General Assembly Session 58 meeting 69

The Acting President

Members will recall that the General Assembly considered sub-items (a) to (e) of agenda item 40 during its 37th to 39th plenary meetings, which took place from 20 to 21 October 2003.

I give the floor to the representative of South Africa to introduce draft resolutions A/58/L.22 and A/58/L.35, on behalf of the Group of African States.

Mr. Oosthuizen (South Africa)

On behalf of the Group of African States, I have the honour to introduce, under sub-item (b) of agenda item 40, concerning the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance to individual countries or regions, draft resolution A/58/L.22, entitled "Emergency humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia", and draft resolution A/58/L.35, entitled "Emergency humanitarian assistance to Malawi".

Draft resolution A/58/L.22, regarding Ethiopia, which is before the General Assembly for the second time, is generally an updated version of the previous draft resolution, and contains very few additions. Among the major elements of the draft resolution is the call for the international community to support the programme of the Coalition for Food Security in Ethiopia, which aims at breaking the cycle of food-aid dependency within the next three to five years. We believe that the implementation of that programme, along with other existing programmes mentioned in the draft resolution, will be a breakthrough in fighting the severe consequences of recurrent drought in that country. We ask that the General Assembly adopt the draft resolution by consensus.

I should also like to announce that, since the publication of draft resolution A/58/L.22, the following countries have become sponsors of the draft resolution: Austria, Bhutan, Canada, Congo, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Mozambique, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Somalia, Sweden, Thailand, Ukraine and Yemen.

I also have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/58/L.35, entitled "Emergency humanitarian assistance to Malawi". This is a new draft resolution in the General Assembly. It has been necessitated by the serious food insecurity crisis caused by two consecutive years of drought, floods and heavy rains, leading to serious crop failure. The vulnerability of Malawian communities has also been exacerbated by the rapid spread of the human immunodeficiency syndrome -- HIV/AIDS -- poverty and malnutrition, particularly among children, creating greater levels of dependency and undermining that people's ability to cope with humanitarian crises.

The long-term consequences of natural disasters are likely to be severe for a poor developing country like Malawi, and call for international cooperation to assist in capacity-building in the areas of predicting, preparing for and responding to disasters. It is therefore the aim of this draft resolution to mobilize the international community and encourage it to maintain its unwavering support for the people of Malawi affected by humanitarian crises.

The draft resolution recalls all the relevant resolutions relating to humanitarian crises, including resolution 46/182, the annex of which contains the guiding principles for the provision of humanitarian assistance for natural disasters. Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the draft resolution recognizes the right of everyone to a standard of living adequate for their health and well-being, including food, medical care, necessary social services and the right to security in the event of lack of livelihood due to circumstances beyond their control.

The draft resolution welcomes the positive role of the Government of Malawi in relief operations and coordination with the United Nations system. The efforts of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA )through the United Nations consolidated appeals process is acknowledged, and OCHA is requested to continue to improve the effectiveness of that process.

The draft resolution also emphasizes the importance of enhanced international cooperation, and calls upon all States to assist Malawi in the areas of mitigating the effects of natural disasters and disaster prevention and preparedness. In addition, the international community is requested to continue to support Malawi in its efforts to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, poverty and malnutrition. The draft resolution also requests the Secretary-General to report on the status of the implementation of its provisions during the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly.

The draft resolution has been the subject of informal and bilateral consultations. I would therefore like to thank all the delegations that actively contributed to the process in order to reach a consensus text.

In addition to the list of sponsors that appears in the draft resolution, the following delegations have also become sponsors of the draft resolution: Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Mauritania and Norway.

The Acting President

I have just been informed that the sponsors of draft resolution A/58/L.33 have requested that the introduction of that draft be deferred to Tuesday, 9 December.

I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco to introduce draft resolution A/58/L.34, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Mr. Bouchaara (Morocco)

It is an honour and a privilege for the Kingdom of Morocco to introduce, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, as well as of all 162 sponsors, draft resolution A/58/L.34, entitled "International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development". One aspect of this draft resolution deserves particular mention. Although it was originally submitted by the Group of 77 and beyond the Group of 77, and many China, it soon became obvious during informal consultations that the international consensus on the draft extended delegations belonging to various groups expressed a wish to support -- and a significant number to sponsor -- the draft resolution.

In addition to the countries mentioned in the document, the following States are also sponsors of draft resolution A/58/L.34: the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Monaco, Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

It is particularly encouraging that, throughout this session, international consensus on the draft resolution has been consolidated once again, and even furthered. I would like, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, to thank all delegations members of the various groups for their support and their sponsorship.

