It is my
pleasure to congratulate the President on his election. It
bears witness to the esteem which the international
community has for his country and for him. In wishing
him every success in the conduct of our work, I should
like to assure him also of the sincere cooperation of the
delegation of Benin.
May I also pay a well-deserved tribute to his
predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of Namibia, for the outstanding work
he accomplished.
In view of the developments in international
relations, the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, had
the felicitous initiative of gathering the highest
20

representatives of the peoples of the world for
consultations on a new world order and on the role
which the United Nations will be called upon to play.
I would like to pay him a well-deserved tribute
and emphasize the determined conviction and
competence with which he heads the Organization.
The Millennium Summit showed once again that
multilateralism and international cooperation remain
the best approach to confront problems in
globalization. Indeed, the positive effects of
globalization remain limited, as is borne out by
imbalances in economic and social terms that
characterize the world today and violate human dignity
and human rights. What must be done therefore is to
channel the globalization process towards economic
and social progress for the benefit of the greatest
number.
In this process, the United Nations has a
comparative advantage — it is the only institution able
to embody universally accepted values and the only
platform for organizing fruitful debate on world issues,
as well as on the ways and means for settling them.
The United Nations is the body where the weak
and the forgotten are able to make their voices heard
and to participate in the attainment of a consensus on
questions of common interest.
And, indeed, globalization today is a fait
accompli; however, we must emphasize that it is not
neutral. Good governance, democracy and transparency
must be consolidated not only in national terms, but
also in international relations.
These principles must be applied both within
States as well as with respect to forces that govern
globalization and make use of it as before to avoid any
form of democratic control.
At the Millennium Summit, the heads of State
and Government adopted a document which determines
the main outlines of the United Nations action for the
twenty-first century.
It is now up to the world community and, thus, up
to our States, to civil society and to the private sector
to show the necessary determination to implement the
guidelines of the Summit quickly and resolutely to
make a reality of the message of hope and
determination which was expressed by the leaders of
the world.
Benin is pleased that special attention was
focused on Africa. The initiatives taken for the
continent require the firm support of the development
partners in the sense of a partnership and solidarity
which must basically work on the following: a lasting
solution to the debt problem; a more just order for the
international trade system; support in terms of financial
resources and strengthening production capacity.
We call for the effective implementation of
measures to integrate developing countries into the
world economy taking account of the special needs of
the least-developed countries with a view to halting the
deterioration in their situations.

In this regard, the holding of the Third United Nations
Conference on the Least Developed Countries is of
particular importance. It is essential that it lead to
concrete results.
The elimination of poverty is one of the
challenges that the international community was unable
to meet in the twentieth century. It is our responsibility
to dedicate ourselves to this task. In this regard, we are
pleased with the initiative taken by the Administrator
of the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) to organize a special ministerial meeting to
discuss the strategic orientation of UNDP and the need
to provide it with the resources essential for it to carry
out its missions. Benin is relying on UNDP, the main
body for coordinating development assistance, to meet
the challenges facing developing countries.
In commending the countries that have
announced an increase in their official development
assistance, I appeal for the restoration of a balance in
favour of core budgetary resources to make it possible
to execute the programmes and projects to which
Governments accord priority.
With regard to financing for development, it is
particularly essential to ensure that resources are better
mobilized and that development action involving all
partners, including the Bretton Woods institutions, is
better coordinated.
All these programmes and plans can be
implemented only in an environment in which peace
and security are guaranteed. Benin therefore welcomed
with great interest the Brahimi report (A/55/305),
containing an in-depth analysis of peacekeeping
operations.
21

With regard to Somalia, Benin would also like to
express its satisfaction with the leader of the Inter-
Governmental Authority on Development and all the
facilitators for their courageous initiatives to bring
peace to that country through a process of dialogue and
reconciliation. We appeal to the international
community to lend its support to the consolidation of
the process so that Somalia can rapidly become part of
the community of nations.
Benin is, and will remain, committed to
respecting and promoting human rights, democracy and
the rule of law. These principles are inscribed in its
Constitution. In that context, since the fifty-second
session the General Assembly has supported Benin in
its organization of the Fourth International Conference
of New or Restored Democracies, to be held in
Cotonou from 4 to 6 December 2000. This Conference
will undoubtedly be an important stage in the
international community's progress towards the
consolidation of democratic principles. At the
Conference the old and new democracies will exchange
their experiences and commit themselves to promoting
democracy, peace and political stability and
development. Cotonou is preparing a warm welcome,
and hopes that there will be a great response to its
invitation.


At the outset, allow me to
join other speakers in congratulating Mr. Harri Holkeri
on his election to preside over the Millennium
Assembly. I am confident that under his able
stewardship we the peoples, and particularly those of
us from the developing countries, can look forward
with optimism to a highly proactive session of the
General Assembly. His election to the presidency is a
clear reflection of the confidence which the
international community has in his great country,
Finland. He can count on the continued support and
cooperation of the Malawi delegation in this
momentous task.
Let me also pay tribute to his predecessor,
Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, Minister for Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Namibia, for his highly successful
presidency of the fifty-fourth session.
Less than a fortnight ago, our leaders gathered at
this very venue to map out the way forward in this
millennium. The enthusiasm with which the
deliberations were conducted culminated in a highly
inspiring outcome document, which gives a clear
outline of what needs to be done.
Malawi welcomes the outcome of the Millennium
Summit. At the same time, we recognize that the
strategic partnership required for the implementation of
the outcome document calls for the political
commitment of the international community. It is
therefore our hope that the enthusiasm with which the
world leaders approached the Millennium Summit will
translate into genuine political will in the
implementation of the measures that were adopted.
Let us all build on the consensus that emerged
from the Millennium Summit. Recognition by world
leaders of the urgent need to address issues bedevilling
humanity today is the first step towards building a
prosperous and better tomorrow.
A multiplicity of factors are constraining the
efforts of the developing countries towards achieving
economic development. There is therefore a need for a
multidimensional approach in order to address the
plight of these countries. Such efforts must, of
necessity, be pursued at both the national and
international levels.
Not long ago, Malawi joined other members of
the international community in welcoming the process
of globalization. We joined the chorus in
acknowledging the inevitability of the march towards a
global village. In our enthusiasm, we looked forward to
meeting the challenges and taking advantage of the
opportunities that globalization was envisaged to offer.
Today, the experience has proved daunting. A number
of constraints dog our march towards the global
village.
Along with other sub-Saharan African countries,
Malawi has yet to meaningfully enjoy the benefits of
modern information technology. We all know that the
process of globalization is centred on the swift and
accurate flow of information. The interconnectedness
which information technology brings about offers the
benefits of choice. Those who possess the
technological capacity are, hence, ahead of the rest in
the march towards the global village.
Malawi therefore calls upon the donor community
to level the playing field by assisting those who lack
the capacity to meaningfully take advantage of a
modern global information network. There is need to
close the existing digital divide.
International trade is critical if the economies of
most developing countries are to thrive. Malawi's
export-oriented economy is, in this regard, no
exception. With no mineral wealth of significance, our
economy depends almost solely on the export of
primary agricultural products and the importation of
manufactured goods. The steadily deteriorating barter
terms of trade for the primary products has long been a
source of concern to us. As if this were not daunting
enough, the situation is compounded by the imposition
of protectionist measures by countries that offer
markets for our exports. A range of non-tariff barriers
is being subtly put in place, rendering it difficult for
our products to reach those markets. These
protectionist measures run counter to the spirit of free
trade which we all profess and which we all believe to
be necessary for the growing interdependence among
21

