On 21 September 1981
Belize joined the community of nations as an
independent country, and we the people of Belize
enthusiastically embraced our role as a partner in the
community of nations.
The United Nations played a pivotal role in
securing Belize's right to self-determination, and, as
we commemorate our independence, we express our
appreciation and continued support for the work of the
Organization.
Since its inception in 1945 our United Nations
has, like all of us, been grappling with the constant
changes in our world. In its imperfection it has endured
the problems of infancy, puberty and adolescence. Each
adjustment provided occasions for learning and
opportunities for growth. No, we have not always
grown for the better; and we have suffered the cost of
our mistakes.
Still the United Nations endured, for the
principles of the Charter will reverberate as loudly
tomorrow as they do today and did yesterday. Our right
to live peaceful and dignified lives holds as true today
as it did in 1945.
Two years ago world leaders assembled here in
New York in an effort to rejuvenate the United Nations.
This resulted in the Millennium Declaration and
brought forth the Millennium Development Goals.
In these instruments we acknowledged the
growing abyss between the few with plenty and the
many with nothing. We made new commitments and
reaffirmed old ones. We renewed yet again our ultimate
goal of the improvement of humanity, a goal which we
undoubtedly hold as sacred.
Since then we have held many meetings and
conferences where we have merely recycled ideas and
visions. Now we must aim for higher standards and
make the case that, as a global community, we are
obligated to account for how we have chosen to
implement the many commitments we have made.
For us implementation is a function of resources;
good governance, both locally and globally; shared
responsibility; and partnerships. The implementation of
the Millennium Declaration can be effective only
through the participation and cooperation of all
relevant stakeholders.

In order to ensure that the process of
implementation is democratized, inclusive, transparent
and accountable, we must act with shared
responsibility and in partnerships of mutual respect and
equality. As we follow the road map for the
implementation of the Millennium Declaration, our
deliberations and, even more so, our commitment to the
Monterrey Consensus and to the Plan of
Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development should result in meaningful change that
will improve the lives of our poorest peoples.
On 5 February 2002, Belize hosted the first-ever
Caribbean Community (CARICOM), System of Central
American Integration (SICA) and Dominican Republic
summit. In the joint declaration issued at the
conclusion of the summit, the Caribbean and Central
American leaders agreed to strengthen their
cooperation and to coordinate actions in areas such as
education, health, poverty elimination, environment,
trade and investment. Shortly our Foreign Ministers
shall conclude a Plan of Action to implement the goals
set out in the declaration.
The present development paradigm requires
dynamic partnerships. Belize intends to play its part in
encouraging closer collaboration and cooperation
between Central America and the Caribbean.
A major hindrance to development is conflict; it
is costly and causes unnecessary pain and suffering,
often to innocent victims. My delegation is concerned
about any notion that violence could be a solution to
conflict. History has taught us that lasting peace can
never be constructed in a climate of vengeance.
In this regard we express our grave concern over
the continuing deterioration of relations in the Middle
East, especially with respect to the Palestinian people.
The escalation of violence in the region demonstrates
the urgent need for the parties to resume peace
negotiations.
The universally endorsed vision of two States,
Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace within
secure and recognized borders, as called for by the
Security Council in resolution 1397 (2002), should be
realized as soon as possible.
We encourage the efforts of the United Nations in
facilitating a peaceful resolution to the question of
Western Sahara and support the Settlement Plan as a
viable political solution to the dispute.
Conflict in its many manifestations finds its
breeding ground in human desperation, frailty and
ignorance. If we can address the needs of the
disaffected and the vulnerable, then we can stamp out
the embers of conflict and increase the potential for
international peace and security. Yes, we must address
those conditions according to our national capacity, but
we cannot go it alone. A multilateral approach is
imperative.
Belize continues to look to the United Nations for
the global enforcement of human rights standards. On 1
July 2002, the international community witnessed the
entry into force of the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court. As a State Party to the
Statute, my Government will abide by its legal
obligations thereunder and will uphold the integrity of
the Court. It is our hope that all peace-loving and law-
abiding nations of the world will become parties to the
Rome Statute so that the universal jurisdiction of the
Court can be realized. The Court presents the hope that
there will be an end to impunity for the perpetrators of
genocide, of other crimes against humanity and of war
crimes. We see this as the start of a new system of
international justice.
At this session of the General Assembly, we will
be witnessing the expansion of the representative
character of the United Nations. We recognize the
tremendous contribution that the Swiss Confederation
has made in international relations, particularly with
respect to human rights and humanitarian issues. Its
decision to become a full member of the United
Nations will greatly enhance our work.
Likewise, we are pleased to welcome the
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to our family of
nations. Its struggle has been long and arduous, and its
admission is a testament to the indispensable role of
the United Nations.
It is our wish that the United Nations be the
forum for the representation of all peoples of the world,
including the 23 million people of the Republic of
China on Taiwan. We must give true meaning to the
principle of universality set forth in the Charter and,
more specifically, to the affirmation therein of our faith
in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth
of the human person, in the equal rights of men and
women and of nations large and small.
With the support of the United Nations, Belize
became an independent nation. Before and after that
12

time, we made every effort to resolve the territorial
dispute between Belize and Guatemala, which we had
inherited from colonial times. All previous attempts
had proved futile, but in March 2000, at the start of this
millennium, Guatemala and Belize agreed to initiate a
unique process to resolve the dispute. Each of us
appointed a Facilitator and asked the Secretary-
General of the Organization of American States (OAS)
to be honour witness to the process.
I am happy to be able to announce that, just
yesterday, at OAS headquarters, the Facilitators
presented their proposals for a peaceful and definitive
resolution of the territorial dispute. The proposals must
be submitted by referenda to the peoples of both
countries, and only if accepted by both countries will
they be translated into treaties of settlement that will
bring this age-old dispute to an end and create better
conditions for harmonious cooperation between the two
countries  something for which both our peoples
yearn. We fervently hope that that will indeed come to
pass.
An essential aspect of the proposal involves a
development trust fund, and we wish to thank all the
countries that will generously contribute to making
possible the peaceful settlement of a territorial dispute
that has adversely affected relations not only between
the countries involved, but also between the two
subregions to which Belize belongs  the Caribbean
and Central America.
Four days from today, our people will assemble
and re-enact the events of our Independence Day. It
will also be a time to renew our commitment to the
principles of justice and liberty, to the right of a people
to self-determination, to the right to development and
to our continued commitment to live in peace with our
neighbours. That is the legacy of the United Nations;
that is our just objective.


One year has gone by
since the terrorist attack on the United States, which
inflicted such deep wounds on the city that welcomes
us today. By striking this city, this nation, this
democracy, the terrorists intended to strike at the heart
of the whole community of nations and peoples that
embraces the United Nations and the values for which
it stands.
But they failed in their purpose. Instead, their
barbarous acts roused in all of us a common will to
respond. Rather than divide us, they united us. And
united we intend to respond to every new threat to
world security.
The fight against terrorism is the crucial
challenge we must face today in order to defend human
values  the values of freedom, peace, justice and
development which we all share.
The United Nations is at the forefront of this
struggle. We know that it will be a long and hard battle,
and we must therefore maintain the cohesion and
determination that we have shown so far.
But we are firmly convinced that this battle can
be won. Yesterday President Bush recalled the
responsibilities that we all share in this fight to defend
freedom, which is the greatest good and that from
which all other goods flow. Terrorism finds a breeding
ground wherever there is no freedom, wherever there is
no democracy, but where there is hunger, misery and
despair.
In order to defeat terrorism, we must globalize
freedom and democracy. In order to eradicate
terrorism, we must promote an economic development
without borders  a lasting development for all.
My country has played a role in this struggle
from the start and will continue to do so to the end,
enhancing the military, financial, judicial, police and
intelligence cooperation that has already achieved
important results. But we are also working to eradicate
poverty and disease. We are committed to pledging
0.39 per cent of our gross domestic product to less
developed countries, and we intend to reach the level
of 0.7 per cent.
The African continent is crucial to our effort. It is
a challenge to our conscience and represents a test of
our ability to help its countries to participate in a true
development without borders.
The Group of Eight's action plan for Africa,
launched in Genoa under Italy's presidency and
approved in Canada, responds to the need for a new
form of solidarity between the most industrialized
countries and those which intend to become the owners
of their future.
But an increase in financial aid is no longer
enough. At the Kananaskis summit, we presented an
action plan aimed at achieving common standards of
good governance, starting with our e-government'
initiative, a completely computerized and digitalized
universal model of public accounting and of public
administration and its primary functions.
The adoption of this universal model, which
respects the identity, traditions and culture of each
country, could produce several positive effects: clear
and transparent public accounting; clear laws and
regulations befitting the rule of law; more efficient
services for citizens and businesses; greater efficiency
in public administration; and, above all, greater
democracy. This will spark a virtuous circle, and donor
countries will finally have the certainty that their
assistance is truly delivered to needy populations.
In this respect, three phases were outlined at the
Group of Eight meeting. In the first trial stage, the
necessary assistance will be provided to the countries
that wish to adopt this system. At the end of this phase,
which might last three or four years, we can move on
to a second phase in which the adoption of the
universal system becomes a requirement for all
countries that apply for development assistance.
Finally, there could be a third phase in which we
could ask the most industrialized countries to forge a
23

