I have the honour and
privilege to speak on behalf of the European Union. In
this capacity I would like to extend my warm and sincere
congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President
of the General Assembly at its fifty-third session. We are
pleased that a distinguished Latin American statesman
chairs our deliberations. I am confident that your
experience, talent and energy will ensure a successful
outcome for the work of our session.
I wish to express the high appreciation of the
European Union for the outstanding leadership of the
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and for his excellent work
at the helm of the United Nations. His â€œquiet revolutionâ€
of institutional reforms has our full support. We are
looking forward to working with him to prepare the
Millennium Assembly in the year 2000 in order to meet
the challenges of human solidarity.
At the turn of the century, we live in a fascinating
and challenging, but also difficult and complex, period of
time, characterized by uncertainty and unpredictability.
Local wars and ethnic conflicts have continued and new
ones have broken out. â€œPeace processesâ€ have had rather
mixed success, and some show a distressing tendency to
unravel. The threat from weapons of mass destruction is
as alarming as ever. A majority of the Earthâs population
still lives in poverty. Enormous environmental disasters
hit our planet all too often, and organized crime, illicit
drug trafficking and terrorism are the plague of our time.
Financial and economic crises of unprecedented
dimensions do not spare any region â€” Asia and Russia
being the most recent examples.
The impact of these phenomena is felt directly and
immediately by every citizen in the world. Economies are
more intertwined than ever, and information travels
around the globe within seconds. No one can escape the
forces of globalization, but all of us can join not only in
confronting transnational threats but also in collecting the
fruits of globalization. The United Nations has a key part
to play in this collective effort. Only our universal
organization has the scope and legitimacy to generate the
principles, norms and rules that are essential to harness
the potential of globalization while managing its negative
effects.
7

Todayâs turmoil in the financial markets can be dealt
with only at a global level, addressing the political causes
as well as the financial and economic aspects. It is
imperative that industrial and developing countries elaborate
a common strategy in a framework of international financial
cooperation, including the G-22, and formulate standards
and rules for financial transactions. What is needed now is
leadership. Short-term remedies are not enough; long-term
forward looking policies are required. We must invest in
both sustainable growth and solidarity. As serious as the
crisis is, there is every reason not to panic. The world
economy is basically sound, with two thirds â€” 70 per
cent â€” of the worldâs population living in growth zones.
We sometimes forget that.
The European model of social market economy has
served well to harness the forces of globalization.
Respecting the interests and wishes of the people, showing
solidarity for the poor and disadvantaged, promoting social
partnership between employers and employees and
combating unemployment by creating jobs and so on are
intrinsic elements of a social market economy. We believe
that this European model of a social market economy
deserves serious consideration in our turbulent and complex
age. To be honest, this is a kind of third way some are
looking for.
Europeâs answer to the challenges of globalization is
two millennium projects which will shape the face of our
continent: the introduction of the euro and the enlargement
of the Union.
The single currency will improve the functioning of
the internal market, help to secure employment and provide
incentives for the market-oriented structural reforms needed
to safeguard Europeâs competitiveness. The creation of the
euro has the potential to stabilize the international economic
environment and to promote international trade. From the
perspective of the world economy, this will be the most
important effect of the single currency. Markets have
already anticipated the introduction of the euro, as borne
out by the monetary stability of the participating currencies,
at a time when other countries and regions are experiencing
severe financial crises. Consequently, the euro is creating a
zone of stability and prosperity which will benefit the entire
world economy.
The second millennium project, which has far-reaching
consequences, is the enlargement of the European Union.
We are convinced that the integration of our neighbours is
the best way to safeguard lasting political stability and
economic progress in Europe. Successful enlargement will
bring a new dynamic to the Union and strengthen its role
to the benefit of all the citizens of both Europe and the
world. The process of enlarging the Union does not mean
that the Union will become more inward-oriented or
Eurocentric. On the contrary, we are convinced that the
Union must continue to be outward- and forward-looking.
Enlarging the European Union will go hand-in-hand with
developing our traditional relations with countries and
exporting stability around the world.
As President of the Council of the European Union,
I would like to assure Members of the United Nations
that an enlarged Union with a strong common currency
will be a reliable and strong partner for the United
Nations and the world.
I would like to stress the paramount interest of the
European Union in the political and economic stability of
Russia. We hope that the new Government of Russia will
be able to re-establish confidence among the Russian
people and the international financial community. We
stand ready to cooperate further with the Russian
authorities in support of sustained efforts towards
stabilization and reform.
Let me now draw attention to a subject to which I
attach the highest priority: the protection of the most
vulnerable group in societies, our children. I am deeply
convinced that a far-sighted policy, both internal and
external, should be geared to the well-being of future
generations. We, the statesmen, diplomats and decision
makers of 185 nations, meeting in this Assembly, bear an
enormous responsibility to formulate future-oriented
policies in the service of young citizens on our planet.
These include a fundamental principle. Our children must
live childhood in peace, freedom, prosperity and security,
free of abuse, violence and exploitation.
Millions of children and juveniles are exploited
worldwide, their basic human rights denied in many ways.
A global coalition must be forged to fight the abuse of
children, in particular sexual exploitation, the despicable
phenomenon of child soldiers and child labour.
The European Union supports the International
Labour Organization draft convention on child labour.
The involvement of children in armed conflict and its
disastrous consequences require particular attention and
action by the international community. I call upon all
States and parties to conflicts to respect existing
international standards, to stop the use of children as
combatants and to fully support the work of the
Secretary-Generalâs Special Representative for Children
in Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu.
8

Sexual exploitation of children is one of the most
abhorrent phenomena of our time. The European Union
puts special emphasis on combating child prostitution and
child pornography. This includes the spread of child
pornography on the Internet. New information technologies
create new challenges. But that is why, more than ever, we
have to prohibit the production, dissemination and
possession of child pornography in all its forms â€” print,
audio, electronic media and video. Many countries have
already enacted such legislation nationally. But only a
worldwide ban on child pornography will be effective. In
this context, we hope that the optional protocol on the sale
of children, child prostitution and child pornography can be
finalized in the near future.
Legislative action has to be complemented by
improved cooperation between national and international
law enforcement and judicial authorities. I appeal to
Governments, the United Nations, non-governmental
organizations and private business â€” including online
services and Internet service providers â€” to join efforts in
a crusade against child abuse. For every day we fail to do
so, the innocent children of our world pay a terrible price.
Human rights, good and democratic governance and
the rule of law have moved to centre stage in promoting
peace, security and sustainable development. Respect for
and promotion of human rights have become a crucial
component of Union policies. They play a significant role
in contractual relations with third countries, in development
cooperation and in the common foreign and security policy.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and the five-year implementation review
of the Vienna Declaration should provide an opportunity for
a critical assessment of the progress made by all States.
The Council of the European Union, in commemorating this
anniversary on 10 December this year in Vienna, will send
a strong signal to further strengthen the United Nations
human rights programme, in particular the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The European Union will continue to work towards
the full integration of human rights, as well as a gender
perspective, into all activities of the United Nations system.
We hope that the adoption of the human rights defenders
declaration will send a strong message of support to human
rights activists worldwide. The European Union welcomes
the progress on a draft protocol to the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,
and a draft protocol to the Convention against Torture. We
hope that the respective Working Groups can complete their
work next year.
I would like to stress our strong interest in
cooperating with other Governments and civil society to
improve the human rights situation in all parts of the
world. To this end, the Union supports a wide range of
projects and programmes in the field of human rights, the
rule of law and electoral assistance. We will also work
for the complete abolition of the death penalty. In the
meantime, we shall call for a moratorium on all
executions worldwide.
The international community is confronted with an
increasing number of new and more diverse forms of
conflict, which often turn violent. Apart from taking
measures of operational prevention, which address the
consequences of conflicts and range from preventive
diplomacy to all forms of peaceful settlement of disputes
and the preventive deployment of forces, we have to
concentrate on the root causes, such as disrespect for
minorities. We therefore need a pro-active policy,
focusing on preventing the outbreak of violence at an
early stage.
Early warning is a key element of a comprehensive
strategy of conflict prevention and a prerequisite for any
further action. Finally, post-conflict rehabilitation has to
be more comprehensive and coordinated to address the
wider issues of humanitarian assistance, reconstruction
and respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of
law. The European Union firmly supports United Nations
efforts to strengthen its conflict-prevention and crisis-
management capacity.
We are deeply committed to the primary role of the
United Nations in the maintenance of international peace
and security and to the core functions of United Nations
peacekeeping operations. This strong support is reflected
in the facts: 4,500 troops and policemen from European
Union countries serve in United Nations peacekeeping
operations, which is one third of United Nations
peacekeeping personnel; thousands more men and women
from the European Union have served and are serving in
United Nations-mandated operations such as the
Stabilization Force in Bosnia; and our financial
contribution represents almost 40 per cent of the United
Nations peacekeeping budget.
We welcome the increasingly multidimensional
nature of peacekeeping operations, which poses new
challenges to the average peacekeeper in the field.
Peacekeeping today encompasses not only military tasks
but a variety of other functions, such as civilian police
activities, humanitarian assistance, demining, disarmament
measures, demobilization, reintegration of former soldiers,
9

