General Assembly Session 52 meeting 19

The President

The first speaker is the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam, His Excellency Mr. Vu Khoan.

Mr. Vu Khoan (Viet Nam)

On behalf of the Vietnamese delegation, I wish to warmly congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. I am confident that under your wise guidance this session will be crowned with many fine results.

I should like also to express the appreciation of the Vietnamese delegation for the active work done by Mr. Razali Ismail, President of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, a session that marked new strides on the United Nations journey to fulfil its mandate in contributing to peace and development in the world as a whole.

May I take this opportunity to warmly congratulate Mr. Kofi Annan, who, within a very short span of time since assuming the very important post of Secretary-General of the United Nations, has managed to accomplish a large amount of work, including efforts related to reform of the United Nations in the light of the profound changes in the world, in response to the aspirations of peoples with regard to our global Organization.

Mankind is rushing towards the end of the twentieth century and preparing to enter the third millennium with an earnest desire for a more tranquil and better life. That desire becomes even more earnest when we look back at the last century, a century that has been darkened by the black clouds of two world wars and countless conflicts, large and small. That desire becomes even more urgent given that the boundless mind of man has produced numerous miraculous inventions, opening up a new era called the "post-industrial era" or "the information age", while more than a quarter of the developing world's population still lives in poverty, some 840 million go hungry or face food insecurity, and even in industrial countries more than 100 million people live below the poverty line and 37 million are jobless.

Under these circumstances, it is understandable that all nations see the need to consolidate peace and promote development as their primary priority so as to turn the twenty-first century into a century with fewer conflicts and less poverty.

Peace and development are companions; they go together like the two sides of a coin. Sustainable development is only possible if it is built upon the solid premise of a durable peace: peace for all nations, peace for every region and peace for the entire planet. Here, we fully subscribe to the views expressed in the Agenda for Development: development is a prerequisite for peace, and at the same time peace is a precondition for development.

We may take satisfaction from the fact that, during the past year, a series of events have shown that the trend towards peace is continuing. Political solutions have been found for a number of decades-old conflicts. Relations between various nations, including the big Powers, have seen some partial improvements. Following in the footsteps of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) entered into force. The South-East Asia nuclear-weapon-free zone (SEANWFZ) has come into existence.

In spite of all this, the world's people still cannot be assured of a lasting peace if that peace is not constructed on an equitable premise. It is truly unfair that a few countries are entitled to maintain an absolute superiority, which even enables them to use their power to impose their will on other countries, while many countries have to live in the fear of insecurity. In this context, we hold that there is still a need to free our planet from the burden of nuclear weapons, to ban, totally and resolutely, the production, storage, threat and use of this most horrible and lethal type of weapon. In the same context, we expect the nuclear-weapon States to sign the protocol annexed to the SEANWFZ soon, in order to strengthen the power of the Treaty, thereby making a viable contribution to peace and stability in South-East Asia.

Our world cannot have peace when conflicts are still raging in various parts of our planet. Today, the Middle East is again raising the deep concern of everyone. We share the position that tremendous efforts are needed to lead us to a durable and lasting peace for that region, which has suffered too much and too long. Such a peace can be achieved only on the basis of ensuring the safety of the nations living in this region, respecting the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to establish an independent Palestinian State, and, most immediately, the strict implementation of the United Nations resolutions and the principles of the Madrid Conference, as well as the accords that have been concluded.

In Asia and the Pacific in general and in South-East Asia in particular, where, fortunately, stability is on the rise, incremental efforts are being made to render this trend more durable. As a country bordering Cambodia, we give great attention to the situation in that neighbouring nation. Our position on the Cambodian question is clear to all: in conformity with our general foreign policy, we persevere in upholding the principle of full respect for the independence and sovereignty of nations and the principle that the affairs of a country must be decided by the people of that country itself, free from foreign interference. At the same time, from the bottom of our heart, we wish the Cambodian people peace and stability so that they can reconstruct a prosperous country in their homeland. We sincerely wish to tirelessly foster relations of friendship and cooperation with the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Bordering the South China Sea, which we call the Eastern Sea, Viet Nam has always considered that disputes there should be settled by negotiation on the basis of international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, with a view to achieving a sustainable and lasting solution. For the time being, it is necessary to preserve the status quo, exert self-restraint and abstain from acts that may further compound the situation and prejudice the stability of the region and the safety of international maritime navigation. At the same time, we should seek cooperation measures acceptable to the parties concerned. We share the satisfaction at the recent positive developments related to the situation in the Korean peninsula, and it is our wish that these developments will lead to a durable peace in this very sensitive part of our world.