Growing support for the draft resolution can be summed up in a number of observations, the first of which relates to the nature of the subject. Because of their scope, intensity and frequency, and the dramatic consequences that they have, natural disasters affect all the people of the Earth. Of course, vulnerable countries, which often lack effective means of mitigating the long-term repercussions of these disasters at the social, economic and ecological levels, are the worst affected. It is also true, however, that countries with significant levels of development and industrialization have not been spared the consequences of such disasters. We have witnessed, therefore, both a growing collective awareness of the need to work together on prevention and to limit the consequences of natural disasters when they do take place, as well as to urgently bolster international cooperation in this sphere.

That is why the draft resolution submitted today to the General Assembly today reiterates the need to strengthen international cooperation in the provision of humanitarian assistance at all stages of a disaster, from relief to development, in particular through the proper use of multilateral mechanisms and the provision of adequate resources.

As the draft resolution makes clear, we must work to achieve greater international cooperation, in particular with United Nations bodies and regional organizations, in order to help developing countries to acquire the capacity to prevent natural disasters, prepare for them and respond to them.

The draft resolution also focuses on prevention strategies, preparation for natural disasters and early-warning systems at the country and regional levels. It also encourages the further use of space-based and ground-based remote-sensing technologies to help to prevent natural disasters and mitigate their effects. The draft resolution also recognizes the role played by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as the focal point for the entire United Nations system for the promotion and coordination of humanitarian assistance organizations of the United Nations and other partners in the humanitarian fields in the area of natural disasters.

Finally -- and this is a particularly important element -- the draft resolution requests the Secretary-General to examine ways to further improve the assessment of needs and responses, to enhance the availability of data and to consider recommendations in this respect.

Indeed, the sole purpose of the draft resolution is to improve the capacity of States, in particular developing countries, to prevent, and to respond more effectively to the tragic consequences of natural disasters. It is our purpose -- and our duty -- to help save lives. The central issue is the question posed by Diderot: what do we owe each other? This message of brotherhood, international solidarity and respect for others must be at the heart of our humanitarian assistance activities. That is the message that I want to convey today.

I cannot conclude without warmly thanking the delegation of India, in particular Mr. Bhagwant Bishnoi, who, this year as every year, has acted as a skilful and enthusiastic facilitator of the draft resolution on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

On behalf of the sponsors, I appeal for the draft resolution to be adopted by consensus, as in previous years.

The Acting President

The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolutions A/58/L.22, A/58/L.34 and A/58/L.35.

We will turn first to A/58/L.22, entitled "Emergency humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia".

I should like to announce that, since the introduction of draft resolution A/58/L.22, the following countries have become sponsors: Argentina, Finland, Italy and Malaysia.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/58/L.22?

The Acting President

Draft resolution A/58/L.34 is entitled "International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development".

Since the introduction of draft resolution A/58/L.34, the following countries have become sponsors: Estonia, Norway, Serbia and Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

May I take it that the Assembly wishes to adopt draft resolution A/58/L.34?

The Acting President

Draft resolution A/58/L.35 is entitled "Emergency humanitarian assistance to Malawi".

Since the introduction of draft resolution A/58/L.35, the following countries have become sponsors: Italy, Kenya, Madagascar and Togo.

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to adopt A/58/L.35?

Mrs. Zewdie (Ethiopia)

The adoption by consensus of the resolution "Emergency humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia" for the second time in the General Assembly is a reflection of the reaffirmation of commitment of the international community to fight humanitarian crises collectively. This year's resolution draws the attention of the international community to the programme of coalition for food security in Ethiopia with the ambitious objective of breaking the cycle of aid dependence within three to five years.

Lifting a food-insecure and vulnerable population of 50 million out of poverty within three to five years would indeed be a daunting task, requiring the commitment of all stakeholders. The Government demonstrated its commitment for the programme by increasing the budget allocated for food security by 50 per cent this year. The response of the international community during their conference, held three days ago in Addis Ababa to find a lasting solution for the drought problem, has been encouraging. It is our sincere hope that the international community's valuable support will be with us in the full realization of this programme.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the African Group and all those who have shown their cooperation by joining the sponsorship of the resolution. In the same vain, I would like to extend our gratitude to Italy in its capacity as the President of the European Union, United States of America, Japan, India and Canada for their constructive contributions during our bilateral consultations. I would also like to express my thanks to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance for its support, and His Excellency Mr. Jean-Marc Hoscheit, the Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, for the able leadership he had demonstrated in coordinating the process of the resolution.

My country looks forward to the full implementation of this resolution.

