Sixty-second General Assembly

Plenary

12^th & 13^th Meetings (AM & PM)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD OFFER SUPPORT, NOT CONDITIONS IN ‘RISKY’ QUEST

FOR PEACE, ISRAELI MINISTER TELLS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

As General Debate Continues, Foreign Minister Warns

Of ‘Political Opportunists’ Targeting Myanmar in ‘Obvious’ Scheme

As Israelis and Palestinians took the risks for peace, they looked to the international community and the Arab and Muslim world to offer support, rather than stipulate conditions, Tzipi Livni, Israel’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly’s annual general debate today.

Calling for help in “confronting those determined to prevent us from succeeding”, especially extremists undermining democracy, tolerance and education –- fundamental values of every modern society -- she said: “It is clear that the Middle East conflict is not a ‘cause’ of this global extremist agenda, but a consequence of it.”  Israel was prepared for the “territorial compromise” necessary in order to reach a true peace agreement with the Palestinian people.  “But we also know -– especially after withdrawing from Lebanon and Gaza -- that territorial withdrawal by itself will not bring peace, unless we address the core clash of values that lies beneath the conflict,” she added.

While acknowledging the territorial dimension to the Arab-Israeli conflict, she said that, at its heart, the dispute was not about territory, but about values and confronting those who sought power without responsibility.  It was, indeed, up to the parties in the Middle East to settle their political conflict, but for success to be genuine and lasting, the nations of the world must be partners in a shared global struggle against extremism and terror that fed conflict, “for your sake, not just for ours”.

Warning that extremists in many places were entering the democratic process, not to abandon their violent agenda, but to advance it, she said it was time for the international community to reclaim democracy, and called for the adoption of a universal set of standards for participation in genuine democratic elections.  Such a code would require all those seeking the legitimacy of the democratic process to earn it by respecting such principles as State monopoly over the lawful use of force, rejection of racism and violence, and protection of the rights of others.  Such groups as Hamas and Hizbullah must be presented with a clear choice -- between the path of violence and that of legitimacy.  “They cannot have both," she stressed.

She also called for the enhancement and deepening of regional ties and cooperation between Israel and the Arab world, while advancing in parallel towards Israeli-Palestinian peace.  That must be based on two States -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side, with Palestine established as “the homeland and the national answer for the Palestinian people, including the refugees”.  Just as a viable and prosperous Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza was an Israeli interest, so a secure Israel must be a Palestinian interest.

Meanwhile, Nyan Win, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister, warned that the so-called “fight for democracy” was often a neocolonialist tactic used to smear countries like his own, stir up unrest during “challenging times” and then take advantage of the ensuring political instability.  As a first step in that “obvious” strategy, media campaigns targeted countries for “human rights abuses”, then swiftly followed up by imposing sanctions, which were actually counterproductive to home-grown democracy efforts.  Then, under the pretext of “threats to international peace and security”, powerful nations intervened directly and invaded the targeted country.

“My country is currently being subjected to such a course of action,” he said, accusing “political opportunists” inside and outside Myanmar of trying to derail its move towards democracy by taking advantage of protests staged by a small group of Buddhist monks demanding an apology for the maltreatment of fellow monks by local authorities.  Government security personnel had exercised “utmost restraint” and had not interfered in the demonstrations for nearly a month.  However, when the “mob” had become “unruly and provocative”, the authorities had been compelled to declare a curfew.  “Subsequently, when the protestors ignored their warnings, they had to take action to restore the situation,” he said.

“Normalcy has now returned in Myanmar,” he declared, adding that cooperation with the United Nations was a cornerstone of his country’s foreign policy.  It was in that spirit that the Government would continue to cooperate with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari, who was presently in the country.  Still, it was a matter of concern that, in recent weeks, elements inside and outside the country had become emboldened to step up their campaign against the Government.

“The Myanmar Government is fully aware of its responsibility to lead the nation in the process of transformation to a disciplined democracy,” he said.  “We have laid down a road map and will work conscientiously to achieve our goals. Significant progress has already been made.”  The international community could best help Myanmar by showing greater understanding, beginning by “refraining from measures that would result in adding fuel to the fire”.

Also speaking on democracy, but focusing on the role of the United Nations, Archibald Lesao Lehohla, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho, said that, in the new century, the Organization must aggressively inculcate the culture of democracy in all nations.  In particular, it should help developing countries fight the culture of impunity.  The common understanding must be simple: “When the people have spoken, respect their voices.”  Victors must learn to accept [the results] with humility and magnanimity and losers should learn to accept defeat with grace.  In that way, the post-election period could be devoted to development, with all sides joining hands in a collective national effort, he said.

Troubled by the Security Council’s failure to act quickly –- or at all -- to protect populations from genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity, he said the harrowing events in Rwanda during the 1990s and now in Darfur were a living testimony to the skewed composition and powers of that 15-nation body.  It was a matter of particular concern that the right of veto -- reserved for the Council’s five permanent members -- was extremely subjective and was exercised according to the interests of the concerned member.

The world continued to witness unilateral economic and financial blockades being imposed upon other countries, and the denial of peoples’ right to self-determination while others were still subjected to occupation, he said, citing Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara.  It should remain the role of the modern-day United Nations to proactively preserve international peace and security.  The Organization, through the Security Council, must act swiftly and decisively where peace and security were threatened, at all times.  United Nations reform would be incomplete without reform of the Security Council, and it was now time for intergovernmental negotiations to move forward.

Sensing “positive indicators” in the conviction of the Israeli leadership and society on reaching a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict in the Middle East, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad AlBusaidi, Secretary-General of Oman’s Foreign Ministry, stressed that Arab countries had confirmed on many occasions a similar conviction that achieving peace with Israel -- based on justice and equality -– and relying on its withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders was a strategic choice.

Moreover, he said, Israel’s withdrawal from Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, the establishment of a Palestinian State and its withdrawal from the Golan Heights and Shebaa Farms, would extend security and stability in the Middle East, as well as encourage cooperation between countries and people in the region.  Oman joined others calling on the international community to support and advance the momentum for peacebuilding within Israel and throughout the Arab world.

Also participating in the general debate were the Deputy Prime Ministers of Gabon, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Tuvalu and the Republic of Moldova.

Other speakers were the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Syria, Mongolia, Niger, Liechtenstein, Belgium, Vanuatu, Central African Republic, Uganda, Hungary, Algeria, Yemen, India, Solomon Islands, Libya, Eritrea, Nepal and Morocco.

The Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See also addressed the Assembly.

Speaking in exercise of the right of reply were the representatives of Iran and Ethiopia.

The General Assembly will continue its general debate tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Background

The General Assembly reconvened this morning to continue its general debate.

Statements

TZIPI LIVNI, Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, recalled that every year at this time her people remembered the long march 3,000 years ago from slavery in Egypt to independence in Israel and that the long march to freedom required the acceptance of humanity’s basic values.  For 60 years, since the rebirth of Israel in its ancient homeland, it had not lost sight of that principle that -– the core values of tolerance, co-existence and peace that lay at the heart of democracy must be protected.  The conflict in her region was driven by those who rejected such values, who sought power without responsibility and whose aim was to deny those rights for others.  There was a territorial dimension to the conflict, and Israel had proven in the past it was prepared for the territorial compromise that lasting peace would entail.  However, territorial withdrawal alone would not bring peace; the core clash of values beneath the conflict must be addressed. 

The notion that the battle was local had collapsed in New York with the twin towers six years ago, she said.  Today, it was clear that extremists were engaged in a bloody war against civilians, and further, that the Middle East conflict was a consequence –- not a cause -– of the global extremist agenda.  It was up to Middle East parties to settle their conflict, and Israel desired to do that.

In that spirit, she spoke about the wider battle waged against democracy, tolerance and education -- the pillars of every modern society.  Extremists, opposed to such ideals, were entering democratic processes to advance their violent agenda.  Reclaiming democracy must begin with the rejection of those who abused it, as no true democracy allowed armed militia, or group’s racist agendas, to participate in elections.  She urged the international community to adopt at the global level what democracies applied at the national one:  a universal set of standards for participation in genuine democratic elections.

She called for a “universal democratic code” requiring those seeking the legitimacy of the democratic process to earn it.  The goal was to make clear that participation was not just a right, but a responsibility.  While emphasizing a respect for difference, she said a disservice was done to diversity when, in its name, “we tolerate the intolerant”.  Groups such as Hamas and Hizbullah must be presented with a clear choice –- between the path of violence and that of legitimacy.  That same choice must be presented to the radical regime in Iran, the most prominent sponsor of terrorism and major source of instability across the Middle East.  None disagreed that, it spoke openly of its desire to wipe a Member State –- Israel -– off the map and that, in violation of Security Council resolutions, it was pursuing the means to achieve that end.

There were those, in the name of consensus, who continued to obstruct the steps needed to bring Iran’s “sinister” ambitions to a halt, she said.  What was the value of an organization unable to take effective action in the face of a direct assault on the very principles it was founded to protect? she asked.  It was time for the United Nations to live up to its promise of “never again”, and moreover, for the Human Rights Council to promote the same moral conviction so that it would become a “shield for the victims of human rights, not a weapon for its abusers”.  So long as that Council maintained its wildly disproportionate focus on Israel, the United Nations moral voice was weakened and the price of that blindness was paid by victims in Darfur and Myanmar.

There was no more accurate forecast for the future of society than the lessons it taught to children, she said.  Unfortunately, in her region, children’s television taught of the glory of suicide bombers and religion was being abused as a call to arms.  God once again was being dragged onto the battlefield.  A younger generation could not be expected to value what “we are not prepared ourselves to protect”.

The Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation was not about deciding who was right or wrong in the past; rather it was about sharing a common vision and responsibility for the future, she stressed.  As Israeli Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Territory President Mahmoud Abbas had engaged in a genuine effort to reach the widest possible common ground, there was no substitute for the bilateral process.  The foundation for true peace lay in the vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.  Just as Israel was homeland to Jewish people, Palestine would be the homeland to Palestinian people, including refugees.  Just as a viable Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza was an Israeli interest, so to must a secure Israel be a Palestinian interest. 

