It is my pleasure to join
with preceding speakers in congratulating you, Sir, on
your election to preside over the General Assembly at
its fifty-seventh session. Barbados pledges its fullest
cooperation in the year ahead.
I also take this opportunity to convey our deepest
appreciation to Mr. Han Seung-soo for his leadership
during a very challenging fifty-sixth session.
We, too, wish to welcome the Swiss Confederation
and look forward to the Democratic Republic of Timor-
Leste's joining this family of nations.
The Preamble to the Charter of this Organization
expresses in the simplest yet most eloquent of terms
the essential goals of multilateralism. We know its
every phrase and recognize its solemn commitment
“to promote social progress and better standards
of life in larger freedom”
as well as
“to practice tolerance and live together in peace
with one another as good neighbours and to unite
our strength to maintain international peace and
security”.
These goals remain as relevant today, and yet, in many
ways, as painfully elusive as they were in 1945.
In January 2001, the international community
ushered in a new century with the highest of
expectations for the successful implementation of the
millennium development goals, which we had just
adopted. We were resolved to work with renewed
vigour to eradicate poverty and hunger, fight the
scourge of HIV/AIDS and disease, raise the level of
human development and bring an end to debilitating
economic and social injustices. Tragically, the events
29

of 11 September 2001 eclipsed our millennium vision
and brutally reshaped the global agenda.
In the intervening year, we have been forced to
re-examine our traditional notions of security and to
come to terms with the reality of our growing political
and economic interdependence. For no single nation
can hope to have all the answers to the complex issues
that confront us and no lasting solutions are possible
except through collective effort. If nothing else, the
lessons of 11 September have served to reinforce the
value of multilateralism.
For the past several years, Barbados has argued
for a redefinition of the concept of security to embrace
the new and non-traditional threats that have the
greatest potential to cause harm to our citizens,
destabilize our societies and erode the basic institutions
of governance. At the hemispheric level, we promoted
dialogue on these issues among foreign ministers of the
Organization of American States at our recent General
Assembly session in Barbados, where we adopted the
Declaration of Bridgetown on the multidimensional
approach to hemispheric security. We believe that this
approach to security is equally valid in the wider
international context.
As we are well aware, threats to world peace are
no longer exclusively found in military conflict
between opposing countries, where the enemy is
recognized and a state of war formally declared.
Today's greatest sources of instability and threats to
national, regional and international security lie in areas
where the enemies are often unidentified non-State
actors with global reach. Terrorism is but one of those
insidious new elements. We are equally alarmed by the
growing danger posed to democratic societies and
Governments by the modern transnational phenomena
of narco-trafficking, organized crime, money-
laundering, corruption and illicit trafficking in small
arms and light weapons. We are also aware of the
potential for grave economic and social dislocation
posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, environmental
degradation and ecological and natural disasters. In
addition, the inequitable application of the benefits of
trade liberalization has created the very real prospect of
increasing poverty and further economic
disenfranchisement for the smallest and most vulnerable
countries in the developing world. Under the
circumstances, we have little choice but to persist in the
struggle to gain international acceptance for our demands
for special and differential treatment to prepare our small
economies to meet the challenges of globalization.
Modern threats to international peace and security
constrain the capacity for political and economic
development and social progress. All nations share in
the responsibility to respond to those threats, but we
can only do so successfully through collective
strategies, which address all aspects of the problem
simultaneously. Diversion of resources and attention
from the development agenda to the fight against
terrorism cannot produce lasting results. As Dr.
Brundtland warned in 1992, our global village may yet
become a global jungle if States adopt unilateral
measures to combat global problems.
Small developing countries are beset daily by
fundamental challenges to their economic
sustainability. From our perspective, security has of
necessity revolved around policies in support of social
development, economic viability, good governance and
the promotion of democracy. For us, military
engagement is not an affordable option.
For Barbados, as for all small States, the doctrine
of non-intervention is of paramount importance for our
survival. Pre-emptive unilateral action, no matter what
the apparent cause, is a precedent that occasions in us
the gravest discomfort. It is, therefore, vital that, at this
dangerous and uncertain juncture in world affairs, we
reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism and to the
pre-eminent role of the United Nations in seeking to
impose responsible behaviour through diplomacy and
dialogue rather than through the use of force.
In response to the events of 11 September and to
the mandates of Security Council resolution 1373
(2001), Barbados has deployed considerable financial
and human resources to the anti-terrorism effort. In
May this year, our Parliament adopted comprehensive
domestic legislation, which entailed an amendment to
our Constitution, to criminalize acts of terrorism and
support or financing for such acts. Yesterday I
deposited with the United Nations Secretariat the
relevant instruments to make Barbados a party to the
International Convention for the Suppression of
Terrorist Bombings and the International Convention
for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.
We have been prompt and responsible in fulfilling
our obligations to the international community in that
regard, despite the heavy financial strain that has
placed on our national economy, already deeply
30

affected by the adverse impact of 11 September on its
major productive sectors — tourism and financial
services. As I reminded the General Assembly last
year, small countries like my own are not part of the
problem, but we are committed to being part of the
solution, in circumstances that place a disproportionate
burden on our financial, human and administrative
resources, already struggling to respond to the global
economic recession.
Regrettably, that burden has been further
exacerbated by the words and actions of some
lawmakers who now seek, through misguided zeal, to
brand the operations of financial services centres, even
the most transparent and well regulated, such as the
Barbados regime, as havens for corporate tax evasion
and for the laundering of terrorist assets. It is important
to emphasize that the Barbados jurisdiction is more
transparent and better regulated than many in the
developed world, and certainly no less so than what
obtains in the states of Delaware and Vermont, among
others. My country fully intends to defend its
reputation against those renewed, unwarranted,
duplicitous and discriminatory attacks.
In this post-11 September, post-Doha, post-Enron
world, many of the assumptions about peace and
progress in a globalized economy have been
challenged. We have entered a prolonged international
recession, whose consequences have impacted on all
countries. It is trying times such as these that force
policy makers at the national level to simplify, refocus
and prioritize.
It is opportune for us to undertake a similar
exercise in respect of the United Nations. We must
return this Organization to its basic mandate, and seek
to have its energies and focus redirected towards
substantive action in the twin areas of peace and
development. The unique attributes of the United
Nations and its multilateral structure can serve to build
consensus and promote cooperation in the search for
solutions to the most pressing problems affecting
human security.
The international summits and global
conferences, which have proliferated over the last
decade, have been successful in mobilizing
Governments and, to a greater extent, civil society, as
well as sensitizing people to the most compelling
development issues facing the planet. Although they
have created awareness and raised expectations, they
have not delivered with respect to implementation, and
most of their fiercely negotiated plans of action remain
under-funded and under-executed. The promises and
pledges of the past 15 years have not been fulfilled. It
is high time that we review the utility of those costly
processes and seek simpler, more effective structures to
carry forward our development agenda. The dwindling
resources available for developmental programmes are
better used for development itself than for scripted
dialogue to discuss the process of development.
Fundamental changes are needed in the way that
development is financed, and in the structure, operation
and coherence of the global financial architecture.
Monterrey must not become just another failed process.
Barbados welcomed recognition by the World
Summit on Sustainable Development of the vulnerability
and sustainable development challenges of small island
developing States, and looks forward to a frank,
comprehensive review of the implementation of the
Barbados Plan of Action in Mauritius in 2004. The
Summit made a commitment to the sustainable
management of ocean space, and it is in this vein that
Barbados will continue to work towards achieving
international recognition of the Caribbean Sea as a
“special area” in the context of sustainable development.
For Barbados, our greatest resource lies in the
creativity and resilience of our people. We are
persuaded that the betterment of the human condition is
the fundamental objective of economic progress. The
HIV/AIDS pandemic rates with terrorism and narco-
trafficking as one of the major new and emerging
threats to human security. According to information
provided by the Pan American Health Organization,
there are currently 2.8 million people living with
HIV/AIDS in the Americas. Of that number, 420,000
live in the wider Caribbean, accounting for over 2 per
cent of its adult population. In response to the
international Declaration of Commitment, Barbados
has established a target of a 50 per cent reduction in the
HIV/AIDS mortality rate and in the incidence of the
disease over the next three years. We are also working
towards the enactment of appropriate anti-
discriminatory legislation by 2006. Our National
Commission continues to support the Pan-Caribbean
Partnership against HIV/AIDS, which is coordinated
by the Caribbean Community Secretariat. Barbados is
one of four English-speaking Caribbean countries
selected to participate in the Caribbean HIV/AIDS
Regional Training Initiative. The World Bank, of
31

whose programmes Barbados is a graduate, made
special provisions for the securing of a $15.1 million
loan to procure the highly active anti-retroviral therapy
programme for HIV-positive Barbadians, free of cost at
point of delivery.
Barbados' commitment to the principles and
purposes of the United Nations Charter has been
unwavering over its three and a half decades of
membership in this Organization. We have paid our
contributions faithfully and have consistently
supported the Organization's efforts to promote and
protect human rights, to eradicate poverty and to
cultivate a global culture of peace.
A tangible demonstration of that commitment was
made on 2 January of this year, when the Prime
Minister of Barbados had the honour of officially
handing over to the United Nations Secretary-General,
for the exclusive use of the United Nations agencies
operating in the Eastern Caribbean, a custom-designed
common premises building, now known as United
Nations House. Secretary-General Annan's personal
presence in Barbados for the inauguration ceremony
was interpreted by Prime Minister Arthur as a clear
expression of his understanding that every part of the
United Nations family matters and that the contribution
of the small States of the Caribbean to the objectives of
the Organization is not without significance. For in the
words of the Secretary-General, small States have become
the backbone of the Organization in terms of their support
and encouragement for the multilateral process.
The principles which guarantee a better quality of
life for all peoples lie within our Charter. The global
landscape has undergone tremendous change in the last
57 years, but the ideals of the Charter are indelible.
Today we revisit this place to recommit to a process
which, admittedly, is not perfect, but it is all that stands
between us and anarchy. It is still our greatest hope for
peace, development and social justice. In our
generation, we cannot be expected to complete the
monumental task which lies before us, but neither are
we at liberty to abstain from it.