countries. As long as barriers to free trade among
countries are erected, global integration will face a
serious setback.
Malawi therefore calls upon the development
partners to open up their markets to products from the
developing countries. Increased market access is one
way in which a country like Malawi could be
empowered to meaningfully participate in the
globalization process.
Time and again, we in the developing countries
have expressed serious concern over the existing
problem of external debt. Debt servicing has compelled
our Governments to divert meagre resources from
development programmes. As a result, basic social
services and investment in other infrastructure
programmes suffer.
We welcome initiatives adopted by the
development partners to address the problem of debt.
The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt
Initiative is, among other measures, notable. We all
looked forward with hope to the recent G-8 Summit
held in Okinawa, Japan. However, the lack of
commitment to deal with the problem of debt
decisively means that the burden still remains virtually
intact.
Malawi therefore believes that the only way in
which the problem of external debt can meaningfully
be addressed is through outright cancellation. We invite
our development partners to exercise the political will
for debt cancellation. We need to free resources for
investment in basic infrastructural services.
Official development assistance and foreign
direct investment are necessary if developing
economies like Malawi's are to develop. It is largely in
recognition of this reality that the United Nations set
the target of 0.7 per cent of the gross national product
of developed countries for official development
assistance. The general decline in official development
assistance flows to the developing countries therefore
runs counter to the internationally recognized target.
We therefore pay tribute to those development partners
who have either met or exceeded the 0.7 per cent
target. At the same time, we call upon those falling
short of it to live up to the expectations of the
international community.
Malawi welcomes the trend towards a rise in
foreign direct investment over the past few years.
However, we observe that, in spite of the steady rise,
the distribution itself has been uneven, with sub-
Saharan Africa making no meaningful gains. We hope
that efforts will be made to address the disparity.
Just over 10 years ago, the Berlin Wall came
tumbling down in a highly symbolic move marking the
demise of the cold war. All peace-loving people in the
world who wanted humankind to live in dignity
welcomed that momentous development. The concept
of “peace dividend” gained currency as the
international community welcomed the opportunity to
turn swords into plowshares.
Today's reality has not borne out our
expectations. Trouble spots, both long-standing and
emerging ones, dot the globe. During the cold war, we
blamed conflicts on super-Power rivalry. Yet conflicts
today have assumed different dimensions, and they
continue to divert meagre national resources away from
development programmes.
The protracted civil war in Angola, civil strife in
Sierra Leone, the Great Lakes region of Africa, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo and
Central Asia, among other areas, perhaps reveal causal
factors that we glossed over during the cold war. Greed
among politicians and the ruthless pursuit of profit by
multinational corporations have, in a number of cases,
coalesced to prolong conflict. We have all noted the
role that a precious mineral like diamonds can play in
unleashing human tragedy.
Malawi welcomes the recent adoption by the
United Nations Security Council of a resolution that
aims at regulating the trade in diamonds, especially
those acquired illegally. The international community
can count on our unflinching cooperation in the
implementation of the resolution.
We have also noted the untiring efforts of the
United Nations in the maintenance of international
peace and security. However, the lessons of the United
Nations peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, and
indeed elsewhere, clearly point to the need for a serious
review of the mandate of such missions. The
embarrassment that the peacemakers were subjected to
is something that, we believe, must not be allowed to
happen again. In this regard, my delegation welcomes
the recommendations made in the Brahimi Report.
We, at the same time, join the international
community in condemning the recent murder of three
22

United Nations relief workers in West Timor. We call
on those responsible to desist from further interfering
with the safety and freedom of refugees and
humanitarian workers in the region.
Malawi recognizes that the United Nations alone
cannot provide miracle solutions to conflicts that rage
in the various regions. It is largely incumbent upon the
primary players to exercise political maturity and
restrain their passions.
We note that in most conflict areas, there exist
negotiated frameworks for resolution of the
differences. And yet, the sheer lack of political
commitment has led the parties to wantonly renege on
agreements that they so painstakingly negotiated. We
therefore call upon all warring parties to respect
existing peace agreements and pool their efforts
towards nation-building.
The Government of Malawi welcomes efforts by
the United Nations to rid the globe of weapons of mass
destruction. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
(CTBT) represent some of the notable efforts by the
international community to bring about lasting global
peace and security. Malawi would like to express its
readiness to join the international community in the
adoption of measures that seek to advance the cause of
international peace and security.
We waste meagre resources to keep conflict
going, while in the process sacrificing the welfare of
our people. His Excellency Dr. Bakili Muluzi,
President of the Republic of Malawi, time and again
decried this, saying that we, especially in sub-Saharan
Africa, are too poor to divert meagre resources to
sustain conflict.
The above factors present a front which impedes
economic development in the developing countries,
especially the least developed among them. Investment
in basic infrastructure suffers as a result of, directly or
otherwise, an interplay of these forces.
As long as the international community holds
back the political will needed for decisive action, the
playing field will remain uneven. As such, the
developing countries will continue to be marginalized
in the march towards the global village.
My delegation does not intend to heap all blame
on international factors alone. At the national level, we
in the developing countries have to take stock of our
domestic policies. Malawi, for one, is doing its part in
this regard. The democratic governance which the
ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) ushered in the
country in June 1994 is well on course. The people's
confidence in the UDF-led government was manifested
when they re-elected it in the June 1999 general
elections. In the seven years of its existence, the
Government has put in place institutional mechanisms
aimed at promoting human rights and other freedoms
that form the core of good governance.
Malawi's commitment to the consolidation of
democracy is now irreversible. In November this year,
the country will take yet another step forward with the
conduct of local government elections. We fully
recognize the contribution which good governance
makes to economic development in a country.
In this regard, I would like to pay tribute to the
United Nations and those development partners who
have contributed to our effort towards the promotion of
good governance. As the process goes on, we shall
count on your continued assistance.
We in Malawi further recognize the central role
that a vibrant private sector plays in economic
development. For long, the previous government in
Malawi neglected the private sector, opting, instead, to
boost parastatal enterprises.
The new political dispensation has opened up the
country to a competitive, free market economy.
Inefficient parastatal organizations are falling into
private ownership through a privatization programme.
Already, there are discernible benefits accruing, most
notably marked improvements in the quality of
products and services on the domestic market.
The existing political stability and the general
warmth of the friendly people of Malawi create an
inviting climate to the foreign investor. The
Government has, in addition, adopted measures which
are aimed at creating a conducive investment
environment. We, therefore, welcome entrepreneurs to
come and sample the market.
At the core of Malawi's fight against poverty is
the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) which the
UDF-led Government launched upon its assumption of
office. Within the context of the programme, the
Government later launched the Malawi Social Action
Fund (MASAF), a bottom-up framework that involves
the villager in taking decisions on development
23

programmes. MASAF is making the difference in the
lives of the citizenry. The face of infrastructure in the
countryside, where nearly 80 per cent of the country's
population resides, has been considerably transformed.
We, therefore, thank the World Bank for the
support it is extending to the Malawi Social Action
Fund, which is currently in its second phase.
Among other strategies, Malawi has adopted
measures aimed at empowering vulnerable groups in
society. A systematic programme aimed at empowering
women through micro-credit and improved access to
education for girls are some of these. A few years ago,
the Government established the Ministry of State in the
President's Office Responsible for Persons with
Disabilities, whose impact is beginning to show.
Our determined efforts to rid the country of
excruciating poverty are impeded by the HIV/AIDS
pandemic. In the last decade, the extent of devastation
caused by the pandemic in Malawi has been
frightening. By targeting the productive age bracket of
the population, HIV/AIDS has clearly begun to reverse
the hard-won gains that the nation had made towards
the close of the last decade.
At the same time, we are aware of the advances
that the West has to date made in the treatment of
HIV/AIDS. The prohibitive cost of the drugs precludes
developing countries like Malawi from gaining access
to them. And yet, these are the countries that are in the
greatest need of such therapy, in view of their high
incidence of HIV/AIDS.
My delegation appreciates the effort of the United
Nations, through the Joint United Nations Programme
on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), to deal with the pandemic.
We welcome the fact that the Security Council gave
centre stage to HIV/AIDS issues early this year. We
believe that the devastation left by the scourge deserves
a high international profile. Malawi further calls on
those countries with the capacity to make the necessary
arrangements to render the drugs affordable for all
those who need them.
It is clear that if the international community is to
forge the strategic partnership needed for a smooth
march towards the global village, we need to level the
playing field. This calls for political will on the part of
all of us. We need to fulfil our shared responsibilities
for the benefit of humankind.
Malawi welcomes the recent admission of Tuvalu
as the 189th Member State of the United Nations. On
behalf of my Government and the people of Malawi, I
extend our support and best wishes to the Government
and the people of Tuvalu.
Time and again, Malawi has spoken in favour of
granting the Republic of China on Taiwan the role that
it deserves in the international community. The hard-
working and peace-loving people of Taiwan have
clearly demonstrated that they are ready to actively
contribute to the goals and ideals for which the United
Nations stands.
We therefore appeal to the Organization's
membership to look beyond narrow political
considerations and face the geopolitical realities that
obtain on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The
continued isolation of Taiwan does not bode well for
the spirit of globalization, which we all acknowledge,
has to be all-inclusive.
Finally, allow me to reaffirm the commitment of
the Government of the Republic of Malawi to live up to
the obligations enshrined in the Charter of the United
Nations. This is the only universal body that is well
placed to take us all into the millennium.