It was important set sights on a bright future, while, at the same time, change the reality on the ground, to show that the promise of peace “exists in practice, not just on paper”.  Progress was possible in those areas where an effective Palestinian Government accepted the Quartet principles and implemented, alongside Israel, existing Road Map obligations.  She called on the Arab and Muslim world in particular to offer support, thorough economic and political assistance to the new Palestinian Government; the clear endorsement of any political understandings reached between the parties; and the deepening regional cooperation between the Arab world and Israel.

“We must stand up to those who have no respect for human life or human liberty”, who held Israeli soldiers captive, and, who after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, targeted Israeli homes with missiles.  Despite such obstacles, there was a “new moment of opportunity”, but time was of the essence.  “We owe it to ourselves and to our children to find both the courage and the wisdom to make the right choices in the right way”, he said.

JEAN PING, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for French speaking Cooperation and Regional Integration of Gabon, and former President of the General Assembly, said that climate change was one of the most significant questions facing the international community.  The Kyoto Protocol marked an historic step in the reduction of greenhouse gases globally.  It was clear that the goals of that protocol had not been achieved.  Efforts must be made at the Bali meeting in December 2007 to devise a common global strategy for greater collective action to mitigate global warming.  Africa, which contributed least to the problem, suffered disproportionate consequences from its results.  The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be applied.

Gabon, he said, whose forests in the Congo basin formed the world’s “second lung” after the Amazon, has adhered strictly to preservation of its biodiversity in the struggle against climatic degradation.  In dedicating 11 per cent of its national territory to the creation of 13 national parks, Gabon had made a significant contribution to humankind.  Gabon was prepared to go much further, as environmental protection was a pillar against poverty and indispensable to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  Gabon’s considerable conservation efforts should entitle it and other African countries to corresponding compensation from industrialized countries.  He proposed a stabilization fund for carbon replacements and admittance of Gabon’s forests into the carbon market.

Reform of the United Nations was essential to addressing the numerous, complex international crises facing the international community, he said.  The Security Council must be reformed.  He highlighted crises in Africa and the Middle East.  He drew attention to the situation in Darfur and praised the Sudanese Government for its pledge to participate in international peace negotiations and accept a cease-fire in principle.  He welcomed Security Council Resolution 1769 for a hybrid peacekeeping force for the Sudan.  Gabon also supported efforts by the European Union in support of humanitarian assistance in Chad and the Central African Republic.  Continuing instability in Somalia precluded any possibility for development.  He lauded the decision of the African Union’s Council for Peace and Security to deploy a peacekeeping force in that country.  On another issue, he said that only a two-country solution could resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and leant support for an international conference under the aegis of the Quartet to restart direct negotiations.  He also supported Security resolution 1701 on Lebanon.

He commended the General Assembly’s adoption in 2006 of a Global Counter Terrorism Strategy as a political advance, but said that current negotiations towards an anti-terrorism convention must be expedited.  Organized crime, civil strife, poverty, infectious disease, natural disasters and weapons of mass destruction also undermined development.  It was urgent to move beyond the impasse in negotiations on weapons of mass destruction and place disarmament at the forefront of world concerns.  HIV/AIDS also must be addressed in accordance with the severity of that scourge.  African countries were already allocating considerable resources, but still faced a shortfall if they were to reach prevention, care and treatment goals by 2010.  He welcomed the $60 billion pledged by the Group of Eight in 2006 to fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases.  He commended the Peacebuilding Commission for efforts to help rebuild Sierra Leone and Burundi.  Developing countries required continued support, particularly in debt relief and the opening of markets, and the Doha round of negotiations was essential to achieving Millennium Development Goals.  He thanked the Paris Club for forgiving Gabon’s debt.

Gabon’s President, who has worked consistently to protect human rights, has always shared the founding goals of the Organization to protect and promote them, he said.  The country has decided to abolish the death penalty and co-sponsored a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty.  He urged Member States to lend their support to the draft resolution.

HOR NAMHONG, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, said today the world continued to confront a myriad of problems, ranging from security to development, and United Nations Member States shared the common responsibility to address them.

On weapons of mass destruction, he called for all States to comply with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, which laid down a long-term plan towards achieving universal non-proliferation and, therefore, prevented weapons from falling into terrorist hands.  Further, Member States could not underestimate the danger posed by illegal use and circulation of small arms and light weapons either, as they have proven equally dangerous in regional conflicts.  The “UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons” was a framework within which all nations could work to address the issue.  In his country, a number of programmes had led to the seizure and destruction of 200,000 small arms.  Likewise, landmines also continued to pose not only a security problem, but also a humanitarian one, as the “silent killers” have killed and maimed countless innocents in Cambodia and abroad.  They also had a great impact on the economy and development.  In Cambodia, more than 1.5 million landmines had been cleared and the Government had despatched 135 deminers to the Sudan to work with the United Nations mission.

Continuing, the minister said climate change was one of the most serious threats to humanity.  To reverse that “negative mega-trend,” Cambodia favoured the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol and called on developed countries to reduce their emissions and share their knowledge on bioenergy.  In addition, deforestation in developed countries must be stopped.  While he appreciated the high-level meeting, he believed a world summit was needed to help climate change on global spending.

On regional issues, he said, Cambodia approved of the closing of the Yongbyon nuclear facility in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a “positive step for peace, security and stability in the region”.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said Cambodia hoped diplomatic initiatives would lead to the establishment of a State of Palestine, which could peacefully exist side by side with Israel.  On the “appalling situation” in Iraq, the United States troop reduction was a positive step, but the final and decisive solution depended upon how the Iraqi people reconciled their own cultural differences.  Based on his own country’s experience, the only option was national reconciliation with a “win-win policy” among Shiites and Sunnis.  The question was which country could facilitate the initial process of “trust-building”.

The year 2007 marked the mid-term between adoption of the Millennium Development Goals and the target date, he said.  However, many countries had faced difficulties in meeting Millennium Development Goals requirements.  Those nations required a strong commitment from all, especially the developed world, to ensure that globalization would be a globalization of wealth for all peoples living on the planet.  In that regard, Cambodia has enacted the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals in addition to the National Strategic Development Plan to induce sustainable development and reduce poverty.  As a result, Cambodia had experienced a strong economic growth of more than 11 per cent during the last three years.

Finally, he said Cambodia advocated comprehensive reform of the United Nations -– not just the Security Council.  The Economic and Social Council could prove a good starting point in making the United Nations more effective in helping countries meet their Millennium Development Goals.  Additionally, the General Assembly needed more empowerment to play a prominent role in addressing today’s global problems.  With the momentum and consensus built from reform of Economic and Social Council and General Assembly, Member States could conclude with transforming the Security Council to ensure it held an equitable representation of developed and developing countries.

THONGLOUN SISOULITH, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, said that, with natural disasters, violence and pandemics, the world remained far from secure.  International peace was hindered by the threat of weapons of mass destruction, especially the fear of those weapons falling into the “wrong hands”, as well as the threat of the use of force.

He said that small and disadvantaged countries, such as landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, were not benefiting from globalization as they should.  He urged increased efforts on the part of the international community to implement the Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit.  Concerted global efforts should include increased development assistance, greater market access and preferential tariffs for exports.  He also called for financial and technical assistance in the form of grant aid or soft loans for vulnerable countries. 

Climate change was affecting poor nations more strongly than rich ones, due to poor nations’ lack of resources, he said, but addressing the problem should by no means compromise the attainment of the development objectives of developing countries.  Developed countries should provide developing nations with the necessary financing for adaptation, mitigation and technology transfers, to deal with the consequences of climate change.

The world was facing daunting challenges, requiring the United Nations to “transform itself” into an efficient and effective Organization, he said.  The Security Council should be restructured into a more legitimate and effective organ.  The country welcomed progress on the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, and also expressed continued support for the people of Cuba, calling for an end to the embargo on the country.  He expressed concern for the Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi peoples’ suffering because of the persistent violence in the Middle East, and reaffirmed the country’s support for the establishment of an independent “State of Palestine”, living in peace beside Israel. 

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic was developing apace, with a strong decline in poverty and the complete eradication of opium cultivation in 2006, he noted.  The country was emphasising sustainability in its development policy.  In November, the Government had held its ninth “round-table meeting”, in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which had resulted in the adoption “Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness”, which reflected the commitments of the Lao Government towards improving the effectiveness of development assistance.  To date, his country had established diplomatic relations with 125 countries and had joined various regional and international organizations, with a view to integrating itself into the regional and global economic system.  Later this year, the twenty-third “Ministerial Meeting of Francophonie” would be hosted in Vientiane.

TAVAU TEII, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Tuvalu, recalling that 29 years had passed since Tuvalu was granted independence, said its endeavours to achieve excellence had been guided by United Nations principles of good governance, respect for the rule of law, and self-determination, among others.  He directed his remarks to five main issues.

Taking up United Nations reform, he acknowledged the Organization’s tremendous efforts to fulfil its development, peace and security, and human rights objectives.  However, the need to ensure efficiency and transparency in carrying out its mandate could not be overemphasized, and Tuvalu supported the Secretary-General’s report in response to the recommendations of the United Nations High-Level Panel on System-Wide Coherence.  While fully supporting ongoing reforms, he was disappointed with the slow progress on establishing a United Nations presence in those Pacific small island States that did not yet have an office.  He urged the earliest implementation of that long-overdue commitment.

On the Security Council, he highly commended the reform momentum, particularly on the issue of expanded and more equitable membership, and warmly welcomed the next step of putting the issue forward for further inter-governmental negotiations.   Tuvalu supported the draft resolution tabled by India.  However, he was very disturbed by the continued finger pointing directed at small island developing States for their contributions to the reform process, and strongly believed that open dialogue was the only way to reach shared destiny in diversity.

