General Assembly Session 55 meeting 111

The President

In a letter contained in document A/55/1031, the Secretary-General informs the Assembly that 15 Member States are in arrears in the payment of their financial contributions to the United Nations within the terms of Article 19 of the Charter.

I should like to remind delegations that, under Article 19 of the Charter,

"A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years."

May I take it that the General Assembly duly takes note of the information contained in document A/55/1031?

The President

I should like to draw the attention of representatives to the seventh report of the General Committee (A/55/250/Add.6) concerning a request by a number of Member States for the inclusion in the agenda of an additional item.

In the report, the General Committee decided to recommend to the General Assembly that an additional item, entitled "Observer status for Partners in Population and Development in the General Assembly", should be included in the draft agenda of the fifty-sixth session.

May I take it that the General Assembly decides to include that additional item in the draft agenda of the fifty-sixth session?

The President

I should now like to draw the attention of the Assembly to a draft decision issued as document A/55/L.94 and entitled "Meaning of the terms 'takes note of' and 'notes'".

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft decision A/55/L.94.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft decision A/55/L.94?

The President

As indicated in the footnote to document A/55/L.95, in order for the General Assembly to take action on the draft resolution, it will be necessary to reopen consideration of agenda item 33, entitled "Culture of peace".

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to reopen consideration of agenda item 33?

The President

Members will recall that, at its 9th plenary meeting on 11 September 2000, the General Assembly decided to consider agenda item 33 directly in plenary meeting.

In order for the General Assembly to take action expeditiously on the draft resolution, may I further take it that the Assembly agrees to proceed immediately to the consideration of agenda item 33?

The President

I give the floor to the representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to introduce draft resolution A/55/L.95.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom)

The United Kingdom warmly welcomes this opportunity to introduce the draft resolution before the General Assembly in document A/55/L.95. As this is a joint initiative sponsored with Costa Rica, Ambassador Chassoul will shortly also say a few words by way of introduction. We believe, and I hope that the Assembly will not wholly disagree, that Costa Rica and the United Kingdom together present a passable combination of vision and practicality.

I am also delighted to announce that the following Member States have now added their names to the list of sponsors of this draft resolution: Bangladesh, Belarus, Gambia, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Paraguay and San Marino.

The United Nations International Day of Peace was originally established by General Assembly resolution 36/67 as a result of the initiative of Costa Rica. It was set to occur on the third Tuesday in September each year, to coincide with the opening of the regular session of the General Assembly. The United Kingdom and Costa Rican Governments have now joined together to strengthen and reinvigorate what we believe is the unique and still largely unfulfilled opportunity for the practical furtherance of peace.

The need for such an enhanced approach was originally brought to our attention by a United Kingdom-based non-governmental organization, Peace One Day, which, over the past two years, has gained far-reaching support for its campaign from senior political leaders in every continent. What we are collectively hoping to achieve is to take the International Day of Peace beyond its essential symbolism, an aim that is itself symbolic of the programmatic targets that the United Nations has set itself for the new millennium.

We believe that the meaning and impact of the International Day of Peace should be strengthened to allow the global community as a whole to understand and honour the Day in a fuller, more practical and more significant way. Accordingly, this draft resolution recommends that henceforth the United Nations International Day of Peace be observed as a global ceasefire day, the foundation for a wide-scale and, I hope, unanimous cessation of violent conflict throughout the world for the duration of the Day.

It further recommends that the United Nations International Day of Peace become a fixed date in the calendar, to avoid the confusion that has arisen in recent years as to when the Day falls, to allow for better planning and publicity and, thus, to encourage broader observance throughout the world. Most important, however -- because most useful to those in need -- it will create a clear and unequivocal window for medical, humanitarian and developmental agencies, both non-governmental and governmental, to provide vital services in comparative safety to civilian victims in areas of conflict. The draft resolution suggests that the Day be fixed as 21 September, reflecting the first-ever United Nations International Day of Peace -- which was 21 September 1981 -- as well as symbolizing the twenty-first century.

Costa Rica and the United Kingdom jointly commend this draft resolution to our fellow Member States as a step both symbolic and concrete towards our collective ambition to make peace a reality throughout the world 365 days a year.

Mrs. Chassoul (Costa Rica)

Allow me, first of all, to thank Ambassador Greenstock for the excellent introduction of the draft resolution he has just made. I would also like to thank him for the leadership of his delegation in promoting this initiative.

From the beginning of written history, humankind has lived under the shadow of war, destruction and death. Hate and violence reign in the hearts of men. Nations take up arms against one another, and peoples drown in rivers of blood. How many lives have been lost? How many dreams, hopes and expectations have been wasted? How much sadness has been created?

War, disease, hunger and death are the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Today they continue to threaten human progress. Humankind should grab the reins of its destiny with a firm hand and chart a path towards a better future. This Organization is the beacon that can illuminate that path.

Humankind is at long last living in circumstances that are propitious to both embracing peace and definitively rejecting war. The shadows cast by the cold war and the arms race have vanished. The veil of ideological confrontation has been lifted, and there is a daily growing awareness of the barbarity of violence, poverty and injustice. Today we have before us a fertile field in which to sow the seeds of peace so that the excesses of destruction and conflict may be replaced by the values of brotherhood, tolerance and cooperation among all people.