My delegation greets and
congratulates you, Sir, for presiding over the
deliberations of the fifty-fifth session of the United
Nations General Assembly — the Millennium
Assembly.
We pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben
Gurirab, the distinguished Foreign Minister of
Namibia, for his effective and dynamic conduct of the
fifty-fourth session of the United Nations General
Assembly, including the preparations for the
Millennium Summit and the President's Report.
Congratulations are also extended to our
distinguished Secretary-General, who with great vision
conceptualized the Millennium Summit, the execution
of which was a great triumph for the United Nations.
A hearty welcome is extended to the small
sovereign State of Tuvalu, as it joins the family of
nations.
The Millennium Summit and this fifty-fifth
session of the United Nations General Assembly are
historic events that provide a unique opportunity to
view humanity's progress and face the challenges
before us.
Indeed, the Summit Declaration sets out a global
vision for the twenty-first century. My delegation
welcomes the inclusion of commitments to fight
poverty, disease, ignorance, injustice, violence and
degradation of the environment, among others.
In the matter of poverty and disease, the United
Nations must address the inequalities that exist around
the world. In this twenty-first century, more than 1.2
billion people live on less than one dollar a day.
Millions of children and the elderly go to bed hungry.
Disease and sickness wreak havoc on the lives of
children, men and women. Today the HIV/AIDS
pandemic cuts short the lives of millions of people who
could be making useful and productive contributions to
our world.
Trade is vital to the livelihood of Grenadians. For
the banana-exporting countries of the Caribbean
subregion, which includes Grenada, the export of
bananas accounts for a significant percentage of
foreign exchange. However, our economies are
threatened by the callous ruling of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) against the European Union
banana regime of assistance to our small growers.
Our struggling farmers, with limited acreage, find
it difficult, if not impossible, to compete with a
transnational corporation. Our farmers need an
adjustment period in order to effect the requisite
structural changes needed by the new trade regime. We
look to the United Nations to call upon the WTO to
take into consideration the special structural problems
faced by the small banana producers of the Caribbean.
2
We call for corporate responsibility. We appeal
for measures to encourage the sustainability of small
economies and economies in transition. We urge a
more equitable global partnership.
You may recall that the Heads of State and
Government, including the Prime Minister of Grenada,
stressed recently in this very hall the urgency of
releasing poor developing countries from their debt
burden. The leaders expressed an interest in finding
new approaches and new thinking with respect to this
problem. A solution should be vigorously pursued with
deliberate speed.
Debt forgiveness is not a financial loss to the
global economy. Rather, it provides an opportunity for
stimulation in the depressed and stagnant parts of the
world's economy. Investing the dividends realized by
debt forgiveness in the economy of the debtor
developing countries — especially the least developed
and those with economies in transition — would be a
major investment in global development.
Another area that needs urgent and immediate
assistance from the international community is that of
natural disasters. The costly restoration of
infrastructure and rehabilitation of the productive
sectors, especially agriculture and tourism, and the
high cost of recovering and rebuilding make the
attainment of sustainable development a monumental
task.
My delegation calls upon the United Nations and
its agencies, the International Monetary Fund, the
World Bank and other international agencies, as well as
the private and public sectors in global partnership,
including the Global Compact, to contribute to a wellstructured disaster relief fund, a relief fund that can
respond quickly and effectively.
A large percentage of the needs of the developing
countries in the Caribbean subregion and elsewhere can
be met. We look forward to positive developments
envisaged from globalization, trade liberalization,
information technology and sustainable development.
These and other well-conceived programmes must be
seriously pursued. Lip service is not enough.
As the Secretary-General noted in his report to
the fifty-fifth General Assembly on the work of the
Organization: “To some, globalization is imbued with
great promise; to others, it appears deeply threatening.”
(A/55/1, para. 13)
The international community must help to ensure
that the have-nots are on board this fast-moving train
of globalization. All Member States need to share in
the opportunities provided by globalization. This would
act as a vehicle for international peace and economic
security.
Removing some of the barriers to trade and
capital flow are prerequisites to successful reduction of
poverty and disease in the developing countries. This
can be mutually beneficial to developed and
developing countries.
Trade has been the engine of economic growth
and development from the days of bartering to the
present day of e-commerce and globalization. We
therefore regard the unilateral interference in our
offshore services sector as an attempt to hinder our
trade in services and our role in the global economy.
In that connection, my delegation recalls the
words of my Prime Minister about the unfair charges
levelled against our offshore financial-services sector.
“A cartel of high-tax nations, comprising
the richest and most powerful countries, has
launched a destructive and high-powered attack
on our country, accusing us of anti-competitive
tax practices. Threats, imperialistic pressures and
abuse of power in multilateral organizations are
being used to force many small States, including
Grenada, to give up our fiscal sovereignty. They
have used adverse publicity techniques
deliberately to condemn and harm our economies.
They have threatened various sanctions, sought to
block access to capital funds in multinational
organizations and to impose financial
protectionism and total ostracism.”
That is fiscal imperialism. It tramples on the principle
of sovereign equality. It is contrary to international law,
and it undermines freedom of competition, global
investment and trade liberalization.
The role of education in poverty alleviation, in
the application of science and technology and in the
vast area of information sharing and communications is
vital. The Government of Grenada, recognizing the
social, cultural and economic potential of education, is
investing an increasing proportion of its limited
resources to prepare its people to participate in, and
benefit from, the information and technology
revolution. Towards that end, the Government of
3
Grenada is seeking the assistance of the United Nations
Development Programme, the World Bank and
agencies and donors of goodwill to establish a new
programme of distance learning by means of global
computer interconnectivity.
Grenada attaches great importance to the
convening in 2001 of the United Nations High-level
Intergovernmental Event on Financing for
Development. My delegation welcomes the attempt to
address monetary, trade and financial issues in a
holistic manner and in the context of globalization and
sustainable development. The international community
should not miss this opportunity to focus attention and
resources on the pursuit of development, peace and
stability.
And here, my delegation reaffirms that the root
cause of conflict within nations and among nations can
be found in some of the injustice done to the weaker
members of the international community by the
stronger ones. Unless the basics of life — food,
clothing, shelter, health and employment — are
attained, human rights and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights will be meaningless to those who suffer
such extreme deprivations. This is especially so in the
context of economic, social and cultural rights, which
are downplayed in favour of civil and political rights.
Since all human rights are universal, indivisible,
interdependent and interrelated, attention to the full
range of rights will contribute better to the observance
and enjoyment of this noble goal.
I join my Prime Minister in paying tribute to, and
publicly thanking, the Government and the people of
the Republic of China on Taiwan for the assistance
given to Grenada with respect to agriculture, marine
resources, education, health, culture and infrastructure.
The friendship and sincerity of the Republic of China
on Taiwan have been a source of strength and
endurance for our two countries. 1t is in this spirit that
Grenada calls once more for the return of the Republic
of China on Taiwan to full membership of the United
Nations. A people that diligently works to achieve such
high levels of human and technological development
and a people that makes such positive contributions to
the global economy must become a full Member of this
great organization, the United Nations.
Finally, we must seek to ensure that the
Organization is responsive to the ever-changing global
environment. Let us ensure that we address the needs
of our peoples. And let us move forward with a United
Nations that is prepared to fuel the engine that would
bring about more equitable participation in the global
community. Let us always put people first and be
guided by God.


