General Assembly Session 55 meeting 3

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

I declare open the Millennium Summit of the United Nations.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

I now invite representatives to stand and observe one minute of silent prayer or meditation.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

We meet today at the United Nations to celebrate the new millennium and to declare our vision for the future. We have come together sent by the peoples of our common globe. We articular authority. It will resonate for years to come and guide the efforts of the international community.

We have a task and we need to fulfil it. Our task is threefold: we need to meet the demands of the outside world, we need to clarify the role of the United Nations in world affairs and we need to change the United Nations to be a modern, effective Organization.

The world outside this building is changing with an ever greater speed. Humankind faces both daunting challenges and unprecedented opportunities. We need to act together to address globalization. We must make the best of the opportunities and face the challenges with wisdom, justice and courage. It is our responsibility to save the environment -- our common heritage -- for future generations.

The human being is at the centre of our work. Every human being is valuable. We need to work together as fellow citizens and partners: women and men, black and white, children and adults, rich and poor, strong and weak. Together we are strong.

I salute you, Mr. Secretary-General, for your report, which has been valuable in inspiring the Millennium Declaration. The overriding theme of your report is globalization, which in itself is an embodiment of the challenges, opportunities and rapid change. We know the causes and many of the consequences of globalization. This gives us an opportunity to influence the change for the better. This is the core of your report and the resolute message of our Declaration.

We the peoples make the critical choices. A global marketplace is an effective means of creating and distributing wealth, but it must be governed by a fair set of rules, by the people and for the people. Also at the national level the key to development and progress is democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law and good governance. Without a solid domestic foundation, a country will fail even under the best of global rules.

Our planet is a global village, but not all the houses are alike. This village suffers from poverty. To eradicate poverty we need solidarity. Solidarity grows from individuals.

There is a continued need for multilateralism. In an interdependent world, no nation is an island and everybody's fortunes are linked. The United Nations is the stronghold of multilateralism and should continue to be so.

This Millennium Summit is the moment to reflect on the future of the United Nations. The United Nations is often the only one out in the field to assist, to advise and to build institutions. It is imperative that the Member States give it the means and resources that will enable the Organization to fulfil its mandate.

We cannot expect the United Nations to accomplish everything alone. To be successful and credible, it must act in partnership with other organizations and with the civil society. We must make the Organization reflect the world as it is today.

I have just declared the Millennium Summit open. Let us feel the humility and a sense of history of this moment. Let us turn this into an event which will make a difference. Let us also use to the fullest the opportunity to meet together and bilaterally, and to reach a meeting of minds. Let us feel our responsibility towards our fellow citizens. We have the means if we have the will. Let us make this Millennium Summit a great success.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Sam Nujoma, President of the Republic of Namibia and Co-Chairperson of the Millennium Summit of the United Nations.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

I am mindful of what our seating arrangement represents for all those present and in the eyes of the world. By a happy coincidence of circumstances, the two Heads of State of Finland and of Namibia are co-chairing this historic Millennium Summit. We will, naturally, rely on the wise counsel and assistance of our illustrious Secretary-General.

This arrangement was made because the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly was under the presidency of my compatriot, the Honourable Theo-Ben Gurirab, Namibia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the fifty-fifth session will be under the presidency of Mr. Harri Holkeri, former Prime Minister of Finland, who started his work yesterday. I am grateful and thank my colleagues and delegations for this honour. I am most delighted to congratulate my dear colleague and Co-Chairperson, Her Excellency Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, on her election. I renew, once again, my pledge and determination before you all to do all I can to work hard and make a meaningful contribution towards the achievement of the best possible conclusion of the Summit, of which all of us and future generations will be proud.

Peoples of the world have high expectations for social change; determination to put things right; to put men and women on the same footing before the law; to conquer fear, poverty and alienation in society; and to use the benefits of science and technology for peace, human security, empowerment of the poor, poverty eradication and sustainable development.

We have come to United Nations Headquarters to exchange views and agree on all the necessary steps that we must take, individually and collectively, to strengthen "the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century". We are here because we believe in the United Nations, in its Charter and in the common objectives and principles for which our indispensable Organization stands. We are here as world leaders. And now is the time and today is the day for a new beginning to give renewed impetus to peace, cooperation, development, security and stability in the world.

United Nations peace operations are another area of common concern. Armed conflicts and civil wars, as well as the vicious and destructive acts of terrorist groups, are condemnable things that perpetuate human suffering and severe hardship in the world. It is in this connection that the recent release of the Brahimi report (A/55/305) on United Nations peace operations is so important and timely. This much awaited report has been placed before the Millennium Summit and we must consider it as our own plan of action.

As Heads of State and Government and eminent personalities, we must add our voices to the call for the observance of the Olympic Truce during the forthcoming Olympiad, which will be held at Sydney, Australia, from 15 September to 1 October 2000. Our message for global solidarity, goodwill and human brotherhood must be clear and solemn. We are doing this in the spirit of building a peaceful and better world through sport. May peace prevail on earth.

I now give the floor to the Secretary-General.

The Secretary-General

I much regret to have to open our proceedings on a sombre note. The safety of United Nations personnel in both peacekeeping and humanitarian missions is a matter of vital concern to all of us. Before delivering my prepared statement, therefore, I must inform heads of State and heads of Government of a tragedy that has occurred in West Timor. A few hours ago, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Atambua was deliberately attacked by a militia opposed to the independence of East Timor. My Special Representative in East Timor has informed me that at least three international staff were killed. The rest of the staff are being evacuated to East Timor.

This tragedy underlines once again the dangers faced by unarmed humanitarian workers serving the United Nations in conflict or post-conflict situations. The Security Council and I myself have repeatedly expressed concern about the safety of United Nations personnel in the field, both military and civilian. I have taken up the matter with the Indonesian Government at the highest level, and I will keep the Assembly informed about developments.

May I ask the Assembly to observe a minute of silence in honour of those brave colleagues who have lost their lives.

The Secretary-General

Ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply honoured to welcome you all. Never before have the leaders of so many nations come together in a single assembly. This is a unique event, a unique opportunity, and therefore a unique responsibility. You, ladies and gentlemen, are the leaders to whom the world's peoples have entrusted their destiny. They look to you to protect them from the great dangers of our time, and to ensure that all of them can share in its great achievements.

In an age when human beings have learned the code of human life and can transmit their knowledge in seconds from one continent to another, no mother in the world can understand why her child should be left to die of malnutrition or preventable disease. No one can understand why they should be driven from their home, or imprisoned and tortured for expressing their beliefs. No one can understand why the soil their parents tilled has turned to desert or why their skills have become useless and their family is left hungry. People know that these challenges cannot be met by one country alone, or by government alone. Change cannot be held back by frontiers. Human progress has always come from individual and local initiatives, freely devised and then freely adapted elsewhere.

Your job as political leaders is to encourage such initiatives, to make sure that they are not stifled and that all your peoples can benefit from them, and to limit, or compensate for, the adverse effects that change always has on some people, somewhere. Your peoples look to you for a common effort to solve their problems. They expect you to work together, as Governments. And they expect you to work with all the other institutions -- profit and non-profit, public and private -- where human beings join hands to promote their ideas and their interests.

People want to see this happen between neighbouring countries, and among all the countries of each region. But since today's biggest challenges are global, they expect above all that we will work together at the global level, as the United Nations.

My friends, that is why we are here. We are here to strengthen and adapt this great institution, forged 55 years ago in the crucible of war, so that it can do what people expect of it in the new era, an era in which the rule of law must prevail.

Last month I sent you a report (A/55/305), produced by a Panel of experts, which makes detailed suggestions for strengthening the United Nations in the crucial area of peace and security, the area where people look especially to the State, and where the world's peoples look to the United Nations, to save them "from the scourge of war". Please consider that report very seriously.

It is not only in that field, however, that the United Nations needs strengthening. We must strengthen it across the whole range of our activities.

The Secretary-General

At the beginning of the year, in my own millennium report (A/54/2000), I suggested a number of ways to make the Organization a more effective tool, better suited to improving the life of every individual, no matter where. Some of the specific initiatives I set out in that report are already in a pilot phase. They are encouraging examples of innovative partnerships which the United Nations should maintain in the future.

I am gratified that Member States have deemed it useful to use my report as a basis for the draft political declaration that has been referred to the Summit for adoption at its conclusion. I therefore urge you, ladies and gentlemen, not to limit yourselves to declarations of intent, but to consider your declaration as a plan of action, and to ensure that it will be amply followed up.

The Secretary-General

We need to decide our priorities. And we must adapt our United Nations, so that in future those priorities are reflected in clear and prompt decisions, leading to real change in people's lives.

That, my friends, is what the peoples expect of us. Let us not disappoint them.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

I would now like to draw the attention of Members to a draft resolution that appears in document A/55/L.2 and that contains the United Nations Millennium Declaration. Draft resolution A/55/L.2 was circulated to delegations this morning and distributed in the Hall.

Before we turn to the list of speakers, and in order to avoid disrupting the speakers, I would like to seek the cooperation of representatives in refraining from expressing congratulations inside the General Assembly Hall after a statement has been delivered. I thank representatives in advance for their cooperation.