special partnership with specific countries, taking it
upon themselves to implement specific projects.
We are likewise convinced that public assistance
should be supplemented by private assistance. At
Kananaskis, we submitted an innovative proposal
called de-tax', whereby private citizens would be able
to allocate between 1 and 2 per cent of the price of
what they buy to the implementation of specific
projects, such as schools, hospitals or water-supply
facilities in poor countries.
At Genoa we also launched the Education for
All' plan and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, to which Italy has pledged a
substantial contribution.
But the poorer countries also need to be relieved
of the burden of their debt so as to free up the
resources they need for their growth. That is why Italy
has already cancelled $1 billion of debt and will soon
cancel another $4 billion, until the complete write-off
of all its credits.
Our commitment to the United Nations is clear on
all fronts. Italy is the sixth-largest contributor to the
Organization's regular budget and one of the largest
troop contributors. About 10,000 Italian soldiers are
deployed throughout the world, from the Balkans to
Afghanistan, to preserve and maintain peace and
security. We will continue along that road, in our firm
belief that there is no problem that we cannot solve if
we are united in our determination.
As we speak today, the main challenge to the
United Nations and our system of values is posed by
the regime that governs Iraq, which has systematically
ignored all the resolutions of the United Nations. A
response is indispensable to safeguard the international
community from the danger posed by a massive build-
up of weapons of mass destruction.
As President Bush so clearly stated, what we
must address today is precisely this repeated defiance
of the United Nations and of the will of the
international community. We must make use of all the
diplomatic and political means available to address this
situation. But if things do not change substantially, it
will be necessary to act within the framework of the
United Nations in order to safeguard global security
from a real threat.
The lesson we must draw from the events of 11
September is that haste can lead to carelessness, but
delay in taking the necessary action can have terrible
consequences. When terrorist attacks or threats to
peace are carried out by networks or regimes that aim
at destroying our way of life and our liberal
democracies, then democracies have not only the right
but also the duty to defend themselves.
Let me now turn our attention to the Middle East.
Italy supports the road map drawn up by the European
Union, as well as the action of the quartet' and the
rapid convening of an international conference to
ensure the peaceful coexistence of two independent
States within safe and secure borders.
First of all, the spiral of violence must come to an
end through the cessation of terrorist attacks. The
holding of free and fair elections will advance the
process of democratic reform of the Palestinian
National Authority. But a lasting peace cannot be
envisaged unless we narrow the economic gap between
the Israelis and the Palestinians, giving the Palestinians
realistic hope for jobs and development. With this goal
in mind, Italy has presented a plan to rebuild and
support the Palestinian economy. Italy has already
offered to host the negotiations and the peace
conference.
We are men and women of peace. We are
convinced that this new century cannot be left at the
mercy of criminal folly and fanaticism. We are
committed to the fight against terrorism, and we will
do everything in our power to eradicate that evil and to
defend our security and our future. We will lend our
efforts to the building of a true and just peace, the only
kind of peace for the just and the free.


Allow me, on
behalf of my Government and in my own name, to
salute Mr. Kavan on his election to the presidency of
the General Assembly. We are convinced that his
knowledge and diplomatic experience will guide us to
success in our activities.
As the international situation remains caught in
the throes of instability, insecurity, economic
backwardness and the scourge of pandemics and
hunger, we nevertheless note with pleasure the great
progress that has been made since our last session.
After decades of conflict, peace was finally restored
throughout southern Africa and is now slowly
becoming a reality in other regions. The people of East
Timor were finally able to assert their self-
determination and independence. Countries such as
Angola, which have actively advocated the legitimate
rights and interests of East Timor at the United
Nations, take great pleasure in welcoming that new
sister republic to the family of this world Organization.
Important advances were also made by the
international community in the struggle against
terrorism. Thanks to a global and coordinated effort,
major terrorist networks have been dismembered.
Angola reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorist
acts, such as that perpetrated against the American
22

people in September last year. Angola continues to be
committed to the strict implementation of Security
Council resolution 1373 (2001). We support stronger
control measures, particularly in the financial area, so
as increasingly to curb the scope of action of terrorist
groups.
All these advances underscore the fact that, in
spite of their complexity, the serious problems that
afflict our world today can be resolved. No country or
region should be doomed to live forever under the
scourge of war and terror or be deprived of its rights.
Under the auspices of the United Nations, the
international community must react to crisis situations
expeditiously and effectively. Experience has shown
that belated and ineffectual reactions lead to the
escalation of protracted and intractable conflicts,
especially in Africa. Fortunately, however, the
individual and collective efforts of many Governments
in Africa are now easing these tensions, laying the
essential bases for a solid, just and lasting peace.
The current situation in Angola is a reflection of
that reality. For the first time since our independence,
Angola and Angolans are now enjoying a climate of
authentic peace, thanks to the allaying of factors that
could have provoked a resurgence of the past war and
insecurity. The efforts of the Angolan Government
have blazed the trail from a fratricidal war towards
irreversible peace, thanks to the goodwill and profound
patriotic spirit demonstrated by all Angolans. Military
hostilities effectively ended seven months ago. The
peace understandings reached on 4 April have been
scrupulously adhered to. Armed political parties no
longer exist. Today, there is just one single army, under
the authority of the Angolan Government.
The peace process will soon be concluded with
the completion of the political tasks still pending under
the Lusaka Protocol. In Angola, the process of
economic and social rehabilitation is well under way
and Government institutions have begun to operate
normally throughout our national territory.
Clearly, given the current situation, it will be
difficult for the Angolan Government to rise
appropriately to the nation's economic and social
challenges. Our main challenge now lies in the
reintegration into society of thousands of combat
veterans, 4 million displaced persons, refugees and
thousands upon thousands of handicapped, war orphans
and widows.
On behalf of my Government, I would like to
avail myself of this opportunity to thank the Secretary-
General, members of the troika of observer nations in
the peace process and all those who, in various ways,
have contributed to the achievement of peace in Angola
and who have pledged their assistance to solve the
problems caused by the recently ended war.
Now at peace, Angola is more than ever ready
and willing to take up its role as a sister nation of
Africa and of the world. In the coming days, it will
assume the presidency of the Southern Africa
Development Community, the most important regional
organization for the economic integration of southern
Africa. Angola is also a candidate for a non-permanent
seat in the Security Council in the elections scheduled
for this session of the General Assembly. In these
bodies, Angola intends to contribute actively towards
an environment of stability, fostering the development
and economic welfare of our peoples. Of central
concern to Angola is the issue of peace in Central
Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. Only over time will it be possible to avert the
widespread destabilization of the region.
Angola has been a factor of stability in Central
Africa, having contributed substantially to the
cessation of the wave of violence and to the relative
peace now enjoyed by the population in the area.
In the context of these efforts, and under
Angola's aegis, the Presidents of the DRC and Uganda
signed an agreement in Luanda on 6 September. This
was seen as a crucial step for the complete settlement
of the Congolese conflict and for the establishment of
good neighbourly relations between the two countries.
Angola welcomes the diplomatic initiatives
undertaken by other countries to resolve the conflict,
whether or not they are involved in the conflict, under
the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement and the
understandings reached by the Congolese parties
themselves. Angola advocates a new regional order of
peace, security, cooperation and development, to be
based on respect for sovereignty and territorial
integrity, non-intervention in the internal affairs of
other States, democratic values and respect for human
rights. We are willing to work together with other
central and southern African countries and to offer
them our good offices.
The instability in some parts of the world requires
a greater measure of commitment by the United
23

Nations and the parties concerned for peace and
security. Special attention should continue to be
focused on the settlement of the Somali conflict,
fostering unification of the country and consolidation
of lasting peace there. In Western Sahara, we are
concerned at delays in the process towards a
referendum by those resident in the territory. Angola
urges the parties involved to show flexibility and to
continue cooperating with the United Nations and the
African Union towards a negotiated settlement.
In the Middle East, renewed escalation of the
violence may hamper current initiatives towards a
peaceful settlement of the Palestine issue and the
termination of Arab-Israeli crisis. We urge the parties
to return to the negotiating table and to find a political
settlement that will serve the best interests of all
peoples living in the region and meet their security
requirements.
Last July, the African States established the
African Union as a more effective tool to help in the
resolution of innumerable problems that are at the root
of underdevelopment, such as poverty, foreign debt,
lack of know-how and epidemics, among others. Our
priority is to end the current economic stagnation in
Africa. The establishment of the New Partnership for
Africa's Development reflects the determination of
African Governments to resolve the problems of
economic backwardness, poverty and social exclusion
that afflict the majority of their peoples and the
continuing marginalization of Africa from international
markets in terms of capital, services and goods. Angola
hopes that the international community, especially
donor nations, will lend Africa a helping hand by
increasing official development assistance on the basis
of fair and non-discriminatory criteria.
In closing, allow me to offer my hearty
congratulations to Switzerland as it joins our family of
members of the United Nations.


