General Assembly Session 62 meeting 7

The President

The Assembly will hear an address by the Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

King Mswati (Swaziland)

It is a great pleasure for me to address the General Assembly at its sixty-second session.

Let me begin by extending warm greetings from the Kingdom of Swaziland to the entire United Nations family.

It befits this moment that I extend our congratulations to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, upon his appointment. We trust that he will continue in the footsteps of his predecessors in carrying out the important mission of the United Nations. The Kingdom of Swaziland pledges its support to him as he continues to promote and protect the noble goals of multilateralism.

The role of the United Nations is to promote peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United Nations should continue to shape situations for the betterment of the lives of all the peoples of the world. If it is to succeed, there is a need for the United Nations to reform its main bodies. We have met regionally as countries; consensus decisions have been reached and recommendations made, and we look forward to their implementation. As the United Nations achieves reform, it is likely to undertake meaningful action so that when decisions are taken, the Organization will be respected by all.

Many of our countries the world over are facing countless challenges, and we look to this Organization to come up with lasting solutions. My country, Swaziland, is still undertaking development programmes to implement the Millennium Development Goals that were set by the United Nations for individual countries to achieve. We have programmes for building a very sound economy so that our people will have good jobs that will make their living standards better.

As part of our human capital development and capacity-building programme, we are educating and training our people in every aspect to acquire more knowledge and information, and we look to the well-developed countries to share their experiences and ideas.

One area of great concern is that, as we continue to implement our development programmes, we are faced with the challenges of globalization that will affect our preferential markets. That will be detrimental to us, the developing countries, since companies have big loans to repay that were taken out on the basis of better markets. We hope that, as the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules come into force, there shall be considerations to ensure that all developing countries meet WTO standards. In that way, we shall be able to implement the rules equitably and effectively.

HIV/AIDS and other health problems remain some of the major challenges that we face as developing nations. We have programmes in place that we are trying to follow in dealing with the situation, but we are unable to meet our targets because of our limited resources. We have heard of many foundations that have been announced worldwide and we hope to be able to access them. We look forward to those responsible for such foundations sharing the information on how to reach the funds, as well as technical support.

We acknowledge the contribution made by the Global Fund in the fight against the scourge. My country is one of the beneficiaries of such funding, and we have been able to offer a lot of comfort to many of our people. We encourage the United Nations to continue to appeal on our behalf for continued support in eradicating the problem of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, to name just a few.

We also recognize the role of various United Nations agencies working with our communities in the provision of shelter, nutritional support and education to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. I am pleased to state that our fight is showing some signs of success, as recent statistics have shown a decline in the prevalence rate.

We are faced with persistent droughts that have set us back as we continue to develop our country, and that has been worsened by the wildfires that have recently occurred, destroying properties, crops, livestock and our forest industry. My country is doing everything it can to help those that have been affected by this unfortunate situation. We would like to thank the countries and organizations that have come forward to help us during this period of hardship and we do make an appeal to others for support; which is still needed.

Some of the problems I have mentioned that are affecting my country are the result of climate changes. That is why we believe that the summit we had is very important, and we would like to commend the Secretary-General for convening the high-level summit on climate change held earlier this week. A political momentum has been generated, and it is our hope that the necessary negotiations on the matter will commence in Bali later this year during the meeting of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Kingdom of Swaziland has developed some sector policies that are climate-change friendly, such as our pro-green energy policy and water resources policy, to mention a couple. However, there is a need to enhance education, training and public awareness with regard to the adaptation and promotion of individual and institutional capacity-building in order to manage appropriate technology development and transfer.

We note that there is a general need for favourable access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular from developed countries to developing countries, through supportive measures that promote technology cooperation. This will enable the necessary technological know-how to be transferred and economic, technical and managerial capabilities to be built for the efficient use and further development of transferred skills.

We would like to encourage the private sector, and in particular the multinational corporations, to be responsible enough to practise the same environmental and waste management principles in the developing world. We would also like to discourage the irresponsible dumping of harmful waste materials in developing countries.

The Kingdom of Swaziland is deeply committed to the United Nations Charter. Moreover, recent events in the world have been living proof that the United Nations is needed now more than ever before. Sadly, the realities of wars and violence still continue in different parts of the world. Conflicts, tensions and terrorism continue to destroy the social and economic fabric of the era that we are living in.

