General Assembly Session 56 meeting 9

Mr. Pradham (Bhutan)

My delegation congratulates the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, on his report (A/56/1) to this session of the General Assembly on the work of the Organization. We found the report to be comprehensive in covering the activities of the Organization during the course of the last year. The report brings to the fore and emphasizes the principles of the Charter and the international laws, treaties and conventions that guide, or at least should guide, the work of the Organization and, more particularly, its Member States. It is a frank report that brings forth the issues on which the international community has yet to take adequate action or make sufficient progress.

Above all, the report clearly bears the stamp of an active, principled, concerned, knowledgeable and capable Secretary-General.

The Government and the people of Bhutan came forward and, without reservation, endorsed the re-election of Mr. Kofi Annan for a second term of office. It was therefore a joyful occasion for us when Member States confirmed his appointment for a second term on 29 June this year. As we once again extend our warm congratulations to him, we wish him all success in the arduous tasks that lie ahead for the United Nations.

In that context, especially in view of the recent events here in New York City, the home of the United Nations, and in Washington, D.C., the capital of our host country, the foremost issue on all our minds at this point in time is terrorism. As you informed us, Mr. President, we will be discussing this matter under agenda item 166 on 1 October.

We are obviously concerned with terrorist acts and their implications for human security, especially in view of the dimensions that terrorism has come to acquire as a violent weapon to achieve objectives, as a heinous tool that knows no limits and as a crime against humanity that does not differentiate between military and civilian targets and personnel, men and women, children and adults. The dimensions and scope of terrorism are growing by the day with serious implications for international peace and security.

In the Secretary-General's report, in paragraph 224, under the heading "Legal affairs", he has informed us that the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings entered into force on 23 May 2001. This is a welcome development. We are also aware that the United Nations efforts thus far have been to create a legal framework and that work on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism has already commenced. This is something that we will now have to expedite.

The need is obviously felt for the United Nations to get more involved in mustering international cooperation and to take appropriate steps to prevent the rising tide of terrorism. In view of this, my delegation suggests that the Secretary-General's report, in the future, contain in greater detail, and perhaps under a separate section, information for the General Assembly on the efforts of the Organization to curb terrorism.

The Secretary-General's report demonstrates the vast responsibilities that the United Nations has had to take upon itself in the interests and for the benefit of humankind and the planet. While there is a tremendous amount of diversity that makes up our universal membership, what is most essential to guide all our activities are the principles of the Charter, even as we adapt to an ever-changing international environment. The Secretary-General has called upon Member States to match their rhetoric with action. We support his efforts to move the United Nations from a culture of reaction to one of prevention. We endorse the idea that preventing the recurrence of conflict should be the central priority of the United Nations, and that this would be the most desirable and cost-effective strategy to ensure lasting peace.

But these laudable goals cannot move forward without the political and principled support of Member States. Our efforts must therefore continue to be aimed towards eliminating weapons of mass destruction, the trafficking in small arms, the banning of landmines, providing more effective and greater humanitarian assistance, ensuring that children are not made into soldiers and do not suffer in armed conflicts and eliminating the gross mistreatment of women in some parts of the world. And then there is the clear need for the United Nations to enhance its peacekeeping role and capacity.

While progress in some of these areas is clearly visible, especially the diminishing production and use of landmines, we cannot let up in our efforts, as much still remains to be done. The United Nations role has to be consistent and unfailing in maintaining peace and enhancing the security of all parts of the world without exception. To us here at the United Nations, the Secretary-General's annual report is an important tool for keeping track of the work of the Organization.

The Secretary-General's report also serves as important advice and guidance to Member States and in effect outlines what is expected of them as responsible members of the world community. In this regard, the Secretary-General has reiterated,

"development cooperation is a solid foundation on which to build stability, economic justice and social development". (A/56/1, para.8)

This statement is a significant guideline and is crucial for the tasks that lie ahead of us. The poverty in the developing world is becoming unbearably severe, especially with the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The statistics on poverty and its prevalence are well known to the international community. Hence, there is no need for me to reiterate them under this agenda item. Civil and international conflicts have destabilized societies and have increased human suffering. Social and economic development and the battle against HIV/AIDS need the commitment, strong political will and conviction of Member States in order to make progress on these vital issues. In fact, the recently concluded high-level dialogue on strengthening economic cooperation dealt with the question of making globalization inclusive and beneficial to developing countries, and especially the least developed among them.

In conclusion, I would like to state that my delegation is happy with the report of the Secretary-General. We are confident in his leadership and will extend our support and cooperation in all his endeavours.

Mr. Ryan (Ireland)

As I take the floor for the first time during the fifty-sixth session, I extend to you, Sir, my congratulations on your election as President of the General Assembly. My delegation looks forward to working with you to address the many important tasks ahead of us and is confident that we shall achieve them under your guidance and leadership.

Before I proceed to address the agenda item before us, I wish to reiterate, in the General Assembly framework, to the delegation of the United States the heartfelt condolences of the Irish delegation and of the Government and the people of Ireland for the horrendous attacks inflicted on our host country and city. This Assembly will have an opportunity, shortly, to address the very real threat and scourge of terrorism under a separate agenda item, but none of us here can stand at this podium and not denounce these attacks -- attacks not only on the United States, but on all the world's right-thinking people. As European heads of Government meeting in an extraordinary European Council stated last Friday, the attacks of 11 September were a challenge to the conscience of each human being. We condemn them utterly.

