Allow me, at
the outset, to address my warmest congratulations to
the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-
second session. With that election, which honours your
country, the Group of Eastern European States and the
members of this Assembly have unanimously
recognized, Sir, your eminent competence and your
perfect knowledge of the Organization. You and the
other members of the Bureau may be assured of the
active cooperation of my delegation.
 You have chosen the theme of climate change for
this sixty-second session. I would like to thank you for
that initiative, which has been commended by all.
 Today, I would like to share my observations on
this issue as well as my personal commitment in
service of this cause. Very early on, I learned to
appreciate nature and to take the necessary measures to
protect it. From my very earliest years, I was taught to
share and to give back. Then I wanted to see and learn
things for myself, and my responsibility today is to
testify and to act.
 That is why, in June 2006, I decided to make my
own contribution, as well as that of the Principality, by
creating a Foundation. The mission of the Prince
Albert II Foundation is to identify priority and
symbolic projects and to accelerate their
implementation in order to reach concrete results
throughout the world aimed at a sustainable and
equitable management of natural resources.
 The Foundation’s activities are based on three
strategic principles. The first is to act alongside
nations, international institutions and opinion leaders
in order to enhance consciousness of and accelerate
decisions for sustainable development. I am personally
committed to leading consciousness-raising missions
on the ground around the world. I will also stand with
other heads of States, as I do today, and take part in
international negotiation meetings regarding the
environment.
 The second objective of my Foundation is to
promote initiatives, activities and corporate actions that
combine innovation with environmental protection.
The Foundation in supporting and financing about
30 projects as of this year. Through its activities, the
Foundation also wishes to attest to the fact that it is
possible to engage in sustainable practices and
behaviour that are respectful of the environment and
compatible with economic, social and human
development.
 Lastly, its third objective is to create the broadest
possible public understanding of the environmental
challenges and responsibilities involved in those issues
via outreach activities. I commit myself to devoting the
time and energy necessary to the success of those
actions.
 All the programmes adopted by the Foundation
comply with the environmental policy of my country.
Monaco has long been active in protecting the marine
environment and in developing scientific research in
marine biology. The creation a century ago of the
Oceanographic Museum and the Museum of
Prehistoric Anthropology by my great-great-
grandfather Albert I, and the more recent creation of an
underwater reserve by my father, Prince Rainier III,
bear witness to that policy. The RAMOGE Agreements
for the control of marine pollution and the Agreement
on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, the
Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area
reinforced that international engagement. That vocation
is part of the history of my country.
 This year, I agreed to sponsor an ambitious
international initiative launched by the United Nations
Environment Programme, the objective of which is to
provide for the planting of at least 1 billion trees
throughout the world in 2007. Seven months after the
launch of the operation, that objective was achieved. It
is an extraordinary sign of hope, and I must commend
the dynamism of the Programme, whose actions within
the United Nations are essential for the environment.
 The time for action is today. We already know
that the future of humanity is at stake. This is a
collective responsibility. To tackle this urgent matter, it
is necessary to raise awareness, mobilize capacities and
revolutionize our lifestyle. That is how we will forge a
new relationship to nature. As Yves Coppens, a French
scientist, stresses: “for millennia, climate has dictated
man’s behaviour; today, it is man who dictates his
behaviour on nature”.
 It is also necessary to commit ourselves to
promoting a new ethic   that of the right to the
protection of the environment. What better place is
there than this prestigious institution to lead the way
forward? That new ethical dimension can be achieved
only if built on the sincere commitment of each
individual. That is why Bill Clinton, in his recent book,
calls for concrete mobilization. As he says so well,
“each one of us can give something. There is so much
to do; it is never too late to start”. Like President
Clinton, I believe that generosity is at the heart of that
mobilization.
 It is thus imperative to transcend our own
selfishness and inertia, and to learn to develop a
harmonious relationship between humankind and
nature. Safeguarding our planet is the challenge of the
twenty-first century. That challenge requires courage,
tenacity, commitment and generosity. Above all, let us
act. Peter Frumhoff, one of the main contributors to the
report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, declared, following a large-scale study
undertaken by the Union of Concerned Scientists, that
“some changes are inevitable, but the worst
consequences can be avoided if we act quickly”. That
message was reiterated over and over again yesterday
during the high-level event on climate change
convened by the Secretary-General.
 The European Union has shown the way by
committing to a 50 per cent reduction of its greenhouse
gases by 2050. Let us help developing countries by
finding new financial resources; let us quickly update
our modes of production and consumption. To meet
that challenge, we must work together to find solutions
to existing problems. Individual announcements or
actions will never solve the problem. The threat is
global. As the climatologist Edouard Bard has pointed
out, “global warming concerns our entire ecosystem
and the consequences of this phenomenon can be done
only at the global level”.
 We have long lived in a world fraught with
threats, but for the first time we are facing a planetary
threat that threatens humankind itself. The evolution of
human mindsets and behaviour will inevitably take
time, but the planet cannot wait. Thus, without further
delay, we must adopt a culture of responsibility. We
must meet this historic challenge so that we may
preserve planet Earth for our children. Let us make the
choice of hope based on humanistic values, and let us
not forget the power of courage when it is supported by
the will to place humankind at the core of our
priorities.
 There are also ethical considerations which
inspire my country’s constant and resolute commitment
in the fight against terrorism. In no circumstances can
violence ever be a legitimate means to pursue any
combat, whatever the cause may be.
 To consolidate its legal framework in compliance
with international standards, and according to the
recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force
on Money Laundering (FATF), the Principality of
Monaco took measures identical to the European Union
directives adopted to fight money laundering and
terrorism. Without waiting for the new report of the
Select Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-
Money Laundering Measures, in this area, my
Government enacted new laws and regulations on these
issues. With those tireless efforts, Monaco has been
publicly recognized for leading the way in this field. I
will maintain the required vigilance so that our
legislative framework and our security policy will
continue to guarantee the reputation of the Principality
as a safe State. In so doing, I reiterate my unfaltering
determination to combat the manifestations of
terrorism regardless of their forms.
 For my country, sustainable development and the
fight against poverty go hand in hand, in that we are
called upon to identify a new manner of growth more
respectful of the resources of our planet, which, while
abundant, are not inexhaustible. That is the reason why
I asked my Government to increase by 30 per cent for
the year 2008, under the heading of international
cooperation, the total of the Principality’s voluntary
contributions to the funds and programmes of the
United Nations. This significant increase of funding for
official development assistance is proof my country’s
determination to eventually reach the target of devoting
0.7 per cent of gross national income to official
development assistance. A great deal remains to be
done in the fields of education, access to health care,
the fight against pandemics and HIV/AIDS, human
crises following natural disasters or conflicts and,
lastly, the fight against poverty.
 I pay particular attention to the Principality’s
actions through multilateral and bilateral assistance
programmes, supplemented by the generous initiatives
of the charitable organizations in Monaco, which are
also part of my country’s tradition.
 Children’s welfare has, for a long time, been a
priority commitment for the Principality. My sister,
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover, is
actively involved with this issue through the World
Association of Children’s Friends (AMADE
Mondiale). In December, the General Assembly will
hold a debate to evaluate progress in the
implementation of the Declaration and Plan of Action
entitled “A world fit for children” (resolution S-27/2),
adopted in 2002. Considerable progress has been
achieved in five years, although there still are too many
needs to be met.
 Monaco has also joined the campaign entitled
“Unite for children. Unite against AIDS,” sponsored by
UNICEF, the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health
Organization. My sister, Princess Stephanie, Special
Representative of UNAIDS, has committed herself
wholeheartedly to harnessing the energies of the
Principality and beyond to advance in the fight against
this scourge.
 Reform of the Security Council remains a current
issue. I reaffirm my country’s support for a process of
increasing the membership of this Council. In fact, the
chances of maintaining international peace and security
will be that much greater if the representation of the
international community in the Security Council were
the most equitable possible.
 I also express the wish that the newly established
Department of Field Support, working alongside the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will facilitate
the actions of United Nations personnel on the ground
working valiantly to safeguard peace. I congratulate
the Secretary-General on the efforts he has undertaken
to these ends.
 My country became a Member of the United
Nations 14 years ago. Ever since, the Principality has
increased its participation on the international scene.
