General Assembly Session 61 meeting 24

The President

Members will recall that the Secretary-General presented his tenth, and final, annual report to the General Assembly at the 10th plenary meeting on 19 September 2006. The report presents the Organization's activities over the past 12 months in the areas of development, peace and security, human rights, the rule of law, humanitarian affairs and the strengthening of the United Nations. This year, the report also includes a section on global constituencies, including civil society and the business community, in order to cover an area that, according to the Secretary-General, has not previously been classified as a central to the Organization's work but has become increasingly important. It is, therefore, important that Member States also address that issue in their statements.

Ms. Lintonen (Finland)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The acceding countries of Bulgaria and Romania, the candidate countries of Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, the European Free Trade Association country member of the European Economic Area -- Norway -- as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, align themselves with this statement.

The European Union would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report (A/61/1) on the work of the Organization. It is very fitting that, for the first time, the report combines the progress made in implementing the Millennium Declaration with a review of the work of the Organization. My comments will follow the outline presented by the Secretary-General in his excellent report, starting with development.

As the 2005 World Summit emphasized, development must be based on global partnership. The EU remains firmly committed to supporting country-led sustainable development through actions on aid volume, aid effectiveness, debt relief, innovative finance mechanisms, trade and the international institutions. The Summit reaffirmed the Millennium Development Goals, together with the development goals and objectives agreed upon at major United Nations conferences and summits, as the framework for development.

The EU has set a timetable to reach new levels of official development assistance. By 2010 that will account for 0.56 per cent of the EU's gross national income -- an additional 20 billion annually. By 2015, it will reach 0.7 per cent.

In the global response to HIV/AIDS, the majority of the work to be done must be in achieving a substantial scaling-up of preventive action and in achieving social change. Inclusive country-led strategies are a key element in that regard. We must constantly combat stigmatization and discrimination. We must also pay special attention to human rights, particularly the rights of persons belonging to vulnerable groups, to sexual and reproductive health rights and to the rights of women and young people, in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development.

As the Secretary-General has emphasized, Africa is in need of urgent and concerted action in all areas. The EU will continue to strengthen its relations with Africa within the framework of the comprehensive EU Strategy for Africa, which was approved by the European Council in 2005. In the course of next year, that unilateral agreement will be transformed into a joint African strategy, in close cooperation with African partners.

The EU remains firmly committed to joint international efforts to protect the natural resource base, achieve sustainable patterns of consumption and production, and safeguard the Earth's biodiversity. To deal with environmental issues in an effective manner, more coherence is urgently needed in the United Nations system. I therefore call for an early resumption of the discussions on environmental governance, in line with paragraph 169 of the World Summit Outcome document.

The EU welcomes the results of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which initiated an important dialogue aimed at exchanging experiences and analyzing strategic approaches for long-term cooperative action to address climate change. The EU is committed to participating actively in that dialogue.

With regard to peace and security, the EU fully shares the view of the Secretary-General on the importance of conflict prevention and protecting people from violence. While the development agenda itself is powerful in addressing the root causes of conflicts, the United Nations must have additional tools for conflict prevention. Much has been done, but more steps are still needed to interconnect security and development, as well as with regard to the resolution of disputes by peaceful means. The EU also attaches great importance to promoting the concept of the responsibility to protect.

The EU views the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, along with the Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund, as a key achievement of the United Nations reform process launched by the World Summit. The EU has for many years provided considerable input for peacebuilding activities all over the world and is ready to continue its commitments by actively supporting the work of the Peacebuilding Commission.

The continuing terrorist attacks remind us that terrorism remains one of the most serious threats to all States and peoples. The EU applauds the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy as an important step in combating terrorism. The General Assembly should keep up the momentum and make every effort to reach an agreement on the comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

This summer, the Conference to Review Progress Made in the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects followed the path of both the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the World Summit, and did not yield any substantial results. It is high time that we tackle the deadlock in multilateral negotiations in this important field of the work of the United Nations in the area of for peace and security. We believe that the developments in revitalizing the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva represent a positive example in that regard.

We welcome the inclusion of rule of law at the national and international levels in the agenda of the General Assembly. The European Union also looks forward to the early establishment of the rule of law assistance unit, as anticipated by the Secretary-General and endorsed by world leaders at the 2005 Summit.

The International Criminal Court is of the utmost importance for ending impunity and establishing the rule of law in post-conflict situations. Furthermore, bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes contributes significantly to preventing the recurrence of those crimes, as well as to promoting the prevention of conflicts at their early stages.

The European Union is strongly committed to ensuring that the Human Rights Council will be able to meet the objectives set by our leaders at the World Summit and the needs and expectations of rights holders, namely, the people of the world. The active participation of non-governmental organizations is a central element of the work of the human rights machinery of the United Nations, and should be further strengthened on the basis of the practices established under the Commission for Human Rights.

Another important decision taken at the World Summit was the doubling of the resources of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The EU is pleased to note that the plan of action presented by the High Commissioner in May 2005 has been complemented by the first biennial programme plan for the years 2008 and 2009.

We welcome the recent improvements in the area of humanitarian action, including the establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund. The current deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is particularly alarming. Gender-based violence is a grave concern that deserves urgent attention. The provision of protection and assistance to internally displaced persons needs to be strengthened further. In addition, the predictability of humanitarian funding needs to be improved, as some emergencies remain chronically under-funded or even neglected.

In accordance with the overall efforts for more efficiency and coherence, the EU welcomes the creation of the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence. It is vital that the Organization continue to move towards enhanced efficiency and effectiveness, as agreed by our heads of State and Government at the World Summit.

The European Union is committed to the work of the ad hoc informal working group on mandate review and remains fully dedicated to the process of strengthening and renewing the Organization. We also welcome the progress already made in the area of management reform, including the establishment of an ethics office, the implementation of whistle-blower protection and the agreement to reform the current unwieldy information and communication technology systems. However, much remains to be done. Only through strengthened accountability and better management will the United Nations become stronger and more effective. Strengthening oversight in the United Nations is one of the EU's priorities.

There are almost 90,000 personnel serving in 18 United Nations peacekeeping operations, directly impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. We therefore recognize the need for a more integrated and mobile global workforce, and we look forward to discussing that and other proposals in the context of human resources management reform.

The protection and security of staff in the field and at Headquarters is of the utmost importance.

Given the need for urgent renovations in order to make the United Nations Headquarters in New York safe and more functional, we need an agreement on funding of the Capital Master Plan during this session.

Before I conclude, I would like to comment on Chapter VI of the report of the Secretary-General, which deals with global constituencies. The EU fully shares the views of the Secretary-General on these issues: security is not a matter for Governments alone, and development needs are human needs.

I would like to conclude by thanking the Secretary-General and the staff of the United Nations for work well done, both at Headquarters and in the field. The European Union applauds the Secretary-General for his numerous ideas and changes made in the past 10 years to bring the United Nations up to best international practices.

Mr. Gaisenak (Belarus)

The delegation of Belarus has studied the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (A/61/1) with great attention.

The general debate at the current session has shown that the United Nations has not yet managed to realize its full potential in the areas of peacebuilding and having a constructive and organizing influence. At the moment, the Organization is unable to have a decisive impact on building an atmosphere of trust between States, preventing military conflicts and combating terrorism and poverty. The root causes of the failures and missed opportunities should be sought in a complex international situation that is determined by a unipolar world order. So long as that order persists -- in which the way to solve problems is dictated by a single party -- progress will be unattainable.

Global challenges and threats can be overcome only if we act together, pooling all our strengths and resources. We must support existing focal points of consolidation and development and encourage the creation of new ones that can resist external pressure and become sources of regional and global stability. It is important that we adopt new approaches to the problems related to security and development. Such approaches should be based on multipolarity and an acknowledgement of the diversity of ways in which the progressive development of countries and peoples can be achieved.