I would like to commend the Secretary-General for his wide-ranging report on the work of the Organization contained in document A/56/1. In his introduction, he notes that the United Nations activities in the past year have been conducted against a background of suffering caused by violent conflicts across the world. One year on from the Millennium Summit, this Assembly must address these conflicts with a new resolve, born of the realization that we cannot separate international peace and security from issues of poverty and underdevelopment. These, in turn, often produce economic and social tensions which, left to smoulder, can ignite larger and potentially destabilizing conflagrations.

The events of 11 September have demonstrated all the more that the entire international community must seek with renewed vigour to resolve various long-standing disputes around the world, disputes on which terrorism feeds. As we confront those who exploit these disputes for their own twisted purposes, we must take urgent action to resolve the root causes and work together to achieve a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. Work to implement the Millennium Summit development goals must remain a key priority for the international community.

I welcome, therefore, the attention which the Secretary-General has paid in his report this year to issues of conflict prevention, peace-building and peacekeeping and the protection of civilians. He notes the increased attention devoted by the Security Council to the prevention of armed conflict and its growing interest in the protection of civilians. As the Secretary-General rightly points out, it is, unfortunately, a feature of modern conflicts that the main brunt falls on innocent civilians rather than on conventional armies. As a member of the Security Council, Ireland has a policy to continue to engage vigorously on these very important issues.

We welcome and strongly support continued efforts to improve early-warning systems through inter-disciplinary fact-finding and confidence-building missions to volatile areas, through regional prevention strategies and through reports to the Security Council on disputes that have the potential for destabilization.

We look forward to the finalization of the practical guide for the United Nations system on support by Headquarters to field staff in the formulation and implementation of coherent peace-building strategies. This sort of backstopping from the centre is essential if the United Nations on the ground is to do its job effectively and be able to learn from previous experiences.

We also welcome the attention being paid to improving coordination between humanitarian action and peace operations, and efforts to adopt a more holistic approach generally. Many conflict situations are extremely complex and require integrated responses. We are grateful that more attention is now being given to remedying gaps identified in the provision of humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, which are often less visible within their own borders.

The review conducted by the Secretary-General of the state of the world's affairs presents a very mixed picture, and the overall balance sheet is still disturbing. We share his disappointment at setbacks in a number of areas of conflict. Progress is being registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and concerned countries in the region. However, fragility and uncertainty persists in these areas, and there are continuing difficulties in the implementation of established agreements and frameworks.

The Middle East has proved even more intractable over the past year, although we believe there is now a wider recognition all round of the essential ingredients that must underpin the peace process than there was earlier this year. We must all build on that. Ireland, through its membership in the Security Council, will continue to search for lasting solutions to these and other disputes.

There are also, however, some tangible signs of progress. One example is East Timor, where the United Nations is playing a vital role in its evolution from a post-conflict situation towards independence. We agree with the Secretary-General that the extensive efforts of the international community should not be undermined by an early downsizing of support. A substantial international presence, including civilian, military and police components, will be necessary after independence. We further agree that such a presence should be mandated by the Security Council and funded from assessed contributions. For its part, Ireland is already committed to continuing its support.

We believe, despite recent acts of violence by UNITA directed against the civilian population, that the overall situation in Angola is moving in the right direction. Last week in the Security Council, we heard the Angolan Government's clear recognition of the successes of the United Nations sanctions regime, together with the Government's commitment to open elections and urgent work in the humanitarian, health, education and human rights areas in cooperation with the international community.

The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has been doing good work leading up to Kosovo-wide elections in November. We agree fully with the Secretary-General that Kosovo Serbs must be encouraged to participate fully in the election process and supported in that respect. The task of UNMIK extends beyond the elections and the Secretary-General points to the many crucial challenges which it still must meet in trying to build a new and equitable society.

We continue to follow closely the implementation within the Secretariat of the recommendations of the Brahimi report on peacekeeping, and we appreciate the responses given by the Secretary-General to requests from Member States for greater detail in some areas. I would like to assure him of our continued support for measures aimed at building the United Nations peacekeeping capacity. The Secretary-General rightly makes the point that there is a need for further assistance in building up the capacity of Africa to undertake peacekeeping operations. We look forward to further action on this during the coming year.

The Secretary-General points to the need to deepen cooperation and coordination between the United Nations and regional organizations in strengthening United Nations peace-building activities in the wider effort to prevent conflict. This worked well in Haiti, where there was good cooperation between the Organization of American States and the United Nations, and we fully support the further enhancement of such mutually reinforcing links. As a member of the European Union, Ireland also welcomes the steps to strengthen cooperation between the Union and the United Nations in the area of crisis management.

International peace and security are indivisible and, because of this, we share the unease with which the Secretary-General regards the current uncertainties in the area of disarmament, particularly the weakening of the commitment to existing bilateral and multilateral arms-control agreements. Surely recent events strengthen, rather than diminish, the need for renewed commitment to multilateral negotiations towards legally binding, irreversible and verifiable disarmament agreements across the range of immensely destructive weapons in existence today.