The Principality has taken pleasure in hosting many
international meetings and high-level conferences in
recent years.
 Accordingly, I am delighted that in February
2008, the tenth special session of the Governing
Council of United Nations Environment Programme
and the Global Ministerial Environment Forum will be
held in Monaco. On that occasion, I will proudly
receive ministers of the environment of Member States
to discuss topics similar to those we are tackling within
the General Assembly framework and thus to continue
the debate launched here. In so doing, my country will,
I hope, contribute once again its part to the
fundamental debates of our time and will reaffirm its
will to be at the heart of the genuine struggle.


People and planet.
They are our alpha and our omega. They are the
foundation and objective of actions by bodies such as
the United Nations.
 The Earth is blue like an orange, said the poet
Paul Eluard. That is a logical statement, as our planet
takes its blue colour from the sky and the oceans that
protect us, and the orange colour from the fruit that
nourishes us. The Earth is a sphere that moves and
turns with infinite interdependence. The human
attitude, nature and peoples are bound together to form
a single scheme of debate, impossible to resolve
separately.
 Every year in the General Assembly we are
pleased to feel that our work is centred on the ideals of
a better world in the environment of a democratic
structure, dialogue, the brotherhood of cultures and
financial and social interchange, supportive and
prosperous between peoples.
 The latest data available to us on the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) show a positive trend. We
have made great progress in the reduction of child
mortality and we have applied various measures of
truly surprising simplicity that have demonstrated their
effectiveness in eradicating many illnesses. And yet the
inhabitants of the world — the people, flora and fauna
of the planet — look at our organizations and all of us
somewhat suspiciously. There is much concern. There
is great uncertainty.
 With your permission, my words today will not
be of self-complacency either for the results
obtained or for the undeniable improvement in some of
the ailments that undermine our dignity as people.
Congratulations can give way to relaxation and can
have a perversely soothing effect on our consciences.
The development of global societies has become
essential in the light of the positions affecting
economic, social, cultural, military and political
systems on a worldwide scale. There is an urgent need
for conceptualization in the face of the evident poverty
resulting from the sudden and profound
transformations suffered by peoples, regions and
countries. Successive waves of contributions of capital
and human resources combine with pre-existing human
substrata, creating superimposed layers that further
accentuate differences. When those investments cease
to be profitable, resources are redirected. That results
in situations of change or crisis.
 The realities on which we have to concentrate are
those of a world in which, according to the latest data
published by UNICEF, 9.7 million children’s lives
were lost in one year; a world in which human life
expectancy can differ by more than 30 years; a world
in which more than 39 million people are infected with
the AIDS virus; and a world in which too many people
are still without access to safe drinking water. That is
not doomsaying on my part; it is a recognition that the
advances made cannot conceal the profound
shortcomings that still exist or hold back the
achievement of results.
 Indignation and rejection in the face of every
unacceptable reality have made possible the finest
achievements for the progress of humanity in a
remarkable way at the United Nations and must now
enable us to obtain more resources, to go faster, to have
more ideas and to be even more effective.
 Mr. Beck (Palau), Vice-President, took the Chair.
 For more than six decades, the United Nations
has sought to be the moral and legal force which
ensures that dialogue, cooperation and solidarity take
the place of oppression, weapons, famine, ignorance,
misery and injustice. However, during the years of
existence of the United Nations, wars, poverty and
intolerance have not stopped. On the contrary, we have
had to add new ills, such as the radicalization of
fundamentalism or the degradation of the environment,
and increasingly frequent natural disasters.
Earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, tornadoes
and floods and the thawing of many of the glaciers at
the two poles are vivid examples of the climatic
disorder that we have to combat. To tell the truth, the
planet is threatened; but I do not think that this is an
accurate assertion. Those really threatened are the most
vulnerable persons and countries. They are the ones
who suffer from war, illness and underdevelopment.
Climate change will affect all of us, but not all of us
equally.
 At the same time, trafficking in, and the abuse of,
children and women continue despite the legal
instruments with which we have equipped countries
such as Andorra, where the defence of human rights
and liberties is considered to be a fundamental
inspiring principle.
 The world of the twenty-first century views
armed conflicts, terrorism, violations of human rights
and extremely precarious situations in many areas with
something between resignation and impotence. I would
refer, merely as an example, to the extreme situation
that has affected the population of Darfur for many
years.
 We should not be surprised that, faced with all
those hard realities, international institutions like ours
are suffering serious crises of discredit and significant
erosion. Nevertheless, if we are here today it is because
we believe that we can improve the world — people
and planet — because we are convinced that together
we are able to react. Hope remains intact. Every
country — whatever its size — and every director and
every organization with the capacity for action has to
fight to make law into the essence of vitality and to
achieve open and sincere dialogue in the international
arena. As Charles de Gaulle said, it takes several to
deliberate, and one to act. As Al Gore told us on
Monday, the world requires a global Marshall Plan,
because our planet is in an emergency situation.
 We are delighted with the thrust and
dynamism displayed by the new Secretary-General,
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, since he took office. We praise the
efforts of the General Assembly in setting up a
Working Group on Security Council reform, as well as
the proposals that are being studied. We fully support
the model of society proposed by the United Nations
— rooted in the principles of peace, solidarity, liberty,
cooperation, social development and economic growth.
 With regard to goals, I applaud the initiative of
the Millennium Development Goals. At the time of
their introduction, the previous Secretary-General
warned us that we needed to break with routine. He
told us that we could not achieve results in a day
because success would require sustained action over
the 10 years envisaged for implementation. Today,
before the entire Assembly, I add my full support to
those words. I call upon everyone to maintain the pace
and to press the foot down a little harder on the
accelerator.
 We all benefit from the progress that we have
made. We know the enduring relationship that exists
between poverty and nearly all the challenges we face:
mortality rates, differences in life expectancy, ill
health, injustice, intolerance, marginalization and
armed conflict. Let us reject before the world and
before all peoples some of the pernicious prejudices
that prevent us from advancing. Permit me to recall
three truths that have been defined a number of times
by Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the Earth Institute at
Columbia University.
 The first is that the illnesses ravaging poor
countries are perfectly avoidable and can be prevented.
The second is that to avoid all the thoroughly
unnecessary deaths caused by them will not affect the
population explosion. The third is that poor countries,
as has already been shown and in refutation of some
voices deliberately ignorant of their prejudices, are
capable of installing efficient public health
programmes when they receive adequate aid.
 As a result of the terror and the material and
moral misery suffered during the Second World War,
countries, peoples and their representatives came to an
agreement, saying “enough” and creating organizations
such as the United Nations to regulate and mediate
conflict. They did this with a sense of generosity, a
breadth of purpose and a boldness that today must
inspire our action even more.
 The ideals of the fathers of the Charter of the
United Nations were founded on a respect for
individuals, on liberty and on access to knowledge and
education to achieve welfare and peace around the
world. Only through an energetic renewal of those
ideals can we ensure that the balance on planet Earth
improves perceptibly and continues to do so year by
year. Only with the unity, understanding and
cooperation of all nations can we obtain results.
 The small size of Andorra has not prevented us
from maintaining good neighbourly relationships with
France and Spain for more than seven centuries. We are
fully concerned and involved with the objectives of the
United Nations. With our long and, at the same time,
humble experience, we could even become a neutral
area, impartial and isolated from partisan interests, in
the case of any conflict in need of resolution.
 We must be realistic, but this must not stop us.
We must advance with modest but continuous reforms,
tangible and firm reforms that lead us to a better future.


It is my pleasure to congratulate you, Sir, upon your
election as President of the Assembly at this session.
There is no doubt that your expertise and your
knowledge of international affairs will ensure anther
successful session this year and will contribute to
fulfilling the aspirations of our peoples for the United
Nations.
 I take this opportunity to express my deepest
thanks and appreciation to our dear sister, Her
Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa, President
of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, and
to commend her for the way in which she so ably and
wisely guided the work of the Assembly. As a result,
serious ideas were put forward that yielded tangible
results for the development of the Organization and the
revitalization of its role. In that respect, we want to
express our appreciation to all delegations that
displayed a spirit of cooperation with her during her
presidency.