I am
delighted to extend to Mr. Harri Holkeri, the new
25

President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth
session, my sincere congratulations on his election.
I warmly welcome Tuvalu, the latest newcomer to
the United Nations family.
I cannot continue without expressing my sincere
appreciation to our dedicated Secretary-General,
Mr. Kofi Annan, under whose leadership the winds of
change keep on blowing.
I hail the results of the Millennium Summit. The
views expressed by leaders from all over the world
have shown how crucial it is, at this point in history, to
reshape our Organization so as to respond adequately
to the great challenges of our times.
From this rostrum, and in other forums, political
leaders have endeavoured to describe their perceptions,
expectations and concerns with regard to the all-
encompassing manifestations of globalization. Last
year, my predecessor stated that the United Nations
was all about institutionalized solidarity. Bearing this
idea in mind, we are convinced that the United Nations
should reshape its role in such a way as to manage
globalization in the interest of all nations and to correct
its excesses.
Globalization creates opportunities for
commercial, economic and financial expansion.
However, improved technological competitiveness and
wider economic freedom do not automatically produce
greater equity.
The contribution of globalization to the
betterment of the human condition will remain limited
to a small number of individuals, social categories and
countries unless it is oriented towards the common
good. This implies that, in the new context of
integration and participation in the globalization
processes, good governance should intelligently and
predictably combine economic reforms with social
responsibility, adjust the system of education and
professional training, and initiate institutional reforms
that are able to achieve long-term internal stability and
employment, individual security and social justice, and
the protection of national economic interests, resources
and the environment.
The process of globalization creates a new
balance of power between States, non-governmental
organizations and transnational corporations. What is
in question today is how to use their potential in order
to influence the course of globalization so that it can
have a much more positive impact on people's lives.
This means bringing globalization closer to the people
by promoting human values and democratic principles
and practices; an open, inclusive and pluralistic
political culture; economies that sustain a decent life
for all citizens and prosperity for societies as a whole;
and institutions that protect both individuals, with all
their rights and fundamental freedoms, and the
common good. Nothing can really benefit the citizens
of a country if, at the same time, it prejudices the
prevailing international standards of a democratic
world.
(spoke in French)
We need to pool our efforts in order to enlarge the
system of values shared by the international
community. In this globalized yet conflictual world, the
manifestation of solidarity can provide a sound basis
for progress and prosperity for individuals and nations.
From this perspective, I am convinced that solidarity in
the creation and allocation of educational capital is
essential for the access of young people to the
opportunities for progress engendered by globalization.
I strongly support better access for young people to the
new technologies based on information and
communication through investments in informatics
education, based on firm partnerships among
Governments, business communities and non-
governmental organizations. In coping with the new
informatics reality of globalization, good governance
has to act with vision, responsibility and solidarity.
Access to educational capital in computer sciences
should not create new demarcation lines across the
planet, but rather should unite the world, primarily
young people, by providing new opportunities for
progress, communication and professional success.
Access to digital education will also mean civic
emancipation, greater transparency and less corruption.
The first key word — solidarity — that I have
tried to illustrate should be accompanied by a second:
responsibility. For the United Nations as a whole and
for its Member States, responsibility is another way to
react to the forces of globalization, both domestically
and internationally. That is why Romania welcomes the
set of priorities and recommendations formulated by
the Secretary-General in his report to the Millennium
Assembly.
Member States know that responsibility requires
them to give the Organization — in what I would call a
26

“peace ritual” — the political support and concrete
means necessary to improve the management of
globalization and to fulfil its mandate. This role is not
an easy one. In an era of the most advanced
technological capabilities, poverty continues to be a
painful reality. While there is increasing acceptance of
the universality of human rights, innocent people
continue to fall victim to inter-ethnic wars. In fighting
terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime, States
find that the perpetrators are as well-armed as their
police forces. The lack of determination or promptness
in preventing the degradation of the environment
endangers life on our planet. The United Nations must
strive to give globalization a human face.
Within our own Organization, responsibility also
means that we have to strengthen the authority of the
United Nations in the maintenance of international
peace and security; pursue the process of reforming the
Security Council, once we have agreed that an increase
in its membership is justified; be more effective in
assisting Member States to cope with their serious
economic and social problems; and enhance the
Organization's capacity to mount and deploy peace
missions on a timely basis.
In recent years, we have witnessed the increasing
role of non-governmental organizations and other non-
state actors, in particular the powerful transnational
corporations. There is a need for them to assume
increased responsibility as well. Non-governmental
organizations should be prepared to mobilize more
effectively the resources of civil society in the service
of the public well-being.
As for the transnational corporations, we are
aware of their role in stimulating the forces of
globalization and also in reaping its fruit. It is only fair
for them to assume responsibilities beyond the borders
of their profit. There is a long way to go, so it is high
time to set out in this particular direction.
The Global Compact initiative launched by the
Secretary-General should be built upon. In Romania,
we have already explored its potential and the results
are promising. We believe, indeed, that the business
community can enhance support and enact a set of core
values in the areas of human rights, labour standards
and environmental protection. After all, profit is
meaningless if it does not lead to the improvement of
the human condition for all.
(spoke in English)
We believe that all Member States, including
Romania, can assume a share of the collective
responsibility. Indeed, my country is doing its best to
make its own contribution to the goals and purposes of
the United Nations. First, Romania is party to the
majority of the key multilateral treaties and
conventions identified as such by the Secretary-
General in the context of the Millennium Summit.
Secondly, we submitted a valuable resolution,
entitled “Promoting and consolidating democracy”, that
was adopted by the Commission on Human Rights on
25 April this year. Encouraged by its success, we will
invite the General Assembly to adopt this resolution at
the current session. We are convinced that all members
of the General Assembly are prepared to reiterate their
recognition of the values, principles and practices that
give meaning to a democratic society.
Thirdly, Romania is a strong supporter of the
United Nations role in peacekeeping. Our peacekeepers
have served in various places where we had no specific
national interest other than maintaining peace on behalf
of the world and of the innocent people who make up
the majority of victims of conflicts and disputes. We
have worked hard to diversify our contribution to
peacekeeping. Romania is also proud to be part of the
first Multinational Stand-by Forces High-Readiness
Brigade. That is a clear way of expressing support for
enhancing the United Nations capacity to deploy
peacekeepers rapidly and effectively. In the same
context, we welcome the work of the Panel on United
Nations peace operations, which has provided a
convincing outline for an important reform of this
particular function.
Fourthly, we also believe that the time has come
for us to try to review the peacekeeping scale of
assessments. As a concrete contribution to this effort, I
take this opportunity to announce that Romania is
willing to gradually move from Group C to Group B of
the assessment mechanism for peacekeeping. We
appeal to all Member countries to work together to put
an end to the current financial crisis.
Fifthly, in the same vein, let me emphasize that
Romania has increased its voluntary contribution to the
United Nations Development Programme's work in our
country. This is one way of reiterating our support for
and interest in the operational activities of the United
Nations.
27

