Let me at the outset
express our deepest condolences to the families of the
victims of Monday’s tragic accident in Queens, New
York.
I am particularly pleased to see Mr. Han Seung-
soo guiding the General Assembly during this session.
I wish to assure him of my delegation’s fullest support
in all his endeavours. I would like also to extend my
32

congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on his election to a
second term of office as Secretary-General.
It is also with great satisfaction that we join other
speakers in congratulating Mr. Kofi Annan on having
been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We are proud that
the one hundredth Nobel Prize also honoured the
United Nations as a whole. As rightly pointed out by
the Secretary-General, this “challenges us to do more
and to do better”. It is our responsibility to ensure that
the Organization is at the forefront of efforts to achieve
peace and security in the world.
This year Lithuania is celebrating the tenth
anniversary of its membership in the United Nations.
On 17 September 1991, our nation proudly watched as
the Lithuanian flag was raised for the first time at the
United Nations.
In the 10 years that have elapsed, we have seen a
rapid transformation in the world order. The world
around us has shrunk with incredible speed. The
benefits accruing from globalization have made us
more dependent upon each other and thus more
vulnerable to complex phenomena that affect the
stability and security of our societies.
Terrorism does not recognize national borders. It
spills over into international terrain, no matter how
ingenious the defences are that have been put in place.
Only through the common efforts of the international
community will it be possible to create successful
defence mechanisms. Indeed, on 11 September, the
world grasped the sheer magnitude of the defences that
will be required.
Terrorism is closely linked to extreme poverty,
marginalization, human rights violations, ethnic strife,
the proliferation of arms and drug trafficking. Thus, it
is essential in the long term to devise and carry out an
anti-terrorism policy that is inclusive and spans all
regions and continents.
I wish to express once again from this rostrum my
nation’s strong condemnation of terrorist actions and to
reaffirm our solidarity with the people of the United
States. We are determined to stand alongside the
international community in combating terrorism. In the
immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Lithuania
supported the actions taken by the European Union and
the North Atlantic Alliance, including the decision of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to
invoke article 5 of the Washington Treaty. My
Government has decided to grant permanent diplomatic
clearance for the overflight and landing of United
States Government aircraft.
An important step aimed at combating and
preventing terrorism was the adoption of an
unprecedented Security Council resolution: resolution
1373 (2001). Now it is up to Governments to act
without delay in following through the detailed
requirements of the resolution.
The General Assembly should also make its own
contribution, first of all, by speeding up its work on the
draft comprehensive convention on international
terrorism.
Domestic legal steps to be taken by Member
States include ratification of the 12 United Nations
multilateral instruments directly designed for the
suppression of terrorism. Lithuania has already stepped
up its efforts to accede to the remaining five
Conventions.
In this endeavour, the experience and practice of
other international bodies in the fight against terrorism
should not be forgotten. For instance, the Council of
Europe has successfully elaborated a number of
treaties, such as the European Convention on the
Suppression of Terrorism, the European Convention on
Extradition and its Protocols, and so on. The
experience of this regional organization could also be
used in the field of crime prevention, money-
laundering and corruption. It is noteworthy that
instruments of the European treaty system are also
open to non-member States.
Just last week — meeting in Warsaw at a
conference of heads of State of Central and Eastern
Europe on the common fight against terrorism — 17
leaders from the region, including from my own
country, adopted a declaration on cooperation in the
combat against terrorism and a plan of action against
terrorism. It is aimed at improving cooperation among
intelligence, customs and police services and cracking
down on money-laundering and drug trafficking.
The challenges posed by a globalized world are
multifarious and interrelated. They require diverse and
versatile actions. Therefore, due consideration and
resources should be devoted to the problems of arms
control and disarmament, as well as to poverty
eradication and sustainable development.
33

In this regard, I would like to note the resolution
adopted just a few weeks ago by the First Committee
on multilateral cooperation in the area of disarmament
and non-proliferation and on global efforts against
terrorism. It puts a clear focus on multilateral efforts to
combat international terrorism and fight proliferation.
The results of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-
Ban Treaty (CTBT) article XIV Conference have
rekindled the hope that widespread concerns about the
delayed entry into force of the Treaty will be taken into
account. We also hope that the implementation of the
13 steps agreed upon at the 2000 Review Conference
of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT) will not be put on hold. Likewise,
intensive bilateral consultations between the United
States and the Russian Federation on a new strategic
framework will, it is hoped, foster a common
understanding and provide a basis for deep reductions
in all classes of nuclear weapons, consistent with the
commitments under article VI of the NPT.
Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons
Convention also remains an urgent priority.
The 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small
Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects has yielded
a Programme of Action, a strategy and the political
momentum to deal with the proliferation and misuse of
small arms. There needs to be a follow-up process to
tackle their brokering, marking and transportation and
to build upon the measures agreed thus far. In the
meantime, we believe that the strict implementation of
the Programme of Action will bring about a real
change at the end of the day.
History has proved that democratic, prosperous
States provide the most favourable environment for
human activities. The United Nations should therefore
continue its efforts to promote democratization and
sustainable development. I would also like to
underscore the need to pay even greater attention to the
promotion and protection of human rights.
Today we face the challenges of a globalized
world, which are the result of rapidly developing
technologies and human negligence. These challenges,
although not as evident as open military conflicts, are
no less threatening. A devastated and deteriorating
environment could cause conflicts of an unprecedented
scale.
No effort should be spared to free people from the
dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.
Assistance, new trade arrangements and debt relief
should be complemented by firm commitments to
poverty reduction, economic equality and measures to
support education; they should be reflected first and
foremost in the national policies of individual States
and, at the same time, on the agendas of international
organizations. In this regard, we commit ourselves to
ensuring successful preparation for the International
Conference on Financing for Development and the
World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The Summit, in Johannesburg, should make
concrete contributions to the eradication of poverty and
the promotion of sustainable modes of production and
consumption. In this regard, the Government of
Lithuania, in its domestic policy, aims at economic
development that does not harm the overall quality of
the environment. Priority is given to promoting
investment aimed at the prevention of pollution,  the
use of clean fuel and energy sources and the
introduction of low-waste and other progressive
environmental technologies.
The International Conference on Financing for
Development should focus on better mobilization and
more effective use of financial resources and find ways
for more efficient cooperation between all development
actors. The meeting will set strategic goals of policy
coherence in order to integrate into the world economy
countries with differing levels of economic
development. The Bretton Woods institutions and the
private sector should play important roles in the
development process.
The events of 11 September have proved how
fragile international security can be. Moreover, in
defence of our common values — freedom, democracy
and openness — no nation can idly stand by or act
unilaterally. Every nation must pull its own weight in
contributing to regional and international stability.
Strengthening dialogue and understanding among
nations and civilizations should also remain in the
forefront of our thinking. Better understanding and
identified common values will foster trust and
tolerance among people, preventing the spread of
fanaticism, violence and terrorism. Lithuania made its
contribution to these goals by hosting the International
Conference on Dialogue among Civilizations in April
this year.
It is of crucial importance to Lithuania to
participate actively in international organizations and
34

to contribute to peacekeeping efforts. We have
continued to provide our civilian police officers to
United Nations peacekeeping operations through the
United Nations Standby Arrangements System. Our
troops have been serving in the Balkans since the very
beginning of the international engagement in that
region. Just a few days ago, a Lithuanian medical
squad, a small, but much-needed contribution to the
United Nations, was placed under the Standby
Arrangements System. Shortly, Lithuania will submit
its application for full-fledged membership in the
United Nations Standby Forces High-Readiness
Brigade.
Membership in the European Union and the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization will solidify our region’s
institutional, economic and security ties. Lithuania is
sparing no effort in preparing for the challenges of a
unified pan-Atlantic family of democracies. The work
of the Vilnius 10 group, initiated a few years ago and
launched in Vilnius, is proof of the ability of the
region’s States to promote transparency, partnership
and common values.
At the subregional level, Lithuania stresses
practical cooperative efforts to promote democratic and
economic transformation throughout the region. Over
the last decade, our engagement with Poland has
become a close partnership. Dynamic trilateral Baltic
cooperation has become part of broader Baltic-Nordic
cooperation. Excellent cross-border cooperation with
the Kaliningrad region has given rise to many dynamic
developments.
Just a couple of days ago, on 8 November,
Lithuania assumed the chairmanship of the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Council of
Europe, based on the common values of pluralist
democracy, human rights and the rule of law, already
has a history of cooperation with the United Nations
and its agencies, most notably in the field of human
rights. Recent joint efforts by the United Nations, the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
and the Council of Europe to facilitate recovery of
South-Eastern Europe have proved to be of the utmost
significance for the people of the region, and have
opened a new chapter of cooperation between these
organizations.
During its chairmanship, Lithuania will seek to
stimulate dialogue between the Council of Europe and
the United Nations and its specialized agencies. We
encourage a regular exchange of views on issues
related to the fight against and prevention of terrorism,
organized crime and money-laundering. Intensive
coordination with regard to setting standards for
pluralist democracy and respect for human rights will
also be promoted.
In the work of the Council of Europe, the
Lithuanian chairmanship will focus mainly on fighting
terrorism, supporting the enlargement process of the
Council of Europe, promoting regional cooperation and
ensuring the effective functioning of the organization.
With the aim of building a modern pan-European
society, we will keep working to establish a wider
European identity, sharing the best practices of the
Council of Europe with other organizations and States,
and strengthening the impact of the Council of Europe.