 I have the pleasure also to thank His Excellency
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his ongoing efforts
to strengthen and develop the role of the United
Nations. We are confident that the Secretary-General’s
long experience as an able diplomat will enable him to
undertake further efforts to strengthen the effectiveness
of our international Organization.
 In our joint endeavours to achieve world peace,
prosperity and justice, we must address the challenges
and dangers confronting our world today from a
standpoint of faith in our one human destiny. We
should realize that international security is based on
joint efforts to guarantee regional security and the
stability of States. At the same time, international
peace requires respect for international legitimacy, the
rule of law and justice. Since comprehensive
development is a national and international
requirement, it is important that we collectively and
seriously face threats regardless of their forms or
manifestations, such as conflict, war, nuclear
proliferation, terrorism, environment disaster, poverty,
backwardness and extremism, in accordance with the
principles and purposes of the Charter of the United
Nations and the resolutions and decisions adopted by
the General Assembly, including the United Nations
Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2).
 The resolution containing the Millennium
Declaration was a unique and pioneering endeavour
which embodied a consensus among the world leaders
who set out the goals we must reach in this new
millennium. In this respect, the Kingdom of Bahrain is
proud, by the grace of God, to have witnessed
comprehensive political developments in its
democratic march forward, under the leadership of His
Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of
Bahrain, where free and fair elections were held with
broad participation.
 Meanwhile, its comprehensive development
efforts were crowned by the United Nations presenting
the 2006 Special Citation of the United Nations Human
Settlements Programme Scroll of Honour Award to His
Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Prime
Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This reflected
international appreciation for the developments that
continue to be witnessed by the Kingdom, especially in
the field of urban development.
 Social and economic achievements, under the
patronage also of His Highness Shaikh Salman bin
Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince and Commander-in-
Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, have continued
unabated. They are based on strategies and policies
designed to ensure the welfare of all citizens by
encouraging investment, strengthening the national
human rights machinery, reforming the labour market
and developing the education sector.
 In the decades since the establishment of the
United Nations, our world has witnessed both unipolar
and bipolar world orders. Worldwide events and the
ensuing results proved that such orders were not
enough to guarantee security, peace, stability and
prosperity in the world. Therefore, the time is now
right to enable everybody to participate effectively in a
universal system based on a just multilateralism that
guarantees collective work towards achieving common
goals.
 We, as the United Nations, pledged in the
Charter, in the name of our peoples to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war and to reaffirm
faith in fundamental human rights. That calls upon the
international community promptly and effectively to
address threats to international peace and security. At
the forefront of those threats are the ongoing regional
issues that the Middle East faces on various fronts, the
most important of which is the situation in the
Palestinian and other occupied Arab territories.
 In this respect, we welcome the initiative of
President George Bush of the United States to convene
an international conference on Middle East peace this
year. We hope that this will mark the beginning of a
new stage in dealing with the core issue of the Arab-
Israeli conflict in a just and equitable manner, putting
an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and to
the occupation since 1967 of the Palestinian territories,
the Syrian Golan and other occupied Arab territories in
sisterly Lebanon. It should also lead to the
establishment of an independent, contiguous and viable
Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital. Such a
State should also be able to engage in development and
to live in peace and stability with all States in the
region, including Israel, in accordance with the Arab
Peace Initiative, United Nations resolutions and other
relevant international agreements and terms of
reference.
 The second front is represented by the events in
brotherly Iraq, whose people suffer from continued
insecurity and instability as a result of the ceaseless
waves of violence and the killing of innocent people. It
is our view that the responsibility for breaking out of
this vicious circle and achieving national reconciliation
and stability lies primarily with the Iraqi people and
their political leadership. To enable Iraq to do that,
there must be no interference in Iraq’s internal affairs,
and its borders must be fully respected. We stress here
how important it is for neighbouring States, the Arab
League and the United Nations to continue to support
the legitimate Iraqi Government and its efforts to
maintain security and stability in Iraq and to preserve
its Arab and Islamic identity.
 It seems clear that the attainment of stability in
Lebanon is closely bound to free national
reconciliation, and to strengthened national, Arab and
international efforts and support for Lebanon’s
legitimacy, with a view to preserving its security,
safety and stability. Lebanon is an integral part of the
system of regional peace and security in the Middle
East and as such should be supported. We express our
regret at the assassinations of many politicians,
officials and innocent people in Lebanon. We hope that
Lebanon will overcome the current crisis so that its
people can live in security and peace.
 The stability and unity of the Sudan are
fundamental pillars of the political, economic and
social unity of Africa. We commend the decision of the
brotherly Sudan to agree to the deployment of a United
Nations-African Union hybrid force in Darfur. In that
context, we hope that the parties to the conflict in the
Sudan will come together for the sake of their country
and its prosperity.
The Kingdom of Bahrain recently joined the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), because
of its belief in the Agency’s important role in
strengthening nuclear non-proliferation. In order to
avoid a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, the
Kingdom of Bahrain underlines the importance of
freeing the region from nuclear weapons. It therefore
urges the parties concerned, including the Islamic
Republic of Iran, to be more transparent and to
cooperate fully with the terms of the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) so as to
build tranquillity and peace of mind among
neighbouring States in the Gulf. The Kingdom of
Bahrain reaffirms the right of all States to utilize
nuclear power for peaceful purposes. It also demands
that Israel place all its nuclear facilities under the
comprehensive safeguards regime of the IAEA and
become a party to the NPT in order to promote the
Treaty’s universality.
 In order to promote friendly relations and
cooperation between members of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the
Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms the right of the brotherly
United Arab Emirates to recover its three occupied
islands. It hopes that the two countries will increase
their efforts and their contacts to resolve this issue
either through direct negotiation or by referring it to
the International Court of Justice.
 Global climate change has become one of the
most dangerous challenges threatening the world and
its inhabitants. Climate change not only has an impact
on the environment, but also severely affects the
world’s economic and social order and hinders
development. We therefore call upon all States to
cooperate in order to identify solutions and ways to
deal with this phenomenon. Here I wish to commend
the high-level event on climate change, convened by
the Secretary-General on 24 September 2007 in New
York, on the theme “The future in our hands:
Addressing the leadership challenge of climate
change”.
 Our faith in a single human destiny requires us to
consolidate a culture of peace, brotherhood and
dialogue among all nations and peoples and to abandon
phenomena of hatred, discrimination and division —
including what has been dubbed Islamophobia —
which some are promoting to incite upheaval and
hatred between peoples in order to serve their own
narrow political agendas and interests. Those
individuals forget that Islam is a monotheistic religion
and that it stresses brotherhood, love, coexistence and
tolerance. We hope in this context that the High-level
Dialogue to be held by the General Assembly on 4 and
5 October will contribute to reinforcing the values of
tolerance, understanding and respect for religions and
cultures.
 The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms the
importance of joint efforts towards a new international
environment, in which we can achieve our hope and
aspiration to live in peace, security and stability in a
world in which mankind will also live in respect,
dignity and humanity; a world in which nations will
achieve development and build prosperity and well-
being; a world that will accept the cultures of others in
peaceful coexistence, free from hatred and intolerance;
and a world that believes in the unity of human destiny
and will work to attain security, prosperity, justice and
peace for humankind.


When I first took the floor
seven years ago to address the representatives of the
States of the world on behalf of the Republic of
Croatia, I started off with the words “time is running
out”. At the time, I did not even imagine that I would
have to repeat those very words seven years later, but
with a greater sense of urgency. However, current
circumstances, the problems facing us and our inability
or inadequate ability to deal with them compel me to
repeat, here and now: Time is running out.
 When we attended the millennial session marking
the beginning of the new century and the new
millennium, we also formulated our millennial goals.
Quite appropriately, we identified our tasks and our
aspirations. However, what is not appropriate is the
fact that the implementation of the Millennial Goals is
not proceeding at the proper rate or in the proper
manner if we want them to be meaningful.
 We are running late; hence my warning: Time is
running out. Among all global organizations, the
United Nations is that which has been most
sympathetic to the problems of developing countries
and where loud and justified requests have been voiced
to stop the stratification of the world into the haves and
the have-nots. I have also attended sessions and
conferences dealing with the issue, and I have
repeatedly drawn attention to underdevelopment as a
generator of global terrorism, along with inequality in
international relations and unresolved regional crises.