enhancing and monitoring respect for human rights and, last
but not least, public information. At United Nations
Headquarters, this requires a strong Department of
Peacekeeping Operations which is able to fulfil its functions
effectively. In the wake of the decision by the General
Assembly to reduce progressively the number of posts filled
by personnel on loan, we strongly underline that the
Departmentâs expertise and gains of recent years must be
retained.
The European Union is gravely concerned about the
increasing security threat to United Nations personnel in the
field, not least to unarmed military observers and civilian
personnel. Bearing in mind the responsibility of the United
Nations and Member States towards those participating in
United Nations peacekeeping operations, we wish to recall
the obligation of host countries and parties to conflicts to
ensure the safety of these operations.
I would like to express our admiration and gratitude to
all the men and women who serve under the banner of the
United Nations in peace operations around the globe. They
show remarkable courage, motivation and idealism.
Likewise, I wish to express my deep sympathy to the
families of United Nations personnel who have lost their
lives in the service of peace.
The European Union attaches the utmost importance
to progress in the areas of disarmament, arms control and
non-proliferation as a key element in the maintenance of
peace and the strengthening of security. In this respect, the
Union wishes to reiterate its deep concern about the grave
threat to international peace and security posed by the
nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan in May this
year. The Union has called on both countries to adhere to
international non-proliferation regimes, in particular by
signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty as it
stands. The Union strongly urges India and Pakistan to
refrain from nuclear tests and from the development or
deployment of nuclear weapons and nuclear-capable
missiles. Likewise, we call on both countries to engage in
a substantive dialogue with each other and to agree on
confidence-building measures.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons is the cornerstone of the global non-proliferation
regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of
nuclear disarmament. We are committed to the early entry
into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
and welcome the recent ratifications by several countries.
We call upon all States which have not yet done so to
accede to it, without any change. The conclusion of a fissile
material cut-off treaty will constitute a significant
contribution to non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament.
We warmly welcome the fact that all impediments to
starting such negotiations finally have been overcome, and
we are looking forward to contributing to the substantive
negotiations. We continue to believe that the systematic
and progressive efforts by nuclear-weapon States to
reduce nuclear weapons need to be intensified and
pursued with determination.
Biological weapons pose grave dangers. It is
shocking that they can also be produced by non-State
actors. Therefore, the European Union gives priority to
strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons
Convention. We strive for the successful conclusion of
the negotiations on a legally binding protocol establishing
a verification and compliance regime in 1999. I would
also like to underline our commitment to the universality
and the full and effective implementation of the Chemical
Weapons Convention, a landmark in the disarmament
process.
The European Union reaffirms its commitment to the
goal of totally eliminating anti-personnel landmines
worldwide and welcomes the opening for signature of the
Ottawa Convention. We are pleased that the number of
signatories and ratifications is rising steadily and that the
Convention will enter into force on 1 March 1999. The
fact that the required number of 40 ratifications was
reached so quickly underlines the importance that the
international community attaches to this endeavour. The
European Union, being the major donor to anti-mine
activities, is contributing significantly to solving the
problems caused by those weapons.
A serious challenge to the international community
is raised by the combination of internal conflicts and the
proliferation of small arms. This issue requires a multi-
pronged response. The Union, for its part, has adopted a
code of conduct on arms exports and has thereby set high
common standards. Moreover, we are currently engaged
in the implementation of the European Union programme
for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in
conventional arms. Under this programme, we will assist
third countries in preventing and combating illicit
trafficking in arms, and we will also assist affected
countries.
As we approach the new millennium, nearly a
quarter of the worldâs people â€” foremost among them
women and children â€” continue to live in absolute
poverty, while almost a third more are very poor. While
the blight of poverty thus continues to challenge the
international community, recent decades have also shown
10

that progress in the reduction of poverty is possible. The
goal of poverty eradication, through sustained growth and
economic and social development, must be placed at the
centre of international development cooperation.
Poverty has many dimensions and needs to be tackled
in a gender-sensitive and comprehensive way within the
context of sustainable development, based on the
interdependence and mutually reinforcing nature of
economic development, social development and
environmental protection. The European Union therefore
attaches great importance to an integrated and coordinated
follow-up to global conferences. While the first
responsibility lies with Governments, the United Nations
system, as the global framework for international
cooperation, has a key role to play in supporting and
coordinating national efforts.
A new global partnership between developing
countries, developed countries, multilateral institutions and
civil society, with emphasis put on local ownership and
complementarity of efforts, must be forged in order to
achieve people-centred sustainable development. The strong
commitment of the Union to such a global partnership is
based on its unique position as the worldâs largest provider
of development assistance.
Among the various frameworks, the present LomÃ©
Convention, which will expire in February 2000, remains
essential. During the upcoming negotiations on a successor,
the European Union will aim at strengthening its
partnership with the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and
the Pacific. Building on the experience gained so far, the
aim is to develop a modern and efficient framework for
cooperation in order to keep the relationship between the
Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries
strong and prominent in the twenty-first century. I am
convinced that cooperation in the context of the LomÃ©
Convention will make an effective contribution to
eradicating poverty and integrating the African, Caribbean
and Pacific countries into our worldwide economic system.
We are committed to sustainable development as the
overarching principle of national policy and international
cooperation in our policies. Recognizing the central role of
a healthy environment in quality of life, the European
Union attaches great importance to reform of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT). We
would welcome more coordination, focus and efficiency in
these areas. The Kyoto Protocol, in which the member
States of the European Union committed themselves to a
reduction of 8 per cent in greenhouse gases, constitutes an
important step towards sustainable development. As
developed countries, we are prepared to take the lead in
combating climate change. The European Community and
its member States are determined to translate the
commitments made at Kyoto into concrete actions and
achievements.
In the context of sustainable development, population
issues are of particular concern. They directly relate to
human health and the quality of life. Over the coming
decades, population size and age structure will be
important factors interacting with economic development
and the environment in all parts of the world. It is
therefore very timely that a special session of the General
Assembly will be convened next year to review and
appraise the implementation of the Programme of Action
of the International Conference on Population and
Development, held in Cairo in 1994.
The fight against drugs is a major priority in the
policy of the European Union. The recent special session
of the General Assembly on the world drug problem was
an important step in the international effort to counter the
global scourge of drug abuse. I should like to pay tribute
to the Executive Director of the United Nations Drug
Control Programme (UNDCP), Pino Arlacchi, and all
others involved, for the excellent preparation of the
session. Political leaders unanimously endorsed a series of
important documents, including a Political Declaration,
several action plans, time-frames and a number of
concrete measures.
We welcome the balanced, integrated and gender-
sensitive anti-drug strategy adopted by the special session.
Our new commitments embrace efforts on both the supply
and the demand side, constituting equal parameters of the
drug-control equation. In particular, we look forward to
the elaboration of an operational action programme on
demand reduction. We from the European Union fully
support an effective and rapid follow-up and
implementation programme of the outcome of the special
session.
In the light of the important new and extensive
mandates in the field of international drug control, the
donor base of UNDCP must be broadened. The European
Union will continue to support the valuable work of
UNDCP, the international lead agency in the follow-up to
the special session.
The fight against organized crime â€” and the work
of the United Nations Centre for International Crime
Prevention â€” is of foremost importance. In this context
11