My delegation would
like to congratulate Mr. Han on his dynamic
stewardship of the deliberations of the General
Assembly at this session. Our felicitations also go to
the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the United
Nations on being honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize.
The brutal and tragic events that took place in
New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 11
September were the result of acts against not only the
United States, but the international community at large.
In his message of condolence to President George
W. Bush, the President of the Republic of Seychelles,
Mr. France Albert René, condemned the terrorist
attacks in the strongest terms, stating
“Our global village cannot tolerate such acts that
disrespect the value of human life and jeopardize
world peace and stability.”
The subsequent military action in Afghanistan
was understood, in principle, by the Seychelles
Government as being in accordance with Article 51 of
the Charter of the United Nations. Our Minister for
Foreign Affairs, in an interview with the local media,
referred to this military action as “self-defence”, and
expressed the wish that only the terrorist networks and
their clearly identified allies would be targeted, as part
of a carefully proportioned action plan, sparing civilian
populations and avoiding any kind of linkage between
religious faiths and ideologically based deviation.
The Seychelles Government agrees with the
following principles. Terrorism is a threat to
international peace and security. There is no political or
religious justification for such violence. We vigorously
condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Further to the events of 11 September, Seychelles
recognizes the right of the United States Government
to react under guiding principles of international law
and to bring the perpetrators to justice. But there is also
a need to acknowledge the root causes of terrorism,
including extreme poverty, despair and injustice, and to
strongly advocate concerted efforts and collective
commitment throughout the world to eradicate poverty
and underdevelopment. Based on those principles and
concerns, the position of my Government does not
diverge from the views and recommendations
expressed by the international community.
We appreciate the authority of the United Nations
in providing global legitimacy for a universal response
against terrorism. The war on terrorism must be fought
on many fronts. The elaboration of a broad, long-term
strategy for combating international terrorism,
including military, political, diplomatic, legal and
economic means, is of paramount importance.
Seychelles welcomes Security Council resolution
1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001, which outlines
clear steps and measures that all United Nations
Member States must now implement in order to
prevent and suppress terrorist activities. My country is
fully committed to implementing the provisions of the
resolution, despite being handicapped by the
constraints linked to lack of capacities and resources.
Seychelles is a party to six of the 12 existing
United Nations conventions and protocols on terrorism.
My Government is taking steps to accede to the
remaining six. Furthermore, we have also decided to
accede to the 1999 Organization of African Unity
Algiers Convention on the Prevention and Combating
of Terrorism.
Seychelles fully supports the ongoing
negotiations to elaborate a comprehensive convention
on international terrorism. We commend the personal
intervention of Secretary-General Annan in trying to
bridge differences and achieve consensus. It is our
hope that, despite the complex and sensitive nature of
the issues being addressed, the international
community will arrive at an agreement very soon.
Bearing in mind the unprecedented international
mobilization against terrorism and the magnitude of the
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present situation, we consider that the larger,
influential Members of the United Nations, particularly
the permanent members of the Security Council, should
manifest their strong political will and backing in
resolving regional conflicts in all parts of the globe.
Above all, they must intensify their efforts to achieve a
lasting peace in the Middle East. Let us not
underestimate the fact that regional conflicts are often
breeding grounds for terrorism.
It was mentioned earlier that terrorism is rooted
in poverty. The United Nations must engage its full
potential to vigorously pursue its development agenda.
This should comprise, inter alia, the drive for the
alleviation of poverty and achieving sustainable
development, the quest for equitable distribution of the
benefits of globalization, and the achievement of the
Millennium Summit goals, as well as the success of
next year’s International Conference on Financing for
Development and World Summit on Sustainable
Development.
As a small island State whose economy depends
mainly on tourism and related industries, Seychelles’
vulnerability is obviously at issue should the ongoing
military campaign in Afghanistan persist. As a peaceful
community enjoying stability and social harmony,
Seychelles, without questioning its strong moral
support for the cause of international security, also
encourages a dialogue giving the voices of reason and
compassion a chance to be heard, especially with
regard to the needs of the Afghan people, who have
lived three decades of war, resulting in the suffering of
very large numbers of refugees and displaced persons.
Finally, my country would like to lay stress on the
urgency for the United Nations to rethink the world
order, not just in terms of geopolitical balance, but in
terms of a new ethic. International terrorism cannot be
fought by way of offensive weapons, either traditional
or sophisticated. To agree on a common value system
is, in the middle and long terms, a more profitable
orientation for the whole of humanity.
This being said, my country renews its adhesion
to the international coalition of nations that are united
in the war on international terrorism and in the quest
for worldwide peace and security.


This is the first time I have had the privilege of
addressing this prestigious world forum. To arrive here,
I travelled a long road. I was born in a small village
high in the Andes, at an altitude of nearly 4,000 metres
above sea level. Like millions of brothers from our
continent of Latin America, I know first-hand the hard
face of poverty.
To survive, in my childhood, I sold newspapers,
lottery tickets and shined the shoes in which others
walked.
Today, I have come before this world assembly as
the constitutional President of Peru, bringing the
stories, the hopes and the dreams of millions of
Peruvians.
I come from a country that is heir to an ancient
culture and the cradle of great civilizations. I come to
lead our present with responsibility and to construct
our future with vision. Thus, in these few brief
minutes, I would like to share with the Assembly three
subjects that are of the greatest concern to my
Government:
First of all, I would like to be clear about one
thing: we are engaged in a head-on struggle against
terrorism and its perverse alliance with drug trafficking
and corruption. These are scourges for which there can
be no room for ambiguity. With the same
determination, however, I need to point out that the
world is facing the enormous challenge of mustering
the necessary clear vision so as not to put off the
human development agenda, which in large measure is
the underlying principle of the United Nations.
Secondly, there is the need to reduce military
expenditures in Latin America and in the world, so that
these resources can be channelled instead into a direct
fight against poverty.
Thirdly, we need to think and act together in
dealing with the world economic situation to protect
employment opportunities and income for the poorest.
There can be no real democracy without sustained
economic growth that will generate decent jobs.
Barely a year ago, Peru was enmeshed in a
dramatic struggle between a corrupt dictatorship and
the hopes for democracy of the vast majority of the
Peruvian people. Faced with this situation, we
Peruvians stood up and proved capable of mobilizing
ourselves and peacefully struggling to regain our
democracy and our freedom. On behalf of millions of
men and women of my country, I would like to thank
the peoples and Governments of the world for their
friendship, active role and solidarity in helping us
regain our democracy.
Today, Peru has now begun a new democratic
dawn. We are aware, however, that we have great
responsibilities. We must strengthen a full-fledged
democracy and our still fragile institutions and
reactivate our economy so as to achieve sustainable
growth that will generate decent and productive jobs.
We must strengthen our institutions and defeat poverty,
which form an indissoluble part of the same goal,
because poverty, corruption and drug trafficking
conspire against democracy. We can now declare, here
before the international community, that the time has
come to give a human face to globalization, so that
competitiveness becomes permanent.
We Peruvians have freshly inscribed in our
collective memory a horror of terrorism. During the 20
years of terror, Peru has lost 25,000 human lives, which
has cost more than $30 billion and has left the poor
even poorer. That is why I reaffirm our deep solidarity
with the people and Government of the United States in
the face of the insanity of terror of 11 September. This
was not an attack against the United States alone. It
was an attack against the peoples that believe in peace
and democracy, for all our differences of opinion.
We are determined to take unambiguous actions
to fight terrorism. We shall do so in the spirit of respect
for religious freedoms and ethnic identity. We will
actively contribute to the work that has been entrusted
to the ad hoc Committee of the Security Council,
making available to it the experts that may be
necessary to intelligently fight the threat of
international terrorism within the framework of the
principles of the Charter and the decisions of the
Security Council.
At an inter-American multilateral forum, we
made an effective contribution. This week we
introduced before the Organization of American States
a draft convention against terrorism. In keeping with
this purpose, this morning we deposited at the
Secretary-General’s office the following instruments:
the Statute of the International Criminal Court; the
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International Convention for the Suppression of
Terrorist Bombings; and the International Convention
for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism.
Thus, my country has become a party to all
international treaties against terrorism.
Our States must build up an extensive network of
obligations to effectively cooperate in the judicial,
police, information and financial fields to facilitate the
capture and extradition of the perpetrators of crimes
against humanity or of acts of corruption that lead to
such crimes. Human rights violations and corruption
are two sides of the same coin. They spell impunity.
It would not be possible to face up to corruption
without linking it with the fight against drug trafficking
and money laundering. We are working hard in this
regard. We have established high-level authorities
directly under the head of State to wage the fight
against drug trafficking and corruption.
I know that this is a decision that impinges upon
powerful interests. We shall not be swayed from our
determination. Peru is now seeking to re-establish
democracy to the fullest. We are aware, however, that
there are powerful forces hidden in the shadows,
which, with certain political accomplices, are trying to
achieve impunity for the corruption committed during
the decade of Montesinos and Fujimori. That is why,
addressing you from this prestigious forum, I call on
the international community not to allow, as the
globalization of justice process, for capricious
interpretation of certain national laws that trivialize
actions or allow for the granting of impunity.
There is no justification for a democratic
government to sacrifice development of the poor for
the sake of an arms race. Therefore, the second issue
central to our foreign policy is our proposal, which we
put to the Heads of State and Government of Latin
America, for an immediate freeze on the purchase of
offensive weapons in the region. We also seek an
agreement among the countries of Latin America to
reduce their military expenditures and to reorient their
financial resources towards investment in nutrition,
health and education.
Peru has recently achieved important agreements
on this issue with the brotherly countries of Chile and
Ecuador and is promoting an understanding among the
other countries of our region that will allow us to
embark together on the path towards the reduction of
poverty there. Peace is not only the silence of guns; it
should also mean dignity for the poor. This proposal is
aimed at the adoption of a broad regional framework to
reduce military spending. However, might we not also
consider expanding this proposal, which is not a new
one, to other regions around the globe? We must invest
in the great enterprise of knowledge — in the minds of
our people. That means investing more, and more
wisely, in nutrition, health and education.
The third item relates to our concern about the
global economy. We regret the onset of recession in the
most important developed economies, which is
shrinking markets, eliminating jobs and thus hindering
the implementation of the measures set out in the
Millennium Declaration. There is an urgent need to
control the damage being done to the poor economies
by the current global economic crisis. It is therefore
important that the next round of the World Trade
Organization not be an aseptic commercial round. It
should be a round on behalf of the poorest, avoiding
protectionist policies for the agricultural sector of the
industrialized countries and allowing the textile
industry to create good jobs in our countries.
I call on the people of the world to embark
unflinchingly and without fear on the path towards a
future of peace and democracy, without terrorism,
without violations of human rights and without
impunity. I am convinced that, together, we can build a
globalized, competitive yet united world with a human
face. In that respect, Peru assumes its responsibility
today before the General Assembly.


