It gives me great pleasure to congratulate you,
Sir, on your election to the presidency of this session.
We are confident that the posts you held in your
country and the respect you enjoy will facilitate your
task in leading the deliberations of this session of the
General Assembly to their desired objectives.
I would also like to express our appreciation to
your predecessor, Mr. Harri Holkeri, for the efforts he
made last year to lead the work of the previous session
to a successful conclusion. Let me also congratulate
Mr. Kofi Annan on his re-election to a second term as
Secretary-General of our international Organization
and on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, together with
the United Nations. I would like to assure him that our
cooperation with him will continue in order to
consolidate the role of the United Nations in various
domains.
The international and regional circumstances
prevailing since the events of last September have cast
a dark shadow on our work. The new world order,
whose emergence was announced after the
disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Gulf war,
soon faltered, due to the failure or lack of desire to
adopt the language of dialogue in order to eliminate
hostile climates and the refusal to apply equal
standards in international relations to resolve regional
conflicts, and due to the adoption of the method of
daily crisis management, which consists of addressing
only surface issues, instead of delving deep into the
root causes and addressing them according to the
23

criteria of justice, international legitimacy and human
solidarity.
The world watched in disbelief the horrifying
attacks on Washington, D.C., and New York. We in
Syria and in the Arab world did not hesitate to
denounce those attacks and to condemn them in the
strongest possible terms. In the aftermath of those
attacks, we also called for international cooperation
under the auspices of the United Nations to uproot
terrorism in all its forms. Likewise, we called for an
agreement on measures to define terrorism in an effort
to guarantee effectiveness in combating it and in
addressing its root causes.
The phenomenon of terrorism is not confined to a
particular society, culture or religion. It has appeared,
and is still appearing, in many countries made up of
numerous groups with different demands, beliefs and
objectives. That is why it is a gross injustice and is
totally unrealistic to link terrorism to Arabs and
Muslims. Suffice it to mention, for example, a number
of infamous terrorist organizations such as Bader-
Meinhoff gang, in Germany, the Red Brigades, in Italy
and Japan, and what has been taking place in Northern
Ireland and in Spain, not to mention the various
extremist organizations in the United States of
America.
Those who link terrorist acts to Islam ignore the
fact that Islam respects all monotheistic religions, calls
for tolerance among their followers and prohibits the
killing of innocents or acts of aggression against their
properties. But the pressing question now is how to
eliminate from the minds of American citizens the
feeling of hatred against Arabs and Muslims, feelings
promoted by tens of thousands of publications, articles
and films for the last 50 years.
Senior officials at the highest level in the
American Administration and in European countries
have warned against linking terrorism to Arabs and
Muslims and have issued positive statements. But,
regrettably, those statements, though important, cannot
erase the long history of defamation in books and films
that have distorted the image of Arabs and remain in
circulation. Moreover, we have recently heard that new
films are being made, and books being prepared for
publication, that incite feelings of hatred and link
terrorism to Arabs and Muslims, thereby manipulating
the tragic events of September.
Syria has always stressed the need to work on all
levels to combat international terrorism in all its forms
and in a way that is consistent with the principles and
purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. Syria
was the first country to call, in 1985, for the convening
of an international conference under the auspices of the
United Nations to define terrorism and to differentiate
it from the struggle of peoples for national liberation.
In response to a request by Syria, an item was listed on
the agenda of the General Assembly, stressing the
importance of determining the root causes of terrorism
and taking appropriate measures to prevent it, combat
it and address its root causes.
Syria has also called upon all countries to take the
necessary measures at the national, regional and
international levels to combat terrorism and implement
the provisions of international law and relevant
international resolutions, with the aim of preventing
the perpetration of terrorist acts or their financing and
inciting. We would also like to indicate that, since
1952, the Syrian Arab Republic has been one of the
first countries to adopt firm national laws and
legislation to combat terrorism.
International terrorism is not a new phenomenon.
Syria and other Arab countries have also been victims
of terrorism. For years we have called upon the
international community to condemn all types of
terrorism, especially the State terrorism practised by
Israel. In this context, I would like to refer to the
values of tolerance that have distinguished our region
throughout history. Our region had never known the
phenomenon of terrorism until after Israel was created
on the basis of religion, in 1948, supported by the
efforts of such well-known terrorist organizations as
the Irgun, Tzioni, the Stern gang, the Lehy and the
Haganah, which were responsible for sowing the seeds
of terrorism and fear in Palestine and outside it.
Israel has invented new types of terrorist
practices in order to continue its occupation of Arab
territories. It expelled Palestinians from their homes
and lands and perpetrated numerous massacres,
beginning with the massacre of Deir Yassin in 1948, to
that of Beit Reima just a few weeks ago. But despite
that, it has not been held accountable for these crimes.
The Palestinian people have, therefore, had no
alternative in their struggle to rid themselves of their
state of frustration, despair and international disregard
for their plight but to start one uprising after another as
24

a way to liberate their lands from occupation and to
restore their dignity like any other people in the world.
What is both odd and surprising is that whenever
Palestinian refugees and their organizations residing in
Syria are mentioned, the United States describes them
as terrorist organizations and considers the country that
hosts them as one that sponsors terrorism. It ignores
the fact that Israel was completely responsible for
uprooting those Palestinians from their homes,
expelling them from their homeland and denying them,
up until this very moment, their right of return in
accordance with General Assembly resolution 194
(III). Regrettably, there are some countries and certain
media outlets that believe those claims and describe
those Palestinian organizations as terrorist. They do not
stop there, but extend that allegation to Syria as well,
instead of condemning Israel and expressing
appreciation to Syria for hosting about 500,000
Palestinian refugees and offering them work, security
and a dignified life.
But in any case the request on the part of Israel
and those who support it to have these Palestinian
refugees and their organizations expelled from Syria
raises the very important question of where those
refugees should go. The natural and human answer
says that they should go back to their country,
Palestine. They are more entitled to go back to their
homes than the million Russian Jews who were brought
in by Israel during the last 10 years. They are also more
entitled than another 1 million Jews that the head of the
Israeli Government plans to bring into Israel, although
they live well and securely in their countries. Although
the rulers of Israel claim that the Palestinians have no
place in their towns and villages and that the return of
Palestinians threatens the existence of Israel, the truth
is that the return of Palestinian refugees will alleviate
racism in Israel and will not threaten its existence.
During its invasion of Lebanon in 1982 Israel
perpetrated the ugliest of crimes when it shelled and
besieged Beirut for over 80 days, during which time
thousands of innocent Lebanese civilians were killed,
the infrastructure of Lebanon was destroyed and many
horrific massacres were perpetrated. Those massacres
included the atrocities at Sabra and Shatila, which the
entire world witnessed and is aware of.
Faced with Israeli arrogance, the failure of the
international community to stop Israel from
perpetrating its crimes, and the provision of Israel with
the latest American warplanes and the most destructive
and sophisticated weapons, the Lebanese people had no
choice but to stand fast and resist occupation. This
resistance continued until it achieved its most
important victory in May 2000, when it forced the
Israeli occupying forces to abandon most Lebanese
territories. No one in the world should forget that the
battles of the Lebanese resistance were fought on the
occupied territories of Lebanon against occupying
Israeli soldiers and that this resistance did not act
beyond Lebanese borders and did not hurt Israeli
civilians during the 20 years of occupation, whereas
the occupying Israeli forces killed thousands of
Lebanese civilians, not to mention their repeated
destruction of hundreds of houses and much of the
Lebanese infrastructure.
After all this, how could anyone fail to
distinguish between terrorism and resistance? Anyone
wishing to target terrorism in our region must target
Israeli terrorism first and foremost, because what Israel
does is the utmost form of terrorism; it is absolutely
bereft of human compassion. There is no alternative
but to address the root causes of this terrorism once and
for all and uproot it from our modern life through the
implementation of international legitimacy in order to
restore rights, end injustice and occupation and grant
the Palestinian people the right to self-determination
freely and wholly.
These days mark the tenth anniversary of the
convening of the Madrid Peace Conference, for which
we made sincere efforts so it would create an opening
for a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
The serious and purposeful negotiations that Syria has
engaged in during recent years have shown two things
to the international community: first, that Israel neither
desires nor is serious about achieving a just and
comprehensive peace in accordance with United
Nations resolutions; secondly, that Syria has the right
to recover its territory in the Golan to the border of 4
June 1967, without compromise. However, we were
always faced with Israel’s intransigence, denial of
rights, evasion of the real issues and of the
requirements of peace. Indeed, Israel has done what its
Prime Minister promised at the time: to make
negotiations go in circles for 10 years, with all the
dangerous repercussions and tragic results that would
produce.
There is talk now about an opportunity for the
resumption of the peace process according to the terms
25