Turning to Taiwan, he said the United Nations could not be considered “universal” until Taiwan’s membership was properly resolved.   Tuvalu strongly supported Taiwan’s membership application, adding that the issue must be considered purely on its merits, as Taiwan had helped many countries, including Tuvalu, in their development.   Taiwan was a country with a clearly defined territory, however the United Nations had turned a “blind eye” to the needs of Taiwanese, who wanted to participate in the attainment of development, security and human rights.  Moreover, the Secretary-General’s action not to comply with the requirements of the Charter or the Security Council rules of procedure was disappointing.

On the issue of graduation from the least developed countries category, he said it was most alarming that all potential graduation candidates were Pacific small island developing States, despite their special vulnerabilities to economic and environmental degradation.  He appealed to the Assembly to carefully reconsider graduation criteria.

Concerning climate change, he was pleased that world leaders had agreed to comprehensively address the issue.  Climate change was extremely important to a small atoll nation like Tuvalu, he said, highlighting the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, which outlined the vulnerability of island countries to climate change impacts.  Global actions must urgently address the issue.  The upcoming Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali should reconfirm the role of the Kyoto Protocol; include amendments allowing newly industrialized countries -- and others -- to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions; reach a commitment for a new global adaptation framework; and agree on a new negotiation process to establish a legal means for developing countries to make voluntary emissions cuts.  Efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation should not infringe upon indigenous peoples’ rights.

On a new adaptation framework, he said it was crucial to establish a new funding source, perhaps through a levy on international aviation and maritime transport.  Proper management of that funding was essential, and a global insurance facility was needed to help vulnerable countries.  Urging those countries that had turned their backs on the Kyoto Protocol to commit to emissions reductions, he encouraged all countries to use the Bali Conference as a starting point for new negotiations.

ANDREI STRATAN, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, looked back on the 15 years since his country had joined the United Nations, recalling how it had gone from armed conflict and economic decline to democracy and stable growth.  Faithful to the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter, it had supported the organization’s activities and taken steps to integrate the Millennium Development Goals into its national development agenda.  But being a transitional economy, it needed the support of developed States and the United Nations system to meet its objectives.  The Republic of Moldova had just suffered its worst drought in 60 years.  Its economy had been badly affected, but the impact would have been worse without international help.  It was still counting on international assistance “in liquidating the consequences of the drought”.

Terrorism remained a major threat to internal and international security, he said, noting that the current Assembly session presented an opportunity to finalize the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.  Terrorism nourished by separatist tendencies affecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States must be given heightened attention, and the Republic of Moldova would participate actively in coordinating negotiations in the Sixth Committee, which it would chair during the current session.  The country would also continue to support global disarmament initiatives.  It had ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, strictly executed Security Council resolutions on sanctions regimes and consolidated control over the production and sales of arms and explosives.  The withdrawal of Russian troops remaining on Moldovan territory, in line with obligations assumed by the Russian Federation in 1999, remained a condition for the country’s ratification and application of the adapted Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.  Regarding United Nations peacekeeping operations, the Republic of Moldova had contributed military personnel to four such missions.  It welcomed the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission and the restructuring of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

Turning to United Nations reform, he said changes to the Security Council should be based on equitable geographic representation, democracy and efficiency.  The Council should be expanded in both its permanent and non-permanent categories, with the Eastern European Group being offered an additional non-permanent seat.  The Republic of Moldova was a candidate for the presidency of the Economic and Social Council this year and if elected, it would focus on major problems faced by States in Eastern Europe, including human rights.  The country faced constant violations of human rights in the eastern region that it did not control.  He said the Transdniestrian conflict remained an obstacle in promoting reforms and ensuring social and economic development, and finding a solution to that problem was an “absolute priority”.  Negotiations must continue in the “5-plus-2” format, with the final goal of establishing a special legal status for the Transdniestrian region based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.  Regretfully, negotiations had been suspended since April 2006 due to the “rigid and non-constructive position” of separatist leaders supported from outside the country.  The policy of the separatist administration had been to undermine all efforts to settle the conflict, and to strengthen the authoritarian and repressive regime on the left bank of the Dniester River.  Postponing the settlement process had been a smokescreen for promoting “political and mafia interests” that were foreign to people in the region.  In light of its inefficiency, the existing peacekeeping mechanism must be transformed into a multinational civil mission with an international mandate.

Since most conflicts today occurred within, rather than between States, a systematic improvement and monitoring of all existing mechanisms, including those of international and regional organizations, was needed, he said.  No conflict could be left unattended, and where there was a lack of progress, United Nations bodies should be more involved, regardless of whether the conflicts were on the Security Council agenda.  The Republic of Moldova welcomed the Assembly’s decision to retain on its agenda an item on the “protracted conflict in the GUAM ( Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) region and their implications for peace, international security and development”.  Such unresolved conflicts had a negative impact on political, economic and social development in those four States and on the millions who lived in the region.  The Republic of Moldova’s chosen national goal was European integration; not only was the European perspective an impetus for reform, it was also a support in settling the Transdniestrian conflict and establishing regional security and stability.

SAYYID BADR BIN HAMAD ALBUSAIDI, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry of Oman, said the willingness of the international community to solve the Israeli-Arab conflict, by establishing a Palestinian State positively signalled nations’ interests in peace, despite inconclusive solutions in Iraq, Darfur and Somalia.  Arab countries had continually reiterated that achieving peace with Israel and returning security to the region relied on Israel’s withdrawal to the borders occupied since 1967, which included the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syrian Golan Heights and Shebaa Farms.  The global community held an important role in ensuring that.

Turning to regional conflicts, especially Iraq, he said, “blood continued to be spilt”, however, Oman considered the United Nations new expanded involvement a positive step in reconciling the war.  He also urged the Iraqi Government to “move from a stage of dispute to the stage of problem solving”.  Regarding Darfur, Oman supported the agreement signed by the Sudan, the United Nations and the African Union to deploy more military troops to restore security in the region.  Along those lines, the United Nations had a major responsibility to assist Somalia recover its “unity and security”.

Concerning climate change and development, he called on the international community to share its technology on combating pollution and conserving the environment, as well as to assist developing countries in meeting the Millennium Development Goals.  All of that required understanding between religions and cultures, which could be aided by a high-level dialogue on that topic taking place in the margins of the General Assembly session on 4 and 5 October.

WALID AL-MOUALEM, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Syria, said the Israeli occupation of Arab territories in the Middle East had created an arena of daunting challenges and heightened tensions, and asked the Assembly what it had done in the past year to defuse those tensions.  The prevailing trends had not changed:  Israeli occupation of Arab lands continued as did the denial of legitimate Palestinian rights.

He said the Israeli aggression against Syria on 6 September 2007 was proof of that country’s desire to escalate tensions in the region and the failure of the international community to condemn it would only encourage Israel and lead to an exacerbation of tensions.  Peace could never be achieved in the Middle East as long as the international community failed to identify a concrete strategy for peace, including its purpose, terms of reference and time frames.  The Syrian Government had repeatedly stressed that peace was its strategic choice.  “ Syria has the will to make a genuine peace that would recover the usurped rights, return the land to its rightful owners and guarantee peace for all.”  Did the Israeli or American Governments have that same will?  “Regrettably, actions and realities suggest otherwise,” he said.

The absence of a genuine political vision for a solution in Iraq and the exclusive reliance on a military solution further aggravated the situation in the region, he noted, stressing the need to preserve Iraq’s territorial integrity, to respect its internal affairs, its Arab and Islamic identity and to reject any claims to divide it.  Syria called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq and had put in place strict measures to control combatants wishing to infiltrate into Iraq through Syrian-Iraqi borders.  Any allegations of combatants infiltrating through their common borders were unfounded and an excuse for the failure of the occupying Power to achieve security and stability in Iraq.  The lack of international support for Iraqi refugees living in Syria was regrettable.  Regarding Lebanon, Syria had persistently supported all initiatives aimed at activating inter-Lebanese dialogue to achieve consensus, and the run-up to the presidential election was an opportune time for consensus-building.

On a regional level, he called for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction but supported the right of countries to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.  Israel should submit its nuclear weapons facilities to the safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and adhere to non-proliferation treaties and agreements.  Internationally, all States should cooperate in the fight against the root causes of terrorism and distinguish between terrorism and peoples’ legitimate right to resist foreign occupation. 

In concluding, he called for a “reaffirmation of our commitment to the principles and purpose of the United Nations, to avoid applying double standards and free the Organization from the pursuit by some to control its decisions and dictate their policies on its organs”.  Only a cooperative approach based on enhanced dialogue would preserve international peace and security.

ENKHBOLD NYAMAA, Foreign Affairs Minister of Mongolia, said that, measured against the history of the human race, eight years in meeting the Millennium Development Goals “is but a sand particle in an hourglass”.  By 2015, developing countries would make a judgement on whether the pledges and commitments proffered by world leaders were genuine.  It was time for Member nations, therefore, to deliver the promises pledged.

On a global scale, he said, the 2007 Millennium Development Goals progress report revealed that, despite considerable efforts to meet the targets, their entire implementation remained far from assured, especially the Goal on poverty.  The report made a strong case for concerted action to be taken immediately and remain sustained until 2015, if the world was to meet the Goals.  It also stated that the lack of significant increase in official development assistance (ODA) since 2004 had made it impossible, even for well-governed countries to meet the Goals.  Mongolia lent full backing to a leader’s meeting on the subject at the United Nations, to coin concrete proposals and move them forward.

Concerning climate change, he said that the recent report by the IPCC indicated that poor countries would be the hardest hit, despite their smaller contribution to the problem.  For example, in the last 60 years, the average temperature of Mongolia had risen by 2° Celsius, compared to the global increase of 1° Celsius; over the past 40 years, soil fertility had decreased two to three times, threatening the existence of the semi-nomadic Mongols.  Comprehensive implementation of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol stood as a priority.  Mongolia had also developed an initiative to hold a North-East Asian summit on climate change to establish regional cooperation on the issue.

Although many in the United Nations came from countries not ravaged by conflicts, in this age of globalization, no nation was unaffected by them, he said.  Record oil prices triggered by the situation in the Middle East had taken a toll on vulnerable and commodity-dependant economies, such as Mongolia.  More importantly, the ordinary people of the Middle East had suffered the greatest.  The international community had an obligation to deliver a promise of peace and security to Iraq, Israel and Palestine. 