Allow me at the outset to congratulate the President on
his election to the presidency of this session of the
General Assembly and to wish him every success in
discharging his functions. Because of the profound
friendship that exists between Tunisia and the Czech
Republic, we assure him of our cooperation and support
as he conducts the business of this session. I would also
like to take this opportunity to convey our thanks to his
predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, who conducted the
last session's work so ably and effectively.
It gives me pleasure to express our appreciation
and gratitude to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is
constantly playing a constructive and effective role in
the service of the noble goals of our Organization.
I would like to extend Tunisia's congratulations
to the Swiss Confederation on its admission to
membership in the United Nations.
The various repercussions of the events of 11
September last, that we have all vigorously
condemned, continue to be felt and to remind the
members of the international community that
strengthening our common action is essential for
meeting the security and development challenges
confronting our world today. These challenges must be
dealt with through increased discussion, cooperation
and solidarity, on the basis of a global, integrated
vision of the future. The establishment of a link
between security and development, as well as a delicate
understanding of the dialectic that exists between these
two elements, make it possible not only to find an
effective solution to certain international problems but
also to prevent their occurring.
The global vision that we advocate as a modus
operandi at the international level is basically built on
strengthened values of understanding and interaction
among religions, civilizations and cultures, on
enshrining the principles of solidarity, moderation and
tolerance, on poverty eradication, combating exclusion
and marginalization; a vision that requires a collective
stand against fanaticism and terrorism.
These principles and values are based on the
civilizational plan that His Excellency President Zine
El Abidine Ben Ali has constantly advocated during
this new era in Tunisian society. This plan was
strengthened following the essential constitutional
reform, which was unanimously adopted for the people
of Tunisia during a referendum and during which the
people opted for a Republic of tomorrow, based on the
rule of law and institutions, the protection of human
rights and solidarity among members of our society.
The successes and achievements gained in our
country, thanks to this integrated global approach that
we have adopted to redress the social, economic,
political and cultural situation of the Tunisian people,
have strengthened our conviction that international
relations must be based on the same approach for the
well-being of humanity at large and for meeting the
challenges we are facing today.
Tunisia has on a number of occasions submitted
several initiatives, in particular the appeal made in
1989 from this rostrum by His Excellency Mr. Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali, President of the Republic, for a
universal covenant of peace and progress, laying down
the foundation of a better future for the international
community in a spirit of constructive cooperation,
immune to conflicts and to wastage of resources and
energy.
Tunisia believes that it is time to hold an
international conference to draft common denominators
that would provide a basis for a code of conduct to be
observed by all parties. This code would help to initiate
22

a responsible dialogue that would avoid any double
standards and would attenuate any feelings of
deprivation or oppression felt by many peoples. We
believe that the United Nations would be the ideal
forum to develop and sponsor this kind of dialogue
among States.
One year after the painful events that shook the
United States, the danger of terrorism is still felt, and it
continues to pose a threat to international peace and
security. We therefore have to demonstrate constant
resolve in the face of this phenomenon in our attempts
to eradicate it once and for all. Now that the most
obvious manifestations of terrorism have been dealt with,
the international community must tackle its causes which
are linked to security, development and culture.
Tunisia was one of the first countries to warn
about the dangers of terrorism, well before the events
of 11 September. At the beginning of the 1990s, we were
in favour of coordinated, international efforts to deal with,
contain and eliminate this scourge. It is disquieting that
certain terrorists are still present in many countries and
enjoy protection under the pretext of granting them the
right of political asylum, without any inquiry into their
actions, their activities or the crimes that they
committed against their countries of origin.
Many regions of the world still suffer the horrors
of poverty and destitution. Only through a focused,
careful approach to achieve the Millennium Goals,
which were reaffirmed at several subsequent
international conferences, will it be possible to resolve
this situation. Tunisia had already adopted an initiative
along these lines by proposing the creation of a world
solidarity fund to combat poverty in the world. Two
years after this initiative was put forward, and after its
adoption by the General Assembly, and following the
decision taken by the World Summit for Sustainable
Development that discussed setting up this fund, we
hope now that the research and studies conducted in
this framework, particularly the latest report of the
United Nations Secretary-General on modalities for the
functioning of and the use of such a fund, will make it
possible for the fund to come into being this year.
Poverty eradication is a crucial element in
guaranteeing the stability of societies and preventing
other scourges, such as wars, terrorism and diseases,
particularly since this is basic to any global strategy
that guarantees international peace and security.
Africa continues to suffer from conflicts and from
economic and development problems and requires
constant attention from the international community.
Many analyses have proven that the instability of the
continent is basically due to Africa's economic and
social problems. Many international meetings and
summits have also confirmed this. The New
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an
initiative that might draw the attention of donor States
and the attention of international financial institutions
to this situation.
We believe that if the international community
wants Africa to have a bright future, it cannot continue
to disregard its basic needs or subject it to mere
geostrategic considerations, or, indeed, tie international
aid to harsh conditions that many African States cannot
fulfil.
The international community must now play a
prominent role in prevailing upon Israel to halt its
aggression against the Palestinian people, withdraw
from the occupied territories and abide by international
law on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242
(1967), 338 (1973) and other relevant resolutions, as well
as on the basis of the principle of “land for peace”.
The Palestinian people need the unflagging
support of the international community so that it can
recover its legitimate rights, primarily its right to create
a State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Israel's
policy of assassinating Palestinian leaders, of
maintaining a blockade against the legitimate President
Yasser Arafat, of starving civilians, and of massacring
people and expelling them from their land in violation
of the Fourth Geneva Convention only worsens this
situation and fans resentment and a desire for revenge.
The international community must redouble its
efforts to bring about a return to the negotiating table
in order to give real meaning to the vision of two
States, Palestine and Israel, living side by side within
secure recognized borders, as advocated by President
Bush in his speech made in June 2002, and on the basis
of the comprehensive approach advocated by the Arab
plan adopted at the recent Arab Summit in Beirut.
Tunisia has always worked for peace in the
Middle East. We have taken part in the multilateral
negotiations and today are ready to continue our
constructive role for the resumption of talks and the
establishment of a just, comprehensive and lasting
peace that will guarantee the liberation of Arab
23

territories still occupied by Israel since 1967, including
the Syrian Golan and the remainder of the Lebanese
territory still under Israeli occupation.
Furthermore, lasting peace and stability for all the
peoples of the Middle East requires continued
international efforts to make progress on the question
of Iraq through peaceful means and by implementing
relevant Security Council resolutions.
We believe that dialogue between the United
Nations and Iraq remains the best way to resolve all
outstanding Iraqi issues.
We welcome, in this regard, Iraq's decision to
accept the return of the weapons inspectors without
conditions. This is, as was noted by the Secretary-
General at the beginning of our session, a step towards
détente in the region and the lifting of sanctions.
Tunisia supports the Arab position that rejects
attacks against any Arab country and any further
suffering and harm to the brotherly Iraqi people. Our
position also supports maintaining the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Iraq, as well as the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of the State of Kuwait, while
stressing the need to avoid any destabilization of
security there.
We wish to reaffirm the need to lift, once and for
all, the sanctions against sisterly Libya, which has
fulfilled all its commitments and has offered its full
cooperation towards finding a just and satisfactory
solution to the Lockerbie case.
The global vision of peace and security in the
world is no less important at the regional level, which
complements and supports joint international action.
Tunisia considers the Arab Maghreb Union as a
strategic choice and we have continuously worked to
consolidate it and to remove obstacles that have
impeded its progress. We hope that joint Maghreb
action will lead to greater integration among the
countries of the Union.
On the regional level, Tunisia is working to deepen
its relations of cooperation and partnership in the Euro-
Mediterranean region. We welcome the reactivation of the
“Five plus Five” forum, which will lead to greater
opportunities to promote dialogue, cooperation and
solidarity between the two shores of the Mediterranean
and will strengthen elements of peace, stability, and
development. In this manner, relations may develop
among countries of this forum in a spirit of mutual
respect, while preserving the interest of all parties.
Tunisia will work on this basis and do everything
it can to guarantee the success of the “Five plus Five”
summit, which we will be hosting in 2003.
The considerable technological advances
witnessed today definitely have an impact on
international economic recovery. Mindful of the
importance of this issue, Tunisia was one of the first
countries to call for the holding of a summit on
information technology, an idea that was unanimously
supported by all international parties. Tunisia will have
the honour of hosting the World Summit on the
Information Society in 2005. We hope that the General
Assembly will continue to help prepare the
groundwork in order to make it a success.
In this context, we would like to stress the need to
facilitate the transfer of clean technology to developing
countries and to promote means of cooperation among
North-South and South-South countries, as well as to
strengthen financial cooperation in order to provide
additional funding to projects relating to environmental
protection in the developing countries.
The subjects discussed in Johannesburg and the
matters discussed at the International Conference on
Financing for Development in Monterrey, as well as
the subjects dealt with in the WTO conference in Doha
should complement one another. In the interest of all
countries, particularly the developing countries,
globalization must be made a factor for progress for
everyone as well as a factor for strengthening peace
and security.
Today's world promises new hopes and ambitions
but also contains threats and challenges, the
implications of which should be understood. Tunisia's
message to this Assembly is that we should work
together to draw up an act of international partnership
in all fields based on an international code of conduct
for all parties, in the political, economic, development,
security and stability fields.
The principles that unite us in promoting the
major priorities and preventing new dangers to
international peace and security should impel us to
adopt a preventive approach based, first, on respect for
the principle of international law as the basis for
peaceful coexistence; secondly, on providing equal
opportunities for all developing countries without any
24