We welcome the report of the Secretary-General on the relationship between disarmament and development (A/62/112), in particular its recognition that armed violence and conflict impede the realization of the Millennium Development Goals. In this regard we applaud the United Nations Development Programme for its efforts to prevent armed violence through its contribution to the disarmament and development agenda by promoting and participating in a number of policy-oriented initiatives.

We further commend the efforts of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa both for its continuation of the operation of the small arms and light weapons register for Africa for participating States, with a view to promoting transparency in the flows of small arms and light weapons, and for its programme entitled "African Security Sector Reform Programme", which carries the objective of transforming governance within the African security sector.

However, we are concerned about the situation in Somalia and Darfur and its far-reaching consequences for regional security. The continued human suffering in this region is unacceptable, and we hope that current efforts aimed at improving the situation will not be deprived of the opportunity to succeed. On a more positive note, we welcome the Security Council decision to deploy the joint African Union-United Nations hybrid peacekeeping force.

The Middle East continues to face challenges and the accumulation of crises and tensions in the region. It is therefore imperative that all parties concerned make an effort to achieve comprehensive, fair, just and durable settlements.

I would like to take this time to applaud the United Nations for its role in promoting its Charter, especially the principle of universality. There is one country, however, that is not benefiting from this principle, as it has been excluded from the family of nations.

I am talking about Taiwan: the Kingdom of Swaziland wishes to reiterate its appeal to the United Nations with respect to the question of Taiwan. We note that Taiwan exercised a well-founded right in international law to apply for membership in the United Nations. Regrettably, the application was rejected without due process.

The Government and people of Taiwan have shown their willingness and capacity to contribute actively to global development and peace, through disaster relief and health and development support to many regions. We continue to support the cause of the over 23 million people of Taiwan who are not represented in the one organization that should be truly global. I would like to challenge all nations to take my appeal seriously.

While our world experiences ever-accelerating political, economic and social changes, it is vital that we cooperate with each other in order to tackle and manage these issues. Cordial, balanced and respectful relations between nations based on the principles of the United Nations Charter will enable us all to meet and overcome future challenges of our time, and make this world a safer place for future generations.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the statement he has just made.

The President

The Assembly will now hear an address by the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Zelijko Komsi, Chairman of the Presidency of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to invite him to address the Assembly.

Mr. Komsi (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

It is my honour to participate in this meeting of the General Assembly's sixty-second session as Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I would also like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency, and to express my respect and gratitude to Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa for successfully presiding over the sixty-first session.

The United Nations and all other organizations depend on the collective strength of their members. That strength should be drawn from the consensus of the Member States. On that note, I would like to express my regret for the loss of momentum in Security Council reform. For the past several years, our countries' representatives have met at the global level and have been prepared to realize the goals of the Millennium Declaration, in which the United Nations plays a distinguished role.

It is well-known that, in the recent past, my country paid a high price for the imperfect and inefficient United Nations system. The United Nations admitted its mistake and emphasized in its first report on Srebrenica that the United Nations experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the most difficult and painful in the Organization's history. The report further noted that Srebrenica clarified the truth the United Nations and the world learned too late: Bosnia and Herzegovina was as much a moral obligation as it was a military conflict, and Srebrenica will haunt us forever.

On 27 February 2007, the International Court of Justice ruled on the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina versus Serbia and Montenegro. The International Court of Justice ruled that genocide was committed against Bosnian Muslims in and around Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Members will agree, of course, that this was not an isolated case. That is one more reason for our determination and commitment, shared by a majority of the Member States, to the necessary reform of the world Organization.

In that light, Bosnia and Herzegovina is of the opinion that only a strong United Nations can be an efficient instrument in regulating international relations, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law. Apart from the necessary reforms, it is also essential to revitalize the United Nations, including the General Assembly and its committees, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat and other bodies.

That would include defining a number of issues, such as Security Council membership categories, the number of members, selection procedures for new members, veto powers, regional representation, working methods, and so on. Those attest to the complexity of the ongoing reform. A productive step forward will inevitably lead to essential negotiations in that context, rather than to the usual ongoing consultations. I should like to emphasize Bosnia and Herzegovina's interest in reform that would create a larger Security Council membership, and thus an additional seat for the Eastern European Group.