we welcome closer cooperation between UNDCP and the
Crime Prevention Centre in order to enhance the synergy of
these programmes. The danger which transnational
organized crime poses to the world community by creeping
into many aspects of our societies must be met by effective
international measures. Therefore, we support the
elaboration of a convention against transnational organized
crime and are pleased about the constructive and productive
spirit of the preparatory meeting in Buenos Aires.
The horrible bomb attacks in Africa and Northern
Ireland have brought terrorism back to the forefront of
international concern. The General Assembly, setting norms
and standards for the fight against terrorism, has passed a
number of resolutions and adopted no fewer than 11 anti-
terrorism conventions. The Sixth Committee is currently
negotiating a convention on the suppression of acts of
nuclear terrorism. Its early finalization would signal the
determination of the international community to relentlessly
pursue terrorists. Only through concerted action can we win
the battle against terrorists. The more countries join in this
effort, the fewer the safe havens where terrorists can run or
hide.
The successful completion of the Conference for the
establishment of an International Criminal Court is an
achievement of historic dimensions. The European Union
fully endorses the outcome of the Rome Conference and the
Statute, which was adopted by an overwhelming majority
of participating States. This Statute lays the foundation for
an effective and credible Court as an institution to fight
impunity for the most heinous crimes and to deter, once
and for all, their commission, thereby contributing to the
global advancement of peace and democracy. This session
of the General Assembly must adopt the appropriate
decisions to make the Court a reality. The European Union
stands ready to do its utmost to contribute to the
accomplishment of these tasks.
As in the past, the European Union describes its
relations with third countries, and its position on areas of
conflict throughout the world, in a memorandum that is
circulated as an integral part of this address. The
memorandum is a useful compendium of the common
foreign and security policy of the Union and of relevant
Community policies. I will highlight just a few positions.
We are extremely concerned at the dramatic escalation
of tension in Kosovo. Hundreds of people have been killed,
more than 250,000 refugees have been forced to leave their
homes as a result of armed clashes, and the threat of a
humanitarian catastrophe is becoming ever more real. The
primary responsibility for the devastating situation rests
with the Serb and Yugoslav authorities, since their police
and military operations have led to consequences for the
civilian population that are out of any justifiable
proportion. Therefore, it is up to President Slobodan
Milosevic to order a halt to all repressive actions against
the civilian population in Kosovo. At the same time, the
Union expects that all parties concerned reject all forms
of violence.
The Union, together with humanitarian organizations,
has started a series of projects in order to create
favourable conditions for a return process for refugees
before the winter comes. A complete cessation of armed
activities and a progressive withdrawal of Serb forces is
needed now to make people confident enough to return to
their homes. The European Union urges the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia authorities to allow unimpeded
access to all areas of Kosovo for humanitarian
organizations and observers and international forensic
experts.
Negotiations between both sides, with international
involvement, should take place as soon as possible to
agree upon confidence-building measures and to define a
new status for Kosovo. However, without a cessation of
the ongoing Serb offensive, an end to further bloodshed
and a significant improvement of the catastrophic
humanitarian situation, a meaningful dialogue cannot be
started. The European Union hopes that progress towards
democracy, which is a prerequisite for the resolution of
the conflict, can be achieved in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. The final objective of the reform process
should be the full integration of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia into the international community.
The Union remains fully committed to the
implementation of the Dayton Accords, to political and
economic stabilization, the return of refugees and the
strengthening of civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The past year has seen substantial progress due to strong
pressure by the international community. We hope that
the recent elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina will
contribute to the reconciliation of the ethnic communities
and to the construction of a new civil society.
With regard to Albania, the European Union is
seriously concerned at the recent outbreak of violence
following the assassination of a leading politician of an
opposition party. The European Union calls on all
Albanian political parties to adopt a constructive attitude
to solving the crisis by peaceful means through political
consultations. It urges the parties to renounce any strategy
of confrontation and to avoid fighting and violent
12

demonstrations. Further violence will make national
reconciliation even more difficult.
We sincerely hope that the instability still widespread
in Albania will soon be overcome, in particular by
overcoming the current political difficulties caused by
hatred, mutual mistrust and various actions by both the
Government and the main opposition party. The Union
reminds all political factions of their obligation not to
deepen the political divide, but rather to develop a spirit of
cooperation.
The Union will continue its assistance according to
progress made in the political dialogue as well as in the
stabilization of institutions, especially in the field of police
action.
The European Union stresses once again that the status
quo in Cyprus is not acceptable. It reaffirms its strong
support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and his
Special Representative aimed at a negotiated and lasting
solution to the Cyprus question, respecting the sovereignty,
independence, territorial integrity and unity of the country
in accordance with the relevant Security Council
resolutions, with the goal of a bizonal, bicommunal
federation on Cyprus.
The Union started accession negotiations with the
Republic of Cyprus on 31 March of this year. The
accession process and progress towards a political solution
should reinforce one another. Accession to the Union
should benefit all communities and help to bring about
peace and reconciliation on the island.
In this context, we welcome the appointment of the
new United Nations Deputy Special Representative, Dame
Ann Hercus.
The European Union remains deeply concerned at the
continuing standstill in the Middle East peace process,
which constitutes a threat to the stability of the region. The
Union considers the Middle East peace process to be the
only path to security and peace for Israel, the Palestinians
and the neighbouring States. A just and durable solution is
in the fundamental interest of the European Union.
Our approach was reaffirmed at the meeting of the
European Council held in Cardiff in June 1998. We
contribute actively to efforts to promote the peace process,
providing not only substantial economic support but also
adding our political weight to the search for a solution. It
is of the utmost importance to restore trust and confidence
between the parties. The pillars of a solution continue to be
in the principles agreed at Madrid and Oslo, especially
land for peace, the full implementation of existing
commitments of the Israeli/Palestinian Interim Agreement
and the relevant Security Council resolutions.
We call on Israel to recognize the right of the
Palestinians to self-determination without excluding the
option of a state of their own. On the other side, we call
upon the Palestinians to reaffirm their commitment to
Israelâs right to live within recognized and safe borders.
We also reiterate our opposition to Israeli settlements in
occupied Arab territories and to other unilateral measures,
such as the changing of the status of Jerusalem. More
than any other issues, such acts, as well as the continued
expansion of settlements, undermine the Palestiniansâ
confidence in the peace process.
The European Union will continue to provide
assistance to the Palestinian people. The positive
development of the Palestinian economy is a precondition
for political stability.
We want to express our concern at the lack of
progress on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, and we
underline the need for a continuing effort in order to
achieve a solution.
The Union supports the efforts of the United States
to relaunch the negotiations. We consider that every
avenue should be explored in order to restore a spirit of
mutual trust and constructive negotiations. In this respect,
we think that the recent proposals put forward by France
and Egypt, as well as by our European Union Special
Envoy, should be studied positively.
Africa, in particular sub-Saharan Africa, stands at the
crossroads once more. In his landmark report (A/52/871)
entitled â€œThe causes of conflict and the promotion of
durable peace and sustainable development in Africaâ€,
Secretary-General Kofi Annan provided us with a clear
analysis and a framework for a comprehensive policy.
The European Union is deeply concerned about the
terrible toll that recent and current conflicts have taken,
especially on innocent civilians. In spite of important
regional and subregional efforts, the instability appears to
be spreading, and creating a downward spiral that simply
has to be stopped. I therefore urge the international
community to continue to complement African efforts to
solve their problems, as it has done by establishing the
United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic
(MINURCA) and the United Nations Observer Mission in
Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL). The Union would welcome
further development of regional and subregional
13

cooperation and integration among African countries. We
hope that the summit between the European Union and the
Southern African Development Community in Vienna in
November will make an important contribution.
The Secretary-Generalâs report rightly focuses on the
importance of creating an environment in which durable
peace is sustained and economic growth promoted.
Recognizing that peace and security are indispensable
preconditions, we emphasize the need for good governance,
including respect for human rights and the rule of law.
These values are essential pillars of the European Unionâs
development policy, which over several decades has been
centred on a genuine partnership with Africa.
The European Union is particularly concerned about
the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and the wider dangers for the region as a whole from the
escalation of the conflict. In this respect, we hope that the
European Union Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region,
Mr. Aldo Ajello, will continue to work together with the
representatives of the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.
We urge all the parties involved in the conflict of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to respect human rights
and humanitarian law and to abstain from acts of violence
against civilians. We welcome African initiatives to find a
peaceful solution to this conflict, which can be solved only
through a negotiated settlement acceptable to all Congolese.
This would allow the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and other countries of the region to find the peace and
stability that are prerequisites for their development. The
Union remains ready to help this political dialogue and to
support any negotiation scheme obtaining the consent of all
parties involved, inter alia, through the assistance of our
Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region. A regional
conference could be useful at a later stage to consider the
relevant aspects and to strengthen regional cooperation.
We are determined to play an effective role in efforts
to stop the fighting and restore peace, stability and respect
for human rights in Afghanistan. We are committed to
bringing about a sustainable peace in Afghanistan, putting
an end to foreign intervention, and encouraging intra-
Afghan dialogue, in particular through support for the
central role of the United Nations. The European Union
attaches special importance to the fight against illegal drugs
and terrorism in Afghanistan.
We remain gravely concerned at the persistent human
rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law in
Afghanistan. We denounce the continuing discrimination
against girls and women in that country. We strongly urge
all factions, and in particular the Taliban, to recognize,
protect and promote human rights. And we strongly urge
them to end discriminatory policies and to recognize,
protect and promote equal rights and dignity for men and
women.
Non-governmental organizations will be able to
return to Kabul only when the authorities in Afghanistan
have met the necessary conditions.
We reiterate our strong concern for the security of
United Nations personnel, other related personnel and
personnel of non-governmental organizations in
Afghanistan, and we recall the responsibility of all
factions to ensure safety, security and freedom of
movement. We condemn the recent attack against two
staff members of the United Nations Special Mission to
Afghanistan (UNSMA) and the killing of Iranian
diplomats in northern Afghanistan, and we demand an
urgent investigation into these atrocious acts. We call on
the Taliban to cooperate fully in ensuring the safe release
of the remaining diplomats and other Iranian nationals
missing in Afghanistan.
We have been deeply involved in the electoral
process in Cambodia, especially in voter registration and
poll observation, dispatching some 200 election observers
who cooperated exceptionally well with the United
Nations and other observer groups in the Joint
International Observer Group.
We call upon all political forces in Cambodia to
seize this opportunity to work together, to the fullest
extent possible, towards national reconciliation, and
express the hope that, with the elections, the foundation
for the future well-being and prosperity of the people of
Cambodia has been laid. Return to political normalcy will
encourage the Union to consider new assistance
programmes to help Cambodia in its economic recovery.
The Union notes with satisfaction the results
achieved at the August meeting in New York, under the
auspices of Mr. Kofi Annan, between the Foreign
Ministers of Indonesia and Portugal on the question of
East Timor. We commend the Secretary-General and his
Personal Representative for their efforts in this regard.
We welcome the Ministersâ agreement to enter into
in-depth negotiations on issues related to the question of
East Timor, addressed in the final communiquÃ© of the
meeting, without prejudice to their basic positions of
principle. We hope that these negotiations will lead to a
14