In the area of conventional weapons, there is no question that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is a significant contributing factor in many modern conflicts. If our response is to have any chance of success, the problem has to be addressed in a comprehensive and integrated way. The July 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects was both the culmination of a long preparatory process and the launching pad for what we hope will be a dynamic follow-up process. The Conference was a significant, but first, step. Ireland will assume its responsibilities in working actively and cooperatively with other Member States to implement the Programme of Action. We support early, integrated action to this end.

In the Millennium Declaration, we pledged collectively to make the right to development a reality for everyone and to meet the special needs of Africa. The Secretary-General rightly focuses an important chapter of his report on cooperating for development. He points to some highly important developments over the past year, in particular the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which took place in May, and the special session on HIV/AIDS, which took place in June, as well as preparations for the crucial International Conference on Financing for Development, scheduled to take place early next year. If we are to remain faithful to and fulfil the promise of the Millennium Declaration, it will be essential to work together and to put words into action.

The Secretary-General has now issued his road map for implementation of the Declaration. It is a quality document, and we commend the Secretary-General for it. The road map provides the international community with a comprehensive and coherent approach to the achievement of the millennium development goals. We must work together to ensure that progress towards these goals is accelerated.

The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Report for 2001 makes clear that only a limited number of countries are on track to meet, by 2015, the goal of reducing by half the number of people living in extreme poverty. The achievement of this goal is fundamental to our efforts to ensure that globalization works for the benefit of all peoples in all countries. The road map will serve as an important benchmark against which to measure progress.

Ireland welcomes the establishment of the Information and Communication Technologies Task Force. The Task Force will play an important role in elaborating policies, providing advice on strategies and best practice, and mobilizing international efforts to bridge the digital divide.

We welcome the attention which has been given over the past year to strengthening the management of the United Nations and to accountability and oversight, as well as to more rigorous follow-up in ensuring that recommendations to address deficiencies are implemented.

Finally, in welcoming the Secretary-General's annual report on the work of the Organization, I would like to point to ways in which it could be still further improved. I would encourage implementation of two specific points identified in General Assembly resolution 51/241. These were, first, the inclusion of a forward-looking section containing specific goals for the Organization; and, secondly, the addition of an annex giving information on costs of programmes and activities. Both of these would be useful tools for the Secretariat in ongoing efforts to improve accountability and oversight, and they would also help Member States assess the extent to which mandates have been fulfilled.

Mr. Seixas da Costa (Portugal)

Belgium will be taking the floor later today on behalf of the European Union. Portugal, of course, fully subscribes to that statement.

As this is Portugal's first formal intervention in this plenary meeting, let me start by congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of this very demanding session of the General Assembly. My delegation and I will strive to be as helpful as possible in supporting your efforts to make this session a success.

This session is taking place at a unique and difficult time for the international community and during a period of grief for us all, for the host country of the United Nations and for all of the countries that lost citizens in this tragedy, including my own.

Portugal thanks the Secretary-General for his report on the work of the Organization and commends him and all his staff in the Secretariat and in other parts of the United Nations for the efforts undertaken this year in implementing the agenda of the Organization. My delegation is especially pleased that Mr. Kofi Annan will continue serving as Secretary-General for a second term, giving us the benefit of his leadership and experience in these particularly trying times.

The terrorist attacks of 11 September present a grave challenge to the United Nations -- a challenge which can best be faced by enhancing even further international cooperation in all fields and at all levels. Let us not forget that it is the United Nations that represents the highest and most universal expression of this international cooperation, and that it is, therefore, the United Nations that must remain at the core of all international efforts.

Security, in all its aspects, is clearly our main concern. How can our people feel safe in their homes? But how can we ensure also that they have homes to feel safe in? How can we help to bring conflicts to an end, and how can we prevent them from beginning? How can countries help themselves develop, and how can others help them do so? How can we secure the rule of law and protect human rights? Above all, how can we help those most in need?

The issues touched upon by the Secretary-General in his report -- peace and security, humanitarian assistance, development, human rights and international law -- all of these matters, in and of themselves and where they intersect, come together as a whole to provide the greatest challenges to the United Nations as well as the very purpose of its existence.

This is made abundantly clear in the preamble to the Charter of this Organization. Those powerful words ring as true today as they did when they were first declared more than half a century ago, and they set out clearly what is necessary for us, the United Nations, to continue to strive for.

First, we are striving for peace and security. Through the reform of the United Nations peacekeeping support structures and his report on conflict prevention, the Secretary-General is addressing fundamental needs in order to ensure that the United Nations has the capacity to meet the challenges posed by armed conflict. Work must proceed towards meeting organizational and resource requirements, to permit the effective planning, deployment and management of concurrent United Nations peacekeeping operations in different parts of the world. Particularly important is meeting the timelines established for rapid deployment. The recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations will be crucial to these efforts, and Portugal urges the approval of the necessary resources by the relevant bodies.

The recommendations contained in the report on conflict prevention are being taken up by all of the organs and agencies involved, and we look forward to their comprehensive and coordinated consideration in order to translate them into concrete measures.

The Secretariat's peace-building plan of action will also be of great importance as we increasingly recognize the need for coherent strategies for peace which run the gamut of activities from prevention to peacekeeping to peacebuilding and back to prevention once again. The Secretary-General is right when he writes of the need for a more effective capacity for situation analysis. This will lead to a more responsive and more effective United Nations.