I would also like to remind participants that the General Assembly has decided that each speaker will have five minutes to make a statement during the Millennium Summit. In connection with the time limits, a light system has been installed at the speakers' rostrum. The system functions as follows. A green light will be activated at the start of the speaker's statement, an orange light will be activated 30 seconds before the end of the five minutes, and then a red light will be activated when the five-minute limit has elapsed.

May I appeal to all speakers to cooperate in observing the time limit in making their statements so that all those inscribed on the list of speakers for a given meeting will be heard at that meeting. I thank representatives in advance very much for their cooperation.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States of America.

President Clinton (United States)

Let me begin by saying it is a great honour to have this unprecedented gathering of world leaders in the United States. We come together not just at a remarkable moment on the calendar, but at the dawn of a new era in human affairs, when globalization and the revolution in information technology have brought us closer together than ever before. To an extent unimaginable just a few years ago, we reach across geographical and cultural divides. We know what is going on in each other's countries. We share experiences, triumphs, tragedies, aspirations. Our growing interdependence includes the opportunity to explore and reap the benefits of the far frontiers of science and the increasingly interconnected economy. And as the Secretary-General just reminded us, it also includes shared responsibilities: to free humanity from poverty, disease, environmental destruction and war. That responsibility in turn requires us to make sure the United Nations is up to the job.

Fifty-five years ago the United Nations was formed "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war". Today there are more people in this room with the power to achieve that goal than have ever been gathered in one place. We find today fewer wars between nations, but more wars within them. Such internal conflicts, often driven by ethnic and religious differences, took 5 million lives in the last decade -- most of them completely innocent victims.

These conflicts present us with a stark challenge. Are they part of the scourge the United Nations was established to prevent? If so, we must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, but still find a way to protect people as well as borders.

The last century taught us that there are times when the international community must take a side -- not merely stand between the sides or on the sidelines. We faced such a test -- and met it -- when Mr. Milosevi tried to close the last century with a final chapter of ethnic cleansing and slaughter. We have faced such a test for 10 years in Iraq, where the United Nations has approved a fair blueprint spelling out what must be done. It is consistent with our resolutions and our values, and it must be enforced. We face another test today in Burma, where -- in defiance of repeated United Nations resolutions -- a brave and popular leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, once again has been confined, with her supporters imprisoned and her country in distress.

But most conflicts and disputes are not so clear-cut. Legitimate grievances and aspirations are piled high on both sides. Here there is no alternative to principled compromise in giving up old grudges in order to get on with life.

Right now, from the Middle East to Burundi to the Congo to South Asia, leaders are facing this kind of choice between confrontation and compromise. Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Barak are with us here today. They have promised to resolve the final differences between them this year, finally completing the Oslo process embodied in the Declaration of Principles signed seven years ago this month at the White House.

To those who have supported the right of Israel to live in security and peace, and to those who have championed the Palestinian cause these many years -- let me say to all of you, they need your support now more than ever to take the hard risks for peace. They have the chance to do it, but like all life's chances, it is fleeting and about to pass. There is not a moment to lose.

When leaders do seize this chance for peace we must help them. Increasingly, the United Nations is being called into situations where brave people seek reconciliation but where the enemies of peace seek to undermine it. In East Timor, had the United Nations not engaged, the people would have lost the chance to control their future. Today I was deeply saddened to learn of the brutal murder of three United Nations relief workers there by the militia in West Timor, and I urge the Indonesian authorities to put a stop to these abuses. In Sierra Leone, had the United Nations not engaged, countless children now living would be dead.

But in both cases the United Nations did not have the tools to finish the job. We must provide those tools -- peacekeepers that can be rapidly deployed with the right training and equipment; missions well defined and well led and with the necessary civilian police.

We must work as well to prevent conflict; to get more children in school; to relieve more debt in developing countries; to do more to fight malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS, which cause one quarter of all the deaths in the world; to do more to promote prevention and to stimulate the development of and affordable access to drugs and vaccines; and to do more to curb the trade in items that generate money that make conflict more profitable than peace, whether diamonds in Africa or drugs in Colombia.

All these things come with a price tag, and all nations, including the United States, must pay it. The prices must be fairly apportioned, and the United Nations structure of finances must be fairly reformed so that the Organization can do its job. But those in my country or elsewhere who believe we can do without the United Nations, or impose our will upon it, misread history and misunderstand the future.

Let me say to all present that this is the last opportunity I will have as President to address this General Assembly. It is the most august gathering we have ever had because so many of you have come from so far away. If I have learned anything in these last eight years, it is that whether we like it or not, that we are growing more interdependent. We must look for more solutions in which all sides can claim a measure of victory and move away from choices in which someone is required to accept complete defeat. That will require us to develop greater sensitivity to our diverse political, cultural and religious claims, but it will require us to develop even greater respect for our common humanity.

The leaders here assembled can rewrite human history in the new millennium. If we have learned the lessons of the past, we can leave a very different legacy for our children. But we must believe the simple things: that everywhere, in every land, people in every station matter. Everyone counts, everyone has a role to play, and we all do better when we help each other.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea)

Never before have the peoples of the earth focused as much attention and expectations on the United Nations as they are doing now, on the occasion of this session, because we are marking, at a time of uncertainty for mankind, what history will record as the Millennium Summit.

Despite the major advances and progress achieved in the development of science and technology, in the resolution of conflicts in various regions of the planet and in the changes made through democracy, respect for human rights and good government, the turn of the century shows us a world that is threatened and in a permanent state of uncertainty about the destiny and survival of mankind.

If we study closely the causes of this degrading situation, we find that to date we have not known how to treat the individual, the bearer of eternal values, the key to and the beneficiary of all development efforts worldwide.

It has also been observed that if the growth and the prosperity of some nations are based on the marginalization and the impoverishment of others, the outcome can only be a world in tension, dominated by injustice and intolerance.

Over recent years and at various meetings of outstanding importance that took place in almost all continents throughout the world -- particularly the Mexico World Conference on the rights of women in 1975, the Copenhagen meeting in 1980, the World Summit for Children in 1990 and the recent evaluation of social development in Geneva, we have broadly identified and raised the serious political, economic and social problems that afflict humanity, particularly in the developing countries.

In this light, we appreciate the outcome of the recent G-8 Summit in Okinawa, which recognized need for greater political will and commitment to contribute to relieving the suffering of the peoples of the world.

Indeed, the vast majority of the world's population, and particularly of third world countries, are victims of poverty, economic crisis, debt, great pandemics and endemic diseases, extreme poverty and many natural disasters.

Nonetheless, we note with great concern the clear inadequacy of the present structure of the United Nations to overcome this overwhelming situation, face these serious problems and meet the requirements and the demands of the twenty-first century.

Thus, we advocate that, in order to be coherent and efficient, the United Nations must develop at the same pace and adapt itself to the events of every historical moment. In this regard, if the United Nations does not democratize itself and become universal, in accordance with the principle just mentioned, and heed equally all nations, it will not be likely to carry out justly and equitably its predominant role in facing the threats and challenges of the twenty-first century.

We therefore raise the voice of Equatorial Guinea, joining those clamouring for the urgent and necessary reform and strengthening of the United Nations system at this historic Millennium Summit.

I wish to conclude by congratulating the Secretary-General and sharing the observation in his report that

"Globalization offers great opportunities, but at present its benefits are very unevenly distributed." (A/54/2000, para. 13)

Globalization should be a positive force for the entire world population and should not leave millions of people marginalized by poverty. We must govern better, and we must learn to govern better together. For these two tasks we need effective States and Governments that promote mankind as the bearer of eternal values, the key to and the beneficiary of all our efforts.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Alfonso Portillo Cabrera, Constitutional President of the Republic of Guatemala.

President Portillo Cabrera (Guatemala)

I am very pleased and moved at being able to participate in this historic Millennium Summit, whose significance is due not only to the fact that more than 150 Heads of State and Government are gathered here, but also to the fact that we have gathered to deal with matters that will impact the daily lives of all the inhabitants of the globe.

To begin, I would like to underline Guatemala's profound identification with the United Nations. We firmly believe in multilateralism, and view the United Nations as its highest exponent.

We have been direct beneficiaries of the activities of the Organization in many areas, and particularly in the establishment of peace. We participate actively in its intergovernmental bodies, and have played a significant role in its organs.

Above all, we believe that the United Nations is destined to play an even more relevant role than ever before in an increasingly transnationalized world. But to do so, it will have to adapt to the needs of the twenty-first century.

What shape will that adaptation take? In my opinion, the report, "We the peoples" (A/54/2000), prepared by the Secretary-General as a basis for our debates, offers valuable guidelinesthat will pose some challenges for our Organization.

I would like to pause for a moment on the matter of priorities. I believe that the Secretary-General was quite right in presenting his triptych of a world in which there is "freedom from want", "freedom from fear" and a "sustainable future".

Eliminating poverty is the great unfinished task of the twentieth century. Development should therefore be at the centre of the concerns of the United Nations, just as it is in our government programme in Guatemala.