Peace is not created in a day. The promotion of peace requires a continuous effort to create an environment where there is mutual respect and where violence is shunned. Real sustainable peace can be attained only when the conditions of a worthy life are guaranteed for all; when there is a level of economic development that provides for the basic needs of all; when basic human rights are respected; and when social and political differences are resolved through democratic means, dialogue and negotiation. Building a true culture of peace requires that efforts be made in every field. Respect for and promotion of human dignity and the search for the common well-being are essential prerequisites for peace.

Peace is not created in a single day. Nevertheless, it is both just and essential that we devote a special day every year to commemorate and strengthen the ideal of peace among all nations.

Exactly 20 years ago, in 1981, Costa Rica worked towards the adoption by the General Assembly of an annual observance of the International Day of Peace. It did so precisely to commemorate and advance these lofty ideals. That initiative was the idea of the President of Costa Rica at the time, Mr. Rodrigo Carazo Odio, a firm believer in the fact that peace can only be built through education, training and example. It was that very commitment that later led President Carazo to establish the University for Peace, an institution of higher education designed to provide training in academic fields that promote peaceful relations between people and nations.

My delegation fully supports the draft resolution introduced on behalf of the sponsors by the representative of the United Kingdom. It provides for setting a fixed date for the commemoration of the day of peace. This will help the preparations for the celebrations and commemoration and at the same time enable all peoples to respect a truce that day. The sponsors are convinced that these measures will make it possible at a later stage for people to recognize the value of peace even more. That will be the first stage towards a solution to existing conflicts.

We hope that this draft resolution will be adopted with the firm support of all the Member States.

The President

I should like to announce that since the introduction of the draft resolution, France, Georgia, Greece, Kuwait and Liechtenstein have become sponsors of A/55/L.95.

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/55/L.95, entitled "International Day of Peace." May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt the draft resolution?

The President

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 33?

The President

I give the floor to the representative of the Netherlands to introduce draft resolution A/55/L.92.

Mr. van den Berg (Netherlands)

My delegation has the pleasure to introduce the draft resolution regarding cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as contained in document A/55/L.92. By this procedural resolution the General Assembly will approve the Agreement concerning the Relationship between the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Moreover, cooperation between the two organizations will be included in the agenda of future General Assembly sessions.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank all those countries that have co-sponsored this important resolution, which will facilitate the process of cooperation that started in the General Assembly in May 1997. In addition to those listed in document A/55/L.92, I should like to include the following countries that have expressed their wish to be added to the group of sponsors: Georgia, India, Paraguay, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Thailand and Ukraine.

It is my hope and expectation that the draft resolution will be adopted by consensus.

The President

We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/55/L.92.

I should like to announce that since the introduction of the draft resolution, France has become a sponsor.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/55/L.92?

The President

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 181?

The President

We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/55/L.84/Rev.1.

Mr. Abreha (Ethiopia)

Ethiopia would like to be included as a sponsor of the draft resolution.

The President

I should like to announce that since the publication of the draft resolution, the following countries have become sponsors: Belarus, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Monaco, Morocco, Spain, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United States and Yugoslavia.

The Assembly will now take a decision of draft resolution A/55/L.84/Rev.1.

Ms. Lajous (Mexico)

The Government of Mexico believes that this is an opportune time for the General Assembly to consider the problem of malaria in developing countries, particularly in Africa, as a response to the just call made at the African summit meeting held in Abuja in April 2000 and, in so doing, to promote national, regional and international efforts to combat malaria, a disease that stands in the way of development and poverty alleviation in developing countries. Malaria exists in various regions of the world, but 90 per cent of cases are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the strong negative impact that malaria has had in a number of countries, the problem can be remedied, as Mexico's experience proves. The solution is to be found in simultaneous public health efforts at the regional level. Combating malaria is a task that must be undertaken jointly. The African countries have committed themselves to promoting community participation in activities to roll back malaria; to ensuring that diagnostic services and treatment, including treatment at home, are accessible to the population; and to increasing their vigilance in order to overcome the resurgence of malaria in controlled areas.

For its part, the international community must allocate substantial resources to assist in rolling back malaria; invest in the development of vaccines against malaria and provide incentives for other anti-malaria technologies; strengthen and finance the work of research institutions and ensure the participation of international specialists; and promote the cooperation of research institutions with the agencies that are implementing the malaria roll-back initiative so as to ensure that full use is made of scientific knowledge and experience gained from other programmes.

Mexico has established a Centre for Research on Malaria within the National Institute of Public Health. We have more than 20 years of experience and global recognition in basic and functional research on malaria. Our research has led to the development of new strategies for the control of vectors and the control of the transmission of parasites, as well as for ensuring epidemiological vigilance with regard to the disease. Through the use of such strategies, we have achieved levels of control never before attained, with the advantage of reducing the use of insecticides, eliminating DDT in such activities and promoting community participation in the control, treatment and prevention of the disease.

Mexico would like to make available the expertise and experience of the Centre to assist in the transfer of technology and provide practical treatment in the field, as well as courses specially designed for individuals involved in controlling malaria and programmes, at the masters and doctorate levels within the Institute, for scientific personnel from African countries. We have already done this for Central American countries.

The Government of Mexico supports the call of the General Assembly to declare 2001-2010 the Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa. We believe that this will give impetus to activities that have already been undertaken by developing countries to ensure that we roll back this disease in various regions of the world, particularly Africa.

The President

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/55/L.84/Rev.1, entitled "2001-2010: Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa".

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/55/L.84/Rev.1?

The President

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 186?

The President

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