just, comprehensive and internationally acceptable solution
in the near future, respecting the rights and legitimate
aspirations of the people, in accordance with the resolutions
of the General Assembly and with the principles enshrined
in the United Nations Charter. We welcome the prospect of
the closer involvement of the East Timorese in the search
for a solution.
I am deeply concerned at the continuing violations of
human rights and lack of progress towards democracy in
Burma/Myanmar. We strongly deplore the repressive
actions of the Burmese authorities, including the arrest of
several hundred members of the opposition. We call upon
the State Peace and Development Council once again to
bring human rights violations to an end and to enter into a
substantive dialogue with opposition leaders, especially and
including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and representatives of
ethnic minorities, in order to establish democratic rule in
accordance with the will of the people as expressed in
democratic elections held in 1990. The Union seeks to
cooperate closely with other countries, in particular in the
region, to resolve the worrying situation in the country.
Although the challenges of the twenty-first century
will be different from those we have been used to dealing
with in past decades, we are convinced that the United
Nations will become more indispensable than ever as the
forum for global cooperation. What we have to do now is
to make our world Organization fit for the next century.
The Secretary-Generalâs reform programme is excellent.
The reform of our world Organization is in the interest
of all Member States. Of course, reform is not a cost-
cutting exercise alone, but an ongoing process which will
ultimately lead to a substantial improvement of the work
done in the United Nations family. This process will help
the Organization to better focus on the fulfilment of
mandates and on the improvement of programme delivery.
Consequently, the European Union will continue vigorously
to support reform based on the proposals of the Secretary-
General and the decisions of the General Assembly.
As far as the organization and methods of work of
intergovernmental bodies are concerned, and especially of
the General Assembly, we attach particular importance to
the implementation of the reforms already agreed upon. We
would welcome further improvements, particularly the
streamlining of agendas, the reduction of duplication and
better coordination between bodies dealing with similar
issues.
The European Union firmly believes that the General
Assembly should concentrate on implementing the
significant agreements reached in some working groups of
the General Assembly and at the major United Nations
conferences. Carefully wrought compromises that allowed
adoption by consensus were the result of a great amount
of time and energy invested by all Member States.
The European Union is firmly committed to finding
solutions to the United Nations financial crisis.
Continuing high levels of unpaid assessments are
undermining the financial stability and liquidity, and
therefore the purpose and goal, of the United Nations.
This places a heavy and unfair burden upon troop-
contributing countries. The member States of the
European Union have consistently honoured their
financial obligations towards the United Nations. They
pay their contributions in full, on time and without
conditions. A sound financial basis requires that all
Member States fulfil their Charter obligations. The United
States cannot be exempt from such obligations.
As a permanent member of the Security Council, the
United States has a special responsibility towards the
United Nations. We express our sincere hope that
Washington will soon settle its arrears and live up to the
legitimate expectations of Member States of the United
Statesâ role in the world Organization.
The European Union has grown from 100 million
people to 400 million today. With only 8 per cent of the
world population, the Union provides for 60 per cent of
development and 50 per cent of humanitarian assistance.
Eighty per cent of international aid to Russia and the
republics of the former Soviet Union, and 50 per cent of
the assistance to the Palestinian territories are paid by the
European Union. Forty per cent of the reconstruction help
to Bosnia and Herzegovina come from the member States
of the European Union. We are the strongest supporter of
the United Nations. Our contributions account for 36 per
cent of the regular budget and 39 per cent of the
peacekeeping budget. The Union is ready to use its
political weight for the benefit of the entire international
community, in particular developing countries.
Let me conclude by reaffirming the European
Unionâs deep commitment to the purposes and principles
of the United Nations Charter. We will continue to
support strongly the United Nations and the Secretary-
General in carrying out the key objectives: the
maintenance of international peace and security, economic
and social progress, and the promotion of human rights
and democratic freedoms.
15

The message of the European Union to the United
Nations is clear. At the threshold of the new millennium,
we face common threats and challenges. We must join
forces to harness the benefits and diminish the risks of
globalization. We must form a global alliance for human
security. Global cooperation, as understood by the European
Union, means human solidarity to ensure the survival of our
planet and safeguard the future of coming generations.


It is a pleasure for me to convey to you, Sir, the
satisfaction of the delegation of Congo at seeing you
conducting our work. Your unanimous election to the
presidency of the fifty-third session of the General
Assembly not only denotes recognition by the
international community of your great qualities as a
statesman and experienced diplomat, but also attests to the
important role played by your country, Uruguay, in the
maintenance of peace in the world.
12

Mr. President, I wish to convey to you and to the
other members of the Bureau our heartfelt, sincere
congratulations and to assure you of the full cooperation of
the delegation of Congo. I should like also to pay well-
deserved tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy
Udovenko, for the competence and open-mindedness with
which he conducted the work of the previous session.
Finally, I wish to express the appreciation of our
delegation to the Secretary-General of our Organization,
Mr. Kofi Annan, who, in a world where violence, injustice
and frustration predominate, has been tirelessly striving to
assert the virtues of dialogue and tolerance and to promote
peace and development. Peace and development: these two
ideals have for decades posed a major challenge to the
international community.
It is very difficult to take the floor after all of the
outstanding and talented speakers who have spoken from
this rostrum. What more could I add to all of the points so
eloquently made about Africa and the rest of the world?
For more than a decade now, Africa has made the
headlines only as the result of crises and conflicts: civil
wars, inter-State wars, drought, famine and epidemics. All
of these obstacles so impede the development of our
continent that we cannot but wonder whether Africa will be
entering the third millennium on the wrong foot.
Unfortunately, Congo, my country, is an example of
this. A year ago, Congo had been in the throes of a civil
war for five long months. The international community and
our Organization in particular strove hard to find a
negotiated solution to the conflict. We wish to pay tribute
to the commendable efforts made by the Secretary-General
jointly with a numerous African heads of State.
Unfortunately, we all know that these efforts were
unsuccessful.
We are convinced that respect for the state of law and
good governance remain, in a sound economic environment,
a prerequisite for the well-being of our peoples. And it is
because they did not understand this point that the former
ruling class imposed on the peaceful citizens of my country
two civil wars in the space of five years, the latest of
which — that of 1997 — was the most deadly and the most
devastating.
We do not intend to dwell on the many ways the
former regime violated the rules of democracy, even if this
would be helpful in understanding the causes of the tragic
events that my country has experienced.
Today the war is over. Congo is resolutely looking
to the future. The future means national reconciliation; it
means rebuilding our devastated country; it means
resuming the democratic process.
From 5 to 14 January last, a national forum was held
at Brazzaville to study practical modalities to attain these
goals. That forum, which brought together more than
1,400 participants representing all segments of Congolese
society, established a transitional Parliament and set the
duration for this transitional period at three years.
The Government of National Unity and Public
Salvation is now concentrating on the following priorities:
the reconciliation of all the sons and daughters of the
country; the rehabilitation of our infrastructure; the
restoration of State administration; the resumption of the
democratic process — census-taking started again last
August; the reorganization of our national economy with,
inter alia, the privatization of the major State companies;
and the resumption of negotiations with international
financial institutions, which concluded in June this year
with the adoption of a post-conflict programme.
Today, in the light of the results obtained, we can
state that the transitional timetable will be respected.
These encouraging results have yet to be
consolidated, and our country is still fragile because of
the turmoil in the subregion.
The events taking place in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo cause great concern to my country, since
our stability largely depends on that of our neighbours. I
therefore want to reaffirm the Congolese Government?s
commitment to respect the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our
country will never serve as a base of operations for the
destabilization of this fraternal country.
Understanding the costs of civil war and anxious to
contribute to finding a political solution to this crisis,
Congo (Brazzaville) has been working with its various
contacts among all the States of the subregion. This was
the case in Durban during the summit of the Non-Aligned
Countries, when President Denis Sassou Nguesso met
most of his counterparts, and more recently in Libreville,
at the summit of Central African heads of State.
Our country intends to honour its commitments
under the relevant provisions of Conventions of the
Organization of African Unity and the United Nations
13