Multi-ethnic and multireligious Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its rich historical heritage and experience of the failures of the international community, primarily the United Nations -- failures that had troubling consequences for my country, but also positive results in post-war peacebuilding alongside United Nations representatives, bodies and agencies -- could contribute greatly to the United Nations becoming an effective instrument in the collective management of international relations.

My country believes that there can be no peace or stability without economic and social development. My country maintains its support for the Security Council as a critical body for international cooperation, peace and the development of the rights of all nations. Having met its historic challenges, Bosnia and Herzegovina is now able to share its experiences with a troubled world. Bosnia and Herzegovina is thus determined to intensify ongoing activities leading to its non-permanent membership of the Security Council from 2010 to 2012, and looks forward to the support of the majority of Member States for that membership.

I come from a post-conflict country that has moved towards becoming a modern democratic society and taken the path to European and trans-Atlantic integration. That is why my country is truly committed to the strengthening of international cooperation on the regional, European and global levels.

It is with great pride that I can state today that Bosnia and Herzegovina is an active participant in all regional south-eastern European initiatives and processes. In 2007, Bosnia and Herzegovina was recognized for its proactive regional stand. The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit in Zagreb adopted the decision to make Sarajevo the regional cooperation council centre. Creating the regional cooperation council is the final step in the transformation of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, meaning that SEECP member States will assume regional responsibilities. With that decision, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina will become a future regional cooperation centre, and Bosnia and Herzegovina will also be home to the regional disaster preparedness and prevention initiative secretariat, taking strong regional ownership of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe initiative. The representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina will play a lead role in the regional arms control verification and implementation assistance centre in Zagreb.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is pursuing active regional cooperation in fighting organized crime. We cooperate actively with the Southeast Europe Cooperative Initiative Centre for Combating Transborder Crime in Bucharest. It was through more efficient regional cooperation, electronic identity databases and efficient border control that Bosnia and Herzegovina was able to reduce the number of illegal immigrants, as well as all forms of cross-border criminal activity.

We are developing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on the detection and prevention of radioactive substance transportation and proliferation on Bosnia and Herzegovina territory. Bosnia and Herzegovina is building relationships with neighbouring countries on the basis of equality, complete independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Bosnia and Herzegovina and its neighbours are aware that complete development can be achieved only by joining a united Europe. That goal will be achieved by pursuing the development of all aspects of good relations with neighbouring countries, the democratization of the entire region, and acceptance of general European standards.

Bosnia and Herzegovina believes in non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries, and thus that the solution for Kosovo is to be reached through dialogue among the interested parties. Bosnia and Herzegovina supports dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and is eager to help find a solution acceptable to both sides within regional initiatives. Bosnia and Herzegovina supports the efforts of the Troika Contact Group for Kosovo and hopes that a satisfying solution for the future status of Kosovo will be found. A further lengthy delay in the resolution of the status of Kosovo will certainly have a long-term negative impact on the entire Balkan region.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has also achieved significant successes in the broader international context. In late 2006, Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member of the NATO Partnership for Peace. Further recognition came in May 2007, when Bosnia and Herzegovina became a member of a rather significant new United Nations body -- the Human Rights Council.

On 31 May 2007, Bosnia and Herzegovina became a presiding member of the Hague Code of Conduct, which has been signed by 126 United Nations Member States. My country and the other signatories of the Code, who believe in the principle of collective safety, are prepared to fight against the proliferation of ballistic missile technology. We are aware of the great danger posed by ballistic missiles in the hands of non-government entities, which could abuse them for destructive purposes anywhere in the world. Therefore, I urge all countries that have not yet signed the Hague Code of Conduct -- particularly those with ballistic capacity -- to accept the Code. I also wish to urge all Member States to support the relevant draft resolution proposed by my country and Portugal.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has participated and will continue to participate, to the extent possible, in the international efforts of the anti-terrorism coalition. We have also undertaken to join the anti-terrorism efforts of the European Union. The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved an anti-terrorism strategic plan for the period 2006-2009. The ongoing reform of our criminal code will result in additional anti-terrorism measures that will conform to the relevant international conventions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina supports other Member States in continuing joint efforts to strengthen respect for all human rights, including civil, economic, cultural, political, social, developmental and other rights. Bosnia and Herzegovina has agreed to serve as a sponsor of the Italian initiative aimed at a United Nations moratorium on the death penalty, to be considered by the General Assembly. Bosnia and Herzegovina has made significant progress in submitting the relevant reports to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

I also wish to note that Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with Jordan, has promoted the United Nations Better World Campaign for the past few years. The Campaign seeks to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of humanitarian disaster response.