The problem posed by the dangerous proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, such as biological and chemical weapons, cries out for continued international efforts at cooperation in the area of disarmament. It is imperative that these efforts proceed.

The struggle against the destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons also represents an example of the kind of coordinated international action that is needed to address the challenges that face us all.

Secondly, we are striving to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. Natural disasters and conflicts and their toll on our peoples around the world are uppermost in our mind; before anything else, we must try to save lives in immediate danger. United Nations humanitarian action must continue to receive the greatest attention from our Governments to ensure that the capacity is there to address the increasingly complex situations that pose such a challenge to us today.

Coordination, both at Headquarters and in the field, is critical to strengthen this capacity, thereby ensuring that all humanitarian actors are able to use their strengths and particular expertise, avoid any duplication of efforts and be most effective in the provision of assistance.

The plight of displaced persons -- both within and across borders -- continues, deservedly, to receive the attention of the United Nations. Portugal welcomes the Secretary-General's decision to strengthen the United Nations capacity to deal with internally displaced people, giving due importance to their need for protection and for improvements in their situation.

Access to the populations in need is, of course, crucial to the provision of humanitarian assistance. This cannot be stressed enough. Access should be unhindered and in conditions of safety and security, both for the humanitarian workers and for the victims.

Thirdly, the United Nations is striving for development. Poverty is a dire threat to human security, and the war declared on poverty by the Millennium Summit must continue. Poverty, social exclusion and inequality lead to tensions and conflicts and provide fertile ground for extremism, fanaticism and other violent forms of political expression.

In the globalization of the world's economies, we must be acutely aware of potential negative effects, and globalization must be given a human face so that its benefits are distributed as widely as possible. Globalization must be a collective process of growth and progress, seeking to include and not to exclude, to construct and not to destroy, to develop and not to impoverish. A regulated process of globalization, based on free and fair trade, can have a decisive influence in spreading the benefits of growth and contributing to the alleviation of social imbalances and ethnic tensions, as well as the cyclical crises that affect societies on the edge of development.

The HIV/AIDS catastrophe must also continue to be high on our agenda. The death and suffering caused by this terrible disease are tearing countries apart, particularly in Africa. This alarming situation needs the concerted action of the international community. Portugal fully supports these efforts and commends the Secretary-General for his particular commitment to this critical struggle.

Finally, we are striving for human rights and international law. As the Secretary-General points out, reports to the Commission on Human Rights paint

"a bleak picture of the status of human rights in the world today". (A/56/1, para. 196)

We must continue to strive for universal respect for human rights. The United Nations and its human rights treaties provide the framework for the protection of the rights of individuals, particularly those most vulnerable.

Portugal supports the important work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, whose Office should be provided with the necessary financial and human resources to respond to the crisis situations it faces on a daily basis. Voluntary contributions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights are, of course, important, but it is the regular budget of the United Nations that must ensure the provision of such resources and so avoid disruptive fluctuations in the level of financing.

Finally, I turn to international law, which the Secretary-General rightly considers the sine qua non of a world of order and justice. Strengthening respect for the rule of law in international affairs is a crucial task for the Organization, and we welcome the efforts of the Secretariat in this regard. The ratification of treaties, codifying the commitments undertaken by Member States for international cooperation, and the growth of international law in general are critical to this process, as is the work of the ad hoc international tribunals and of the International Criminal Court in ensuring that there will be no impunity for war crimes or other violations of international humanitarian law. The Rome Statute has indeed opened a new chapter in international law, and we fully subscribe to the Secretary-General's appeal to Member States to establish their consent to be bound by the Statute and to support the important cause of the Court.

I have addressed the four broad areas of the United Nations activities covered in the Secretary-General's report. Of course, I could not be exhaustive in my comments, and many issues I did not mention equally deserve attention from the United Nations. What I wish to stress here today is the importance of concerted, international cooperation in meeting all of these challenges. Thus can we continue to strive to accomplish the aims set out in the preamble to the Charter of these United Nations.

Mr. Fonseca (Brazil)

Mr. President, may I congratulate you on your election to preside over our work. We are certain that under your leadership the General Assembly will be successful in its work.

I wish to thank the Secretary-General for his important report on the work of the Organization. The report outlines a broad and objective view of the United Nations efforts in its various fields of action.

However, the report reveals another essential aspect of the Organization: the pivotal role of our Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, whose leadership has been essential in the institutional reform of the United Nations so that it may carry out its important duties in the contemporary world. At this critical moment for the international community, his moral stature grows still greater.

The General Assembly will have the opportunity to discuss the issue of terrorism in plenary meetings. However, I cannot fail to mention the challenge that that scourge represents for the Organization and for all of us. The expressions of solidarity over the loss of lives in the United States should be translated into a broad coalition in the name of tolerance and with the purpose of combating the underground networks of terror.

As the Secretary-General has indicated, the United Nations is the proper forum for this purpose and can ensure the global legitimacy of a long-term response to this threat. Terrorism is an enemy that, in order to attain its hateful objectives, makes destructive use of the instruments that characterize globalization: means of transportation, the instantaneous nature of modern communications, and the speed of financial transactions.

It is impossible to fight terrorism without the cooperation of all States. This is a task that, by its very nature, requires the resolute support of all, without exception. The Security Council must act with determination, in accordance to its mandate, in order to avoid a repetition of tragedies such as that which struck the world on 11 September.