exclusion or marginalization and thirdly, on resolving
international problems, conflicts, crises or wars on the
basis of established principles of justice and in keeping
with international law.


I bring warm greetings from
the people of Nauru, who join me in congratulating
you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the
fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, and in
commending the outgoing President for his strong
leadership and guidance throughout the tumultuous
year gone by.
My delegation takes this opportunity to
congratulate Switzerland on becoming a full member
of the United Nations, making it the 190th Member
State in this brotherhood of nations.
Much of the work of the United Nations since the
last session of the General Assembly is reflective of the
state of the world. The events of 11 September 2001
and the ongoing conflicts around the world have
focused the work of this body on security issues, and
that is understandable. The Security Council's adoption
of its resolution 1373 (2001), obligating Member States
to implement anti-terrorism measures, has the full
support of the countries of the Pacific Island Forum, of
which we are a member.
At the international level, my Government is
pleased with the outcome of the first session of the
Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court, which concluded only a
few days ago.
We commend with admiration the United Nations
operation in East Timor for successfully nursing an
occupied territory and its people from despair to
nationhood, with the proclamation of an independent
Democratic Republic of East Timor on 20 May this
year.
The communiqué of the 33rd meeting of the
Pacific Islands Forum, held in Fiji last month, sets out
23

wide-ranging concerns that impact the livelihood and
welfare of the peoples of the Pacific. First and foremost
among those concerns is the environment. The
continued degradation of the Earth's environment
cannot be ignored, in the light of the natural disasters
that are occurring in different parts of the world:
flooding, earthquakes and droughts, to name but a few.
There is enough scientific evidence to show that the
changes in the Earth's environment and climate are
human-induced. The World Summit on Sustainable
Development recently held in Johannesburg was an
earnest attempt by us to remedy the situation.
All of us in the Pacific region were disappointed
by the lack of meaningful targets in the Johannesburg
Plan of Implementation. However, we believe that the
commitments for significant new resources and
partnerships reached at the Summit will go a long way
in helping to accelerate implementation of sustainable
development.
Nauru is very pleased by the assured entry into
force of the Kyoto Protocol, thanks to the commitments
made by India, Canada, Russia and China to ratify that
instrument. But that is only the first step in what has to
be a universal campaign to address climate change. We
would therefore join the call for the United States and
Australia to see their way clear, in the not-too-distant
future, to ratifying the Protocol.
Another issue of special importance to Nauru is
the health of our ocean. We are the custodians of the
largest ocean, rich in natural marine resources and
minerals. The ocean also frames our cultures and is the
source of our future well-being. This is particularly
true in the case of Nauru, which has a land area of only
10 square miles and an ocean area of at least 120,000
square miles. We use the ocean to provide desalinated
water, and earn a substantial amount of our income
from fishing license fees. For the sake of our future,
the international users of our ocean space must work
with us to conserve the ocean's natural resources
against unsustainable use; protect its biodiversity from
pollution, including through the shipment of toxic
materials; and ensure that island countries benefit
equitably from the trade in the ocean's natural
resources, living or non-living.
Just as the economies and the environment of
Pacific Islanders are vulnerable to external forces, so is
the security of our peoples and Governments. Our
region, the world's very first nuclear-free zone, has a
long history of supporting disarmament and the non-
proliferation of nuclear weapons, born of the region's
harsh experience with nuclear testing by colonial
powers.
I joined other Pacific Leaders last month in
expressing concern on the trans-shipment of nuclear
waste through our waters. My delegation welcomes the
initiative by Mongolia to institutionalize its territory as
a nuclear weapon-free zone and will support United
Nations action towards the realization of this goal.
On the domestic front, the potential fallout on our
economy of the OECD initiative on harmful tax
competition is worrisome, to say the least. While my
Government reaffirms the sovereign right of nations to
establish domestic tax regimes of their own design and
choosing, we have expressed our strong commitment to
developing a cooperative framework within which
countries can work together to address transparency,
capacity building and information exchange in relation
to tax matters.
We remain of the view that the only place where
money-laundering can be controlled effectively is at
the source. While Nauru has done all it can to date to
ensure that its legal and administrative system is
sufficient to prevent such activities, we appear to
remain the subject of adverse criticism from the
Financial Action Task Force on Money-Laundering
(FATF). Nauru was disappointed not to have graduated
out of the special, non-cooperating countries list. We
will, nonetheless, continue to work on satisfying the
key players in FATF on this issue.
Two most pressing issues facing my Government
in a “post-phosphate” future are energy and the supply
of fresh water, as both have direct impacts on the
standard of living of the community. Nauru is
dependent on the import of fossil fuel for its entire
energy requirement, including for the desalination of
seawater to complement catchments of rainwater.
Before I conclude, Mr. President, I wish to
reiterate Nauru's support for the reform of the United
Nations Security Council, and to support calls for this
issue to continue to receive top priority. In terms of the
United Nations itself, the ongoing administrative and
budgetary reforms by the Secretary-General are
welcome, but much more certainly needs to be done.
24

Nauru is disappointed to see that contributions to
the Global Health Fund are only trickling in, contrary
to our enthusiastic undertaking at the Special Session
last year. Consequently HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis continue unabated in their destruction of
communities and continue to rob the manpower of
affected nations. Nauru pledged to contribute $1 per
head of its population to the Fund, and I am pleased to
announce that this pledge has been honoured. I again
call on all Member States, rich and poor, to contribute.
Finally, Mr. President, in the past two years the
Millennium Summit and the Monterrey and
Johannesburg Summits have illustrated the United
Nations' increasing role as a forum for building
consensus. Indeed, the last twelve months have been
trying times in our efforts to build consensus on
development and to maintain international peace and
security. The challenge facing us in this area is not so
much one of building consensus, because we all know
what needs to be done, but rather one of
implementation. Achieving our lofty goals requires
action and cooperation at all levels, from local to
global. Mr. President, we look to you for leadership in
this decisive period and offer our steadfast support.
Finally, 11 September 2001 seems to be a way of
life for some people. It is now etched into history and
what a pity. The perpetrators cannot be proud of what
happened, and we should not allow them or encourage
them to proceed on their merry way. We must pursue
the alternatives we have, as they can be a great legacy
for our children. We the small nations have faith in the
United Nations. We the small nations have hope in the
United Nations. Let us embrace love in its entirety, for
love is a beautiful way of living. Thank you. God bless
the United Nations.


We have before us an
array of issues that are as compelling and daunting as
ever before. Many of these threaten to widen further
the divides that separate us and deepen more the
wounds that pain us. They challenge ever so severely
our resolve to live in peace and harmony. But we
remain hopeful. Under the President's leadership and
guidance, we are confident that our deliberations will
be purposeful and productive. Toward this, I assure the
President of the full cooperation of my delegation.
I take this opportunity to express our gratitude to
His Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo for his stewardship
and contribution to the work of the fifty-sixth session.
His presidency, at a most challenging time in the
history of the United Nations, has enhanced the esteem
of the international community for him and the
Republic of Korea.
My delegation takes great pleasure in welcoming
the Swiss Confederation and the Democratic Republic
of Timor-Leste as they take their rightful place in our
family of nations. While we welcome the admission of
Timor-Leste as a newly independent State, it is with a
sense of deep satisfaction that we appreciate the
decision of the Swiss people. It is an affirmation of
their faith in the relevance and indispensability of the
United Nations. They, more than any other people,
have observed and studied with active participation the
workings of this world body. As a country for which
the United Nations will always be critically important,
Bhutan is indeed deeply heartened.
The loss of lives and untold suffering and
destruction wrought by the senseless acts of 11
September have united all of humanity against the evil
of terrorism in all its manifestations. No clear
orientation towards international peace and
development is possible without uprooting this disease
that has been allowed to afflict many of our societies.
The United Nations must continue to play a
central and decisive role in directing our collective
resolve and efforts to eradicate terrorism. While in our
own countries we must each take all possible measures
to rid ourselves of this menace, we know that it is
through the multilateral framework that our national,
regional and global efforts can be effectively and
rightly coordinated. It is imperative that in our battle
against terrorism, the norms and principles of this
hallowed institution are not undermined. Our war on
terrorism must continue to unite us.
The realization of a new economic order that is
inclusive, equitable and sustainable remains the most
pressing challenge of the United Nations. The scourge
of poverty and disease continue to afflict millions of
people around the world. My delegation is compelled
to reiterate its concern over the decline in official
development assistance (ODA) and the parallel
emphasis on market efficiency and trade as an engine
of growth.
We realize that trade underpins equal partnership
and should represent the ultimate goal of economic
development strategies. However, not all countries
12