But there cannot be development without peace and security. Because we believe in the future, which is more than improving the present situation for all, we in Guatemala have wagered on peace. We have learned much from war: that dialogue is more powerful than arms; that respect is the greatest impediment to confrontation. For four decades all Guatemalans paid, directly or indirectly, the costs of war. We are now all engaged in efforts to pay for the benefits of peace, through an exemplary agreement between the State and civil society regarding a fiscal pact.

Another lesson we have learned from history is that peace is costly, in terms of resources and efforts. It was after a global conflagration that this Assembly of all nations was formed, with the goal of securing and fostering peace.

We shall have to strengthen our collective capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts, both across borders and domestically. Guatemala provides an example of how the United Nations can assist in consolidating peace and respect for human rights, without any improper intrusion into the internal affairs of a nation.

As regards the need to adapt the United Nations to the circumstances that will prevail in the twenty-first century, some essential points can be made. Emphasis should be placed on a sound international legal system, complemented by the principles and practices of multilateralism. The United Nations intergovernmental structure should be adapted to the new international environment. The most obvious starting point for this process is the reform of the Security Council. We must put an end to the doctrinaire practice of freezing the Organization's budget. If we want the United Nations to be a first-class institution, we must learn to provide it with the necessary financial support.

Finally, since Guatemala is a pluricultural, multi-ethnic and plurilingual society, I could not agree more that cultural diversity is an invaluable asset to the international community. The differences between us are our strength, not our weakness. The difference between nations is the wealth of hope for a better future for our planet.

I have sketched our vision of the role of the United Nations for the twenty-first century. In the course of the general debate that will begin in the General Assembly next week, we will elaborate further on this vision and how it is reflected in the efforts we are making domestically. We propose that we respond to this new millennium with ideas, and not beliefs. As the Spanish philosopher María Zambrano stated:

"When one thinks, one moves forward to the future. Each idea looks to and shapes the future; while beliefs, which are the product of the past, detain us in its backwardness as the future dims."

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

Before proceeding, I would like to inform Members that, on account of unforeseen circumstances, the next speaker will be the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

President Khatami (Iran)

At the outset, I wish to express my appreciation, on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the Secretary-General for his comprehensive report (A/54/2000) on the emerging global challenges in the new century.

Humanity, shattered and anguished by its journey through the twentieth century, marred by blood, calamity and discrimination, is eagerly awaiting a better tomorrow in the new century, a future built around justice and the dignity and rights of human beings.

The structure of power in our contemporary world must be reformed, and this requires submission to democratic rule at the international level.

The right of man to determine his destiny, the emanation of authority, particularly political authority, from the free will and choice of the population, its submission to the continued scrutiny of the people and the institutionalization of such human accountability constitute the major characteristics of democracy, which need to be clearly distinguished from its various manifestations. No particular form of democracy can be prescribed as the only and final model. Let us allow the unfolding endeavours to formulate democracy in the context of spirituality and morality usher in yet another model for democratic life.

Let us strive so that the exigencies of a few power-holders do not supersede the interest of humanity through familiar practices of the endorsement of undemocratic Governments not responsive to the will and needs of their people and the application of double and multiple standards of response to incidents around the globe. Let us submit to democratic principles -- not only as the criteria of good governance domestically, but also as the new norm governing interaction in the global society, whose constituents, much like equal individuals within nation States, are nations of equal right and dignity.

The fundamental question is whether the United Nations is capable of revisiting and reconstructing its foundations on the basis of such a vision.

The world needs more openness and the expansion of liberty and inclusive justice. In our global environment, the preservation and expansion of power constitute the dominant discourse and the paradigm of political interaction. This has resulted in political thought and practice neglecting profound philosophical, cultural and religious issues.

"Freedom from want", "freedom from fear" and "a sustainable future", as highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General, can only be attained by defining emerging global relations through an open and balanced dialogue.

I proposed to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session the designation, as an initial step, of the year 2001 as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. The object of the dialogue among civilizations is to facilitate a new paradigm of inclusion and reform in global relations and preclude the ascendance of unidirectional relations and political and cultural monologues. Now is the time for a further step.

Globalization, as the most pressing international development, has opened new horizons -- albeit affected by the monopolies of power and capital -- for human society. Hence, we should strive to augment national capacities and the authority of democratic Governments in order to enhance accountability at the international level. This will require capacity-building for the active and effective participation of all members of the global community, including Governments and the institutions of civil society, in the international decision-making process.

Has the time not come to envisage new responsibilities for the United Nations in the common endeavour to found a participatory global order based on dialogue, tolerance and synergy? In my statement to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session, I put forward a proposal by the esteemed leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran for recognition of the equal rights of all nations through the removal of discrimination from United Nations machinery, particularly the Security Council. This proposal is awaiting positive consideration.

Today, in the name of a great nation with a long history and an ancient civilization -- which, through its magnificent and spiritual revolution, has opened a new era of governance by the people in the context of religion -- I declare before this Assembly that nations can no longer be excluded or marginalized on political, cultural and economic pretexts. The world belongs to all its inhabitants. No double standards, national or international, can ever be accepted in the contemporary world. Our task today is to transform the logic of international relations, distancing it from the logic of power. At the dawn of the third millennium, the time has come to call upon the world not to yield to the quest for power, but to opt for dialogue and, ultimately, for compassion, love and spirituality.

Let us empower the United Nations to take the lead in this endeavour for the betterment of global governance.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo, President of the Republic of Nicaragua.

President Alemán Lacayo (Nicaragua)

It is a unique opportunity and a great honour to participate in this Summit, known as the Millennium Summit, to reflect together on common values, challenges and objectives for the future.

I should like to extend our very special thanks to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who has provided us with a detailed report on the role of the United Nations in the new century on which we have embarked. This document is an invaluable guide and will certainly stimulate the discussions to be held in this forum.

We believe that strengthening the organs and bodies of the United Nations is of great importance if we are to enhance the effectiveness of its role in, inter alia, peacekeeping and international security, combating poverty and activities damaging to the environment and strengthening health and education programmes.

Nicaragua is in full agreement with the proposal in the Secretary-General's report to carry out reform within the Security Council with a view to achieving a more equitable and democratic representation of the various regions, thereby promoting greater balance and representativeness.

In this context, we wish to propose that the final Declaration take into account the need to strengthen the International Court of Justice with the aim of offering States the opportunity to resolve peacefully any disputes that may arise between them. We also believe it is very important to reaffirm our commitment to maintaining and strengthening the universal calling of the United Nations, in order to ensure that all the peoples of the world can be fairly represented, without differentiation or exclusion.

This leads us to reaffirm before this Assembly our belief in the right of the Republic of China -- which for more than a half-century has exercised full sovereignty in Taiwan and which has a population of more than 22 million people -- to participate in the United Nations as a full Member, having been a signatory to the founding Charter in San Francisco and fully complying with its principles.

Given the realities and challenges facing us in the twenty-first century, we accord priority to the formulation of policies and strategies whose main focus is the well-being and integral development of the human being, through a direct, joint and concerted attack on the scourges of unemployment and poverty, with all their devastating and degrading consequences for the dignity and the future of people.

During the twentieth century, which has just ended, the human race witnessed dazzling and astounding changes and progress in numerous areas of science, technology, culture, communication and informatics. There were also substantial -- even radical -- transformations in the geopolitical, ideological, trade, financial and many other fields, to say nothing of the vast universe of thought and ideas relating to what is real and what is possible.

Unfortunately, we also lived through horrible tragedies and conflicts, which in many regions took a huge toll on peace, democracy, human rights and freedoms, further aggravating poverty, backwardness, suffering and deprivation and abysmal differences.

This new century will be witness to a striking globalization process, overwhelming and unstoppable, whose forms, levels, impacts and significance could never have been imagined a few years ago. That is why today we have the enormous responsibility of channelling our best efforts, early and effectively, to achieve at least a minimum transfer of science and technology to developing countries.

Nicaragua is making great efforts to consolidate democracy with social justice, to reconstruct the extensive damage recently caused by powerful natural phenomena, heal the wounds of a painful and destructive civil war -- which, fortunately, we have emerged from -- and lay solid groundwork for a development process characterized by radical transformation, stability and appropriate levels of governance.

The continuous deterioration in the terms of trade, an ill that has become chronic, to the detriment of countries with less developed economies -- mainly producers and exporters of raw materials -- coupled with the debilitating impact of oil price increases, has severely hampered efforts to realign and revive our economies.

Compounding this burden and these sacrifices is the unbearable weight of an immense external debt, representing an insurmountable barrier to overcoming poverty and unemployment. In this respect, we are pleased to note the interest recently shown by the developed countries and multilateral financial institutions in seeking alternatives that would substantially relieve the situation of the heavily indebted poor countries. We hope that this interest will soon be reflected in specific and meaningful actions, so that countries such as Nicaragua can break this vicious circle of poverty and look towards a future with greater opportunities and expectations for sustainability and progress.

I should point out that in the report recently submitted by the Secretary-General to the Economic and Social Council, my country is mentioned as the third in Latin America to have an integrated disaster prevention and mitigation system.