relating to refugees and displaced persons. Therefore, I
must solemnly repudiate the false allegations by certain
media of a supposed agreement between the Governments
of the two Congos to transfer displaced Rwandans located
in Congo (Brazzaville) to Congo (Kinshasa) so that they
can participate in the war. The displaced Rwandans living
in Congo (Brazzaville) are in fact under the control of the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, and any movement of them is taking place
without the support of our Government, which wishes to
inform the international community that it refuses to accept
any responsibility for the consequences.
In Angola the hopes aroused by the Lusaka Protocol
have been continually dashed by the bad faith and sudden
reversals of position of Mr. Jonas Savimbi, who is thereby
taking a whole segment of the Angolan people hostage,
denying them the opportunity to pursue development tasks.
My country firmly supports the Angolan Government in its
efforts to achieve lasting peace in the country and to
finalize rapidly and completely the implementation of the
Lusaka Accords. My country completely supports the
decision adopted by the Southern African Development
Community heads of State or Government in Mauritius,
describing Mr. Jonas Savimbi as the person solely
responsible for the deterioration of the situation in Angola
and calling upon other States to refrain from providing any
support for Mr. Jonas Savimbi and his militarist wing.
I would like to take this occasion to pay tribute to the
memory of Alioune Blondin Beye, a worthy son of Africa,
who gave the best of himself, including making the
supreme sacrifice, in the search for peace in Angola.
As regards other hot spots, the Congo always
advocates negotiated solutions. Therefore, we welcome the
ceasefire in Guinea-Bissau, and we hope that it will be used
to work out a final solution to that conflict.
The same goes for the conflict between Ethiopia and
Eritrea; in this regard, we support the efforts of the
Organization of African Unity mediation committee.
We cannot overlook the crises and tensions prevailing
in other parts of the world, notably in the Middle East,
where the peace process relaunched by the Oslo Accords is
now stalled, but also in South Asia, where the recent
nuclear tests conducted by India and then Pakistan have
heightened the already high level of tension.
The establishment of just and lasting peace in the
world requires full recognition of the destabilizing factors
as well as of the real solutions to development problems.
One only needs recall the extent to which peace and
development are linked.
In the light of the changes in the world, and after
more than half a century of existence, the United Nations
seems to be gradually and dangerously moving away from
the vision of its founding fathers. Solidarity seems to be
giving way to a selfishness that has no time for
solidarity. This new trend is making increasingly
difficult the management of economic questions, which
have already been the subject of much thought, without
producing any prospect of an improvement in the living
standards of the peoples of most of our States.
Violence, famine, disease and poverty continue to
afflict our peoples. The underlying causes of these
scourges are constantly the subject of a multitude of
studies and various economic stimulation and
development programmes, but without result, because of
a lack of real commitment by the international
community. The Agenda for Development, the
international strategy for the development of Africa, the
Secretary-General?s System-wide Special Initiative on
Africa — to cite merely those examples — are just so
many plans that no longer give reason for optimism.
Today globalization is supposed to be the panacea.
This at least is the philosophy of worldwide liberalization.
But how can we be confident when the export
opportunities for the developing countries are often
neutralized by protectionism in a new guise, which uses
various pretexts — technical standards, environmental and
social concerns, or even concerns about human rights?
How can we be confident when official development
assistance continues to decline? How can we be sure
when the weakest economies are bending beneath the
burden of debt?
With regard to Africa, we believe that through
economic integration we can mitigate the undesirable
effects of globalization. Through greater solidarity we can
hope to meet the challenges we face.
This year the international community is
commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. It is very significant that
this anniversary coincides with the establishment of the
International Criminal Court, which our Government
considers to be a major step forward. We believe that this
event puts the finishing touch to the magnificent edifice
14

that the founding fathers began constructing more than 50
years ago.
But today?s United Nations is not the same as the old
one. Where once there were only a few dozen Member
States, today there are 185. The problems of peace and
development are not what they were in 1945. It is time to
review the management of our communal house. It is time
to reform the Organization, including the Security Council.
It is time to democratize the Organization in order to better
adapt it to the requirements of the coming millennium.
I cannot conclude without expressing the compassion
of the Congolese Government and those affected by the
calamity now afflicting the Caribbean and the southern
United States as a result of hurricane Georges. This wanton
unleashing of the forces of nature reminds us that we are
all, large and small, in the same boat — our planet
Earth — and that we must show solidarity to one another.


First allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on your
election to the crucial post of President of the General
Assembly and to wish you success in guiding the work of
this important forum.
The example of Tajikistan clearly demonstrates the
fruitfulness of close cooperation between the United
Nations and regional organizations in peacekeeping
activities and highlights the need for the international
community to implement a coordinated strategy to support
the efforts of the Government and people of a country to
resolve crises, overcome instability and find ways to
achieve lasting peace, national reconciliation and
prosperity. We welcome the key role played by the
United Nations in coordinating this multifaceted work.
I would like once again to express my profound
gratitude to all Members of the General Assembly and the
Security Council and to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi
Annan, for their growing and multifaceted support for the
peace process in Tajikistan and for their overall
unflagging attention to our problems, which, regrettably,
remain acute.
We commend the efforts of all States and
international organizations that are acting as guarantors of
the General Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and
National Accord in Tajikistan signed on 27 June last year
in Moscow and reached with the assistance of the United
Nations. During the almost five years they were stationed
on the territory of Tajikistan, the collective peacekeeping
forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States, by
their presence and practical actions, helped stabilize the
situation in our country and helped us continue to pursue
the complex inter-Tajik political dialogue. This has led to
the implementation of the historic agreements that
resulted from these talks.
We express our deep appreciation to all our friends
— countries and international organizations, and in
particular United Nations agencies — that empathize with
the people of Tajikistan in their hardships and are trying
to help them overcome them as soon as possible.
While paying due tribute to the United Nations for
its contribution to the strengthening of peace and national
reconciliation in Tajikistan, we are fully aware that the
primary responsibility for restoring peaceful life in our
country and for the future of our motherland lies with the
leadership of the Republic of Tajikistan and with the
Tajik opposition.
19

We believe that the peace process in Tajikistan,
though arduous, is becoming more established and is
moving towards national accord. This is born out by the
fact that the work of the Commission on National
Reconciliation has definitely entered a constructive phase.
The majority of refugees and displaced persons have
returned home. The process of reintegrating the United
Tajik Opposition armed formations into the Government
military structures has begun. The majority of the
participants in the military and political resistance
movement have been granted amnesty and released from
prison. All prisoners of war have been released. Virtually
all the leaders of the Opposition forces have returned to the
country and are living and working in Dushanbe.
Representatives of the Opposition have been appointed to
a number of important Government posts. A process is
under way to bring the nation’s laws up to date with the
new needs of political life in Tajikistan. A number of other
serious measures have also been implemented.
Guided by the vital aspirations of the people and
recognizing that there is no viable alternative to full and
timely implementation of the Tajikistan General Agreement,
the country’s leadership is determined to continue to do all
it can to ensure speedy implementation of all the provisions
of the General Agreement.
We are grateful for the empathy for our problems
shown by the former Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Tajikistan, Mr. Gerd Dietrich
Merrem, who completed his work in May this year. We are
prepared to build on this positive experience of cooperation
in our relations with his successor, Mr. Jan Kubisz.
Tajikistan has great respect for the United Nations
Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT) and for all its
staff. These brave and noble people are serving a lofty goal
under difficult conditions and are making a valuable
contribution to the attainment of national accord and the
establishment of peace and tranquillity in our country.
The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
reaffirms its desire to continue to closely cooperate with the
United Nations in implementing the peace accords and in
the post-conflict reconstruction of the country. We have
taken decisive action to prevent excesses similar to the
tragic death this past July of four UNMOT officers, and to
provide better security for all personnel of international
organizations present in Tajikistan.
While in no way diminishing the United Nations
obvious achievements in organizing collective international
responses to crisis situations in various regions of the
world, we feel obliged to draw attention once again to the
dangerous, protracted Afghan conflict, which remains
unresolved. We have particular reason for highlighting
this problem — above all because we feel profound
sympathy for the continuing sufferings of the fraternal
people of Afghanistan. Moreover, we, together with our
nearest neighbours and Russia, are very seriously
concerned about the dangers posed by the situation in
Afghanistan, which threatens to destabilize the entire
Central Asian region; to lead to a massive and
spontaneous exodus of Afghan refugees across the border
into Tajikistan; and to spread terrorism, arms and drugs.
We are especially alarmed about the threat of the
proliferation of religious extremism, and are joining
forces with Russia and Uzbekistan to counter it. Since the
inter-Tajik reconciliation process has not been completed,
all these factors are impacting very negatively on the
situation in our country.
As the history of Afghanistan shows, the use of
force by any internal or external actors not only is
incapable of solving the problems of Afghan society, but
is fraught with the danger of a new escalation of civil war
in that country. In this context, we cannot but feel
alarmed at developments in Afghanistan, in particular the
open disregard for the efforts of the international
community to find a political solution to the conflict and
for the Afghan people’s desire to preserve the integrity of
their State.
We, together with the other members of the Almaty
Five, are closely following developments in the Islamic
State of Afghanistan. Tajikistan fully supports the United
Nations playing a central role in coordinating all
international efforts to find an Afghan settlement. As a
member of the group of neighbours and friends of
Afghanistan, the Six plus Two group, we are firm in our
opposition to any external interference in the affairs of
Afghanistan, including interference in the form of sending
military personnel and arms to that country.
The Republic of Tajikistan notes the important role
played by the United Nations in disarmament and in a
whole range of problems related to strengthening non-
proliferation regimes with regard to weapons of mass
destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. In this context,
we are joining the initiative of our neighbours to create a
nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. We believe the
establishment of such a nuclear-free zone requires, first
and foremost, action on the part of prospective parties to
that treaty. We need to consider such questions as the
20