We have noted with regret and sadness that, as many world leaders have stated, the global partnership for development has remained only a concept on paper. We have taken that to heart, because the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) affect the fate of billions of people: their lives, their health and their prosperity. Who other than the United Nations will care for them?

Our support for the principles of true partnership inspired Belarus to seek to become a member of the Economic and Social Council. We come to the Council with a clear intention to utilize the full potential of the United Nations and its social and economic institutions by providing practical support for the efforts by the Governments of least developed countries to implement their national development strategies. The Economic and Social Council should become an international forum in which the most important international decisions on development assistance are taken. That approach was reflected in our proposals for reform of the Economic and Social Council, which were submitted to the General Assembly for consideration in February.

We have often stressed the need to improve United Nations activities in the area of human rights. We oppose double standards and the use of the issue of human rights as a pretext for applying political pressure on sovereign States. We support equitable dialogue aimed at truly protecting human rights.

It is because of the need to genuinely promote human rights that Belarus has prepared and will submit to the General Assembly a draft resolution on improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons. Today, a quarter of all victims of human trafficking come from the regions of Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The time has come to take robust and coordinated action to protect those who are weak and vulnerable, particularly women and children. It is also high time to speak out regarding the responsibility borne by those who exploit the victims of such trafficking. We believe that the elaboration of a viable United Nations strategy against trafficking in persons should be the ultimate objective of our efforts in this area.

My country, the Republic of Belarus, is located in a unique geographic region that is experiencing profound economic, political and social transformations. That region, Eastern Europe, has enjoyed very high economic growth rates for several years. Does that give the United Nations the right to exclude from its agenda the problems of countries with economies in transition? The answer is obvious if we address the differences in the levels of socio-economic development among the subregions of Eastern Europe. Members should judge for themselves: there are 125 million people -- including 25 million children -- living below the poverty line. In many small and vulnerable countries with transitional economies, there has been both progress and painful movement backwards in terms of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, especially in the areas of education and health care. Eastern Europe and the CIS countries are falling behind Latin America and Asia in achieving some of the MDGs.

Therefore, together with our partners, we are preparing and will submit to the General Assembly a draft resolution on integration of countries with economies in transition into the world economy. The draft resolution's key objective is to ensure the provision of targeted international financial and technical assistance to the countries that truly need it. We ask delegations to support the draft resolution.

Belarus, as one of the few countries that have voluntarily renounced the possession of nuclear weapons, is deeply concerned about the lack of progress in bringing about the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) undoubtedly remains the basis of the current international security system. We believe that it is essential to implement all three elements of the NPT: disarmament, non-proliferation and the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We emphasize that placing restrictions on the inalienable right of all non-nuclear-weapon States to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes directly undermines the Treaty.

The lack of results in disarmament forums in recent years is a direct consequence of the rising level of confrontation in the modern world and of the tendency to seek to solve problems from a position of strength. Progress on disarmament is essential. It is important not only that we preserve the existing United Nations disarmament machinery, but also that we make it function properly.

Here, we are pleased to welcome one positive example: the establishment of a new nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. Four Central Asian States are our partners in a regional initiative, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Belarus, in its capacity as Chair of the CSTO, has circulated a statement of support for that initiative.

Belarus attaches great importance not only to the implementation of international treaties banning existing types of weapons of mass destruction or imposing control measures on them, but also to the adoption of measures to prevent the development of new types of such weapons. Belarus was a sponsor of the relevant draft resolution. The fact that that draft resolution was not adopted by consensus during the sixtieth session of the General Assembly is alarming. Let me ask those who did not support the draft whether they really intend to create new types of weapons of mass destruction.

Certainly, a significant event was the consensus adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and plan of action (resolution 60/288). We welcome that important event, because, for the first time in United Nations history, all 192 Member States agreed on common principles and approaches for combating terrorism at the global level.

It is understandable, in our view, when the permanent members of the Security Council have differing opinions on ways to resolve international crises. More often than not, the most balanced and wisest decisions are taken as a result. However, we should like to note that more coordinated action and swifter decision-making by Council members could help the Council to respond more effectively to present-day threats and challenges and to make the lives of people in the world's hot spots a little safer.

I now turn to the subject of reform. United Nations reform is not proceeding smoothly. On the one hand, important new bodies were established at the sixtieth session, although their effectiveness has yet to be assessed.

On the other hand, revitalization of the General Assembly is moving slowly and does not encompass some important spheres. Yet, we feel confident that a step-by-step, balanced approach that takes into account the interests of all Member States is much better and more viable than the intention to create a system of management that suits only a narrow circle of influential States.

We should recall that the goal of reform is not the cost-cutting, or even the improvement, of management. Reform is being carried out in order that every human being on this planet might be aware of the concern felt by the international community and be able to believe in his or her own better future.

Mr. Akram (Pakistan)

The Pakistan delegation expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General on the presentation of his annual report on the work of the Organization. We note the changed format of the report, covering the four main areas of the 2005 Summit Declaration. In this process, however, the in-depth review of some of the important political issues with which the United Nations is involved, such as the Middle East conflict, Palestine, South Asian relations and Kashmir, have not been adequately covered. In future, it would be advisable for the report to be assembled into the 12 thematic clusters of the United Nations General Assembly's agenda.

The United Nations is an indispensable instrument for the promotion of humanity's shared goals. The present and emerging challenges of the twenty-first century can only be overcome through multilateral cooperation. If the United Nations did not already exist, we would need to create it.

It has been aptly and repeatedly stated that the United Nations must adapt and be equipped to address these new challenges and circumstances of our times. The reform initiatives of the Secretary-General, the 2005 Summit decisions and the implementation process pursued this year were all guided by this preoccupation. The creation of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and the Emergency Response Fund are all cause for modest satisfaction. Of course, there are several issues where implementation of the Summit's decisions remain outstanding, including the revitalization of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council and the comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

The reform exercise has been plagued not only by the multiple objectives that are sought to be simultaneously promoted, but also by the absence of agreement on the strategic objectives of these reforms. During its 60-year history, the United Nations has passed from the bipolar structures of the cold war through a period of unipolarity. It is now at the prelude to a multipolar world. We have entered an era of globalization and interdependence, but also one of huge asymmetries in power, wealth and knowledge. Despite the 2005 Summit, we, the United Nations, have yet to establish a new paradigm under which world affairs and global challenges will be managed.

Our deliberations in these halls confront conflicting pulls and pressures. They have been marked by sharp suspicions between the North and the South. Some would wish our Organization to mirror the unequal asymmetries of the "real" world. Others, the more numerous developing countries, wish to utilize the United Nations as the principal instrument to change and democratize the unequal realities of our globalized, yet divided, world.

Some wish to utilize the United Nations as an instrument for collective enforcement of "good behaviour"; others, the more numerous, wish to use it to promote collective and cooperative solutions to political, economic, social and environmental problems. In our view, the strategic objectives, political parameters and modus operandi of the United Nations must be consistent with the principles and purposes enshrined in the United Nations Charter -- principles and purposes whose lofty vision is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago.

One important manifestation of this tension between equity and the status quo is the breakdown of the consensus on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The 2005 Summit was unable to agree on any provisions on disarmament and non-proliferation. The Conference on Disarmament remains paralyzed. Major Powers have resiled from the commitment to nuclear disarmament. An arms race may be soon under way in outer space. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime is riven by doubts and double standards regarding, for instance, rights, obligations and scope of peaceful nuclear cooperation. A la carte solutions to proliferation problems are sought to be prescribed in restrictive regimes or through the Security Council. The three nuclear-weapon States not in the NPT remain outside international non-proliferation arrangements. Instead of evolving agreed arrangements to integrate them as partners in the non-proliferation regime, discrimination is now being introduced among the three as well, with possibly negative effects for non-proliferation and international security.