Returning to the report of the Secretary-General, I would say that the same determination is necessary to find lasting solutions to the various conflicts that afflict the world, especially on the African continent and in the Middle East. We must be obsessive about finding solutions to these conflicts.

Despite the continuation of armed conflicts in various regions, East Timor stands out as a paradigmatic example of the ability of the United Nations to transform a situation when it comes to promoting peace. We must build upon that base, and we therefore hope that the Member States will continue to support the people of East Timor so that the progress made can be consolidated and extended.

Also in the area of peace and international security, we agree with the Secretary-General that the Brahimi report represents an important contribution to improving the performance of peace operations.

However, we are concerned that the reports of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and on conflict prevention are not receiving the same level of attention from Member States. The recommendations in those reports deserve careful analysis and action as soon as possible.

Equally important in promoting a stable world order is the affirmation of the international rule of law. We agree with the Secretary-General's evaluation of the deterrent effect the International Criminal Court will have in preventing massive violations of humanitarian law and human rights. The implementation of the International Criminal Court will be a positive step towards a more humane world order.

Another no less important issue is that of our need to redouble international efforts to mitigate the corrosive effects that extreme poverty and lack of opportunities have upon peace-building in the world.

The Millennium Summit set out fundamental objectives for eradicating poverty and promoting development. Member States pledged to reduce by half the number of persons living on less than $1 per day by 2015. The problem continues to be how to achieve that objective. The Secretary-General's "Road map towards the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration" (A/56/326) is an important step in that direction. The road map proposes a set of indicators that will make it possible for the international community to follow and evaluate the progress achieved towards the goals of development and sustainable development, including in the area of the commitments undertaken by developed countries.

There are no recipes applicable to every situation, but we know that there can be no development or eradication of poverty without access to markets for the exports of developing countries and without predictable and sustainable financial flows to support the implementation of public policies. In order to eradicate poverty a more favourable international environment must be combined with a national commitment to ensure that individuals are at the centre of the development process. In addition, international cooperation for development should support efforts to establish more just and egalitarian societies and more transparent and democratic political systems.

The International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in 2002 will be an opportunity to establish innovative mechanisms in that area. We attach high priority to the conference as part of the efforts to achieve the goals established at the Millennium Summit. For my country, which served as the host for the historic United Nations Conference on Environment and Development -- held in Rio de Janeiro -- the assessment of progress and new challenges in the implementation of Agenda 21 remains crucial. The year 2002 will therefore require great effort to make progress in the practical implementation of the concept of sustainable development. This, in turn, will demand determination and political will to confront such problems as unsustainable patterns of production and consumption.

This is a period in which we are seeking answers to help us understand how the terrible attacks of 11 September could happen. In addition to specific and immediate measures against terrorism, the work of the Organization as a whole can help prevent the recurrence of similar tragedies. If we are effective in the field of disarmament -- including in the areas of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and small arms -- and if we overcome the risk of unilateral solutions, we can create a safer international environment and avoid catastrophic scenarios such as the hypothetical mix of terrorism with weapons of mass destruction. If we promote development, combat discrimination, increase respect for human rights and succeed in making the United Nations an effective tool for the prevention and resolution of conflict, it will be more difficult to exploit feelings of despair and political and social exclusion to manipulate and exacerbate extremist hatred.

At a time when all of humankind is confronting a challenge of colossal proportions, the United Nations is more necessary than ever to create a horizon of harmony and prosperity for all peoples. In other words, we must together build globalization imbued with solidarity. The United Nations is undoubtedly the best instrument for that purpose.

Mr. Sychov (Belarus)

My delegation would like to extend its thanks to the Secretary-General for introducing his report on the work of the Organization. As in previous years, our delegation regards the report as a solid foundation for a thorough analysis of the work of the United Nations in the past year and for defining the main areas and priorities for the future.

The fact that the Secretary-General has been elected to a second term, even before the end of his first term, is symbolically important as we consider his report. We wish Mr. Kofi Annan success in this new difficult stage of the United Nations development and are ready to offer him our full support and cooperation in his work.

The first year of this new century has shown the entire world community the full scale and scope of existing problems. The acts of terrorism that shook the world on 11 September of this year clearly illustrate the need for concrete global response to global challenges. We think that this is the perspective from which we should look at the work of the United Nations today. Belarus joined the States of the world in their strong condemnation of the unprecedented acts of terrorism against major cities of the United States. The President and Government of Belarus immediately conveyed their sympathies and condolences to the American people on their pain, which has now become the pain of the world community.

We welcome the proposal for an immediate and comprehensive discussion on the problems of combating terrorism, which is to begin in the General Assembly next week. Belarus will actively participate in working out collective initiatives to counter this most heinous contemporary global phenomenon. Only the collective machinery at the disposal of the United Nations system can help us to find a comprehensive response to this challenge and to prevent its future repetition.

Globalization has recently been the subject of theoretical and scientific research. But today globalization has become part of people's daily lives. In this connection, we welcome the focus of the United Nations on practical results in this area. The Declaration adopted at the Millennium Summit established the reliable foundation for moving ahead in directions assigned priority by the international community. Development is the point of departure here, a priority that we indeed believe is the only real of way of ensuring further progress by the Member States of the United Nations in the era of globalization.