definitive geographical configuration of this zone; the
substance and range of guarantees granted to the parties by
the nuclear Powers; how to deal with any transporting of
nuclear weapons through such a zone; verification
measures; and other matters.
Our position on the establishment of a nuclear-
weapon-free zone in Central Asia cannot overlook the fact
that India and Pakistan have conducted nuclear tests. We
fully support the urgent appeal of the Security Council to
India and Pakistan to accede to the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We believe that
both these countries — along with the overwhelming
majority of members of the international community —
must choose the path of preventing the proliferation of
nuclear weapons.
The evolution of the world economy today is
characterized by increasing globalization and liberalization.
This is reflected in the growing interdependence and greater
openness of national economies and of commodity and
financial markets — a development that is beginning to
have both positive and negative impacts.
We share the view that, in addition to national efforts
to increase their economic and social potential, developing
countries and those in transition need the consolidated
support of the international community, including that of
the United Nations and other multilateral institutions.
Above all, we have in mind two things: first, the
creation of favourable international conditions so as to
provide open access to markets, as well as to financial
resources and modern technology; secondly, assistance in
overcoming poverty, protecting the environment,
implementing economic reforms and enhancing the
competitiveness of national enterprises. Unless we resolve
these problems, it will be impossible to fully integrate
countries in transition into the world economy.
For Tajikistan those matters are all the more relevant
given that our country has many outstanding problems
caused by the prolonged period of military confrontation, as
well as challenges directly related to its peaceful settlement.
They include the humanitarian needs of rather large and
vulnerable segments of the country’s population — needs
for food, medicine and health care. Vital infrastructure, in
particular for water supply and sanitation, needs to be
rehabilitated. And, finally, assistance is needed to help
refugees and displaced persons return home, and to
demobilize and reintegrate the Tajik Opposition fighters
into civilian life.
The leadership of Tajikistan is doing all it can to
deal with the country’s humanitarian crisis caused by the
internal conflict, to rebuild the basic elements of the
national economy and to make progress in transforming
it into a socially oriented market economy. However,
these efforts will be insufficient without the assistance of
many countries and international organizations, including
the humanitarian agencies of the United Nations system
and the charitable funds. In this regard, we note in
particular the work of the United Nations Resident
Coordinator in Tajikistan, who is responsible for
coordinating international aid to Tajikistan for its post-
conflict reconstruction and further sustainable
development.
We hope that at this fifty-third session there will be
broad support for a resolution that fully reflects
Tajikistan’s needs at this difficult stage in its
development, including the tasks related to
implementation of the General Agreement on the
Establishment of Peace and National Accord in our
country.
We have gratefully acknowledged the consolidated
appeal drawn up by United Nations agencies to meet the
humanitarian needs of the Tajik people for 1998. This
appeal clearly defined the priorities and set the minimum
amount of external aid required. We would be grateful to
donors if, reflecting the spirit of support for the peace
process in Tajikistan expressed at the Vienna meeting of
donors in October last year and at the Paris conference
held in May this year, they would meet the goals of this
appeal.
We attach great importance to continuing our
cooperation with institutions such as the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund, which are seeking to
provide assistance during the post-conflict reconstruction
and development of the Tajik economy. We hope that in
the near future this cooperation will further expand.
Tajikistan consistently supports various United
Nations efforts to protect the environment. As a
predominantly mountainous country, Tajikistan sees
particular relevance in increasing the attention paid by the
international community to the preservation of biological
diversity and natural mountain ecosystems. In this
connection, we actively supported the proposal of the
Kyrgyz Republic to declare the year 2000 the
21

International Year of the Mountain. We were one of the co-
sponsors of the relevant draft resolution, which we hope
will be adopted by consensus at this session.
We are inspired and encouraged by the growing
interest of the United Nations in helping to solve the
environmental problems faced by our country and other
countries of Central Asia. In our view, one of the most
serious ecological challenges posed not only to Tajikistan
but to almost all the countries of the region is to eliminate
the potential threat of the major natural disasters that could
occur if no effective action is taken to normalize the
situation in the area of Lake Sarez, which lies 3,263 metres
above sea level and contains 17 billion tonnes of water.
This poses a grave danger not only for the people of
Tajikistan but also for neighbouring Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, which could sustain serious
damage in the event of a breakage of the natural dam that
was formed at the beginning of this century as a result of
an earthquake. We count on our renewed cooperation with
the United Nations for help in dealing with this problem in
a comprehensive manner.
Among the many problems on the United Nations
agenda, we would like to stress the issue of combating the
drug menace, whose deleterious impact, unfortunately, has
not bypassed our country. We fully support the coordinating
role of the United Nations in the mobilization of the
international community’s efforts in this area. We note the
usefulness and timeliness of the convening in June this year
of the special session of the General Assembly devoted to
this issue.
Tajikistan, together with its closest neighbours, is
taking active steps to halt illicit drug trafficking. It is
broadening its cooperation with the United Nations
International Drug Control Programme. As is well known
to those who have observed the situation in one of our
neighbouring countries, “narcodollars” create fertile soil for
terrorism and illicit drugs and arms trafficking. We view
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as a grave
crime against humanity. The Government of the Republic
of Tajikistan vigorously condemns the acts of violence that
have been committed recently in certain countries. We call
upon the United Nations and its Members to declare
merciless and uncompromising war on terrorism all over
the world.
Tajikistan supports the steps being taken by the
Secretary-General to reform the entire United Nations
system to enable it to serve better in a new environment,
and to deal with different issues without undermining the
foundation of its activities. This point must be taken into
account when dealing with expansion of the membership
of the Security Council, so that this important body can
continue effectively and expeditiously to discharge its
primary responsibility under the United Nations Charter:
the maintenance of international peace and security.
We are confident that the joint efforts of Members
to reform the Organization will lead to a renewal which
will preserve its universal character and its ability to
adequately meet current and future challenges.


I take
pleasure in congratulating Mr. Opertti on his election to the
presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-third
session, and I pledge my delegation’s full cooperation. I
commend his predecessor, Mr. Udovenko, for bringing the
fifty-second session of the General Assembly to a
successful conclusion. I take great pleasure in expressing
my pride in our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. His
leadership and many achievements during the short period
of his tenure are highly commendable.
Just as this session of the General Assembly
coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, it also coincides,
providentially, with the fiftieth anniversary of the
commencement of peacekeeping operations by the United
Nations. These coincidences are striking because, while
one was envisaged in the Charter of our Organization and
was the subject of painstaking negotiations, the other was
a chance development, not having been envisaged in the
Charter. Yet both have had a profound effect on the
influence of the United Nations in global affairs and on
the perception of the Organization by those whom it was
established to serve and who were identified in the
opening words of the Charter as “We the peoples of the
United Nations”.
The double celebration this year should also enable
us to appreciate better the interrelationship between
human rights and peacekeeping. There can be no question
of human rights being enjoyed in a situation of conflict.
Put another way, conflicts create conditions for the most
outrageous violations of human rights, since, contrary to
all international law and rationality, the most vulnerable
in society — children, women and the aged — are often
targeted and deprived of the most basic of human rights,
the right to life. As we define and refine our
Organization’s responsibilities in peacekeeping, which, by
common consent, is now taken in its broadest sense to
mean the prevention, management and resolution of
conflicts, let us always be conscious that the universal
enjoyment of human rights, one of the major aspirations
of humanity, cannot and will not be achieved unless we
devote as much effort to the elimination of the conditions
that provoke the violation of those rights.
I believe that it is with this fact in mind that
international organizations, whether global, regional or
subregional, have been devoting considerable time to
devising effective means of preventing, managing and
resolving conflicts in their various area of competence. Of
course, the United Nations, with its unique role as the
only global Organization invested with authority for the
maintenance of international peace and security, is,
appropriately, taking the lead in these efforts. Following
“An Agenda for Peace” (A/47/277) and its supplement
(A/50/60), and at the request of the Security Council, the
4