have the necessary capacity to take advantage of the
global trading system. Without timely and adequate
assistance to fill the resource gap to meet their basic
development priorities, many of the developing
countries will continue to suffer from marginalization.
Clearly, there is a need to create a fair and
equitable trading environment without prejudice to the
flow of adequate Official Development Assistance. In
particular, the special needs and vulnerabilities of least
developed countries, landlocked developing countries
and small island developing states must be
comprehensively addressed to enable them to
effectively integrate into the global economic system.
In Africa, the international community must lend its
full support to extricate the continent from the malaise
of underdevelopment and to prevent its further
marginalization. In this context, Bhutan welcomes the
endorsement of the New Economic Partnership for
Africa's Development by the high-level plenary
meeting of the General Assembly and hopes that the
international community will provide the necessary
support to this programme. This is particularly
significant for those countries emerging from conflict,
in which the rehabilitation of social and economic
infrastructure is vital if peace is to be sustained.
There is no lack of vision and strategies to
overcome the socio-economic maladies that confront
the global community. The Millennium Declaration
Goals provide clear targets and strategies to reduce
poverty, achieve sustainable development and reverse
the devastating trend of HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis. What we need is greater political will.
I wish to acknowledge the contributions of the
United Nations and bilateral donors to the development
of my country. We are grateful to our partners not only
for the substantial amount of assistance we have
received over the years, but for the acceptance of our
insistence on being the master of our own destiny. Our
partnership is characterized by a frank and open
political dialogue of high intensity, while the
cooperative arrangements at all levels are marked by a
notable degree of transparency.
My country continues to be guided by our goal of
promoting gross national happiness' as opposed to
simply targeting the enhancement of our gross national
product as the end of development. We believe that it is
the responsibility of the Government to create an
enabling environment within which every citizen
would have a reasonable opportunity to find happiness.
Towards this end, all our development strategies must
subscribe to strengthening of the four pillars of gross
national happiness, which are: first, the ensuring of
equitable and sustainable socio-economic development;
secondly, conservation of our fragile mountain
ecology; thirdly, promotion of basic human values and
culture; and fourthly, the strengthening of good
governance.
It is my belief that those are the pillars on which
the happiness of our human society can be firmly
established. While I am fully aware that Bhutan is
certainly not unique in its pursuit of happiness, I
express the hope that more among us will join in that
search with a greater sense of seriousness.


Allow me to extend my best
wishes to Mr. Kavan on the occasion of his election to
the office of President of the fifty-seventh session of
the General Assembly, as well as to congratulate his
predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, for presiding with
competence over the proceedings of the last session. At
the same time, I take this opportunity to congratulate
the Swiss Confederation and East Timor on their new
membership in the United Nations. I would also like to
greet the return of the United States of America to the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization, which we consider an important event
that will contribute positively to the future activity of
that Organization.
During this year, Albania witnessed many
positive developments in the political, institutional and
socio-economic areas. The new climate of dialogue that
has recently prevailed in Albanian politics is
encouraging the reforms aimed at accelerating the
country's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. The
political and social stability of the country is being
consolidated, thus creating the conditions for positive
developments in all fields. The continuous
improvements in democratic standards that characterize
Albanian society today are a result of the reforms
undertaken to strengthen the rule of law and the
building of new democratic institutions.
In the process of implementing the commitments
of the Millennium Summit Declaration, the Albanian
Government is taking the necessary measures to
integrate the Millennium Development Goals into its
national development goals. The national strategy for
economic and social development, drafted recently by
the Albanian Government, with the support of the
World Bank, has appropriately accommodated
development indicators from various fields to the
Millennium Development Goals. We have the political
will to continue on the long and difficult road of
implementing these objectives. We consider this to be
an indispensable process for the country's sustainable
development. Albania has already presented its report
on the implementation status of the Millennium
Development Goals.
For these stated purposes, the Albanian
Government is undertaking an extensive campaign
targeting the State administration, civil society and the
whole of Albanian public opinion, with the purpose of
making them aware of their role in implementing these
objectives. We highly appreciate the cooperation and
support of the Secretariat, the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs and the other specialized agencies of
the United Nations in implementing these objectives.
The Albanian Government has recently
undertaken comprehensive action against the
phenomena of illegal trafficking, smuggling, corruption
and abuse of power. Being at the crossroads between
East and West, Albanian territory has been an attractive
venue for local and international criminal activities and
has been exploited as a bridge for the trafficking of
human beings, drugs, arms and goods. The crises and
conflicts that our region has been forced to experience
have contributed to that desirability. To combat this,
the Albanian Government has made concrete
commitments to end human and all other forms of
trafficking coming from, and going through, its
territory by severely punishing perpetrators to the full
extent of the law, as well as by eliminating the causes
that create the conditions for such phenomena to take
place.
The political stability of the country has also
witnessed very positive developments. The recent
presidential election, which has been conducted for the
first time with the broad consensus of all parliamentary
parties, is further contributing to that stability. The
overall reforms we are undertaking have had as their
point of reference the standards of the most developed
Western countries. The ultimate aim is the integration
of Albania into the Euro-Atlantic structures. Joining
the European Union has been a permanent major
objective of my country. The expected commencement
this fall of negotiations on the Stabilization and
Association Agreement with the European Union will
be the best form of encouragement for the
comprehensive reforms being carried out in Albania.
The whole Albanian political spectrum, including the
Government and the opposition, is committed to the
achievement of this target.
Albania pays special attention to the Atlantic
dimension of that integration. Our aspiration for full
membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) is in line with NATO's strategic interest in
strengthening peace and stability in South-Eastern
Europe. We believe that the wider the geographic
spread of this organization, the more secure
international peace and stability will be. We hope that
the ongoing fruitful partnership between Albania and
NATO will be recognized and encouraged at the Prague
summit.
8

During the last few years, the region of South-
Eastern Europe has experienced a new era of positive
changes. The new liberal mentality is significantly
taking hold in the consciences of the citizens of our
societies. We are confident that this part of Europe will
soon become part of the European common future. But,
unfortunately, the traces of extreme nationalism and
xenophobia that continue to exist remind us that we
have a long way to go before we are able to escape the
past and establish genuine democracy in our region.
Albania is strongly convinced of the need to strengthen
regional cooperation on the basis of the principles of
friendly and good-neighbourly relations, respect for
sovereignty and territorial integrity and the protection
of human rights and liberties.
Albania has made a valuable and internationally
recognized contribution towards the strengthening of
peace and stability in the region. Strongly convinced
that Albania's internal stability is essential to the
stability of other neighbourly countries in the region,
and after having completed our tasks at home, we have
sought to promote throughout the region the
philosophy of co-existence and tolerance, instead of
that of hatred and inter-ethnic and religious differences.
With its vision towards the future, Albania has made
serious efforts towards the regional integration of the
countries of South-Eastern Europe on the basis of the
European Union model. We believe that this model of
reconciliation and cooperation, which was designed
and implemented after the Second World War, is the
model that the Balkans should embrace and implement
with courage while leaving their bloody inter-ethnic
conflicts behind.
In that context of cooperation and integration, the
free movement of people, goods and capital throughout
our region should become a tangible reality for our
countries and their citizens. We have to be aware that
what we have in common today, and what we will have
in common in the future, is more important than the
bitter heritage of past differences. This is the
philosophy of building on common values for a
common future.
As stated two days ago in Kosovo by the External
Relations Commissioner of the European Union, Chris
Patten, Kosovo has undergone important changes that
could not have been imagined three years ago. The
building of self-governing democratic institutions in
Kosovo was a tremendous achievement by the people
of Kosovo and the international organizations led by
the United Nations. The normal functioning of those
institutions, with the participation and representation of
all its citizens, will create the necessary conditions for
the further normalization of political, economic and
social life in Kosovo. It is our conviction that the local
election to be held this October will be conducted in
full compliance with international standards and will
contribute further to the consolidation of institutions
and the democratization and Europianization of
Kosovo.
The Albanian Government hails the cooperation
between the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo and Kosovo's elected institutions.
We are convinced that those relations will be further
strengthened in the future to the benefit of all the
citizens of Kosovo.
Albania supports Security Council resolution
1244 (1999), as well as the efforts and commitment of
the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in
Kosovo, Mr. Michael Steiner.
Albania views relations with Kosovo in the
broader perspective of regional stability, cooperation
and integration. Albania encourages and supports a
stable and sustainable Kosovo as a constructive and
complementary element of the region's stability and
integration. This means that Kosovo should be open in
its relations, not only with Albania but also with Serbia
and all other countries of the region. Albania sees the
future of Kosovo from the perspective of regional and
European integration processes. This future requires
democratic standards, such as the consolidation of
democratic institutions, the strengthening of the rule of
law, the return of Serbs and the normal functioning of a
multi-ethnic society there.
The future status of Kosovo must simultaneously
satisfy a number of elements and principles, such as the
right of all its citizens to express themselves on these
and other matters regardless of their ethnic
background; the will of the international community;
and the need to guarantee the stability of Kosovo and
the region itself. The status of Kosovo depends on its
stability.
In accordance with its long-term vision of
regional cooperation and European integration, Albania
has committed itself to promoting further its relations
with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The recent
upgrading of those diplomatic relations to the
ambassadorial level and Albania's initiation of a
9