I have the honour, on behalf of my country,
the United Arab Emirates, to extend to you, Sir, and to
your friendly country, the Czech Republic, our
congratulations on your election to the presidency of
the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session. We
are confident that your great skill and diplomatic
experience in international affairs will assist you in
achieving the goals of this session. We wish you and
the members of the Bureau great success.
I also would like to thank your predecessor,
Mr. Han Seung-soo, for his effective leadership during
the previous session.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome
and congratulate the Swiss Confederation on becoming
a Member of the United Nations. We also look forward
to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste soon
joining the Organization, which will enhance its
universality.
We would also like to express our appreciation to
the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his wise
leadership and his tireless efforts to enhance the role of
the United Nations in maintaining peace, security and
stability in the world.
The States of the world are gathered here today at
the beginning of a new session of the General
Assembly, hopeful of reaching more effective and
transparent solutions to the world's problems, based on
fairness and justice, and of establishing peace in the
world, which is experiencing instability and an
imbalance in international relations.
In addition to civil and regional wars, more than
half of the world's population is suffering from
poverty, famine, epidemics and fatal diseases. Some
countries are still occupying the territory of others.
This is creating tension and instability in many regions
of the world, which is endangering regional and
international peace and security.
14

As the international community faces an
increasing number of challenges, we are becoming
more aware of the importance of complying with the
principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of
respecting the sovereignty of international law in
resolving, by peaceful means, disputes, conflict and
instances of occupation.
In this age of globalization and rapid
development in information and communication
technologies, the world has become a small village that
can be reached from anywhere. The different interests
of the world's nations have become intertwined more
than ever. Thus the problems and sufferings of other
peoples cannot be ignored because of geographical
distances or differences of culture, civilization and
beliefs.
The current events in the world prove, without a
doubt, that the outcomes of conflicts and wars and the
problems of poverty, drug abuse and disease extend
beyond their geographical borders, reaching secure
regions and threatening their stability. For that reason,
the establishment of international peace and security in
the world is the joint responsibility of all Governments
and nations, of their public as well as private
institutions. The dire need for a global partnership,
working under the umbrella of the United Nations with
a view to creating a comprehensive and calculated
strategy that takes into consideration international law,
human and cultural values and people's needs and
suffering can never be overestimated.
The United Arab Emirates is well aware of the
strategic importance of the Arabian Gulf region, and it
is aware that the security of the Arabian Gulf cannot be
separated from international peace and security.
Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates, guided by the
wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin
Sultan A1-Nahyan, the President of the country,
believes in solving disputes by peaceful means, based
on the principles of the United Nations Charter and the
provisions of international law. On that basis, the
United Arab Emirates calls upon the Islamic Republic
of Iran to solve the issue of its occupation of the three
islands, Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Moussa,
through bilateral talks or through the International
Court of Justice. We also reaffirm that the United Arab
Emirates has complete sovereignty over these three
islands, including their air space, their regional waters,
the continental shelf and the economic region related to
them, as they are an indivisible part of the United Arab
Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates has more than once
shown good will and a serious desire to reach a
peaceful solution to the issue of the three islands. This
was done through two visits by his Highness, Sheikh
Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, representing the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to Tehran, in addition to
mutual visits made by the two parties. The United Arab
Emirates hopes that those visits will contribute to
bringing both parties closer and to reaching a peaceful
solution for the three islands. This will reinforce the
principle of security and of regional and international
peace. In addition, it will affirm the principle of
dialogue, peaceful coexistence, trust and good
neighbourliness.
We have witnessed, during this session, new and
encouraging developments regarding the Iraqi issue
and the security and stability of the region. The United
Arab Emirates welcomes Iraq's acceptance of the
return of the United Nations inspectors, in
implementation of the relevant Security Council
resolutions. This decision will spare Iraq and the region
untold tragedies and catastrophes. We look forward to
real cooperation, one built on the United Nations
Charter and international resolutions, in order to reach
stability and cooperation among the States of the
region and to resolve all remaining problems that
hinder trust, stability and collaboration among the
different parties. We call upon the international
community to support the Iraqi decision, to exert
greater efforts to solve the pending issues between Iraq
and the United Nations, and to lift the sanctions
imposed on the Iraqi people and under which they have
suffered for 12 years. We welcome, furthermore, the
positive attitude expressed by Iraq towards returning
the Kuwaiti national archives and properties. We urge
it to show more goodwill and take more effective steps
by freeing the Kuwaiti prisoners of war and those of
third countries, returning the rest of the Kuwaiti
properties, respecting the sovereignty of Kuwait and
not interfering in Kuwait's internal affairs.
We also reiterate the United Arab Emirates'
position with regard to the resolution adopted by the
Arab Summit in Beirut in March 2002. This resolution
rejects the use of force or the threat to use it, along
with any military attack against Iraq. This position
aims to protect the region from another unnecessary
war. We reiterate, furthermore, the importance of
15

securing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Iraq.
The United Arab Emirates is very concerned
about the dangerous events in the occupied Palestinian
territories. We express our sympathy and solidarity
with the Palestinian people in their ordeal. We also
denounce all acts of aggression committed by the
occupying Israeli forces, and we demand that the
international community, in particular the large
influential countries, the United States of America and
the European Union, compel Israel to end immediately
all acts of murder, destruction, closure and
displacement of the Palestinian people.
The United Arab Emirates renews its support of
the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and
the establishment of their independent State, with
Jerusalem as its capital. Accordingly, we reaffirm our
support of the Arab peace initiative that was endorsed
at the Beirut Summit. This initiative comprises a
process for a just and comprehensive settlement that
ensures the rights of both parties. Such a position was
expressed by United States President George W. Bush
in a speech calling for the creation of a Palestinian
State.
We also call upon Israel to end its continuous
violations of the agreements it made within the
framework of the peace process and to resume peace
talks in accordance with General Assembly and
Security Council resolutions, in particular resolutions
181 (1947), 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002), and
425 (1978). These call for Israel's withdrawal from the
Palestinian occupied lands, including the city of
Jerusalem, to the 1967 borders, from the Syrian Golan
Heights to the line set before 4 June 1967 and from the
Lebanese Shabaa farms, and for the dismantling of all
settlements in occupied Palestinian and Arab lands and
for the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland.
Maintaining peace and security in the Middle
East and the Arabian Gulf region depends, to a great
extent, on applying a more comprehensive and
transparent concept that entails the removal of weapons
of mass destruction. The fact that Israel has these
weapons, including nuclear weapons, is a direct threat
to regional and international security. Accordingly, we
again urge the international community and relevant
international organizations to pressure Israel, by all
means possible, to abandon its nuclear weapons and to
subject its nuclear facilities to the supervision of the
International Atomic Energy Agency. This proposal
aims to establish a nuclear-free zone, along with a zone
that is free of weapons of mass destruction, in the
Middle East and the Arabian Gulf, similar to other
regions in the world.
The United Arab Emirates watches with great
concern the escalation in tensions between India and
Pakistan. We call upon these two countries to deal with
their disputes in a spirit of joint political responsibility
that ensures the security of the region and the world.
We ask them to resume bilateral negotiations to resolve
their standing disputes peacefully in order to maintain
regional and international peace and security.
International terrorism is a direct threat to the stability
of nations and to international peace and the world
economy. In denouncing all acts of terrorism,
regardless of their motives and sources, the United
Arab Emirates reaffirms its commitment to relevant
United Nations resolutions on terrorism. It renews its
call for an international conference on terrorism to
reach a clear definition of terrorism based on the
principles of the Charter of the United Nations and
regional and international treaties, conventions and
covenants.
Political and historical events have proven that
economic deterioration, poverty, lack of water, debts
and foreign occupation pose dangerous threats to life
resources and the security of human beings. They are a
main cause of conflicts, violence, ethnic cleansing and
instability. On that basis, the leaders of the world
insisted, in the Plan of Implementation and the Political
Declaration of the Johannesburg World Summit on
Sustainable Development, on the common and
differentiated responsibility to solve these problems
and on the importance of providing the financial
resources to achieve the goals of economic, social and
environmental development to eradicate poverty, raise
standards of living and achieve global economic
development.
The United Arab Emirates calls on the
Governments of the developed countries to honour the
commitments they made in Johannesburg — especially
with respect to the developing and least developed
countries, as specified in the recommendations
emanating from the Summit — and in particular the
financial resolutions requiring the developed countries
to contribute 0.7 per cent of their national production
to help poor, developing States to implement
development programmes in their countries.
16

We call upon Governments and relevant
organizations to comply with resolutions relevant to
sustainable development. The United Arab Emirates
has consistently initiated and provided development,
financial and humanitarian assistance to many
countries, especially developing countries, that suffer
from civil and regional wars and natural disasters. We
also call upon the international financial institutions to
adopt more balanced and fair financial policies to
alleviate the developing countries' external debt
burden. This would give them the opportunity to
participate in formulating decision-making policies
relevant to the environment and sustainable
development and to help them join the global market,
thus reviving and enhancing their national economies.
They would thereby become productive members of
the international community, effectively promoting the
stability of international economic relations.
Finally, we hope that the debates on the items on
the agenda of this session will achieve positive and
concrete results, enhancing the role of the Organization
in maintaining international peace and security and
making the world a better place for human society.