The ideas, proposals and resolutions we adopt today, in this universal forum, will, barring an unforeseen act of fate, largely determine the face of the future we hope to see tomorrow. Although thinking about the future was once the mysterious province of adepts, prophets, poets and fortune-tellers, I am confident that it will be that of statesmen, too, knowing that if we put forth our best efforts, imagination and enthusiasm, we will succeed in making this face of the future kinder and more promising for our peoples and for generations to come.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

President Putin (Russia)

This Summit is indeed the last one in this millennium, but the Millennium Summit will go down in history not for that reason, but because of its significance. We and our predecessors have done much to provide this symbolic image with a profound meaning. The second half of the century, with its international component, indisputably has taken place under the aegis of the United Nations. The very existence of this Organization was a guarantee of freedom from the arbitrariness of hegemony and diktat.

When the United Nations was established, many of the States represented here were not on the map of the world. However, the norms of international behaviour were then being formed, and they were being taken into account then. Today these norms are accepted by all and are serving the interests of the international community.

The major result is obvious. What half a century ago seemed unattainable has today become the norm of international relations. Respect for each other and for the instruments of the United Nations has helped countries and peoples to learn the art of dialogue and to seek common decisions. Even global confrontation could not impede joint work, even in the most extreme crises and dead-end situations.

All of this, without exaggeration, can be called the "school of the United Nations".

The political term given to leaders is usually not very long. We had the luck to be born and to live during a threshold epoch. We were lucky to have been called upon by our peoples, to be needed by our peoples. That is why it is the natural duty of a politician to see at least one step ahead. We are bound to give a chance to those who will come after us.

The twentieth century will go down in history as a century of contradictions. It has become an epoch of grandiose achievements and horrendous wars, a century of revolutionary breakthroughs and profound disillusionments. However, our countries and peoples have managed to sidestep hatred, have managed to overcome the cold war with its global confrontation. That, of course, is a great achievement of the United Nations.

Preceding generations left us, as our heritage, a unique Organization. The United Nations has learned to resolve and is resolving the most complex of world problems. It is here that the international regime of human rights, the most important feature of today's world, was born. This universal instrument has proved not to be vulnerable to ideological speculation. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has never been merely an empty declaration. Even today, it continues to exert a definite effect on all of our lives.

We are convinced that there is a need to renovate and improve United Nations mechanisms. Such is indeed the imperative of our times. But no reform of any kind should bend its fundamental principles.

The new century of the United Nations must become, and must go down in history as, a period of real disarmament. Today we have already succeeded in creating an efficient mechanism for disarmament. Its foundation includes the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. It includes regimes for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means for their delivery, as well as dozens of the most important agreements on the limitation and reduction of different kinds of armaments.

We must reliably block ways for the spread of nuclear weapons. This can be achieved, inter alia, by excluding the use of enriched uranium and pure plutonium in global atomic energy production. Technically, this is quite possible to implement. But there is something even more important: the incineration of plutonium and other radioactive elements is providing what is required in order to find a final solution to the problem of radioactive residues. It is opening up fundamentally new horizons for secure life on our planet. In this connection, Russia is proposing to work out and put into practice a relevant mechanism, with the participation of the International Atomic Energy Association.

Particularly alarming are plans for the militarization of outer space. In the spring of 2001, we shall be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the first manned flight to outer space. That man was our compatriot, and we are suggesting that on that date, under the aegis of the United Nations, an international conference on the prevention of the militarization of outer space be organized. If colleagues here agree, that conference could be held in Moscow.

For our country, the end of the twentieth century, and particularly its last decade, has not been merely a transitional period and not even a historic period of time. I think the Assembly will agree that not every people has had to make the kind of choice that was made by Russia. The threats and the challenges that Russia has had to face are shared enemies of free nations, and we consider particularly dangerous and treacherous the phenomenon of terrorism. It is unscrupulous about means and is skilful in changing its masks, but it survives only when it has the chance to undermine the stability of a State and to sow seeds of mutual suspicion and animosity. Our common task is to raise an efficient barrier to this evil.

We must move to peace, stability and prosperity by relying on the entire wealth of cultures and traditions. In the twenty-first century, the right to national self-expression and independence must continue with dignity to supplement already-recognized approaches to the solution of basic problems. Democracy in international relations means first and foremost unswerving compliance with the fundamental norms of international law. It is an awareness of the entire diversity of global civilization, a recognition of and respect for that diversity.

I am convinced that relying on a just world order and strategic stability we will guarantee the sustainable development of civilization. Today's Russia, as never before, is open, responsible and ready for cooperation on an equitable basis of partnership.

I wish all success to our Summit and the efficient implementation of its decisions.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives.

President Gayoom (Maldives)

I have only five minutes, so I shall be brief, to the point. But let me first of all congratulate you, Mr. and Ms. Co-President, on your election to the Chair, and the Secretary-General on his excellent report.

I shall spend the next four minutes and thirty-seven seconds voicing my country's concerns and hopes for the new millennium. The theme of this Millennium Summit is "The role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century". Many people around the globe ask: Fifty-five years after the United Nations was established, has the world become a better place?

The answer, in our view, is a qualified "yes". Decolonization is almost complete. Apartheid has been dismantled. Peace has paved the way for human progress. In many parts of the world, the health status has improved, and so has education. The standard of living is rising. Human rights are more widely respected. Democracy has virtually replaced despotism. We would rejoice in these achievements were it not for the horror of the failures.

Remember the millions of children dying of hunger. Recall the killing fields of the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Think of the many evil faces of terrorism and the trillions spent on the arms build-up. Never forget the escalating environmental degradation. From genocide to wars to disease, the bodies keep piling up.

So the United Nations is, at best, a modest success.

The new millennium is as opportune a time as any for a fresh start. The gap between expectation and result must be eliminated. War is the ultimate human tragedy. All bloodshed must cease.

The United Nations must become more democratic. It must serve all States alike. The keynote of the United Nations Charter is "We, the peoples". We must bridge the numerous divides that fragment humanity today. We must reject all forms of discrimination and exploitation.

Development must become more inclusive. Poverty is a crime against humanity committed by those who can but do not alleviate it. The expenditure on arms must be diverted to feed hungry mouths and to save children. Democracy, development and peace are different expressions of the same reality.

Globalization must be made a positive force for all. It must unite and not divide, benefit and not deprive. Information technology can unite humanity like never before. The least developed countries need greater preferential treatment. The empowerment of women must become universal. Moral values are vital for a caring world order. Humanity's quest for progress must be sustainable. We have no right to destroy the Earth. Ecological damage must be stopped. Global warming must be curbed. All low-lying countries must be saved.

For all these reasons, a stronger and fairer United Nations is essential.

To those who learn from mistakes, the past is a good guide for the future. But let us not go back 1,000 years; let us go forward to 100 years from now. When the United Nations meets to usher in yet another century, will the Maldives and other low-lying island nations be represented here? This is not only a sobering thought, but an alarming one.

Now, I have only 30 seconds. It would be a pity to disperse from this gathering without making a final commitment to saving the Earth. I do not wish to be cynical, but are we to believe that the world really cares? Are we to believe that all humanity is one? Inaction, too, speaks louder than words.

My time at the podium is up, but I pray that that of my country is not.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Sam Nujoma, President of the Republic of Namibia.

President Nujoma (Namibia)

Fifty years ago, the founders of the United Nations agreed to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war". Through the United Nations, they have kept their promise. In all this, the General Assembly has a central role to play through the authority assigned to it by the Charter of our Organization.

During the last century, the United Nations made considerable efforts to affirm and, indeed, assert the rights of humankind, including the right of nations and peoples to self-determination and independence, the right to development and gender equality. We have made significant progress in our collective endeavour to put a definitive end to the dehumanizing socio-economic systems of colonialism, racism and apartheid tyranny. However, we must still ensure that the peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara regain their dignity and enjoy their inalienable right to self-determination.

The new millennium offers us new opportunities to advance the noble beginnings of the last century. The drive to improve humankind's living conditions remains the most serious common challenge. It demands of all of us concerted efforts. During the closing decade of the last century, the United Nations sponsored many important conferences that were held from Rio to Istanbul. At these conferences, we made solemn declarations that underdevelopment and its attendant poverty are an affront to humanity.

The question now is: Do we have the requisite political will, moral courage and appropriate strategy, as we enter the new millennium, to effectively combat poverty, especially in those areas where it is most rampant, amid conspicuous affluence at the scale we have witnessed over the last 50 years? We cannot celebrate our remarkable achievements in science, technology and other areas of human endeavours while millions of our fellow human beings continue to live in a world of deprivation and even starvation.

Indeed, as we gather here today we are confronted by the sad reality that, for most people in the developing countries, especially in Africa, the benefits of information and communication technology remain to be felt. This glaring disparity between the North and the South is the most burning issue of our time. The United Nations Economic and Social Council and the United Nations agencies have a critical role to play to narrow that disparity. This is the fundamental question that the Millennium Summit is called upon to address.