Although peace is the most important condition for development, peace alone, without cooperation among States on the basis of equality and mutual respect and benefits, is not adequate. Today, in a world of ever-deepening interdependence, and under the impact of globalization and regionalization trends, the need for development cooperation is increasingly strong.

It is obvious that nations are facing unprecedented opportunities for expanding markets, engaging more partners and intensifying investment and technology transfers in order to attain higher growth. Besides this, there is a rather stark reality, especially for developing countries: the process of liberalization has made competition extremely acute, and in that competition the advantages do not go to countries which, due to certain circumstances, are still at a low level of economic development. It is therefore no surprise that the gap between the rich and poor countries is widening, causing great losses to developing nations.

That situation gives the international community two choices: either to let things go on, which will cause a more serious crisis, affecting the global economic and political situation; or to cooperate for shared development. In our humble opinion, the first scenario is not beneficial to anybody, while the latter brings about benefit for everybody.

With that perception, we are of the view that it is necessary to reverse the trend of decreasing official development assistance, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

With that perception, we look forward to stronger technology transfers, because outstanding and rapid scientific and technological progress is presenting a danger of developing countries being left further behind.

With that perception, we would like to emphasize the need to set up reasonable trade terms, taking into account the difficulties faced by developing countries, and to ensure that the developed countries broaden market access for commodities from the developing countries.

With that perception, we believe that it is high time to completely do away with the obsolete ways of thinking and acting of the past, namely, the imposition of inequitable terms of economic and trade relations, sanctions and embargoes, and so forth, which distort international relations, cause suffering to the people and seriously violate the minimum right of human beings -- the right to a peaceful life.

Under the general circumstances of our world today, the need to reform the United Nations has become more and more imperative. We share many of the ideas that the Secretary-General has put forth. In our opinion, besides its contribution to the maintenance of peace, the promotion of equitable international cooperation -- a top priority on the agenda of the United Nations -- must mean more vigorous assistance to development. We offer our strong support for the ideas stated in the Secretary-General's report, "Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform" (A/51/950), which particularly underlined that the promotion of economic development and development cooperation was the primary mandate and function of the United Nations. It is our hope that countries, especially the developed ones, will enhance their contribution to the development programmes of the United Nations.

On this occasion, I wish to express our high appreciation to the institutions of the United Nations system for the assistance extended to Viet Nam, especially for our economic renovation to implement social programmes of poverty alleviation, health care and education development, and international integration. The commitment to further enhance the efficiency of the partnership between Viet Nam and the United Nations development system was made by the two partners at the conference to review 20 years of Viet Nam-United Nations cooperation, which took place recently in Hanoi.

With regard to the United Nations structure, our consistent view is that it should reflect the fundamental changes that have been taking place during the last half-century or more, the most notable highlight of which is that over 100 independent States have joined the United Nations. Its organizational structure and working procedures could be more democratized. The stature of developing countries needs to be strongly enhanced, including in the Security Council, and at the same time, the role of the General Assembly should be further strengthened. Along those lines, we share the view that it is necessary to increase the membership of the Security Council, both permanent and non-permanent categories, with a satisfactory number of seats given to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and to ensure that every Member assumes similar responsibilities and rights. We believe that in order to work out a comprehensive programme for United Nations reform a Committee of the Whole should be established.

The National Assembly of Viet Nam has just held the first session of its tenth term in Hanoi to elect the highest dignitaries of our State and approve the list of new government members, thus realizing important continuity of generations of leadership. This National Assembly is of special significance, as it will lead our country into the twenty-first century on the road of all-round renovation to attain the goal of "Wealthy people, strong country, just and civilized society", through the process of national industrialization and modernization, in order to turn Viet Nam into a basically industrialized State by the year 2020.