The Acting President

The General Assembly has concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-items (a), (b) and (e) of agenda item 40.

The Acting President

It is my understanding that it would be desirable to defer consideration of this item to the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to defer consideration of this item and to include it in the provisional agenda of the fifty-ninth session?

The Acting President

This concludes our consideration of agenda item 35.

The Acting President

The General Assembly will consider these items in a joint debate. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

Ms. Kelley (Director, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council Affairs Division)

I should like to advise members of the General Assembly that the report of the Secretary-General on these items, under the symbol A/58/616, will be made available in all languages during the course of our debate today and will be distributed to you as they become available. The reason for the delay in its issuance is due to the fact that the Security Council mission to Afghanistan returned to Headquarters on 7 November. The mission's finding formed a critical input to the Secretary-General's report and thus was finalized only in the last few days. The Secretariat mobilized additional human resources during these past two days so as to ensure that the report becomes available in all languages during our debate today.

The Acting President

I call on the representative of Germany to introduce draft resolution A/58/L.32.

Mr. Pleuger (Germany)

I have the honour to introduce this year's draft resolution on Afghanistan under items 28 and 40 (f) of the agenda of the General Assembly. Please allow me to underscore from the outset that Germany fully aligns itself with the statement of the European Union, which will later be presented by Italy as the presidency of the European Union.

The date for the discussion and adoption of this year's Afghanistan resolution coincides with the second anniversary of the Bonn Agreement. Two years ago, the Afghans took their future into their own hands, seized an historic opportunity, ended a cycle of brutal civil war and poverty, and concluded the Bonn Agreement. This Agreement paved the way for a new start for Afghanistan for a better future which holds the prospect of political stability, economic reconstruction and peaceful development.

In the last two years, the Afghan Government, with the support of the international community, has made significant progress in implementing the Bonn Agreement and recovering from the devastation caused by more than two decades of war. After the adoption of last year's resolution, further progress was achieved in various areas, including the development of a comprehensive national budget, the publication of a draft text for a constitution, the beginning of the disarmament demobilization and reintegration process, and the first steps in the formation of a national army and a national police. This is a clear sign of increased Afghan ownership, which we welcome wholeheartedly.

At the same time, much remains to be done. Having led the Security Council mission to Afghanistan, and having gained a personal impression of the situation on the ground, I think it is right to say that we are at a critical juncture in the socio-economic and political reconstruction of this country. Germany sees currently four fundamental areas which need to be tackled immediately by the Afghan Government and with the largest possible support by the international community if we want to avoid putting at risk the full implementation of the Bonn process. First, the representativeness of the Government needs to be increased -- in particular in the security institutions -- and efforts to promote national unity and reconciliation have to be strengthened. Secondly, security countrywide, which is currently deteriorating owing to terrorist activities, factional fighting and drug-related crime, has to be improved and the authority of the central Government must be extended. Thirdly, the pace of reconstruction and the provision of the necessary financial resources has to be accelerated. And fourthly, the efforts of the Transitional Administration to eliminate illicit poppy cultivation, trafficking in drugs and their precursors and to improve law enforcement, crop substitution and other alternative livelihood and development programmes in Afghanistan have to be maintained and intensified.

All of those areas are interlinked. Each of them has the potential, not only to adversely affect the prospect of political stability, economic reconstruction and peaceful development in Afghanistan, but also to substantially jeopardize those processes. Therefore, none of those areas can be neglected at the expense of the others. All of those priority areas require simultaneous commitment and action by the Afghan Government, as well as enhanced support by the international community and Afghanistan's neighbours.

This year's draft resolution, A/58/L.32, which I have the honour to present today, renews that message to the Afghan people, to its neighbouring States and to the international community. It has been jointly drafted by many delegations in a spirit of support for the people and Government of Afghanistan. The large number of sponsors -- more than 130 of them -- is yet another sign that despite crises in other regions of the world, Afghanistan remains at the top of the international community's list of priorities. It is a strong signal of the continued support of the United Nations for the Afghan people and for the Transitional Administration in Kabul.

Let me quickly highlight some of the key aspects of the new text. First, this year's draft resolution had to incorporate the political developments in Afghanistan that have occurred over the past 12 months. It also takes into account the findings of the recent Security Council mission to Afghanistan. It welcomes the positive developments taking place in Afghanistan, spells out the major challenges lying ahead and addresses the responsibilities of the main parties inside as well as outside of Afghanistan. It welcomes the recent expansion of the International Security Assistance Force mandate, in accordance with the Bonn Agreement, as well as the progressive establishment of Provincial Reconstruction Teams in various parts of Afghanistan.