number of bilateral agreements are concrete examples
of that commitment.
We welcome the recent democratic elections in
the Presheva valley, and we strongly believe that those
elections will contribute to the strengthening of
stability in that region. The integration of Albanians
into all levels of the central and local administrations
and the protection and respect of their rights will no
doubt bring positive developments to that area, to
Serbia and to the region at large.
The Albanian Government is interested in
developing cooperative and good-neighbourly relations
with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. We
welcome the democratic elections held recently in that
country. We look forward to the early creation of a
stable, long-term government, having as its major
objective the full implementation of the Ohrid
Agreement, the essential condition for the maintenance
of peace, stability and democracy and for the
continuation of the reforms in our neighbouring
republic.
The European integration processes have
increased the awareness of Albania and that of the
other South-eastern European countries of the role and
importance of regional organizations and initiatives.
They are efficient instruments that bring countries
together, not only in the form of political cooperation,
but also by intertwining their interests in many fields,
such as trade, transport, culture and education.
Fighting organized crime is another dimension of
such cooperation. In March, Albania successfully
concluded its chairmanship of the South-East European
Cooperation Process, while in April it assumed the
presidency of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation.
We are confident that, during the meeting of the
Foreign Ministers of member States of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation process, to be held in Tirana in
October, the participating countries will reaffirm their
readiness to strengthen their political and economic
cooperation and to translate it into programmes and
projects.
One year after the terrorist attacks of 11
September 2001, our hearts still feel the pain of the
loss of innocent lives. The endangering of peace,
freedom and democratic values — a challenge that
faces all United Nations member countries — calls for
the creation of a unified front. Terrorism has become a
common enemy from which none of us is immune.
Nevertheless, our determination to fight that enemy is
resolute, and it gives us an opportunity to build a more
secure and more peaceful world.
Albania was among the first countries to align
themselves with the international coalition against
terrorism. This year, in compliance with Security
Council resolution 1373 (2001), Albania has taken
legislative, executive and administrative actions to
fight against that phenomenon. At present, Albania has
a complete legal framework that provides for the
control, investigation and punishment of potential
terrorist acts and of persons who are linked to or
support such acts. Albania has become a party to the 12
United Nations Conventions related to the fight against
terrorism. The Albanian Government has also taken
action to set up and strengthen specific State structures
to prevent and fight against terrorism. Those structures
are also responsible for and capable of offering full
cooperation on an international level.
Albania has praised and supported the activity of
the United Nations peacekeeping Mission in
Afghanistan and is currently contributing troops to that
Mission.
We have followed with deep concern the
developments in the Middle East and the threat that
Saddam Hussein's regime poses to security, peace and
global solidarity against State-backed terrorism. The
Albanian Government reaffirms its position, which
demands Iraq's full compliance with the relevant
Security Council resolutions. Any hesitation or
indecisiveness with regard to implementing United
Nations decisions and resolutions concerning Iraq
would be a challenge to the international community
and could have grave consequences for peace and
global security. We are convinced that, as President
Bush said a few days ago in this Hall, we cannot stand
by and do nothing while dangers gather. We must stand
up for our security and for the permanent rights and
hopes of mankind.
Together with the entire international community,
the Albanian Government is following with concern
the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Our
position is that a solution to that conflict can be found
that will bring about a sustainable and lasting peace.
Albania welcomes the steps taken by the international
community to bring peace and stability to the Middle
East and expresses its confidence that both parties to
10

the conflict will join the international community in its
efforts to find a permanent solution.
Our region faces many challenges that its
countries must confront together. The United Nations
has an important role to play in uniting the efforts of
individual Members to create the necessary synergies
to deal with those challenges. Armed conflicts,
terrorism and international organized crime, poverty,
the violation of human rights, contagious diseases,
natural calamities and environmental pollution are
problems that require not only the commitment of all
our countries, but also coordinated and efficient joint
action by the United Nations based on the principles of
the Charter. The United Nations must strengthen its
role in preventing and resolving conflicts as well as in
ensuring peace and stability. In that respect, its
cooperation with regional security organizations should
continue, based on the best examples of the past. In
promoting peace and development, the United Nations
should use more efficiently the available financial
resources, aiming at their better management but also
at tailoring its projects and programmes to the specific
needs of beneficiary countries.
The Albanian Government welcomes and
supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to reform
the Organization and hence to enhance its efficiency.
I should like to take this opportunity to thank the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme
and the other specialized agencies of the Organization
for their efforts to assist the Albanian Government in
implementing its development programmes and
projects.
I would like to emphasize that this is a special
year for the United Nations. Many important events
have taken place in connection with such issues as the
rights of children, the ageing of populations, nutrition,
the fight against poverty and environmental protection.
Albania has contributed to those events. On this
occasion, on behalf of the Albanian Government, I
would like to pay tribute to the outcomes and
initiatives of the Summit on Sustainable Development,
held at Johannesburg a few days ago. We are convinced
that the commitments undertaken by our countries in
connection with those initiatives will soon be embodied
in joint efforts aimed at creating a better world for
everyone.


The Madagascar delegation, which I have the honour
of leading for the first time at this session of the
General Assembly, is delighted to congratulate Mr. Jan
Kavan on his well-deserved election to the presidency
of this session, and we wish him every success.
To his predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, we
express our most sincere appreciation for having led
the fifty-sixth session to a successful conclusion
through dedication and skilful leadership.
The dedication of our Secretary-General,
Mr. Kofi Annan, to the attainment of the objectives of
the United Nations deserves our full appreciation and
gratitude.
The admission of the Swiss Confederation as a
new Member of the United Nations is for Madagascar a
source of profound satisfaction. This friendly country
is a living example of a peaceful and multicultural
society based on values of democracy and freedom.
Here today, in the framework of the
commemoration of the tragic events of 11 September
2001, we wish to express our solidarity with the people
and the Government of the United States. We reiterate
our condemnation of such terrorist acts, whose
consequences are incalculable. A global phenomenon
without borders, terrorism is considered to be the most
dangerous enemy of the new millennium. It can be
eradicated only through harmonious international
cooperation.
In this regard, we wish to pay tribute here to the
efforts of the United Nations, acting through the
Counter-Terrorism Committee created by the Security
Council, for the implementation of Council resolution
1373 (2001), and we commend all other regional
initiatives adopted to combat this plague. To fight
terrorism, countries such as ours will need special
technical assistance in order to implement this
resolution of the United Nations, as well as other
international treaties.
The persistence of areas of tension and conflict
around the world, especially the Middle East, demands
the reinvigoration of the United Nations to make it
more effective in responding to the needs of the
international community, particularly in maintaining
international peace and security. To pursue this critical
objective, we must now more than ever strengthen our
efforts to make the Security Council more democratic,
more representative and more transparent.
There is no doubt that the United Nations
provides us with the ideal framework for creating
conditions that encourage States and peoples to choose
peace over war. In this regard, Madagascar wishes to
congratulate Timor-Leste on its independence after a
valiant and heroic struggle by the people of that
13