of reference of the Madrid Conference. We believe that
unless the two sponsors of the peace process, the
European Union and the United Nations, make a
serious effort to implement the relevant United Nations
resolutions, this opportunity will be wasted again, with
all the dangerous repercussions that will hold for this
important and sensitive region of the world.
The dialogue among civilizations has gained
increasing importance in the aftermath of the escalation
of hostile attacks on certain cultures, religions and
nationalities. Syria, which is the cradle of early
civilizations and a source of scientific and intellectual
enlightenment, recognizes the importance of this
dialogue and the necessity of pursuing it in the service
of humanity and future generations. Our region, at its
pinnacle, was a lively example of dialogue and
interaction among civilizations. Within its broad
horizons, the civilizations of East and West met.
Intellectuals, men of letters, scientists and philosophers
from different parts of the world contributed to the
formation of these civilizations. In this context we
hope that the Global Agenda for Dialogue among
Civilizations, recently adopted by the General
Assembly, will be implemented. We find in this agenda
a horizon that responds to the aspirations of people
towards enriching the awareness of common human
values among all peoples and deepening the spirit of
understanding among them.
In conclusion, allow me to convey to you the
gratitude of my country, Syria, and its President,
Government and people for the precious trust and the
great support that so many countries in the world
expressed when they elected the Syrian Arab Republic
to the Security Council. I would like to assure you that
Syria shall remain, as it has always been, in the
forefront of those who defend international legitimacy
and the Charter of the United Nations and will make
every possible effort during its membership on the
Security Council to contribute to preserving
international peace and security.


The President has been
elected to chair at what is undoubtedly one of the most
challenging sessions of the General Assembly in recent
times. My delegation congratulates him on his election.
We pledge our full support to him and express our
confidence that under his leadership the work of the
Assembly will have a positive impact on our collective
efforts to meet the many challenges facing our world.
My delegation would also like to take this
opportunity to commend his predecessor, Mr. Harri
Holkeri of Finland, for his leadership as President of
the fifty-fifth session, the Millennium Assembly.
We are in times of great tragedy but also of
laudable triumphs. The Secretary-General and the
United Nations have rendered outstanding and
inspiring service to the world’s peoples. Mr. Secretary-
General, we celebrate with you and this Organization
the well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize awarded to you,
even as we express our appreciation for the exemplary
leadership that you continue to provide to the United
Nations.
My delegation also wishes to take this
opportunity to express its sincere sympathy to the
Governments of the United States and the Dominican
Republic and to the families of those who lost their
lives in the crash of a United States commercial aircraft
in New York yesterday.
While recognizing the many challenges the global
community will face in the twenty-first century, leaders
at last year’s Millennium Assembly nonetheless were
optimistic that peace and prosperity would be
important hallmarks of the new century. Their hopes
have been severely undermined by the indefensible acts
of terrorism perpetrated in the United States on 11
September 2001. The horrific scenes of death and
destruction in New York, Washington, D.C., and
Pennsylvania, so indelibly etched in our minds, have
no doubt changed the world forever. The Government
and the people of the Bahamas mourned with countries
all over the world, including our sister Caribbean
countries that lost loved ones, and expressed our
sadness at the senseless loss of life and wanton
destruction of property.
Even as events in Afghanistan unfold, the United
Nations, and indeed the world, now face a dilemma:
how to confront the grave challenge which
international terrorism has defiantly issued to the world
and at the same time meet the Charter obligations to
30

promote human rights and social progress and better
standards of life in larger freedom. We must be
visionary and creative in ensuring that the resources
and energies of the United Nations and of the
international community are used to implement a
balanced agenda that will deal effectively and
resolutely with terrorists and terrorism and that will
also continue to have a positive impact on human
rights, economic and social development and other
common objectives.
The international community has spoken with one
voice in condemning international terrorism as a major
destabilizing force in the world. The acts of 11
September 2001 fundamentally shifted security
concerns regarding terrorists and terrorism to the
workplace, streets and homes of innocent people,
creating anxiety, insecurity and uncertainty worldwide.
Significantly, the terrorist acts have had serious and
damaging consequences on a rapidly globalizing world
economy. The economies of both industrialized and
developing countries have been severely disrupted,
with grave implications for future economic and
financial stability. The economic outlook, particularly
for many developing countries, is indeed grim. The
small economies of the countries in the Caribbean have
experienced massive disruption because of their
vulnerability to external shocks and heavy dependence
on tourism, especially from the North American
market. There has been significant loss of employment
in the tourism, financial services and related sectors,
even as government revenues have fallen and foreign
reserves are threatened.
The countries of the Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) have moved decisively to assess the
implications of the terrorist attacks on its member
States. As Chair of the Conference of Heads of
Government of CARICOM, the Bahamas was host to a
special emergency meeting of the Conference, held on
11 and 12 October 2001, which adopted the Nassau
Declaration on International Terrorism. That
Declaration sets out the action that Governments would
take to mitigate the impact on the region’s tourism,
aviation, financial services and agricultural sectors,
which are the major contributors to the gross national
product, foreign exchange earnings and employment in
the countries of our region.
CARICOM heads of Government also
unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and
reaffirmed their commitment to work with the
international community in the multifaceted fight
against terrorism, in accordance with international law
and conventions. It is therefore our hope that the
international community will support the countries of
CARICOM during this difficult and challenging period.
We in the Bahamas have taken our obligation to
cooperate in the fight against terrorism very seriously.
We have complied with Security Council resolutions,
including resolution 1333 (2000) which calls for the
freezing of funds and other financial assets of Osama
bin Laden, the Al Qaeda organization and individuals
associated with it. The International Obligations,
Economic and Ancillary Measures Order 2001, enacted
in our Parliament in September this year, prohibits any
person dealing with any property and any financial
institution licensed in the Bahamas from transacting
business with Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda or any
individuals or entities associated with them, who, for
these purposes, may be designated from time to time.
We have been able to take such timely action because
of a comprehensive legislative regime enacted in
December 2000 which put in place an effective
regulatory regime to ensure that the Bahamas financial
services sector is not abused by criminals for money-
laundering or any other financial crimes. It was the
enactment of that legislation that resulted in the
Financial Action Task Force’s removal of the Bahamas,
in June of this year, from its list of non-cooperative
jurisdictions in the fight against money-laundering. As
part of its overall review of the international regime for
action against terrorists and terrorism, in October this
year my Government signed the United Nations
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of
Terrorism. We are following very closely the
discussions on a comprehensive convention against
terrorism, in order to determine what further action the
Government will need to take in this area. We hope that
a comprehensive, practical and implementable
instrument will be adopted that will take into account
the existing anti-terrorism regime. In this we see a
clearly delineated role for the United Nations, and
particularly the Security Council, which is well placed
to articulate a coherent policy for global cooperation in
the fight against international terrorism.
Meeting our obligations, however, has not been
without sacrifice. The Bahamas, like many other
Caribbean countries, has been obliged to divert scarce
resources from other critical development objectives to
initiate the sweeping security changes required at our
31