Along those lines, Mongolia -- a country with nuclear-weapon-free status -- was satisfied with the progress achieved in the six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, he said.  As its own contribution towards advancing the negotiations, Mongolia had hosted a bilateral working group session on relations between Japan and the Democratic Republic of Korea last month.  Mongolia was heartened by the news of the forthcoming inter-Korean summit meeting, and hoped it would help bring about peace, security and eventually, a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula.

Democracy was the best possible environment for sustained economic growth, and he applauded the role of the United Nations in fostering democracy and good governance.  The Organization had embarked on a process of reform and, although progress had been made, the Organization needed stronger political will to follow through with improving the management, efficiency and internal cohesion of its system.

AICHATOU MINDAODOU, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration of Niger, said that two years after the 2005 World Summit had given world leaders the opportunity to examine international scourges such as terrorism, she felt optimistic about the international community’s willingness to find solutions to such threats.

On peace and security, she said the work done by the Peacebuilding Commission in Burundi and Sierra Leone alone had justified the creation of that new organ, and other encouraging trends could be seen in the West of Africa.   Liberia continued to move ahead with reconstruction, while the peace process in Côte d'Ivoire had shown promise since the signing of the Ouagadougou peace accord.   Sierra Leone, for the first time after a long period of instability, had organized free and transparent presidential elections, which bore witness to peoples’ resolve to move past tragedy.  In the Great Lakes region, medium-term improvement was expected.  Burundi’s decision to forego international supervision within its borders and tackle economic and social issues was also encouraging.

She said the Democratic Republic of the Congo was an area of “great hopes,” despite certain difficulties with some groups taking part in the democratic process.  In Darfur, thanks to the adoption of resolution 1769 (2007), there was hope for a return to peace and security.  In the Western Sahara, she was encouraged by direct negotiations between the Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front) and the Government of Morocco, while in Somalia she ardently hoped the national reconciliation process would yield positive results.

Turning to the Middle East situation, which was dominated by the Israel-Palestine conflict, she called for greater focus, as resumption of the political process was the only way to move towards a lasting and fair solution.  The Quartet Road Map and the Arab Peace Plan remained solid frames of reference, while a coherent subregional approach seemed suitable for responding to other concerns such as international migration; trafficking in humans and drugs; and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.  In Africa, she said the international community must help subregional organizations and the African Union reinforce their capacities.  Open debate in the Security Council to examine its role in preventing and resolving conflicts, particularly in Africa, was also important.

Turning to international terrorism and transnational crime, she said the Sahara, a zone Niger shared with other countries, was becoming a den of drug and arms traffickers, and her country would participate in any international efforts to eradicate the scourge, as it undermined the basis of democracy.  International cooperation with developing countries was essential for assuring success.

She said the links between peace, security, development and human rights outlined in the World Summit final document continued to fuel reflection, and Niger supported the development agenda.  She commended the 2006 thematic debate on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and highlighted the work of Nigeria’s development partners, especially the Islamic Development Bank, whose $10 billion Poverty Mitigation Fund was an example of an efficient partnership.  Calling the Assembly’s adoption of resolution 61/16 “a great step forward”, she said it would transform the Economic and Social Council into the principle organ for achieving development goals.  She also applauded Qatar’s unparalleled commitment to development, particularly for its organization of a food security conference in Niger.

On developing landlocked countries, she said the 2003 Almay Conference’s Programme of Action would soon be examined, and the time had come for development partners to help countries deal with desertification and climate change issues.  Desertification and environmental degradation seriously affected countries in the Sahel and support was needed to consolidate gains.  Soil restoration efforts had helped reclaim three million hectares in the dessert, while water retention measures had transformed arid regions into agricultural ones.  Niger supported momentum gained at the recent high-level debate on climate change and had drafted a national action programme to adapt to it.  She invited in all Niger’s development partners to participate in a conference in Brussels next October to coordinate contributions.

In closing, she said development and cooperation were indispensable for coping with world-wide threats, and United Nations reforms would provide a way to better serve developing countries in their quest to eradicate poverty.  Coordination must be inspired by “ownership, national leadership and respect for national development priorities”, she said.

RITA KIEBER-BECK, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, said that climate change constituted one of the greatest challenges of the times.  It tested collective political will to counter a phenomenon with potentially disastrous socio-economic consequences and presented an opportunity to make best use of the unique framework provided by the United Nations.  The Bali meeting must result in a long-term commitment by all States to a practical road map towards the gradual establishment of a global economy not dependent on carbon.  Political momentum must be followed by action.

United Nations was, today, an indispensable organization in many areas of concern to the international community, she said.  But, as a true friend to the organization, she questioned its ability to realize its full potential and achieve the principles of the Charter.  The record on reform was mixed and the principle of the “responsibility to protect”, had yet to be translated into action, she said, noting the situation in Myanmar.  Reform, in an organization with such diverse responsibilities would always be ongoing.  Current reform should focus on strengthening operations and on grounding the Organization’s work more firmly in the United Nations Charter.  Peacekeeping must receive greater support in the field, especially in procurement.  Financial efficiency and accountability must be improved.  The lessons of the oil-for-food programme must be learned.

The organization was not powerful; its budget was small when compared to the defence budgets of a number of Member States, she said.  It’s strength lay in its foundation in international law.  The United Nations Charter was history’s greatest achievement in the field.  The Organization’s ability to bestow legitimacy on international actions, to stand for the rule of law in international relations was its greatest strength.

The Security Council had a special responsibility in that area, she added.  She expressed concern that the Council’s listing and removal from lists of individuals targeted for sanctions, in disregard of international standards of due process, was undermining to the Council’s authority.  To maintain the legitimacy of the Council’s actions, they should reflect international law and be taken on behalf of the membership as a whole, including States not serving on the Council.  The Council itself must be more representative of the Organization’s overall membership, particularly of Members from the developing world and of countries directly affected by events under discussion.

There have been attacks on the importance of the rule of law in international relations over the last few years, she continued.  Nevertheless, progress has been made in international criminal justice.  The Security Council has led the way by establishing international and hybrid tribunals, but the crowning success had been the establishment of the International Criminal Court.  The referral of the situation in Darfur to the Court was a landmark decision, legally and politically.  It was a strong message by the Council that the international community would not accept impunity for the most serious crimes under international law.  Action must back up declarations, particularly through arrest of those indicted by the Court.  She called on all Member States to cooperate with the Court to that effect.

KAREL DE GUCHT, Foreign Minister of Belgium, said that faced with the complexity of increasingly diverse challenges, the United Nations needed to serve as not only the stronghold against arbitrariness in international relations, but also the instrument of efficient reaction, especially in peacekeeping and security as well as on a wide array of issues, including the fight against terrorism, pandemics, human rights and disarmament.

Through the United Nations, he continued saying, the international community had become especially involved in the search for a solution to conflicts in several African countries:   Darfur, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Côte d’Ivoire.  The action of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) had played a crucial role in re-establishing the peace and setting up elections in the country and now was not the time to reduce efforts.  The resumption of fighting in northern Kivu threatened stabilization and had sever humanitarian consequences.  The recruitment of child soldiers continued.  In Darfur, he encouraged all parties to take advantage of the Tripoli Conflict and speed up deployment of peacekeeping forces.

The role of regional organizations in managing crises had significantly increased over the past year, he said, as seen in the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, which has invested much effort in both Somalia and Darfur.  He welcomed that regional input and the increasing synergy between the African Union, the United Nations and the European Union.  However, several conflicts still required Security Council consideration.

Regarding Kosovo, it was regrettable that in June, the Security Council was unable to assume responsibility on the matter, he said.  Both parties must urgently seize the opportunity to come to a compromise.  “Without an agreement between the parties, Europe will have to take up its responsibilities,” he added.  In Lebanon, the attack that claimed the lives of Member of Parliament Antoine Ghanem and nine others demonstrated how impunity threatened the country’s stability and to fight that impunity, all institutions needed to return to normal functioning, beginning with the constitutional election of the president without foreign interference.  In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, neither the continuation of firing rockets at the Israeli population, nor the deterioration of the living conditions of the Gaza Strip, were acceptable.  The regular meetings between Palestinian and Israeli leaders were encouraging and he expressed hope for tangible advances at the international meeting planned for the end of the year.

Continuing on the work of the Security Council, he said in Iraq, the United Nations could play an important role in humanitarian emergency matters, regional cooperation and national reconciliation, but it depended upon the security situation and required the support of the international community and the Iraqi government.

In dealing with Iran, Belgium had always supported a multilateral approach, he said, but in order to obtain tangible results, leaders had to resolutely use multilateral mechanisms, such as IAEA and the Security Council.  In the past, Iran had not fulfilled its obligation to transparency and to restore confidence, Iran needed to fully respect the regulations of the agreement on the safeguards and additional protocol.  The measures prescribed in the Security Council resolutions went beyond the regulations and aimed to re-establish confidence in the Iranian programme.  A complete and immediate respect for those resolutions was a condition for a resumption of dialogue.  The credibility of the Security Council was also at stake.

The recent demonstrations in Myanmar showed the degree of impatience among its population, he said, and those demonstrations should finally incite the Government to initiate an inclusive dialogue toward the restoration of democracy. Belgium would not tolerate the use of violence.

Beyond crisis resolution, it was imperative for the international community to remain vigilant on the matter of peacebuilding, he said.  The cost of leaving a country too quickly has always been higher than investing in peacebuilding.  The success of the Peacebuilding Commission would be judged by the long-term stability of Burundi and Sierra Leone.

The Security Council deployed three of the most recent and expensive peacekeeping operations in countries where the illegal exploitation of natural resources had fuelled conflict:  The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone.  That deployment illustrated the urgent need to develop mechanisms that break the link between conflicts and natural resource exploitation, as well as a need to identify several courses of action, such as operating in a more targeted manner and defining the mandates of peacekeeping operations.  However, crisis management and peace consolidation could not diminish the importance of preventive diplomacy.