Pakistan believes it is time to re-build the international consensus on both disarmament and non-proliferation and to agree on effective and non-discriminatory processes to promote both. A special conference should be convened, under the aegis of the United Nations, to promote such an international consensus.

A few weeks ago, the General Assembly adopted a United Nations strategy against terrorism. We hope this will enhance international cooperation. Yet, the strategy will remain incomplete and, finally, fruitless, so long as it does not fully and frontally address the root causes of terrorism, State terrorism and the misuse of terrorism to justify foreign occupation and the suppression of the right of peoples to self-determination. In the process of its prescribed periodic review, the strategy should be revised to address these issues. The General Assembly should create the intergovernmental mechanism it requires to assume principal responsibility for overseeing the United Nations activities relating to terrorism.

Under the rubric of peace and security, the Secretary-General's report outlines the myriad actions of the United Nations to manage conflicts and their consequences. These are the invaluable intercessions of this Organization in the service of peace. Yet, some observations are essential.

The United Nations, including the Security Council, is preoccupied today with intra-State or internal conflicts, rather than with the existential threats posed by inter-State disputes.

Conflicts such as those in the Middle East, in South Asia, on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere are being managed largely in other formats and forums rather than the United Nations, which should be actively involved in order to promote equitable solutions to such conflicts and disputes, in accordance with the resolutions of this Organization. It possesses the mechanisms and the authority, under Chapters VI and VII, as well as through the International Court of Justice, to promote that objective.

Secondly, even in the case of internal conflicts, the attention of the international community is mostly aroused only after the breakdown of peace. No doubt, the intercessions of the United Nations -- especially in peacekeeping operations -- have proved indispensable in restoring peace. Pakistan hosts the oldest United Nations peacekeeping mission -- the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan -- which is deployed on the Line of Control in disputed Jammu and Kashmir. We have also been, over the past three years, the largest troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping. Peacekeeping missions are now much more numerous, more complex and more dangerous. But the world community's combined forces are now perhaps reaching the limits of their capacity for collective intervention. The most recent Mission, for Lebanon, is proving difficult to organize. Another on the anvil, for Darfur, raises serious questions about the advisability and possible consequences of a United Nations-authorized intervention against the wishes of a country's Government.

The fundamental question, however, is: Why is the United Nations not more actively engaged in the prevention of such internal problems, before they turn into full-fledged civil wars requiring expensive and difficult peacekeeping operations? Any analysis of these conflicts would reveal that, at their root, they are the result of what I call the "politics of scarcity". The secret to their prevention is rapid economic and social development and, in Africa's case at least, an end to the illegal exploitation of the vast natural resources of these developing countries.

The report's review of the Organization's development activities, especially the follow-up to 2005 Summit, reflects a fair review of ongoing activities. However, the report fails to offer a full analysis of the development picture and the enormous challenges confronting the developing countries. Globalization has enabled several developing countries to break through the barrier of poverty, mostly as a result of their own endeavours, but it has further marginalized the most vulnerable States and communities. The promises of higher official development assistance and debt cancellation made at the 2005 Summit have not yet materialized. The so-called Doha Development Agenda is on life support, if not already deceased.

If the promise of a North-South partnership for development is to become a reality, it is essential to ensure the full and timely implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the internationally agreed development goals. Developing countries that so request should be assisted in formulating their national development strategies. Development partners -- the industrialized and richer countries and international institutions -- must fulfil their commitments to support the success of these strategies, including through higher official development assistance, debt relief, trade and investment. To that end, a politically and technically empowered monitoring mechanism should be established, under the Economic and Social Council, and specific indicators developed to enable an objective monitoring of the implementation of the MDGs and the internationally agreed development goals by all concerned. The resolution adopted on the follow-up to the development provisions of the 2005 Summit outlines the steps that should be taken for this purpose.

While development was proclaimed to be the first priority of the 2005 Summit, it is telling and sad that, of all the institutional reform decisions, the one relating to the empowerment and revival of the Economic and Social Council is the one that could not be adopted prior to the conclusion of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, despite the broad agreement on this issue at the 2005 Summit. That resolution must be approved without further delay.

It is also evident that the entire United Nations development cooperation system needs to be strengthened and streamlined, at both the country and intergovernmental levels and in both the policy and operational areas. In that context, the recommendations of the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence will require close and urgent attention by the General Assembly.

As in peacekeeping, the role of the United Nations in coordinating the response to humanitarian emergencies has been indispensable and outstanding. This was witnessed in the response to both the tsunami and to the massive earthquake which devastated the northern regions of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir a year ago. We welcome the establishment of the $500 million Central Emergency Response Fund. We believe that United Nations humanitarian activities would benefit from closer intergovernmental engagement and oversight under the Economic and Social Council.

The first meetings of the Human Rights Council, while constructively directed, have confirmed the different dispositions of various countries and groups regarding its agenda, structures and working methods. In our view, the main issues are the promotion of a cooperative rather than a coercive approach to human rights; the need for full integration of the right to development into the framework of the human rights matrix; the avoidance of double standards and political targeting of developing and especially Muslim countries; the composition and role of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; the rationalization of special mechanisms and procedures; and the streamlining of the role of civil -- and sometimes uncivil -- society in the Human Rights Council and related forums.

Another important outstanding issue is the reform of the Security Council. This is of vital interest to every Member State. A solution to Security Council reform would need to accommodate the interests of all and would have to be resolved by consensus or the widest possible agreement. While Security Council reform has been discussed and debated for a decade, compromise has not been explored through negotiations. A negotiating process, pursued with political flexibility and diplomatic creativity, could evolve an agreement that accommodates the interests of all Member States and regions. This general desire for a negotiated and agreed solution was evident at the dinner meeting on 20 September hosted by the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Italy. We trust, Madam President, that you will lead this effort to open negotiations with a view to evolving an agreed solution for the comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

The endeavour to introduce reforms in the United Nations management and Secretariat and to review old mandates has proved to be extensive. I was honoured to co-chair that enterprise, first with my former Canadian colleague and now with Ambassador David Cooney of Ireland.

The mandate review exercise has produced extensive information on the almost 10,000 five-year-old mandates approved by the principal United Nations organs. However, we have not been able in the Assembly to proceed beyond the consideration of 400 five-year-old non-renewed mandates. The co-Chairs had conveyed to your predecessor, Madam, that the guidelines they had circulated offered the best possibility of continuing this exercise, which will be laborious and time-consuming. We will need to decide by year-end whether and how the mandate review should be conducted.

Similarly, the Secretariat and management reforms will need to be pursued objectively and carefully, bearing in mind the interests of all Member States. Efficiency and effectiveness are desirable and endorsed by all. But any effort to further erode the financial and budgetary authority of the General Assembly will be resisted by the majority of Member States.

The performance and effectiveness of the United Nations depends on the following crucial factors: first, the quality of its human resources; secondly, the financial resources provided to support its activities; thirdly, the authority vested in the Organization by the Member States; and fourthly, the political will to support the mandated programmes and activities of the Organization. All efforts to achieve United Nations reform must ensure that these prerequisites are available to our Organization and our new Secretary-General.

Those of us who have endeavoured to carve out a central role for the United Nations in world affairs have often been obliged to temper our idealism in the face of power realities. However, this should not shake our belief that sustainable peace and universal prosperity can be secured once principles have primacy over power. The world needs a United Nations which does not always mirror the harsh and unequal power realities. The world needs a United Nations which acts with moral authority and credibility. The world needs a United Nations which can stand up for the weak and the powerless and which is a force for objectivity, fairness, equality and justice in the management of international relations.