Nevertheless, underdevelopment and poverty still
weigh upon a substantial part of humankind, and the
preferred methods for fighting terrorism have so far
been shown to be less than efficient, and sometimes
even counterproductive. We are also running late in
that regard, and time is running out here, too.
 We have wanted and still want this Organization,
our own Organization, to be fit for better and more
functional action in current conditions. In other words,
we want to reform the United Nations; we want to
transform the Organization from a reflection of a world
long gone into an instrument for safeguarding peace,
establishing stability and ensuring development in the
contemporary world and the world of future
generations.
 By declaring its candidacy for a non-permanent
seat in the Security Council, Croatia wishes to affirm
its commitment to the global Organization and its
readiness to take part in its reform. I do not want to
misuse the time at my disposal to lobby for that
candidacy. Our deeds say more than our words, and our
deeds include a successful struggle for national
independence, despite an imposed war; the peaceful
completion of that struggle through cooperation with
the United Nations; a courageous confrontation of the
past and of the truth about that past; the establishment
of good relations with all our neighbours, including
those that waged war against us; the promotion of the
peaceful resolution of conflicts, always and
everywhere; current participation in 15 United Nations
peacekeeping missions, which puts Croatia at the very
top of those countries whose soldiers are today
maintaining peace under the blue flag. Let me
emphasize that they are participating only in those
missions that are under a United Nations mandate. In
short, we are putting forward our candidacy as a
mature European democratic country committed to the
goals of the United Nations, and there is nothing more
to be said about it.
 As I have already said, we demonstrate our
commitment by supporting the reform of the world
Organization, but even in the realization of that noble
and certainly unavoidable goal we are running late.
Even among us, there are voices suggesting that we
renounce the United Nations. There is less and less
time for action. Even in that context, then, I must
reiterate: Time is running out.
 In recent decades, this Hall has heard many
debates on the need to establish new political and
economic international relations. Such new relations
can be based only on equality. It is true that the high
and the mighty have a greater responsibility, but it is
also true that no one   no one at all   can or may
have greater rights, much less usurp such rights by
force, just as nobody’s rights can be denied by force.
That holds true for global and regional developments
alike. Unfortunately, force is still present in
international relations, and on the European continent
we are witnessing dangerous signs of a possible
renewal of the arms race. Such a trend should be
stopped and such conditions changed. There is not
much time. Once again, time is running out.
 By complying with the requirements of often
uncontrolled development   and not only in the most
developed countries   and by giving in to the
aggressive needs of capital, guided exclusively by
interest and never by social factors, we have agreed to
condemn millions of people to death by starvation and
for lack of basic medical care, and hundreds of
millions to bare survival in poverty, with no prospects.
However, by destroying nature, we have also
jeopardized everyone’s survival. Climate change and
global warming are only two indicators, albeit the most
evident, of the situation to which I am referring. The
summit on climate change proved that we are all aware
of the danger we are facing. Those who underestimate
and even deny that real danger will simply have to face
the truth. We are already living that truth; fast,
coordinated and responsible action is called for. That
action must serve the interests of all, even if it may
momentarily run against the interests of some, because
time is running out dangerously.
 We have not met yet again in the General
Assembly in order to describe our world and our
environment from our individual perspectives. Our
mandate is not mere diagnosis. Our mandate involves
healing, changing and improving. With a foreign policy
based on the value of the European Union, which it
will enter soon, and with its desire to develop good
relations with everyone willing to reciprocate, the
Republic of Croatia has shown by deeds that it is aware
of the fact that there is no time to be lost. It has also
shown the capacity to act and to get things going in a
positive direction, both in its own interest and in that of
others.
 We have only one world. Its destiny is in our
hands. There is room for everyone in this world, but
this world can, may and must be only a world of
equals, of people enjoying not only equal rights but
also equal opportunities, knowing that nobody,
however big and strong, can live alone and only for his
own sake, and that together we can change our world.
Even more importantly, however, together we can save
and preserve it for future generations. But let us not
forget: time is running out.


The  Government of Paraguay comes to the Assembly to
reaffirm its importance in examining the world
situation. We have also come in order to further
strengthen the United Nations as a body fit to represent
the interests of all countries and ensure the
effectiveness of international law.
 For that reason, Sir, I express my support for your
successful presidency of the General Assembly at its
sixty-second session. It is urgent for us to contribute
not only to meeting the objectives of the United
Nations, but also to ensuring that the principles
governing its functioning truly find expression. The
world needs a better, more just and brotherly world
order now.
 From this lofty universal rostrum, we customarily
speak with eloquent urgency, but the practice of States,
in particular of the most powerful, has not always been
one of cooperating in order to overcome the
uncertainties that overshadow our future.
 In recent sessions of the Assembly, we have
focused on the challenges of the new millennium, but
while we have been looking far ahead, in the first
decade of this new century alone, relations among
civilizations have clearly been marred by an absence of
peace and harmony.
 It has not mattered that more than half of the
world’s population continues to live in poverty. Of
greater importance has been the senseless squandering
of money on weapons and the terrible effect this has
had on the world economy. Note how the price of oil
has rapidly increased and how countries, such as ours,
which do not produce oil, have had to make great
sacrifices. How much money could have been used to
alleviate poverty! As long as capital is concentrated in
one area and poverty continues to rise, world peace
will be precarious.
 In Paraguay, in South America, we are calling for
the globalization of democracy combined with social
development. We are calling for the universalization of
security based on respect for human rights and on the
dignity of human life.
 In this way we hope to build a regional
community and a global union, which will work
together to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty, and
which will effectively cooperate to promote the
participation of all in prosperity by providing quality
education and a system of social protection without
exclusion.
 In Paraguay, we are struggling for economic
stability, for political stability and for social peace.
With these ideals, I have been working very hard at the
head of the Government to make significant changes
and score important advances. We have sought radical
change beyond what is needed by the Paraguayan
society. The achievements we have attained require
that we continue the progressive policy to which we
committed ourselves when we assumed office.
 Since we took office in 2003, following a
turbulent transition that was constantly undermined by
violence and conspiracy, Paraguay has institutionalized
political stability   not an easy task in an environment
of political division and with a parliament that did not
always meet its responsibilities in governing jointly.
Nevertheless, political stability has been, and continues
to be, one of the defining characteristics of our
Government. Through great perseverance, we have
succeeded in permanently institutionalizing political
stability. We did so because I understood that stability
had to be the framework for achieving economic
development, which is so crucial to achieving our plans
for incremental growth. Having achieved economic
stability, we began a process of growth of historic
proportions. After 20 years, Paraguay was able to
overcome stagnation. Despite the terrible drought in
the country, which continues to this day, Paraguay
experienced an average annual rate of economic
growth of 4 per cent for the period 2003-2007.
 Moreover, my country has also recorded a
budgetary surplus. We have also markedly improved
our tax receipts and are waging a difficult battle to
control inflation. Through that policy, not only have we
considerably increased our financial reserves, which
have tripled, but for the first time in its history
Paraguay is today able to pay its foreign debt in full
and still continue to hold international reserves. Our
exports are at a historical high, having doubled during
my term of office. Another relevant factor has been the
sustained growth in per capita production, which will
rise from $915 to $1,800 by the end of my mandate, in
2008.
 More generally, the Government has been
pursuing plans aimed at strengthening various areas of
the economy, including the industrial, commercial and
service sectors. We have encouraged the transformation
of the country’s economy while coordinating and
integrating the various sectors of production and
facilitating the distribution, circulation and
consumption of domestically produced goods. We have
thereby been able to lower the rate of poverty we
inherited from previous Governments   which is now
approaching 38 per cent, down from the 46 per cent at
which it stood in 2003.
However, the poverty and marginalization of
millions of our fellow citizens continues to be the most
obvious threat to democracy and political stability in
Paraguay as well as the region. Our belief that we will
continue to overcome poverty is due to the
Government’s significant investment in society. Never
before have so many houses been built nor more
resources devoted to the most vulnerable members of
our society. Next year, we will earmark 50 per cent of
the country’s budget for the fight to reduce poverty.
 As a multi-ethnic country, we have not ignored
the education of our indigenous citizens. We have built
schools and established special programmes. As a
bilingual country, we have both ensured Guaraní-
language education at all levels and worked towards
having it recognized as a third official language of the
Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR). Prior to
the establishment of present-day borders, Guaraní was
also spoken in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia.