airports and seaports and otherwise to mitigate the
impact of the 11 September events.
For the Government and people of the Bahamas,
the ravages of hurricane Michelle have further
compounded the significant economic setbacks caused
by the 11 September events in the United States. Just
last week, that hurricane made a direct hit on our
archipelagic State, causing extensive damage to
infrastructure, agriculture and vegetation in some of
our major islands. The Government is still determining
the extent of the damage but has already begun the
essential period of reconstruction.
Globalization and trade liberalization are, and
must remain, central issues on the world’s agenda.
Generally, globalization has presented significant
opportunities and has had a positive impact on many
countries. However, for others, particularly in the
developing world, the freer flow of capital, technology,
finance, goods and services across national
boundaries — which is the essence of globalization —
has not met the stated objectives of improving overall
economic prosperity, reducing poverty and closing the
technological gap. On the contrary, the social costs of
globalization — poverty, inequality and
unemployment — remain serious challenges for many
of the countries of the developing world. These
challenges are further compounded by factors including
an onerous debt burden, a limited or inadequate export
infrastructure to effectively participate in the global
trading system, and an inability to access the markets
of the developed world. My Government, nevertheless,
is cognizant that the international trading regime of the
World Trade Organization (WTO) provides a
significant framework within which countries may
benefit from globalization and trade liberalization, and
work towards appropriately addressing the costs and
risks associated with the global trading system. In July
this year, the Bahamas submitted its application for
accession to the WTO, for WTO membership is a
priority for my Government and we hope that our
application will receive the requisite support.
We are in a period, leading up to late 2002,
during which the United Nations is defining its
economic and social development agenda with greater
precision, through a series of assessments of
international action in specific areas. The Bahamas was
pleased to have participated in the Organization’s
review of its work and setting of its agenda for further
action in the areas of racism, racial discrimination and
human settlements and the illicit trade in small arms
and light weapons. My Government believes that every
effort should be made to consolidate those areas in
which progress was made at the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia
and Related Intolerance that took place in Durban,
South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September this year.
Global objectives in respect of human settlements
received considerable impetus from the special session
on human settlements that took place in New York in
June 2001. The Declaration on Cities and Other Human
Settlements in the New Millennium, adopted by the
Conference, should prove invaluable in addressing
chronic problems of inadequate shelter.
The United Nations Conference on the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects addressed a problem that for the small
countries of the Caribbean is a particularly serious one.
We wished the Conference could have been more
forthright in its adoption of measures to better address
these critical issues but readily accept the Programme
of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
Aspects as an essential first step. Decisions taken at
these and other United Nations meetings are indeed
decisions of the Organization that the Bahamas hopes
will be implemented as such by all Member States.
Few countries in the world, if any, have been
spared the vagaries of HIV/AIDS. The statistics are
compelling — more than 30 million people affected.
With respect to the developing world they are even
more compelling — more than 95 per cent of those
affected live in the developing world. The Caribbean
region has not been spared, but we are taking decisive
action. Our Pan-Caribbean Partnership launched in
February this year has the full support and commitment
of heads of Government for effective action against
HIV/AIDS in the wider Caribbean region. The
Government of the Bahamas in this regard welcomes
the contribution of the Government of Canada to the
Caribbean HIV/AIDS programme. The special session
on HIV/AIDS held in New York in June 2001 gave
heads of State and Government the opportunity to set
an agenda for slowing and reversing the destructive
impact of HIV/AIDS throughout the world. It is an
agenda that must be implemented to halt and reverse
this tragedy that is devastating populations and
32

threatening to reverse the development gains made in
many developing countries. The developing world will,
and must, look for help and support to those having the
technology, research capacity and resources by which
they themselves have been able to control the spread of
this deadly disease.
The year 2002 will also be an active one, both for
United Nations benchmark assessments and
readjustment of priorities and for addressing significant
issues on the international agenda. The International
Conference on Financing for Development will be
convened in Monterrey, Mexico, in March 2002. As
plans develop, we hope that all Members of the United
Nations will come to appreciate the need to ensure that
the Conference provides the framework within which
commitments can be made so that technical assistance
can be provided to poor countries for basic
infrastructural development, the standards of people
worldwide who live in endemic poverty can be raised,
developing countries can be assisted to attract foreign
direct investment, and information technology can be
more freely transferred to developing countries. My
Government, for its part, is of the view that small,
developing, middle-income countries such as the
Bahamas, because of their economic and ecological
vulnerabilities, should not be excluded from
development financing. It is also the view of my
Government that the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, to be convened in South Africa in
September 2002, should be complementary to
undertakings made at the International Conference on
Financing for Development. Ten years after the Rio
Summit of 1992, the ever-increasing fury of natural
disasters, climate change and sea-level rise, and the
depletion of biological resources and overall
environmental degradation, are but some of the issues
begging reassessment that must be part of the blueprint
for determined action emanating from South Africa.
Likewise, the Bahamas hopes that the Second World
Assembly on Ageing, to be held in Madrid, Spain, in
2002, and the special session of the United Nations
General Assembly on children, postponed to 2002,
should assess progress but, more importantly, must
emphasize action that will provide guidance for
national, regional and international policy and planning
in their respective areas.
The initiatives the United Nations will take up in
2002 to review and assess progress in a significant
number of areas should bring clearly into focus the
actions that must be taken by Member States and by the
Organization to accomplish agreed economic and
social objectives. It is the hope of the Bahamas that
these reviews will be followed by a period of intense
implementation of decisions that have been agreed, so
that qualitative and quantitative improvements may be
realized in all areas. We believe that such
improvements are essential but must be in concert with
United Nations initiatives to meet demands in other
critical areas, such as conflict resolution, war, and
humanitarian crises worldwide. They should also be in
concert with the Organization’s efforts to address
effectively and comprehensively issues such as the
illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances, the illicit trade in small arms and light
weapons, alien smuggling and refugee flows, which do
not respect national boundaries. In all such cases, the
danger of inaction could have dire consequences,
particularly for international peace and security.
In conclusion, the current preoccupation with
terrorism has fortunately not paralysed the United
Nations. What it has done is to emphasize the need for
an effective and cohesive United Nations, capable of
responding flexibly to unexpected and contradictory
events in a timely and effective manner with little or no
disruption of its programmes in other areas. We believe
that the United Nations Charter constitutes a viable and
firm foundation for the Organization to balance and
achieve its objectives, to maintain international peace
and security and promote economic and social
progress. The Bahamas fully supports the United
Nations in all its endeavours.


I
should like to associate my country and delegation with
the expressions of sympathy for the great suffering
endured by the city of New York following the crash of
the American Airlines plane yesterday. To the
Government of the United States, our host city and all
the bereaved families, I address the condolences of the
Government and people of Guinea.
A year ago in this Hall, the great leaders of the
world, in a unanimous surge, committed themselves to
thinking together about the role of this Organization,
the United Nations, in the twenty-first century, and
about ways of achieving its objectives fully, with a
view to constructing together a world of peace,
progress and solidarity. The historic Declaration which
emerged from the Millennium Summit emphasized the
need to open a new era of international relations.
It was when the international community was
preparing to review the implementation of the
recommendations and decisions of that Summit that
unprecedented terrorist acts cast a shadow over our
hopes. These acts, to which the United States fell
victim on 11 September 2001, profoundly shocked the
conscience of all peoples. The barbarity and violence
of these terrorist attacks, and also the threat of
bioterrorism, are serious attacks on international peace
and security.
My delegation would like once again to express
its sympathy to the American people, especially the
families of the many victims. The Republic of Guinea
condemns those intolerable acts and believes that it
should be the concern of all States to combat and
eradicate terrorism. We firmly support any measures
aimed at eliminating the bases of international
terrorism and fully associate ourselves with the
international community in its global response to that
scourge.
The fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly
is thus taking place within the context of a new and
alarming situation for international peace and security.
My delegation is therefore very pleased to see you, Sir,
presiding over the Assembly during this session. We
are convinced that your wealth of experience, as well
as your great diplomatic skill, will ensure the success
of our discussions. I would like to assure you of the
cooperation and support of the delegation of Guinea.
I should also like to thank your predecessor,
Mr. Harri Holkeri, for the excellent work accomplished
under his presidency.
17