At the
outset, I should like, on behalf of all the members of
the Chadian delegation that I have the honour to lead,
and on my own behalf, to warmly congratulate Mr. Jan
Kavan on his election to the presidency of the fifty-
seventh session of the General Assembly. In
discharging that heavy responsibility, he can count on
my delegation's full availability and support
throughout this session, all the more so since the
international community has honoured my country by
electing it to one of the prestigious posts of Vice-
President of the Assembly. I take this opportunity to
express our gratitude to the Members of the
Organization for the trust placed in my country, Chad.
Members may be assured that we shall do our utmost to
deserve that trust.
My thanks and congratulations go also to
Mr. Kavan's predecessor and to his team for the work
accomplished during the fifty-sixth session.
I should also like to pay particular and well-
deserved tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi
Annan, whose commitment and ceaseless efforts to
achieve sustainable peace and development in the
world are welcome and should be recognized.
 Lastly, I express my sincere and warm
congratulations to the Swiss Confederation on its
admission to the Organization. Chad, which enjoys
close relations of friendship and cooperation with that
country, welcomes its decision to join the great United
Nations family. A country devoted to democratic and
peaceful values, Switzerland will undoubtedly
contribute to enriching our debates on all issues.
The current session is taking place one year after
the terrible attacks perpetrated against the United
States of America on 11 September 2001, which
plunged American families and those of other nations
into mourning. The Government and the people of
Chad once again join the rest of the international
community in paying tribute to the memory of the
thousands of innocent victims of that act of blind
savagery, which nothing can justify.
Unfortunately, those sad events have brutally
alerted us to the numerous challenges that we
absolutely must face if we wish to one day bring about
a just and equitable international society that enables
each of its members to develop fully. In addition, those
acts of despair can be checked only if their roots —
which are nourished by unequal international relations
broadening daily the gap between rich and poor — are
eradicated. My country firmly condemns that form of
political expression, from whatever side it may come,
and is ready to associate itself with any initiative of the
international community to establish a new world order
based on democracy and sustainable development.
Today, the United Nations is called on more than
ever to help to establish a fairer and more prosperous
international society. We note with satisfaction the
Organization's frequent efforts to ultimately eradicate
the scourges of disease and malnutrition — in short,
those of underdevelopment. In that regard, numerous
world meetings at the level of heads of State or
Government have been organized under the auspices of
the United Nations or of specialized agencies with a
view to implementing the decisions and
recommendations of the Millennium Summit. But the
point is not to have Summits; above all, we must match
words with deeds.
The Republic of Chad, like all other developing
States, aspires to a better life and well-being for its
population. His Excellency Mr. Idriss Deby rightly
stated, in his inaugural address on 8 August 2001, that
his mandate would have the double aims of peace and
economic progress. In order to do that, Chad is relying
on the early exploitation of its mineral and agricultural
wealth. We take this opportunity to inform the
Assembly and to reassure the international community,
including the friends of Chad, that the work to carry
out its oil project is proceeding under good conditions.
According to forecasts, the first barrels of oil may be
brought to market starting in July 2003.
However, despite the prospects offered to Chad
by the oil age, the Government is aware of the
weakness of the national economic structures, of the
debt burden and of the imbalances that make the
population's living conditions precarious. Once again,
we call for our bilateral and multilateral partners to
increase their assistance and simply to cancel external
debt, as the African Union has always recommended.
Long captive to its domestic problems, the
Republic of Chad, now more than ever before, intends
to shoulder its responsibilities within the international
community, particularly on the level of the African
13

continent. Therefore, the Government is committed to
helping to make the African Union — whose birth was
celebrated on 9 July 2002 at Durban, South Africa — a
genuine instrument of the continent's political and
economic integration. The New Partnership for
Africa's Development (NEPAD) is part of that major
objective. In the framework of North-South and South-
South cooperation, NEPAD deserves the support of
Africa's development partners.
But again, Chad is among those who think that
Africa's salvation lies in the hands of Africans
themselves. To that goal, they must take courageous
political decisions and transcend their differences so
that the African Union can become a reality, because
the disruptions and crises of all kinds suffered by that
great and rich continent are sources of serious anxiety.
However, the latest news coming from various
African subregions allow us to believe that an end to
conflicts is in sight on the continent. Since the
beginning of this year, several meetings of national
reconciliation have taken place and several peace
agreements have been signed, including in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Angola, in
Burundi, in Sudan, in Sierra Leone and in Somalia.
That offers real hope for African populations. Chad
intends to fully commit itself to ensure that that hope is
realized.
Along with other members of the international
community, the Chadian Government is concerned at
the situation that continues to prevail in the Middle
East. Unfortunately, that intolerable situation results
from non-compliance with the relevant resolutions of
the Security Council and of the General Assembly. In
the light of its obligation to be fair to all Members of
the Organization, the Council should ban any policy of
double standards and should ensure respect for its
decisions, in particular resolutions 242 (1967), 338
(1973) and 1397 (2002). Genuine peace in the Middle
East demands that.
Likewise, the Government of the Republic of
Chad cannot remain silent on another situation of
injustice that continues to preoccupy the Organization:
its exclusion of the Republic of China on Taiwan. That
issue comes back to us every year like a boomerang
because we handled it badly more than 30 years ago.
For us, as a result, it is a matter of conscience that
challenges all of us to find a solution. We have stated
on a number of occasions that it is not a question of
redressing one injustice by committing another;0 it is
simply a question of giving back to the Republic of
China on Taiwan, a democratic and responsible
sovereign State, and to its people the place they should
have on the international stage. This is why, once
again, the Government of Chad calls for the admission
of The Republic of China on Taiwan to the
Organization.
At its creation in 1945 the United Nations had 51
Members. Now, almost 200 countries are full Members
of the Organization. This growth means that it is time
for an in-depth reform of its structures to allow for
greater participation by all Member States and
increased accountability for the taking of international
decisions that have a definite impact on the life of all
our citizens. This is because globalization should not
be regarded only as economic, but also as political.
Thus, Chad feels that the restructuring of the
United Nations is essential and should focus on the
following two points: first, strengthening the role of the
General Assembly in order to make it more democratic
and more active in decision-making; and secondly, an
increase in the number of the members of the Security
Council in order to achieve better representation for all
the geographic areas of the world. Chad therefore
endorses that position, which is also that of the African
Union.
Before I conclude my statement I wish to call to
mind a happy event which took place in my country
just one year ago. In July 2001 a significant scientific
discovery was made in the Djourab desert in the north
of Chad, by researchers headed by a French-Chadian
paleontological mission. This was the discovery of the
fossilized skull of a hominid known as Sahelanthropus
tchadensis, dating back approximately 7 million years.
Sahelanthropus tchadensis, which means man of the
Chadian Sahel, has been nicknamed Toumai which
means hope of life in the local language. Study of the
skull has indicated that this is a new human species, a
new earliest member of humankind.
This discovery has had a significant impact in the
scientific community and in world public opinion,
because it challenges the many theories concerning the
origin of humankind. Toumai is the common ancestor
of us all, and Chad is now regarded as the cradle of
humankind. In order to mark this important discovery,
the Chadian Government envisions the establishment
of a department of paleontology to foster research and
14

education in this scientific discipline, as well as the
construction of a museum to develop scientific tourism
in Chad.
My country will be relying on the support of the
international community to carry out these projects in
the sphere of scientific research and paleontology in
particular. All present are warmly invited to visit Chad,
now known as the cradle of humankind, whose tourist
assets have thus been enhanced by this new scientific
discovery.


I should like first of all to congratulate
Mr. Kavan on his election to the presidency.
On 21 March at Monterrey, Mexico, the President
of Nicaragua, Enrique Bolaños Geyer, announced that
“a process of moral renewal has been launched in
Nicaragua, with a crusade against public and private
corruption”.
On that same day, the President also announced
that, in the spirit of the new era of moral renewal,
“a Nicaraguan judge has just found three former
officials of the previous Government and three
other people guilty of acts of corruption that
impoverished our people. The judge left pending
the case against former President Alemán and
eight other officials of the previous Government”.
President Bolaños went on to say:
“With a view to continuing my policy of zero
tolerance of corruption, I must return to my
country as soon as possible to contribute, with
justice and transparency, to the historic landmark
constituted by this bold decision.”
A few days ago, in a similar case, another
courageous Nicaraguan judge sentenced members of
the former President's immediate family to jail.
Today, I have come before this General Assembly
on behalf of an entire people to reaffirm, in deed,
Nicaragua's commitment to governance, transparency,
accountability and to the principles of the rule of law.
27