We share the Secretary-General's approach and his desire to look at development as an integrated whole. The realities of the world today show that economics, the environment, finance and natural resources are all increasingly interrelated and impact directly on the maintenance of international peace and security and conflict prevention and management. In this connection it is appropriate to stress the need for a comprehensive and consistent strategy for conflict prevention. Discussing the recommendations submitted by the Secretary-General last July is very productive. In essence we need to focus the work of the Organization on prevention and on alerting everyone to hotbeds of instability, for ignoring them, as we have unfortunately seen, would have consequences that cannot be remedied.

We must continue to strengthen peacekeeping and peace-building machinery. The decisions and recommendations of the General Assembly and the Security Council with regard to the recommendations of the Brahimi report should be implemented. In this connection, we will soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the Secretariat on participation in stand-by arrangements and are ready to make our contribution to this work.

The Secretary-General's report contains many references to various aspects of the situation in Africa. Africa has for a long time been a focus of United Nations attention; but we are now for the first time seeing some indication of improvement and stabilization. This includes prospects for significant progress in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Burundi, Somalia and some positive trends in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We think it is very important for all bodies in the United Nations system -- and primarily the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council -- not to lose momentum, but to continue to actively support and assist African States to overcome their many problems.

We cannot confine ourselves to discussing this issue and calling for action. Today, in order to resolve the truly difficult problems, we must also exploit the potential of regional organizations. In this context, we are convinced that the African Union must become a reliable partner of the United Nations.

One source of problems in guaranteeing international peace and security is the very unsettling situation in the Middle East. Belarus is convinced that there is no alternative to establishing an independent Palestinian State through political negotiations based on strict respect for the Security Council's resolutions and the decisions of other international forums. This is the only way to ensure respect for the inalienable right of the Palestinians to self-determination and to guarantee Israel's security interests. It is regrettable that the Security Council was unable last year to achieve consensus on a possible United Nations presence in the region during these difficult times.

As a State of Europe, Belarus shares the concern expressed in the Secretary-General's report over the ongoing instability in the Balkans. The crisis in that region has truly widened and there are continuing ethnic divisions and the threat of territorial war. We believe that the Security Council must focus more on analysing and determining how to solve the problem. The international community must lead the peacekeeping efforts in the region in order to avoid any further serious outbreak of war.

Considerable attention is devoted to disarmament in the report on the work of the Organization. The past year clearly showed that there are many outstanding and urgent problems in this respect. The statistics on global military budgets are alarming and the Secretary-General affirms that further active efforts are needed. Belarus is resolved to taking such steps. In 2000, we deposited instruments of ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. In February this year, medium- and short-range missiles inspections were completed on our territory, putting our country in full compliance with all the provisions of the Treaty. Our adherence to a responsible export control policy is reflected in the fact that we joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2000.

Belarus welcomes the Secretary-General's assessment in his report of the threat posed by the deployment of national missile defence systems, which would have a negative impact not only on existing bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements, but also on current and future disarmament and non-proliferation efforts. In our sincere opinion, the realities of today's world confirm the great importance of this issue. The establishment of new weapons systems cannot overshadow contemporary priorities focused on creating a climate conducive to sustainable development.

In developing ideas on the interrelationship between security and development in this century, our delegation welcomes the intensive work being done this year to prepare for the International Conference on Financing for Development. We feel that that forum must establish an entirely new international consensus on global economic and financial problems related to development. Belarus believes that a consensus must be built that takes account of the specific interests and needs of countries at different stages of economic and social development. The message of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, to the Secretary-General clearly set forth our support for the Secretary-General's recommendations on the need for the direct and paramount participation of the Governments of all interested countries, along with representatives of the private sector, non-governmental organizations and civil society. The success of the Monterey Conference will in turn be very important to our moving ahead in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa in 2002.

In the context of preparations for that meeting, we cannot fail to stress the need to address the consequences of man-made disasters. In the context of this year's sorrowful fifteenth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, it is all the more evident that this problem is also related to ensuring sustainable development, primarily in the affected territories, and requires the full attention of the international community. We are convinced that the United Nations will keep this in mind as it prepares its future strategy on coping with the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.

As we analyse the Secretary-General's report and compare it to past reports in the light of recent events, we are all aware today of the need for unity in the actions of the international community to achieve a future of dignity. It is again clear that the United Nations can and must be the effective source of such unity. Achieving it will not be easy, but it is possible. The Government of the Republic of Belarus is willing to work with all other Member States to that end.

Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom)

The United Kingdom is profoundly grateful to the Secretary-General for his latest report on the work of the United Nations. It is, as always, a thoughtful reflection on the work of the Organization and on the way ahead. Together with the Millennium Declaration issued by heads of State and Government in September 2000 and with the road map for the implementation of that Declaration, it sets clear signposts for the year and years ahead.

Since 11 September, we have all realized that we have another -- and, in the short to medium term, overwhelming -- priority: to deal with the scourge of terrorism. The attacks on the United States did not merely do grave injury to our host city, our host country and its citizens, and to the citizens of nearly 80 other States. As the Secretary-General said yesterday, they struck at everything for which the United Nations stands: peace, freedom, tolerance, human rights and the very idea of a united human family.

The United Kingdom shares the horror and the profound grief caused by these atrocities. The British list of the missing itself runs into the hundreds. When it is clear who is responsible for those actions and who has supported, protected or abetted those responsible, the United Kingdom will contribute to bringing them to account.