In its foreign relations, Viet Nam will constantly pursue an open foreign policy of independence, diversification and the promotion of multilateral relations along the line of gradual regional and international integration, thus making worthy contributions to the cause of peace, national independence, democracy and social progress. In line with this policy, Viet Nam will continue to stand as an active Member of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. In line with this policy, Viet Nam is making constructive contributions to the intensification of cooperation within the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is actively preparing the sixth ASEAN Summit to be held in Hanoi at the end of next year. In line with this policy, Viet Nam is competing with time to ensure the successful organization of the forthcoming seventh summit of French-speaking community in Hanoi. In line with this policy, Viet Nam is sparing no effort in making practical preparations to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and the World Trade Organization. Also in line with this policy, Viet Nam wishes to become a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council at the elections to be held at this session of the General Assembly. We are confident that this reasonable wish of ours will meet with the generous support of Member countries.

As we strive for the noble aspirations of peace and development on the eve of the new century, countries in the international community will continue to find in Viet Nam a sincere friend and constructive companion. On our part, we expect that United Nations activities will be ever more effective in enabling all countries to work for shared development in peace and partnership.

The President

I now call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr. Abdus Samad Azad.

Mr. Azad (Bangladesh)

It affords me great pleasure and honour to convey to you, Mr. President, on behalf of my delegation, as well as on my own behalf, our heartiest congratulations on your unanimous election. It is a fitting tribute not only to your outstanding diplomatic skills and long involvement with the United Nations, but also to your country, with which we enjoy friendly relations.

To your predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia, I should like to express our sincere appreciation for the remarkable job that he did. His was an extraordinarily proactive presidency. Indeed, he has given new stature to the office of President of the General Assembly.

This is the first regular session of the General Assembly for our Secretary-General Kofi Annan since his appointment to that high office. In the discharge of his very onerous responsibilities he brings to bear unmatched expertise with regard to the United Nations system. Indeed, he is the archetypical insider of that system. His appointment to the highest Secretariat position is recognition of his manifest competence. The priority that he has attached to the task of making the United Nations system more streamlined and attuned to present-day realities and requirements is indeed commendable.

While on the subject of reform, let me say that my delegation lends its full support to the initiative of the Secretary-General in submitting his reform proposal, which the Assembly will be examining later in the course of its business. There is no denying that the proposal is timely and that it has been put forward to make the United Nations more efficient and effective. We expect that the reform process will preserve and promote the centrality and sanctity of the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter. My delegation also wants the process of reform to be carried out with the primary objective of strengthening the capacity of the Organization to address issues of development. Bangladesh would favour negotiating the reform package in informal plenary meetings with the full participation of all countries.

The United Nations Charter is of enduring validity. By definition, reform has to be a dynamic and periodic process as times, problems and priorities change. My delegation would fully support any endeavour to improve the administration and management of the United Nations. Member States have the right and even the duty to insist that optimal use be made of the resources that they have entrusted to the Organization for the promotion of the Charter objectives. Bangladesh assures its unstinted cooperation and support to eliminate duplication and overlap and to effect better coordination and prioritization. However, reform cannot be an acceptable surrogate for political will, and those two aspects must be mutually supportive and reinforcing.

In the context of the reform exercise, Bangladesh would like to stress that the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and his staff should in no way be compromised. According to Article 101 of the Charter, the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity should be the basic determinants in making appointments to the Secretariat, with due regard to geographical distribution. We therefore welcome the Secretary General's proposal to submit a code of conduct for international civil servants.

No endeavour at United Nations reform will be successful without the necessary financial resources. The continuation of the current financial crisis of the United Nations has seriously impaired the functioning of the Organization. For a financially sick United Nations, the much needed shot in the arm can come only from the full and unconditional payment of outstanding contributions by those Member States that have not yet done so.

The cold-war era of adversarial alliances, power blocs and ideological divides is happily a thing of the past. However, another war, one in which the United Nations will have to be in the vanguard, remains to be fought and won before a meaningful peace and international security can be achieved. That is the war against poverty, ignorance and prejudice.