I would
like to begin by extending my congratulations to you,
Mr. President, on your election as President of the
General Assembly at this session. I would also like to
extend my congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on his
re-election to a second term as Secretary-General of the
United Nations. I also wish to congratulate him and the
United Nations on being awarded the Nobel Peace
Prize.
It is important for me to be here today at this
meeting, which is being held in very critical and
important circumstances in the aftermath of the
horrific, criminal and ugly terrorist acts against the
cities of New York and Washington, D.C., on 11
September 2001. We strongly condemn those acts. In
this context, I would once more like to extend our
deepest and warmest sympathy to President George W.
Bush and to the Government and the friendly people of
the United States. In particular, I wish to express my
condolences to the families of the victims.
The Palestinian people have expressed their
readiness to confront all forms and manifestations of
international terrorism, including State-organized
terror, in order to build a new world that guarantees
justice, peace, security and freedom for all peoples — a
new world based on human rights and international
legality. We call on all nations to coordinate their
efforts within the framework of the United Nations and
international legality and the need to pursue and
encourage a dialogue between all nations, religions and
civilizations.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation
to President George W. Bush for the declaration
contained in the statement he made yesterday with
regard to the need to achieve a just peace based on the
implementation of Security Council resolutions 242
(1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978) and on the basis of
a two-State solution — Israel and Palestine — and with
regard to expeditiously resuming the peace process.
For our part, we will exert every possible effort to
achieve those objectives. We have worked to provide
the best possible conditions for that endeavour, and we
will continue to do so.
I would also like to salute, and extend my
appreciation to, all my brothers who have preceded me
and clearly and eloquently made references to the
question of the Palestinian people and their right to
realize their legitimate rights under international
legality.
Last year I had the honour of addressing the
United Nations Millennium Summit. Today I am once
again addressing the Assembly, bringing the pain of the
Palestinian people and their just cause, which still
awaits a just solution. As Members will recall, in 1947
the General Assembly adopted resolution 181 (III),
which provided for the partition of Palestine into two
States — one Jewish and the other Palestinian. But the
Palestinian State has still not been recognized by the
United Nations. The Palestinian people faced
tremendous historic injustice, and the majority of them
were uprooted from their homes and made refugees.
The Palestinian people continue to seek their
rights to self-determination and return — rights that
today form the backbone of all relevant Security
Council and General Assembly resolutions, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international
33

law and international humanitarian law and that should
be exercised on the Palestinian national soil. Members
are aware that we have accepted the solution provided
for by international legality. Yes, we have accepted less
than 25 per cent of historic Palestine, while the General
Assembly granted us almost 50 per cent of historic
Palestine, as provided for in resolution 181 (III). On
this new approach, we went to the Madrid Peace
Conference, which was based on the principle of “land
for peace” and which had the objective of
implementing all relevant international resolutions
related to Palestine, particularly Security Council
resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 425 (1978) and
General Assembly resolution 194 (III) concerning the
Palestinian refugees. Then we signed the Oslo
Agreement at the White House in Washington, D.C., in
the presence of and witnessed by representatives of the
United States of America, the Russian Federation, the
European Union, China, Japan, Egypt, Jordan and other
countries, including Arab, African, Asian and Latin
America States.
Later we signed a number of agreements and
memorandums of understanding. After the
assassination of my late partner, Mr. Yitzhak Rabin —
my partner in the peace process — consecutive Israeli
Governments clearly took the path of non-compliance
and did not implement Israel’s obligations stemming
from the signed agreements. This impeded our sincere
efforts to reach a comprehensive, just and lasting
peace — the peace of the brave. The number of
settlements and settlers has doubled since the start of
the peace process. This reflects the lack of seriousness
of the Israeli Government and its lack of commitment
to the agreements signed between us.
Then came Sharon’s visit to the holy sanctuary in
Holy Jerusalem. I had personally and officially warned
the Israeli Government of the grave consequences that
would have on the peace process and the region. This
action sparked the Palestinian intifada, reflecting the
rejection by the Palestinian people of the Israeli
Government’s non-compliance with the agreements
signed, the settlement policies, which deepen the
occupation rather than end it by withdrawing from the
occupied Palestinian territory, and its policies of
undermining our Christian and Muslim Holy Places.
The current Israeli Government continues the
aggression against the Palestinian people begun by the
previous Government. State terror is being practised
against the Palestinian people and land, using the might
of the Israeli army, including F-15s, F-16s, Apache
helicopters, tanks, missiles, armoured vehicles, navy
vessels and lethal weapons, including those that are
internationally banned. Practices of the Israeli army
also include the assassination of Palestinian political
leaders, the demolition of homes, the destruction of
private and government institutions, ruining farms and
fields and uprooting hundreds of thousands of olive
and fruit trees, as well as the killing of women,
children and the elderly. There have been
approximately 1,800 Palestinians killed and 37,000
wounded. Many of them have been handicapped for
life. Thousands have been arrested in only 13 months.
It should also be noted that the Palestinian
economy has been devastated. The losses amount to
$7 billion as a result of all forms of economic,
financial, medical and food closures and sieges
imposed on all the Palestinian cities, villages and
refugee camps. These practices continue to restrict the
movement of goods and people, including students and
teachers who are prevented from reaching their schools
and universities. All these acts of closure and siege
have recently been tightened. Our international
borders, checkpoints and airports have been closed. All
these measures violate outright basic human rights.
Workers have also been prevented from reaching their
work places, their means to sustain their families and
children.
Facing this aggression, escalation and the bloody
war of State terror being waged by the Israeli
Government against our people, land, Holy Places, —
Jerusalem in particular — and Bethlehem, Beit Jala,
Hebron and other Palestinian towns, the incursion into
our cities, villages and refugee camps with tanks and
the brutal massacres committed in various locations in
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, we call on the
international community, as represented by all present,
and on the peace-, freedom- and justice-loving people
who defend human rights and dignity throughout the
world to work sincerely and resolutely and to exert all
possible efforts to stop this war of aggression and to
send international observers to protect our people from
the occupation, terror and ethnic cleansing practised by
Israel and to supervise the implementation and the
consolidation of the ceasefire, by which we are abiding
and which has been consistently violated by the Israeli
Government.
International sponsorship of the Middle East
peace process is the only true guarantee for efforts by
34