But, collectively, the membership of the United Nations has to do more than that. The United Nations set a structure in place for the period from 1945 onwards to prevent the return of global conflict. In that, the Organization has been successful. But the structures which we have in place -- political, military and legal -- have been primarily focused to deal with the main threat of the past period, that of war between States. Our challenge now is to make sure that we have structures to deal with the present and future threats we face, of which the threat of terrorism is now the most immediate. We cannot afford to make the mistake that was committed between the two World Wars of the twentieth century: to imagine that our adversaries share the same values, basic rules and assumptions about how human beings, even in conflict and war, should behave towards one another. We have to acknowledge that the people who plotted, organized and carried out these attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on 11 September were not people who accept any of the rules or values that the vast majority of people in the world would recognize.

That is why the United Kingdom Government, from the Prime Minister downwards, have stated so clearly in public and in private that this is not a clash of institutions or religions, and particularly not an argument with Islam. As a further example of our getting our priorities right, the United Kingdom has, since 11 September, allocated considerable further funding to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The United Kingdom will be contributing, together with our partners in the European Union, to the debate on terrorism which will start in the General Assembly on 1 October. We must transform our traditional methods of diplomacy to bring some good out of this evil. On the one hand, we must not be deflected from our attempts to resolve conflicts, defuse tensions and build peace in the troubled regions of the world, whether this be the Middle East, the Balkans, Africa or elsewhere. The terrorists will want all those efforts to fail. But we now have another urgent duty: to ensure that no one, whether States or individuals, harbours, supports, finances or encourages terrorism. The international community must unite as never before to take determined, collective action against the threat that terrorism and its supporters pose to global security. We will support action both in the Security Council and in the General Assembly to achieve those joint and comprehensive objectives.

Terrorism is ultimately self-defeating. We Member States, collectively, have to channel the rage and revulsion which we feel into effective decisions to ensure the triumph of the civilized values for which the Charter of the United Nations stands. In setting ourselves that aim and acting upon it in unison, the United Nations will emerge an even stronger Organization.

But we cannot allow our determination to combat terrorism to divert us from action to meet the other global challenges which confront us. I want to highlight some of the global issues on which we have to concentrate in the months ahead.

The battle against poverty must remain at the heart of our collective effort. The financing-for-development process will be the principal forum for our debate on this issue until the Conference in Monterrey in March next year. We have set ourselves clear, global development goals at United Nations conferences and at the Millennium Summit. Financing for development gives us the opportunity to find the resources to meet those goals: national and international, public and private.

Monterrey must rise above the all too familiar Second Committee squabbles about who is responsible for the unsatisfactory results so far in addressing the needs of developing countries. The fact is that we are all responsible. At the extreme ends of the spectrum, it may be selfishness, callousness or incompetence that is getting in the way. For most of us, however, it means that we have so far failed to establish a common purpose which overrides our political or philosophical differences. At Monterrey we have to develop a programme for collective action which is more effective in addressing the problems of the developing world than any previous efforts. The European Union will be contributing strongly to that end, as the Belgian Presidency will make clear in this debate later today.

Beyond Monterrey, we have set ourselves the task of looking at the broader picture of sustainable development at the Johannesburg Summit next autumn. We have to face up to the fact that we have not got it right since Rio. We have not met the challenges of building sustainable development on the foundations of economic performance, social strength and protection of the environment. This time we must ensure that we get each of these equally important pillars in place and bearing the right load.

2002 will also ask us to maintain our promise to the world's children and ensure that the special session on children takes forward materially the protection of their rights and their well-being. Can we really yet say that we have given children the priority they deserve, over and above the competing priorities of national politics? It is time to deliver for the next generation. And let us not forget the world's older persons, who look to the World Assembly on Ageing next April for real results.

As important as the new agenda is, we still have to keep our promises inherited from the old one. The United Nations peacekeeping and conflict-prevention capacities must be enhanced, along the lines of the Brahimi report. Effective follow-up to the General Assembly's special session on AIDS must also be a priority. The agendas from Beijing, including pushing forward the cause of the gender mainstreaming of our work here in New York, and from Copenhagen and Istanbul, all remain on the table. It is a mark against the international community that we still have work to do to consolidate human rights as the foundation for our global programme of human advancement.

In no continent is it more important that we pull together these difficult and demanding agendas than in Africa. We have focused our rhetoric on Africa for too long without achieving the dramatic changes that are necessary. Now Africans have themselves responded in establishing the New African Initiative. The United Kingdom applauds them for taking their responsibilities seriously and working on the programmes that are flowing as a result. The United Kingdom Government, at the highest level, is taking a detailed interest in the progress of the New African Initiative and will contribute materially to it. Programmes based on partnership, which will itself ensure a comprehensive approach, must guide the United Nations response, across the different organs and agencies of the Organization. And those organs and agencies must themselves find a way of acting corporately and cooperatively, moving beyond the anachronistic inhibitions which still haunt our corridors.

It is time that we all recognized that, to meet the demanding targets we have set ourselves, the involvement of Governments alone is not enough. Success in all these endeavours will need the United Nations to develop its partnerships with civil society, whose voice must be heard in our debates. The energy of the private sector, in all its many manifestations, also has to be captured. The Secretary-General's Global Compact is gaining support, and with that support can generate significant results. Ordinary people must understand the relevance of the United Nations, because our work only matters if it makes a difference to them. In other words, our work in New York must become less narrow and more responsive to the real needs of a rapidly changing world.