 The Government over which I preside has
ensured unfettered political freedom, as well as
freedom of the press, association and expression.
Unfortunately, the media have not always taken
advantage of the freedom of the press in order to
become channels for truthful information, serious and
responsible opinion and constructive and reasoned
criticism   much less to overcome its vestigial
Manichaeism and instead to become a source of culture
and daily provider of knowledge and ethical values.
 Political parties are independent and represented
in the parliament. Those not in parliament exercise
their rights freely as new political parties are formed.
 There is in fact pluralism in Paraguay, although
the absence of an adequate civic culture on the part of
most political actors has kept it from genuinely
contributing to the essential consensus needed to
defend the country’s overall interests and promoting
equitable development within it. Unfortunately,
remnants of fascism and conservatism continue to
hamper coexistence in an environment of diversity and
difference, while also conspiring against the country’s
progress.
 Nevertheless, our struggle for a participatory and
inclusive democracy that promotes social justice has
transformed the governing party. Today’s governing
party is promoting an advanced philosophy of social
change. It is also the political organization generating
renewal and social mobilization to overcome the old
party-based oligarchy that was so damaging to
Paraguay. The party has therefore assumed
responsibility for transforming the system whereby the
State and its policies were subjugated to individual
interests. Through its political independence, the party
is in a position to able to eliminate illegitimate
privileges and the illicit groups that control the
economy, finances and large land holdings.
 We are continuing to modernize Paraguay by
linking the entire country with roads, exponentially
expanding its economy and ensuring that all citizens
become part of the nation’s social capital and possess
the qualities and competitiveness required by today’s
societies. Most of the people of Paraguay understand
that the historic steps we have taken in that direction
must continue and become irreversible. Today, anarchy,
demagoguery and theological feudalism pose a
regressive threat to peace, the secular State, the rule of
law and the institutional order we are building.
 Paraguay is the most open and dynamic country
with regard to the regional integration agenda. Our
support for MERCOSUR is a clear reflection of our
national policy. We believe in MERCOSUR. We
believe in regional integration. We believe in the
possibility of Latin America having a louder voice in
the world in order to manage and humanize the process
of globalization.
 My Government also endorses and supports the
proposed union of South American nations, which will
above all make us stronger in claiming and defending
our rights in an environment of asymmetrical
globalization and better able to contribute to world
peace and more equitable distribution of international
trade and financing for development.
 The international mobilization of financial and
technological resources is today threatening the
stability and overall progress of countries. Speculative
investments flow to countries and regions where the
work force is subjected to exploitation. Then comes the
invasion; and, through unfair competition, our
industries are damaged and shut down. At the same
time, our raw materials are undervalued. What capital
should do is to promote industrialization, or at least
ensure that the terms of trade become fairer instead of
being imposed unilaterally.
We have to change this trend. The international
economic order should promote a more equitable world
economy. Through solidarity, cooperation and fair
treatment, all countries of the world should be admitted
into the club of development. In Latin America, and in
Paraguay, we don’t need charity; we need markets,
transparency, technology, and the lifting of protective
trade barriers.
 The United Nations should reflect this
philosophy. For this reason, its reform cannot be
delayed any longer. Its priority concerns should not be
war, armed conflict or even terrorism, whether real or
strategic. On the contrary, its priorities should be
programmes to end poverty, ignorance and
unemployment. We must educate and distribute in
order to build a culture of democratic participation in
the wealth of humanity.
 Paraguay, like the other 30 landlocked developing
countries, continues to suffer marginalization and a
lack of proper access to international markets. The
absence of preferential treatment for us from the more
developed economies has denied us a more competitive
participation in trade, as well as, access to quotas and
to higher tariffs.
 Paraguay is not only aware of the serious
consequences of climate change; it also suffers from
them. Proof of this is the catastrophe our country is
suffering through prolonged drought and the dreadful
fires that have destroyed a major part of our territory. I
take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude
on behalf of my people and my Government to the
countries that have come to our aid in this national
emergency. In particular, I would like to thank, from
this rostrum, my friend Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
President of Brazil, Nestor Kirchner, President of
Argentina, my friend President Chavez of Venezuela,
and the other heads of Government and multilateral
organizations that have worked with us.
 Paraguay recognizes the importance of including
gender issues in the agenda of the United Nations and
the need for effective coordination among all agencies
and organs in the United Nations system in addressing
the situation of women in the world, particularly in
developing countries. Increasingly and emphatically,
we reject existing inequalities between men and
women whether they be political, economic, social or
cultural. Irrespective of the domestic actions we take to
combat discrimination, we believe that the United
Nations is the most appropriate forum for designing
programmes in support of national policies to bring
about true equality.
 The Government of Paraguay would also like to
take this opportunity to express once again for its
support for the request for admission into the United
Nations of the Republic of China, Taiwan, a nation that
has continued to struggle for its freedom and wishes to
be a member of the United Nations in accordance with
Rules 59 and 60 of the Provisional Rules of the
Security Council and Article 4 of the United Nations
Charter.
 In conclusion, inequalities among our peoples are
not part of the human condition. On the contrary, they
are the result of iniquitous relations that separate us
and draw us apart. That being the case, we need only to
show determination in building a universal community
marked by greater equanimity and balance. This
determination should be given expression by
governments and citizens and should draw on the
concerted efforts of States and civil society.
 What we are seeing, however, is that the
countries that have most want more. Their humanism is
disguised in hand-outs and philanthropy when what the
world needs is greater solidarity and justice. We need
to share science and technology; we need to share
markets. The pretence of cooperation to help countries
achieve balanced development is not only denounced
in fruitless rhetoric; it is also exposed in protectionism
and in investment choices.
 As long as this bipolar situation continues to
prevail in the world, an organization such as the United
Nations serves little purpose. Only when the powerful
countries stop taking advantage of the less powerful
countries will the United Nations be able to have a true
impact on the lives of people.
 This alternative is the process that we are
involved in today. Many Governments representing
countries in the Third World have begun to seek our
own freedom. We are drawing a new map on the
international scene.
 I am compelled to mention this historic challenge
in my final statement to the General Assembly of the
United Nations because on 15 August 2008, I will hand
over power to the new Government in my country. But
I will continue to fight with greater fervour to help
change the world. I am committed as ever to the
difficult struggle to build a new world order, to ensure
equality, social justice and solidarity for all countries,
for all women and for all men. I will fight for their
emancipation and their progress.


On behalf of the
Royal Thai Government, allow me first to congratulate
you, Mr. President, and the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia on your election as the President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-second session. The Thai
delegation looks forward to rendering its full support
for the work of this session in the coming months.
 I also wish to take this opportunity to express my
sincere appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
for his tireless devotion to the United Nations and its
reform. The first year in office is crucial for setting the
priorities and future direction of this Organization, and
the Secretary-General is certainly faced with a great
challenge.
 Thailand is keen to work with the Secretary-
General towards a renewed United Nations   one that
is more responsive and empowered to address
effectively the needs of the peoples of our world. We
are keen to do so because we are committed to what
the United Nations stands for: respect for equality, for
diversity, for human rights and for people.
 That commitment drives us to build a stronger
democracy that is more transparent and has stronger
safeguards for our people. That commitment also
guides us in building a sound, open economy and a
more just and equitable society governed by the rule of
law   crucial underpinnings for sustainable
development.
 All of that is taking place during a very special
year for the Thai people, namely, the eightieth birthday
of His Majesty the King of Thailand.
 As most representatives probably know, exactly
one year has passed since Thailand moved to address
the unprecedented political paralysis in our democratic
system. I wish to take this opportunity to assure our
friends that we are keeping to the timeline for the
revitalization of parliamentary democracy, with general
elections scheduled for 23 December 2007.
 Exactly 10 years ago, Thailand suffered from a
deep crisis of a different nature. Through globalization,
that economic ailment quickly spread to many
countries and regions. Yet we have emerged from the
1997 Asian financial crisis a stronger and more vibrant
free-market economy. Now, despite high oil prices and
other challenges, Thailand’s economic fundamentals
are strong.
