General Assembly Urged to Assume ‘Rightful Place at Centre of Deliberations’ as It Considers Secretary-General’s Annual Progress Report
The myriad peace and security challenges facing the world, the United Nations ability to address them, and the link between security and the new Sustainable Development Agenda, were debated today as the General Assembly took up the Secretary-General’s annual report on the work of the Organization.
In the report, presented a few weeks ago, the Secretary-General says “the eyes of the world are rightly fixed on 2015, when we hope to conclude several crucial agreements that will have a major impact on the life of every person on this planet. Indeed, speakers today took stock of the increasingly complex and interconnected threats to international peace and security and considered the way forward towards implementing the ambitious new Sustainable Development Agenda.
India’s representative highlighted the nexus between peace and security and the newly adopted Sustainable Development Agenda, adding that the Agenda could only be achieved in a “stable and supportive political environment” as political instability deterred the flow of investment, technology and trade and severely restricted prospects for sustained socioeconomic growth.
Citing the areas of conflict and crises currently “scarring the landscape of international peace and security,” he described terrorism as the new emerging threat to be tackled urgently. He called into question the Organization’s ability to deal with it given the “undemocratic composition” of the Security Council. He added that there were 31 entities within the Organization dealing with some aspect of terrorism, and, thus, highlighted the urgent need to coordinate their work.
Echoing India’s call, the representative of Morocco said that the proliferation of terrorism was a matter of great concern, which required a pooling of the world’s resources. Turning to issues of development, he noted that Africa had made remarkable progress so far, but still faced peace and development challenges. The continent, he said, must remain at the heart of cooperation for development to help it fully emerge from its colonial past.
To help with Africa’s development, the representative of Japan said his country would mobilize up to $32 billion between 2013 and 2017, in both the public and private sectors. Japan was also determined to enhance its efforts through the Tokyo International Conference of African Development process to promote “transformative, resilient and inclusive growth” across Africa.
Cuba’s delegate said that the General Assembly should assume its rightful place at the centre of deliberations. He concurred that international peace and security was not feasible without sustainable development. Many speakers called for a mobilization of collective political will to ensure the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
General Assembly Vice-President Kairat Abdrakhmanov (Kazakhstan) opened the meeting. Also speaking were the representatives of Malaysia (on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations), China, Pakistan, Belarus and Iran.
Speaking in the exercise of the right of reply were the representatives of India, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Japan.
The General Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 15 October, to election five non-permanent members of the Security Council.
Background
The General Assembly met this morning to take up the Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (document A/70/1).
Statements
KAIRAT ABDRAKHMANOV (Kazakhstan), Vice-President of the General Assembly, opened the meeting by noting that the Secretary-General had presented his report some weeks ago, prior to today’s debate. He had highlighted challenges and concerns confronting the United Nations in its seventieth year. Those concerns had resonated with Member States, which had echoed and elaborated upon many in their own speeches. Key themes included eight goals, which in turn included the issue of sustainable development, and the urgent call for a universal climate agreement. On the topic of human rights, he noted that millions of innocent people were suffering from the worst displacement the world had seen since the Second World War. There was a call, not just to meet humanitarian needs, but to reduce them. He underlined the importance of the rule of law at national and international levels. The picture on disarmament was mixed, he noted, with many struggling to deliver results.
At its seventieth anniversary, the United Nations was needed more than ever, he said, and that required an unprecedented spirit of cooperation among Member States. Clearly, the Secretary-General was ready to do his part, and the President looked forward to hearing from Member States during the coming debate.
RAMLAN BIN IBRAHIM (Malaysia), speaking on behalf of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighted the importance that the regional organization attached to cooperation with the United Nations, and that the Association looked forward to welcoming the Secretary-General at the upcoming seventh ASEAN-United Nations meeting slated for 22 November in Kuala Lumpur to strengthen those ties and explore other areas in that regard. With climate change among the greatest threats to a sustainable future, ASEAN was working to address it, including by strengthening resilience in the region through implementation of the ASEAN Climate Change Initiative and Action Plan on Joint Response to Climate Change. ASEAN hoped that the Climate Conference in Paris would produce a comprehensive and universal agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
He said that ASEAN attached great importance to the strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime to maintain peace, security and prosperity in the region and was committed to preserving the region’s nuclear-weapon-free zone. In that regard, it was committed to working with nuclear-weapon States on the early signing and ratification of the treaty’s Protocol, without reservations. Denouncing terrorism in all its manifestations, he said that the Association had adopted the Langkawi Declaration on the Global Movement of Moderates at its twenty-sixth summit in April, which outlined measures to promote moderation and curb extremism throughout the region. ASEAN’s collective efforts at the regional level would contribute to the work of the United Nations in promoting peace, security and stability as well as inclusive and sustainable growth for all.