the international community to make peace an
established reality in our region. The absence of
international involvement in this conflict — in the
serious search for a solution to the Palestinian question,
in accordance with justice and the principles of
international law — will push the region back into a
spiral of violence, confrontation and bloodshed and
could make the situation more explosive and fragile.
Therefore, I call upon the international
community to redouble its sincere efforts to end the
current situation and the escalating crisis that, in the
absence of the peace process, threatens to explode,
with grave consequences for our region. The active
involvement of the international community and the
influential Great Powers is essential to save the peace
process and to put it back on the right track, to move it
forward sincerely, resolutely and effectively. Lasting
peace will not be achieved or sustained without
international legality to provide an effective and
binding international mechanism to implement the
relevant Security Council and General Assembly
resolutions. The accurate and honest implementation of
these resolutions will establish and sustain peace and
will prevent bloodshed in our region.
Proceeding from our belief in peace as an
irreversible strategic choice of our people, we have
cooperated fully and positively with all international
efforts and initiatives, including the Egyptian-
Jordanian initiative, the Tenet Understandings and the
Mitchell Report, which we accepted as a
comprehensive, integrated package. We have also
unilaterally declared an immediate comprehensive
ceasefire, and we have exerted maximum efforts to
sustain that ceasefire. On the eve of the Jewish New
Year, we initiated the Palestinian call for peace, offered
our sincere congratulations to the Israeli people and
called upon them to make the New Year an occasion
for a new era of peace, security and peaceful
coexistence between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples
and the peoples of the whole Middle East region. We
made very clear and unequivocal our strategic
commitment to peace, negotiations and the political
solution to all outstanding issues between us and the
Government of Israel.
Most regrettably, the Israeli Government
instructed its war generals and army to escalate the
military campaign against our people, cities, villages
and refugee camps. This included the buffer zones and
the siege that closed off wide areas of cities, villages
and cultivated lands and led to the destruction of our
farms and the uprooting of thousands of trees in
various places in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Allow me to extend my deepest appreciation and
to salute sincerely all the brotherly, friendly nations
and to the Great Powers that have realized today, more
than ever before, that the establishment of an
independent Palestinian State, with Holy Jerusalem as
its capital, is the only guarantee for peace, security and
stability in the region and the world. This constitutes a
basic cornerstone in establishing and sustaining that
peace.
We call upon these nations, particularly the
United States, the United Kingdom, the Russian
Federation, France, China, Japan, the members of the
European Union and the non-aligned countries, the
international community, individually and collectively,
to exert every possible effort to translate this vision
into action and political reality in order to enable the
Palestinian people to live in peace, dignity, freedom,
independence and sovereignty within their independent
State on their national soil, with Holy Jerusalem as its
capital. This can be achieved by bringing Israel, the
occupying Power, to withdraw fully from all of the
occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including
Holy Jerusalem, to the boundaries of 4 June 1967, in
accordance with the principles of the Madrid Peace
Conference, to end settlement activities and evacuate
settlers from our land, and to guarantee the right of
return to the Palestinian refugees, in accordance with
General Assembly resolution 194 (III), which provided
for this right and called for compensation to those not
wishing to return.
We welcome the positive positions taken by
President George W. Bush and other leaders who have
called for the establishment of a Palestinian State. We
believe this constitutes a significant step towards
ending the conflict and establishing peace in the
Middle East. I will say candidly to you that reviving
and completing the peace process will need a new
qualitative push, and after all that has happened it will
not be possible to confine ourselves to interim
solutions. It is impossible, of course, to achieve another
interim agreement, as called for by some. To control
the situation on the ground and to get the situation back
to the way it existed before 28 September 2000
requires clear political imagination and new hope.
35

What the peace process now requires to achieve a
just and lasting peace is a genuine effort on the part of
the co-sponsors of the peace process — the United
States and the Russian Federation — as well as
influential international actors, including the European
Union, and of course the Arab and Muslim countries
and other friendly nations in the Non-Aligned
Movement as well as in the United Nations. All of
them should immediately introduce a comprehensive
framework for a permanent final solution based on
international legality and the agreements signed so that
both parties can negotiate expeditiously the details of
that permanent solution. This, of course, should be
preceded by the full and immediate implementation of
the Mitchell Report and the Tenet Understandings.
It is clear that we are in need of greater
international efforts, including an international
presence on the ground, to help the parties move
forward. In any case, the United Nations and the
Secretary-General must carry out their natural and
important roles in this regard so that we can achieve
our desired peace objectives. I call upon the Israeli
Government and the Israeli people to respond
positively to this approach so that we can together
build peace in the land of peace, the Holy Land of
peace — the Holy Land; I repeat, the Holy Land.
Needless to say, we need an expeditious effort
that brooks no further delay, especially at the current
international situation. We are ready to carry out our
share of responsibility. We trust you are also ready to
shoulder your share of responsibility. I realize that the
international community, after the assassination of my
partner, Yitzhak Rabin, is looking forward to the peace
process. From here I convey to the Israeli people my
full commitment to the peace process, which I began
with my late partner Yitzhak Rabin, and my partner
Shimon Peres, a peace that guarantees freedom,
stability and security for the Israelis and the
Palestinians and all the peoples in the Middle East
region — the peace of the brave; the just and
comprehensive and lasting peace that will end the
Israeli occupation of all the Palestinian and Arab
territories and will lead to the establishment of the
independent Palestinian State with Holy Jerusalem as
its capital.
This is what we should be working for, for the
sake of our children and their children. From here I call
upon the Israeli Government to resume the final status
negotiations in order to implement the resolutions of
international legality and the agreements signed.
I salute all of you and hope that this session will
produce the required solutions and recommendations
which will enable our peoples and our nations and the
whole of humanity to live in peace, stability, progress
and prosperity.
May peace and God’s blessing be with you.


On behalf of the
delegation of Lesotho, allow me, through you, Sir, to
congratulate the President and other members of the
Bureau on their election to office during this fifty-sixth
session of the General Assembly. Allow me also to pay
a well deserved tribute to Mr. Harri Holkeri, President
of the fifty-fifth session, and to commend him for
spearheading efforts to reform and revitalize the
General Assembly, with a view to strengthening its role
as the chief deliberative policy-making and
representative body of the United Nations.
We congratulate our Secretary-General for
winning the Nobel Peace Prize and for his
reappointment as head of the Organization. This will
no doubt enable him to continue his efforts to make the
United Nations more relevant in facing today’s
challenges. We commend him for continuing to place
such a high premium on the need for the Organization
to develop better tools for conflict prevention,
management and resolution and encourage him to
6