There is much at stake today in Nicaragua. Not
only must we punish corrupt officials and recover for
our country Government money that was diverted and
laundered, but also the results of our efforts will be
crucial to the struggle waged by other peoples of our
region and of the world against this scourge.
Nicaragua's success will be an incentive for the entire
international community. The failure of transparency in
Nicaragua would set a bad precedent for humankind.
We have not fought this battle alone. The support
of more than 84 per cent of our population has been
coupled with the moral and economic support of many
countries, embodying the democratic values shared by
us, the peoples of the United Nations. To them, to the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
to the international organizations that have supported
us, we extend our sincere gratitude.
In order to ensure that the changes we have made
are irreversible, we will need sustained and adequate
support. In this way, we will preserve the great moral
heritage of humankind — democracy exercised with
honesty and accountability.
As a part of this great heritage, we are today
discussing human development, conceived as the
State's ultimate purpose, to be attained through
democratic governance, economic growth and social
equity. We understand governance to be the result of
doing things correctly in the political sphere —
transparency, human rights and sovereignty. We see
growth as the result of doing the right things in the
economic and financial spheres, foreign exchange,
fiscal and monetary policies and competition. And we
understand equity as the result of doing things right in
the social sphere — namely, in education, health,
housing and gender equality.
Progress in bringing together these three elements
that comprise human development will not be possible
until corruption is rooted out. By its very nature, the
scourge of corruption has an impact that transcends
national borders. In this regard, we offer our full
support to the work being carried out by the special
committee responsible for negotiating a United Nations
convention against corruption. From this forum, we
appeal to the international community to commit itself
to the broadest possible mutual assistance and
cooperation in investigating or prosecuting acts of
corruption.
Terrorism is just as abhorrent as corruption. This
month we remember with anguish the tragedy of 11
September, when thousands of innocent people
perished, many of them heroically. This tragedy, like
all terrorist acts, must never be forgotten. At the same
time, international cooperation to deal with such crimes
must remain permanently on our agenda. It is essential
that we coordinate activities to prevent and punish such
terrorist activities, which cause so much pain and
suffering, with the full force of the law.
Nicaragua wishes to reaffirm once again its
unconditional support for United Nations activities to
combat international terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations. In Nicaragua, we have already set in
place a National Plan against Terrorism and Related
Crimes, designed to strengthen cooperation among
institutions, and with the aim of preventing, combating
and eliminating this scourge, and complying with
Security Council resolutions.
The case of Iraq is a challenge and a test for the
entire multilateral system that we have been
constructing. It is up to us to either help strengthen it
or help to weaken and fracture it. While it is true that
we are all in favour of multilateral action, it is also
undeniable that inertia and inaction undermine
confidence in our collective will. The multilateral
system must demonstrate the dynamism which is its
very raison d'être by taking joint, concerted and timely
action to resolve conflicts.
We wish to see a system capable of reacting with
specific, timely and effective measures to dangers that
threaten international peace and security, a system that
does not find itself overtaken by circumstances.
Nicaragua takes the view that the immediate and
unconditional return of United Nations weapons
inspectors to Iraq, in a climate of complete
cooperation, can only be regarded as an important part
of a greater effort aimed at the elimination of all kinds
of weapons of mass destruction, within the context of
the global interests of the international community and
in compliance with all pertinent Security Council
resolutions.
The reform of the United Nations is also part of
the desire to respond effectively. Reform basically
revolves around new organizational and administrative
structures, which, without a doubt, have gradually
enabled the United Nations to act with greater unity of
purpose, coherence and flexibility. Nicaragua, like the
28

Secretary-General, believes that there is still great
potential for progress, and we must all ensure that the
Organization's work programme includes the priorities
set out in the Millennium Declaration.
No reform of the United Nations would be
complete without the long-awaited expansion of the
Security Council in order to enable it to respond fully
and effectively to current and future needs. Similarly,
we must pursue efforts to revitalize the General
Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in
order to empower the Organization fully to assume its
responsibilities, as enshrined in the Charter. Nicaragua
shares the interest of Member States in strengthening
the Organization, with a view to optimizing its efforts
to maintain international peace and security, prevent
conflicts, promote sustainable development and
eradicate poverty.
The recent World Summit on Sustainable
Development filled us with hope and, at the same time,
uneasiness. On the one hand, we saw the degree of
attention being focused on the problem of
environmental degradation. But, on the other hand, the
path to achieving the balance between development
and environment is still long and arduous, particularly
for the least developed countries. Before us lies the
challenge of generating greater wealth and more jobs
without harming our environment. We cannot achieve
this without the support of the developed countries,
which must help pay the price of the benefits they reap
from our efforts. Therefore, I wish to recall the
Monterrey consensus, where we urged those developed
countries that have not yet done so to adopt specific
measures to allocate 0.7 per cent of their gross
domestic product for official development assistance
(ODA) to the developing countries.
Nicaragua is aware that violence, civil and
international wars, the scourge of acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), drought and
poverty are the main problems afflicting the African
continent in recent years. However, we note with
concern that international cooperation and assistance to
Africa are diminishing. The efforts of African
Governments to achieve economic growth and alleviate
poverty must be matched.
Development efforts have also been given direct
expression in Central America, where we have reached
important agreements and taken decisions that today
enable us to say that our region is embarking on a new
era in its history. On 21 June last, in the city of
Granada, Nicaragua, we held the Twenty-First
Ordinary Meeting of Heads of State and Government
of Central America. This provided the opportunity to
reaffirm our commitment to moving towards the
consolidation of a Central American Customs Union,
which will become a reality on 31 December 2003. The
Customs Union was conceived as a means of
contributing to the economic and social development of
our countries. It will promote smooth interregional
trade, reduce the costs of transport owing to border
delays, facilitate the movement of persons and
vehicles, and, at the same time, attract international
business and investment to the region.
Nonetheless, the prolonged halt in the
international economic recovery was exacerbated in
Nicaragua by uncharacteristic problems in the external
sector, owing to the high price of imported oil and the
lowest coffee prices in history.
According to data provided by Gabriel Silva,
President of the Colombian Coffee Growers'
Federation, five years ago, coffee consumers paid 30
billion dollars while producers received 12 billion
dollars, or 40 per cent. Today, consumers pay 65 billion
dollars but producers receive only 5.5 billion dollars or
less than 8.5 per cent.
This critical situation, which is generating
unemployment and hunger in the productive areas of
Nicaragua and other producer countries, seems to be
caused by a cartel of coffee-roasters, a situation that
must be remedied as soon as possible through measures
to promote competition in consumer markets and on
the international market.
Nicaragua congratulates Switzerland on recently
joining the United Nations as a new Member and
Timor-Leste, which is about to join. Their presence
among us will contribute new ideas and approaches to
strengthening efforts for a better world, and —
paraphrasing the representative of Switzerland's
statement to this General Assembly — will enhance the
universality of the United Nations in the best interest of
humankind.
In this same connection, my country, aware of the
principle of universality and equality that inspired the
United Nations, considers it a priority to permit the 23
million inhabitants of the Republic of China on Taiwan
to enjoy the universal right to participate in
international affairs through its own delegation to the
29

United Nations, parallel to and with the same rights of
participation as the People's Republic of China, whose
Government has never exercised hegemony over
Taiwan.
Nicaragua, as a founding State of this
Organization, reaffirms its commitment to the Charter
and its aspiration to become a non-permanent member
of the Security Council during the elections to be held
during the sixtieth session of the General Assembly.
I spoke earlier of a new era of moral renewal in
Nicaragua rooted in the values of the United Nations. I
believe that when we speak of strengthening
democracy, reforming the Organization, fighting
corruption, terrorism and drug trafficking, halting the
arms race or providing joint, timely and effective
responses to the dangers which threaten us, we are
really speaking of one and the same thing: belonging
jointly to an Organization that holds and safeguards our
trust and collective action based on the principles that
united our peoples on that historic day to create the
United Nations.


Let me begin, Mr.
President, by congratulating you on your well-deserved
election. It is a great pleasure to see you, my good
friend and colleague, preside over the proceedings of
the General Assembly at this session. My delegation is
ready to provide its full support to you. Let me also
express my gratitude to your predecessor, His
Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo, for his dedication and
accomplishment.
Slovakia welcomes Switzerland as the newest
Member of our Organization. We look forward also to
welcoming East Timor and to working closely with
both of them in promoting peace, security and
prosperity throughout the world.
The terrorist attacks on the United States a year
ago evoked worldwide anguish and outrage, followed
by enormous solidarity among nations throughout the
world and a firm stand by the worldwide coalition
against the scourge of terror. At the end of the day,
those cowardly acts of terror did not reach their
ultimate goal: chaos, anarchy and the destruction of the
12

world community. On the contrary, they strengthened
our resolution to seek world peace and security and to
promote life in dignity and prosperity for all. Slovakia
pledged its full support for the anti-terrorist coalition
from the very beginning.
As the ruins of the World Trade Center were
smouldering at the southern tip of Manhattan, the
General Assembly, the Security Council and the
Secretary-General acted quickly, resolutely and
collectively. The United Nations proved to be crucial in
the fight against terrorism, which should be maintained
as a global campaign. Organizing this global task must
be central to our efforts at the United Nations. We
acknowledge the role of the United Nations in trying to
raise the capacity of every Member to defeat terrorism
in a globally coordinated way and in conformity with
Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), which was
adopted unanimously by the Council last year.
Since 11 September 2001, the Slovak authorities
have adapted and strengthened domestic legislation so
that it can be applied effectively against acts of
terrorism. Slovakia deposited its instrument of
ratification to the International Convention for the
Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism earlier this
month, and has thus become party to all 12
international conventions and protocols against
terrorism. Their provisions are already incorporated in
our domestic legislation. We are committed to continue
our cooperation in these endeavours with the relevant
United Nations institutions.
Shortly following 11 September 2001, the Al
Qaeda network and the Taliban regime that harboured
those terrorists were fought and disrupted. Organizing
a global response to the political and humanitarian
crises in Afghanistan became one of the crucial tasks at
the Untied Nations. A chance for the people of
Afghanistan to start rebuilding their country, which had
been fragmented for so long, has been offered. We
commend the work of the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan and the countries contributing
to the International Security Assistance Force. Slovakia
is actively engaged in the reconstruction and
rehabilitation process in Afghanistan. An engineering
unit from Slovakia was dispatched to take part in the
Operation Enduring Freedom in August 2002.
Slovakia reaffirms its commitment to arms
control, disarmament and the non-proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction. We effectively participate
in regional and global efforts in the field of
disarmament and international security. The increased
threat of international terrorism today gives rise to
questions regarding the relationship between terrorism
and disarmament, as well as the contributions that
multilateral treaties and institutions in this field can
make. We must make greater progress in achieving
disarmament and non-proliferation goals, strengthen
verification and implementation mechanisms, and
thereby contribute to the creation of a safer world in
which terrorism cannot breed and flourish. We will
continue to work cooperatively and constructively in
the pursuit of disarmament and arms limitation goals.
Over the last decade we have witnessed an
upsurge in ethnic, social and religious violence all over
the world, when simmering tensions and power
struggles boiled over into open conflicts. There has
been an increasing demand for the United Nations to
intervene with regard to those threats to international
peace and security. As a result, peacekeeping has
become more frequent and more complex. Modern
peacekeeping operations are multidimensional, with
tasks ranging from traditional deployment of military
personnel, demining and medical support, to verification,
disarmament, the rebuilding of infrastructure and the
facilitation of institution-building, democratization and
elections. Peacekeeping operations have changed also in
terms of the financial resources they require.
My Government has always been fully committed
to the maintenance of international peace and security.
Peacekeeping has always been an important aspect of
our involvement in United Nations activities. Slovakia
currently provides military personnel and observers for
seven United Nations peacekeeping missions, in Ethiopia
and Eritrea, in Cyprus, in Iraq, in Jerusalem, on the Golan
Heights, in Sierra Leone and in East Timor. The number
of Slovak military personnel serving under the United
Nations flag has steadily increased since the mid-1990s.
Currently, there are more than 600 troops, apart from the
Slovak soldiers participating in missions in the Balkans
under NATO leadership. Slovakia will remain actively
engaged in this crucial area of the United Nations
responsibilities in the future.
Let me pay tribute to those courageous men and
women from various nations who contributed to the peace
missions and who lost their lives while serving under the
United Nations flag. My country has also suffered the
loss of lives. Four brave Slovak men have been
awarded, in memoriam, the Dag Hammarskjöld medal.
13