My delegation would like once again to convey
the warm congratulations of General Lansana Conté,
President of the Republic of Guinea, to our brother,
Kofi Annan, on his well-deserved re-election as the
head of our Organization. The unanimous tribute that
has been paid to him brings honour to the whole of the
African continent and bears witness to his great
qualities and his commitment to achieving the
objectives of the United Nations. The Nobel Peace
Prize recently awarded jointly to him and to the
Organization is eloquent testimony to that commitment
and an encouragement to continue to act in the service
of peace and understanding among peoples.
The award of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize to the
United Nations is, without doubt, a recognition of its
role in the implementation of its objectives — the
maintenance of international peace and security,
development and cooperation among nations.
Increasingly, the Organization is proving to be the
necessary crucible for dialogue among States.
However, almost all Members earnestly desire the
strengthening and improvement of the entire system.
While reaffirming its support for the reform
process initiated by the Secretary-General, my country,
the Republic of Guinea, would like to emphasize the
need to strengthen the principal organs of the
Organization. We welcome the actions taken by your
predecessor, Sir, to streamline the working methods of
the General Assembly so as to give it fresh dynamism.
We hope that that impetus will continue.
My delegation would also like to reaffirm its
support for restructuring the Security Council, in its
membership as well as its working methods, so as to
enable it to better protect the interests of all Member
States. I should like to take this opportunity to express,
on behalf of my Government, our gratitude to all States
for the unanimous support that enabled Guinea to be
elected a non-permanent member of the Security
Council for 2002 and 2003. During its mandate, the
Republic of Guinea will make every effort to contribute
actively to the maintenance of peace and security in the
world.
Peace and security continue to be threatened in
many parts of the world. In the Middle East,
intolerance and intransigence have led to a dangerous
escalation of violence, which, if not controlled in time,
could cause the whole region to go up in flames. The
Republic of Guinea would like to appeal to all the
parties to exercise greater restraint so as to facilitate a
resumption of the peace process. My country supports
the full application of the recommendations of the
Mitchell commission and the implementation of
effective follow-up mechanisms. Dispatching
international observers could contribute to ending the
violence and returning peace to all the peoples there.
However, the indifference of the international
community and its failure to take action could, in the
long term, prove to be prejudicial to security in the
Middle East.
My delegation condemns all acts of violence,
which can lead only to a worsening of the situation. In
the light of the serious events that have taken place in
recent months, the international community must do all
that it can to lead all parties to accept a ceasefire and to
resume the peace process. Arms must give way to
dialogue, which should lead to a just, equitable and
lasting peace. The legitimate rights of the Palestinian
people should be respected. Likewise, the existence
and security of Israel must be guaranteed.
One year ago, my country became the victim of
aggression committed by rebel groups. That barbaric
aggression caused great loss of life and material
damage. My Government would like to express its full
appreciation for the subsequent role played by the
United Nations in adopting appropriate measures to
create conditions conducive to the restoration of peace
and stability in the subregion. My delegation would
also like to take this opportunity to thank all the
individuals and States that contributed to the adoption
and implementation of those measures. One year later,
the fact that a dialogue has been initiated by civil
society in the three countries concerned — Sierra
Leone, Liberia and Guinea — means that we have
reached an important stage in the search for peace.
The Republic of Guinea, which has always shown
its determination to maintain and strengthen friendship,
brotherhood and cooperation with all African countries
in general and neighbouring countries in particular,
would like to reaffirm to the Assembly its readiness to
make the Mano River Union a model of economic
integration, social cohesion and political stability.
However, relaunching the activities of the Union
will depend upon respect for the relevant provisions of
the Non-aggression and Security Cooperation Treaty
signed by the three countries and of the 15th Protocol
to the Mano River Declaration, signed at Conakry on 8
18

May 2000. That is what is required for productive
dialogue among the three countries.
In the framework of the process of re-establishing
confidence and dialogue among the countries members
of the Mano River Union, meetings have been held at
the ministerial level in Monrovia, Freetown and
Conakry. Those meetings made it possible to discuss
important problems relating to the activities of armed
groups in the subregion, the situation of refugees,
measures to rebuild confidence, peace and security, and
the need to reactivate the various bodies of the Mano
River Union.
My Government welcomes the encouraging
developments in Sierra Leone, particularly the
programme for disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration (DDR). The DDR programme that has
been implemented will have to be consolidated if it is
to lead to the true demobilization of all the
Revolutionary United Front combatants and if the
mistakes made in Liberia are to be avoided. In Liberia,
the restoration of peace after 10 years of civil war has
not, unfortunately, been accompanied by a true DDR
programme or by post-conflict financial support.
I would like to express regret with regard to the
inadequate results of the Paris conference convened to
deal with the problem of Sierra Leone, and to call on
the international community to provide the necessary
material and financial support to guarantee lasting
peace in that country. My delegation bases its appeal
on the relevant recommendations contained in the
Brahimi report, which have been accepted by the
principal organs of the Organization. The Republic of
Guinea will continue to support the efforts of the
United Nations and the Economic Community of West
African States in restoring peace, security and national
reconciliation in Sierra Leone.
The question of refugees is still a matter of great
concern for my Government. The enormous economic,
social, environmental and security impact of the
continued presence of hundreds of thousands of Sierra
Leonean and Liberian refugees continues to impose a
heavy burden on the economic and social life of my
country. The situation of the refugees is a matter of
great concern for the international community at a time
when rebel attacks against my country are being
carried out, as the countries hosting refugees are the
main target of the aggressors. Following this
aggression, the Government took appropriate measures,
in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, to relocate refugees
in zones far from the borders in order to ensure their
security.
The Secretary-General’s report on strengthening
of the coordination of emergency humanitarian
assistance amply describes the context of humanitarian
assistance and the difficulties to be overcome,
particularly in complex emergency situations.
We welcome the missions undertaken in the
subregion of West Africa by various United Nations
bodies, as well as the conclusions they reached. While
the resolution of most issues identified by those
missions requires an integrated approach, it is
nonetheless true that problems peculiar to certain
countries require particular attention. With respect to
Guinea, a victim of the consequences of the conflicts in
the subregion, it would be desirable for the
international community to provide greater support. In
that regard, I wish to reiterate the appeal to convene a
conference on solidarity with Guinea in order to help it
address the consequences of the prolonged presence of
refugees on its territory. I would stress that this appeal
of the Guinean Government is supported by the United
Nations inter-agency mission that recently visited our
country.
Before I conclude on this topic, I wish to
welcome the proposal to create a United Nations office
for West Africa, in accordance with the
recommendation of the Fall mission report. The
creation of such a body would demonstrate the
Organization’s clear interest in making the West
African region a zone of peace, security and
cooperation. My country will spare no effort in
cooperating fully with that office.
How can we discuss the conflicts in Africa
without highlighting the links between the illegal
exploitation of natural resources, the traffic in weapons
and the perpetuation of conflict? The reports of the
various groups of experts established by the Security
Council are edifying on this subject. In Sierra Leone,
Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
these links have clearly shown the involvement, in
addition to rebel groups, of certain authorities in that
illegal activity.
My Government therefore fully supports the
actions of the Security Council to impose sanctions
against any Government or group involved in the
19

