Secretary-General Cites Early Response to Emerging Crises, Climate Change,

 

Extreme Poverty as Areas for Joint Action with Non-Aligned Movement

 

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by El‑Mostafa Benlamlih, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, to the Sixteenth Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, in Bali, 25 May:

It is a pleasure to extend my greetings to the Sixteenth Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.  I thank Egypt for its chairmanship and congratulate President [Susilo Bambang] Yudhoyono and the Indonesian Government for hosting this event.

The United Nations is honoured to participate in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Movement and to commemorate our long history of collaboration.  Fifty years ago, many countries were still living under colonialism.  The military and ideological competition between the two super-Powers threatened unprecedented destruction.  Sweeping changes were taking place throughout the world.

From its beginning, the Non-Aligned Movement understood that there is no alternative to multilateralism.  Indeed, the 1955 Asian-African Conference in Bandung planted the seeds for what would later become the Non-Aligned Movement.  The Bandung Principles emphasized respect for human rights, equality of all races and all nations, peaceful settlement of disputes and international cooperation.  A commitment to these universal values led to some of the Movement’s most important achievements, including decolonization and concerted action to resolve many conflicts.

While new challenges have emerged, the values at the heart of the Non-Aligned Movement remain relevant today.  Allow me to address three broad areas in which joint action by the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement is essential: building a safer world, responding to climate change and fighting extreme poverty.

First, with the support of the Non-Aligned Movement, we have improved our efforts to respond early to emerging crises.  Preventive action is more prudent and principled than waiting to respond to full-blown conflicts.  It saves scarce resources and, more importantly, it saves lives.  Conflict prevention is also intrinsically linked to our efforts to lift countries from poverty.

The United Nations is building stronger partnerships with regional and subregional organizations with a priority on upholding national ownership.  The recent referendum in South Sudan is one example.  Some had feared the process could unravel the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.  Yet early action and close cooperation between the United Nations, the African Union and Sudanese authorities, both in Khartoum and Juba, helped ensure a successful process.  Swift and decisive action in countries like Guinea and Kyrgyzstan has also helped prevent the escalation of conflict.

As we deepen our work on prevention, I want to once again commend the Non-Aligned Movement’s long-standing commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons.  The successful conclusion of the 2010 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Conference and the new Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START) between the Russian Federation and the United States have provided new impetus for progress.  We need to build on this momentum as we prepare for major upcoming events, including the Second Nuclear Security Summit and a conference on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.

Our second broad challenge — the threat posed by climate change — continues to require urgent global action.  We still have a long way to go in meeting the scientific bottom line for effective action.  The task now is two-fold.  First, Governments must implement fully all the agreements made at Cancún, including on climate finance, protecting forests, adaptation and technology.  Looking towards the Durban Conference, they need to come to a resolution on the future of the Kyoto Protocol and on ways to engage developing countries in an emerging global framework.

Second, national efforts on the ground must be accelerated to curb emissions and strengthen climate resilience.  As always, the United Nations stands ready to support these efforts, including in the vitally important area of energy access, energy efficiency and clean energy.  Comprehensive strategies linking climate, water, energy and food security will be crucial to sustainable solutions.  This year’s Durban Conference and next year’s “Rio+20” Conference on Sustainable Development will be critical.

This leads me to the third broad challenge:  eliminating extreme poverty.  Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is uneven.  We have the tools, policies and know-how to keep the MDG promise.  The budget crisis around the world should not be an excuse to abandon commitments.  Now is the time to strengthen the global partnership for development and fully implement the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development.  I also call again for a successful conclusion to the Doha Development Round of multilateral trade negotiations.

Finally, let me assure you that we have paid close attention to the Non‑Aligned Movement’s call for strengthening the United Nations.  In the United Nations and in me personally, you have a full partner in your efforts to ensure that the multilateral system and the United Nations are more effective in meeting our shared objectives.

The United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement have enjoyed a close history over 50 years.  Guided by our core principles of equality, justice and peace, we look forward to our continuing work together to address today’s pressing challenges and build a better world for future generations.

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For information media • not an official record