Mr. Sen (India)

We congratulate you on your election, Madam, and on the efficient manner in which you have been conducting the work of the sixty-first session. We assure you of our constructive cooperation. We thank the Secretary-General for the comprehensive overview of the Organization's main achievements and challenges during the past 12 months.

As the report highlights, the Secretary-General has overseen the Organization's many achievements during the past 10 years. The Millennium Summit, which led to the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), was followed up last year with the five-year review and the adoption of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document. The MDGs embody a quantifiable vision of certain important economic and social rights and, in this sense, they carry forward the right to development. The global partnership for development, as set out in the Millennium Declaration and reaffirmed by the 2005 World Summit, is primarily a commitment to make the right to development a reality for all, and we should reach broad agreement in fulfilling the promise.

The report reminds us of the imperative of implementing the global partnership for development; the need for enhanced focus on peacebuilding; and the necessity of increased attention to the special needs of Africa. Here, I would like to say that, until there is a sharp decrease in vulnerability and a sharp increase in welfare throughout the African continent and in the small island developing States, we cannot really pride ourselves on any significant measure of success. We also need to focus on health issues, including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and on the need to strengthen the United Nations and make it a robust and vibrant Organization, responsive to the needs of the time and, by implication, to the needs of developing countries, which constitute the vast majority of the Organization.

It is worth remembering that what was achieved at the 2005 World Summit was the result of the solidarity of the developing countries. This remains important in the implementation of the commitments set out in the World Summit Outcome; agreement reached in the context of development follow-up is indicative.

For developing countries, the centrepiece is development. Poverty and conflicts are not only the legacy of the colonial past, but also the epiphenomena of the structural policies of the international financial institutions. The present international system takes from the poor: net transfers from developing countries have continued to rise for the twelfth consecutive year, reaching over $450 billion. Without addressing the development problems faced by the vast majority of the United Nations membership, security in its full sense cannot be achieved. The report of the Secretary-General notes that, since the Millennium Summit in 2000, the progress has been uneven and the ongoing levels of human deprivation remain staggering. Implementing the global partnership for development -- MDG 8 -- is a categorical imperative.

The MDGs cannot be achieved without implementing the 0.7 per cent official development assistance (ODA) target in a time-bound manner or without innovative financing, deeper debt relief, enhanced market access and improved global economic governance. Even though aggregate ODA reached a record high of $106 billion in 2005, only a small fraction of that nominal increase actually represented additional finance to support real investments in countries that need them most.

We welcome the agreement reached to monitor the fulfilment of commitments made to provide development assistance. India is supportive of all initiatives in support of the low-income countries, including those in Africa, where debt burdens impose serious constraints on the attainment of the MDGs. It is also important that debt stock cancellation is complemented by sharp increases in ODA.

Addressing systemic issues is an urgent practical necessity. As reaffirmed at the 2005 World Summit and subsequently agreed in the context of the development follow-up this July, there is an overwhelming logic for the United Nations to give direction to the comprehensive reform of the international financial, monetary and trading systems. The democratic deficit in the international financial architecture can be addressed only through a fundamental reform of the quota structure, which is an absolute necessity for the credibility and legitimacy of international financial institutions.

The United Nations should encourage further effective, time-bound steps for the second stage of International Monetary Fund (IMF) quota reform without delay, involving a basic revision of the formula and subsequent quota increases for all underrepresented countries, as well as the revision of the articles of the IMF.

The suspension of the Doha round of trade negotiations is a cause for concern. The realization of the development imperatives of the Doha Development Agenda, the July framework and the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration is crucial for developing countries. The overarching principle of special and differential treatment remains a categorical imperative. A demonstration of political will by the developed countries will be required if negotiations are to be saved.

Giving clear political direction to the WTO, which was not possible in the 2005 World Summit, in spite of broad political support, remains necessary. Here I would like to say that the problems of the developing countries, which are sometimes attributed to inadequate liberalization or corruption are, in fact, a result of the fact that the developed countries have gone back on the promises that they made.

In fact, the history of trade negotiations is a history of broken promises and silenced consciences. In the Uruguay round, in return for the acceptance by developing countries of lower tariffs and new regimes such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, the developed countries undertook to phase out the textile quotas and to abolish agricultural subsidies. The first took 10 years; the second -- the removal of agricultural subsidies -- has not yet happened. That really amounts to burying the Punta del Este Declaration. The Doha round, therefore, needs some kind of an impetus from the United Nations if the balance is to be redressed. It is here that the role of the United Nations in standing firm on the reform and strengthening of the Economic and Social Council -- an issue to which I shall turn soon -- becomes an extreme imperative.

The primacy of development on the global agenda can be achieved only if the United Nations takes a lead in setting the international economic agenda. The problem is the reform of the United Nations system -- the reinstatement of the United Nations-driven and development-oriented approach. What is needed is United Nations oversight of the international economic agenda and promotion of the reform of international economic institutions through a revitalized General Assembly and a strengthened Economic and Social Council, as well as a comprehensively reformed Security Council. Only if we remain actively engaged can we correct the imbalance and ensure that no country is too weak to influence the United Nations, that the economic agenda is truly development-oriented and that laws are made by the General Assembly.

Here, I would like to say that, in the case of the Economic and Social Council, the recent book by Joseph E. Stieglitz, on making globalization work, recommends specifically that the United Nations -- and here the Economic and Social Council is the appropriate body -- should undertake a regular audit of international economic institutions, carrying out a regular assessment of the performance of those institutions. In fact, he also says that the Economic and Social Council should play a critical, central role, in shaping the global economic agenda. And here, the development forums that have been set up under the Economic and Social Council could, in our view, play an important role.

The 2005 World Summit emphasized the need to strengthen the Economic and Social Council in order to enable it to play a critical role in promoting international cooperation for development, as well as in enhancing policy coherence and coordination among agencies. An early conclusion of negotiations on this issue is needed, as is a demonstration of political will to enable the Economic and Social Council to fulfil its mandate as envisaged in the Charter, and to contribute to peacebuilding and peace consolidation efforts in countries emerging from conflict, in accordance with the agreements reached at the time of the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission.

Similarly, in the context of strengthening the role and authority of the General Assembly, early consultations on the re-establishment of the ad hoc working group on General Assembly revitalization is called for.

The General Assembly is best placed to ensure that the candidate proposed for the post of Secretary-General is sensitive to the needs of the developing countries.

Here I may mention that, like the Security Council, the international economic institutions were set up in 1945 and bear the stigmata of 1945. They are really clubs for the rich and powerful, and they play by the rules of the old school tie. This is evident from the fact that the richest countries have -- in fact, one rich country effectively has -- a veto in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as we saw recently at the Singapore conference. In fact, a single powerful country is able to appoint the head of the World Bank and shares with Western Europe the top two IMF posts. Are the use of the veto and the appointments in the Security Council any different?

In the Security Council, again, we find exactly the same procedure at work, so this is not an accident or a coincidence, but part of an established pattern. The General Assembly was not able to revitalize the General Assembly itself, through this year's resolution 60/286, which in fact remains as much a dead letter as resolution 51/241 of 1997. This is a matter of some concern to the developing countries, which are the vast majority to which the Organization should actually be responsive. If the developing countries are not able to eschew the prospect of immediate gains, which are by their very nature evanescent, then this Organization is likely to pass out of their hands, and we are likely to be reduced to occupying the margins, or a limbo where the Assembly, through continual adaptation to continually lowered expectations, would be reduced to the role of an irrelevant spectator.

Hence the crucial importance, which I reiterate, of revitalizing the General Assembly, of setting up once again the working group on the revitalization of the Assembly and of standing firm on the reform of the Economic and Social Council in terms of its linkage with peacebuilding in conflict-prone countries and those emerging from conflict, as well as its central role in the reform and accountability of international economic, monetary and trading institutions.