Development played a large role in crisis prevention, he added.  The Millennium Development Goals and the fight against poverty presented a major challenge, especially regarding fraud.  Last March, in cooperation with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Belgium organized an international conference on Good Governance and the Fight Against Corruption.  That type of partnership needed further exploration within the United Nations.

Additionally, poverty forced many migrants, having no other choice, to leave their countries.  In July of this year Belgium organized the first Global Forum on Migration and Development to foster migration by choice, rather than by necessity -– a factor that contributed to problems for both the country of origin and the country of destination.  Belgium planned on contributing to the follow-up of that initiative with the Philippines, the organizer of next year’s second Global Forum.

Human rights remained one of the pillars of the world’s security, and leaders must ensure respect for them, he continued.  Unfortunately, at this stage, the new Human Rights Council had not met Belgium’s expectations.  The institutional agreement reached last June between members of the Council in Geneva came at the expense of a difficult compromise.  That compromise would affect the capacity of the Council to react quickly to human rights violations.

In closing, he said that multilateralism had returned, but it remained only a means to an end, rather than an end itself.  To achieve results, leaders needed a modern United Nations that was well adapted, equipped and managed.  That no progress had been made on reforming the Security Council was especially disappointing.  It needed a new working method, which allowed leaders to deal with the questions away from New York where it was dealt with at the technical level.  Capitals and the political level must be involved.  He suggested a high-level special envoy for reform of the Security Council to lead consultations and present a proposal.  As far as a formula was concerned, semi-permanent seats should be added without modifying the current balance between Permanent and Non-Permanent members.  Later on, Permanent Members would accept giving up their right of veto.

DOMINIQUE MAMBERTI, Secretary for Relations with States for the Holy See, said the United Nations was established 62 years ago to save future generations from the scourge of war and to promote social progress in universal freedom.  Today, it was important to reaffirm those values and deliver a forceful “yes” to human dignity.  The United Nations Charter linked the word “faith” to dialogue among nations, he explained, and thus, reaffirmed the existence of a universal truth about the innate dignity of man, which, in turn, determined the “just measure of national interests.”  Respect for human dignity, therefore, was the deepest ethical foundation in the search for peace.

Although terrorist attacks had given rise to pessimistic visions of humanity, based on a supposed “clash of civilizations,” the Holy See welcomed the upcoming High-level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace, as dialogue among peoples of different cultures was indispensable for the renewal of international life.  Religious leaders, if they expected respect, must themselves respect religious freedom, shun violence and demonstrate that religion was not and would not be a pretext for conflict. Increased interest from non-religious institutions should also contribute to greater respect for religious freedom.

Turning to peace and security, he said it was important to help the Conference on Disarmament find a way out of its decade-long impasse, “relieve” the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of its “severe strain”, and recognize the value of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.  He reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, the reduction of existing nuclear weapons and the non-discriminatory, safe use of nuclear technology.  He associated himself with all appeals for a common approach to combating illegal weapons, terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking.  A response was also imperative on the use of cluster munitions.

On conflict prevention and peacebuilding, the Holy See was interested in the Department of Political Affairs’ efforts to create a standing team of expert mediators.  Regarding Darfur, he anticipated full operation of peacekeeping efforts.  In the Middle East, he remembered United Nations contributions to finding a definitive solution to long simmering conflicts.  Renewed commitment was needed from all Member countries in Iraqi reconstruction efforts.  That was true also for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, which must recognize the legitimate expectations of each side, and in ensuring that Lebanon continued to exist as an independent country with a multicultural society -- “like a common home open to others”.  On the situation in Myanmar, he reiterated Pope Benedict XVI’s hope that a solution would be found soon.

He said the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission two years ago was based upon the conviction that it was not enough to put an end to wars, rather the reconstruction of lives and social fabric must follow.  Now the international community’s biggest test, however, was in giving the Peacebuilding Commission the mandate -– and means -– to prove it could successfully manage the transition from war and misery to peace and development.

As freedom from want and hunger was a necessary presupposition for a serene dialogue of civilizations, he expressed concern at the inability of rich countries to offer the poorest countries, especially in Africa, financial and trade conditions favourable for promoting sustainable development.

Recalling that the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was approaching, he said it was important to ensure the right to life was respected everywhere.  Nations must reverse “the culture of death” embraced by some social and legal structures.  In that context, the abolition of the death penalty should be seen as a consequence of the full respect for the right to life.  Inequalities in the exercise of basic human rights persisted.  The Holy See looked forward to the Commemorative High-level Meeting on the follow up to the outcome of the special session on children.  “Faith” in human dignity demanded that the problem of migration be approached in the context of human rights”, he said, and he welcomed momentum created by the recent Global Forum on Migration and Development.

In closing, he called on nations to ensure that peace and security, development and human rights were effectively combined and mutually reinforcing, as that would demonstrate that “the renovation of this Headquarters is not only physical, but also a renewal of the Organization’s ideals and intentions”.

GEORGE ANDRE WELLS, Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Vanuatu, said the United Nations was confronted with enormous challenges that would test common resolve to address global problems, and reaffirmed his nation’s commitment to building peace and security by continuing to participate in peacekeeping missions.

On climate change, he emphasized the need to ensure the rapid reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 10 to 15 years, noting that, for many small island States and least developed countries, meeting climate change challenges added an additional stress to their financial, human and institutional capacities.

Regarding whether or not a country should be taken off the list of least developed countries, he said United Nations criteria and rules should be revisited.  Those criteria included human capital and economic vulnerability and no country should be forced to lose its least developed country status unless it had risen above the graduation of both those thresholds, unlike the current practice that allowed a country to graduate if only one threshold was met.  The Assembly should invite the Economic and Social Council to revisit the graduation rule in light of the ongoing debate, and the experts who advised the Council should be mandated to explore a reform of the rule with a view to making human assets and economic vulnerability paramount criteria.  Such a reform would do justice to countries that had not achieved the implied structural progress.

On the Middle East, he said the situation was of grave concern.  Israel and Palestine had a right to live in peaceful coexistence, side by side as independent and sovereign States.

Welcoming the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, he expressed the hope that it would provide a framework to address the grievances of those who remained alienated, oppressed and disadvantaged.  The United Nations Charter espoused the principles that continued to guide the Organization’s efforts in the process of self-determination, which called for recognition of and respect for the fundamental and inalienable rights of peoples and territories still under colonial rule.  “We cannot champion democracy if a blind eye is being turned to those who have been crying for freedom for many years.  It is the moral responsibility of this Organization to act with diligence and work towards promoting better conditions in larger freedom.”

ARCHIBALD LESAO LEHOHLA, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho said unfavourable conditions attributable to climate change had led to severe drought in his country, resulting in acute food shortages.  To address the crisis, the Government had declared a state of emergency on food security.  As the world prepared for the December Bali Conference, it should be reminded of the urgent need to build a solid and sustainable consensus on a global response to climate change for the period after the expiry of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol in 2012.  Industrialized countries must assume the major responsibility because scientific evidence had confirmed that their greenhouse gas emissions were making natural disasters worse.  In addition, the international community must reaffirm its commitment to assist regions such as Africa that were most vulnerable to climate change.  Lesotho called upon developed countries to help developing countries strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate change.

Speaking about the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century, he said the Organization must aggressively inculcate the culture of democracy in all nations.  In particular, it should help developing countries fight the culture of impunity.  The common understanding must be a simple one: “when the people have spoken, respect their voice.”  Victors must learn to accept (the results) with humility and magnanimity and losers should learn to accept defeat with grace.  In that way, the post-election period could be devoted to development, with all sides joining hands in the collective national effort.  Lesotho acknowledged the role that the United Nations was playing in the democratization process, but it could do more.

He said it was regrettable that in 2005, Member States had not been able to adopt a legally binding international instrument on the marking and tracing of small arms and light weapons.  It was the urgent responsibility of the United Nations to facilitate the adoption of an effective international instrument to curb the illicit trade in conventional weapons to make it harder for them to end up in the hands of criminals.  Hopefully, the proposed Arms Trade Treaty could be concluded expeditiously.

He attributed the Security Council’s inaction in protecting populations from genocide, war crimes and other crimes against humanity, to its slowness to act.  The harrowing experience of Rwanda, and now Darfur, could also be attributed to the skewed composition and powers of the Council -- especially the right to veto, which was extremely subjective, and exercised according to the interests of the concerned permanent member.  The world continued to witness unilateral economic and financial blockades being imposed upon other countries, the denial of people’s right to self-determination while others were still subjected to occupation.   Cuba, Palestine and Western Sahara were cases in point.

It should remain the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century to preserve proactively international peace and security, he said.  The Organization must act swiftly and decisively where peace and security were threatened at all times.  United Nations reform could not be complete without reform of the Security Council.  It was now time for intergovernmental negotiations to move forward on that subject.

He said the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa was compounded by worsening poverty and famine levels, brought about in most cases by unfavourable weather conditions, brought about, in large measure, by climate change.  Lesotho called for support from developed countries, and stressed that the latter fulfil their promise on ODA.

COME ZOUMARA, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and la Francophonie of the Central African Republic, welcomed the adoption of Security Council resolution 1778 (2007) authorizing the deployment of the hybrid and multidimensional force on the frontiers of the Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan, saying his country wished that action would be accompanied by real support for the reinforcement of his country’s institutional capacities.  The Central African Republic commended France for its courageous decision and effective participation in the maintenance of order in the region.

He said that to confront the challenge to the environment, and sustainable development in general, a partnership effort must be put in place with adequate resources to enable developing countries, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, to implement necessary measures.  That was particularly important as those regions, particularly Africa, were the most vulnerable to the risks associated with climate change, despite their limited contribution to the creation of those conditions.  Climate change was at the heart of all international debates at the moment and the international response must be translated into concrete actions.

Noting that his country spanned three different ecological zones, he said it had great diversity, ranging from dense humid forests in the south to the Sahel in the north.  The country had great natural resources, including rich and fertile soils and forest reserves.  It had taken account of its wealth of natural resources as well as the challenges associated with those resources.  In that regard, it had included environmental concerns in its Constitution.