We all know that without peace there can be no economic growth and development, and that without development there can be no socio-economic security and stability. Yet, even though the Charter of our Organization enjoins us to

"unite our strength to maintain international peace and security",

there remain a number of political and armed conflicts that continue to take a toll on human lives. Therefore, as we stand at the threshold of the new millennium, the United Nations must make a sober and critical reflection on its capacity and preparedness in maintaining international peace and security. The Member States of the United Nations cannot, and should not, abdicate their responsibility for collective security.

Yesterday I had the privilege, as Chairman of the Southern African Development Community, to address the launching of corporate strategies in the fight against HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. This partnership between the United Nations Development Programme and the United States Corporate Council on Africa aims at developing strategies that will effectively counter the spread of HIV/AIDS in our region, especially at the workplace. I am convinced that this initiative will build a bridge between the global corporate community and African leaders.

On the one hand, success against the spread of HIV/AIDS requires urgent and coordinated efforts by political, corporate and spiritual leaders to stem the spread of this pandemic. At every opportunity of public engagement we, the leaders, must assume the role of champions of raising HIV/AIDS awareness. On the other hand, there is an imperative need for pharmaceutical companies to give those millions of people living with HIV/AIDS access to affordable drugs. For those people that will be a very welcome and highly appreciated promise of extended life.

Let us go from this Summit recharged with a sense of hope and commitment to make the world a better place for all.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, Head of State of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

King Abdullah II (Jordan)

Today the quest for peace unites us, the opportunities and perils of a new frontier challenge us, and the hopes and prayers of millions around the world for harmony and justice echo to remind us of the historic significance of this Millennium Summit. Today provides a rare opportunity for leaders to appraise the world's present situation and assess its future prospects. It also marks our determination to look forward well beyond the unfulfilled dreams and hopes of peaceful coexistence among peoples, of a fairer distribution of wealth among nations, of the eradication of poverty and disease, and of the protection of our environment.

Despite the genuine efforts of many around the world, especially the United Nations, those goals have yet to be attained. In fact, the successes of the United Nations rarely make headline news. It is the dismal state of affairs that usually does: 30,000 infants dying every day from preventable diseases; 100 million children living on the streets; and 1.2 billion people subsisting on less than a dollar a day. Peace, stability and prosperity still elude many countries at the turn of the century, sacrificing the noble principles of justice, equality and democracy, and widening the digital divide that separates them from the developed world.

Now is the time to declare our commitment to embrace a new vision of an order that seeks justice and protects it, creates opportunity and sustains it, and, most of all, that upholds a universal moral value and defends it. It would form a new code of conduct that prevents conflicts and provides for practical mechanisms of cooperation. It would draw upon lessons of the past and seek to chart a new course in international responsibility, one that responds to the needs of the future. In short, it is a vision that would enable us to meet what is the biggest challenge of the new millennium: that of securing the human rights and the human development of people around the world.

My father, the late King Hussein, left us a country with noble traditions built on a rich Islamic heritage. Jordan today tells a story of pride, of sacrifice and of achievement. It is indeed turning the vision into reality. Long suffering from the politics of despair, we have drawn lessons from a seemingly endless conflict that has deprived peoples of their rights, their security and their peace of mind. It has denied them the opportunity to excel. We have provided an example in reaching fair agreements that allow for peaceful coexistence among States. Committed to accountable political governance, sound economic management and a free press, we are cementing a democracy that does not simply represent the rule of the majority, but that paves the road to equal opportunities, greater tolerance and the acceptance of differences.

Our sacrifices in United Nations peacekeeping activities in Sierra Leone, East Timor and other areas testify to our commitment to the noble goals of the United Nations. It is in this same spirit that we welcome the recommendations of the Brahimi Panel's comprehensive report on peacekeeping and look forward to their adoption and enforcement.

United Nations resolutions, including resolutions 194 (III), 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), must be implemented if this century is to be safer, fairer and more peaceful than the departing one. Our determination to protect life on Earth will be explicitly stated at the upcoming meeting of the World Conservation Congress and the Earth Forum, which will be convened next month in Amman.

Most importantly, we are pioneering a model where the Jordanian human talent is the true measure of the wealth of our country.

Our Summit today must look forward towards realizing a vision of a tolerant and peaceful humanity that protects life and seeks to improve it for all. In an increasingly smaller village, we must shun conflict and rivalry. We should instead strive to achieve the greater expectations that this day and age entail -- those of prosperity, liberty and freedom. Let us reconcile our conflicting values. Let us compete in the search for knowledge. Let us cooperate in the pursuit of excellence. Let us contribute to our humanity through achievement, peace and vision.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Tran Duc Luong, President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

President Tran Duc Luong (Viet Nam)

Over the last 100 years, mankind has made great leaps forward to the extraordinary advances of the scientific and technological revolution, especially information technologies, which are bringing about new changes in all aspects of human life. However, what worries us the most, in spite of the common development trend of the modern world, are the many potential and outstanding problems. It is clear that not all countries enjoy all opportunities for development. Injustice continues in the world, the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor, in which developing countries are taking the toll, and suffering the most severe pressures. That is why the aspiration to peace and development has become even more intense. At this historic moment, we believe that the United Nations will give priority to the following issues.

First and foremost, the United Nations should allocate adequate resources to meeting urgent development needs to address the poverty which is threatening the daily life of five-sixths of the world's population, and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation, refrain from imposing unreasonable conditions, develop fair and transparent international economic and financial institutions, reduce debts, raise official development assistance to the 0.7 per cent of GDP to which developed countries have committed; strengthen and consolidate peace and stability, respect national sovereignty, independence, promote disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament; settle conflicts through peaceful means, and reject acts of intervention, embargo, and blockade, which not only threaten world peace and security but also cause untold sufferings to innocent people; reform the United Nations towards greater democratization, transparency and effectiveness to enable this Organization to serve better the common interests of all States, big and small, for the sake of peace and independence, national sovereignty and justice.

In this spirit we express our agreement with the recommendations put forward by the President of the United Nations General Assembly and the Secretary-General on giving priority to poverty alleviation, control and prevention of HIV/AIDS, extending greater assistance to developing countries in their integration into the global economy. The most important thing is that we need to identify feasible measures to achieve these goals.

I wish to take this opportunity to propose that the United Nations grant further assistance to expand models of effective cooperation between countries of the North and South, and mobilize the assistance of international organizations and developed countries for those cooperation programmes.

At the dawn of the new millennium, the Vietnamese people have just solemnly celebrated the fifty-fifth anniversary of their national day, imbued with the noble thoughts of President Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese people have endured numerous hardships and made untold sacrifices over the last half century to defend independence and freedom. Viet Nam is now well on the path of innovation and advocates economic development in tandem with social equity and progress.

Viet Nam pursues a foreign policy of independence and seeks to befriend all countries in the world. From this august forum, we would like to affirm that Viet Nam has been and will be a constructive and active partner striving for peace, stability, development and prosperity. We would like to propose that we declare the first decade of the twenty-first century the decade of the greatest global efforts towards poverty alleviation. It is our belief that together with the Millennium Declaration, it will meet our aspirations and remind us of our responsibilities to our nations. We hope that this Millennium Summit will meet the expectations of the international community and mark the beginning of a new United Nations.

May I wish the Summit great success.

The Co-Chairperson (Finland)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Republic of Yemen.

President Saleh (Yemen)

It gives me pleasure to congratulate the Co-Chairpersons on presiding over this Millennium Summit, at which most world leaders are gathering under the United Nations flag.

I wish to thank Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, for his comprehensive report on the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century and the entry into the third millennium with all of its aspirations and new challenges.

The convening of this Summit in this remarkable way could not have been achieved without the great changes and transformations that have occurred in international relations in the final years of the twentieth century and after the end of the cold war. Humanity suffered during the cold war from bloody conflicts which were harmful to the freedom and dignity of man, and had a crippling effect on economic resources, increasing poverty for millions of human beings. Relief came when democracy and freedom prevailed and dictatorships collapsed and a new era began, an era of globalization, democracy, and respect for human rights, an era of free and prosperous economies and of partnerships within globalization, in order to achieve cooperation and stability and peace.

Yemen was among the first countries that joined the United Nations when it was established in 1945, and our country in its modern history has kept abreast of all developments at the international level. The last decade of the twentieth century was crucial in order to enter a new era, the era of unity and democracy, freedom of the press, and the participation of women in political life, and respect for human rights.

Now a reflection of the twenty-first century, Yemen is at peace with itself and with its neighbours. Social peace in the country and in the region is the primary objective of Yemen's policy, which focuses on solving the border problems with its neighbours through dialogue, understanding and international arbitration. This is what has been achieved with the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Eritrea and recently with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We look forward to a new age of cooperation in our region, and the world; an age of openness, free markets, freedom of movement of goods and capital as well as of persons.

International efforts must be coordinated to fight terrorism in all its forms and irrespective of its origins. Terrorism is an international phenomenon. However, we should distinguish between the legitimate struggle of peoples for their freedom and independence, since many peoples do not enjoy freedom and independence, such as the people of Palestine, who continue to suffer under Israeli occupation and despite the universal support for their legitimate cause. Just and comprehensive peace in our region is peace for all, and that cannot be achieved without complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories which were occupied in 1967 in the Syrian Golan and Palestine, and the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially the right to establish its independent State on its land with Al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital according to the United Nations resolutions, especially Security Council resolution 242 (1967) and resolution 338 (1973). We must emphasize that the region of the Middle East must be free from weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons. While we respect the resolutions of international legitimacy, we call for putting an end to the disastrous situation of the Iraqi people and the need to expedite the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Iraq for over 10 years. Those sanctions are now unwarranted.