The recent tragic events in Lebanon and the stasis in the peace process in the Middle East have highlighted the growing failure of the Security Council, which is designated by the Charter as having primary responsibility for issues relating to peace and security. The main problems that beset peacekeeping are not a lack of resources, or even personnel, but an unrepresentative Security Council which lacks the political will to act and which, when it does, does so in a manner that is entirely inadequate. The Council also needs to shore up its participation in peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General's report states that an overwhelming number of troops in United Nations peacekeeping operations are contributed by developing countries. This is a distressing reflection on the Security Council's willingness to share the burden of maintaining international peace and security.

It is no accident that the Secretary-General's report refers to the enhancement of legitimacy and the urgent need for reform to ensure the relevance and credibility of the Security Council. We agree with the Secretary-General that the Council should be more representative of today's geopolitical realities and more efficient and transparent in its working methods. There is widespread acknowledgement that no reform of the United Nations would be complete without the reform of the Security Council. The Security Council must not only be more representative but also more effective if it is to be able to satisfactorily perform the role mandated to it by the Charter.

The recent General Assembly debate on Security Council reform, held on 20 and 21 July 2006 (see A/60/PV.94-96), gave a clear signal that the momentum for reform remains intact, and that maintaining the status quo is unacceptable. Developing countries remain grossly underrepresented in the Council, even though most decisions taken by the Security Council directly affect them. Thus, developing countries continue to face the same underlying systemic challenges that brought them together in the 1960s; indeed, today, in many respects, the environment is harsher. The voice of developing countries and their further empowerment in the international arena is vital for levelling the so-called playing field.

It is, therefore, imperative that any expansion and restructuring of the Security Council include developing countries both as permanent members and in the non-permanent category. We are committed to undertaking intensive consultations with other developing countries, in a spirit of solidarity, and to embark on a South initiative for the reform of the Organization in a manner that is reflective of the aspirations of the developing countries and that ensures that the reformed structures are responsive to their needs in areas ranging from development to peace and security, strengthening of the Economic and Social Council, revitalization of the General Assembly and comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

I must say that in the case of Lebanon and the stasis in the Middle East peace process we saw the ineffectiveness of the Security Council. In fact, it reminded me of the ancient Roman emperor Nero, who fiddled while Rome burned. Incidentally, this is not a reference to the Uniting for Consensus group. This phenomenon is not accidental. It is simply inherent in the composition of the Security Council, because some of the permanent five suffer from the same thing, a "virtue" that they share, in fact, with the Russian tsars, the French Bourbons and the English Stuarts: they suffer from a reification of the present, a belief that human institutions cannot change. And unless such fundamental change is effected, we will be unable to overcome the basic problems that are confronting this Organization in field after field -- including in peacebuilding and even in the setting up of the Peacebuilding Commission, as we saw.

Also, some have recently spoken of an interim solution. Interim to what? Certainly not to a long-term solution. It seems that the deliberate intention is for such an interim solution to actually prevent a long-term solution, to prevent the introduction of balance, to prevent the introduction of genuine, comprehensive reform in the Security Council, and to ensure that we go on as we are. In fact, an interim solution is not really required, and the reason is simple: because we already have an interim solution. The interim solution is very clear. Given today's political necessities and under the efficient provisions of the United Nations Charter, we are empowered to elect non-permanent members. We have to elect non-permanent members that will be responsive to the needs of the vast majority of the developing countries and responsive to the cry of the vulnerable, of the small, of the developing and of the marginalized, and to the blood of the slain and the voices of the captive and the innumerable lost souls. It is only such members that would be able to introduce a certain measure of balance and open the charmed circle to a very minimal extent, but at least make a beginning, in the Security Council. So, electing such non-permanent members is already, in fact, what constitutes an interim solution.

What we need to work towards, therefore is, in fact, a long-term solution, a solution that would make this Organization responsive to the developing countries, which can be done only through an initiative of the South; we know, for instance, how the spending cap was imposed. The spending cap was imposed by consensus. But how were the deeply damaging governance and flexibility proposals halted in May in the first place? They were halted by the resolute action and solidarity of the developing countries. Therefore, the lesson is very clear: it is only through an organic initiative from below -- a Southern initiative -- that we will undertake real United Nations reform that is in the interests of the South: reform of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly and comprehensive reform of the Security Council. Only such reform has any real possibility of changing the Organization.

The Secretary-General's report speaks of the increased recourse to the United Nations for peacekeeping and the prevention of armed conflict. That highlights the need for the Organization to develop capabilities in the sphere of peacebuilding, not merely in the cause of peacekeeping, which is underlined most starkly in the vicious circle of violence that continues to plague the Middle East. It also highlights the fact that conflict resolution needs to go well beyond its current limited role of keeping belligerents apart.

In that sense, the Peacebuilding Commission is a welcome effort. Our pledge of $2 million to that body reflects our perception that there is a grave need for a shift of focus from just peacekeeping to peacebuilding and peace consolidation. The Commission must establish its credibility. As a member of the Organizing Committee, we are committed to contribute in that direction.

The surge in peacekeeping reported by the Secretary-General has brought new challenges and more demands, although earlier problems persist. The issues of effective planning, congruity among mandates, resources allocated and objectives to be achieved, and the safety and security of peacekeepers are other areas of particular concern. Those questions should be the subjects of constant dialogue and interaction among the troop-contributing countries, the Security Council and the Secretariat if peacekeeping is to be effective.

India remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting world peace and security. Our contribution to United Nations peacekeeping is part of that broader commitment. We have been one of the most consistent contributors of troops to the United Nations and shall continue to uphold that tradition. We shall continue to work with the Secretariat and other Member States in order to make peacekeeping the effective instrument that we all wish it to be.

Nothing can justify terrorism. The adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a step in the right direction, to the extent that the Strategy signals the will of the international community to tolerate no longer the actions of the sponsors of terrorism or the actions of those who wilfully fail to prevent terrorists from utilizing their territories for moral or material shelter. In fact, we understand State terrorism to mean a State's patronizing and sponsoring of terrorists to disturb the peace of other States.

Notwithstanding the setback of failing to meet the timeline set at the 2005 World Summit for concluding a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, we believe that agreement on a draft convention is attainable. We must now work together for the early finalization and adoption of such a convention. We believe that a formulation that would not affect the legal status of the entities involved in terms of international humanitarian law is one possible approach through which an agreement could be reached. Here, we are open to compromise.

The 2005 World Summit, while recognizing that peace and security, development and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, underscored the centrality of development. The seventh session of the Working Group on the Right to Development, which was held in Geneva in January 2006, adopted a set of criteria for evaluating the fulfilment of commitments aimed at a global partnership for development -- MDG 8 -- from the perspective of the right to development. It also said that the policies of the Bretton Woods institutions have to be corrected in terms of their deficiencies from the perspective of the right to development.

Thus, there is broad agreement that straddles the divisions; there is no fundamental contradiction. The efforts to mainstream all human rights -- including the right to development -- by strengthening linkages between the normative and operational work of the United Nations system need to proceed in a measured manner, taking into account the specific needs and requirements of the Member States concerned.

We welcome the establishment of the Human Rights Council, whose focus should be the promotion of human rights through international cooperation and genuine dialogue among Member States, including capacity-building and mutual assistance. We believe that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should extend technical assistance in the area of human rights to Member States and enhance their capacity-building in that regard at their request. It is in that spirit that India supported the strengthening of the Office of the High Commissioner, including an increase in its resources from the regular budget of the United Nations.

We agree that there is a need for further steps aimed at enhancing the speed and effectiveness of United Nations responses to humanitarian emergencies. India will continue to play a constructive role in that regard, bearing in mind the lessons learned from experiences in the field. India was constructively engaged in the setting up of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). India's contribution of $2 million to CERF at its launch in March 2006 is a reflection of our solidarity with other developing countries in the aftermath of disasters. We will remain actively engaged in the process of improving the functioning of the Fund.