continue developing concepts and strategic frameworks
for the Organization’s activities in the areas of conflict
prevention and peace-building.
We particularly wish to commend the Secretary-
General for his relentless efforts and commitment to
reforming and transforming the United Nations into a
functioning Organization with a new management
culture. We reiterate the view shared by many in this
Assembly that the United Nations would be more
democratic if the Security Council were made more
representative of the membership as a whole.
Regrettably, while we all agree on the need for reform,
agreement on the details for such reform continues to
elude us.
Lesotho reiterates its unequivocal condemnation
of the barbaric acts of terror committed against
innocent civilians on 11 September and extends its
condolences to the relatives of all those who perished
during the attacks. Ideological or other differences are
no excuse for such unspeakable acts; neither can such
evil acts be justified on the grounds of expediency.
Those responsible for these acts must be punished.
While we support the international coalition against
terrorism and consider ourselves part thereof, we
nevertheless stress the need for capacity-building to
enable all countries effectively to play their part in
combating this menace.
One year after the unprecedented Millennium
Summit is now a good time for us to reflect and take
stock of how we are responding to the challenges and
changes brought about by our ever growing
interdependence and the ever-increasing
interconnectedness of our economies. In this changing
world in which all forms of economic, social, cultural
and political activity have become dependent on access
to telecommunications and information services
provided by the global information infrastructure, what
progress have we made towards making globalization
truly global and ensuring that people everywhere share
in its benefits?
The truth of the matter is that there remains a
gaping digital chasm between the industrialized and the
developing countries, especially in Africa where the
majority of the people are yet to reap the benefits of
information and communications technology. Much
still needs to be done to jump-start the introduction of
information and communications technology in
primary schools in order to enable the developing
countries to respond to the changing needs of society
and the economy.
The United Nations system thus has to redouble
its efforts in assisting developing countries, particularly
in Africa, in building their capacity in curriculum
development to ensure improvements in the quality of
education and access to information and
communications technology, including through the
transfer of technology. We thus call upon all
international partners to treat information and
communications technology as a special priority for
Africa’s development.
Despite the many difficulties that the developing
countries continue to face in addressing their urgent
development needs, solid progress is being made
towards establishing strong institutional capacities for
sustainable development, including a sound
macroeconomic foundation, effective governance,
peace and stability. Following many years of
undemocratic military dictatorships and coups d’état in
Africa, the continent has begun to take bold steps to
climb out of the rut, and today strong winds of
democracy continue to reverberate throughout. This
deepening of democratic principles has led Africans to
shun all leaders who come to power through extra-
constitutional means. There is also a growing
awareness within Africa that sustainable development
cannot take place in the midst of actual or potential
conflict and that armed conflict is retrogressive and
inevitably destroys the achievements of many years of
national development; hence, conflict management is
now assuming greater importance in Africa.
Development is also beginning to take firm roots
as many African countries formulate their development
strategies and pursue greater cooperative relations with
their development partners. The key role played by the
United Nations in helping to re-energize the
momentum for international partnership between, in
particular, the least developed countries and the
international community will remain crucial for
addressing poverty and sustainable development.
Africa is not only determined to overcome its
problems, but it is also determined to ensure that the
future development of the continent is shaped and
designed by Africans themselves. Many of the evils
that have continued to plague Africa, including
economic decline, internal unrest and civil wars,
uncertainty, corruption and disintegration of States,
7

have been major obstacles to the development and
establishment of viable societies in Africa. All this has
made us realize that the only way to achieve
sustainable development for the continent is to ensure
that people live and work in stable conditions under the
rule of law. Transforming the Organization of African
Unity (OAU) into the African Union should thus be
seen as an important step that will pave the way for the
establishment of strong institutions endowed with
necessary powers and resources to enable them to
discharge their duties and responsibilities efficiently
and effectively.
It is against this background that the launching of
the New African Initiative in Lusaka in July was also a
turning point in Africa’s efforts aimed at ensuring that
appropriate Africa-wide and regional economic and
social reforms are carried out with a view to
eradicating all social injustices. This African-owned
and African-led economy-centred recovery programme
and framework for action is a pragmatic vision of how
Africa wishes to be included as a partner and not as a
recipient of the benefits and opportunities offered by
globalization. This initiative by Africans, which sets
out the right priorities and focal points for the
sustainable development of the African continent,
deserves not only commendation, but also support from
this Assembly and the international community as a
whole.
In embarking on this new path to recovery,
Africans have no illusions. They are fully aware of the
mammoth task that they have set for themselves and
believe that progress towards achieving it will have to
be driven by the people and Governments of Africa
themselves. We will have to create the necessary
conditions to allow the poor to become agents of
change, using their own talents and capacities to raise
their production and increase their income.
For all that to happen, Africa needs resources.
The international community must provide support not
only through development cooperation, but also
through improved trade access for African countries to
the markets of the developed world. The “Everything
but Arms” initiative adopted by the European Council
of Ministers in February is a first important step
towards scrapping customs duties on imports from
Africa and other developing countries, and needs to be
emulated. We express our gratitude for the support and
commitment already given to this initiative by the G-8
and the European Union and call upon other donor
countries and agencies to join Africa as it embarks on
its new path of recovery. In the same vein, we
acknowledge the benefits that the African Growth and
Opportunity Act holds for sub-Saharan African
countries.
The Millennium Summit reaffirmed the
Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development
goal of reducing by half the number of people living in
extreme poverty by 2015. Despite that, abject poverty,
a narrow resource base and, hence, broad dependence
on overseas development aid, unsustainable levels of
debt and the deleterious effects of the HIV/AIDS
pandemic continue to be part of everyday reality for
the majority of the people in the world. In some
regions of sub-Saharan Africa poverty has actually
increased, posing a serious threat to democratic
governance processes through the erosion of human
rights and human dignity, as well as the deterioration of
the already narrow natural resource base. In addition,
the number of least developed countries has more than
doubled since 1971, when the United Nations set up
that category of countries.
A more rapid and sustainable exit from debt is
thus imperative. This calls for urgent implementation
of an enhanced and expanded Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries Debt Initiative (HIPC). It further calls for
more comprehensive measures, including converting
the remaining bilateral debts of the least developed
countries into grants, widening HIPC to benefit more
countries, increasing the levels of official development
assistance, ensuring markets for the products of least
developed countries and encouraging greater volumes
of foreign direct investment to Africa.
Lesotho therefore looks forward to further
discussion of these measures during the coming
International Conference on Financing for
Development, the convening of which we fully
support. We also believe that the Programme of Action
for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade
2001-2010 is a benchmark framework for accelerating
the sustained economic growth and sustainable
development of the poorest and weakest segment of the
international community.
Housing remains a critical pillar of sustainable
economic development. It is the single most important
and obvious indicator of individual aspirations and
their fulfilment. Testimony to this is the renewal of our
commitment, earlier this year, to the principles of the
8

Habitat Agenda, which are encapsulated in the ideas of
adequate shelter for all and sustainable human
settlements for development. Poverty continues to be a
major factor for developing countries’ failure to realize
these twin goals of the Habitat Agenda.
In the same vein, a healthy population is an
absolute requirement for social and economic
development. We thus recognize the enormous
challenges posed by HIV/AIDS and other infectious
diseases. For Africa, which is host to 70 per cent of the
people infected with HIV/AIDS worldwide, this
scourge is reversing hard-won gains in economic and
social development. Political commitment and
leadership are therefore essential for building national
capacities to develop and implement comprehensive
national strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention, care,
support and treatment, all of which require
mobilization of resources. We therefore welcome the
outcome of the special session on HIV/AIDS held
during the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly,
and hope that the Global AIDS and Health Fund
announced by the Secretary-General will soon become
operational to provide funding on a grant basis to the
most affected countries.
Lesotho welcomes the global movement to ensure
that every child enjoys a better beginning, and hence a
better future, and has undertaken to renew its
commitment to ensure the rights of children. Our most
auspicious endeavour to that end was the progressive
introduction, in the year 2000, of free primary
education beginning with standard 1 pupils. We believe
that this is a step forward in ensuring sustained
economic growth and poverty reduction. The new
agreed dates for the postponed children’s summit
should ensure that we do not lose the momentum for
creating a better world for children.
Lesotho also remains keenly aware of the
important role that women play in the advancement of
the nation’s social and economic development
processes, as well as of the need to sustain their
involvement and participation at all levels. To that end,
we have heeded the call to States parties to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women that have entered
reservations to the Convention to review those
reservations. Our own reservation to the Convention
has been amended with a view to withdrawing it at a
later stage.
The events in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda,
as well as the gruesome images of women and children
whose limbs were hacked off by rebel forces in Sierra
Leone, have shown that accountability for genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity, and universal
jurisdiction over those crimes, are key to bringing an
end to the cycle of impunity that we have witnessed
over the years. Lesotho’s tangible contribution towards
ending the culture of impunity is demonstrated by its
support and assistance to the activities of the
International Tribunals for Yugoslavia and Rwanda
aimed at bringing those responsible for the most
egregious crimes to justice, as well as its support for
the creation of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, for
which Lesotho has pledged $100,000 over three years.
The first payment of $40,000 in respect of the first year
has already been deposited. We call on the international
community to provide adequate funding in order that
the Special Court for Sierra Leone may come into
operation.
While the pace of ratifications for the Statute of
the International Criminal Court is encouraging, more
needs to be done if that Court is to become a reality
soon. Adequate time and resources should therefore be
made available for the Preparatory Commission to
fulfil its mandate within the first half of 2002.
International peace and security continue to be a
major challenge for the United Nations in the twenty-
first century. While some positive developments have
been recorded on various issues that are critical to the
security of the international community, much more
still needs to be done in pursuit of a more peaceful
world — a world free from weapons of mass
destruction; a world free from the arsenals of illicit
small arms and light weapons; and a world with
strengthened global norms for nuclear non-proliferation
and disarmament.
We renew our call to those who remain outside
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT) to join the Treaty, and urge the
nuclear-weapon States to continue full compliance with
obligations assumed under the Treaty.
The recent spate of biowarfare threats have also
heightened the urgent need to devise effective
compliance measures that will make the proliferation
of biological weapons much harder and prevent such
weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
9