This is a historic occasion, on which we call upon all great and rich Powers to play a positive role with a view to accelerating the pace of development in the poor developing countries, to forgive their debts and to prepare them for globalization in a way that would lighten their burdens. This would enhance opportunities to achieve peace and stability worldwide.

Peace and development are intertwined; together, they are a sine qua non of contemporary human and cultural progress. Here, the United Nations has a crucial role to play in rationalizing globalization to ensure that its benefits are not limited to rich countries and that peace and security are not enjoyed only by some countries but rather by all. This great international Organization should spread its wings of peace over all countries and all peoples.

Changes should be made in a number of United Nations organs. In that connection, the Security Council should be reformed to make it more democratic, transparent, independent and balanced to ensure that it represents all mankind.

The Millennium Summit is taking place at a historic moment when the world is entering a new era, with an interchange of benefits, and with partnerships in the service of world peace and humanity. We have high hopes for the outcome of the Summit in terms of world progress and of peace, security and stability throughout the world.

We reiterate our gratitude for the historic opportunity that has been provided us all.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic.

President Chirac (France)

I wish at the outset to join the rest of the Assembly in paying tribute, at the request of the Secretary-General, to the United Nations staff members who were murdered in West Timor.

Time has changed its rhythm. A new world has emerged in the space of a single generation, a world that still bears the scars of the past and where, unfortunately, crises and conflicts still persist. But it is a world that is already in the future. It is an open world in which borders are slowly disappearing, a world steeped in the new global culture of communication technologies, a world rich in promise and breathtaking progress, but, unfortunately, a world that is also creating new forms of exclusion.

The world that is taking shape before our eyes needs common rules, principles and ambitions. That is why the time is right for this Summit. We must together build a new international society that is more civilized, more caring, more just and better managed. The United Nations is the natural place to undertake this task. We must breathe life into an ethic for the twenty-first century, an ethic formed to serve mankind, human dignity and human rights. This ethical struggle is above all a struggle for peace and democracy.

It is a struggle for peace, because peace is our peoples' most precious possession: peace that needs to be strengthened unceasingly through greater efforts to achieve non-proliferation and disarmament, with universal ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and new negotiations on biological weapons, ballistic weapons and small arms; peace that calls for reform of the United Nations as a peacekeeping body, notably by enlarging both categories of Security Council membership. France is committed to this critical reform.

It is a struggle for democracy, because democracy alone ensures respect for human rights and human dignity, because it is the surest path to stability, development and progress for all and because it is also the surest way to guarantee peace.

This ethical struggle is everybody's task: Governments as well as associations, businesses and the media, which are the new players carving out a place for themselves on the international scene. Our globalized world needs bodies that work together to manage it better and to advance these ideals.

This begins with solidarity. The wealth generated by globalization must lead to greater solidarity. Eradicating hunger, poverty and illness must remain a priority among priorities. We have the means. We need the will and the courage to use them, in keeping with our joint commitments.

Then there is the struggle for a better environment and for the preservation our planet's riches. We need coordinated policies to preserve the diversity of cultures and languages, which are the foundations of our peoples' identities. We need the will to act ceaselessly to fight insecurity, in particular by tackling all cross-border scourges: terrorism, organized crime and drug-trafficking. We need the will also to fight major pandemics effectively, particularly HIV/AIDS.

These are all critical issues for the inhabitants of our planet, and we can only make progress on them together, in a spirit of shared responsibility.

Our world, which is still buffeted by political, economic and financial crises, is not suffering from a surfeit of rules, but from the difficulty of keeping international law and practices abreast of change and progress. If we are to build a world order that meets the needs of our times, we must strengthen and improve the coexistence of great institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization and, of course, first and foremost, the United Nations.

We all know that the United Nations plays a major role. In its first half-century of existence, this universal, democratic institution has become irreplaceable. We must enable it to adapt to today's world by modernizing the methods of the General Assembly, which, in a sense, is the world's parliament; by firmly supporting the reforms undertaken courageously and effectively by the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, whom I would like to salute here; by making the best use of the information revolution; and finally, by providing the necessary resources -- as indeed the European Union countries are doing, supplying more than one third of the budget and half of the financing for United Nations funds and programmes. This will enable the United Nations to fulfil its duties and to exert a positive influence on the course of world history.

For its part, the European Union, which is a leading player in the world economy and multilateral institutions, is determined to better shoulder its responsibilities in the cause of peace. It has devoted the necessary resources to this cause, because by fulfilling its role, it helps to bring about a more diverse, more balanced, more caring and, above all, more peaceful world.

Globalization, a new stage in humankind's adventure, challenges us to reinvent political action on a worldwide scale -- political action inspired by intelligence, courage and our hearts. Our peoples expect much of us. I hope that this Millennium Summit will make possible further progress on the road to peace, freedom, solidarity, security and development.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency The Honourable Daniel Toroitich arap Moi, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kenya.

President Moi (Kenya)

It is a great privilege for me to address this Millennium Summit on behalf of Kenya.

I congratulate the Secretary-General on the meticulous way in which he has prepared for this historic meeting. The regional hearings, in which all our countries participated, put forward an impressive list of ideas, suggestions and objectives -- particularly on the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century.

In our own region, Africa, the issues of peace and security and the challenges of development have tended to predominate. We are confident that the process the Secretary-General initiated will allow Africa's voice to be heard with greater clarity, and I hope with greater urgency.

The first few months of the new millennium have not been kind to Africa. We have suffered from severe and extreme weather conditions. In my own country, Kenya, we have had to face the worst drought since our independence. Our continent is faced with other disasters, but these tend to be man-made. I refer to the civil wars and endless conflicts that destroy at a stroke years of painstaking development. In certain cases these wars have lasted literally for generations. They spill across our borders, bringing weapons of war, instability and increasing crime into peaceful countries. They bring thousands of refugees that we cannot afford to look after. These conflicts also make a mockery of all attempts to reduce poverty -- the greatest challenge faced by our continent.

We need urgently to address the growing and dangerous pessimism. We need to challenge the voices of despair. We need to counter those so-called commentators who so often ignore the sheer size of our continent and conveniently forget that we are divided up into 54 sovereign States, each with its own culture, customs and systems of government. Perhaps they also need reminding that our borders were created artificially by the colonial Powers, without regard to the wishes of our people. This is, of course, a major cause of conflict today.

At such a historic meeting as this we must look forward. We must find solutions to these endless futile wars. It is a matter of pride to us in Kenya that we have never failed to react to requests from the United Nations to provide soldiers for United Nations peacekeeping missions. Our pride is tempered with sadness, because in recent months several Kenyan soldiers serving under the umbrella of the United Nations have given their lives to the cause of peace in Sierra Leone.

We now firmly believe that greater resources must be mobilized by the United Nations for conflict prevention and resolution. It is not enough to react to conflict. We must throw our energies into anticipating and preventing conflicts. I know that this is close to the heart of the Secretary-General. Kenya stands ready, based on our own considerable experience in mediation efforts in our region, to play its full part in this regard. And if we are asked to provide peacekeepers again, I trust they will be given a clear and robust mandate, so that they can do their work effectively.

At this Millennium Summit I declare our confidence and faith in the future of Africa. I hope the other Members share this confidence. Our people -- our greatest resource -- deserve no less. We will move forward together.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Carlos Roberto Flores Facussé, Constitutional President of the Republic of Honduras.

President Flores Facussé (Honduras)

Today, just a few moments ago, I took pride in handing the Secretary-General a golden book of peace containing the signatures of hundreds of my compatriots. With this book, Honduras and its people wish to express, in their own handwriting, their sincere desire for peace and friendship among all the peoples of the Earth.

We are here to affirm our commitment to a culture of peace, prepared to vigorously contribute, as is appropriate when one is committed, to this noble campaign that is uniting us at this hopeful and jubilant dawn of the new millennium.

This golden book of peace, which is symbolic and original, was taken by the loving hands of young boys and girls to various cities, villages and hamlets of Honduras for people to sign so that the world and history would see the reflection of the most representative sectors of our nation. From these pure white pages come our ethnic indigenous roots, races of historical tradition, the heirs of our Mayan grandfathers and our other native ancestors. Along with their names comes their pain, accumulated from years of indifference, their aspirations shared with their brothers of this and other continents, but above all their prayers and their legitimate hope to live in a more just and promising and less exclusive world.

It has been signed by our women and men of the villages and cities as testimony to their untiring struggles against discrimination and marginalization, and on behalf of all of us, as acknowledgement of the efforts of the United Nations to foster gender equity and the survival of the human species in a climate of equality, security and trust.