We have always supported creative and efficient
forms of cooperation between the United Nations and
regional organizations. I am pleased to announce to this
audience that Romania is preparing to take over the
high responsibility of the chairmanship of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) in 2001. We will work hard to make OSCE a
more instrumental organization, based upon a specific
commitment to improving the life of the citizens of its
54 participating States. At the same time, we will use
to its best the potential for dialogue and cooperation
between OSCE and the United Nations in conflict-
prevention and crisis management, in strengthening
democratic institutions and the rule of law, in fighting
corruption and in other realms of common interest.
Having said this, I would make a plea to Member
States to integrate the two essential ingredients for
effective action, namely solidarity and responsibility,
into the concept of total diplomacy. This means the
systematic use of firm and efficient diplomacy that
should be called upon before any dangerous tensions
burst into conflict. It also means that we should give
absolute priority to diplomacy, prevention and
containment, and in all circumstances use them
extensively and comprehensively for the pacific
settlements of disputes. All of the means provided for
in Chapter VI of the Charter and others that might be
created through our collective effort of imagination
should reinforce the Organization's capacity to cope
with threats and conflicts, whether predictable or
unpredictable.
Recent developments in longstanding conflicts
and disputes confirm that at the end of any road paved
with a heavy toll in human lives, material destruction
and distorted mentalities, one can find a negotiating
table. Diplomacy, if used up to the point of exhaustion,
can eventually prove decisive, provided all the
possibilities of statesmen, professional negotiators,
public opinion and civil society are comprehensively
mobilized. Intense dialogue, diplomacy and flexibility
from all parties are still needed in critical points of the
world, such as Kosovo. Resolution 1244 (1999) of the
Security Council is a remarkable innovation, which
combines the specific capabilities of the United
Nations and some prominent regional organizations
such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO), the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of
Europe. Let us work together, guided by resolution
1244, to use the diplomatic and material potential of
these organizations with full positive impact on all the
inhabitants of this province, irrespective of ethnic
background or religion.
I address the same appeal to responsibility to the
parties involved in the Transdneister tension problem,
with the hope that the commitments assumed during
the OSCE Summit in Istanbul will be respected, so that
next year we will see concrete measures in the
withdrawal of military troops and arms from this part
of the Republic of Moldova.
We are aware that there are many complex and
unsolved situations for which energetic enforcement is
needed. We are ready to participate in a profound and
responsible debate on humanitarian intervention. We
would join other delegations in taking a fresh look at
the use of sanctions and seeing how effective they are
with respect to their target and what are the
consequences on the innocent civilian population or
third countries.
Among the possible consequences, it is worth
mentioning the irrational retaliation reactions from
countries concerned. A case in point is the perpetuation
of the blocking of the Danube — the blocking of
navigation on the Danube — which makes all the
riparian countries suffer. Procrastination, resisting the
lifting of the blockade on the Danube under various
pretexts defies international law and ignores the
economic interests in the region. Every day, shipping
companies accumulate huge losses, which add to the
already heavy burden on the third countries in the area,
accumulated during the years of the Yugoslav crisis.
Speaking of the situation in the Balkans in
general, we have to say that we are far from having
reached complete stability. We are still witnessing
confrontation between the forces of integration and
those of dissolution. Time has come to get rid of the
ghosts of intolerance and hatred and open the door to
the fresh air of the European spirit of integration. The
results of the actions by the inflexible regime in
Belgrade can be clearly seen today. Unfortunately, our
neighbours are forced to cope with a destroyed and
isolated economy and an unpredictable political
situation in a Yugoslav State once viable and respected,
yet finding itself, today, in a process of dismantlement.
Politics should be judged by its results, and not by its
intentions. We strongly wish for Yugoslavia to return to
the European mainstream, for which it must re-embrace
28

the values of democracy, tolerance and freedom of
expression.
The historic conflict in the Middle East is not
over yet, but it is diplomacy that still gives us hope for
a solution. I applaud the recent efforts made by the
Israeli and Palestinian leaders to come closer to a final
settlement. This year we have also heard good news
from the Korean Peninsula, a part of the world where
history separated one people into two hostile parts.
Romania is happy to see a fresh wave of diplomatic
actions and human contacts that open new windows for
an era of which the Korean people would be the first
beneficiary.
For us it is obvious that total diplomacy can be
successful if it is constantly and solidly based on
human realities and on the fundamental aspiration of
ordinary people to a peaceful and decent life. With the
current, unprecedented level of knowledge we have
reached, I am confident that we can find, in ourselves
and our societies, resources for greater tolerance,
mutual respect and dialogue, as opposed to the
primitive inclination to hatred, intolerance and
aggression.
It is incumbent to the United Nations, as the only
international organization of universal vocation, to
identify new resources for our concerted endeavours to
find solutions to problems of global concern. I am glad
to see that our position coincides in many respects with
the major ideas agreed upon by participants in the
Summit. The United Nations should stubbornly keep
working to renew its profile and vigour while entering
the new millennium. Romania will continue to be ready
to add its contribution to that effect.


It is my
great pleasure to congratulate you, Mr. President, on
your election as President of the General Assembly at
its fifty-fifth session and to wish you every success in
your task. May I also assure you of my delegation's
cooperation in achieving the objectives we all desire. It
is also my pleasure to thank your predecessor,
Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, for his efforts in conducting the
proceedings of the fifty-fourth session, as well as the
proceedings of the special sessions held during the
same period.
I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to
express my deep appreciation for the valuable and
constant efforts that Secretary-General Kofi Annan has
made to enable the Organization to deliver its message
and to enhance its role in the maintenance of peace and
security throughout the world.
May I also extend my delegation's
congratulations to the Government and people of
Tuvalu on the occasion of its admission to membership
in the United Nations. Its admission is a further
demonstration of the universality of the Organization.
The fifty-fifth session is remarkable because it
also encompasses the work of the Millennium Summit,
which was attended by a large number of leaders of
Member States. The very presence of those leaders, and
the discussions and meetings they held, served to
underscore the importance they attach to the role and
responsibilities of the United Nations in the new
century. They also identified the changes and
challenges that will require joint international
cooperation on the basis of the lofty and noble
principles and purposes enshrined in the Organization's
Charter.
More than half a century after its establishment,
the world Organization must deal effectively with
political, economic, social and cultural changes and
take advantage of their positive impact. This is
particularly the case with regard to the ongoing and
accelerating revolution in the fields of
communications, modern technology and economic
globalization. In this regard, it is my pleasure to
commend the Secretary-General's report to the
Millennium Summit, entitled, “We the peoples: the role
of the United Nations in the twenty-first century”. That
report has shed light on the global issues of the years to
come and includes the positive aspects, misgivings and
apprehensions associated with those issues.
The State of Bahrain welcomes the United
Nations Millennium Declaration and the reaffirmation
by Member States of their faith in the Charter's
principles and the need to strengthen the role of the
Organization. We are confident that if we are
successful in giving effect to those principles, the
2

Organization will be able to fulfil its political,
economic, social and human responsibilities. Foremost
among those responsibilities are the preservation of
international peace and security and combating disease,
poverty, ignorance, drugs, violence, terrorism and
crime. Those responsibilities also include preservation
of the environment and natural resources.
While the cold war era threatened the world with
the dangers and risks of war, the ultimate challenges
the world must face in the future include border
disputes, racial and ethnic conflict, globalization of the
international economy, development issues, and other
political, social and environmental challenges, as well
as issues related to weapons of mass destruction and
terrorism.
The State of Bahrain — whose full integration
and close association with the international community
was emphasized in the address to the Millennium
Summit by His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa
Al-Khalifa — is determined to continue to shoulder its
national, regional and international responsibilities
with a view to meeting the requirements of the new
century. Given its ancient civilization and the fact that
it is fully committed to the obligations associated with
membership in the United Nations and the international
community, Bahrain will deal positively and within the
framework of regional and international cooperation
with the changes dictated by the new era in such a
manner as to ensure justice, security, peace and
prosperity for all.
Since it attained political independence and began
to exercise full sovereignty over all its islands,
territories and territorial waters, in 1971, under the late
Emir, His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa,
the State of Bahrain has constantly sought to build a
modern State and a developed civil society by
preparing and training its people to deal with the
requirements of the modern age and to take a positive
role in the changes taking place currently and in the
future. Today, in its new era, the State of Bahrain
continues its strenuous efforts at modernization and
progress through domestic openness and by taking
progressive and measured steps in various fields. Those
steps include guaranteeing freedoms and ensuring the
rule of law and women's participation in all aspects of
national life, notably through membership in the
Consultative Council.
In the field of human rights, Bahrain continues to
take considerable steps by signing a number of
international conventions in recognition of the
importance of those rights. Those conventions have
made the resulting legal rights and obligations
absolutely clear, while at the same time they firmly
oppose the use of human rights as a pretext for
interfering in internal affairs or for undermining
religious beliefs, human values and cultural and social
characteristics of States.
Despite its continuous efforts and the admirable
standing it has achieved in the field of human
development, the State of Bahrain, like other
developing island States, faces a number of challenges
stemming from its limited size, high population density
and limited natural resources. As a result, Bahrain has
undertaken ambitious development projects with a
view to diversifying the sources of its national income.
Those projects include an open economic policy that
has made Bahrain an advanced regional and global
commercial and financial centre.
In the area of foreign relations and the fulfilment
of national and international obligations, the State of
Bahrain's contributions to the maintenance of
international peace and security are evidenced by the
close relations it maintains with brotherly and friendly
States on the basis of cooperation, mutual interests,
mutual respect and non-interference in the internal
affairs of other States. Driven by its firm belief in the
importance of regional and international security, the
maintenance of which is a joint responsibility, and in
the light of the serious and dangerous events witnessed
by the Gulf region over the last 20 years the effects and
ramifications of which continue to pose a threat to the
security and stability of the area, the State of Bahrain
will continue to call for adherence by all States to the
principles that contribute to the maintenance of
security and peace and the prevalence of stability,
progress and prosperity.
Among the most important of those principles are
respect for the status quo and the sanctity of existing
borders; establishment of relations among States on the
basis of the principles of good neighbourliness, mutual
respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of
other States; recognition of the national sovereignty of
each State; and settlement of disputes through peaceful
means and in accordance with the principles of
international law accepted by the parties to the dispute.
3