Resolutions adopted by the Security Council
under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter are
legally binding. The failure of any Member State to
fulfil the requirements of those resolutions constitutes a
breach of the Charter. In such cases, the international
community has the right to enforce the rule of law. We
have carefully noted the decision of the Government of
Iraq, announced earlier this week, to allow the return of
United Nations weapons inspectors without conditions.
Yet that decision needs to be matched with further
concrete steps which would provide for the swift and
full implementation of the relevant Security Council
resolutions.
The question of Israel and Palestine has been
occupying our attention since the United Nations was
founded. It is our common responsibility to achieve a
comprehensive solution resulting in the existence of two
States living side by side in peace and mutual respect
within secure and recognized borders. We fully support
the efforts of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East
to push forward the vision of peace in the region.
Slovakia is fully committed to the rules and
principles of international law and justice. In that context,
we attach particular importance to the work of the
International Court of Justice. The Court has proved to be
a very useful institution for resolving inter-State disputes,
including some serious territorial disputes. That
institution deserves full support, including financial
support, from the General Assembly. Slovakia and its
southern neighbour have previously submitted a
dispute to the Court. Now, having already recognized
the Court's jurisdiction over a number of European
countries, we are in the process of preparing a
declaration that will recognize the general compulsory
jurisdiction of the Court, in accordance with article 36,
paragraph 2, of the Statute.
We remain convinced that, as the main repository
of international law, the United Nations must play an
important role in strengthening legal approaches to
fighting the most serious crimes of international concern.
Slovakia fully supports the work of international criminal
tribunals, as well as the establishment of the International
Criminal Court. We have signed and ratified the Rome
Statute of the Court. Slovakia became one of the countries
whose ratification was necessary for the entry into force
of the Statute on 1 July 2002. Despite various concerns
and reservations expressed by some Member States of
the United Nations, we continue to believe that the
Court has the potential to promote the rule of law and
to prevent impunity by persons who commit the most
serious of crimes.
Our position on the issue of Security Council
reform is linked to the importance we attach to making
the Organization more effective. Let me once again
underline this position. In addition to maintaining its
necessary representative character, the Security
Council should also preserve the required operational
flexibility. Slovakia supports the enlargement of the
Security Council in both the non-permanent as well as
the permanent category. We consider it fully justified
for one additional non-permanent seat to be allocated
to the Group of Eastern European States, as that
Group's membership has doubled in the last decade.
As the world becomes more and more global, the
United Nations should respond by becoming ever more
universal. The concerns of all nations should be
listened to irrespective of their size, geographic
location, military strength or economic power. We have
no doubts as to the irreplaceable role of the United
Nations in tackling global issues, whether with regard
to the protection of human rights, the eradication of
famine, poverty, disease and illiteracy or prevention of
the proliferation of drugs and weapons.
We all live on one planet. We must all face the
deterioration of the environment and together adopt
adequate measures to guarantee sustainable development.
The Millennium Declaration shows us the right way. The
world community must now increase its efforts to meet
all of these goals. The Monterrey and Johannesburg
summits proved that much can be achieved if decisions
are based on global consensus. They also showed the
power of having the will and determination to tackle
global issues. We now have to concentrate on the
fulfilment of our commitments. We need deeds. The
United Nations should play a leading role in
monitoring the implementation of our decisions. We
need a United Nations that is strong and efficient.


Please accept, Mr. President,
the warm congratulations of the Republic of the Fiji
Islands on your election to lead this forum. I also
extend my appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Han
Seung-soo of the Republic of Korea, for his guidance
of the General Assembly during the past year. We also
wish to congratulate Switzerland on its admission to
the Organization, as well as East Timor on its imminent
membership of the United Nations. Their membership
gives them a direct share in the collective
responsibility of the United Nations to promote world
peace, security and development.
When I last spoke here, in September 2000, my
country was in the throes of its most dangerous crisis,
following an armed uprising against the elected
Government. However, with God's help and with the
support of our own citizens and the understanding of
friends overseas, we have passed through the worst. We
returned to parliamentary democracy through general
elections in August last year. We have been welcomed
back into the Commonwealth and granted leadership of
the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
(ACP). Recently, we hosted the third summit of ACP
leaders, as well as the thirty-third meeting of the
Pacific Islands Forum. Our economy is growing again,
and we have just concluded a successful national
consultation on strategies for development. We have
also embarked on a reconciliation effort to strengthen
peace and harmony in our multiracial society.
Today I thank the Member States of the United
Nations and the United Nations system for their
support and understanding during our period of crisis.
They stood with us, with words of quiet
encouragement, and expressed confidence in our ability
to resolve our own difficulties. There were others who
were judgmental and strident. Their approach was not
helpful. We remind them of the founding principles of
the United Nations: respect for national sovereignty
and non-interference in the internal affairs of Member
States. Countries have the right to seek, and to put into
effect, their own solutions to their problems.
Not far from this site is the desolate and empty
space of Ground Zero. It is a scar not only on the face
of this city; it is a scar on the world, a terrible reminder
of an unspeakable act of horror. We in the Pacific share
America's pain. We cannot feel it in all its intensity,
but we have a sense of the anguish and the anger. Our
thoughts and prayers have been with the American
2

people. We remember the innocents of so many races
and faiths whose blood was spilled by hate, including
those killed in Kenya, Tanzania and other places, through
wanton acts of terrorism. Let it be known that the small
nations of the Pacific join the United Nations and all
right-thinking countries in the fight against terrorism.
In the Pacific Ocean, we are far from the world's
centres of power and areas of conflict and tension, but
we are very conscious that, today, no country is beyond
the reach of fanatics all too ready to kill and maim at
random. The Pacific's response to the heightened
threats of terrorism and transnational crime is
contained in the Nasonini Declaration on regional
security. This was adopted at the recent meeting of the
Pacific Islands Forum, which I had the honour to chair.
The Declaration binds the Pacific Islands Forum States
to the implementation of internationally agreed anti-
terrorism measures, such as Security Council resolution
1373 (2001) and the special recommendations of the
Financial Action Task Force. Forum countries have
undertaken to introduce legislation and other measures
to combat terrorism and terrorist financing. We will
similarly act against drug trafficking, people smuggling
and money laundering, in accordance with work
undertaken by such organizations as the United Nations.
The summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific
Group of States (ACP) in Fiji in July lent the weight of
78 States, with 650 million people, to the anti-terrorism
campaign. Its Nadi Declaration strongly condemned
the 11 September attacks and terrorism in all its forms.
ACP countries want terror to be fought politically,
legally and operationally and in keeping with the
United Nations Charter. We made the point that the
root causes of terrorism, including poverty,
underdevelopment and oppression, must be treated.
The member countries of the Pacific Islands Forum
are heartened that at last there is an awakening to the
importance of the oceans. The international community is
starting to see that the conservation and sustainable use of
the oceans are vital to the survival of the human race and
this planet. It was a significant achievement for us that the
Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development had a comprehensive section
on oceans and numerous allied issues. The Summit
specifically recognized that oceans, islands and coastal
areas are essential to the Earth's ecosystem and critical
to food security and the economic welfare of many
developing countries.
While the island States are small in population
and area — in contrast to the billions who occupy the
large land continents — we have something no other
international grouping possesses. Our Pacific heritage
gives us sovereign authority over nearly one sixth of the
Earth's surface. The Pacific has been described as the last
frontier, its depths still largely unexplored, its total
resources unknown. This almost boundless body of water
contains great biological diversity, the most extensive
coral reefs in the world, seabed minerals and the largest
sustainable tuna fishery. Humankind still does not
know what forms of natural energy it may produce.
It is our responsibility, as people of the islands, to
protect and nurture the Pacific. We must do so not only
for ourselves, but for people everywhere. For the first
time, we have adopted a regional ocean policy which
lays out the guiding principles for promoting the
Pacific as a maritime environment in support of
sustainable development. These principles are based on
international law, reflected in the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea and other
international and regional agreements. The policy's
objective is to improve our understanding of the Ocean,
maintain its health and ensure environmentally sound
use of its resources and riches. It also recognizes that
we cannot take on this task alone and that we will
therefore need to develop partnerships and promote
Pacific cooperation.
For Pacific islands peoples, the ocean
environment is an integral part of their ethnic and
cultural identity and way of life. It is because of the
importance of the sea and its resources to them that they
are so adamantly opposed to any action which exposes the
Pacific Ocean to pollution, hazardous waste and the
destructive effects of nuclear and missile tests.
Recently, radioactive materials have been trans-
shipped across the Pacific in arrogant defiance of our
protests. We are told there is no risk, but when we
propose payment of compensation if there should be an
accident, there is instant rejection. The danger these
shipments pose to us is underscored by the disaster off the
coast of South Africa, where a freighter ran aground with
a hold full of toxic chemicals. We read of a ship
carrying hazardous cargo on fire in waters off Britain.
We do not want the Pacific put at risk in this way.
We know too well the legacy of radioactivity from
nuclear-weapons testing. People in parts of the Pacific
continue to suffer from the fallout. We are still waiting
3