It has been signed by boys, girls, by male and female adolescents, as a token of their dreams and tender utopias, firm in the belief that in our greatest endeavours their rights to education, personal safety and dignity, their guarantees against abuse and exploitation and in favour of a loving, friendlier and less violent society will be a priority. It has also been signed by our elders in the conviction that we should respond to them for each minute they so affectionately protected us.

The signatures in this book, more than the expression of our wants, fears, complaints or claims is the manifestation of our faith in what peace can and must be. Much will depend on the success we achieve in vanquishing hunger, poverty, malnutrition, ignorance, marginalization, exclusion and prejudice. Peace is the honest effort to shorten the distance between those who have the least and those who have the most, to reduce the chasm of heinous inequalities and contrasts that separate people and countries and to raise social and economic justice among peoples and nations to the level of universal demand. More than a world pained by poverty and inequity for the overwhelming majority, the world should be the sum of its peoples with at least their basic needs and essential requirements met.

It is not a matter of altruism, nor philanthropy, nor mercy. This is about saving the peace and harmony of humanity, carrying peace and harmony to every corner of the planet.

The golden book of peace, with which Honduras salutes the United Nations, holds our greatest aspirations. But for others these aspirations should not be alien or different. Yet, should they be so, peace is also the tolerance to coexist with differences; tolerance that allows persons and nations of different religions, colours and creeds to coexist in peace.

God bless all nations. May God guide us all.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Ricardo Lagos Escobar, President of the Republic of Chile.

President Lagos Escobar (Chile)

I come from Chile, from the extreme southern part of the Americas, from a place that has been called the end of the earth. Because we come from a country that is separated from the rest of the world by extreme geography, we enthusiastically and optimistically view globalization, which makes us all part of shared time and space. We know that this is a revolution that impacts the economy, technology, politics, culture and daily life of people everywhere on the planet.

We in the southern part of the world are not afraid of this transformation. We embrace it full of hope. In a little over 10 years, in my country we have managed to double the size of our economy, drastically reduce poverty, strengthen our democracy and create a culture of respect for human rights. Our case confirms that globalization is a source of opportunity for the peoples of the world, even for the smallest countries removed from the international flows, such as is our case.

Globalization carries responsibilities with it, and Chile has assumed these without hesitation. We have committed ourselves to disarmament policies, United Nations peacekeeping efforts, the International Criminal Court and regional and universal instruments for the defence of human rights and democracy. Chile has been and will continue to be present at all these forums and on all these fronts.

However, just as globalization is a source of opportunity, it can also give rise to glaring inequities and grave risks. The financial crisis of the past few years revealed the vulnerability of our economies, as small nations in the face of events that we do not initiate and over which we have no control. We have also seen how local cultures and environments are being destroyed in the name of globalization. Situations of violence, human rights abuses and war also arise which the international community does not know how to prevent or approach. We note with dismay how the gap between the haves and have-nots continues to grow to an extent which is perhaps the gravest threat to the new emerging global society.

There can be no global society in which some advance and others are left behind. All of this compels us to reflect on the course globalization is taking and adopt the necessary measures to guide that course. We believe that the ways in which our countries participate in globalization will determine the outcome for each. There is a great responsibility for our peoples and Governments. On the other hand, as we should not experience injustices alone or in silence, we also cannot blame others for what we ourselves fail to do in our countries.

Accepting globalization, however, does not mean accepting anarchy or the law of the jungle, and thereby renouncing the capacity of humans to govern the world in which we live. Globalization will not have a human face if we do not establish global norms and institutions capable of regulating globalization at all its levels: financial, technological, legal, environmental and trade. No automatic mechanism will reduce inequalities, instability and crises that come with globalization. What is needed is the political will. Permit me to state here that this political will can come only from the States gathered here. May I add also that this will must be based on a people-centred approach in which people are always at the core of our considerations.

There is another element that I must add, because I come from a small country that has always been on the periphery of global power. The elaboration of norms and institutions cannot be the preserve of a small and exclusive group of nations, with other countries being relegated to the sidelines. The norms that govern us today emerged 45 years ago in Bretton Woods. Today, our people wish to be citizens of the global world, not just spectators.

Civil society will demand an increasingly important role in the globalized world, and that is why in Chile we consulted with civil society while preparing for this Millennium Summit. We are seeking to create spaces in which we can participate and redefine the world that is emerging with the new millennium.

The United Nations is undoubtedly the best forum in which to voice this fundamental concern and to undertake this task. As the depository of the hopes of mankind, it must fulfil this moral duty. To this end, the United Nations must be strengthened, based on its Charter, its history and accomplishments, its resolutions and the commendable work of the Secretary-General. Chile's support for the work of the United Nations, of which we are proud, will remain resolute.

This is the message that, on behalf of Chile, a distant and small country, but one with a proud and decent people who do not fear the challenges that face them and who have succeeded in restoring, despite difficulties, their democratic tradition and finding the path to prosperity -- this is the message that I have come to offer to this Summit of the millennium of hope.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Leo Falcam, President of the Federated States of Micronesia.

President Falcam (Micronesia)

Today I am compelled to express more briefly than usual my congratulations and respect to the Presidents of the fifty-fourth and the fifty-fifth sessions of the General Assembly. Please be assured that I do so only in the light of the shortness of time allotted for me to address this historic Assembly. I also thank the Secretary-General for his inspiration and energetic leadership, along with that of President Sam Nujoma of Namibia, in organizing this Summit. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate The Honourable Ionatana Ionatana, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, and the people of Tuvalu on their nation's admission yesterday as a new Member of this body.

In recent years, this Organization has had several occasions to celebrate historic milestones and to consider the future of our global community. Nevertheless, surely a 1,000-year milestone provides a unique opportunity to focus on this Organization and each of our roles in it -- an opportunity that deserves our most thoughtful attention.

My small island nation, situated in the western Pacific region, has a particular interest in the advent of the new millennium. While our people, traditions and cultures existed on more than 600 of our islands throughout the last millennium, it was only in its closing moments that we secured our constitutional union and emerged into nationhood. Thus, at the dawn of this new millennium, for the first time in history, we proudly look beyond our borders to take our place in the world and in this community of nations.

It is well that the overall theme of this Summit focuses on the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century, rather than on the entire new millennium ahead. For it is the behaviour of humankind within the next 100 years, rather than the next 1,000, that will determine our future on this planet. Despite the efforts of the past 1,000 years, we still find ourselves today in a world where a fortunate few enjoy most of the blessings of the earth's resources and the fruits of modern development. At the dawn of this new millennium we find much excitement over the rich promise of globalization. But for more than half of the people of the world, who remain in need and who live under the constant threat of devastating diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, it remains open to serious question whether globalization holds any real promise of release from the cycle of poverty. In fact, there are strong suspicions that globalization could widen the gap between developed and underdeveloped nations.

We appeal to the United Nations -- if human security is to be achieved and the gap between the developed and underdeveloped nations is to be minimized -- for the application of new and more relevant mechanisms for evaluating social and developmental needs, such as the vulnerability index.

Within the last several hundred years, the onset of industrialization and technological advance has created a multinational appetite for luxury and consumption that seems unquenchable. But compelling scientific evidence tells us that this headlong pursuit, if not moderated within the twenty-first century, threatens the lives of all our descendants and the very inhabitability of the planet that we so recklessly continue to abuse. In my small island nation, for example, we are growing increasingly alarmed over the glacial progress of the world community towards taking even minimal first steps to control the indisputable threats posed by human-induced global warming and its consequent sea level rise.

So it is clear that the United Nations already has a full and compelling agenda for the coming century. Up to this point, I venture to say that, in its work, the United Nations has placed issues of military security at the top of its priorities. But the world is still dangerously unsettled today, and the United Nations efforts in peacemaking and peacekeeping have had mixed success at best. The time has come to recognize that other components of the United Nations agenda, such as sustainable economic development, poverty eradication, social development, good governance and human rights, are as central to the achievement of long-term security as controlling military aggression when it arises.

All the nations of the world, developed and developing, must approach these crucial problem areas with far greater commitment to timely progress than exists today if, during the twenty-first century, the world is to be made a more secure place for all peoples. If, by the end of this century, we are still warring amongst ourselves, it will mean more than just that this body has failed its purpose. It will mean that we have failed with regard to our deepest responsibility to redress the inequitable imbalances within our global society.

I am well aware that I am saying nothing new here. Appeals for new commitment and political will have been made for years, and thus far, the response has been, "Not yet". If it is naïve to hope that concrete actions might flow during this century from the words expressed at this Summit, then the prospect of a viable future for humankind during succeeding centuries is surely in question. I choose to take encouragement from the emergence of great processes sponsored by the United Nations during the last decade, including the Agenda for Development, environmental programmes, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Biodiversity Convention, and summits held on human rights and social development, to name only a few. All of these, however, must acquire a sense of urgency that is not now present, if the United Nations is to remain truly our best hope for the future.

The Secretary-General surely put it well in describing our opportunity here as one for a moral recommitment to the purposes and principles laid down in the Charter. Nothing less is required if we are to achieve the new political momentum of which he spoke for the international cooperation and solidarity that the peoples of the world increasingly demand. With respect, I would go further and say that a moral recommitment must include determination to act with unaccustomed speed across the entire spectrum of this body's agenda. Only with such determination can the new century indeed become the century of globalization in the best meaning of that term -- a century that would mark a great turning point, at the end of which all nations could say, "we did our part to secure the future".