On this basis, and given its commitment to the
maintenance of international peace and security,
especially in the strategically important Gulf region, in
which many States have vital interests, the State of
Bahrain reaffirms its principled and consistent
positions on current regional and international issues.
Accordingly, it renews its invitation to Iraq to
cooperate with the United Nations; to fully implement
relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly
those relating to weapons of mass destruction; and to
release prisoners and detainees of Kuwaiti and other
nationalities, as a means leading to the lifting of
sanctions and to an end to the suffering of the brotherly
Iraqi people. Meanwhile, it declares anew its call for
the preservation of Iraq's independence, sovereignty
and territorial integrity and its objection to any
interference in Iraq's internal affairs.
With its deep interest and concern for a continued
spirit of cooperation and good-neighbourly relations
among the Gulf States, the State of Bahrain hopes that
the positive developments in relations between the
States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the
Islamic Republic of Iran will lead to a peaceful
resolution of the dispute over the three islands — Abu
Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb — which all
belong to the United Arab Emirates. It also reaffirms
its support for all efforts to that end and hopes that the
work of the tripartite ministerial committee established
by the Gulf Cooperation Council will succeed in
finding a solution aimed at ensuring the preservation of
the region's security and stability, in an atmosphere of
amicable and natural relations among all its States and
peoples.
The Middle East peace process has witnessed,
and continues to witness, developments, both
politically and on the ground, as evidenced by the
contacts and negotiations between the Palestinian
Authority and Israel, including, most importantly, the
Camp David summit, held recently under the auspices
of the United States of America, with a view to
reaching a final agreement between the two parties.
Further, the contacts that have taken place in
Washington in search of a possible resumption of
negotiations on the Syrian-Israeli track are among the
most significant developments in the peace process this
year, despite the failure of such efforts owing to
Israel's refusal to withdraw completely from the Syrian
Arab Golan to the borders of 4 June 1967.
Insofar as the situation on the ground is
concerned, the withdrawal from southern Lebanon,
which Israel was forced to carry out as a result of the
steadfast opposition and heroic resistance put up by the
brotherly Lebanese people against the occupation,
constitutes a significant turning point in the peace
process and demonstrates that occupation can in no
way ensure security.
The developments through which the peace
process has gone on all tracks and in all stages have
shown that the success of the process and the
achievement of the desired just, comprehensive and
durable peace are contingent upon the implementation
of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338
(1973) and of all relevant resolutions of international
legality, which call for the withdrawal of Israel from all
Arab territories occupied since 1967 and acknowledge
the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,
including the right to establish their own independent
state, with Jerusalem as its capital.
In accepting peace, with all the steps it entails, as
a strategic option, the Arab side had hoped that Israel
would implement all these resolutions and fulfil the
terms of all agreements and commitments, as well as
abide by the principles of the 1991 Madrid Conference,
notably the principle of land for peace.
We believe that a fully comprehensive solution is
a fundamental prerequisite for the achievement of a
just, durable and comprehensive peace in a region
whose peoples have been beset by conflicts and
instability, which have drained their resources and
abilities in the context of a heated and futile arms race
that has deprived all parties of security. In order to save
the peace process from total collapse and failure, we
call upon the co-sponsors of the peace process and the
international community to redouble their efforts and
pressure Israel into meeting the requirements of peace
by fully implementing all resolutions of international
legality.
Despite the easing of global tensions with respect
to certain regional and international issues, there are
still issues in a number of different regions that give
rise to concern on the part of the international
community and that threaten security and stability, both
within those regions and beyond.
It is unfortunate that internal strife persists in
Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as
well as in other areas. We therefore call once again for
4

the intensification of efforts to find solutions to such
conflicts and to encourage the parties to direct their
efforts and capacities towards the settlement of their
disputes and the development of their countries and
societies. We are pleased, in this connection, to
welcome the recent positive developments in Somalia,
which have led to the election of a President in that
country. We appreciate all the efforts that have been
exerted towards that outcome, which, we hope, will
bring about security and stability for Somalia and for
its brotherly people.
Furthermore, it is our pleasure to express our
satisfaction at the agreement reached in Algeria this
year between two neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, and
our appreciation for the efforts exerted in this direction
by the Organization of African Unity and the
constructive role played by President Abdelaziz
Bouteflika of the brotherly People's Democratic
Republic of Algeria.
It is perhaps true to say that the globalization of
the economy and the stunning developments in the
fields of information, communications and scientific
innovation — which have torn down the barriers to the
flow of international trade, facilitated the transfer of
capital across borders, made interaction among various
cultures inevitable and made every State in the world a
neighbour to all other States — have both pros and
cons and therefore constitute a great challenge for the
future.
The misgivings with regard to globalization have
been amply discussed and identified. Foremost among
these is the fear that it will weaken States' national
authority and their ability to act freely in determining
the levels of their own economic and social
development, which would have a serious effect on the
living standard of the peoples of those States. The
situation therefore requires a reform of the
international economic order so as to enable it to deal
with the financial, economic and social ramifications
and consequent difficulties of globalization, whose
primary victims are likely to be developing and poor
societies.
The process of economic globalization and
development has given rise to many challenges for the
world economy and the international community. The
positive aspects of globalization, as perceived by some,
such as the smooth transfer of products, goods and
services across borders and the immense advances in
information technology, should be coupled with a
balance between global and national economic policies.
Despite the benefits of globalization in the fields
of information technology, electronic commerce,
education, health, social development, access to
markets and consumer benefits through the ability to
compete, there is fear that globalization's adverse
aspects might affect numerous segments of developing
societies that might not have the ability to benefit from
the opportunities provided by globalization, given their
inability to compete — thereby increasing poverty and
the marginalization of vast sectors of the population.
It is in the interest of the international community
that the progress accompanying globalization be
utilized to achieve economic growth and integration, to
assist in the eradication of poverty and to achieve
social equality and development by way of directing
the process of globalization in a humane manner in
order to mitigate its adverse effects. We must deal with
this phenomenon in a manner conducive to the
establishment of a world where a balance of interests is
struck and where equality, mutual interest and an
honourable way of life are available to all, without
exception.
It is our pleasure to express, in this context, our
support for the decisions and recommendations of the
South Summit held in Havana and the Summit of the
Group of 15 held in Cairo in June 2000, and the
contents of the final document of the twenty-fourth
special session of the General Assembly, held in
Geneva last June, to follow up the implementation of
the Copenhagen World Summit for Social
Development in respect of the human dimension of
development.
Among the challenges that mankind and our
international Organization must address in the new
century is the conservation of the environment and the
mitigation of the adverse effects of economic,
industrial and technological developments in the world.
Such a task undoubtedly requires a global effort to be
made within the framework of the continuing
implementation of the world programme for the
protection of the environment set out in Agenda 21,
which was adopted at the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development, by linking the
interests of the developed countries with those of
developing countries, while using all means and
machinery available to fight pollution for the sake of
5