Bosnian authorities continue to be committed to cooperating fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). All suspected war criminals from the territories of the former Yugoslavia must be brought to justice. To date, we have engaged in positive cooperation with the Tribunal on issues such as the processing of criminal charges, extradition, contacting the relevant authorities, access to documentation and providing appropriate working conditions for Court representatives and others in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We are creating a legal framework and have established the War Crimes Chamber within the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to begin processing war crimes cases. That is one of the conditions for establishing an atmosphere of mutual trust and reconciliation in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the ICTY should not conclude its work until the most notorious war criminals -- in particular Bosnian Serb war leaders Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and others -- are brought to justice.

Bosnia and Herzegovina supports all peace initiatives and conflict prevention activities. We support and are following very closely the Middle East Road Map, which will lead to permanent and sustainable peace in Middle East. As part of United Nations peacekeeping operations, Bosnia and Herzegovina has military observers in the Congo and Ethiopia and has contributed to the civilian police forces in the Sudan, Cyprus, Liberia and Haiti. Bosnia and Herzegovina has also sent a small demining unit to Iraq in order to help its people establish a democratic and self-sustainable country.

We are certain that, by strengthening multilateralism, the United Nations can develop effective measures to prevent armed conflict. At the same time, however, it is essential to uphold the principle of the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, in accordance with the guiding principles of international law and with full respect for human rights.

Bosnia and Herzegovina supports the Middle East Road Map and the initiatives of the Quartet, which establish a basis for the beginning of a true Israeli-Palestinian dialogue that is brokered by the United States and in accordance with European Union guidelines. Bosnia and Herzegovina calls for a general, unconditional and mutual cessation of all hostilities, the release of all hostages and the launching of negotiations on a definitive two-State solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem.

Bosnia and Herzegovina urges all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq to put an end to sectarian violence and to take an active role in political life. We join the rest of the international community in calling for a broad national political dialogue, emphasizing full compliance with the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

Mindful of the potentially catastrophic consequences of a deepening of the crisis related to the Iranian nuclear development programme, Bosnia and Herzegovina calls on Iran to be prepared to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency and to engage in a dialogue with key partners.

The United Nations role in conflict resolution is crucial. However, during various international crises, particularly that in the former Yugoslavia, the Organization has failed to play the role entrusted to it by the Charter. The Iraqi crisis highlights the weaknesses of the United Nations in preventing conflict throughout the world. If the United Nations fails to shoulder its Charter responsibilities, that could lead to a number of unilateral interventions, which would have a very negative impact on international stability.

The foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is focused on long-term peacekeeping and development with a view to ensuring the safety and stability of overall development. All our international activities are based on and conform to the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and universally accepted principles of international law.

Aware of the enormous threat to peace posed by nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, particularly in the hands of terrorists, Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken significant steps towards total control in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We have ratified or acceded to most of the major documents in this area. Bosnia and Herzegovina is also eager to cooperate fully with other countries at the bilateral level through relevant multilateral organizations and initiatives in order to effectively fight the proliferation and use of weapons of mass destruction.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted a law providing for the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. As one of the countries most affected by the mine stockpiles left over from the previous conflict, Bosnia and Herzegovina is paying close attention to the implementation of the Ottawa Convention.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is an active participant in the response and prevention programmes of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. Our contributions to the fight against that disease are described in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Strategy to Prevent and Combat HIV/AIDS, 2004-2009.

Bosnia and Herzegovina pays its dues on time and on a regular basis to the United Nations and all other organizations of which it is a member. We urge other countries, especially major contributors, to do likewise. I am referring in particular to the dues to the ICTY and peacekeeping operations that have not been paid in a timely manner.

Two days ago in this Hall, we had a highly constructive exchange of views on one of the most serous and potentially dangerous phenomena of our time: global warming. Once again, I should like to emphasize the crucial importance of effective and timely United Nations action on this issue. In 2000, my country ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which entered into force in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 June 2007. I urge all Member States that have not yet done so to ratify the Convention without delay.

The President

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the statement he has just made.