Additionally, the draft resolution reaffirms the central role of the United Nations in international assistance efforts, calls for continued international support for the Transitional Administration in the implementation of the Bonn Agreement and endorses its priorities. The draft also emphasizes, however, that the main responsibility for a sustainable political solution lies with the Afghan people themselves. Unless all Afghan groups respect the authority of the Transitional Administration and cooperate fully to implement the Bonn Agreement, a lasting peace cannot be obtained.

The draft resolution further reflects the progress that has been achieved in the humanitarian field, in particular, with regard to the implementation of relief and reconstruction programmes. Unfortunately, achievements in that field have been overshadowed by a series of lethal terrorist attacks on humanitarian personnel throughout the country, resulting in the withdrawal of various non-governmental organizations from Afghanistan or from certain regions of the country, with a consequent significant slowdown of relief or development work. In order to address that changed environment, the draft resolution has a greater focus on the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and on the question of sufficient access by them to all parts of the country.

The draft resolution retains its strong emphasis on human rights and on the improvement of the situation of women and children, in particular, that of girls. In that regard, my Government welcomes Afghanistan's ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. We hope that that ratification will form the basis for gradual progress in that area.

The draft resolution also highlights the continued influx of large numbers of refugees and of internally displaced persons seeking to return to their places of origin. That migration is an additional burden on the Transitional Administration and needs to be managed in a comprehensive and sustainable way. By June 2003, the total number of those repatriated had already surpassed 2 million. My Government commends the efforts undertaken by the Transitional Administration, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator in that regard.

For many years now, Germany has felt a special commitment to aid Afghanistan, bilaterally as well as within the United Nations. That builds on a long-standing tradition of exchange between the Afghan and German peoples in the cultural and academic sectors. The German commitment embraced from the beginning many projects, inter alia, in the spheres of education and human rights. Germany also took the lead role in setting up the new Afghan police force. Additionally, Germany has recently extended its civil and military engagement in Afghanistan. In the context of the Security Council decision to expand the mandate of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) beyond Kabul, the German Government decided to expand its presence in Afghanistan to the Herat region in the west and to the region around Kunduz in the north of the country. On 1 December 2003 a German civilian component commenced operations from our Embassy's new branch office in Herat. Since 25 October 2003, work has been under way to establish a German ISAF Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Kunduz, which, by the end of this year, will become a German-led NATO pilot PRT project.

By formally expanding our civilian presence beyond Kabul and its surrounding areas, we hope to help Afghanistan break out of the vicious circle with a lack of security in turn hindering progress in the political, economic and humanitarian reconstruction effort. We would welcome any military or civilian participation by interested partners in either the ISAF pilot project in Kunduz or the purely civilian German component in Herat.

Germany believes that that strategy is the best way to ensure long-term stability, by facilitating reconstruction efforts throughout the country and by providing a secure environment for the constitutional process and electoral preparations. We strongly hope that other nations will establish additional PRTs in the near future. It is our view, however, that those efforts should be complemented by a reaffirmation of the commitment of the international community to promote the political and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.

I renew in this regard my appeal to all Member States to fulfil the commitments they made at Tokyo in 2002 and reiterated at Dubai in September of this year, and to contribute substantially to the Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund, to the Law and Order Trust Fund and to the Afghan National Development Framework.

Furthermore, Germany is of the view that the international community should seriously consider the possibility of a follow-up conference to the Bonn process and of a donor conference, as suggested by President Karzai. In Afghanistan, the conditions necessary for a credible national political process are not yet in place. It is becoming more and more evident that not all core outcomes intended by Bonn can actually be achieved by mid-2004. We believe that a systematic review of the Bonn Agenda and the elaboration of future benchmarks for the political process should be undertaken soon, in order to generate the necessary financial resources in time and to avoid a political vacuum after June 2004.

I would like to stress the key role of the United Nations in this context. The United Nations is, and will remain, the key body in aiding and supporting our Afghan friends in rebuilding their society, their economy and their country. The United Nations has assumed these tasks admirably. I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General; his Special Representative, Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi; and the staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan for their tireless efforts.

I am sure that I speak on behalf of all of us in this regard when I say that we owe sincere and deep gratitude to Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi for his exceptional leadership and for the very valuable role he has played throughout the process. We wish him all the best for the future.

Germany will continue consistently to support the efforts of the United Nations in this area with all the means at its disposal. We hope jointly to achieve the goal of a peaceful and free Afghanistan that will play its part in ensuring the region's long-term stability.

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all Member States willing to sponsor this draft resolution and would appreciate it very much if we could adopt it -- as in the past -- by consensus.