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Boris Trajkovski, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

President Trajkovski (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)

We are at the dawn of the twenty-first century -- a century that holds much promise and hope for all of humanity, but also many challenges. Some of these challenges are old: poverty, war, tyranny and disease have always been against us. At the same time, some of these challenges are rather new, such as globalization and the protection of our environment. We ought to create level playing fields in order for the benefits of globalization to be accessible to all nations and individuals. Fair access to financial resources, knowledge and technology will give everyone the chance to benefit. At the same time, now, more than ever before, we must cooperate to protect our global environment.

What we do here and now will be recorded in history. In this millennium, when countries and peoples are being rapidly brought together by globalization, the United Nations has the responsibility to promote efficient world integration. The Republic of Macedonia takes great pride in its role and contribution to the successful realization of the United Nations mission.

What can a State the size of the Republic of Macedonia do to support the United Nations in the new millennium as boldly described in the report entitled "We the peoples: the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century" (A/54/2000)?

First, the Republic of Macedonia will continue to preserve its dignity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Secondly, we pledge to continue strengthening our democracy. We will not permit authoritarian leaders to strangle democracy by fanning the flames of nationalism and hindering political and economic reforms. We must continue to develop a strong civil society that is the basis for prosperity.

Thirdly, the Republic of Macedonia pledges to continue to fight for human rights. We proved our commitment to this noble cause by sheltering 360,000 refugees during the Kosovo crisis. Only strong democratic States, which assure all members of minorities that they are equal citizens, can achieve full integration within their societies. Fourthly, we pledge to continue to fight trafficking in weapons, women and drugs. Fifthly, the Republic of Macedonia is committed to reforms that further a market economy, thus providing a higher living standard for everyone.

Our most important contribution to the United Nations has been our continued support for conflict prevention measures since 1993, when the first-ever preventive force was deployed in my country. Later on, we cooperated closely with the United Nations agencies involved in the Kosovo crisis. In addition, the Republic of Macedonia has always supported United Nations sanctions. Even though they have hurt us in the past, they were justified by the long-term stability that they are now providing.

Finally, Macedonia pledges to be a positive force in rebuilding and uniting south-eastern Europe. This task will require fostering law and order, creating strong democracies, rebuilding infrastructure, encouraging free trade and strengthening economies. Ultimately, our goal is simple: to join the Euro-Atlantic structures and take our rightful place in Europe.

I welcome the Secretary-General's endeavour to meet today's challenges, and at the same time I make an appeal to all Members to support these goals. In addition to a united effort by all States, reforming the United Nations will require strengthening countries from within, as well as through more active mutual cooperation among countries. Reforming the United Nations will also require sharing common rules and values, and it will have to include non-governmental organizations, the private sector and multilateral agencies.

In conclusion, I would like to quote the second United Nations Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, who said: "no life is more satisfactory than one of selfless service to your country -- or humanity. This service requires a sacrifice of all personal interests, but likewise the courage to stand up unflinchingly for your convictions."

With Hammarskjöld's definition of service, let us defeat the HIV virus, build digital bridges, strengthen international law and defend our ecosystem. None of this will be accomplished in the near future; nor will we achieve all of it in our lifetimes. But let us begin.

My fellow Presidents, the Secretary-General has called us to action. Let us take up the new and old challenges for the betterment of the people we serve, not because it is politically beneficial but because it is the right thing to do.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Republic of Guyana.

President Jagdeo (Guyana)

This Millennium Summit has raised the expectations of the world's peoples that out of it will come renewed commitment and determined action on the part of the United Nations Organization, to secure for them a future of global peace and development. I bring to this forum the aspirations of my people for a better life in the hope that they will be speedily satisfied.

In this regard, I offer to Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, our sincere appreciation for the very thoughtful and incisive report which he has laid before us at this meeting.

Without anticipating the conclusions of the interactive dialogue over the next few days, I believe that there is one compelling lesson that can be drawn even now -- and that is, if humankind is to live in freedom from fear and want, it must be of one mind and purpose. If nothing else our shared experience has taught us that it is no longer possible to live in isolation. Indeed, if we are to survive as a civilization and even as a species, we must come to learn the virtues of interdependence and international cooperation. Survival will not necessarily be of the fittest, but will depend rather on the sturdiness and steadfastness of the general will. It will depend also on our ability to create a new global human order in which every man, woman and child is allowed an opportunity to enjoy a decent standard of living. Ultimately, it will depend on whether or not, we as leaders both in the North and South, are prepared to subscribe to and uphold values and principles such as democratic governance, respect for human rights and international law, justice and equality.

As a newly restored democracy, my own Government has placed people at the centre of development. We have sought to involve them fully in the process of decision-making. We have reached out to the private sector and civil society as a whole so that they can become not only beneficiaries of development but also contributors. Persuaded of the need for national capacity-building, my Government continues to devote an increasing percentage of our national budget to the improvement of the social sector, particularly in such vital areas as health, housing, education and training.

However, our efforts remain limited by scarce development financing. Although alleviated by the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and other related arrangements, our debt burden, the servicing of which accounts for more than 50 per cent of government revenue, remains a serious impediment to progress. There is an urgent need for deeper and wider relief to allow small countries such as ours to compete in the global marketplace.

As I stated at the South Summit, which was held earlier this year in Havana, only a fundamental reform of the international economic and financial system can satisfy these needs. The prevailing model of development by which countries implement sound internal policies but fail to progress because of external factors is disastrous. It must be replaced by another paradigm that allows developing countries to participate in the global economy while protecting them from its volatility. Moreover, the success of the model should not be measured by standard economic indicators but by its ability to reduce poverty and empower people.

As we search for this new model we cannot be blind to breaches of international peace and stability which render development difficult if not impossible. The threat or the use of force to resolve disputes -- whether inter-State or intra-State -- militates against national economic and social progress and must therefore be condemned. The international community must deal swiftly and condignly with such conflicts and demand from all States full respect for the United Nations Charter and the rules and principles of international law. An expanded and more democratic Security Council could, in my view, serve to preserve global security.

On my return to Guyana, my people will be sure to ask of me -- What good has this Summit brought us? Will it serve to reduce poverty and create jobs for our young people and social security for our old? Will it help our country to bridge the development and digital divides which now deny us the possibility of full and productive participation in the global economy? I would like to be able to respond positively to these concerns and to assure them that the new millennium will bring them both peace and prosperity.

I know, however, that the hopes and promises of this event will only be realized if there is strong and shared determination by all States to create a new vision and strategy to achieve international sustainable development. I invite my colleague Heads of State and Government to join this enterprise to build a brave new world for this and all generations to come.

The Co-Chairperson (Namibia)

The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Jiang Zemin, President of the People's Republic of China.

President Jiang Zemin (China)

In the outgoing millennium and the twentieth century, mankind has undergone calamities and holocausts and carried out great struggles and creative undertakings. In the twenty-first century and the new millennium, mankind will inevitably come across unexpected tests and challenges and will surely realize new and earthshaking historical changes and a great leap forward.

The cold war is over. The international situation is on the whole moving towards relaxation. The trends towards multi-polarization and economic globalization are gaining momentum. Science and technology are advancing by leaps and bounds. All this offers mankind a rare opportunity for development. The pursuit of peace and development is the theme of our times and represents the common aspirations of people throughout the world. But the unfair and irrational old international political and economic order has yet to be replaced. There is still a long way to go before the two strategic issues of peace and development are resolved, and a fair and equitable new international political and economic order is established.

The people of many countries are still suffering from the scourge of wars and turmoil. Hegemonism and power politics still exist. Local conflicts keep cropping up. Separatist, terrorist and extremist forces of various kinds are bringing incessant damage to the international community. The environment, drugs, refugees and other global issues are more acutely felt. Many developing countries are still confronted with many difficulties in their economic development. The gap between the North and the South and the gulf between the rich and the poor are widening. Not all countries have become beneficiaries of the progress of modern science and technology and economic globalization. The imbalance in world development is worsening. The planet where we live is still far from stable and tranquil.

Both history and the realities tell us that countries would not be able to live in harmony unless they follow the five principles of peaceful coexistence and strictly comply with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. To build a common security for all is the prerequisite to the prevention of conflicts and wars.

The cold-war mentality must be abandoned once and for all and a new security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation should be established. All international disputes and regional conflicts should be resolved by peaceful means. The promotion of a multipolar international configuration is required by the progress of our times and is in the interests of the peoples of all countries. It would also contribute to world peace and security.

In order to support and promote the development of the developing countries and to alleviate and eradicate poverty, it is essential fully to respect the right of peoples of all countries independently to choose their own social systems and paths of development. North-South dialogue should be enhanced on the basis of equality, while South-South cooperation should also be pursued extensively. The international community should help developing countries to foster and strengthen their capacity for self-development, to which they must accord high priority, and provide them with more help and assistance in terms of technology, financial and human resources and managerial expertise. The debts of the developing countries should be reduced or cancelled and official assistance to them increased, without any conditi