world in addressing shared threats and opportunities, in deed as well as in word.  Since the Assembly’s first meeting in London in 1946, the United Kingdom had sought to fulfil its international responsibilities through the United Nations, and its new Government, led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was proud to continue that tradition.

In the Middle East, urgent action was needed towards a two-State solution that addressed Israeli security and Palestinian rights, he said.  In Iraq, recent security gains could only be sustained through ongoing support for the development of Iraqi security forces.  If Iran wished to be a leading and respected country, it must end support for terrorist groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, and stop defying Security Council resolutions regarding its nuclear programme.  In Zimbabwe, United Nations action was needed to support African leadership in reversing a “vicious cycle” of economic and social devastation.  In Burma, the regime must allow peaceful protest, encourage national dialogue and promote genuine reconciliation.  “Let us send a message to the monks on the streets of Burma:  we support your demand for a democratic Burma.”  It was vital that the Government there start the process of reconciliation.

Calling global inequality “one of the greatest threats to stability and prosperity in the world”, he said it was not only morally offensive, but it also fuelled extremism, undermined support for an open global economy and corroded trust and reciprocity among nations.  There was a “stark” need for government and international institutions to act.  While many developing countries had faster growth rates than developed economies, around one billion people, living in 58 countries, had been “left out of the story of human progress”.  That “bottom billion” had a life expectancy of 50 years; 14 per cent of its children would die before age 5 and more than a third suffered malnutrition. 

“Every nation represented here has responsibilities to its own people,” he said, calling for open markets, democratic and transparent institutions free of corruption, and education and health care available to all.  But national action was not enough; there must be bilateral and multilateral cooperation, led by the United Nations.  In Darfur, a course of action had been decided in Security Council resolution 1769 (2007).  “Now we need to get on with it” by agreeing on force composition, swift deployment, and a political process to address the legitimate grievance of the Darfur people through negotiation.

Turning to the Millennium Development Goals, and recalling Prime Minister Brown’s speech at United Nations Headquarters in July, he said the world was “off-track” to meet its objectives.  Progress on aid must be coupled with a new global trade deal.  Conclusion of the Doha Round this year was necessary and achievable.  On climate change, “the greatest long-term threat to our aspirations to tackle inequality”, the poorest States and people would suffer the most.  There must be more than debate and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was the only path towards a global agreement on the issue.  Urgent agreement was also needed on steps towards progress in Bali.  There was then a need for a road map to Conference of Parties 15 in Copenhagen and agreement on a global deal to follow the first Kyoto period.  At the heart of an agreement must be the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.  The United Kingdom stood ready to play its party; the Climate Change Bill to be enacted by Parliament would enshrine in law a commitment to cut carbon emissions by at least 60 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.  All rich nations must make similar binding commitments.

On United Nations reform, he said the United Kingdom would welcome intergovernmental negotiations in the present session on Security Council reform.  It supported permanent membership for Germany, Japan, India and Brazil, as well as permanent representation from Africa.  It was not wedded to a single model of reform; what mattered was achieving effective change.

Right of Reply

Speaking in the exercise of the right of reply, Serbia’s representative said that, by advocating the independence of Kosovo, a province of Serbia, the Prime Minister of Albania had called for a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a neighbouring State.  Such a position was in violation of each and every principle of the United Nations and the relevant decisions on Kosovo.  The Prime Minister had made that call on the eve of the start of a new round of negotiations on the future status of the province tomorrow, justifying it by the fact that, today, Kosovo was inhabited primarily by ethnic Albanians.  One could only imagine what havoc would ensue should others start making calls for the independence of parts of other countries inhabited primarily by their own ethnicity. 

Also speaking in exercise of the right of reply, Albania’s representative said his country believed in good relations with all neighbouring countries, including Serbia.  It espoused no other agenda, but that which had started at the United Nations and set forth through the Ahtisaari proposal –- a proposal that was fair, balanced and sustainable, enjoying the support of the majority of the Assembly.  It was the only true answer –- not only for today, but also for tomorrow; not only for Kosovo, but also for the Serbs and the entire region.  It was a solution that would move away from the bitter past towards cooperation between nations and a free independent Kosovo, enjoying all rights for itself and its people.   Albania hoped that the negotiations starting tomorrow in New York would produce a solution and that the Security Council would undertake the next step to sanction it.   Albania wished the best for the launch of the talks, set to last 120 days, and that, at the end of that period, Kosovo’s inalienable right to self-determination would be implemented.  That would help Kosovo to build a sovereign State, as well as bridges for the future.

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For information media • not an official record