pillaging of a country’s natural resources, in
accordance with the relevant provisions of international
law. The Republic of Guinea feels that if energetic
deterrent measures are not taken against the
perpetrators of such crimes, which are emerging as a
new kind of threat to peace, the entire African
continent may once again fall victim to conflict.
With regard to the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, my country calls for scrupulous respect for the
Lusaka Agreement and for all pertinent Security
Council resolutions, and in particular for the
withdrawal of foreign troops, safeguarding the integrity
of Congolese territory and the pursuit of the inter-
Congolese dialogue.
In the Western Sahara, my country welcomes the
efforts of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General.
We are following with great interest the new initiatives
under way to find an acceptable solution to the crisis.
The phenomenon of globalization, characteristic
of international life today, calls for greater attention
from our States. My delegation is aware of the
necessary interdependence of nations and wishes once
again to stress that there can be no shared destiny
without a minimum of justice and solidarity in
international relations. We must work together to make
international economic relations more human and to
eradicate poverty.
There is no need here to point out that poverty,
destitution and illiteracy, which are unfortunately the
lot of a large majority of nations, provide fertile ground
for the propagation of the extremism and fanaticism
that, regrettably, underlie terrorist tendencies
throughout the world. The eradication of poverty
should be the objective of all countries in strengthening
the bases of lasting peace and security in the world.
Allow me to reiterate the appeal to the rich
countries to listen more closely to the poorer nations
and to support them in their development efforts. In
this respect, I renew the appeal for the adoption of a
better approach to the question of the debt of African
countries, for appropriate payment for raw materials
and for an increase in official development assistance.
On another level, the Marrakesh Agreement
establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO)
sought to institute an equitable multilateral trade
system with special reference to the particular situation
of the least developed countries. It is regrettable to note
today, however, that the least developed countries are
being increasingly marginalized in the globalization
process and that their share of the world trade market is
only 0.4 per cent.
The Republic of Guinea hopes that this trend will
be reversed and that decisions to that end will be taken
at the fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha.
These decisions will have to address, inter alia, the
issue of the implementation of WTO accords, the
consolidation of special and differentiated treatment set
forth in the various WTO agreements, consolidated
market access for the products of the least developed
countries to the markets of the developed countries,
and access to essential drugs for the poorest
populations of the world that are particularly
vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. I
also welcome the People’s Republic of China’s
accession to full membership of the WTO and reiterate
the support of the Guinean Government for the position
positing a single China.
In addition, we would like to see the International
Conference on Financing for Development, to be held
in March in Mexico, become an opportunity for all
parties to agree on solutions promoting sustainable
development for all members of the international
community, in particular the developing countries and
especially those on the African continent.
In stressing the interdependence of
environmental, economic and social factors, my
delegation feels that the forthcoming World Summit on
Sustainable Development, to be held in South Africa,
should encourage the financing of projects. My
delegation urges greater involvement by the
international financial institutions in the search for
ways to promote international cooperation for
development. In the framework of operational activities
for development, the funds and programmes of the
United Nations must more than ever harmonize and
stress their interaction on the African continent so as to
allow it to rise above conflict and underdevelopment.
I also take this opportunity to appeal to the
international community to give special attention to the
New African Initiative, adopted at the recent Assembly
of Heads of State and Government of the Organization
of African Unity, held in Lusaka in July, in order to
help Africa to participate actively in the world
economy and international political life and thus to
20

escape exclusion from a planet undergoing full-scale
globalization.
The United Nations was born last century. It
continues to exist in this new century. This is a source
of satisfaction to humanity. It is therefore essential that
we return to the ideals on which the Organization was
founded and that we give it the means to achieve a
world of peace, progress, solidarity and concord. The
achievement of such a world is possible if we want it.
Let us work together to make the noble ideals
contained in the Millennium Declaration a reality so
that we may lay the foundations of a planetary village
free of threats to the survival of mankind, such as the
scourge of war, poverty, injustice and intolerance. I can
solemnly assure the Assembly that my country will
cooperate to achieve that end.


It is a
great honour for me, on behalf of the Rwandan
delegation, to join previous speakers in extending from
this rostrum of the United Nations our sincere and
warm congratulations to Mr. Han Seung-soo on his
election as President of the General Assembly at the
fifty-sixth session. I should also like to take this
opportunity to pay a well-deserved tribute to his
predecessor for the farsightedness with which he led
the work of the fifty-fifth session of the General
Assembly.
I also wish, on behalf of my Government, to
extend my warm congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on
his re-election as Secretary-General of our
Organization. His remarkable efforts in strengthening
the role of the United Nations and his numerous
initiatives to resolve conflicts have been eloquently
attested to by his election to a second term of office,
and even more by the Nobel Peace Prize that has just
been awarded to him.
This session began in a very tragic climate in the
wake of the cowardly and ignoble acts orchestrated by
enemies of international peace and security. Those
terrorist acts led to the deaths of thousands of innocent
victims in the cities of New York and Washington. This
was a very heavy blow to the Government and the
20

people of the United States and also a challenge to the
United Nations and to the entire international
community.
The Government of Rwanda learned of these
ignoble acts with indignation and consternation, and
has presented its condolences to the American
Government and the families directly affected. The
Rwandan Government reiterates its condemnation of
terrorism and remains open to all initiatives designed
to combat all forms of terrorism. It is in this spirit that
my country unreservedly supports all the resolutions
adopted against terrorism, in particular resolution 1373
(2001) of 28 September, and we reaffirm our
determination to implement them.
The acts of 11 September 2001 are a challenge to
the United Nations and to each of its Member States.
Since the United Nations is the crucible of international
peace and security, and since terrorist groups take
innocent human lives, it is up to every Member State,
every truly human organization and every person who
cherishes peace and justice to fight as vigorously as
possible against such a terrorist group, no matter what
its pretext, no matter how powerful it may be. When
we say no matter how powerful, we know what we are
saying, having been victims ourselves.
We were victims of the terror not of just any
organization, but of a State that in reality became a
non-State, but with all the State machinery available to
it to fight the very people whose protection was its
most fundamental duty. Rwanda and its people lived
under the terror of a murderous, terrorist and genocidal
State for three months. This reign of terror by a State,
as the Assembly well knows, took more than 1 million
human lives in 1994. The instruments of this blind,
merciless terror, whose overwhelming result was
genocide, are well known: the organization of
paramilitary militias commonly known as the
Interahamwe, and the former Rwandese Armed Forces,
known as the ex-FAR. From this rostrum we call for
these two organizations, which for a decade have been
veritable killing machines, to be duly listed as terrorist
groups to be fought and pursued throughout the world.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, which
since 1994 has been harbouring these forces of evil,
has fed them, has provided them with arms and
munitions and has allied itself with them, must respond
to the Security Council’s repeated appeals to stop all
support for the negative forces on its territories,
including the Interahamwe and ex-Far, which planned
and carried out genocide in Rwanda.
With regard to peace in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo and throughout the Great Lakes region in
Africa, my country is determined to implement the
Lusaka Agreement, which, with respect to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, has two important
components: the inter-Congolese dialogue, which
should lead to a political solution to the Congolese
crisis, and the disarmament and withdrawal of negative
forces, which should lead to peace on the Rwandan,
Ugandan and Burundi borders of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
We wish to note with great satisfaction, the
actions of the sisterly Republic of South Africa, which,
given the failure of inter-Congolese dialogue in Addis
Ababa — because of, among other things, lack of
financial resources — generously offered food and
lodging to over 300 Congolese delegates going to that
greatly anticipated inter-Congolese forum. We wish
also to congratulate the Rassemblement congolais pour
la démocratie (RCD)-Goma and the Mouvement pour
la libération du Congo (MLC)-Gbadolite on their fine
initiative to create a special force to carry out the
disarmament and disengagement of negative forces
under their control on the territory of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and on having invited the
Kinshasa Government to join this initiative.
Regarding human rights, we would like to
reaffirm our attachment to the rule of law in
international relations. We are determined to strengthen
the rule of law, as well as respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. The Government of Rwanda
welcomed with great interest the report on human
rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is
regrettable, however, that the Special Rapporteur,
Mr. Roberto Garretn, was not present when the report
was submitted on 8 November 2001. Because of his
absence, no real debate between the parties concerned
and the Rapporteur was possible. Once again, my
delegation finds this highly regrettable.
The report on human rights in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo contains numerous gratuitous
allegations, including one on the alleged annexation of
that country. We would like to recall here that the
regular Rwandan army did not cross borders into the
Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to annex
the country, as the report claims, but, as we have
21