In spite of its wealth of resources, he said, the economic reality of the Central African Republic was that it was among the least developed countries and many of its citizens lived on less than a dollar a day.  Economic growth in the last years had been below average predictions and development had been impeded by a number of obstacles, including its isolated internal market and its distance from maritime ports.  The Government had opted for regional and international cooperation through its membership of several initiatives focusing on the environment and sustainable forest management.

SAM KUTESA, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, said that climate change was the greatest danger facing humankind, especially the poor.  The extreme conditions it caused had implications for development, particularly in agrarian communities where there were fewer resources with which to cope with the shocks of floods and droughts.  Increasingly severe, prolonged droughts threatened water supplies to millions of people, and to subsistence agriculture, which relied on rainfall and was vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change.  The health sector was also affected, through the spread of water-borne disease, such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and malaria.  Climate change was a threat to security, challenging the very existence of small island States and coastal cities, and bringing devastation through hurricanes and typhoons.

It was unfortunate, he said, that nothing meaningful had been undertaken on agreed actions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.  Collaborative measures were urgently needed in re-forestation and control of greenhouse gases, but those would be insufficient without adequate investment in renewable energy sources.  Developed countries should encourage companies to invest in the generation of hydroelectric power and other clean energy sources in developing countries.  The Bali Conference was an opportunity to negotiate a global and implementable strategy acceptable to all.  Industrialized countries should take the lead in cutting emissions; developing countries should pursue low-emissions development strategies, and receive incentives.

Poverty challenged attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in many countries, and threatened peace, security and the environment, he said.  In 2003, the World Bank had reported that “average income in the wealthiest 20 countries is thirty seven times that of the poorest 20 -- twice the ratio in 1970”.  In sub-Saharan Africa, many countries had ended the last decade with lower per capita incomes than they had started it.  Large-scale progress could be made with adequate financing, through a strengthened global partnership.  Without addressing poverty, climate change solutions were not possible.  Trade liberalization and export-led growth could potentially lift millions out of poverty.  Developing countries should add value to raw materials and sell them as finished products.  Human resources should be developed through better education and health care, and agriculture should be commercialized.  The region must be integrated into large markets.  Additionally, the removal of trade barriers and establishment of a fairer approach to international commerce would ease immigration problems faced by the industrialized world.  Stalled trade talks under the Doha development round must be successfully re-started and concluded.

The cold war era had been replaced by inter and intra-State conflict, he said.  That caused internal displacements and an international refugee crisis.  The collapse of central authority in some countries had created safe havens for terrorists and drug traffickers.  Most of Africa was at peace, and democracy was being consolidated, but some areas required urgent international attention.  United Nations Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) must be implemented in Darfur.  Implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement must be supported.  In Somalia, the General Assembly should support a peace and reconciliation process, and all necessary resources to support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).  Uganda, having met its commitments to supply troops for peacekeeping, urged other countries to fulfil their pledges.

Regarding efforts in the Great Lakes region to improve peace and security, he noted that the Tripartite Plus One Commission had agreed on a framework and actions to deal with threatening negative forces there.  The Security Council should reinforce the mandate and means of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), so that it could work effectively with the Congolese Army to eradicate negative forces on the territory.  For its part, Uganda was holding peace talks with the Lord’s Resistance Army.  Two agreements had been concluded and signed, although the Lord’s Resistance Army had not met the terms on the cessation of hostilities.  He thus urged the international community to pressure the Lord’s Resistance Army.  Uganda would not condone impunity or undermine its obligations under the Rome Statute.  It was working with the International Criminal Court to ensure accountability under the complementarity stipulations.  Uganda had plans for a post-conflict reconciliation programme in the north, for which it invited the international community’s support.

KINGA GÖNCZ, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary, said the world needed effective multilateralism more than ever before. Progress was needed on management reform, mandate review and disarmament, and further concrete steps were required towards a renewed Security Council.  Hungary would have preferred that the issue of Security Council reform see greater progress during the last General Assembly.  The impasse was not due to lack of effort on the part of the General Assembly President or the shortage of creative ideas.  The best solution would still be a balanced increase of seats to better reflect the political realities of today.  The enlargement process should be combined with tangible improvement of the Council’s working method.

Welcoming the recent decision of the Human Rights Council to establish a forum on minority issues, she said it would provide a useful platform for a dialogue and exchange of views among minorities, Governments and other stakeholders on issues relating to national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities.  There was also a need for the effective involvement of women in decision-making processes at both the national and international levels.  Hungary supported the ongoing debate on the future of strengthened gender equality architecture and welcomed the steps towards gender mainstreaming throughout the United Nations system.

On the Millennium Development Goals, she said that while there had been some progress towards attaining them, unless efforts were strengthened, there would be regions where the goals would not be met by 2015.  In the meantime, it was necessary to emphasize the role of national policies and development strategies in achieving the goals.

Peace and stability in the Balkans was of paramount importance to her country and to Europe as a whole, she said.  While the question of the status of Kosovo compelled international attention, the issue must be tackled primarily by Europe.  The United Nations had played a pivotal role so far and Hungary hoped that would remain the case until a proper solution was found.

She said her country shared the concerns of the international community over Iran’s nuclear programme and deplored that country’s failure to take the steps required by the IAEA Board of Governors and the Security Council resolutions necessary for re-establishing international confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.  Hungary hoped Iran would soon realize that a diplomatic, negotiated solution was possible and that compliance had many benefits.

MOURAD MEDELCI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria, said the serious threat of climate change, attaining the Millennium Development Goals, the draft convention on international terrorism, the coherence of the United Nations system and reform of the Security Council were all areas in which more efforts were needed.  Strong support from Member States was essential to ensure the success of those ambitious projects.

The world faced new forms of destabilization and threats to peace and security that required a global mobilization in order to respond collectively and firmly, he said.  Algeria, which had been a victim of terrorism and paid the heavy price of international indifference in the 1990s, could appreciate the growing urgency to prevent and eliminate that grave threat.  It had supported the Global Anti-Terrorism Strategy adopted by the General Assembly in 2006 and called on Member States immediately to fight terrorism, not by means of force, but also by addressing its underlying causes and arriving at a fair resolution, notably with regard to the Middle East conflict.  However, a clear definition of terrorism was needed that was clearly disassociated from the legitimate fight against occupation and from any cultural or religious connection.  Meaningful dialogue among cultures and civilizations would help eliminate prejudice and stereotypes, and reinforce mutual understanding.

Noting that the Middle East situation was deteriorating, he said his country was pleased with the latest proposal by United States President George W. Bush regarding an international peace conference.  The situation in Iraq was also of great concern.  Daily violence, pitting brother against brother, called upon the world’s collective consciousness to mobilize assistance in finding a solution that would preserve national unity.  Work also remained to be done on decolonization, particularly in Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony.  Algeria was pleased to welcome the adoption of Security Council resolution 1754 (2007), but negotiations needed to move towards reaching an agreement.

He said that in light of the Millennium Summit, development remained the international community’s most daunting challenge and went hand-in-hand with peace.  With that in mind, African Heads of State had initiated the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Group of Eight had focused on peace and development in Africa in their June meeting at Heiligendamm, Germany.  Algeria commended the Group of Eight, which had agreed to give $60 million in aid to combat AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases in Africa.  War, pandemics and natural disasters were realities in Africa, and while the African Union was helping with the Darfur crisis, the African Union needed international support.  NEPAD should also take charge of socio-economic issues on the continent.

Algeria was also concerned about the impasse over the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, he said, adding that developing countries should not be blocked from access to nuclear energy.  Instead, nuclear energy should remain an important issue in the field of development.  On climate change, there were encouraging signs and Algeria emphasized the need to preserve the interests of those developing countries, particularly in Africa, that caused the least pollution yet suffered most from its effects.  Algeria had formed an energy strategy within the area of sustainable development by promoting renewable energies.

ABUBAKR A. AL-QIRBI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen, noted that the sixtieth anniversary of his country’s admission to the United Nations coincided with the current session of the General Assembly.  His Government had been pursuing democratic reforms and the presidential and parliamentary elections held last November had been judged by international observers to have been transparent.  The elections had demonstrated a peaceful transfer of power, and Yemen had accepted that the ballot box was the only means for democratic change.  Constitutional changes introduced by the Government had led to a reduction in the presidential term of office.  The local councils were being given wider powers and the country enjoyed freedom of expression.  Legislation had been passed to fight corruption and Yemen had acceded to many international instruments and organizations.

On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said the Palestinian people were suffering under Israeli violence in violation of the United Nations Charter, international law and humanitarian law.  The Arab Peace Initiative could help solve the problem.  It was to be hoped that the United States would abide by the objective of creating two States living side by side in the region.  Yemen emphasized the importance of all parties participating in the upcoming conference proposed by the United States, and urged unity among all the Palestinian people.

Turning to Iraq, he recalled Security Council resolution 1770 (2007), which called on the international community to stand with the Iraqi Government in its efforts to extend its full authority over the country, end the violence and combat terrorism in the country.  Yemen called for non-interference in Iraq’s internal affairs and rejected attempts to balkanize the country.  The country’s Arab character should be maintained.

Referring to the Sudan, he said Yemen was glad that the authorities there had accepted an African Union-United Nations peace force.  However, efforts to achieve peace should not lead to the violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.  On Somalia, Yemen supported the efforts of the Transitional Federal Government to achieve national reconciliation.  There should also be no interference in that country’s affairs, and the Transitional Government should be helped to rebuild the country.

PRANAB MUKHERJEE, Minister of External Affairs of India, said that measures to address climate change must be based on mitigation and adaptation strategies, with fair burden-sharing and measures to realize sustainable patterns of consumption and production.  Technology was a key area, which also should be addressed.  It was important that critical and clean technologies were made available and affordable for developing countries.   India had a very small individual carbon footprint, with per capita carbon dioxide emissions just about a quarter of the world’s average.  Even so, it was determined that, even as it pursued economic growth, its per capita greenhouse gas emissions would not increase beyond those of the industrial countries.

