UN General Assembly
1998

Treaty. We are convinced that the new Department for Disarmament and Arms Regulation will bolster the capacity of the United Nations to pursue these objectives, bearing in mind the ruling by the International Court of Justice in July 1996 that the use of, or the threat to use, nuclear weapons is contrary to international humanitarian law. As we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Suriname wishes to reiterate its commitment to these rights. At the same time, my Government holds the view that it is equally important not to focus our attention solely on the fulfilment of civil and political rights; we should also focus on the fulfilment of the social and economic rights of our peoples. It is in this respect that Suriname believes that the implementation of the “Right of Development”, in particular for peoples in the developing world, must be given equal attention by the international community. What should be stressed in this context is that human rights and sustainable human development are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. The promotion