safeguarding our children and grandchildren from the
dangers of a planet spoiled by human activity.
Another challenge is the military one posed by
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
nuclear capabilities and their means of transfer, which
have increased in many regions of the world in the past
few years. Given the threat to the world's future,
security and safety that such weapons pose, it is a
welcome sign for mankind as a whole that the States
Members of the United Nations have welcomed the
Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, held in New
York in April and May 2000, and that the nuclear
Powers have agreed on the total elimination of nuclear
weapons.
Aware of the dangers of the proliferation of
nuclear weapons, especially in the light of the wars and
conflicts that our region has witnessed in recent
decades, we in the Middle East, including the Gulf
region, have supported all initiatives aimed at freeing
the region from all weapons of mass destruction, in
particular nuclear weapons.
The gravity of the phenomenon of terrorism —
which has intensified in recent years, challenging the
will of the international community and posing a threat
to the security and stability of States and peoples — is
of concern to us all. In reaffirming our condemnation
of terrorism, regardless of its form, cause or origin, we
call for further measures to combat it, to punish its
perpetrators and to prevent them from practising their
activities by denying them shelter.
It is incumbent upon us to reaffirm and reactivate
the role of the United Nations in order to meet and
eliminate these challenges in the framework of the
collective partnership provided for in the Charter, one
of the most important objectives of which is to replace
war and confrontation with dialogue and cooperation.
We are convinced, however, that the momentum
generated by the Millennium Summit and by the
emphasis in its Declaration on support for the role of
the United Nations in promoting harmony in
international relations and maintaining world peace and
security can be exploited only through the
implementation of the essential reforms of the
Organization's organs and bodies, especially the
Security Council, by adhering to the principle of
equitable geographic representation and transparency,
which are among the most important elements that
enhance its role in the maintenance of international
peace and security.
The advent of the third millennium, with all the
hopes it inspires, requires us all to consider and
evaluate the action we should take to correct the
concepts and adjust the machinery through which we
hope to achieve peace, security, prosperity and well-
being for all in a framework of close international
solidarity on the basis of the oneness of the human race
and its mutual interests. The unique characteristics of
the cultures, civilizations, religious beliefs and social
traditions of various societies and peoples should be
used to promote understanding, rapprochement and
interaction among all States and peoples in a world of
tranquillity, justice, security and peace.
The millennium to which we look forward is one
in which we hope relations among peoples will be
enhanced and dialogue and cooperation will replace
war and conflict, which bring nothing but devastation
and destruction.