He affirmed India’s resolve to achieve the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals.  His Government accorded the highest priority to inclusive growth, including the political, legal, educational and economic empowerment of women, effective and affordable public health and enhanced access to educational opportunities, especially for the disadvantaged.  The international community, through the United Nations system, must effectively support the efforts of developing countries to achieve the development goals.  A comprehensive reform of the international economic architecture was a key in that process.  The United Nations must play an important role in overseeing that reform.  Priority must also be given to addressing the regrettable inversion of global resource flows.  ODA had fallen markedly during 2006 and remained below the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product (GNP).  Enhanced and predictable resource flows to developing countries remained a key objective of the global partnership for development.   India would continue to do what it could to help with capacity-building in other developing countries, and to assist them through ODA, within the limits of its capacity.  By the end of the year, least developed country imports into India would face a zero-tariff regime.

India would work towards the development of an international normative framework for the promotion and protection of human rights, he said.  His country had been honoured to have been one of the first signatories of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.  Earlier today, he had also had the honour of depositing India’s instrument of ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  As the largest democracy in the world, his country had developed a system of local self-government, with democratic institutions of representative government at all levels -- village, the district, the state and national level.  The effort to make participatory Government more meaningful to every Indian citizen underpinned what was perhaps one of the greatest social experiments in the world today, namely, the transfer of decision-making power to nearly 1 million elected women local government representatives.  As a result, women were not merely beneficiaries of change in India, but were its instruments.

He said that the international system could not be meaningfully reordered without the reform of the United Nations, which should not remain mired in the realities of the 1940s.  It was now time for intergovernmental negotiations to commence to make the Security Council more democratic, representative and responsive. He recalled the tabling of a resolution on 11 September by partners from Africa, Latin America and Asia spelling out the principles on which that reform should be based.  Those principles were: expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership; greater representation for developing countries, including representation for developed countries that reflected contemporary world realities; and comprehensive improvement in the working methods of the Security Council, including ensuring greater access for island and small States.  Recent statements by United States President George W. Bush, and other world leaders on the need for Security Council reform had been welcome.

United Nations reform would also be incomplete without revitalization of the General Assembly, he said.  The central goal of that reform should be the restoration and enhancement of the role and authority of the Assembly, as originally envisaged in the Charter.  India would be bringing proposals on how the world could focus on general and complete disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament.

PATTESON OTI, Minister for Foreign Affairs, External Trade and Immigration of the Solomon Islands, said that with the increasing incidence of disasters all over the world, the international community needed to bolster the resources and the capacity of the United Nations humanitarian relief programme to respond rapidly and effectively to such crises so as to alleviate human suffering.  As much as the Solomon Islands appreciated the funds pledged by sympathetic individuals, institutions and States following the disaster that had hit the country earlier this year, it was left to wonder whether the filtering of donor financial assistance through national charitable organizations was calculated to whittle down its value by the consumption of largesse in aid administration and delivery.  Human charity and human suffering were done a disservice when disasters created feeding frenzies for non-governmental charitable organizations.  The recent experience of the Solomon Islands mirrored what many other nations had undergone and underlined the need for concerted international action to regulate humanitarian aid collection and delivery.

Last week’s high-level meeting on climate change had emboldened small island developing States to rally together in demanding the intensification of international efforts to curb global environmental recklessness, he said.  The protection of the global environment was a matter of international responsibility and could be capably addressed by the enunciation of principles dictating reciprocal undertakings for the continued granting and receipt of foreign aid.

He said the Solomon Islands Government had initiated a parliamentary review of the legislative basis for the continued presence of occupying police, military and civilian personnel of neighbouring countries in the country.  The Solomon Islands’ gratitude to Australia and New Zealand for financing the deployment of their nationals to police the country’s crisis with the help of a small contingent of personnel from neighbouring Pacific Island Nations was oft-expressed and genuine.  However, fellow Pacific Island Nations should appreciate that the Solomon Island’s sovereign right to determine the terms under which the Government would permit continued occupation by the visiting contingent could not be undermined by any member of the United Nations.  The long neglect of the country’s internal problem by the United Nations, followed by the hasty conclusion of the regionally-based multilateral agreement which had led to the dispatch of the visiting contingent of Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island forces had brought about ongoing controversies concerning their continued presence and eventual exit back to the United Nations doorstep.

The Solomon Islands belonged to a constituency of States for whom the United Nations represented the promise of hope for civilizations condemned by circumstance to eternal misery, he continued.  The effective representation of their hope, voice and vision in the United Nations could only be achieved by the reform of its governance structures to reflect the changing configurations of geo-political power and influence.  The Solomon Islands supported the calls for enlargement of the Security Council, believing that India and Japan should have permanent membership.

He said the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals would remain elusive for many nations unless innovative strategies for debt conversion and cancellation were devised and adopted to fast-track the exit of the poor from poverty.  The Solomon Islands looked forward to exploring that prospect at the forthcoming meeting on financing for development in Doha.

ABDURRAHMAN MOHAMED SHALGHAM, Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of Libya, said United Nations reform had dominated the General Assembly for the past two years and though some progress had been made towards that objective, there remained significant work to be done, especially regarding the Security Council.  Member States had put forward many ideas on improving that organ, including that of making more room for equitable geographical representation, but some powerful States had rejected a role for smaller countries.  That would never lead to any real reform.

In light of that impasse, a high-level summit to be held at the United Nations Office in Geneva was needed to push forward the reform process, he said.  Libya proposed a new formula for the Security Council, which would award membership to geographical blocs, rather than specific countries, and grant all members equal votes.  In that regard, Libya called for the African Union to be granted Security Council membership in the form of two permanent seats with all privileges -- including the right of veto -– and five non-permanent seats.  Libya had submitted its candidacy for non-permanent membership, with the support of the African Union, for the period 2008-2009.  If elected, Libya would strive, among other things, toward: achieving respect for international law and the provisions of the United Nations Charter; enhancing pluralism in international relations though the Organization; and encouraging swift and effective international cooperation and coordination in disaster management and protection of human rights.

He went on to say his country would make an excellent choice for the non-permanent Council.  Libya had been one of the countries that had resorted to United Nations mechanisms in resolving international disagreements.  It had served as a key mediator in resolving a number of conflicts and disputes, especially in Africa, dispatched peacekeeping forces to the Central African Republic and monitored the border between Chad and Sudan.  It had established partnerships in the field of development, particularly with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and provided humanitarian aid to help numerous countries alleviate the effects of disasters, including Somalia, Palestine and Pakistan.

Comprehensive and complete disarmament, beginning with weapons of mass destruction, was an essential prerequisite for the restoration of international peace and security, he said.  For that reason, Libya had voluntarily abandoned its own programmes related to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.  When it came to terrorism, international cooperation, under the auspices of the United Nations, had achieved excellent results.  However, concentrating on the fight against terrorism and ignoring its causes would not bring it to an end.  Libya called for a special session of the Assembly to study terrorism and take measures to combat it.  The Assembly must also halt the practice of confusing terrorism with the legitimate right of peoples to fight against foreign occupation.

On the Millennium Development Goals, establishing international partnerships that could achieve them fell upon the shoulders of the Economic and Social Council, he said.  Those partnerships should likewise ensure the appropriate application of all multilateral free trade principles and strengthen measures regarding preferential treatment for developing countries.  Countries with a colonial past should assume the largest share of responsibility for providing aid to developing countries, but all Member States should ensure that all African countries achieved the Millennium Goals.

Turning to the Middle East, he said, the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights and the Lebanese Shebaa Farms continued to destabilize peace in the region and was sufficient justification for the outbreak of war at any moment.  The situation in Palestine necessitated measures by the international community to oblige the occupation forces to withdraw immediately from all occupied Arab lands.  Iraq also required an urgent United Nations initiative to solve its own crisis, ensure the withdrawal of foreign troops and restore the country’s stability and sovereignty.

OSMAN MOHAMMED SALEH, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Eritrea, stressed the need to increase global commitment to reaching the Millennium Development Goals, since the goal of halving poverty by 2015 would be impossible to achieve without increased resources.  Closer to home, the Foreign Minister said the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea remained urgent, requiring the full attention of the global community.

He said it had become almost a ritual for his Government to ask the international community for help, but without receiving it.  Ethiopia continued to occupy Eritrean territory, rejecting the final and binding decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission and obstructing the demarcation of the boundary, to which end the international community had deployed the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) at an annual cost of $200 million.  Among the several other “hard facts that are neither controversial nor ambiguous”, Ethiopia was settling Ethiopians on Eritrean land, and had also refused to provide a plan explaining how it would maintain security in territory within its control during demarcation.

The Boundary Commission had filed at least 24 reports with the Security Council underlining the gravity of the situation, and as the Commission lacked powers of enforcement, it logically fell to the Security Council to take remedial action.  However, the Council had, so far, not done so.  Instead, Ethiopia had “managed to frustrate” the Boundary Commission’s decision because of the unwarranted positions of some Security Council members, especially the United States, which had “chosen to placate Ethiopia at the expense of international law and the interests of regional peace and security”. 

He recalled that, at a meeting convened last month in The Hague by the Boundary Commission, Ethiopia had been requested to indicate its unqualified acceptance of the 2002 Delimitation Decision; lift restrictions on the movement of Commission personnel; provide security assurances; meet payment arrears; and allow free access to pillar locations.  Ethiopia had failed to respond to the five conditions, making it clear that “it had no intention of complying with the Commission’s demarcation instructions”.

He said that, after that meeting, Ethiopia had circulated a letter to the public and the media indicating its intention to renounce the two Algiers Agreements, by which the Eritrea-Ethiopia border war of 1998-2000 was ended.  Ethiopia’s letter was deliberately timed to distract attention from its uncooperative position at the most recent Commission meeting.   Moreover, “ Ethiopia seems to be planning to use its unlawful attempt at renunciation of the Algiers Agreements as a precursor for initiation of renewed hostilities.”