Our Organization needs to reform to keep up with today's complex challenges. We welcome the reforms that have been implemented in the Secretariat since 1997 and look forward to constructive discussions during the sixty-first session on important issues such as governance and oversight. The declared objectives of those reform proposals cannot be repudiated. Nevertheless, the process often becomes as important as the goal itself. We would therefore stress the importance of discussions on these issues, to be undertaken in an open, inclusive and transparent manner. We are ready to engage on these issues with an open mind.

On the issue of governance, we reiterate the importance of the existing structure of administrative and budgetary decision-making in the United Nations, based on the primacy of the General Assembly and its Fifth Committee. Improvement is a continual process, and we could discuss ways to make administrative and budgetary decision-making in the Organization more efficient and effective. Altering the unique, all-inclusive character of the Fifth Committee, which is being proposed by some, has already been rejected by Member States and remains unacceptable. We strongly support strengthening the oversight role of the General Assembly, maintaining the intergovernmental nature of the United Nations and respecting the sovereign equality of all Member States with regard to participation in United Nations decision-making processes.

We need to strengthen oversight in the United Nations system by making the oversight bodies independent. We seek greater accountability to Member States on the part of the Secretariat. We believe that the United Nations should have a fair, transparent and rules-based selection process that is based on equitable geographical representation and has due regard for gender balance. We call for administration of justice in the United Nations based on due process of law that is fair, consistent, non-discriminatory and speedy. We look forward to comprehensive procurement reforms in the Organization.

There is a broad realization of the need to work urgently towards a nuclear-weapon-free world. Yet the goal of nuclear disarmament remains elusive. We believe that the best non-proliferation measure is universal disarmament and that the international community needs to take immediate steps to eliminate the threat of use of nuclear weapons. At this session of the General Assembly, India will be presenting a working paper on the issue of nuclear disarmament, on which we look forward to working with other Member States. We shall provide more detailed comments during discussions of the respective agenda items in the General Assembly and in its main Committees.

Mr. Barriga (Liechtenstein)

My delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for his excellent report on the work of the Organization (A/61/1 and Corr.1). That document is more than just an internal assessment of the management of an organization; indeed, it is a report that reflects the state of the world and outlines ways in which the Organization and Member States can tackle a broad range of global challenges. The General Assembly has a central role to play in that regard. Therefore, I would like to outline our assessment as to how this organ should, over the next few months, contribute to the success of the Organization.

While the issue of development in all its aspects continues to figure very high on the agenda of the General Assembly, there is only so much that the Assembly can add to its past work, including the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1). We agree with the Secretary-General's statement that, if history judges 2005 in terms of promises, then 2006 must be judged in terms of implementation. Rather than adding more words to the already very impressive existing repertoire of commitments and declarations, the sixty-first session of the General Assembly should set the stage for implementation and its evaluation. That is a very difficult task, particularly in light of the fact that many important decisions affecting the development agenda are being taken outside the framework of the Assembly. In this respect, we note with particular concern the suspension of negotiations of the Doha Development Round.

Regarding the issue of environmental protection and system-wide coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian affairs and the environment, we hope that this session will bring steady progress and thereby contribute to structural changes that will be beneficial in the long term. We must find ways of simplifying and streamlining the existing institutional framework, in order to allow for more effective use of resources, optimize synergies and make the system more transparent and more accessible. The area of conflict prevention also falls into the category of topics where we have seen many words, but are still awaiting real action. We recently received the Secretary-General's report on this matter and adopted a landmark resolution on conflict prevention at the fifty-seventh session. This session should, therefore, focus on how to strengthen the tools available to the United Nations in the area of conflict prevention. We congratulate the Department of Political Affairs for its groundbreaking work aimed at supporting mediation efforts more systematically. This is a core task of this Organization to which the General Assembly must devote more resources from its regular budget.

Liechtenstein welcomes the recent adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. That document underlines our resolve to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, and it represents another example of real General Assembly revitalization, which would evidence itself in the adoption of important decisions. We hope that Member States will now be ready to take the next step on this matter and overcome the remaining disagreement on the draft comprehensive convention. The outstanding issues have to do less with the words proposed and their legal effect than with their political interpretation. Only a concerted effort at the highest levels will, therefore, bring us closer to success. On the issues of disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the problem of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, it is time to pick up the pieces and start anew. The spirit of cooperation that has prevailed in our efforts aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction should also inspire the multilateral negotiations on disarmament. The previous session brought uneven promises in these areas, let alone implementation.

Liechtenstein is very pleased that the initiative to consider the agenda item on the rule of law at the international and national levels has been received very favourably by other Member States. This new item closes a gap in the agenda of the Assembly, which was rather surprising, given the importance that Member States and the Secretary-General have placed on this topic in the past. We expect that the Assembly's debate of that item will in the long run lead to stronger United Nations action in this area, in particular in capacity-building for the improved incorporation of international law into domestic law. Furthermore, we expect that this session will continue to strengthen the cooperative relationship between the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. Much remains to be done to improve the mutual understanding of the respective roles of these two organizations, which can lead to great synergy. These should yield concrete results in the area of investigation and prosecution, including on the matter referred to the Prosecutor by the Security Council.

Human rights have for long been declared to have entered the era of implementation, which remains true, but United Nations work in this area is also subject to intensive reform efforts. This session provides us with an opportunity to continue strengthening the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and to further develop our thinking about the reform of the human rights treaty body system. The work of the Human Rights Council needs to find the correct relationship with the General Assembly, and we trust that this will reflect the great expectations that we all have placed on this new body.

While we have made a lot of progress in the humanitarian area in 2005, in particular through the establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), great challenges remain. This session should devote strong efforts to furthering a more even-handed approach in the delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians. Progress in this area would certainly be easier to achieve if the Assembly could streamline the consideration of agenda items concerning humanitarian affairs.

On Security Council reform, we note that there is at least a minimal consensus: something must be done about it. While we are satisfied that the initiative we have undertaken together with the other members of the group of five small countries is showing some positive effects, we believe that the Assembly should also resume serious debate on the issue of enlargement. This will only be possible if some of the entrenched positions from the past are abandoned in favour of new and more pragmatic thinking. Past experience has shown that this is an area that needs strong leadership, and we look forward to working with you on this matter.

Management reform, mandate review and other administrative matters affecting the Secretariat must be tackled in a manner that avoids micromanagement and which takes into account that this Organization is no longer just a conference-servicing facility. Progress is also needed on the question of the financing of the Capital Master Plan.

General Assembly revitalization is more than a technical matter; it is a matter of political will. Nevertheless, implementation of past resolutions on General Assembly revitalization requires institutional knowledge and should be coordinated by a focal point in the Office of the President of the General Assembly. As for the non-technical matters, it is up to the Member States to make good use of our meeting time at the sixty-first session in order to come up with decisions and resolutions of real relevance. The topics just outlined provide us with more than enough material to do so.

Ms. Blum (Colombia)

Allow me, first of all, to congratulate you for the fine manner in which you are conducting this Assembly's debates. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for presenting his report on the work of the Organization.

My delegation recognizes that progress has been made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The annexes to the Secretary-General's report show that progress has occurred in all regions of the world, even if it has been at different speeds. Nonetheless, there is still much to be done. Greater political will is needed to move from commitments to action, particularly in the mobilization of official development assistance and in the liberalization of international markets to allow broad equitable access to them. In Colombia, as was mentioned recently by President Uribe in this forum,

"Social cohesion, overcoming poverty and building equity are essential aspirations of our democracy. In 2002, poverty reached almost 60 per cent of the population; in 2005 it was down to 49 per cent. We will do everything possible for it not to exceed 35 per cent by 2010 and to reach the goal of 15 per cent by 2019 ..." (A/61/PV.14)

Over the next four years, we are determined to reach full coverage in basic education and health care, as well as making progress in basic sanitation by massively broadening housing programmes for low-income populations in rural and urban areas. Five million families will be able to benefit from microcredit programmes.