Peace does not simply happen or come about fortuitously. It must be sedulously built and nurtured and underpinned by a host of interrelated actions that are inextricably linked to development and human security. A culture of peace is essential to make it sustainable and all embracing. Over the years, the concept of security has evolved, as has the concept of development. The United Nations can be, as the President of the General Assembly put it last year, the main development catalyst, one that can strongly influence coordination at the macro level with other bodies that have more access to resources but that are less democratically set up.

We have been discussing for the past few years the question of Security Council expansion and reform. There is a clear logic and rationale for an expansion of the overall size of the Council to make it more representative in character. On this aspect of the question a general consensus seems to have emerged, although there exist differences as to the exact size of any new Council. Where a convergence of view -- let alone consensus -- continues to elude us is on the question of the expansion of the number of permanent seats. Bangladesh's concern, which we have already articulated, is that, in any enlargement exercise, the concerns of the smaller and more vulnerable States that have the most vital stake in an effective and dynamic United Nations should not be lost sight of.

In the decade of the 1990s we have had a series of high-profile global conferences. These mega-conferences have addressed some of the major challenges that are confronting us today and, with the United Nations playing a central role, reached important political consensus. Those gatherings underscored in particular the primacy of human development in achieving sustained and sustainable development.

The Agenda for Development adopted in June this year is in a sense the culmination of this series, representing a synthesis of the plans and programmes of action that had been adopted. The Agenda is the result of tortuous and painstaking negotiations carried out over a period of four years. It is a matter of gratification to have achieved a development consensus that was so badly needed and clearly warranted. It is, of course, most vital that, along with the Agenda for Development, follow-up and implementation should match the outcome of these conferences.

Bangladesh believes that without the full involvement of civil society this process will remain incomplete. Recognizing the key role of civil society in promoting global partnership, we welcome the Secretary-General's proposal for a people's millennium Assembly in the year 2000.

It is now widely accepted that free enterprise, the market economy, international trade and competition, as well as broad-based public participation in economic expansion, are the keys to economic growth and human development. To this mix must be added the components of democracy, good governance and the rule of law. This, however, in no way diminishes, particularly in the case of the least developed countries, the imperative of a supportive external environment. Improved access to world markets, greater inflow of foreign private investment, transfer of technology and managerial know-how and larger external assistance all have very important roles to play in ensuring development. Economic liberalization should invariably be combined, in our view, with adequate social safety nets to safeguard the most vulnerable segments of society.

It is a matter of some concern to us that global official development assistance flows continue to slump. We sincerely hope, though, that this trend will be reversed. The development of the South is not only an investment in peace and security, but would clearly also rebound to the advantage of the countries of the North in the long and not so long run, since this would mean bigger markets for their exports, with all their concomitant benefits. Development has been most aptly described as a partnership.

The plight of the least developed countries, in particular, calls for very careful consideration and has in the past merited a special place and focus in the international agenda. Two major international conferences on the least developed countries have been held in the 1980s and 1990s and important decisions and programmes of action adopted. The implementation of these, however, has been disappointing. We hope that the third United Nations Conference on the least developed countries can be held in the year 2000 to chart the course of global support for these weakest members at the start of next millennium.

We would urge special consideration and concessions for the least developed countries in order to enable them to meet World Trade Organization deadlines. Indeed, if the situation so warrants, deadlines may even be made flexible for that group of countries. We would also urge that, at the forthcoming high-level meeting in Geneva next month, all major issues of concern to the least developed countries, including duty-free access of their products to foreign markets, be given most favourable consideration.

The end of cold war perhaps naturally raised our hopes for a new and exciting world order in which nations would share the responsibility for freedom and justice and the strong would respect the rights of the weak -- a world of open borders, open trade and open minds. Such a vision can and should surely be our goal and inspiration. To achieve it, in particular at the regional level, cooperation in carefully identified core areas of activity, including trade and investment, is a valuable tool of development.

In our own region, through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), we are striving to accelerate progress in core areas of cooperation, such as poverty eradication, expansion of regional trade and investment. We have also, within the ambit of SAARC, launched a "growth quadrangle" involving four member States -- Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan -- in order to explore areas of joint economic activity and take advantage of the factor of contiguity. Moreover, outside of SAARC, Bangladesh has entered the Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIST-EC) in order to boost cooperation in the economic and commercial fields among its four member countries. A consensus decision has now been taken to allow Myanmar to join this subregional group as a full member.