LIU JIEYI (China) expressed deep pride at the achievements by the Organization, adding that the United Nations had advanced multilateral cooperation, worked to seek solutions to hot-spot issues through diplomatic negotiations, and made efforts in peace-making and peacebuilding. It had effectively coordinated humanitarian assistance and the response to the Ebola outbreak. In a year of special significance, the international community should reflect on how to address peace and development in the twenty-first century, and how to promote economic and social development throughout the world.
In the political and security arena, he said his country believed that all countries had a role in determining the future. China had announced a series of major initiatives in support of the Organization’s work, joining the new peacekeeping stand-by mechanism and setting up a South-South Fund, among other measures. China was ready to work with all Member States to turn summit outcomes into concrete action. It was willing to work with other Member States to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter.
MALEEHA LODHI (Pakistan) noting the historic summit on the Sustainable Development Goals, said the world’s attention must be on their achievement. The challenge ahead was to summon and mobilize the collective political will and resources to ensure the Goals’ comprehensive implementation. Pakistan believed that the reform of the Organization was necessary to reflect the dynamics and demands of the twenty-first century and to respond effectively to the current and emerging challenges confronting the world. It supported a comprehensive reform, including that of the Security Council in order to make it more democratic, representative, accountable and transparent.
Turning to terrorism, she said that Pakistan’s commitment to eliminate that scourge was unwavering and it had adopted a multi-pronged strategy envisaging a comprehensive national action plan and a military-led law enforcement operation, Zarb-e-Azb. On related matters of security, she said that Pakistan was committed to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan. It believed a process aimed at intra-Afghan reconciliation was the only viable way to bring a political end to the conflict. The unresolved issue of Jammu and Kashmir remained a root cause of tensions and instability. Consultations with Kashmiris, who were an integral part of the dispute, were essential to reaching a peaceful solution. Calling for the termination of those consultations as a pre-condition for dialogue was “unacceptable” and “counter-productive”. Escalating tensions on the Line of Control also required Pakistan and India to do everything to avert escalation.
ABDERRAZZAK LAASSEL (Morocco) said that the report of the Secretary-General brought to mind the many challenges facing the world. With globalization, implementing the 2030 Agenda was fundamental to creating economic and political stability. Africa, which had made remarkable progress, still faced peace and development challenges, for which a response was urgent. Africa must remain at the heart of cooperation for development to help the continent fully emerge from its colonial past. The proliferation of terrorism was a matter of great concern, and it required a pooling of resources. On combating climate change, Morocco had harnessed energies through the adoption of a national environmental charter, which was an ambitious programme. His country remained committed to working with Member States, which must work tirelessly and collectively to address the challenges.
ASOKE KUMAR MUKERJI (India) noted that the Secretary-General’s Report itemized 13 specific areas of conflict and crises currently scarring the landscape of international peace and security. It also discussed the new emerging threat of terrorist groups. The cumulative impact of conflict was being felt by almost 60 million people. However, the report was “strangely silent” on why the Security Council had “allowed such a mushrooming of crises to occur”. His delegation had repeatedly said that the ineffectiveness of the Council was due to its unrepresentative composition. The context for India’s deep concern at “the steady erosion of international peace and security” was the recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. India wanted its national effort to lead the way to the Agenda’s achievement in a substantive manner. However, his country was cognizant of the “interlinkage and impact” of a “supportive and stable political environment” for its successful implementation. Political instability deterred the flow of investment, technology and trade and consequently severely restricted prospects for sustained socioeconomic growth.
The United Nations, he went on, remained ineffective on the issue of terrorism. There were 31 entities within the Organization dealing with some aspect of terrorism, and there was an urgent need to agree on a coordinator for their work. India hoped that the Secretary-General’s initiative on countering terrorism, mentioned in paragraph 96 of the Secretary-General’s report, would include a road map towards the adoption of the long-pending comprehensive convention on international terrorism, at the heart of which would be the legal principle of “prosecute or extradite”.