country and successful efforts by the United Nations to
re-establish peace there.
Furthermore, Madagascar encourages the
mediation efforts undertaken by the United Nations for
the settlement of conflicts in a number of countries
throughout Africa. In this context, I wish to reiterate
the profound gratitude of the Malagasy people for the
role the United Nations agreed to play in resolving the
post-election dispute that threatened Madagascar. This
crisis is now over and Madagascar is now experiencing
a new era full of hope.
We are convinced that sustainable development
requires the consolidation of the rule of law and the
establishment of good governance. Towards this end,
the new Government is taking all appropriate measures
for the sound and rational management of public
finances and of international assistance. Madagascar
has given the fight against corruption the very highest
priority. We have also taken the initiative to insure that
an effective policy is developed and applied in order to
tackle this evil on all fronts. Madagascar supports
General Assembly resolution 55/61, through which our
General Assembly decided to create an ad hoc
committee entrusted with negotiating a future legal
instrument against corruption. Our country is awaiting
the conclusion of such an instrument in the near future,
in order to fill the gaps in its own legal system. We
look forward with considerable interest to the high-
level Conference in Mexico in 2003 for signing a
convention against corruption.
The rapid and sustainable development of
Madagascar is the major and fundamental objective of
the present Government, in order to extract the country
from the scourge of poverty, a source of instability that
erodes democratic values. In this context, Madagascar
is committed to a pro-active policy aimed at recovery
for rapid and sustainable growth of its economy, in
which the private sector will be the driving force.
As we see it, the key to development is
partnership between the public sector and the private
sector, in which the Government works together with
private companies and non-governmental organizations
solely for the benefit of the people. We invite private
businesses to invest in Madagascar. The returns on
those investments will be beneficial both to them and
to the Malagasy people.
As an essential component of development and of
peace, education is our priority of priorities. Malagasy
children will live fully in the world of the twenty-first
century, which is characterized by advanced
technology of information and communications. Thus,
Madagascar welcomes the adoption of Assembly
resolution 56/258 calling for a World Summit on the
Information Society to be held in 2003 and in 2005.
The world community will then have a unique
opportunity to discuss information and develop the
opportunities offered by digital technologies, in
particular in Africa and in the least developed
countries.
The Republic of Madagascar is ready to do
everything in its power to put the country back on the
path of development. This will be done with the
support of the international community in the
framework of mutually advantageous cooperation.
I take this opportunity to express our gratitude
and our appreciation to all of Madagascar's
development partners, bilateral, regional and multi-
lateral, for their valuable contribution to the re-
launching of economic activity in our country.
Faced with multiple challenges in our era, a time
dominated by poverty and underdevelopment,
international cooperation is no longer a choice; it is an
absolute necessity for the survival of humanity. Those
factors that diminish us as human beings: poverty,
HIV/AIDS, famine and illiteracy, cannot be eliminated
without a true spirit of solidarity, guaranteeing a better
future for all people. Let us not forget that the
preamble of our Charter announces a new humanity
with peoples and human beings living in dignity and
security. Towards that end, they must have access to
fundamental human rights, the right to health care, the
right to education and to culture, and the right to a
decent income. Our mission, to reduce poverty
everywhere in the world, has become today more
important and more urgent than ever before.
The slowdown in economic activity, on a global
scale, following the attacks of 11 September 2001, has
worsened impoverishment and plunged millions of
individuals into a state of dire need. In this grim
context, globalization could play a vital role in the
fight against poverty, as long as the countries of the
north and the south are offered the same opportunities
of development.
In order for globalization to truly benefit
humankind, it must take into consideration the interests
14

of all countries the world over, in an international
economy of sharing.
Global interdependence and better international
economic cooperation must be entirely accepted, if we
are to obtain the objectives of the Millennium
Declaration. A collective awareness to develop a real
partnership for development is indispensable in order
to make a reality of that objective. In this spirit,
Madagascar welcomes the consensus reached at the
International Conference On Financing For
Development, which was held in Monterrey.
In the same context, Madagascar urges the
international community to give firm and concrete
support to the New Partnership for Africa's
Development (NEPAD), and to give that support both
bilaterally and multilaterally. With the objective of
giving an important role to the private sector in
development, Madagascar fully and without reserve
supports the principles and objectives underlying
NEPAD. In the coming months, I intend to make
Madagascar one of the leading countries of NEPAD,
because I am sincerely committed to good governance,
the development of infrastructures and energy,
education, new technologies, access to the markets of
developed countries and the protection of the
environment.
The alarming conclusions of a United Nations
Environment Programme report entitled Africa
Environment Outlook', as well as the recent weather-
related disasters in Central Europe and Asia, require
the international community to develop a new code of
ethics for the conservation and effective protection of
the environment. Our Government will make the
protection of our precious environment one of our main
priorities. Furthermore, Madagascar hopes that the
Summit on Sustainable Development held in
Johannesburg a few days ago will give new impetus to
our collective determination to offer all countries an
opportunity to develop in a way that benefits their
inhabitants, their environment and our shared heritage,
the Earth.
By some standards, Madagascar is a poor country.
However, it is rich in unique natural resources and in
educated human resources. Above all, its population is
attached to democracy, family values and belief in
God.
We would like today to express our desire to
cooperate with the United Nations as a partner for the
reconstruction of Madagascar. By working in
partnership, we will ensure for our country a future of
hope. The entire world will come to know us by our
strengths, not our weaknesses.
Working together with the United Nations family,
Madagascar is ready to make its own contribution to
building a global village in which all countries receive
equal treatment and have equal opportunities for full
development - an indispensable condition for the
establishment of lasting peace.


Let me begin by
welcoming the United Nations new Member,
Switzerland who has always been devoted to the cause
of the United Nations and has now finally decided to
join us. I look forward to welcoming East Timor as the
newest Member of the Organization in the very near
future. I would also like to pass on my congratulations
to the newly elected President of the General
Assembly.
Today I would like to address three subjects of
major concern for our globalizing world: the struggle
against terrorism, human trafficking, and sustainable
development.
A year ago today, the whole world was still
recoiling from the horrendous terrorist attacks in the
United States. Immediately after the terror attacks,
most States, including Estonia, and almost all
international organizations expressed their solidarity
with the United States.
12

We also associated ourselves with the North
Atlantic Council's statement of 12 September 2001,
which invoked article 5 of the Washington Treaty, as
well as with relevant European Union statements and
undertakings.
Estonia is actively participating in the
international coalition to combat terrorism. We have
contributed a search and rescue team to Operation
Enduring Freedom under United States leadership. Our
highly trained explosives detection dog team is
presently serving in Afghanistan alongside the forces
of the other countries, which are helping to restore
order in that war-torn land.
We appreciate the noteworthy role of the United
Nations and its Security Council in the universal
campaign against terrorism. We fully recognize the
importance of preventive measures and further
standard-setting in this field. To date, not a single
crime that could be classified as terrorism has been
committed in Estonia. However, let me assure you that
Estonia will continue to make all efforts necessary to
fulfil its role in this ongoing quest for comprehensive
international security.
Indeed, I can announce for the record that Estonia
has ratified all the relevant United Nations conventions
and has promptly presented reports to the appropriate
parties about the implementation of the various
Security Council resolutions.
We are confident that truly joint efforts, which
make use of the input of all States, will eventually
enable the international community to make
remarkable progress in the global struggle against
terrorism. In this regard, cooperation to counter the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is of
particular significance, since sooner or later, terrorists
might actually gain access to these ghastly tools of
doom.
Today, the United Nations faces the challenge of
upholding its authority. For the sake of our future, and
the prestige and relevancy of the United Nations, it is
essential that the United Nations does not shy away
from reacting effectively and decisively when
confronted with real and formidable dangers. Full and
unconditional implementation of Security Council
resolutions is obligatory for all Members, just as is the
effective enforcement of these resolutions.
Therefore, we value highly the decisiveness of
the international community to implement the
resolutions dealing with Iraq. Estonia supports the
Secretary-General's further efforts to obtain Iraq's
compliance with the Security Council resolutions. The
return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq
is just a beginning. Further acts will have to follow.

The possible results of international
indecisiveness and appeasement are well illustrated by
the history of the League of Nations, which
disappeared from the international arena, just as did
some of its member States, including my homeland,
Estonia. The result was an international conflagration
that left a large part of the civilized world in ruins, the
very ruins upon which the United Nations Organization
was founded. This taught us all a very essential
lesson — inaction can often be much more disastrous
than action.
Another important issue which deserves to be
touched upon here is human trafficking, in particular
trafficking in women. The Estonian Government
recently acceded to the three Protocols additional to the
United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime, including the Protocol to Prevent,
Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children. In June 2001, at the Women and
Democracy Conference in Lithuania, the Nordic and
Baltic Ministers for Gender Equality decided to launch
a joint Nordic-Baltic information campaign against
trafficking in women.
The aim of the campaign, which will continue at
least until the beginning of 2003, is to turn the general
public's attention to the problems of prostitution and
trafficking in people and to initiate public discussion
about the problems surrounding the issue of trafficking
in women. The joint campaign is being carried out
simultaneously in the eight Nordic and Baltic
countries, with all relevant institutions concentrating,
throughout this year, on the matter of how best to
combat this problem. We hope that we will soon have
some concrete proposals for drafting amendments to
appropriate national legislation.
The problem of trafficking in women, however, is
part of a broader series of issues relating to women,
including their position in society, their participation in
the decision-making process and so on. In order to
discuss all of these topics in depth and to highlight
13

women's role in democratic societies, Estonia will
host, in February 2003, a major international
conference on women and democracy. I sincerely hope
that that conference will help to further the cause of
women's rights.
Another crucial issue on the global agenda, and
the last topic that I wish to speak about, is development
cooperation and sustainable development. Having
participated in the Monterrey discussions, and in the
wake of the Johannesburg Conference, I would like to
emphasize that the most important factor for sustained
and sustainable development is a clear national goal
and a road map for achieving it. Estonia is in the
process of drafting a special sustainable development
strategy, a process involving the cooperation of both
civil society and the private sector.
Estonia acknowledges the problem of
environmental deterioration, and we have taken action
to tackle it. Estonia has ratified the Kyoto Protocol —
among many other international and regional
agreements concerning the environment — and we will
do our best to fully implement the decisions made in
Johannesburg.
Since the successful implementation of recent
international decisions depends largely on the
concerted action of the various parties, communication
and access to information are becoming key issues.
Bridging the digital divide between the haves and the
have-nots is essential if we want all countries to benefit
equally from globalization. Thanks to our rapid rate of
progress, Estonia has been able to support development
in various other countries.
The creation of an e-governance academy in
Estonia — a cooperative effort involving the Estonian
Government, the United Nations Development
Programme and the Open Society Institute — is a
significant step towards bridging the digital gap with
the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The
academy will also be open to other interested regions.
The academy will draw on the experiences gained in
various environments, thereby providing broad
knowledge that will enable participants to choose or
create the best solution for their particular situation.
Among other things, this project demonstrates the
synergy that can be created from cooperation between
Governments, international organizations and non-
governmental organizations.
Today I have spoken about some of the issues on
the global agenda, all of which have been discussed at
length at recent international meetings and
conferences. Those discussions provided us with useful
signposts, agreements and decisions. Now it is time to
implement them.