Secretary-General presented to us at this session his report
entitled “The causes of conflict and the promotion of
durable peace and sustainable development in Africa”,
document A/52/871. The report represents a very
comprehensive and incisive study of the causes of conflict
in Africa. The recommendations therein, if implemented by
African countries as well as by the United Nations, could
reverse the pestilence of conflicts which are ravaging the
continent.
In this connection, my delegation would like to
underscore the role of the Security Council in dealing with
African conflicts. While the Organization of African Unity
(OAU) has demonstrated a commitment to taking the lead
in the resolution of conflicts on the continent, the fact is
that its Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management
and Resolution will take time and will require resources not
immediately available to Africa if it is to evolve to its
maximum capacity. In the meantime, the efforts of the
subregional organizations, which are increasingly taking the
initiative in their various regions, need to be adequately
supported by the international community.
My country, the Central African Republic, has been
the beneficiary of such an initiative, which was taken by a
group of African countries, to deal with the internal
conflicts that erupted with three successive army mutinies
in 1996. The Inter-African Mission to Monitor the
Implementation of the Bangui Agreements (MISAB), which
was composed of troops from Gabon, Chad, Burkina Faso,
Mali, Senegal and Togo, was given strong logistic support
by France. It operated in Bangui from January 1997 to
April 1998 as both a force of interposition and a guarantor
to ensure the observance of the peace accord which was
brokered by four African heads of State. My delegation
would like to pay very high tribute to the Presidents of
Gabon, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Senegal and Togo for
the great sacrifice they made in the interests of our
continent.
I should also like to pay great tribute to France for its
invaluable support of the African initiative. At the request
of my head of State, and with the agreement of the inter-
African group, the Security Council graciously consented to
send a United Nations peacekeeping operation to replace
the inter African force.
The United Nations Mission in the Central African
Republic (MINURCA), which commenced operations in
Bangui on 15 April 1998, is the first proactive mission
established by the United Nations in Africa. It has been
making a major contribution to the restoration of lasting
peace and security in our country and has assisted the
peace-building efforts of the Government and the people
of the Central African Republic. It is a practical
demonstration of the incisive observation of our
Secretary-General, in his report entitled “The causes of
conflicts and the promotion of durable peace and
sustainable development in Africa”, to the effect that
“the deployment of a multidisciplinary peacekeeping
operation may well represent the best chance to
establish peace and build a foundation for lasting
development, based on respect for human rights and
the rehabilitation of civic institutions.” (A/52/871,
para. 37)
A major step in the restoration of the institutions of
State in our country is the organization of a free, fair and
transparent legislative election. In his letter to the
Secretary-General requesting the assistance of the
international community in re-establishing peace and
security, my President, Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, invited
the United Nations, inter alia, to supervise the legislative
and presidential elections in the country. That request was
a measure of both the confidence which we have in the
United Nations and our commitment to a transparent
democracy built on the freely expressed will of our
people. I wish therefore to express my Government’s
satisfaction for the assistance of MINURCA in the
preparations for the legislative elections. We are looking
forward to the decision of the Security Council which will
enable MINURCA to provide further assistance for the
electoral process, thus giving all Central Africans the
assurance of the freedom, fairness and transparency of
this most important aspect of the democratic process.
Needless to say, United Nations assistance in the
process is a worthwhile investment in good governance,
which itself is the sure foundation for peace, security and
development. No effort should therefore be spared by our
Organization in rallying to the support of those Member
States that are making genuine efforts to instal a system
that in itself constitutes a conflict-prevention mechanism.
The cost of such support, which also constitutes an
investment in peace-building, is in the end much less, and
the results more satisfying, than those of a fire-fighting
response after the outbreak of a conflict.
Bearing these factors in mind, I wish to appeal, on
behalf of my Government, to the Security Council to take
a comprehensive approach that avoids a premature exit of
MINURCA, thus compromising the objective for which
the Mission was installed in Bangui. My Government has
5

exerted itself to fulfil the commitments made by President
Patassé to transparency and accountability in his letter to
the Secretary-General requesting the presence of the United
Nations in our country.
One major result of those efforts was the positive
judgment of the Bretton Woods institutions which permitted
the conclusion last July of a long-sought accord on
enhanced structural adjustment facility. Needless to say, this
would not have been possible without the assurance of
security given by the presence and the activities of
MINURCA.
However, much remains to be done, and the presence
and cooperation of MINURCA will be indispensable for
success. Most important is the restructuring and retraining
of our security services, both civil and military. The
commencement by MINURCA of the retraining of the
various categories of our police and gendarmerie services
have already yielded some positive results, and the
continuation of the programme, as is being done in other
United Nations operations in other parts of the world, will
prove an invaluable legacy of United Nations peace-
building efforts in our country.
Africa should not be denied this benefit which
emanates from the reappraisal of the components of
comprehensive United Nations peacekeeping operations.
Civilian police training programmes have become an
essential element of these operations, but they have not
been known to commence and end in a period of nine
months. An African situation cannot be presumed to be
different, particularly when it is in the region now
considered to be most prone to the phenomenon of
conflicts.
Besides, the restructuring of our armed forces is being
commenced with the involvement of MINURCA, which
was given a role to play by Security Council resolution
1182 (1998) of 14 July 1998. The joint committee
consisting of representatives of the Government and of
MINURCA is to elaborate the legal instrument which
should form the basis for our defence policy and armed
forces, as well as a comprehensive programme for a widely
representative, national, and well-trained force that will also
be a useful instrument for development. The hope of my
Government is that the Security Council will allow
MINURCA sufficient time to assist us in these
indispensable peace-building endeavours. A withdrawal, as
is being contemplated at this time, will not be in the
interest of my country or of the Central African subregion,
which is already in great turmoil. I cannot but recall once
again the very pertinent observation of the Secretary-
General in the report which he painstakingly compiled at
the request of the Security Council:
“the deployment of a multidisciplinary peacekeeping
operation may well represent the best chance to
establish peace and build a foundation for lasting
development, based on respect for human rights and
the rehabilitation of civic institutions.” (ibid.)


May I convey to you, Sir,
on behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, our
felicitations on your unanimous election as President of the
General Assembly at its fifty-third session. With a person
of your eminence and experience in the Chair, our session
is assured of a successful outcome.
To your predecessor, Hennadiy Udovenko, I express
our deep appreciation for a job well done. We truly had a
reform Assembly. It was a matter of great satisfaction for
Bangladesh to support his brilliant work on United Nations
reform, especially through our role as the Chairman of the
Administrative and Budgetary Committee. We are
particularly grateful that, at the concluding meeting of the
fifty-second session, he appealed to the international
community for solidarity with the people of Bangladesh at
a time when our country was inundated by the worst floods
in our history.

In this yearâs unprecedented floods, two thirds of our
country was completely inundated and nearly 31 million
people were affected. Over 20 million were rendered
homeless. Immense damage was done to crops, roads,
bridges, clinics, schools and industrial plants. With the
receding of the flood waters, we are bracing ourselves for
the even greater problems of water-borne diseases and
scarcity of food and safe drinking water, compounded by
homelessness and unemployment. Under the direct
supervision of Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina, we are
reaching out to the affected people with assistance. The
enormous scale of damage challenges us with a task of
colossal magnitude. The cost of relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction has been estimated at approximately $900
million.
The United Nations system, I am happy to say, has
responded to our needs and requirements, as have our
development partners and many friendly countries. On
behalf of the Government and the people of Bangladesh, we
would like to express our sincere thanks to Secretary-
General Kofi Annan for his support for and solidarity with
Bangladesh at this hour of need. We are also thankful to
the diplomatic missions stationed in Dhaka, the
international organizations, non-governmental organizations
and Bangladesh nationals abroad for their continued
support, understanding and sympathy towards Bangladesh
and its efforts to face the challenges. I reiterate here the
appeal made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the
generous and continuing support of the international
community to Bangladesh in the coming days.
Floods are not unknown in Bangladesh. Flooding as
we have been experiencing this year is unprecedented
both in magnitude and duration. The Secretary-General in
his annual report has referred to threats to human
security, including natural disasters. Indeed, of all natural
disasters floods cause the most widespread havoc and
misery.
Bangladesh, of course, is not the only country to
have suffered severe flooding this monsoon season. The
cause of this yearâs floods may well be complex. We
cannot help but be perturbed, however, by the observation
in the Human Development Report of this year that global
warming could permanently flood large areas and play
havoc with harvests. The report cautions that the human
consequences of global warming can be devastating for
many poor countries like Bangladesh, which could see its
land area shrunk by as much as 17 per cent with a one
metre rise in sea level.
Elements and factors that affect the global ecosystem
and the environment are interlinked. They transcend
national frontiers and can be addressed meaningfully only
by nations acting in concert. It is a matter of survival for
many peoples, and the highest priority should be given to
this issue. We have come a long way since Rio, and yet,
very few tangible benefits have been achieved in the
absence of promised new and additional resources.
Since assuming office following elections in June
1996, our Government has been trying to put in place and
strengthen institutions and laws that will reinforce
democracy and promote good governance. In December
last year, we negotiated an end to the long-standing
problem in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Chittagong
Hill Tracts Agreement was concluded within the
framework of our Constitution, and it fully meets the
legitimate concerns of the tribal population. We are now
putting into place the necessary laws and institutional
machinery pertaining to the Agreement and widening
developmental activities in the area. My Government
welcomes cooperation in this effort from all our
development partners.
Our commitment to democracy and the rule of law
has prompted us to accord priority to human rights. We
are in the process of setting up an independent national
28