HIROSHI MINAMI (Japan) underscored the importance of peacekeeping operations in the United Nations peace and security agenda, adding that they must be sustainable in terms of their financial and human resources. Japan would continue to contribute to the operations by broadening involvement in its “Proactive Contribution to Peace”, through commitments made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the summit on peacekeeping held in September. Turning to the development challenges facing the African continent, Japan would mobilize up to $32 billion between 2013 and 2017, in both the public and private sectors. It was determined to enhance its efforts in that regard through the Tokyo International Conference of African Development process to promote “transformative, resilient and inclusive growth” across Africa. It looked forward to the forthcoming such summit in Nairobi in 2016. On human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, despite the international community’s concerns, the situation remained unchanged. Japan, in conjunction with the European Union, would once again sponsor a resolution on that situation, in the General Assembly, for which it also sought the active engagement of the Security Council.
ILYA ADAMOV (Belarus) said that his delegation had read the report of the Secretary-General with interest, and noted efforts by the Organization in the area of disarmament and international security, combating human trafficking, and advancing interests of youth. While much had been achieved, there was a need to pay attention to the further improvement of the work. He noted the excessive focus on the human rights element of United Nations country programs. Against a background of United Nations Security Council reform, there were systemic problems. His delegation called for greater attention to the daily operation of the Organization and further improvement to its work. It was the details that determined how the context of the Organization’s efforts would affect the overall result.
RODOLFO REYES RODRÍGUEZ (Cuba) said that international peace and security was not feasible without sustainable development. Some States resorted to the use and threat of force and violated the sovereignty of other nations. On the Sustainable Development Agenda, he said that the international community was beginning the difficult phase of its implementation, whose success would depend on the political will of States. The upcoming Climate Conference in Paris would again prove the ability of humankind to ensure its survival. The world’s future depended on changing selfish patterns of consumption.
Turning to nuclear weapons, he said that it was his country’s view that they should be eliminated. The 2015 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) had concluded without concrete agreements. There must be new ideas and approaches to break out of the “inertia”. Cuba also condemned the use of weapons of mass destruction. Regarding reform of the Organization, he said that the General Assembly should assume its rightful place at the centre of deliberations.
GHOLAMALI KHOSHROO (Iran) said that 70 years after the founding of the United Nations, the Charter was still the beacon for achieving the goal of the United Nations. The international community needed to realize the purpose of the Organization and reaffirm its principles. Challenges to the Charter had never been so grave. The brutalities of extremist groups like Da’esh, the al-Nusra Front, and Boko Haram continued. On the other hand, the successful conclusion of the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States) transformed the dynamics of his country and the international community, and had positive ramifications for the entire region. He regretted the opposition of a small minority, which had resulted in a lack of agreement at the 2015 NPT Review Conference. Iran was ready to engage with all Member States to tackle the goals and challenges facing humankind.
Right of Reply
The representative of India said that Pakistan had made reference to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which always had been and always would be part of India. Pakistan was persisting with its illegal occupation of parts of Jammu and Kashmir. That was interference in India’s internal affairs and so it rejected it entirely.
The representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, responding to the statement made by the delegation of Japan, said that the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations was a moment to reflect on the world’s peace and security. But the scourge of war still lingered after 70 years. During the occupation of Korea, Japan had committed crimes against humanity, such as forcing tens of thousands of Korean women into sexual slavery. Japan still denied its past crime, even after 70 years.
The representative of Pakistan said it was India which had cancelled talks last year. Pakistan itself was the biggest victim of terrorism, some of it emanating from its immediate neighbourhood. India was not interested in genuine dialogue. Pakistan’s commitment in the fight against terrorism had been praised by the entire international community.
The representative of Japan, in response to the statement made by the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said that throughout the 70 years since the end of the Second World War, the Japanese people had established a nation respecting human rights and the rule of law. Japan would continue to work towards world peace.
The representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea said that he had listened very carefully to the remarks by the representative of Japan, and said that history itself could not be denied. All that had been said by the Japanese representative was “camouflage and an attempt to cover up past heinous crimes” committed against humanity. He urged the Japanese authorities to take heed of the calls of the international community.
Taking the floor again in exercise of the right of reply, the representative of Japan said that he had attentively listened to the representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and would refrain from entering into a detailed rebuttal, but wanted to stress the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which was a matter of great concern of the international community. That situation was an ongoing, and not a historical matter.
Action
The General Assembly then took note of the Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (document A/70/1).