explained and demonstrated a number of times, to
ensure the security of our territory and our population.
We acted in the context “of the inherent right of
individual ... self-defence” of a country, as we are
authorized to do under Chapter VII, Article 51 of the
Charter.
Indeed, security in the north of Rwanda has been
and continues to be constantly disrupted by the ex-FAR
and the Interahamwe militia that committed the
genocide in 1994 and that are using Congolese territory
as their rear base in order to repeat their gruesome
deeds. These armed groups are infiltrating Rwanda and
killing thousands of innocent people. We hope that
phase III of the United Nations Organization Mission
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC),
in close cooperation with the initiative of the RCD
Goma-MLC Gbadolite, will lead to the complete
disarmament of these groups and to stability and peace
in the Great Lakes region.
We are pleased to note the establishment of a
Transitional Government in Burundi. We believe that
this is a major step towards the reconciliation to which
our brothers, the people of Burundi, aspire. Today the
Great Lakes region is seeking solutions to the conflicts
that undermine it. May the example of Burundi, under
the inspiration of President Nelson Mandela, bear fruit
in the general interest and for the benefit of the people
of Burundi and Africa as a whole.
Also regarding Africa, we feel that a definitive
solution to the problem of Western Sahara should also
be found.
We would like to see peace in the Middle East.
The question of Palestinian refugees, which is several
decades old, needs to be re-examined. Indeed, the
existence of an independent Palestinian State,
alongside an independent Israeli State assured of its
existence as such is necessary for peace in the Middle
East. The friends of the Israelis and the Palestinians
within the United Nations, including us, ought rather at
this stage to work on cultivating and strengthening
relations of friendship and cooperation between these
two fraternal States — the Israeli State and the
Palestinian State. We are anxious to start work on this
noble task.
Aside from Africa and the Middle East, we are
pleased to note the significant progress made on the
Korean peninsula, where both Koreas have shown
encouraging signs of reaching a final settlement of a
conflict arose in the context of the cold war.
This fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly
is the first after the Millennium Summit, and thus
should follow it up and lay the new foundation for the
future of mankind. The Summit stressed, among the
values that underpin international relations and respect
for the fundamental principles of the Charter, the role
that the United Nations ought to play and
recommended the creation of a propitious climate for
the development of the least developed countries that
were not yet on the path towards globalization.
Throughout this general debate poverty and the
problem of debt have been stressed as major obstacles
to development and thus to entry into the era of
globalization. Globalization, with its advantages for
some and problems for others, does not seem to be able
to resolve the problem of the gap between the rich and
poor countries. To the contrary, the gap between them
continues to grow. The marginalization of poor
countries in international trade and the debt burden
have severely hampered their efforts for development
and have exacerbated their poverty. This is why the
United Nations needs to define policies for the
development of all and adopt international measures to
support poor countries in the field of investment. Such
measures should also be aimed at cancelling debt and
ensuring adequate integration of these countries into
the world economy.
In this context, we call on the United Nations to
reconsider the report submitted to the Security Council
by the Independent Inquiry led by Mr. Carlsson, former
Prime Minister of Sweden, on which there has been no
follow-up to date. As a Member of the United Nations,
we believe that the Organization to which we belong
should undertake a follow-up to this report that defines
well the need for economic and social reconstruction in
post-genocide Rwanda.


I would like to
congratulate Mr. Han Seung-soo, Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, on his
assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly
at its fifty-sixth session, and to pay high tribute to him
for the efficient manner in which he has been guiding
this session under unprecedented circumstances. Japan
is determined to continue to extend its full support to
the President.
I would also like on this occasion to extend my
sincere congratulations to the Secretary-General, Mr.
Kofi Annan, and to the United Nations on being named
the recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize this year. I
believe it is indeed a reflection of the international
community's appreciation for the efforts of the United
Nations, under the leadership of Secretary-General
Annan, for world peace and prosperity. The challenges
facing the international community, however, are
becoming increasingly diverse and difficult, and Japan
will cooperate fully with the activities of the United
Nations in responding to these situations.
I deeply mourn the deaths of the victims of the
series of heinous terrorist attacks against the United
States on 11 September, who have left behind loving
families and friends in the United States and in many
other countries. I extend my sincere condolences to the
bereaved families and to all the people and the
Government of the United States.
It is no exaggeration to say that the terrorist
attacks are threats against all humankind and are
challenges to democracy and freedom throughout the
world. The international community must establish a
world-wide circle of cooperation for the elimination of
terrorism. In this context, I am encouraged that, in
response to the recent attacks, the international
community is taking prompt actions at the United
Nations and in many other international and regional
organizations and forums to prevent and eliminate
terrorism. Considering the response to terrorism to be
its own responsibility, Japan is determined to make the
utmost efforts to prevent and eliminate such acts.
Japan has made it clear that the terrorist attacks
on the United States must not be linked to Islamic
doctrine. It is extremely important that the international
community, transcending religious and ethnic
differences, take unified actions to eliminate terrorism.
There are many things which the United Nations
has to do in order to eliminate terrorism. It is
imperative that we faithfully and immediately
implement Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001)
and 1373 (2001). Japan is actively contributing to the
work of the Security Council in implementing
resolution 1373 (2001). It is also important that all
Member States accede to and fully observe the 12
international conventions relating to terrorism and
accelerate the work toward the adoption of a
comprehensive convention on international terrorism
and an international convention for the suppression of
acts of nuclear terrorism.
Moreover, certain biological weapons, such as
anthrax, can be produced with more limited funds and
less advanced technologies than nuclear and chemical
weapons. It is important to strengthen the Biological
14

Weapons Convention in order to effectively prevent the
production of such weapons.
Japan is itself making various efforts to eliminate
terrorism. First, with regard to treaties, there are two
treaties concerning terrorism which Japan has either
not yet signed or not yet ratified. The International
Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings
has recently been approved by the Diet, and Japan will
immediately begin the ratification process. Japan
signed the International Convention for the
Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism on 30
October and would like to ratify it as soon as possible.
In addition, Japan is ready to cooperate with
developing countries in the fields of controlling the
financing of terrorism, immigration control, aviation
and maritime safety, measures against terrorism
through biological and chemical weapons, and so forth.
Moreover, Japan will take more active measures
against terrorism by enacting a new law to support the
operations of other countries that are trying to
eliminate the threat posed by the recent terrorist attacks
and to extend assistance to affected people.
In view of the importance of ensuring the stability
of Afghanistan’s neighbours, Japan is extending
emergency economic assistance, which includes
assistance to Afghan refugees, Pakistan and other
neighbouring countries. Japan also decided to provide
up to $120 million for Afghan refugee assistance
efforts undertaken by United Nations agencies and
other humanitarian organizations.
With winter approaching, there is an urgent
humanitarian need for the international community to
deliver food and other vital goods to the people in
Afghanistan. I would like to take this opportunity to
call upon the international community to join forces in
support of the humanitarian activities of United
Nations organizations.
As we look ahead to the future, the achievement
of peace and stability in Afghanistan is extremely
important not only to eliminate a hotbed of global
terrorism but also to lay the foundation for the long-
term stability and development of the country and the
neighbouring region. Based on this recognition, it is
necessary for the international community to tackle this
issue from a long-term and broad perspective.
Towards that end, it goes without saying that,
first of all, a Government must be established that has
the broad support of the Afghan people, represents
every ethnic group, adheres to international law and
establishes friendly relations with the international
community, including with neighbouring countries.
However, the realities in Afghanistan do not offer a
clear perspective and thus entail many unpredictable
elements. Japan fully supports the activities of
Secretary-General Annan and his Special
Representative for Afghanistan, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi,
to promote political stability in Afghanistan and will
actively cooperate with them.
Japan intends to play an active role both in the
peace process and in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
We have been calling for holding a conference for
peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan since 1996,
and I would like on this occasion to reaffirm that Japan
is ready to hold such a conference to contribute to that
country’s peace and reconstruction at as early a time as
possible, in cooperation with relevant countries and
organizations.
The United Nations has serious responsibilities
for addressing relating to terrorism. Japan will spare no
effort in order that this session of the General
Assembly can be as fruitful as possible for this
purpose.


Although the embers
from the towering infernos which resulted from the
attacks on 11 September have not fully died, it may
nevertheless be possible to analyse the impact which
that horrific disaster has had on international relations
and, more particularly, the political, economic, and
social consequences which it is likely to have for the
world. Such an analysis, it is to be hoped, will instruct
us on how we may best respond to these new
challenges and pursue the twin goals of global peace
and development in this new, twenty-first century.
Mr. President, it augurs well that this examination
will be conducted under your guidance, since, coming
as you do from the land of the morning calm, you will
no doubt bring to bear on our debate not only a fresh
and dispassionate view, but also a ray of hope after the
long dark night through which we have just passed. My
delegation offers you our warmest congratulations and
good wishes as you continue to preside over the work
of this historic General Assembly, which, though
inaugurated in the depths of despair, may yet hold out
the promise of salvation for mankind.
It would be remiss of me were I not also to
extend our gratitude to your distinguished predecessor,
Mr. Harri Holkeri, who presided with great verve and
vigour over the Assembly through very difficult and
interesting times. He has contributed much to the
revitalization of the General Assembly.
To the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, I
convey our greetings and commendation for his sure
and steady leadership of our Organization. The recent
award of the Nobel Peace Prize to him and the United
Nations is a source of great satisfaction and pride for
Guyana and, indeed, for the entire membership of this
body.
As was so aptly stated by the Economist of 15
September, the terrorist attack on the United States
altered the geopolitical landscape as indelibly as it did
the Manhattan skyline. The world is a changed place
since that horrendous event, changed in that we
suddenly find, under threat, by unorthodox and hitherto
unimaginable means, the values by which our
Organization is driven, values the attainment of which
have been the object of our onerous and protracted
labours for a period extending over many decades. We
cannot help but feel a sense of sorrow and shame that
such a barbaric act — as the destruction of the World
Trade Center and a part of the Pentagon most certainly
was — could have occurred in this day and age only a
short distance from this house of our common
humanity.
Like most leaders of the civilized world, the
President of Guyana was swift to condemn this
egregious crime. As a small and vulnerable State, with
limited ability to defend itself in the event of
encroachment on its territorial integrity, Guyana cannot
accept the threat or the use of violence to resolve
conflicts and disputes, whether inter-State or intra-
State. All differences must be settled, as called for in
the Charter of the United Nations, by peaceful means,
such as those prescribed in Article 33.
The violence which was visited two months ago
upon some 5,000 human beings — including many of
15