I welcome
the opportunity and the honour afforded me to speak on
behalf of Gabon at this session of the Assembly which,
although a regular one, is no less an exceptional one.
Indeed, not only does this session prepare us to
enter fully into the third millennium but also, and
above all, it is being held at a time in the history of
humankind that gives rise to new encouraging
prospects in the minds of men throughout the world for
a better future.
This is why, Mr. President, we welcome your
election to the presidency of the fifty-fifth session of
the Assembly.
We are in fact convinced that your qualities as a
statesman and your wealth of personal experience are a
guarantee for the success of our work.
With this in view, Gabon, as a Vice-President,
will give you its full cooperation so that this session
might effectively meet our expectations.
I am pleased to express my deep gratitude to your
predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Namibia, for the
efficient way in which he discharged his mandate.
We, in our turn, would like to warmly welcome
the State of Tuvalu, which has just joined the great
family of the United Nations.
I should like to pay a sincere tribute to our
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his steadfast
efforts to realize the ideals of our Organization.
It has been 55 years since We the peoples of the
United Nations decided to maintain international
peace and security, to achieve international cooperation
in solving international economic and social problems
and in encouraging respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race,
language or religion.
These are the primary missions set out in the
United Nations Charter, which, in Article 55,
recommends the creation of conditions of stability and
well-being necessary for peaceful and friendly relations
among  and, I would add, within  nations.
The San Francisco Charter clearly established a
close correlation between peace and development.
Indeed, without peace there can be no development,
and without development there can be no just and
lasting peace. We acknowledge that it is difficult to
create conditions of increased prosperity for the
greatest number in an environment where chaos and
disorder reign. In this regard, the case of Africa is
particularly revealing. When, after the end of the cold
war, the world seemed to be developing towards a
promising situation because of the gradual reduction of
inter-State conflicts, the African continent suddenly
fell victim to armed confrontations of unprecedented
violence. Dormant antagonisms have been reawakened,
with the primary manifestation being the clash of arms
and disdain for fundamental humanitarian norms.
Several of our countries have come under the
yoke of warlords and become chaotic, ungovernable
entities that now require humanitarian assistance.
Despite the 50 or so peacekeeping operations that it has
undertaken since the creation of the United Nations,
the Security Council has shown its limitations in the
face of crises, especially in Africa. The Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Angola, Sierra Leone and
Somalia are all cases that, in recent memory, have put
the solidarity of the United Nations to the test.
In the area of development, the world has seen
unprecedented economic progress in the past 55 years.
Countries that were underdeveloped not very long ago
have become dynamic centres of world economic
activity. But there is another fact: the vast majority of
our countries and peoples remain desperately poor.
In his message to commemorate the World Day of
Peace, His Holiness Pope John Paul II wrote,
At the beginning of a new century, the one
issue which most challenges our human and
Christian consciences is the poverty of countless
millions of men and women.
According to the report (A/55/1) of the Secretary-
General on the work of the Organization dated
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30 August 2000, almost half of the world's population
must content itself with living on less than $2 per
person per day. So it is that 300 million Africans do not
have even $1 a day on which to subsist. Furthermore,
this poverty is being made worse, in particular by the
rapid spread of AIDS, another scourge that has
ravaged, brought suffering to, divided and decimated
entire families in Africa and throughout the world. In
some African countries, AIDS has even become the
main cause of death.
These are factors for destabilization. While they
are all different, together they create disorder and make
international relations uncertain. But I do not intend
merely to provide a list of all the evils with which the
Assembly is only too well acquainted and the United
Nations is constantly dealing. Nor should we neglect
the efforts undertaken and the progress achieved.
Rather, I should like to stress  here I am in
agreement with the Assembly  that the United
Nations and the multilateral system do not have
sufficient resources to face these major challenges. We
have been working at this for a long time now. We
cannot now give in to discouragement. We are duty-
bound to give the necessary impetus to our action.
How are we to do this? First, by moving from a
culture of war to a genuine culture of peace. Gabon's
dedication to the ideal of peace, which is a constant
element of its foreign policy, draws its strength from
the same roots as the Bantu civilization. We have a
duty to give pride of place to the virtues of dialogue
and tolerance among peoples and nations  virtues
that we practise in our homes and families, and that my
country, through the personal intercession of President
Omar Bongo, a tireless mediator, has made into a
principle of political and diplomatic culture.
We must therefore return to our roots. That is, we
should go back to those traditional precepts that have
greater force today than ever before, given that today,
peace is most often threatened not from outside our
territories but from within. We must adapt the United
Nations Charter to these new situations, in particular
by adjusting the mandate of the Security Council with
regard to internal crises.
It is in this context that we welcome the issuance
of the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace
Operations, presided over by Mr. Brahimi. We are
convinced that this report will help to promote a new
approach to peacekeeping operations. Although
peacekeeping operations are necessary as a means of
responding, they are nevertheless insufficient. What is
at stake in the third millennium is not simply the
achievement of ceasefires among adversaries in open
conflicts, but the ability to nip conflicts in the bud
through action designed to eliminate the deep-rooted
causes of violence.
An important step would be the creation or
strengthening of regional security machinery to allow
us to resolve conflicts through dialogue and
negotiation, thus enabling us to considerably reduce
military expenditure and allocate the resources thereby
released to other development needs.
At the subregional level, therefore, Gabon is
contributing, in cooperation with the other States of
Central Africa, to the establishment of a climate of
confidence after implementing preventive diplomacy.
The heads of State of our subregion have, for
example, set up the Council for Peace and Security in
Central Africa (COPAX), a body for military and
political cooperation between the member States of the
Economic Community of Central African States, to
promote measures to maintain and consolidate peace
and security. COPAX has a multinational force for
Central Africa and an early-warning mechanism for
Central Africa.
The Gabonese Government has taken practical
and financial steps for the effective start of MARAC's
activities, for which it is the headquarters. However, it
goes without saying that it is with the support of the
United Nations and other partners that this instrument
will play its role fully.
In a broader regional context, a similar
framework for joint action, cooperation, development,
prevention, management and conflict resolution, the
Gulf of Guinea commission, made up of neighbouring
Nigeria and seven coastal central African States, was
created on 19 November 1999 in Libreville.
Finally, it is important to strength the multilateral
disarmament and non-proliferation machinery. Gabon,
which ratified the Convention banning anti-personnel
landmines, the Convention banning chemical weapons
and the Treaty banning nuclear testing, will continue to
actively support international disarmament efforts by
encouraging the process that has been set in motion of
combating the illicit trade in light arms and small
weapons. The convening, in the summer of 2001, of an
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international conference on that trade is important,
since it is quite clear that most conflicts in Africa and
elsewhere in the world are fed by traffickers in arms,
drugs and diamonds, and are supported by, among
other things, a number of major multinational
corporations that benefit from ill-gotten gains,
providing arms and drugs to the conflict zones and
participating in money-laundering operations.
We also unreservedly support the creation of the
International Criminal Court, and strongly advocate the
rapid entry into force of the Rome Statute.
With regard to strengthening the fight against
poverty and the initiation of new cooperation in the
service of development, the African continent accepts
that it bears the primary responsibility for its economic
recovery and that success in this task depends mainly
on its own efforts. But, at a time when the world is
happily entering the twenty-first century, Africa,
marginalized, is prey to destitution and poverty. The
scope of the crisis it is experiencing and the importance
of the resources to be made available require that the
international community support its efforts through
increased concessional resources, expansion of
commerce and trade and debt relief.
Cooperation on this painful issue of poverty was
discussed last January in Libreville by the heads of
State and Government of sub-Saharan Africa and the
Bretton Woods institutions, at a conference where a
new approach to poverty eradication was proposed,
with a target date of 2015. During that economic
summit the heads of State and Government made
recommendations on considering the continent's
prospects at the dawn of the new millennium and on
the challenges to be faced in speeding up economic
growth and eradicating poverty.
There is no doubt that poverty eradication
requires much quicker economic growth, with its fruits
benefiting the greatest number. In this regard, social
justice is a useful guide if we wish development and
economic growth to produce beneficial results that are
more equitably shared.
Our heads of State and Government committed
themselves to redoubling their efforts to promote solid
and sustainable growth in order to reduce poverty.
Furthermore, they reiterated their determination to
speed up the process of subregional and regional
integration already begun with the creation of the
African Union this year in LomÈ.
An open and interdependent world needs
mechanisms to retain its balance and to help promote
justice by preventing aggression against individuals
and nature. It also needs participation in development
for all countries and peoples and efficiency in
economic relations by encouraging transparency,
predictability and stability in international relations.
One solution would be  and on this point I
agree with the view of many experts  for
international development cooperation to cover not
only assistance, but also all activities necessary to
guarantee sustainable development throughout the
world based on the individual.
We could then agree that development assistance
first contributes to creating national conditions for
development and to combating poverty, which is
obviously incompatible with justice, popular
participation and effectiveness.
As necessary as the achievement of food self-
sufficiency throughout the world may appear, the
national capacity of the developing world should be
strengthened in order to facilitate the effective
implementation of international agreements on
environmental protection, trade liberalization,
macroeconomic management and banking supervision,
which are so essential to the proper functioning of a
globalized economy.
Looking back at history, one can see that after the
Second World War development cooperation was
synonymous with solidarity and aid: assistance from
the richest countries to the poorest. It is time for this
cooperation to be transformed, made more dynamic
and, above all, become part of the new fact of
globalization.
The recent ministerial meeting initiated by Mr.
Mark Malloch Brown, the Administrator of the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), highlighted
the need to strengthen the institution's capacity in order
to fulfil its mission more effectively. This
strengthening is particularly necessary, since today,
more than ever before, it is not possible to conceive of
development without taking environmental
requirements duly into account. UNDP could, for
instance, intensify its assistance to countries that draw
part of their resources from forest products to achieve
sustainable and ecologically viable management of the
forests.
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With regard to strengthening protection of the
environment, the debate under way in the United
Nations, which consists of blaming only the forest
countries, is unjust, since we know that the greenhouse
gas emissions produced by the industrialized countries
are largely responsible for the harm done to our planet.
Passing responsibility back and forth would not be
constructive. To the contrary, we should rather search
together, in the spirit of the 1992 Rio Conference, for
ways and means to enable us all to preserve the balance
of our natural ecosystem.
I turn to the alleviation of the crushing external
debt burden. On this crucial point, my country devotes
nearly half its annual budget to repaying debt, thereby
compromising its efforts and chances for development.
The debt relief mechanisms advocated in recent years
have been discriminatory with regard to our country by
excluding us from their application. We say that the
reasoning is unfair, being based on our high per capita
gross domestic product, without taking into account
either our ability to pay or the seriously
disproportionate distribution of national income
between capital, labour and taxation.
A study carried out recently by a team of
university specialists in Gabon shows that less than 40
per cent of our gross domestic product is likely to
cause a multiplier effect locally.
The peculiar situation of Gabon, the only country
in the so-called intermediate-income category in sub-
Saharan Africa, is due to the fact that its wealth is
produced by, and for, external protagonists.
Thus the appeal made to the international
community for a fairer treatment of my country's debt
and that of others is not simply a form of begging.
What is at stake is the strengthening of the
international trading system for the benefit of all, so
that globalization, as the Secretary-General has quite
rightly said, might become a positive force for all of
humankind. The debt problem remains a major source
of concern for African countries, not just my own. We
believe that our partners should show some
imagination rather than coming up with the same tired
solutions.
That is why, in considering the debt problem,
account should be taken not only of socio-economic
indicators but also of the efforts made by a State to
combat poverty and the deterioration of the
environment. We will say it again: helping the South
helps the North and helps everyone.
The status of the developing countries,
particularly those of Africa, requires broad-based
action on the part of the international community in
order to translate into reality our duties of solidarity
towards peoples.
Official development assistance continues to
decline. Following up on the recommendations of the
Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development,
recently reaffirmed in Geneva, my country, in its fight
against poverty, is now implementing the 20/20
initiative  that is, 20 per cent of its national budget
and 20 per cent of official development assistance are
allocated to basic social services. We all know here that
the 20/20 initiative is an excellent way to combat
poverty.
Regrettably, Gabon's efforts have been hampered
by the dizzying decline in official development
assistance and its exclusion from the benefits of
external concessional financing.
I turn now to the protection of vulnerable peoples
and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Another aspect of political and social problems in
Africa and throughout the world is the status of women
and children in society. In my country, women have the
same rights as men. Our educational system ensures
free schooling for all school-age children, in the
interests of the Gabonese nation as a whole. School
enrolment has risen from 27 per cent in 1950 to more
than 90 per cent today.
Furthermore, my country is resolutely committed
to promoting and protecting the rights of the child.
Accordingly, we hosted in February 2000 in Libreville
an international conference on trafficking in children
and on child labour.
We call for the implementation of the
recommendations of that conference, which are a direct
follow-up to the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child and its two additional Protocols,
signed here by the head of State of Gabon.
Regarding the campaign against HIV/AIDS, I am
pleased to inform the Assembly that, at the initiative of
President Bongo, the Gabonese Government has just
created a national solidarity fund to combat this
pandemic. Gabon believes that the creation of an
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international solidarity fund to combat AIDS would no
doubt help the 35 million people stricken with this
illness, the majority of whom are in developing
countries, especially in Africa.
I turn now to the reform and restructuring of the
United Nations system. In his report entitled We the
peoples: the role of the United Nations in the twenty-
first century, the Secretary-General emphasized the
need to renew the United Nations. This renewal
requires that we identify the major assets of the United
Nations, rebuild its infrastructure and information-
technology capacities, and continue the peaceful
revolution  that is, the reforms begun in 1997.
In this context, it is necessary to revise the scale
of assessments. It is in the interest of us all that we
readjust the scale of assessments, so that the burden of
the Organization's expenditures, and thereby its
freedom of action, does not rest on the shoulders of
only a few Member States.
The current millennium, a symbol of divine
generosity and perfection to which we are bearing
witness, has the potential to give rise to further
progress in the building of a more just and peaceful
world. Every nation represented here is a reflection of
humankind, whose common values were recalled by
the founders of the United Nations. Humanity is itself
in the image of God, and we must therefore together
bring to fruition the precious gifts bestowed by our
Creator: love, peace and freedom.
The United Nations must retain what has shown
itself to be tried and true, adapt where necessary and
devise new forms of regulation.