Such efforts in Colombia and other developing countries require a favourable international environment and technical and financial assistance in a number of priority areas. Therefore, it is essential that the international community tackle Millennium Development Goal 8 and all its targets with greater decisiveness and commitment. We reiterate the importance of creating the conditions necessary to relaunch and conclude the Doha round of negotiations.

The establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission represents an important step to prevent countries from falling back into conflict, among other objectives. We hope that the work of the Commission will fulfil the promise of more effective and trustworthy results in that area.

Colombia acknowledges the progress made in the fight against terrorism since the 2005 World Summit, when terrorism was condemned in all its forms and manifestations, by whomever, wherever and for whatever purpose committed. Colombia participated actively in the establishment of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and we will continue to contribute to its follow-up and implementation. We welcome the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, referred to in the report of the Secretary-General. We also support the initiative to establish a focal point in the Secretariat to coordinate a civil society campaign to fight terrorism.

Colombia emphasizes the need to attack the sources terrorism financing. Therefore, we are pleased that the Counter-Terrorism Strategy calls for stepped up cooperation to deal with crimes that could be related to terrorism, such as the trafficking in illicit drugs and the illicit trade in small arms, among other manifestations of transnational organized crime.

As indicated in the report of the Secretary-General, the proliferation of small arms remains a threat in many regions of the world. Unfortunately, the results of the recent meeting held to review the implementation of the Programme of Action in this area were discouraging. Colombia will continue to insist on such implementation, which we will propose once again during the substantive session of the First Committee.

Colombia values the role of the United Nations in the area of humanitarian assistance. We acknowledge the results achieved in recent years -- including the establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) as a contribution to timely responses to sudden emergency situations. The new cluster approach must be studied by Member States, which are awaiting a detailed report on the proposal from the Secretariat. In any case, the work of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs must be guided by the needs of the States with which it is cooperating and must always have their consent.

Humanitarian assistance, if it is to be efficient and effective, must be governed by the guiding principles of impartiality, neutrality and humanity. There must be accountability to Member States through the General Assembly. In this area, Colombia accords special recognition to the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, from which the United Nations system can draw important lessons.

In that connection, Colombia attaches vital importance to timely consultation between the system's agencies and the Governments of countries where they maintain a presence, so as to ensure that United Nations humanitarian programmes and activities are in keeping with national plans and policies. The same criterion must be applied to conflict prevention activities. Dialogue and close coordination with States ensure the sustainability of humanitarian assistance, to the benefit of affected populations.

The strengthening of United Nations intergovernmental mechanisms is an objective to which Colombia is fully committed. My country will continue to take an active part in the various reform processes and will strive to ensure that they result in a more transparent, representative, effective and efficient Organization.

We await with interest the report on system-wide coherence. We trust that it will contain specific recommendations that will make it possible to correct the system's fragmentation and improve its functioning, while maintaining the autonomy and integrity of each of its main components: the environment, humanitarian assistance and development. Particular emphasis should be given to the Organization's capacity to support the attainment of development objectives, including the Millennium Goals.

In the section in his report on global constituencies, the Secretary-General stresses the importance of civil society in the international arena. In Colombia, civil society participates actively in various processes and debates, and all points of view are guaranteed a voice within a framework of broad and democratic representation. Therefore, we also support the participation of civil society in its role of complementing and supporting United Nations processes, in accordance with the procedures and requirements established by the Economic and Social Council.

To conclude, I should like to express the gratitude of the Government of Colombia for the efforts of the Secretary-General. His work has not been easy. His accomplishments have been many during his tenure, which is an important legacy, given the many challenges that we must still face.

Mr. Choisuren (Mongolia)

Today, at this plenary meeting, we have an opportunity to examine the tenth annual report on the work of the Organization (A/61/1 and Corr.1), submitted by the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. Let me join those who have paid tribute to Mr. Annan for his far-sighted vision, his courage, his strength and his tireless efforts to transform the United Nations for the twenty-first century. Under his wise leadership, we have made much progress in implementing the Millennium Declaration and its road map, the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1).

As we are making the United Nations a truly global service provider, we need to do our utmost to meet the challenges of a changing world. My delegation thanks the Secretary-General for organizing his report around four core areas corresponding to the 2005 World Summit Outcome, in addition to a fifth, "global constituencies".

Mongolia attaches great significance to the development pillar of the United Nations system. During the general debate, my Prime Minister discussed our national efforts and measures aimed at more comprehensive implementation of our commitments under the Millennium Declaration and the 2005 World Summit Outcome.

I would like to express our appreciation to the United Nations country team in Mongolia for its partnership in our endeavour to implement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Next year, we will begin to implement the new five-year United Nations development assistance framework, which was prepared through a very close consultative process on the basis of the Mongolian Government's socio-economic action plan, with the focused aim of achieving the MDGs.

We support the proposal, made by the Secretary-General in his report, to introduce new targets under Goals 1 and 5. Ensuring full and productive employment of the population is one of my Government's top priorities.

The role of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security has expanded significantly during the past year. The crisis in Lebanon, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's missile test, the issue of Iran's nuclear programme -- the international community has continued to rely on the United Nations to resolve all these challenges.

The peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities of the United Nations have grown to represent a truly global service in the past decade. It is also heartening to note that Blue Helmets from developing countries are shouldering most of the responsibilities of that service in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Mongolia is also actively participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Earlier this year, 250 Mongolian peacekeepers took part, for the first time, in a United Nations-mandated peacekeeping operation. Although Mongolia is a newcomer, last May my country's peacekeeping contribution ranked it 39th out of 109 troop-contributing Member States.

As United Nations peacekeeping operations become more efficient, effective and complex, we are doing our best to be ready to provide not only troops but other personnel necessary for United Nations peacekeeping operations.

We are grateful to the Secretary-General and the Advisory Board for having recently approved financing from the United Nations Democracy Fund for Mongolia's proposed project. The project will contribute towards the achievement at the national level of additional Millennium Development Goal 9 on strengthening human rights and fostering democratic governance. Since democratic and sound governance is the overarching framework for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we strongly believe that the incorporation of MDG 9 into the set of global targets would be very practical. Mongolia's MDG 9 actions have related goals, including ensuring respect for human rights, democratic governance and zero tolerance for corruption. We have recently contributed our modest share to the United Nations Democracy Fund.

The Secretary-General's observation in his report that the International Conference of New or Restored Democracies is a forum for supporting democracy among 120 countries is a valid assessment of the work Mongolia has done over the past three years in its capacity as chair of the Fifth Conference. Mongolia will continue its endeavours to promote democratic values at the international level through its active participation in the Community of Democracies and in other forums. My country will report on its activities and hand over the Conference's chairmanship to Qatar, which will be hosting the Sixth Conference in less than one month's time and will be chairing the movement.

The sixtieth session of the General Assembly will be regarded as a memorable one, for it saw the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and the Central Emergency Response Fund and the adoption of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In that regard, I would like to pay tribute to Mr. Jan Eliasson, former President of the General Assembly, for his able leadership.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan's reports -- "A Programme for Reform", in 1997; "Strengthening the United Nations: An Agenda for Further Change", in 2002; "In Larger Freedom", in 2005; and "Investing in the United Nations", in 2006 -- were crucial reform documents in the process of strengthening the Organization. His sweeping reform package, contained in those reports, has helped the United Nations and its Secretariat to be prepared to meet the requirements of the twenty-first century and address new challenges. It is commendable that administrative and organizational reform measures falling under the authority of the Secretary-General have been largely implemented or set in motion. My delegation is confident that the next Secretary-General will bring the United Nations reform process to new levels.