our own nationals — in this our host city and, indeed,
before that, upon so many other peoples and places in
the world, must be not only roundly condemned but
also condignly punished. The international community
must now develop an arsenal of appropriate legal
instruments, including a comprehensive convention
against terrorism, to combat this new enemy of our
times. The message must be clearly sent to all who
would use terrorism to pursue their objectives that their
actions will not be tolerated by the Members of this
Organization but, instead, will be dealt with firmly
with the full force of the law.
At home and in our various regions, we must
build defences that are strong enough to keep out
terrorism and its concomitants, such as arms and drug
trafficking and other forms of transnational crime.
Within the Caribbean Community, of which Guyana is
a member, we have agreed to set up mechanisms for
information sharing and coordinated action to deny
these criminal elements access to our territories. A
regional task force has been established to identify
measures necessary to creating a cordon sanitaire to
help insulate us from their onslaught. This is not an
easy mandate since, as the immigration doors in the
developed countries become more tightly closed,
hundreds of criminals who have grown up in these
societies are being deported now to our countries
which, because of severe financial and human
constraints, are ill-equipped to handle this influx.
Although perhaps not as immediate or striking as
these political and security consequences, the economic
and social impact of the 11 September disaster has
been no less powerful and pervasive. All countries
have undoubtedly been affected by the disaster, but
small and vulnerable States such as my own will find it
especially difficult to cope with the resulting hardship.
Our countries, with far fewer alternatives available to
them than to the more developed, because of an
unfavourable international economic system, high
levels of external debt and unequal terms of trade, will
suffer disproportionately. The exporters of primary
products, now as in the past, are the first to suffer a
downturn in the world economy and the last to
recover — a process that occurs with a frequency that
is altogether too depressing.
These imbalances and asymmetries which
seriously affect the progress of developing countries
are now likely to become even more pronounced in the
rapid process of globalization. Still, as is often said,
“It’s an ill wind that does not blow some good”. We
would therefore wish to believe that out of the calamity
will come an improvement in our lot. We should not be
so foolish, however, as to think that this will happen
automatically. Salvation will depend on our willingness
to learn from our experience and to do better in the
future. From the ashes of the Second World War arose
the phoenix of the United Nations, giving hope to new
generations that they could live in peace, prosperity
and larger freedom. Sadly, the end of the cold war did
not generate a similarly bold enterprise, leaving
humanity to wander aimlessly in search of peaceful
coexistence. We must therefore, before it is too late,
honour our commitment to the United Nations Charter
and create a new vision and strategy with which we
may face the challenges of this new era.
In keeping with the spirit and substance of our
historic compromise, we must act responsibly to
remove from our midst all threats to global peace and
security. Foremost among these is the situation in the
Middle East, at the core of which is the Palestinian
problem, stemming from the persistent denial to an
entire people of the enjoyment of their basic and
inalienable rights. The peace process must be
immediately re-engaged with seriousness of purpose
and determination to put an end, once and for all, to the
senseless violence and bloodshed which has been the
unhappy fate of the Palestinian people and others.
They, as well as all other peoples in the region, must be
allowed to live in a State of their own, free from fear or
want, within safe and secure borders. However, it is not
only the Middle East which suffers from the ravages of
conflict. In far too many places — in Africa, Asia,
Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe, the risk
of violence is ever present, fuelled by a variety of
factors and made more dangerous by the possibility of
further conflagration. To avert these threats, we must
fully utilize the machinery provided in the Charter for
the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Yet, it is important in all of this that the Agenda
for Peace not be allowed to diminish or to displace the
Agenda for Development since, were this to happen,
the prospects for any durable peace anywhere would be
virtually non-existent. Peace and development are
inextricably intertwined, and any attempt to separate
them would not only be artificial but totally dangerous.
We would do well to bear this in mind should recent
events prompt a reordering of global priorities and lead
to a diversion of attention from economic and social
16

issues to purely political and security concerns.
Already, in the immediate aftermath of the attack, the
President of the World Bank was reported to have said
that the 2015 target for halving global poverty could
not now be reached and that, in fact, poverty would
increase over the next year or two. This deterioration is
not easily contemplated by small economies like our
own and those of the Caribbean region.
In our view, it is imperative that the United
Nations now actively pursue the Agenda for
Development to enable developing countries,
especially the small and the vulnerable, to ride out the
current political and economic storms. The upcoming
International Conference on Financing for
Development, which will take place in Monterrey,
Mexico, next March, represents a unique opportunity to
examine both the internal and external constraints that
significantly affect the mobilization of financial
resources for development, as well as to collectively
address the inefficiencies and inequities of existing
financial markets. The high concentration of these
markets on existing financial assets aimed at short-term
profit, rather than on new assets linked to the creation
of wealth and employment for longer-term
development, remains a source of great concern and
must be remedied.
I think that we all must now acknowledge that the
prevailing international system of development
cooperation is seriously flawed and has failed to
achieve its primary objective of increasing growth and
improving the quality of life in poor countries. Inherent
in this system are many debt and poverty traps that
continue to ensnare millions of the world’s poorest
people, many of whom now have to face diseases such
as AIDS. Not only is the experience painful, but it
often also deprives the poor of their basic human
rights, there being an undoubted nexus, now
universally recognized, between the actualization of
human rights and economic development. It is out of
this recognition that my delegation, last November,
brought resolution 55/48 before the General Assembly
on the role of the United Nations in promoting a new
global human order.
The proposal for such an order acknowledges that
the major constraints affecting economic and social
progress in developing countries reside in the capacity
limitation in the critical areas of markets,
administrative and institutional infrastructures in both
the public and private sectors, the leveraging of
resources and the ability of developing countries to
negotiate as equal partners in a number of forums
outside the United Nations. This proposal therefore
seeks to improve the effectiveness of development
cooperation programmes, to optimize scarce financial
resources and to reduce the spread of poverty. It also
addresses new ways of managing development
cooperation that would significantly overcome
problems of aid dependence, current imbalances and
asymmetries in international trade, and the high
indebtedness that continues to plague developing
countries.
These objectives, in the view of the Government
of Guyana, can be achieved through a comprehensive
dialogue among Governments, based not only on
political and economic considerations, but also on
ethical and moral principles that are necessary to the
creation of a more humane and just order in the world.
This dialogue, which began at the last session of the
General Assembly, will be renewed at the fifty-seventh
session, when, we hope, the concept will be further
embedded in the international consciousness and
ultimately accepted as the way forward to a more
enlightened system of international relations.
It is entirely appropriate that this dialogue should
be held within the United Nations, since the
multifaceted and transnational nature of today’s
challenges requires a multilateral, rather than a
unilateral, approach. There is no doubt that the United
Nations is ideally suited to promote this global
partnership in an environment that today requires firm,
focused and inclusive governance. Given the
universality of the Organization’s membership, the
principles and values that it has long upheld and the
growing interest of civil society in its activities, the
United Nations has a singular opportunity now to
exercise a leadership role in international political,
social and economic policy-making.
At this time of great uncertainty and trepidation,
therefore, we must recognize, now more than ever
before, the continuing need for the United Nations
Organization which, despite its many achievements in
its 56 years of existence, has yet to fulfil its full
potential with regard to international cooperation. We
must therefore not allow complacency, self-interest or
unilateralism to compromise that global vision of the
founding Members.