for those who committed these acts to take full
responsibility for what they have done.
There are real hazards to low-lying atolls from
another by-product of this era of environmental crisis.
Rising sea levels caused by global warming will lead to
the disappearance of some islands. They will sink
beneath the waves. Do not therefore be surprised if in
future environmental refugees from Oceania are forced
to seek sanctuary elsewhere.
The world should also not be surprised at the
strong call from the Pacific for the adoption and
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. We praise those
nations that have signified their intention to ratify. To
those who have not done so, we pose the same question
we asked in Johannesburg: Will you display the
courage, generosity and largeness of spirit the world
needs from you? Will you join fully in saving the Earth
from the gross abuse and destruction of its resources?
We have done much in the Pacific to secure our
ownership of the rich regional tuna fishery. Ten years
of combined effort, negotiation, lobbying and
painstaking legal drafting led to the adoption of the
United Nations Law of the Sea Convention in 1982.
When it came into force, international law allowed us
to lay claim to huge areas of marine-resource
jurisdiction through archipelagic regimes and 200-
nautical-mile exclusive economic zones. We established
the Forum Fisheries Agency to coordinate our efforts to
get the best returns from valuable tuna stocks. There was
a successful conclusion to negotiations with America for
a regional fisheries agreement. I pay tribute here to the
United States for its willingness to reach an accord and
for agreeing to its extension to 2013.
We still have much to do, however, to consolidate
our position and to ensure that we bring an end to
exploitation, which continues unabated. We are
angered by the indiscriminate commercial exploitation
of our tuna by distant-water fishing fleets. They have
no compunction about using purse seine methods and
drift nets, which take huge amounts of small tuna and
destroy other species. We call on those nations to act
responsibly and to stop this ruthless exploitation. The
reality is that more than 95 per cent of the annual value
of the South Pacific catch is taken by them. Where
arrangements for fees to be paid do apply, the return to the
region is less than 3 per cent of the annual commercial
worth of the harvest. Obviously, we must redouble our
efforts to improve our ability to receive a fair share of
these resources from harvesting and processing.
The next step is to bring into effect the Western
and Central Pacific Tuna Convention. This will
establish a commission to secure long-term
sustainability. The Convention recognizes that the
standards of other regions cannot be applied to us and
that our interests will be safeguarded against more
powerful and economically superior Powers.
We very much welcomed the undertaking by a
number of countries in Johannesburg to permit quota
and tariff-free market access to the least developed of
the developing countries. We urge them to extend the
same access conditions to developing island States. We
know that free trade, as espoused by the World Trade
Organization, is the ideal. All nations will trade on the
same basis of equality and fairness, but what a large
gap there is between the ideal and the reality. The
developing countries hear huge amounts of free-market
rhetoric from the rich nations, but it is completely
cancelled out by the reality of continuing
protectionism. There is no level playing field for the
poorer nations, only a steep and slippery slope. That is
why we must move carefully into an integrated system
of world trade and allow special treatment for those
developing countries that are especially vulnerable.
It is in furtherance of this that I make a plea for
the acceptance of small island developing States as a
special case for trade and aid assistance. This would
bring them into line with the least developed and
landlocked developing countries.
Next week will see the commencement of formal
negotiations between the European Union and the
African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries on new
partnership arrangements under the Cotonou
Agreement. The ACP States look forward to
strengthening the partnership with the European Union
started under the Lomé Convention in 1975. It is also
their hope that the new economic partnership
agreements will incorporate commitments made by the
European Union member countries at Johannesburg.
The United Nations was conceived to seek the
betterment of people and to foster security and peace in
the world. It has had its failures, and it still has its
critics. But let us not forget the successes and its
influence for good. Consider where we would be
without the United Nations. We believe it has a
4

continuing role and a future, given the commitment of
the membership to its governing principles.
I am pleased to assure the Assembly that the
Pacific Island Forum and the Africa, Caribbean and
Pacific Group strongly support our Secretary-General's
new emphasis on preventive diplomacy. Conflict
prevention and peace-building should continue to be
the central considerations in involvement by the United
Nations in ongoing efforts to deal with conflict and
crisis situations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
We congratulate the United Nations on the
success of its various peacekeeping operations. Fiji's
participation in the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL), after more than 24 years, will
conclude in December this year. It has been a great
honour for us to serve the international cause of bringing
peace and order to that part of the Middle East.
Fiji reaffirms its willingness to continue its
participation in United Nations and international
peacekeeping operations. All this has cost us dearly in
lost lives, but it is a price we are willing to pay for
international peace and security.
We live in uncertain times. The world is troubled.
We look to the United Nations to provide steadiness
and balance at the centre. We look to it to maintain
peace on earth and hope for humanity. Member
countries of the Pacific Island Forum have committed
themselves to promoting and safeguarding the Pacific
Ocean as a region of peace. We appeal to all those who
are part of our wider Pacific community to embrace the
way of peace and to constructively engage in
cooperation for development. We welcome China's
increasing presence and involvement in supporting and
assisting development in our region. China and Taiwan
have longstanding differences. All of us in the Pacific
want to see them resolve their dispute amicably
through dialogue and a common vision.
We welcome the peace mission by the Prime
Minister of Japan to normalize relations with North
Korea. We hope that his visit will also have the added
impetus of encouraging North and South Korea to
intensify their contacts and dialogue for a peaceful
accord between them.
Japan, itself, is setting an example of how a
developed nation can use its resources to help others.
In Johannesburg, Japan was more forthcoming than
most affluent countries in its willingness to act on the
Summit agenda and decisions. It is already playing a
very positive role in the South Pacific.
Fiji reiterates its support for Japan as a permanent
member of the Security Council, along with China.
In concluding, let me reaffirm that, in a world
still threatened by conflict and war, the Pacific Island
Forum and the ACP Group stand firmly for peace. We
say the best way of securing that and protecting our
precious planet is to uphold the multilateralism
represented by the United Nations and its family of
nations. For peace to endure, the United Nations must
continue to ensure that development and opportunities
for economic and social progress are spread and shared
evenly among all its Member States.
At Johannesburg, we all agreed to promote
partnerships to assist developing countries in dealing
more effectively with the basic needs of their peoples.
From our experience with our trade and development
partnerships, with Australia and New Zealand and with
the European Union, the Pacific Islands and ACP
countries commit themselves to working closely with
the United Nations system and other multilateral
organizations, like the World Trade Organization, in
promoting similar partnerships with other developed
countries.