The 2005 World Summit Outcome Document outlined the need for a more effective, efficient, coherent, coordinated and better-performing United Nations country presence. Mongolia is very interested in initiatives that strengthen the United Nations country presence through such innovative ideas as "one United Nations, one programme and one team." In that regard, we look forward to the Secretary-General's recommendations on system-wide coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment.

In the context of the strengthening of the United Nations, we support the Secretary-General's call for recognizing the voices of civil society and the private sector as responsible global constituencies. If their contribution is well channelled, they can constitute a valuable asset in our work that can contribute towards bringing about a more secure, prosperous and just world.

Mongolia supports a stronger and more structured relationship between the United Nations and regional organizations. Mongolia is endeavouring to play a broader and more active role in such regional organizations as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Asian Cooperation Dialogue. We have also reached out, for the first time, to the European regional structure, and we recently became the fifth Asian partner of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Furthermore, let me extend our gratitude to those Member States that have supported us in joining the Asia-Europe Meeting this year. We hope that our long-time aspiration to become a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation will be fulfilled next year, with the help of the countries of the region.

Mongolia cannot but worry about the security uncertainties prevailing in North-East Asia. The subregion lacks a mechanism to ensure security and stability at the governmental level. It may be time to start thinking about the possibility of engaging in a dialogue at the track 1 level, starting with a free exchange of views within the framework of the General Assembly.

In conclusion, let me note that the general debate held by our leaders has shown that a global partnership is needed more than ever today. A global partnership on development, security and human rights is the only means of achieving the goals set out in the Millennium Declaration and of implementing the 2005 World Summit Outcome, as well as of making progress in the noble work of our Organization.

Mongolia is doing its best to fulfil its duties and responsibilities and expects the global partners to do the same.

Mr. Shinyo (Japan)

Madam President, I wish to thank you for having convened this meeting to discuss the Secretary-General's report on the work of the Organization. The sixtieth session of the General Assembly was the first year of the implementation of the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document. We saw some progress, with the establishment of the Human Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, and the continued efforts for Secretariat and management reform.

The one item on our agenda that stands out as unfinished is reform of the Security Council. Madam President, it is essential that, guided by your able leadership, we move forward on all items of the agreement reached by our leaders during the sixtieth session and elucidated in the Outcome Document.

The Secretary-General has asserted on more than one occasion that no reform of the United Nations will be complete without reform of the Security Council. Japan is determined to continue to take the initiative on this issue during this session. What Member States need now is a new proposal -- one that is both creative and persuasive -- in order to reach an early decision on Council reform during the current session of the General Assembly.

Since its accession to the United Nations 50 years ago, Japan has had an exemplary record with regard to the fulfilment of its duties as a Member State, including assessed contributions. Nevertheless, Japan strongly believes that the United Nations needs a reformed scale of assessments structure, one that is more equitable and fair and that duly takes into account the status and responsibilities of each Member State. Japan will work together with other Member States to formulate such a structure, which will bring financial stability to the Organization.

Over the past several years, Japan has been promoting the importance of human security as a concept that stresses the protection of individuals from threats to their life and dignity, as well as the value of their individual empowerment. In partnership with other interested countries, we will continue to promote human security and an approach based on it during this session of the General Assembly. It is now widely acknowledged that peace, development and human rights are interlinked and serve to complement one another. We hold high expectations for the newly created Human Rights Council beginning a new page in the promotion of respect for human rights; as a Council member, Japan will play a constructive role in the Council's activities to that end.

Japan is also committed to implementing the arrangements outlined in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1) and continues to make efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In this connection, we, together with like-minded countries, will propose a draft resolution on an international year of sanitation to promote progress in the area of water and sanitation. We also have dedicated ourselves to realizing reforms aimed at enabling the United Nations development system to contribute to providing more effective service to the people and the communities that are the final beneficiaries of the system. We believe that the proposals by the High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence will give us important guidance in that regard.

Our common task for the sixty-first session of the General Assembly is to continue our earnest efforts to translate into reality the decisions on reform made at the 2005 World Summit. You have our assurance, Madam President, that you can count on Japan's proactive support on our continuing journey towards a more efficient and effective United Nations.

--> -->

<type 'exceptions.UnicodeEncodeError'>

Python 2.6.6: /usr/bin/python Wed Jun 19 01:53:35 2013

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

/data/vhost/www.undemocracy.com/docs/trunk.py in ()

194 if __name__ == "__main__":

195     pathpart = os.getenv("PATH_INFO")

196     maintrunk(pathpart)

197

198

maintrunk = <function maintrunk>, pathpart = '/generalassembly_61/meeting_24/highlight_A-61-1'

/data/vhost/www.undemocracy.com/docs/trunk.py in maintrunk(pathpart='/generalassembly_61/meeting_24/highlight_A-61-1')

131     elif pagefunc == "gameeting":

132         LogIncomingDB(hmap["docid"], hmap["gadice"] or "0", referrer, ipaddress, useragent, remadeurl)

133         WriteHTML(hmap["htmlfile"], hmap["pdfinfo"], hmap["gadice"], hmap["highlightdoclink"])

134     elif pagefunc == "agendanumexpanded":

135         LogIncomingDB(pagefunc, hmap["agendanum"], referrer, ipaddress, useragent, remadeurl)

global WriteHTML = <function WriteHTML>, hmap = {'docid': 'A-61-PV.24', 'gadice': '', 'gameeting': 24, 'gasession': 61, 'highlightdoclink': 'A-61-1', 'htmlfile': '/home/undemocracy/undata/html/A-61-PV.24.html', 'pagefunc': 'gameeting', 'pdfinfo': <pdfinfo.PdfInfo instance>}

/home/undemocracy/unparse-live/web2/unpvmeeting.py in WriteHTML(fhtml='/home/undemocracy/undata/html/A-61-PV.24.html', pdfinfo=<pdfinfo.PdfInfo instance>, gadice='', highlightth='A-61-1')

322         if dclass == "spoken":

323             if not gadice or agendagidcurrent == gadice:

324                 WriteSpoken(gid, dtextmu, councilpresidentnation)

325         elif dclass == "subheading":

326             if agendagidcurrent and (not gadice or agendagidcurrent == gadice):

global WriteSpoken = <function WriteSpoken>, gid = u'pg020-bk01', dtextmu = u'<h3 class="speaker"> <span class="name">Mr. Malm..." class="pdf">A/61/1</a>, para. 160)</blockquote>', councilpresidentnation = None

/home/undemocracy/unparse-live/web2/unpvmeeting.py in WriteSpoken(gid=u'pg020-bk01', dtext=u'<h3 class="speaker"> <span class="name">Mr. Malm..." class="pdf">A/61/1</a>, para. 160)</blockquote>', councilpresidentnation=None)

62

63     if personlink:

64         print '<a class="name" href="%s">%s</a>' % (personlink, name),

65     else:

66         print '<span class="name">%s</span>' % name

personlink = u'/Cuba/diaz', name = u'Mr. Malmierca D\xedaz'

<type 'exceptions.UnicodeEncodeError'>: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xed' in position 49: ordinal not in range(128)
      args = ('ascii', u'<a class="name" href="/Cuba/diaz">Mr. Malmierca D\xedaz</a>', 49, 50, 'ordinal not in range(128)')
      encoding = 'ascii'
      end = 50
      message = ''
      object = u'<a class="name" href="/Cuba/diaz">Mr. Malmierca D\xedaz</a>'
      reason = 'ordinal not in range(128)'
      start = 49