human rights commission. Our objective is to take the
human rights issue to the grass-roots level, to increase
awareness among our people of their rights that have been
guaranteed by our Constitution and to make the process of
justice accessible and affordable to all. A lot remains to be
done, and we have made a good beginning.
Bangladesh believes in the centrality of the right to
development within the human rights regime. The
implementation of the right to development will be further
enhanced through a binding international treaty on this
right. We are therefore very pleased that at the recent
summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Durban, the
heads of State and Government endorsed our Prime
Minsterâs proposal that consideration be given to the
preparation of a convention on the right to development.
At home we have also embarked on a comprehensive
programme of reform and deregulation. Social development
has remained the main focus of our development strategy.
Education, health care, employment generation and
womenâs empowerment within the broad framework of
human development continue to receive priority attention.
We are focusing on the rights of women and children. The
role and involvement of civil society in our development
efforts, particularly in the social sector, have been
remarkable.
The process of globalization and liberalization brings
risks, grave challenges and opportunities, but in unequal
ways. The external economic shocks associated with this
process are too powerful for the vulnerable economies to
absorb. This is now being recognized even by the
beneficiaries of globalization. As has been said, the
globalization process must reflect a more inclusive vision
of shared interests and shared values. We would support the
views of the Secretary-General of the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that a
global economy should mean that no one will be left
behind.
We need to ensure that the process of globalization
and liberalization meets our development needs. We need
to formulate a positive and workable agenda for ensuring
that globalization promotes equity and benefit for all. An
integral component of the globalization process is unfettered
movement of the factors of production, including capital
and labour. We need to encourage migration of labour in
order to ensure balance in globalization.
Official development assistance in real terms has
declined by more than 15 per cent from 1992 to 1996. This
decline must be halted and reversed. For the poorest and
more vulnerable economies, official development
assistance remains indispensable. We call on all
developed countries to reach the agreed target of 0.7 per
cent for the developing countries and 0.15 to 0.2 per cent
for the least developed countries as soon as possible,
preferably by 2000.
The least developed countries represent the most
vulnerable economies and peoples of the world. The
ministerial communiquÃ© issued after the 1998 substantive
session of the Economic and Social Council underscored
certain timely issues. In particular, I would mention the
call for working together for enhanced market access for
the least developed countries and to support their efforts
at capacity-building. We also welcome the call for further
progress towards zero tariff on exports from least
developed countries.
Preferential treatment accorded to least developed
countries should not be time-bound. The restrictive trade
regimes of labour and environmental standards should be
made flexible. We need to adequately prepare to address
these and other relevant issues in the forthcoming Third
United Nations Conference on the Least Developed
Countries, to be held in 2001.
The situation in the least developed countries in
particular makes it clear that the eradication of poverty
continues to be our overriding concern. It is essential to
ensure long-term global security, as well as to achieve
sustainable, economic and social development. We believe
that the goal of the Microcredit Summit held last year, to
reach 100 million of the worldâs poorest families,
especially the women of those families, will become a
reality by the year 2005. Effective microcredit
programmes provide access to small capital to people
living in poverty in many countries of the world. In
addition to the eradication of poverty, the microcredit
programmes have also been contributing to the social and
human development process, particularly the
empowerment of women.
As the Secretary-General has noted in his annual
report, the world has been free from large-scale regional
conflict over the past year. Peace on a global scale and in
a meaningful sense, however, still remains a distant goal.
The post-cold-war reality underscores that we need to
build a culture of peace based on the principles enshrined
in the United Nations Charter and on respect for human
rights, democracy, tolerance and wider and equal
participation of people in all spheres of human activity.
We welcome the proclamation of the year 2000 as the
International Year for the Culture of Peace and the
29

proposed proclamation of the period 2001 to 2010 as the
international decade for the culture of peace and non-
violence for the children of the world. The Secretary-
General has been requested to submit a draft declaration
and programme of action on the culture of peace to this
session. We hope it will be possible for the General
Assembly to adopt these documents at the earliest
opportunity.
We are particularly concerned that hopes for a just,
lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East are yet
to be fulfilled. The framework for such a peace exists in the
relevant Security Council resolutions, the principles of the
Madrid Conference and the Oslo accords. The principle of
land for peace has been accepted by all, and yet our
Palestinian brethren continue to be frustrated in their hopes
and aspirations. New settlements, expansion of the
Jerusalem municipal area and large-scale internment of
Palestinians without fair trial cannot promote the cause of
peace. Bangladesh strongly believes that nothing should be
allowed to thwart the peace process. We would urge that
every moral pressure and persuasion be brought to bear
upon the Israeli authorities so that the peace process can
progress to its logical culmination. We look forward to the
early establishment of an independent, sovereign State of
Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital, and to its full
membership of the United Nations.
The cause of the sufferings of our brothers and sisters
in many African countries, particularly in the Great Lakes
region, needs to be addressed more comprehensively. The
recent plight of the people of Kosovo is a stark reminder of
the not-so-distant events of Bosnia. Peace initiatives in
Afghanistan have yet to make any headway. Peace in that
country has to be built from within. The problem of
Afghanistan can only be resolved by the Afghan people
themselves, without outside interference. In such cases, we
believe in the significant role that the United Nations can
play as a peace-builder.
In the area of arms control and disarmament, some
noteworthy progress has been made. The Ottawa
Convention on anti-personnel landmines will soon come
into force. We welcome the decision of the Conference on
Disarmament to set up committees on security assurances
to non-nuclear-weapon States and also on fissile materials.
For Bangladesh, the pursuit of general and complete
disarmament is a constitutional commitment, and we are
ready to support any and every move that contributes to this
objective. The nuclear tests in South Asia have been the
subject of much debate, discussion and concern. In this
connection, the initiative of Bangladeshâs Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina Wajed to minimize tensions in the region
through personal visits and by urging all concerned to
contribute towards strengthening peace in South Asia and
the world has been widely appreciated. We attach great
importance and priority to our relations with our
neighbouring countries. We are happy at the
announcement of moratoriums on further nuclear testing,
and we remain committed to the goal of a nuclear-
weapons-free world. We believe that the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), to
which Bangladesh is a party, provide useful frameworks
for establishing a nuclear-weapons-free world. It was a
pity to observe that consensus could not be reached in the
Conference on Disarmament to set up an ad hoc
committee for nuclear disarmament.
Last year, our Secretary-General submitted to the
General Assembly a package of reform proposals to make
the United Nations more streamlined and attuned to
present-day problems and realities. Some major decisions
were, in fact, adopted by the fifty-second session on the
basis of these proposals. This session of the Assembly,
we believe, will continue the reform process, resolving in
particular the issues relating to the development account,
results-based budgeting and the so-called sunset clause.
Reforms have, by definition, to be a continual
process. The United Nations has to be adapted to new
conditions and problems. On this there can be no two
opinions. For the past five years we have been discussing
the issue of Security Council reform and expansion. We
have articulated our particular concerns in different
working groups and forums. At the recent Non-Aligned
Movement summit in Durban, the Movementâs collective
position was reaffirmed. I would also stress that it is the
weaker and more vulnerable group of countries that has
the most vital stake in a dynamic and effective United
Nations and its Security Council. These countries
constitute a clear majority among the 185 Member States,
and their concerns should not be overlooked or glossed
over in any reform or restructuring exercise. While
stalemate continues in this area, we are pleased that an
International Criminal Court has seen the light of the day
after so many years of efforts. Despite shortcomings, the
Court is a milestone in United Nations history.
Bangladesh attaches great importance to the
coordinated and integrated follow-up to the decisions
taken at the major United Nations conferences of the
1990s, as an area which contributes effectively to the
reform process. We believe that the outcomes of these
conferences provide the international community with the
30

most important opportunity to ensure a better life for the
peoples of the world at the outset of the twenty-first
century. In particular, we call for concerted efforts to
ensure the success of the special session of the General
Assembly next June for the follow-up to the Cairo
population conference. We also welcome the proposed
millennium Assembly session and hope that it will look into
the issues that will challenge us in the coming decades.
This Assembly session should be our outreach into the
future.
The end of all political efforts, as a former United
Nations Secretary-General once observed, must be the well-
being of the individual in a life of safety and freedom. This
is a goal to which no one is averse. It is also something
that no nation can achieve on its own in a world that is
increasingly interdependent. Peace and security and
development in a real sense are indivisible.
Despite the increasing complexities it faces every day,
the United Nations is functioning today more effectively
and efficiently than before. In recent times it has played a
far more constructive and positive role. The United Nations,
of course, has its critics and, indeed, may even benefit from
constructive criticism. There is always scope for change and
improvement. The United Nations has had its share of
failures, which so often seem much more glaring than its
quiet successes. There can be no doubt that it remains the
sole universal platform for humanity to chart its future in
the new millennium.