 But, while continued economic growth over the
past decade has lifted millions of Thais out of poverty,
some 10 per cent have not benefited. Thailand, like
other developing countries, continues to face
challenges to sustainable development in the form of
income disparities and an urban/rural divide.
 I believe that governments have a moral
responsibility to address disparities in income
distribution. This is why Thailand has made it our
national priority to promote growth with equity and to
achieve development from within. Our approach has
been based on His Majesty the King’s philosophy of a
“sufficiency economy”, which calls for moderation and
mindfulness in consumption, prudent economic
decision-making and careful risk management. The
philosophy’s recognition by the United Nations
Development Programme in its 2007 Thailand Human
Development Report has strengthened our conviction
that we are on the right track.
 The Government is leading that effort through
universal education and investing in basic
infrastructure for people-centred development. We
believe that emphasis on moderation and knowledge
will lead to a more equitable society, which is
fundamental to sustainable development and immunity
from external shocks.
 In addition to promoting growth with equity,
governments must also ensure that progress does not
come at the expense of the environment. For Thailand,
the sufficiency economy’s concepts of moderation and
mindfulness relate directly to the sustainable utilization
of natural resources. Thailand aims at cutting back on
its reliance on fossil fuels and at lowering greenhouse
gas emissions through energy conservation.
 At the same time, we seek to meet our growing
energy demand through renewable energy and biofuels.
We are also considering the option of nuclear energy,
paying heed to the crucial issue of safety.
 But Thailand realizes that a significant reduction
of fossil fuel use will likely take a few more decades,
owing to the high costs of new technology. There must
be greater partnership between countries that have
developed clean energy technologies and those who
lack them. We therefore reiterate our call for research
and development cooperation and the affordable
transfer of clean coal and methane reduction
technologies.
 An inevitable consequence of climate change is
unpredictability of the water supply. As a major food-
producing country, and in line with His Majesty the
King’s “Water is life” initiative, water conservation is a
long-term priority for the Thai Government. We have
made a commitment to increasing the country’s
forested and water catchment areas. I would like to call
on all nations to make water management a priority on
our climate change agenda as well.
 Thailand places great importance on promoting
human security and is an active member of the Human
Security Network. I have spoken about Thailand’s
efforts to provide our people with freedom from want
through democratic reform, respect for human rights
and people-centred and sustainable development. The
other side of human security is freedom from fear. As a
result of fear and mistrust, individuals and
communities fall prey to extremist ideas that further
divide humanity. I strongly believe that the best
strategy to conquer such fear is winning hearts and
minds, and Thailand is committed to fostering cross-
cultural understanding.
 But terrorism continues to draw its strength from
extremist ideologies. So we must appeal to the majority
in the world who are moderates to join forces against
extremism. In addition, enhancing inter- and intra-faith
dialogue and dialogue among civilizations should take
place at the regional level. We are doing that in South-
East Asia.
 As a neighbouring country sharing a land border
of more than 2,400 kilometres with Myanmar and
currently hosting more than a million of its citizens,
Thailand is gravely concerned about what we are
seeing and hearing about in Myanmar. Thailand and
Myanmar, being predominantly Buddhist, share a
belief in non-violence and tolerance. Thailand
therefore finds unacceptable the commission of
violence and bodily harm to Buddhist monks and other
demonstrators in Yangon.
 This morning, the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) discussed the situation in Myanmar.
ASEAN is appalled to have received reports of the use
of automatic weapons and demands that the Myanmar
Government immediately desist from the use of
violence against demonstrators. ASEAN expressed
revulsion over reports that demonstrations in Myanmar
are being suppressed by violent force and that there
have been a number of fatalities. We strongly urge
Myanmar to exercise the utmost restraint, to seek a
political solution and resume its efforts aimed at
national reconciliation with all parties concerned, and
to work towards a peaceful transition to democracy. We
call for the release of all political detainees, including
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
 ASEAN fully supports the decision of Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon to send Special Envoy Ibrahim
Gambari to Myanmar. We ask the Myanmar
Government to cooperate fully and to work with him.
Mr. Gambari’s role as a neutral interlocutor among all
the parties can help to defuse the dangerous situation.
ASEAN urges Myanmar to grant him full access to all
parties in the country, as it has done in the past.
 Thailand is undergoing changes that will make it
a more capable partner of the international community
and the United Nations. At the regional level, Thailand
is eager to work with our ASEAN partners to create a
closer community. Strengthened by a new Charter,
ASEAN will be able to cooperate more effectively with
its United Nations partners.
 Indeed, promoting closer cooperation between
ASEAN and the United Nations   two organizations
that share the same values and goals   will be one
contribution to restoring faith in the multilateral
system. Another will be supporting ongoing United
Nations reform efforts. Together with Chile, South
Africa and Sweden, Thailand has put forth the Four
Nations Initiative proposals, aimed at improving the
governance and management of the Secretariat on the
basis of increased accountability and transparency.
 Thailand’s cooperation with the international
community and the United Nations is being further
enhanced by new people-centred initiatives. Our new
constitution provides for universal education and
health care, gender equality, respect for children’s
rights and a social safety net for the poor, the disabled
and the elderly. More than ever before, we are
committed to combating HIV/AIDS and other global
health threats.
 In the area of poverty eradication, Thailand is
also committed to going beyond our borders to assist
our friends and neighbours. Our Mae Fah Luang
Foundation’s community development model is being
replicated in Afghanistan and Indonesia. Thai troops
participating in United Nations peacekeeping missions
are recognized for their contributions in rebuilding
basic infrastructures in post-conflict areas.
 We see that the immediate resumption of the
Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations is
essential to help the developing world achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). And, as the
twelfth session of the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development, to be held in Accra next year,
approaches, Thailand is looking forward to discussing
ideas for South-South and trilateral cooperation to
address the opportunities and challenges of
globalization for development.
 This has been a year of great reform for Thailand.
The current political and social reforms that are taking
place in my country will allow us to make greater
contributions to a world where people can live in
security and dignity, free from poverty and despair   a
world where the present generation enhances the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
 As the world grows smaller by the day, humanity,
more than ever before, is sharing a common destiny.
Our faith in the United Nations and in the multilateral
process must be equal to the challenges and
opportunities facing us.


I join my colleagues in
congratulating you, Sir, on your election as President
of the General Assembly at its sixty-second session. I
would also like to wish His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-
moon well for this, his first full session of the General
Assembly as Secretary-General.
 On behalf of the Australian Government, let me
begin by reaffirming Australia’s long-standing call for
reform of the United Nations. Australia strongly
supports efforts to make the Organization more
effective. And Australia would like to acknowledge
Secretary-General Ban’s push for reform so far.
 But reform of the United Nations is not an end in
itself. We must reform the United Nations so that it can
act decisively to meet global challenges. Simply
talking about issues does not solve problems.
 Over the past 60 years, when the United Nations
has acted it has proved its worth. United Nations
peacekeeping operations around the world have saved
lives and helped communities rebuild. Australia has a
proud history of supporting them. Australia was the
first country on the ground in what was arguably the
first-ever United Nations peacekeeping operation, the
1947 Consular Commission to Indonesia. In the past 60
years, Australia has made contributions to 39 United
Nations peacekeeping operations, and we continue that
tradition today.
 The United Nations, as the only Organization
with a truly global membership, has both a unique
opportunity to meet challenges and a responsibility to
take action. By coming together, we can achieve more
than each of our countries could on its own. The
United Nations has great moral authority. But, if it fails
to act decisively, that authority will be squandered.
 As Members of the United Nations, we have set
ourselves important goals over the past 62 years:
maintaining global peace and security, supporting
economic and social development and advancing
human rights. In 2005, we pledged to protect those
people who are most vulnerable: those facing genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity. We
recognized the responsibility to protect as a central
tenet of our shared humanity.
 This responsibility to protect underpins the notion
that States must protect their own populations. But, if
they should fail to do so, the international community
has a responsibility to act, not to stand idly by in the
face of atrocities, genocide or ethnic cleansing. For the
international community, that means we must commit
to prevent and respond to these most serious of
crimes, wherever they occur. After the immediate crisis
has passed, we must support recovery efforts to help
communities rebuild and reconcile, by addressing the
causes of the crisis.