Asserting that the  Boundary Commission was now at a “crossroads”, the Foreign Minister called upon the United Nations and the Security Council to take effective action to ensure that the Delimitation Decision be marked on the ground with pillar emplacements.  “ Eritrea demands effective action in the interests of legality and the maintenance of regional peace and security,” he said.

Another major concern in the region was Somalia, where war was being waged “in the name of combating terrorism”, he warned.  The daunting problem in Somalia was essentially internal, and it was a mistake to cast the conflict in terms of the global war on terrorism.  Concerning the Sudan, he said that the country had come a long way in reaching peace agreements and implementing the terms of the peace accords.  Eritrea would continue to lend support to the peace process in Darfur, by working closely with all concerned parties and countries.

U NYAN WIN, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, said that climate change, terrorism, neocolonial matters and narcotic drugs were among issues of great concern.  The recent high-level event had reignited the international community’s interest with a stark reminder of the negative impacts of climate change on long-term economic and social development.  Myanmar was pursing a national environment policy and a system of sustainable forest management.  It was among the 12 nations that had taken part in the Asia Least-Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy.  Climate change impacted developing countries most deeply, and developed countries should provide additional financial resources to help them fulfil commitments made at various international conferences.

Turning to terrorism, he stressed the importance of addressing its root causes, since poverty, grievances and underlying political, economic and social conditions provided fertile ground for its spread.  “Countries should show goodwill, practice tolerance and live together in peace and harmony”.  To effectively address those and other diverse and daunting challenges, United Nations reform must be implemented, a task that Myanmar was confident the General Assembly President could oversee.

Turning to internal politics, he said the international community should be wary of neocolonialist attempts in his country, adding: “We are greatly disturbed to witness that neocolonialism has reared its ugly head in recent years.  The strategies they employ are obvious.”  Media campaigns against Myanmar, disinformation that the country was committing gross human rights violations and sanctions that hindered economic development were among the strategies used.  “I would like to stress that economic sanctions are counterproductive and can only delay the path to democracy.”  Political opportunists then provided political, financial and material support to create unrest and, finally, under the pretext that a country was undemocratic, unstable and posed a threat to international peace and security, they intervened directly by invading the country.  “The current events clearly show that such course of action can only result in conflict and untold sufferings for the people of the country.  It must be stressed that the destiny of each and every country can only be determined by its Government and people.  It cannot be imposed from outside.  On our part, we are determined to proceed resolutely towards democracy along our chosen path.”

Myanmar’s current situation would not have deteriorated had a small group of activists protesting over rising fuel prices not been overtaken by political opportunists, he said.  “They sought to turn the situation into a political showdown, aided and abetted by some powerful countries,” he said.  “They also took advantage of protests staged initially by a small group of Buddhist clergy demanding apology for maltreatment of fellow monks by local authorities.”

Authorities had exercised restraint and refrained from intervening for one month, but when the “mob” had become unruly and provocative, they had been compelled to declare a curfew, he said.  “When protestors ignored their warnings, they had to take action to restore the situation.  Normalcy has now returned to Myanmar.”  The rule of law was a fundamental principle without which there could be neither orderly conduct of daily affairs of State nor the enjoyment of human rights and democracy.

Describing Myanmar as a multi-ethnic and multireligious society, he said it was home to more than 100 races, whose national unity was of paramount importance.  In keeping with the population’s aspirations for democratization, a seven-step road map had been declared, and a new Constitution had been set down at a national convention attended by stakeholders, representatives of the national races, political parties and 17 armed groups, which had now returned to the legal fold.  Work had concluded on 3 September, and what remained was a step-by-step implementation.

However, recent events made clear that elements within and outside the country wished to derail the ongoing process so they could take advantage of the ensuing chaos and step up their campaign to confront the Government, he said.  The Myanmar Government was fully aware of its responsibilities to lead the nation in its transformation into a disciplined democracy.  “We have laid down a road map and will work conscientiously to achieve our goals.  Significant progress has been made.”  The process could be successfully completed, sooner rather than later, if no obstacles were placed in its path.  The international community could best help Myanmar by showing greater understanding and refrain from measures that would “add fuel to the fire”.

Turning to the topic of illicit drugs, he stressed that the international community could demonstrate good faith by acknowledging Myanmar’s good work in combating the scourge.  Opium production had dropped by more than one third over the last few years, according to the World Drug Report 2007 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  The country had provided farmers with alternative livelihoods, making the eradication of narcotic drugs a national priority.  Cooperation with the United Nations was a cornerstone of Myanmar’s foreign policy and, in that spirit, the country would continue to cooperate with the Secretary-General.  “We have agreed to the visit of his Special Adviser, Under-Secretary-General Ibrahim Gambari, who is presently in Myanmar,” he said.  “We will continue to work closely and cooperate actively with the United Nations.”

SAHANA PRADHAM, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal, said the pledge of a road map for development in the form of the Millennium Development Goals was yet to be fully effected.  As the international community approached the halfway mark, the General Assembly should review the progress made, in order to devise ways to achieve the full implementation of the commitments made in the Millennium Declaration.  The Follow-Up Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Doha next year should be an opportunity to explore innovative ways to finance development.

Climate change was linked to human security, social and economic development and environmental protection, she continued.  Scientific studies had pointed out that the solution to climate change was within human reach and that the international community could achieve it without compromising economic development and human progress if it started to act now.  Climate change demanded a coordinated and comprehensive global response and differentiated responsibilities should be the basis for addressing its challenges.  Mandatory emission-reduction targets were necessary in order to stabilize the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at safe levels.  Industrialized countries should assume leadership and demonstrate the necessary political will in adopting long-term commitments to reduce emissions.

Nepal stood for a general and complete disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction, including biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, under effective international control in a time-bound manner, she said.  The country was concerned by the lack of progress in major multilateral negotiations on disarmament, including nuclear disarmament and control of the illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons.  Member States, especially the nuclear-weapon States, should step up disarmament measures, so as to release much-needed dividends for development.

She said developed countries should meet the targeted official development assistance to least developed countries, grant products from those countries duty free, quota free and unhindered market access and extend debt-relief measures to cover all least developed countries.  The international community should ensure effective implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for least developed countries for the rest of the decade, based on last year’s mid-term review.

There had been a remarkable improvement in the protection of human rights since the start of the peace process in Nepal, she said.  The Government had extended full cooperation to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the country, and the recent appointment of a National Human Rights Commission was expected to further enhance the national capability to protect and promote human rights.  The Government was determined to end the environment of impunity that had prevailed during the armed conflict, and it was to be hoped that the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission, as stipulated in the peace agreement, would help the country put the past behind it and prevent a recurrence of grave human rights violations.

MOHAMED BENAISSSA, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, said his country had embarked on a thorough and ambitious process of political liberalization, human development and social modernization.  In parallel, it had striven to contribute to international efforts to establish world consensus on human rights concepts, so that they no longer constituted a source of conflict, but rather served as a motive for cooperation and consultation.  Those concepts should not remain simple universal values. but become a reality, taking into consideration the diversity and indivisibility of human rights.  Morocco had proposed the adoption by the Human Rights Council of a universal declaration on training and education on the culture of human rights.  The objective was to consolidate the values, principles and concepts of human rights through its adoption by all social components to make them a daily preoccupation and responsible practice.

Morocco was among the pioneers in contributing to United Nations peacekeeping efforts, he continued.  It had participated with more than 50,000 blue helmets in 13 peacekeeping operations across four continents since 1960.  That experience and field expertise led the country to believe it was time to examine ways to reinforce the legal basis and organizational framework of peacekeeping operations, taking into consideration the changes undergone by that United Nations mechanism and the need to improve deployment conditions.  Morocco proposed the convening next year of a high-level segment to examine that issue.

Noting that Africa still faced major security challenges and significant difficulties in improving the health and living conditions of its citizens, he said his country had made relations with the continent one of the priorities of its foreign policy.  Alongside development programmes aimed to revitalise South-South cooperation and numerous solidarity actions undertaken towards African States that were victims of natural disasters, the First African Conference on Human Development, held in April 2007 in Rabat in cooperation with UNDP, had aimed to establish a complementary strategy that might help satisfy the particular needs of Africa in terms of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

He said the “Moroccan Sahara” issue was witnessing a historical turning point as a result of the Manhasset negotiations, held under United Nations auspices, between the parties to the dispute, he continued.  Morocco, having taken part in the negotiations in good faith and with a constructive attitude, reiterated its commitment to move forward in the process, so as to reach a solution to the dispute within the framework of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.  It was also proceeding on the basis of the Autonomy Initiative as the ultimate objective of the negotiation process and as an open, flexible and indivisible offer.

Right of Reply

The representative of Iran, speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said that, rather than his own country, Israel was the source of the most urgent threat facing the Middle East today, and the international community should counter that threat decisively.  The fact that Israel was breaking international law and many Security Council resolutions was known to all, as was its record on issues of State terrorism and the rights of people living under occupation.  The attempt by the Israeli regime to raise human rights issues against others was nothing but a distraction.  It was indisputable that the nuclear weapons in its hands represented a real threat and required the action of the international community.

The representative of Ethiopia, also speaking in exercise of the right of reply, said the accusations made against his country by the Eritrean delegate were baseless and an insult to the intelligence of the international community.  Eritrea had moved its armed forces into the demilitarised zone in violation of the Algiers Agreement of 2000 and in defiance of Security Council resolutions.  It had also increased its military presence in the zone.  As a result, today, there was no demilitarised zone separating the two parties.  In view of that flagrant violation of the Agreement, Ethiopia had sent a message to Eritrea that, unless it withdrew its forces from the zone, Ethiopia reserved the right to use all legal means to respond.

Regarding Eritrea’s statement on Ethiopia’s presence in Somalia, he said it was a distortion of the truth.  Ethiopia was in Somalia at the invitation of the country’s legitimate authorities to support its legitimate institutions.  On the contrary, Eritrea was supporting well-known international terrorists and its territory was a transit point for arms going into Somalia.

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For information media • not an official record