Mr. President,
I wish, at the outset, to congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan on
his election to the presidency of the fifty-seventh
session of the United Nations General Assembly. I
would like also to express my high appreciation to his
predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo of the
Republic of Korea for having efficiently presided over
the deliberations of the fifty-sixth session. Viet Nam
joins others in welcoming the Democratic Republic of
Timor-Leste and the Confederation of Switzerland to
our family of nations.
We come to this session with the remembrance of
the tragic incident of 11 September, when thousands of
innocent lives were lost in the towering inferno caused
by terrorists. Our world has changed a lot since that
day, as Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in his
statement before this body last week, to the effect that
the terrorist attacks of 11 September were not an
isolated event, that they were an extreme example of a
global scourge, one which required a broad, sustained
and global response.
By adopting Security Council resolution 1373
(2001) and General Assembly resolution 56/1, by
enacting and carrying out various measures in different
fields, at national as well as regional levels, the
community of world countries has sent out a very clear
and resolute message: we condemn in the most
categorical terms terrorism under whatever forms
against innocent people, and we will take action under
the Charter of the United Nations, because that must be
the way for our fight to be sustained.
Fighting terrorism does not simply mean bringing
to justice the perpetrators and conspirators, but also
tackling the poverty, injustice, subjugation and illegal
occupation that underlie it. That is to say, while
fighting against terrorism remains high on our agenda,
other issues, notably the resolution of regional conflicts
and the implementation of important development
goals set out in the Millennium Declaration, such as
alleviating poverty, narrowing the gap between the rich
and the poor and development gaps within and among
nations, fighting against HIV/AIDS, drugs, organized
transnational crime, protecting the environment — all
these should not be downgraded or become any less
urgent.
Over the past year, besides efforts against
terrorism, the United Nations took the lead in
organizing a series of important international
conferences, most notably the Monterrey International
Conference on Financing for Development, the Special
Session of the General Assembly on Children, the
World Summit on Food Security and the Johannesburg
World Summit on Sustainable Development, where
concrete measures were adopted in the interests of each
and every nation. The United Nations also continued its
important work on conflict prevention, peace-building
in various parts of the world, including its preparations
for East Timor's independence, and conflict resolution
in Africa and elsewhere. Mention should be made of its
efforts relating to the Peace Agreement between the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. The
United Nations and the Secretary-General should be
commended for these significant endeavours.
Even with those achievements, however, the
United Nations is expected to do more. The
Organization must enhance its efforts to help resolve
protracted conflicts, especially those in the Middle
East, by peaceful means and free from intervention and
imposition. In this vein, we reiterate our full support
for the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people to
exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination
and to live in an independent and sovereign State.
We welcome the dialogue between the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the
Republic of Korea and the resumption of talks between
the former and the United States, and we sincerely
hope that they will lead to fruitful conclusions. We
again join other speakers in voicing our concern over
the issue of Iraq, and in welcoming all efforts to defuse
the tension. The acceptance by Iraq of the return of
United Nations weapons inspectors without conditions
gives us some hope that a military attack will be
avoided.
In a world of interdependence, we consider it
even more important to uphold the principle of respect
for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political
independence of States. In this regard, an early end
must be put to the blockades and embargoes that for
decades have been causing immeasurable suffering to
the peoples of Cuba, Iraq, Libya and elsewhere.
As arms races re-escalate in many parts of the
world, the Conference on Disarmament, for four
consecutive years, has not been able to start its
substantive work; we must find a way to break the
deadlock.
20

Effective measures to limit and mitigate the
negative impact of globalization on developing
countries need to be formulated and implemented to
ensure equal development opportunities for all nations.
International commitments to raising and maintaining
official development assistance at the level of 0.7 per
cent of gross domestic product, to building an open,
equitable multilateral trading system, to removing
protectionism with a view to facilitating access of
goods from developing countries into developed
markets, to debt relief, and to implementing numerous
principles to protect the global environment including
the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities, and so on, must be strengthened and
put into action. To accomplish these goals, the United
Nations and its affiliated agencies and organizations,
especially the financial institutions need to strengthen
themselves through the ongoing reform process.
Viet Nam continues to hold the view that this
process should primarily focus on enhancing the role of
the General Assembly and on making the Security
Council more democratic, representative, transparent
and accountable through the expansion of its
membership in both the non-permanent and the
permanent categories. In that connection, we wish to
reaffirm our support for those candidates, such as
India, Japan and Germany, that have the capability to
make major contributions to the work of that important
body.
In South-East Asia, the countries of the
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are
determined to strengthen their unity and cooperation in
order to respond to the challenges arising within and
outside the region. The implementation of the Hanoi
Plan of Action, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration
and the Hanoi Declaration on narrowing the
development gap for closer ASEAN integration has
achieved initial encouraging results.
ASEAN has continued to further deepen its
relationship with its dialogue partners as well as other
international institutions and organizations, with a view
to contributing further to peace, stability and
development. Apart from their strong commitment and
enormous efforts devoted to the fight against terrorism,
including the recent signing of the ASEAN-US Joint
Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International
Terrorism, the ASEAN countries are working closely
with China for the early adoption of a declaration on
the conduct of parties in the South China Sea. This is
another positive development towards building a code
of conduct in the South China Sea, as agreed by
ASEAN leaders at the Sixth ASEAN Summit, held in
Hanoi in December 1998, thereby contributing to the
promotion of confidence-building and the resolution of
all disputes by peaceful means.
Consistent with its foreign policy of
independence, sovereignty, openness,
multilateralization and the diversification of its
external relations as well as its desire to be a friend and
reliable partner of all countries striving for
independence, peace and cooperation, Viet Nam has
continued to develop and strengthen its friendships and
multifaceted cooperation with countries in and outside
the region, and with international organizations.
Viet Nam is expediting all necessary procedures to join
the World Trade Organization soon.
The free and democratic general elections held in
May 2002 and the successful conclusion of the first
session of the new National Assembly, with highly
qualified representatives elected to important State,
National Assembly and Government positions for the
2002-2007 term, constitute important events in the
political life of our nation and create a firm foundation
for us to continue the renewal process aimed at
building Viet Nam into a strong country with a
prosperous people and a just, democratic and civilized
society. In striving for those goals, we hope to continue
to enjoy the support and cooperation of all countries
and organizations. For its part, Vietnam pledges to do
its utmost to contribute to the work of the United
Nations.


I wish at the outset to pay tribute to the
remarkable work of the Secretary-General, who,
through his outstanding personal qualities and sense of
dialogue, gives our Organization unparalleled
influence. I congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan on his election
as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-
seventh session. I also congratulate Switzerland on its
admission to our Organization, and Timor-Leste on its
forthcoming admission.
A year ago, to our stunned horror, New York and
Washington were struck in unprecedented attacks.
From now on no one now can disregard the dark side
of the world: international terrorism that combines
archaism with technology, and shifting underground
28