The historic United Nations Conference on the
Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All
Its Aspects has succeeded in highlighting the human
suffering and insecurity engendered by the excessive
accumulation and illicit transfer of those weapons.
Though not fully satisfactory, particularly to those of
us who have suffered most from this scourge, the
measures envisaged in the Programme of Action are a
historic first step towards curbing this menace. It is
now up to all of us to forge meaningful partnerships to
ensure effective implementation of the Programme as
we move together to free the world of these weapons.
While peace has continued to hold in many
regions of the world, Africa has experienced setbacks
in that regard, as violent conflicts have continued
unabated. The sad legacy of our colonial past, wherein
State-sponsored activities facilitated the systematic
plunder of Africa’s resources, have been replaced by
foreign companies and individuals in pursuit of the so-
called bottom line, whose sole motive is the
maximization of profit. The link between conflicts, the
easy availability of arms, an abundance of natural
resources and the greed of these individuals have
totally devalued African lives. In other words, the
worth of African lives in the year 2001 is much the
same as during the time of slavery in the nineteenth
century. We call upon the same collective conscience
of the international community that condemned and
succeeded in eradicating slavery to speak with equal
vehemence against this evil in our time.
The volatile and explosive situation in the Middle
East remains highly regrettable. Lesotho supports the
creation of an independent Palestinian State on the
basis of Security Council resolutions, a State that
should coexist in peace with its neighbours.
We call on all parties to conflicts around the
world to intensify efforts to create conditions
conducive to the implementation of the agreements
reached and relevant Security Council resolutions, as
well as to the effective engagement of the United
Nations. We are encouraged by the developments in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Sierra
Leone, and applaud the efforts of all parties to bring
peace to their countries.
We are, however, saddened by the lack of
progress in the implementation of agreements relating
to the settlement, once and for all, of two of the largest
running conflicts, in Angola and the Saharan Arab
Democratic Republic. We in Lesotho are convinced
that the Houston accords remain the foundation for
self-determination in the latter, while, undoubtedly, the
Lusaka Protocol on Angola remains the only viable
basis for peace in that sisterly country.
In conclusion, Lesotho renews its commitment to
multilateral cooperation and the principles enshrined in
the United Nations Charter. The current difficult times
call for the strong support of the United Nations and
the multilateral processes if the Organization is to
effectively address the new global issues and
challenges that confront it.


We understand that an
American Airlines flight to the Dominican Republic
has gone down in Queens. We extend the condolences
and the support of my Government to the United States
and the Dominican Republic.
That we have forged ahead with the fifty-sixth
session of the General Assembly and that political
leaders have assembled for the general debate mark an
extraordinary accomplishment, one that brings great
credibility to the United Nations. I applaud and thank
all who reside in this great city for continuing their
work. Today, more than ever, our efforts and energies
should focus on implementing the purposes and
principles of our Charter and should inspire hope and
confidence in all humanity.
Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo, on behalf of my
delegation, I extend congratulations to him on his
election as President of the fifty-sixth session of the
Assembly. The manner in which he has guided our
work thus far is outstanding and worthy of our
recognition. We wish him continued success as he
presides over this Assembly. To the Secretary-General
and to the United Nations, we extend congratulations
on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Before I proceed, please allow me, on behalf of
the Belizean people, to extend to the President and the
people of the United States of America, especially to
the people of New York City, our heartfelt condolences
on the tremendous loss suffered on 11 September.
For most of us, the immediate reaction to this
tragedy was one of shock and disbelief. As we joined
in mourning the loss of innocent lives, including some
of our own nationals, the international community
moved swiftly to adopt a number of resolutions here at
the United Nations. Through these actions we
forcefully condemned acts of terrorism and reached out
to the United States of America in solidarity, firm in
our support to uphold the principles of justice and the
maintenance of peace.
Today, despots feast in the raging rivers of
desperation, seeking refuge among the weak, preying
upon the vulnerabilities of the less fortunate. Those
who are caught in the sweeping currents of poverty,
forced to live in a world were a dollar is a luxury, find
little hope for a better future and are often abused by
those who manipulate them for selfish and destructive
reasons. For us, securing a better future for the millions
15

who live in poverty continues to be our most noble of
challenges.
To meet this challenge, the United Nations must
remain true to its task as set forth in the Charter and
reaffirmed just over a year ago when our heads of State
and Government gathered here and adopted the
Millennium Declaration. That Declaration outlines
various issues critical to the realization of a world with
less poverty, death and despair, exhorting the values of
freedom, equality, justice and tolerance. We must not
allow the events of 11 September to cause us to lose
our focus on this righteous undertaking — we must
stay the course.
For Belize, the path to fulfilling the goals of the
Millennium Declaration begins with addressing the
issues of development and poverty eradication. We
confirm our support for the Agenda for Development.
As a small State working to provide greater
opportunities for its people, especially those who live
in poverty, meaningful sustainable development is
critical and can be achieved only through partnership
with the international community. Regional and global
cooperation are fundamental components for progress
and necessitate a universal acceptance of our shared
responsibility to create opportunities for growth and
development. Please allow me to say a few words in
Spanish.
(spoke in Spanish)
Globalization amply demonstrates our
interdependence and the importance of cooperation
with the rest of the world based on the principle of
mutual respect. Genuine sustainable development
requires inclusive and transparent trading practices that
allow for the participation of developing countries in
the global economy. The geographical location of
Belize enables us to participate in the Caribbean
Community and the Central American Integration
System, which gives us the opportunity to offer
different perspectives in the fight against poverty. At
the same time, it increases our possibilities for greater
participation in all entities concerned with developing
innovative mechanisms to efficiently integrate our
economies into the global economic system. In this
respect, we consider that equitable and participatory
cooperation in which our concerns and vulnerabilities
will receive the attention they deserve is fundamental.
(spoke in English)
The twenty-sixth special session of the General
Assembly on HIV/AIDS, held last June, brought the
international community together to collectively affirm
the urgent need for critical action on the part of all
stakeholders to combat this pandemic. For us in the
Caribbean, the Conference was of special importance.
Ranked the second highest region in rate of HIV/AIDS
infection after sub-Saharan Africa, Caribbean States
are working with their international partners to combat
the spread of this deadly disease. Any progress made
during the HIV/AIDS special session must be
attributed to the collaborative spirit displayed by all
those involved, at both the political and technical
levels. The inclusion of civil society, as well as the
private sector, contributed to the effectiveness of the
conference and remains critical to the success of any
programme to eradicate HIV/AIDS. We welcome the
decision of the Secretary-General to reach out to the
entire world community to assist in the establishment
of the Global HIV/AIDS and Health Fund, in an effort
to help alleviate the suffering of the millions of people
afflicted by the scourge.
The protection and preservation of our
environment is a major concern to the developing
world, as so many of us depend on our natural
resources for our survival. The commitments made by
the international community for the protection of the
environment have not been implemented, and if they
are not addressed urgently, the consequences will
impact negatively our small dependent economies, as
well as the economy of the global community. We
attach great importance to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and
welcome the successful results of the recently
concluded meeting in Marrakech, hoping to see more
States ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
In the Central America and the Caribbean regions
we perpetually suffer from the effects of natural
disasters, with the number and intensity of hurricanes
increasing over the last decade. This has been
attributed to the effects of climate change caused by
global warming. For two consecutive years, Belize has
been struck by category-four hurricanes, magnifying
the need to protect our environment and minimize our
vulnerabilities. It is imperative that we gear our efforts
towards creating the necessary mechanisms to reverse
and curtail negative actions that contribute to the
deterioration of the state of our environment. For this
16

reason, Belize, along with its partners in the Caribbean
region, continues to seek the support of the United
Nations for a special regime for the Caribbean Sea.
If we are to speak of shared responsibility for
development and the maintenance of peace and
security, this year especially we must ensure that
everyone be allowed to participate in this global forum.
In this light, we continue to appeal to this Organization
to consider the right of the 23 million people of the
Republic of China on Taiwan and allow their voices to
be heard in this world institution. Equally, we must
continue to advocate recognition of the Palestinian
people’s right to self-determination, including the right
to their independent State.
With respect to our commitment to the
development of peace and security, Belize is pleased to
report the continuation of dialogue with our neighbour,
the Republic of Guatemala. We continue to support all
efforts to peacefully resolve our differences.
This year has been designated the United Nations
Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. The recently
concluded debate on this agenda item produced
meaningful discussion on the advantages of diversity
and its benefits to human progress. Enhanced by
globalization, our actions impact others immediately,
creating new realities that require more openness and
greater sensitivity to the differences among us. In our
country, where seven languages or dialects are spoken
and diverse ethnic populations live together peacefully,
my delegation welcomes the prospect of increased
dialogue among civilizations, one inclusive of all
peoples, that will improve upon the understanding of
who we are and where we came from. The Secretary-
General, in his report on the United Nations Year of
Dialogue among Civilizations, noted the importance of
ensuring that the process of globalization be
comprehensive and fair. Let us grasp the opportunity
given to us through this process to work together as
equal partners in this global community, seeking to
understand our common objectives while respecting
our differences.
The Millennium Declaration recognizes the
existing inequalities in our world. Likewise, it offers a
comprehensive formula for greater prosperity for all. It
directs us towards a collective responsibility through
greater partnership among the countries of the world.
At this time, when we are faced with new global
realities, let us make this Declaration meaningful by
accelerating our efforts to achieve the just objectives of
lasting peace and prosperity for all of our peoples.