 Last year, the Security Council drew upon the
responsibility to protect for the first time in a country-
specific resolution: resolution 1706 (2006), on Darfur.
And, under a subsequent resolution, an African Union-
United Nations hybrid peacekeeping operation was
established, with a robust mandate to protect civilians
and humanitarian workers. The international
community must now ensure that the deployment of
the Hybrid force proceeds quickly. Active cooperation
is needed across the international community if we are
to keep our promise to the people of Darfur. The
alternative — to fail — is unthinkable. This is a test for
the United Nations and its Member States.
 But resolving the tragedy in Darfur is, first and
foremost, a test for the Government of Sudan and other
parties to the conflict. Ongoing military operations by
the Government of Sudan, and last weekend’s killing
and abduction of African Union peacekeepers by rebel
forces, demonstrate the urgent need for the parties to
stop these crimes and build peace. Those who have
committed crimes in Darfur must be punished.
 Australia calls on the Government of Sudan to act
on the warrants issued by the International Criminal
Court. We call on Sudan to arrest those accused and to
hand them over to the Court.
 Darfur is not the only humanitarian crisis we
have experienced or will face in the United Nations.
Tragically, other populations will also require
protection from crimes against humanity. The
responsibility to protect provides the necessary guide
to action. But it is up to Security Council members, on
behalf of the international community, to act, and for
all United Nations members to then support them.
 The events of the past week in Burma remind us
of the irrepressible human impulse to seek democratic
freedoms and human rights. The United Nations and
individual countries must let the courageous protestors
in Burma know that their message is understood — a
message on the need to move towards genuine
democratic progress and national reconciliation, and
away from military domination.
 Australia has joined the international community
in condemning the violent suppression of peaceful
demonstrations by monks and civilians. We call for the
immediate release of those arrested for exercising their
fundamental human rights to peaceful protest and for
humane treatment of all those detained. Australia is
also introducing targeted financial measures against
members of the Burmese regime and its supporters to
increase pressure on them to engage in genuine
political reform and national reconciliation.
 Australia supports the consistent efforts that the
United Nations has made to monitor and improve the
situation in Burma. We welcomed the statement by the
United Nations Security Council following its special
consultations on 26 September. We welcome the
current visit to Burma by the United Nations Secretary-
General’s Special Envoy, Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, and his
access to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. We urge the
Burmese authorities to work constructively and
meaningfully with him in support of his United
Nations-mandated mission. Mr. Gambari is well placed
to assist in achieving a peaceful resolution to the
current crisis.
 The responsibility to protect means that we, the
international community, must act when confronted
with the most serious of crimes. But we also have to
act to confront a range of global challenges, from
terrorism and climate change to poverty. Terrorists
stand in stark contrast to those of us who seek to
protect the vulnerable. Their goals are global and their
reach transnational. No single country can solve the
problem alone. There have been some successes in
combating terrorist networks, but we need to develop
even more effective strategies to disrupt and dismantle
their networks.
 Australia calls on Member States of the United
Nations to implement fully all relevant Security
Council resolutions on freezing the assets of terrorists.
Terrorist organizations must be starved of their funds
and support. Australia also calls on Member States to
conclude a comprehensive convention against terrorism
as soon as possible. A convention would provide a
solid foundation for international cooperation to
prevent, prosecute and punish terrorist acts.
 The international community must support the
efforts of States that fight terrorism — in particular,
fledgling democratic States. We must help those States
to establish strong democratic institutions and
accountable Government structures, as State weakness
can only allow terrorism to fester.
 We should cooperate also to prevent man-
portable air-defence systems from falling into the
hands of terrorist groups. We should also intensify
work on the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear
Terrorism. Australia urges Member States to join the
Initiative.
 We must also act to stop the spread of weapons of
mass destruction. Australia welcomes the robust action
taken by the Security Council over the past year in
imposing sanctions against programmes relating to
proliferation in the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea and also in Iran. The Security Council’s action
on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear
issue sent a strong signal to that country that the
international community would not tolerate its nuclear
programmes. We welcome recent progress in the Six-
Party Talks. We call on the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea to maintain the momentum and
implement fully its commitment to denuclearize.
 The Security Council also sent a strong message
to Iran. We welcome Iran’s stated intention to work
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
to address long-outstanding issues. But the
international community, including Australia, remains
deeply concerned about Iran’s nuclear programme. Iran
should suspend its uranium enrichment programme, as
required by the Security Council, and cooperate fully
with the IAEA.
 Australia also hopes that the United Nations can
continue its work in protecting populations by raising
barriers against the illicit trade in conventional
weapons. We support the development of an arms trade
treaty.
 Climate change is another challenge that clearly
requires our urgent attention. Climate change demands
an effective and enduring global response. The United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is
the forum to forge such a global response. On 9
September, the leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies issued the
historic Sydney Declaration on Climate Change,
Energy Security and Clean Development. The APEC
leaders agreed to work to achieve a common
understanding on long-term aspirational goals to
reduce emissions and pave the way for an effective
post-2012 international arrangement.
 Significantly, the APEC leaders, whose
economies represent over half of the world’s gross
domestic product (GDP), agreed that the post-2012
agreement needs to be comprehensive and that all
economies should contribute to meeting shared global
goals. They also agreed that our responses must be
equitable and environmentally and economically
effective, as well as capable of including diverse
approaches.
 The High-Level Event on Climate Change, hosted
by the Secretary-General on 24 September, and the
Major Economies Meeting on Energy, Security and
Climate Change, hosted by United States Secretary
Rice a few days later, highlighted these same goals and
built additional international momentum for a post-
2012 agreement. Australia calls on parties to this year’s
United Nations conference on climate change in Bali to
agree to a new mandate for the Convention that will
move beyond Kyoto and forge a comprehensive new
agreement.
 The international community must also address
pressing health and human security issues, in particular
the spread of HIV/AIDS. Failure to combat HIV/AIDS
will have global economic and social consequences.
Australia takes its responsibility to act seriously and
continues to support its near neighbours in the Asia
Pacific region to address the challenge of HIV/AIDS.
 The Australian Government believes that the
challenge of ending endemic poverty remains the
single most difficult economic and social issue, and yet
the most fundamental one. In a world where
international commerce moves at the click of a button,
people should not be starving. Commerce and
economic development have the power to lift people
out of poverty. Free and open trade helps countries to
develop through integration into the world trading
system. We must conclude the Doha Round and deliver
results that increase market access and reduce domestic
subsidies.
 Development assistance, too, plays a key role in
alleviating poverty. At the United Nations Summit in
2005, Australia undertook to double its development
assistance budget by the year 2010, and we are well on
the way to achieving that goal, but this aid must be
focused and delivered in a way that promotes broad-
based economic growth and encourages good
governance. We need to make long-term commitments,
particularly in post-conflict development and
reconstruction.
 I have outlined today serious global challenges
facing the international community — humanitarian
and political crises, including in Darfur and Burma,
climate change, poverty, weapons of mass destruction
and terrorism. The Security Council has drawn upon
the responsibility to protect principle, endorsed by
leaders at the 2005 Summit. It is clear that the
international community as a whole has a
responsibility to protect those facing genocide, war
crimes and crimes against humanity.
 Our task is to respond quickly and effectively.
The United Nations has been vested with great
authority by its Members to effect real change. But that
authority will mean little unless we turn commitment
into action.


At the outset, I would like
to congratulate the President on his assumption of the
high office of President of the General Assembly at its
sixty-second session. I would also like to convey
Myanmar’s appreciation to his predecessor, Her
Excellency Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, for her
able stewardship of the previous session. The annual
report of the Secretary-General reflects the significant
work done in the past year by the United Nations in
meeting the challenges we face. We congratulate
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his successful first
year in office and welcome his timely initiative with
regard to such pressing global issues as climate change.
The High-level Event on Climate Change has reignited
the international community’s interest in climate
change, and rightly so. Climate change remains the
most critical challenge that the international
community faces today. The adverse effects of climate
change, such as sea-level rise, hurricanes, floods,
drought and desertification, particularly in recent
years, are a stark reminder of the negative impact that
climate change has on the long-term economic and
social development of the global community,
particularly the developing countries.