Last year, while addressing the General Assembly, I referred to the negotiations that were being held with India on sharing the waters of the Ganges River. This had proved to be an intractable problem for over two decades and it is a matter of great satisfaction to us all that, in December last year, we signed a 30-year treaty at the highest political level with India on sharing arrangements. The signing of this treaty, within months of the present Government's assumption of office, demonstrated that, given goodwill and political will, the most difficult problems can be resolved.

At the national level, we are affording every facility and cooperation to our private sector and providing liberal incentives to foreign entrepreneurs to invest in our country. The Government's role will be to oversee and to provide safety nets where necessary. The Government is making every effort to combat the blighting scourges of widespread poverty and deprivation, so that we may realize the dream -- to which the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, dedicated his entire political career and life -- of a country free, progressive and prosperous, at peace with the world and with itself.

Ours has also been a pioneering role in the field of microcredit. Initiated by the Grameen Bank and considered a most innovative approach to the eradication of poverty and empowerment of women, it has been recognized and emulated in a good number of developing and developed countries. The Microcredit Summit held in Washington earlier this year was a success: a target was set there to free 100 million families from the stranglehold of poverty by the year 2005. At the United Nations, the "Friends of Microcredit" ambassadors have taken the initiative to follow up the implementation process throughout the United Nations system.

In Bangladesh, we have accorded priority to and placed special emphasis on social sector development in such areas as health care, education, family planning, women in development and the preservation and promotion of human rights. The initiatives and efforts of our Prime Minister in this regard have been widely appreciated. I would particularly mention here that the Government, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the illustrious daughter of the Father of the Nation, has announced the decision to set up a National Human Rights Commission. Our Parliament is expected to pass the required legislative mandate for this Commission next year. We are also working towards the establishment of grameen, or rural, courts, which will take justice to the people at the grass-roots level. This concept of participatory justice is still a novel one. Its purpose is to ensure speedy, effective and inexpensive justice to the humblest of citizens.

While on the subject of human rights, I should like to express our pleasure that an individual of the eminence and distinction of Mrs. Mary Robinson has been appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. We would like to assure her of the wholehearted cooperation of our Government. We look forward to working with her in close concert in the promotion of human rights, a goal that all of us share and cherish, with special focus on the right to development and the rights of women and children.

The Constitution of Bangladesh specifically provides for our international relations to be based, inter alia, on the principles of the United Nations Charter. It is thus for us a matter of singular pride and gratification that Bangladesh should be playing such an active role in United Nations peacekeeping operations. This is a role that we consider to be a solemn duty and an earnest of our commitment to the United Nations and the principles and purposes of the Charter.

We still have a long way to go in the area of disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament. The entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention is a major step forward.

It is a truism that our world is becoming increasingly interdependent. The uncomfortable fact remains, though, that it is still a far more dangerous place than that it should be. West Asia, the Palestinian issue, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Afghanistan and the Great Lakes region all present problems that impinge on international peace and security. The United Nations, of course, is playing a pivotal role in seeking peaceful and equitable resolutions of these problems.

We sincerely hope that the peace process in the Middle East will move forward and that the years of negotiations, investment and effort will bear fruit. Our views on this particular issue are well known. Relevant Security Council resolutions exist, as do agreements negotiated outside the ambit of the United Nations, on the basis of which a meaningful peace can be achieved in the Middle East and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to an independent homeland, restored.

As we approach the next century, it will have to be our collective endeavour to strengthen and to reinforce institutions at the global level that can effectively address the problems of the post-cold-war world. The United Nations in essence represents the entire human race in microcosm, with its wisdom and follies, its successes and shortcomings. It is an experiment, as was once said, in living together as a single human family. To be sure, the United Nations is an Organization of Governments -- the apex of intergovernmental organs. And yet it is also true that its foundations rest on the yearnings of the peoples of the world for a lasting peace.

The opening words of the Charter read:

"We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war".

The peoples and nations of the world will have to work in concert if stability, prosperity and a meaningful peace are to be achieved on a global scale. Bangladesh, of course, will be at the forefront of this endeavour.

The President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

President Kabbah (Sierra Leone)

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