I have confidence that under your leadership, Mr. President, and in the light of the consistent and forward-looking guidance offered to us by our Secretary-General, this Assembly will take our whole agenda forward with vigour and practical efficiency.

Mr. van den Berg (Netherlands)

This afternoon, Belgium will make a statement on behalf of the European Union to which the Netherlands fully subscribes. But I wish to make a few remarks on the national level.

The attacks on the United States on 11 September have changed our lives, our work and our goals. We are saddened and angered. The international community and the United Nations as an organization have rallied together to condemn and combat the scourge of international terrorism. We also have to reflect and refocus on what we deem important as human beings and as a global community. Looking back at the past year of the United Nations would somehow appear marginal if we did not consider at the same time the work of the Organization in the light of the horrific and uprooting events of two weeks ago.

But first and foremost, I should like to emphasize the profound admiration the Government of the Netherlands has for the huge and varied work done by the United Nations. That goes for the United Nations system as a whole, but certainly also for all the achievements of United Nations Headquarters in New York. Considering the relatively limited financial and human resources of the Organization, the United Nations manages to get a tremendous amount of work done, especially in the field of cross-border problems such as combating HIV/AIDS, poverty eradication, global climate issues, refugee problems and, last but not least, terrorism.

Indisputable as it is, the huge workload of the United Nations will inevitably be affected by the need to contemplate the agenda for the near future. As the Secretary-General has reminded us, we need to address the conditions that permit the growth of hatred and depravity. We thus need to look at root causes, such as conflict, disease, poverty and ignorance. We have to remove the conditions that may create a breeding ground for the insanity of terrorism. The dramatic events of 11 September have demonstrated the need to address those global issues. The United Nations should take the lead and can make a real difference. And we believe that the United Nations can make a difference, not only when it comes to combating cross-border terrorism, but also in those other fields where individual Governments need overarching direction and the support of the international community. There is an immediate urge to address in an operational and result-oriented way, for the world at large, the issues of safety, security and the international rule of law. Let me therefore highlight a few issues that the United Nations, given the obvious linkages, needs to address as a matter of urgency.

The first is enhancing the rule of law. Eliminating the scourge of terrorism requires a broad and global coalition. The 12 United Nations conventions against terrorism must come into full effect, and they be must be enforced. All nations that have not done so yet should therefore sign and ratify all United Nations conventions against terrorism, including the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.

As another step in the war against terrorism, we want the International Criminal Court to be established without further delay. Impunity for crimes against humanity is unacceptable. Those who are guilty of crimes against humanity should be individually held accountable, and the community of States should bring them to justice. During the upcoming preparatory meeting for the International Criminal Court here in New York, the Netherlands will maintain its commitment to that goal by pursuing the necessary arrangements for the establishment of the Court.

Let me now make a few remarks on development. When it comes to eliminating the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and stability, the United Nations has to play its part. The Millennium Declaration helped to create a sense of urgency, and the present debate provides an occasion for the international community to take stock of our joint efforts, and to deliberate on and provide guidelines for the future course of action. In our view, the international community has to step up those efforts. That is why the Netherlands strongly urges all developed countries to adhere to the international target of devoting 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product to official development assistance.

But we need to do more, and we need to do better. Poverty and other threats to durable peace and security can be effectively addressed only as a common endeavour of the States in the United Nations system. In that regard, the International Conference on Financing for Development will be a first test.

By doing that we will set the goals of the United Nations as an organization higher. The input of the Secretariat in our decision-making process will be challenged by our increasing demand to come to grips with the true overarching global phenomena we face. Yet, as a percentage of world gross domestic product, we spend only 0.0000-something per cent -- in short, a negligible amount of world gross domestic product -- on the Organization's Secretariat, funds, programmes and specialized agencies. I simply ask: is that really sufficient? Let us reflect on that question.

With the new agenda taking shape on the basis of the goals set by the Millennium Declaration and the report (A/55/305) of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations chaired by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, I should like to assure the Assembly that the Government of the Netherlands stands ready to play an active role and expects other delegations to do likewise. Member States have to be innovative, forward-looking and not unduly bothered by too-detailed management of the Organization. The Netherlands, for one, has total confidence in the way the Secretary-General, as chief executive officer, manages the Organization, thus freeing us Member States from cumbersome micro-management and enabling us to focus on broader lines of policy.

The present state of the world gives us a chance to bring the United Nations to its full potential. Let us not fail in that endeavour.

Mr. Zackheos (Cyprus)

A problem occurred in a Python script. Here is the sequence of function calls leading up to the error, in the order they occurred.

<type 'exceptions.UnicodeEncodeError'>: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xea' in position 5528: ordinal not in range(128)
      args = ('ascii', u'\n\t<p id="pg014-bk01-pa01">I would like to extend...s, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike.</p>', 5528, 5529, 'ordinal not in range(128)')
      encoding = 'ascii'
      end = 5529
      message = ''
      object = u'\n\t<p id="pg014-bk01-pa01">I would like to extend...s, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike.</p>'
      reason = 'ordinal not in range(128)'
      start = 5528