 To address the adverse impacts of climate change,
we need concerted action at the national, regional and
international levels. We need to be mindful that climate
change is not merely an environmental issue, but also a
sustainable development issue. Accordingly, an
integrated and coordinated approach is required. For its
part, Myanmar is pursuing a national environmental
policy based on the sustainable utilization of natural
resources. In 1991, we adopted the Myanmar Agenda
21, which serves as an important guideline for both the
public and private sectors.
 Myanmar also pursues a system of sustainable
forest management. We have implemented a
nationwide programme of afforestation and
reforestation. As a result, we have been able to retain a
forest cover of 50 per cent in the country. Myanmar
was among the 12 nations that took part in the Asia
Least-cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement Strategy in
cooperation with the Asian Development Bank. The
inventory of greenhouse gas emissions taken under the
Strategy confirms that Myanmar is more of a sink than
a source of carbon dioxide emissions. The baseline
projection of the 2020 national greenhouse inventory
also shows that the forestry sector will continue to be a
significant sink in Myanmar in the future.
 The economic activities undertaken by developed
countries, both historically and currently, are mainly
responsible for the emissions of greenhouse gases that
affect the global climate system. The developing
countries, which are least responsible for contributing
to climate change, face the greatest risk from its
adverse impacts. Addressing the challenge of climate
change requires an integrated approach to economic
growth, social development and environmental
protection. Concerted action must be taken within the
framework of the internationally agreed United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and its
Kyoto Protocol, based on the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities. It will require developed
countries to provide new and additional financial
resources to developing countries and to fulfil the
commitments made at various international
conferences.
 The impact of climate change is particularly felt
in developing countries and has adversely affected
national development prospects. In order to effectively
meet the challenge of climate change, we would also
have to address poverty alleviation; then and only then
would the developing countries be able to achieve
internationally agreed development goals, including
the Millennium Development Goals. It is, therefore,
incumbent on the developed countries, whose
development process rely heavily on the natural
resource acquired from the developing countries, to
provide the necessary financial resource.
 Underdevelopment and mass deprivations lead to
economic, political and social hardships in developing
countries. Development provides an environment
conducive to democracy. I would like to call upon the
entire international community to work together for
poverty alleviation.
 The scourge of terrorism knows no boundaries.
Combating terrorism is the common endeavour of the
entire international community. I would like to stress
here that terrorism in any form or manifestation must
be rejected. It is the innocent people who bear the
brunt of terrorist activities. To combat terrorism
effectively, we also must address its root causes.
Poverty, grievances and underlying political, economic
and social conditions provide fertile ground for the
spread of terrorism. These root causes of terrorism
must be addressed.
 Friendly relations among nations should be based
on respect for the principles of equal rights and self-
determination. Countries should show goodwill,
practice tolerance and live together in peace and
harmony. Nations have various historical backgrounds,
differing cultures, and different religions and customs.
Nations are not identical. However, respecting those
basic principles and practicing friendship and goodwill
will effectively contribute to our common endeavour to
combat terrorism.
 Today, the world is facing diverse problems and
daunting challenges. The United Nations, which
represents the world community, is called upon to
resolve them. Our Organization was formed in order to
maintain international peace and security, develop
friendly relations among nations and promote
cooperation in solving international problems of an
economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character. In
order to effectively address the full range of
challenges, the reform of the United Nations, as called
for by our leaders in the World Summit Outcome, must
be successfully implemented.
 I am confident, Mr. President, that under your
able leadership we will make significant progress in
the United Nations reform process, taking into
consideration the position of the vast majority of the
membership.
 We are greatly disturbed to witness
neocolonialism rearing its ugly head in recent years.
The strategies employed are obvious. As a first step,
the neocolonialists conduct media campaigns against
the targeted country and spread disinformation that the
country concerned is committing gross human rights
violations. They portray these campaigns as a fight for
democracy. Secondly, they impose sanctions, which
hinder economic development and cause poverty
among the people. Here I would like to stress that
economic sanctions are counterproductive and can only
delay the path to democracy. As a third step, they
provide political, financial and other material support
in order to create unrest in the country. Finally, under
the pretext that a country is undemocratic and unstable
and that it poses a threat to international peace and
security, they intervene directly and invade the country.
Current events clearly show that such a course of
action can only result in conflict and untold suffering
for the people of the country.
 My country is currently subjected to such courses
of action. The international community should also be
wary of those neocolonialist attempts. Here it must be
stressed that the destiny of each and every country can
only be determined by its Government and its own
people. It cannot be imposed from outside. On our part,
we are determined to proceed resolutely towards
democracy along our chosen path.
 In the life of every nation, there are times when it
must face challenging situations and overcome them.
Myanmar has gone through such a challenge recently.
The situation would not have deteriorated, if the initial
protest of a small group of activists against the rise in
fuel prices had not been exploited by political
opportunists. They sought to turn the situation into a
political showdown, aided and abetted by certain
powerful countries. They also took advantage of
protests staged initially by a small group of Buddhist
clergy demanding an apology for the maltreatment of
monks by local authorities. The security personnel
exercised the utmost restraint and did not intervene for
nearly a month. However, when the mob became
unruly and provocative, they were compelled to declare
a curfew. Subsequently, when protestors ignored their
warnings, they had to take action to restore the
situation. Normalcy has now returned to Myanmar.
 The rule of law is a fundamental principle
accepted by nations. Without it there can be neither the
orderly conduct of the day-to-day affairs of State nor
the enjoyment of human rights and democracy by the
people.
 Myanmar is a multi-ethnic and multireligious
society. It is home to over 100 national races who have
lived together in weal or woe over the centuries.
National unity is of paramount importance to us. We
have, therefore, been striving to strengthen the fabric
of our nation. In keeping with the aspirations of the
people for democratization, a seven-step road map was
declared, and a national convention was held to lay
down the principles for a new constitution. Work was
concluded on 3 September 2007, adopting by
consensus the fundamental principles for the new
constitution. Based on these principles, a draft
constitution will be drawn up by legal experts. All the
remaining steps will be implemented phase by phase.
 This process is applauded by the people. To date,
people in 11 townships have convened rallies in
support of the successful conclusion of the national
convention. Townships all over the country are
expected to hold similar rallies.
 Recent events make clear that there are elements
within and outside the country that wish to de-rail the
ongoing process so that they can take advantage of the
chaos that would follow. They have become more and
more emboldened and have stepped up their campaign
to confront the Government.
 The Myanmar Government is fully aware of its
responsibility to lead the nation in the process of
transformation to a disciplined democracy. We have
laid out a road map and will work conscientiously to
achieve our goals. Significant progress has already
been made. The process can be successfully completed,
sooner rather than later, if no obstacles are placed in
our path. In this regard, the international community
can best help Myanmar by showing greater
understanding. They can begin by refraining from
measures which would result in adding fuel to the fire.
 One area where the international community can
demonstrate good faith and objectivity is to
acknowledge the good work done in Myanmar in
combating the scourge of narcotic drugs. As a result of
our efforts to rid our country of those drugs by the year
2014, the production of opium has plummeted to
unprecedented levels. In the World Drug Report 2006,
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported
that in 2005 the total area under opium poppy
cultivation showed a decrease of 26 per cent when
compared to that of 2004. The World Drug Report 2007
confirms that in 2006 the total area under opium poppy
cultivation was approximately 21,500 hectares,
representing a decrease of 34 per cent compared to
2005. Here, I would like to stress that in terms of
opium production, the decline is 88 per cent over a
span of eight years, declining from 2,560 tons to an
estimated 292 tons.
 Myanmar regards the eradication of narcotic
drugs as a national priority. We have enhanced our
enforcement capacity and have been providing
alternative livelihoods to farmers to encourage them to
end their dependence on opium poppy cultivation. We
are also taking effective measures with regard to the
emerging threat posed by methamphetamine-type
stimulant drugs. Myanmar neither produces nor
imports the precursor chemicals required for the
production of those drugs.
 Cooperation with the United Nations is a
cornerstone of Myanmar’s foreign policy. It is in this
spirit that we continue to cooperate with the Secretary-
General with regard to his good offices role mandated
by the General Assembly. We have agreed to the visit
of his Special Adviser, Under-Secretary-General
Ibrahim Gambari, who is presently in my country. We
will continue to work closely and cooperate actively
with the United Nations.