criminal networks with a growing risk of the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
These formidable opponents insinuate themselves
into the heart of the world's complexity. They play on
frustrations and resentment, hatred and fears. They foil
our plans; they know how to find weak spots and turn
our weapons against us. No, the world is definitely not
suffering from an excess of power. To the contrary, it is
suddenly discovering its extreme vulnerability.
Faced with these threats, the temptation to forge
blindly ahead could emerge. That would be a serious
mistake. Force cannot be the sole response to these
elusive adversaries that are constantly changing.
The example of Afghanistan shows this.
Mobilizing the international community enabled us to
overthrow a retrograde totalitarian regime that
harboured and supported the Al Qaeda network and
dealt a harsh blow to terrorist infrastructures. That was
necessary, but it is not enough. We must now rebuild;
we must help the Afghan people, maintain our efforts
over the long term, and continue our work to bring
about stability and democracy, but also to dismantle the
drug economy and the trafficking it fuels.
The fact that force alone is often futile is one of
the characteristics of our age. We live in a world that is
interdependent, where cause and effect may be distant,
indirect and unpredictable. Let us take care that our
interventions do not give rise to new frustrations,
produce new imbalances or spark fires that we cannot
put out.
The case of Iraq is typical of this new situation. It
is a country that has defied the authority of the Security
Council and flouted international law for years. It is a
regime that poses a grave threat to security, particularly
the security of the peoples of its region, because of the
risk of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Its
conduct is the direct cause of the great suffering
endured by its people.
Is the international community concerned? Of
course it is. Can it continue to tolerate this situation?
Definitely not. Should it act? Obviously: the status quo
cannot go on. France's determination to obtain
compliance with the law is absolute.
We must act, but we must do so effectively. We
must act, but without risking results opposite to those
we seek. We must take care not to exacerbate a
situation that is already very disturbing. We must act,
but there are many traps. Intervention that is politically
or legally ill-defined or poorly mounted would not
garner the broad support necessary; it might galvanize
public opinion in the region against it, and the regime
in Baghdad, which is isolated now, could benefit;
lastly, it might exacerbate tension in the Middle East
and beyond at a time when we should, on the contrary,
redouble our efforts to return to the path of dialogue
and peace.
How are these traps to be avoided? How are we to
succeed? There is only one way, and it is demanding. It
is the path of responsibility  collective responsibility.
The world now is one of interdependence. Its stability
concerns us all. All of us must contribute to it.
The necessary measures must be adopted by the
international community after in-depth and transparent
consideration. Any temptation to engage in unilateral
preventive action would be dangerous. We must take
care to avoid any suspicion of bias or injustice. This is
the only way to ensure that any action to enforce law
and restore security does not add to insecurity. That is
the best guarantee of effectiveness.
That is why, in the case of Iraq, France advocates
a dÈmarche made completely legitimate by collective
deliberation. It requires two successive steps. First, we
must together reaffirm the need for United Nations
inspectors to return and demand that Iraq comply at
last with its obligations under the Security Council
decisions taken since 1991, and do so according to a
definite timetable. That is the objective of the
international community. It is also in Iraq's interest. If
Baghdad persists in its refusal to allow the inspectors
to return unconditionally, then there must be
consequences. The Security Council should then decide
on the measures to be taken without excluding any
option. Responsibilities would be clarified. The world
must be able to act. But it must also be coherent and
effective, in a sustained way. That is today the real
challenge to our values, and to our democracies.
I recently travelled to the Middle East, the
Balkans and Afghanistan. I realized the strength of the
aspirations and hopes for peace. But I also saw how the
efforts and energies of various parties need to be united
and centred on a collective ambition.
No Power can today assume sole responsibility
for world equilibrium. The world aspires to be
structured around poles of stability and progress. In
addition to the United States, the European Union is
29

naturally destined to form one such pole, along with
Russia, China, Japan and India, among others. In future
each actor must make its contribution to the effort. It is
a common project that we must build.
That is the ambition that inspires the European
Union, and France's action within it. The Union affirms
its role on the world stage in the service of peace and
prosperity. It is acquiring the appropriate diplomatic
and defence instruments. With a view to major
enlargement, the Union is also committed to genuinely
re-making its design. That is the purpose of the
Convention on the Future of Europe, guided by the
principles of democracy and effectiveness for a future
Europe. In that way, the Union will contribute to the
stability of the continent and beyond. Finally, the
European model reconciles in a unique way the
requirements of social cohesion and economic
performance to further a common plan, while
respecting the diversity of all. For all those reasons, I
am convinced that Europe's voice offers elements for
addressing the major challenges of our time.
Today, power in all its aspects must be shared. It
is essential to listen to diverse approaches and points of
view. A dialogue among cultures is essential. Only this
will enable us to understand the main issues today by
taking into account the history and aspirations of every
people and every country. Only this can prevent us
from having too narrow a conception of the world
based on ignorance and on fear of the other. Only this
can guide us in putting humankind back at the centre of
our concerns and at the heart of our action and our
shared commitment.
Sharing means responding to the requirement of
solidarity. Extreme poverty, famine, epidemics and
financial crises are factors contributing to disorder and
fomenting instability. Terrorism feeds on these things.
Generosity must be the corollary of power. It is our
political and moral duty. It is also in our own interest.
Accordingly, France has pledged to augment its
development assistance, which will increase by 50 per
cent over the next five years.
Owing to its geographic proximity and historical
and cultural ties, my country has a deep friendship for
Africa. It feels a special responsibility. That continent,
more than others, needs the solidarity of the
international community in the difficult trials it is
experiencing: the too-numerous conflicts that persist;
the return of the spectre of famine; the economic
difficulties; and the tragedy of AIDS, which today
strikes nearly 30 million Africans.
Yet Africa is rich in potential, rich in the
enthusiasm of its young people and in the energy of its
civil society, and rich in memory, in tradition and in a
treasury of wisdom from which we all have much to
learn. Important efforts are under way today to advance
human rights, democracy, the fight against corruption,
and favourable economic and social policies for strong
and balanced growth. The establishment of the New
Partnership for Africa's Development attests to the
continent's willingness to take charge of its
development, in the context of a renewed partnership
with the industrialized countries. Let us recognize and
support those efforts.
In particular, we must help Africa to move
forward on the path of conflict resolution in Sierra
Leone, Liberia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and the Sudan. Those
tragedies concern us all, because today there are no
more localized crises. Instability spreads. The
international community must mobilize.
In the Great Lakes region, the agreements signed
at Lusaka, Pretoria and Luanda must be implemented.
They must lead to the withdrawal of all foreign troops
present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to
the disarmament of foreign armed groups, to
reconciliation and to a return to peace.
With regard to Western Sahara, it is good that the
Security Council, in its most recent resolution,
resolution 1429 (2002), gave Mr. James Baker the time
to work to bring the parties closer together. That time
must be used to make progress.
We must stay engaged in the Balkans, where the
progress made this year must be consolidated in
Kosovo, in the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Linking
the Balkans to Europe through the rule of law and
democracy is, more than ever before, our common
aspiration.
In the Middle East, we must emerge from the
impasse and restore hope. The situation will worsen as
long as the parties remain prisoners to the logic of
violence. There is urgency to act. The Palestinian
Authority must use all available means to prevent and
curb terrorist actions. With a view to the creation of an
independent, viable and democratic Palestinian State,
30

based on the 1967 borders, it must pursue its reforms,
particularly in the institutional context.
For its part, the State of Israel, while it
legitimately wishes to defend itself against terrorism,
must do so with respect for international law. The
security imperative cannot by itself take the place of
policy. Settlement-building must cease, and the Israeli
armed forces must withdraw from the occupied
territories, as demanded by the Security Council.
Measures must be taken quickly to improve the now
alarming humanitarian and social situation of the
Palestinian people.
On the basis of Security Council resolutions 242
(1967), 338 (1973) and 1397 (2002) and the principle
of land for peace  which all the Arab countries,
meeting in Beirut, agreed to recognize at the initiative
of Saudi Arabia  the political process must be
relaunched with the aid of the `quartet'. We support
the convening of an international conference at an early
date. The objective must be a just, comprehensive and
lasting peace; a peace based on the coexistence of two
States within secure and recognized borders,
guaranteeing security for the Israelis and offering the
Palestinians a normal life with dignity; a peace based
on a comprehensive settlement of the regional conflict
between Israel and its neighbours.
The attention that we pay to regional crises must
not distract us from the responsibility that we must
assume in the face of global challenges. The United
Nations is playing its full role in the fight against
terrorism. Let us do likewise in the other great
struggles of our time.
Let us fight tirelessly against the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and their means of
delivery. The President of the French Republic has
proposed that the Security Council meet at the highest
level in 2003, during the General Assembly, with a
double mandate: to review non-proliferation policy and
to give it a new impetus.
Let us mobilize all actors for sustainable
development in a renewed partnership, in conformity
with the commitments made at Doha, Monterrey and
Johannesburg. The time has come to strengthen
concrete cooperation to permit access by all to basic
resources such as water and energy, to basic social
services such as education and health, and to food
security. Let us also call for the ratification and full
implementation of the Kyoto Protocol on climate
change.
Let us establish true global governance of
sustainable development and give it the necessary
coherence. France proposes the creation of an
economic and social security council and of a world
environmental organization to give all countries
especially those of the South  the possibility of
making their voices heard on those issues.
Finally, let us fully exercise our responsibility to
defend and promote human rights. These are universal.
Progress, often fragile, must be encouraged. Violations,
often so numerous, must be punished.
Let us strengthen the authority and the
universality of the International Criminal Court to
enable it to ensure that the most serious crimes at the
international level do not go unpunished. This new tool
is essential to build a more just and democratic world
where the principle of responsibility is fully respected.
Through ambitious conventions, let us provide
better protection, as we did for children, for the
disabled and for the victims of forced disappearance
and torture. Let us fight against corruption. Let us
commit ourselves to the negotiation of a universal
convention against human cloning for reproductive
purposes, as proposed by France and Germany.
Yes, the principle of collective responsibility is at
the heart of the international system. It is at the heart of
United Nations action. In order to play its full role, the
Organization must pursue its reforms. In particular, we
must increase the representativity of the Security
Council by enlarging both categories of membership.
France supports the aspirations of Germany, Japan and
India in particular.
The United Nations is the keystone of the world
order. The generous and strong ideas that presided over
its birth, just after a world conflict that pushed the
limits of barbarism to the unspeakable, retain all their
currency. The contemporary world is complex,
confusing and unpredictable. It is urgent that we forge
among nations a new alliance, a community of destiny.
That is our future; that is our chance. Through our
actions, let us respond to the expectations of the
world's peoples.