I wish to congratulate the
President on his election to head the first session of the
General Assembly of the new millennium. I am certain
that his experience and commitment will enable us to
achieve the high goals that we all share. I also renew
the Italian Government’s warmest congratulations to
Secretary-General Kofi Annan on his receipt of the
Nobel Peace Prize. His appointment to a second term to
the leadership of the United Nations is both welcome
and unanimously appreciated.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium
addressed the General Assembly yesterday, speaking
on behalf of the European Union. Italy fully shares his
views and supports his statement.
Like our Belgian colleague and previous
speakers, I would like to express once more, on this
solemn occasion, to the Government and people of the
United States our deep solidarity following the
appalling terrorist acts perpetrated against them. We
share their suffering over the shocking loss of human
life and the sorrow of thousands of families.
25

These acts defy the most basic values of civil
coexistence. We condemn them and reaffirm our full
commitment to the fight against international terrorism,
a struggle on which the United Nations has conferred
full legitimacy. We believe that the United Nations
remains the central forum to which we must turn in
drafting a comprehensive response to terrorism.
This is why we need strict application of the full
range of measures adopted by the General Assembly
and the Security Council during the days immediately
following the 11 September attacks. Resolution 1373
(2001), in particular, must be implemented, urgently
and vigorously. I also hope that everyone shows the
necessary flexibility to allow a swift conclusion of the
negotiations on a comprehensive convention against
international terrorism.
On 7 November, by a majority of more than 90
per cent, the Italian Parliament approved the
Government’s decision to contribute ground troops,
naval forces and air units to operations against
international terrorism. This confirms my country’s
awareness that the stakes are high and proves the
robustness of our national consensus in facing this
challenge. The fight must be conducted in a targeted
manner, avoiding the loss of innocent lives, until the
objective has been fully achieved, without, however,
neglecting humanitarian assistance to the Afghan
people, both within the country and in the refugee
camps. But the problem of the political future of
Afghanistan, a problem to be solved only by the
Afghan people, must, of course, remain a high priority
in the agenda of the United Nations, together with the
objective of regional stability.
But in crafting a credible, diversified global
strategy to eradicate international terrorism, we must
also search for solutions to the most delicate regional
crises and to the global problems that loom over our
lives. These include hunger, poverty, ignorance,
inequality, underdevelopment, violation of human
rights and fundamental freedoms and threats to the
environment and health.
At the top of the list of regional crises is the
Middle East, an area physically close to Italy, and one
to which we pay close attention. Here, we are working
both in a national capacity and within the European
Union to create, as soon as possible, the conditions for
an end to the violence and a true return to negotiations
for a comprehensive, lasting peace in the region based
on the establishment of a viable and democratic State
for the Palestinians and an end to the occupation of
their territories and on Israel’s right to live in peace
and security within internationally recognized borders.
This framework should also include an ambitious
plan, like the one adopted to rebuild a devastated
Europe in the wake of World War II, for public and
private investments and inter-regional assistance
towards fostering solidarity among the region’s States
and peoples — in other words, a new Marshall Plan.
Special attention should be paid to the economic and
social growth and development of the Palestinian
population, to which Italy is fully committed and for
which it remains prepared to do more in the future.
In the Balkans, we have noted encouraging
progress despite persisting tensions. Our goal there is
to prevent destabilizing tendencies and to foster
regional cooperation and economic development,
including closer ties with the European Union.
As for the challenges of globalization, we should
first of all make the success of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Doha a
primary objective. In fact, many of the global problems
I have listed can be alleviated by ensuring that the
international market economy and multilateral free
trade operate fairly and continue to foster
inclusiveness, integration and more equitable and
sustainable growth of all countries through agreed
rules. This latest WTO round should be one of growth
and development, focusing in particular on the
problems of the developing and least developed
countries.
But in order to assure a better response to
globalization’s most problematic aspects, other major
objectives must be pursued. And the universal
organization with the moral authority to meet this
challenge is the United Nations.
The first objective is the maintenance of
international peace and security. Italy’s commitment is
strong and long-standing. In fact, we are one of the top
three contributors of men and resources to peace
operations led and authorized by the United Nations. In
this light, we appreciate the reports that the Secretariat
has issued in the past two years, which suggest a vision
of peace activity as a single, three-sided concept,
encompassing conflict prevention, peacekeeping and
post-conflict peace-building.
26

Italy also values the document that the Secretary-
General submitted to Member States on the prevention
of armed conflicts, emphasizing the direct connection
between safeguarding peace and fighting
underdevelopment. In fact, no peacekeeping action can
achieve lasting results unless it is coupled with
measures to strengthen government institutions,
safeguard the human, civil and cultural rights of all
communities and rebuild the economic and social fibre
of affected areas.
The second objective is to foster development and
eradicate poverty. We must ensure that all the countries
of the world benefit from the opportunities created by
interdependencies and progress, in particular in the
areas of information and communication technology.
The global United Nations conferences of the 1990s
laid the groundwork for the definition of poverty as a
multidimensional phenomenon. It is not only
characterized by low income and consumption, but also
a lack of food, health care, schooling and
environmental stability. This is a vicious cycle that we
must break, through coordinated and integrated
initiatives. To reverse the downward spiral, we must
enhance both the material and the human dimensions of
development.
The Millennium Declaration spells out the
objectives to be attained by 2015. Italy has shown its
commitment to these goals through the shaping of its
international actions and the shouldering of its
responsibilities during the year of its G-8 presidency.
One example was the substantive outreach initiative at
the Genoa Summit, involving a meeting with five
African Heads of State and the Secretary-General to
discuss the New African Initiative and launch a global
fund to combat HIV/AIDS and other infectious
diseases.
Finally, we must continue to nurture and
strengthen development assistance and reach the goal
of having the most developed countries dedicate 0.7
per cent of their gross national product to this pursuit.
In this context, debt relief is another essential tool to
free up the necessary resources in developing countries
in order to stimulate their economies, for instance by
promoting public investment in health care and
schooling. Italy is a leader in this field by virtue of
recent laws that allow it to gradually cancel the debt of
the poorest countries.
As I said before, the United Nations has the moral
authority to take on today’s new challenges. This fact
was highlighted by the awarding of the Nobel Peace
Prize to the Secretary-General and to the Organization
as a whole. However, its structure and procedures must
keep pace with the times. Italy believes in the reform
of the United Nations, a reform that should affect all of
its bodies, including the Security Council. Let me
reiterate the need for a comprehensive reform that
addresses the relevant issues in all their aspects. Such a
reform should be designed to produce greater
efficiency, legitimacy and transparency. It should also
meet the general expectations of democracy,
universality and inclusiveness.
In addition, to create the conditions for stable
growth of prosperity and security for all humankind,
we need more effective governance of globalization.
The documents prepared by the Secretariat make great
strides in this direction. Now is the time to translate the
commitments of the Millennium Declaration into
action. Italy will support every initiative undertaken for
this purpose.
Never have we had a better opportunity to solve
our problems, yet never have we faced greater risks.
The answer does not lie in denying the reality of
interdependence and growing globalization. It is within
our ability to promote better governance of the
international system. Never before has the world had so
many human, financial and technological resources at
its disposal. The answer lies in our hands, in our
collective will.