I
should like to begin by congratulating Mr. Kavan on
his well-deserved election to the presidency of the
General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to
assure him of my delegation's full support and
cooperation.
I would also like to commend his predecessor,
Mr. Han Seung-soo, for having skilfully presided over
the work of the fifty-sixth session. Similarly, I would
like to express my delegation's sincere appreciation to
Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, for the able
manner in which he has continued to manage the day-
to-day affairs of our Organization in the face of
numerous and daunting challenges.
My delegation wishes to join others in welcoming
the admission to the United Nations of Switzerland, a
country that has done so much for the Organization
over the years. I would also like to welcome East
Timor to the community of nations, following the
successful tutelage of the United Nations.
As we commemorate the first anniversary of the
tragic events of the 11 September terrorist attacks, I
would like to take this opportunity to reiterate
Tanzania's solidarity and support for international
efforts to fight terrorism. Coming from a country that
experienced a similar tragedy four years ago, I
understand the continued pain and suffering of those
who lost their loved ones as they come to terms with
the aftermath of those tragic events. We have every
confidence that, through our collective efforts, the war
on terrorism will ultimately be won.
It is a welcome coincidence that the fifty-seventh
session should be held so soon after the World Summit
on Sustainable Development. Tanzania is glad that
poverty eradication was underscored as humanity's
critical challenge and an indispensable requirement for
sustainable development, particularly in the developing
countries.
It was very gratifying, indeed, to note that due
regard was also given to the burning issues of
15

education, health, energy, shelter, water and sanitation,
as well as agriculture, in particular food security. The
abundance of pledges from all speakers and
participants to fight poverty, promote social and
economic development and enhance measures to deal
with pollution and protect the environment was very
reassuring indeed. However, many stakeholders,
including those from my country, are anxiously waiting
to see how we move beyond rhetoric to concrete action.
Those of us from the developing countries know
too well in this regard that our biggest challenge is to
get our act together by practicing and observing good
governance, democracy, the rule of law and human
rights. We have to institute sound political, social and
economic policies, as well as to fight corruption and
graft. We have to create conditions conducive to
investment flows and trade. Fortunately, this is no
longer wanting, because most of our countries have
made serious efforts to meet these ideals with
reasonable success. However, it is frustrating to note
that there is little appreciation of these achievements.
Instead, there is amplification of the little that is yet to
be overcome. Many of us feel that we deserve to be
treated better.
It is surprising also to note the temptation in some
quarters to evolve a new paradigm in international
relations  that of assigning collective responsibility,
condemnation and punishment to a region or continent
for the mistakes of one country in that part of the
world. A crisis in an African country, for example, is
meant to be left to African countries to fix and they are
threatened with being held responsible and accountable
if that is not done. Several times, we have been
reminded to sort out the problem in some crisis-
stricken African countries or else risk losing
cooperation on the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD) from the developed countries.
Tanzania considers such tendencies not only to be
strange, but also dangerous, unfair, discriminatory and
totally unacceptable. Let all of us continue to work
together to resolve problems facing our countries and
peoples wherever they may occur.
We look forward to seeing the developed
countries of the North play their part, as is expected of
them, as expressed in the millennium development
goals, the Monterrey Consensus, the Brussels Plan of
Action for the least developed countries, the Doha
agreement and the Johannesburg Plan of Action and at
yesterday's historic high-level plenary meeting of the
General Assembly on support for NEPAD. We consider
the role of the developed countries to be very critical to
success in the war against poverty and the attainment
of sustainable development. We look forward to seeing
the countries of the North increase official
development assistance to the countries of the South.
At Monterrey, Kananaskis and Johannesburg,
there were good signs that this is now possible.
However, when one looks at the resource requirement
of the millennium goals and the time frame for
implementation, the promises made are far below
target. At Monterrey and Kananaskis, some $12 billion
were pledged over a period of three to four years,
whereas the requirement is $50 billion annually until
2015. We appeal to the developed countries to commit
more resources and within the time frames set out in
the millennium development goals.
Another important area where the intervention of
the developed countries is essential is debt relief. Debt
servicing is crippling the economies and Governments
of the poor developing countries. Debt relief releases
resources which can be used to finance priority sectors
and activities, such as education, health, energy, water,
rural roads and microfinance schemes.
Let me take the example of my country, Tanzania.
After reaching the completion point for the Heavily
Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative and the
cancellation of a portion of the external debt,
Government expenditure on basic social services has
increased to unprecedented levels. We will now be able
to give clean water to more people than we could have
done in the past. We are now able to hire more
teachers, build more classrooms, take more students
into schools and buy more textbooks and teaching
materials. We have improved health-care delivery
systems. We have hired more medical practitioners in
rural dispensaries and health centres and we have
provided more equipment and medicines. There are
more rural roads maintained now than before and new
ones are being opened up. The list of benefits is long
and we could have done much more if we had got a
bigger debt-cancellation package. That is why we
continue to appeal for deeper debt cancellation for
Tanzania and the rest of the least developed countries.
Moreover, the amount of debt that has not been
forgiven to my country is not payable, given our level
of poverty.
16

Debt cancellation or relief on its own cannot
solve the resource needs of developing countries.
Measures to make capital and financial resources
available for investments and trade in the developing
countries are very important. To date, not much has
come to our part of the world, despite our having put in
place the most competitive investment incentives. May
I once again appeal to the Governments of the
developed countries to intervene in the most judicious
way possible to encourage investment flows to Africa
and the developing countries. I believe that their words
of encouragement and support will have a positive
impact.
Market access is another very important matter
for us. We highly appreciate and thank the United
States and the European Union for granting duty-free
and quota-free access for goods from Africa and the
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
respectively. This has acted as an important stimulus to
increased production and investments in our countries.
We welcome similar decisions taken by Japan, Canada
and China, thus further expanding Africa's market
access. However, agricultural subsidies in the
developed countries remain an obstacle to which we
again appeal to the developed countries to give due
consideration.
As we all know, it is in agriculture that we have
the best of the comparative advantage. Unhindered
access to the markets of the developed countries,
therefore, could have immeasurable benefits. I am of
the view that the developed countries can afford to
dispense with subsidies to agriculture. Instead, the $1
billion spent on such subsidies daily could be used to
fund the implementation of millennium development
goals.
Among today's daunting global challenges are the
conflict situations in Africa and the escalation of
violence in the Middle East. We highly appreciate the
proactive role played by the United Nations, countries
of the respective regions and the international
community in trying to mediate and end the conflicts.
We pray for the continued involvement of the
international community in putting an end to conflicts.
The framework for the resumption of negotiations
between Israel and the Government of Palestine
already exists. Both sides must create an environment
conducive to negotiations. There has to be an end to
Israeli occupation of Arab lands and significant
movement towards the creation of a viable Palestinian
State living side by side with Israel as an imperative to
lasting peace in the Middle East. The security concerns
of Israel should be addressed and encoded properly in
any agreement. In this regard, all relevant Security
Council and General Assembly resolutions must be
adhered to.
It is our conviction that, without the active
involvement of a third party, not much can be achieved.
Tanzania is convinced that the Security Council, as
well as the United States, the Russian Federation, the
European Union and the Arab League, can play a
pivotal role in getting to a sustainable solution.
Fortunately, all of these are now actively involved. We
appeal to them to remain seized of the problem and to
continue to work together.
The situation in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Burundi remains a major concern and
preoccupation of Tanzania and other countries in the
region. I want to reaffirm the continued commitment
and readiness of my Government to contribute in any
way possible towards building a peaceful, secure and
stable Great Lakes region.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is
encouraging to note that there are some positive
developments following the recent agreement and
understanding reached between that country, Rwanda
and Uganda. It is our hope that the implementation of
the agreements and understanding will be scrupulously
observed. We welcome the undertaking of the United
Nations and the Republic of South Africa to help the
parties.
The security situation in Burundi is fragile. The
new transitional Government installed on 1 November
2001 is functioning, but the continuation of the civil
war seems to be undermining its base. Tanzania
underscores the significance of getting a ceasefire
agreement for the sake of the people of Burundi and
the success of the transitional Government. It was in
appreciation of that imperative that my President
accepted the request of the facilitator and that of
President Pierre Buyoya of Burundi for Tanzania to
help urge the rebels to come to the negotiating table.
We tried our best and, as a result, the Burundi
Government and the rebels started direct talks in Dar es
17

Salaam on 12 August. The negotiations are continuing.
They are not easy, but we are confident that they will
be crowned with success. Tanzania will continue to
assist in and work for the success of the negotiations.
We do so on the clear understanding that we stand to
gain more from a peaceful and stable Burundi and to
lose if there is war and lack of stability. The end of the
refugee problem, as well as the end of mistrust between
our two Governments and the free flow of trade across
our common borders, are the obvious benefits which
we long to see realized.
One of the serious consequences of the conflicts
in the Great Lakes region has been the massive
displacement of people and the influx of refugees,
which constitute a huge burden for Tanzania. At
present, Tanzania is hosting close to a million refugees
from Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of
the Congo. While we appreciate the work being done
by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian agencies to
protect the refugees, much remains to be done to offset
the burden which these refugees place upon my
country. We would like to see more being done to
facilitate repatriation of the refugees.
Unfortunately, the 1951 Convention is not as
elaborate concerning the responsibilities of refugee-
generating countries or those of the international
community as it is on the responsibilities of the
refugee-receiving countries. This is probably due to the
context in which the Convention was conceived. The
situation has changed. Tanzania feels strongly that
there is a need to review the 1951 Convention to keep
it in step with changing times and circumstances.
The long and protracted war in Angola appears to
have ended. However, Angola still needs the continued
support of the international community to deal with the
reconstruction and the huge humanitarian crisis facing
the country. Tanzania welcomes the decision on
continued United Nations involvement.
With regard to Western Sahara, Tanzania firmly
believes that the United Nations cannot, and must not,
retreat from this unfinished agenda. Tanzania wishes to
reiterate its longstanding support for the efforts of the
United Nations, which will enable the Sahrawi people
to exercise their right to self-determination.
While we appreciate the progress made in the
reform of the working methods of the Security Council,
we remain concerned that no movement has been
recorded in the area of expansion of membership.
Tanzania would like to reiterate its support for Africa's
quest for two permanent seats.
In his address to the Assembly on 4 October
1996, my President, Mr. Benjamin Mkapa, said:
The founding of the United Nations was inspired
by the human solidarity which the world sought
to promote five decades ago... What holds our
nations together, despite their diversity, is the
common bond and solidarity we feel for each
other as human beings. Today, more than ever
before, we need that solidarity in order to deal
with the myriad problems we all face together'.
These words were relevant then, and they are still
relevant today.