Allow me to
start by congratulating you, Mr. President, on behalf of
my Government and myself, on your election to the
presidency of the United Nations General Assembly.
Your election is an acknowledgement of the many
contributions made by the Republic of Korea to United
Nations efforts to maintain international peace and
security, as well as to promote the economic and social
development of our peoples.
This session is being held during a period of
major challenges to our Organization and the
international community in general.
Peace and security continue to be endangered by
many armed conflicts, particularly in Africa, as well as
by terrorist activities launched systematically or
sporadically against some countries. Extreme poverty
and misery still affect large numbers of the world
population, especially in my continent, where one
fourth of our 800 million inhabitants survive on less
than $1 per day. The HIV/AIDS epidemic, now
affecting more than 36 million people, most of them
economically active people, may seriously threaten the
economic development and future of many societies
unless urgent measures are taken.
To face these and many other challenges, the
United Nations must continue to improve its internal
structure, including the Security Council, whose
membership must be reconsidered to allow for a more
equitable geographic balance. In addition, its working
methods should be restructured to ensure effective
implementation of its decisions.
The United Nations must also endeavour to
implement the action plans and recommendations
adopted over the last decade, with a view to resolving
problems in the areas of HIV/AIDS, social
development, human rights, racism and racial
discrimination, as well as terrorism.
At the last session of the General Assembly, my
Government voted in favour of resolution 55/158, on
measures to eliminate international terrorism. We
continue to believe that its implementation will be
essential to fighting this enemy. Terrorism is an
international scourge with many faces. No country is
immune to this heinous evil, and to fight it, we must
cooperate at the bilateral, regional and international
levels, under the leadership of the United Nations.
Angola reiterates its firm condemnation of the 11
September terrorist attacks, which victimized
thousands of innocent civilians and endorses the use of
force to eliminate terrorist networks and their support
bases.
Having been subjected to terrorism for many
years, Angola is pleased to join all other States in this
anti-terrorist campaign. In this context, we have joined
the other members of the Southern Africa Development
Council to promote a forum to discus and identify the
many faces of terrorism, as well as effective means to
prevent and fight its activities in and from our region.
As to the African continent, we believe measures
to combat terrorism should particularly address its
sources of financing, such as the illicit diamond, drug
and weapons traffic, and identify its networks in order
to prevent the free circulation of its members.
In partnership with some countries, Angola has
developed an international diamond certification
system that has prevented diamonds originating from
illegal traffic to reach international markets. Thus, we
have helped prevent the financing of terrorist groups
and their activities in many countries of our continent.
At this stage, the struggle against terrorism
requires that, beyond the measures encompassed by
Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), special
attention be devoted to the completion of an
international convention against terrorism. This legal
instrument could eliminate some of the ambiguities
still surrounding the definition of this phenomenon.
23

My Government is firmly committed to peace in
Angola, the African continent and the world as a
whole. After a period of uncertainty, peace is slowly
becoming an irreversible reality in Angola. The regular
forces of UNITA’s militarist wing, which had launched
a large-scale military campaign to seize power, have
been completely neutralized. Counties under their
illegal control have been liberated and the Angolan
Government now controls the entire national territory.
Large numbers of rebel soldiers and officers
surrendering their weapons and being integrated into
Angolan society is now a daily event. Today UNITA’s
military wing has only small groups, inadequately
armed in the jungle or in remote areas of our large
territory. Although they can make isolated armed
attacks, they do not represent a threat anymore to
Angolan democratic institutions or to the safety of
most of our population.
My Government believes that the Lusaka
Protocol continues to be a valid formula for resolving
problems related to peace and national reconciliation in
Angola.
The climate of peace that is starting to prevail is
having favourable repercussions on the country’s
economy. Although considerable distortions and
weaknesses still exist, reform efforts under way can
help overcome serious social problems and enable
general elections to be held in the near future in a truly
democratic environment.
As a result of a long period of war, Angola still
needs the support of the international community in its
effort to alleviate the problems of poverty, displaced
persons and refugees, and to rebuild its infrastructure.
The environment of relative peace would not be
possible without the help of the international
community, which has made the distinction between
those who are committed to peace and democracy and
the proponents of war, and has imposed Security
Council sanctions against UNITA’s militarist wing led
by Jonas Savimbi. The most visible effect of these
sanctions has been their contribution to a significant
reduction of Savimbi’s capacity to wage war and, as a
result, to persuade a great number of UNITA members
to give up their weapons and join the peace effort.
That outcome clearly demonstrates the efficacy of
the sanctions as a means, and not as an end in
themselves. That is why my Government favours
keeping and tightening them until peace becomes
irreversible in Angola. Nevertheless, my Government
is still concerned with the findings of United Nations
reports, according to which not all countries have fully
adopted measures called for by the sanctions
resolutions.
The Security Council resolutions on sanctions
against UNITA were adopted in accordance with the
powers given to the Council by the United Nations
Charter. All nations are legally obligated to abide by
and implement those resolutions. The resulting
obligations on the Member States prevail over any
inconsistent obligation to which they might be subject
by virtue of any other treaty or international agreement
to which they are, or may become, party. That principle
should also be applied with regard to sanctions against
UNITA.
The Angolan Government considers inconsistent
the arguments put forward by certain Governments —
some of which have a privileged relationship with
Angola — of a supposed incompatibility between their
internal legislation and Security Council resolutions.
We appeal to those countries to reverse their position
and to take the measures required. This, we believe,
will contribute to the development of harmonious
bilateral relationships with Angola.
Angola is firmly committed to a search for peace
in the Great Lakes region, and particularly in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. We are pleased
with the positive results achieved lately by the peace
process. In general terms, the ceasefire has been
adhered to and foreign troops have been withdrawn.
Angola, for example, has withdrawn 75 per cent of its
troops. Namibia has completed its withdrawal, and
both Zimbabwe and Uganda have started to repatriate
their respective armies. Only Rwanda has not yet taken
any step to signal its willingness to withdraw its forces,
and therefore to fulfil its basic obligation as a signatory
to the Lusaka Agreement and the obligations of the
pertinent resolutions of the Security Council. We are
hopeful that proper preparation of the inter-Congolese
dialogue will lead to a substantive discussion of the
relevant questions regarding the political future of the
country.
As regards Burundi, Angola salutes the
establishment of a transitional Government, which is a
direct outcome of the Pretoria agreement, for which the
mediation efforts of former President Nelson Mandela
24

were so crucial. We hope this step will soon lead to
peace and stability in Burundi and good-neighbourly
relations with bordering countries.
With regard to Western Sahara, Angola thinks it
is necessary to find a solution acceptable to both
parties that makes it possible to overcome the barriers
to the implementation of a plan to resolve the conflict.
My Government encourages the United Nations and the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) to persist in their
efforts in that direction.
The international community should not forget
the problems of Somalia. The establishment of a
Transitional National Government is an important step
on the way to a peaceful resolution of the internal
conflict there. Both the United Nations and the OAU
should support that step in order that Somalia can
return to its rightful place in the community of nations.
Angola is also concerned with the deterioration of
the peace process in the Middle East, which has
resulted from the recent intensification of the violence.
We believe that a resolution of the conflict between
Israel and Palestine will require negotiations. We
therefore appeal to the parties to continue their
dialogue and to abide by the agreements they signed
and by the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.
Angola is pleased with the advances achieved by
the fraternal people of East Timor in their struggle for
the right to self-determination and independence. The
political, moral and diplomatic support that Angola and
other members of the international community have
been providing through the years in major international
forums was decisive in enabling the people of the
territory to reach a point where they can finally choose
their destiny in freedom. The Timorese are now
preparing to proclaim the birth of a new, independent,
sovereign and democratic nation, but they will continue
to need the support of the United Nations for the
consolidation of their institutions.
The international economic recession will have a
major impact on developing countries, and on Africa in
particular, which has already suffered the effects of
globalization. Of course, African countries cannot
avoid globalization. But to engage in cooperative and
collective activities, African nations must be based in
strong States, something that hardly exists in the
continent.
In the New Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD), the countries of the continent have found a
way to break away from stagnation and to promote
inter-African cooperation and achieve development.
Angola is engaged in the New Partnership. Economic
progress can be achieved in Africa through the
promotion of trade among its nations, the establishment
of healthy economic conditions and good governance,
fighting regional threats — including conflicts and
endemic diseases — and welcoming capital inflows.
We hope that NEPAD will become a force for political
stabilization and economic development in African
countries, particularly those affected by serious
divisions.
The International Conference on Financing for
Development, to be held in Monterrey, Mexico, must
be an opportunity to mobilize resources for
development, particularly for the 49 least developed
countries, 34 of which are in Africa, and to alleviate
the extreme poverty under which more than 600
million people are now living.