The
delegation of Belarus would like to express its deepest
sympathy to the families of the victims of the plane
crash that occurred this morning in New York, as well
as to the Governments of the United States and the
Dominican Republic.
My delegation would also like to congratulate the
President of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth
session on his election to that responsible post. His
election is undoubtedly clear recognition of the
Republic of Korea's role in international affairs. We
would also like to express our gratitude to the President
of the General Assembly at the previous session,
22

Mr. Harri Holkeri. His successful presidency of the
Millennium Summit and Assembly is a clear example
of his personal talent and leadership skills.
The United Nations is entering the new century
under the leadership of Mr. Kofi Annan. His
unanimous re-election by the General Assembly to a
second five-year term came as an unequivocal
acknowledgement of great appreciation for his work as
Secretary-General. We welcome the recent well-
founded decision by the International Nobel Committee
to grant the Nobel Peace Prize to the United Nations,
and to Mr. Kofi Annan personally.
The consequences of the terrorist attacks of 11
September 2001 against New York and Washington,
D.C., are as present and as painful as ever. In that
regard, our country does not consider this session of
the General Assembly just a regular event in the life of
the United Nations. For Belarus, the point is that, as
Member States, all of us must demonstrate collective
wisdom and display the collective will to make our
world less vulnerable in the face of acts of insanity that
push not only individual countries but the whole of
humanity to the very edge of a global catastrophe.
As a responsible member of the international
community, the Republic of Belarus cannot remain
indifferent to this threat. In his message to Secretary-
General Kofi Annan, the President of the Republic of
Belarus, Mr. Alyaksandr Lukashenka, clearly explained
the views of our country with regard to international
activities to combat terrorism:
In the present situation, the role of the United
Nations in consolidating the efforts of States in
the fight against terrorism is growing in stature.
We can achieve real success in this effort only
when the unique capabilities of the United
Nations are used, especially as regards
eradicating the root causes that generate and
support terrorism. We believe that the United
Nations should be at the centre of the efforts to
develop strategies and tactics for the measures to
be taken by the international community to
combat terrorism.
Having actively supported all the anti-terrorist
resolutions adopted by the Security Council and
General Assembly, and being party to the 12 United
Nations conventions on terrorism, Belarus welcomes
the measures aimed at defining and eradicating not
only terrorism itself but also its root causes. We firmly
support the work of the Committee established by the
Security Council under resolution 1373 (2001), and are
ready to cooperate closely with that body.
Last year, during the Millennium Summit and
Assembly, we called for the preservation of the United
Nations as a unique universal international institution
uniting all the countries of the world. When we talk
about establishing the conditions necessary for
effective implementation of the goals set out in the
Millennium Declaration we are talking about the future
of the Organization itself. We believe that the
implementation by the United Nations of the provisions
of the Millennium Declaration during the first year
after the holding of the Millennium Summit is cause
for a certain optimism. In that regard, I would like to
underscore that the Republic of Belarus has already
drafted a special governmental programme on
implementing the Millennium Declaration.
The important thing that we have come to realize
is that there is an organic link between development,
peace and security in the context of globalization. The
recent tragic events in the United States of America
reaffirmed that interdependence. Belarus welcomes the
intensive work undertaken at the United Nations in
2001 in preparation for the International Conference on
Financing for Development. We are convinced that this
forum must lay the foundation for a new international
consensus on global economic and financial issues.
Belarus believes that such a consensus should be built
while taking into consideration the specific interests
and needs of countries at different stages of social and
economic development. The overall success of the
forum will ultimately depend on the application of that
approach.
While addressing the most pressing social and
economic challenges of the modern world, we must not
weaken our focus on the area of international security
and disarmament. The statistics on military
expenditures, which have reached $800 billion per year
worldwide, are of particular concern in the present
alarming international situation. It should be noted that
our country has been pursuing a consistent policy in
the field of disarmament. We have made a significant
contribution to the consolidation and development of
international non-proliferation regimes for weapons of
mass destruction, including a reduction in the number
of such weapons and the elimination of existing
arsenals.
23

Belarus has been consistently and
comprehensively fulfilling the provisions of all nuclear
disarmament treaties to which our country is a party.
The recent concluding inspection under the Treaty on
the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-
Range Missiles, which was carried out in Belarus in
February 2001, confirmed our country's strict
observance of all the conditions envisaged in that
document. As a nation that voluntary relinquished
possession of nuclear weapons and completely
withdrew them from its territory in 1996, Belarus is
determined to advocate the necessity of providing
legally binding guarantees to non-nuclear States,
including the elaboration of an appropriate
international convention to that end.
The Republic of Belarus is among the States that
consider the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty to be a
critical component of maintaining strategic stability.
The outcome of decades of tense negotiations in the
search for a compromise that saved the world from a
growing nuclear threat must not be dismissed. Strategic
stability is a practical imperative for each and every
State without exception. Negotiations on such an
important issue should be conducted on a multilateral,
non-bloc basis with the participation of all interested
States and in strict conformity with the provisions of
the Charter.
We welcome the efforts undertaken for the
universal prohibition of chemical weapons and support
the destruction, as soon as possible, of existing arsenals
of weapons-grade poisons, as well as the efforts to
achieve the universality of the Convention on the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. This summer
Belarus concluded its agreement with the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on the
privileges and immunities of that organization.
We also pursue a similarly responsible and
consistent policy with regard to reducing conventional
weapons. In strict implementation of the Treaty on
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, Belarus was
among the first of the parties to that Treaty to ratify the
agreement on the adaptation of the Treaty. Ratification
by the Republic of Belarus of the Treaty on Open Skies
in 2001 is proof of our consistent policy in this field.
One important dimension of our foreign policy is
to make practical contributions to the strengthening of
regional stability, based on the principle of
comprehensive and mutually beneficial cooperation
with neighbouring countries in all areas relevant to
security and disarmament. As part of this policy,
Belarus has concluded an agreement with Lithuania on
measures for strengthening confidence and
transparency, and we are making progress towards
signing similar agreements with Ukraine and Poland.
Conflict prevention remains among the most
important issues on the agenda of the United Nations.
The events of the past year have proved that the
initiatives undertaken by the United Nations, together
with the active personal involvement of the Secretary-
General and complemented by the work of regional
organizations and individual United Nations Member
States, have been an effective  and very often the
only  solution to the escalation of conflicts in various
regions of the world.
This is the appropriate point to mention the
situation in Afghanistan, which is of particular concern
to the international community. Developments in that
country and in the region as a whole run the risk of
spiraling out of control. Military force cannot resolve
complex problems that have been building up for years.
We are convinced that the complex tensions within
Afghan society can be defused only by means of a
balanced domestic dialogue based on strict compliance
with the standards of international law.
It is essential not to weaken the intensifying
political effort to give a new impetus to the peace
process in the Middle East. There is no alternative to
the peaceful establishment of an independent
Palestinian State through political negotiations, based
on the strict observance of Security Council resolutions
already adopted and the decisions of other relevant
international forums. It is regrettable that the Security
Council was unable to reach consensus on a United
Nations presence in the region at this crucial moment.
We consider it extremely important that we continue
our efforts to settle unresolved problems on the
Lebanese track, in tandem with the complete
withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Golan Heights.
We are also concerned about the situation in
Kosovo and Macedonia as the result of aggressive
separatism and international terrorism. Here, too, we
believe that political logic must prevail over the logic
of force. On the eve of the forthcoming general
election in Kosovo, Belarus confirms its adherence to
the principle of the territorial integrity of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia and supports the diplomatic
24

initiative by the Russian Federation legally to confirm
the existing national borders in the Balkans.
The situation in Africa continues to remain
unstable. We believe that the establishment of the
African Union and the further strengthening of other
African regional structures, with an effective United
Nations involvement, are important prerequisites for
the maintenance of peace and stability in that
continent. A comprehensive approach envisaging
integration of the political, economic and social
resources of the African States is of crucial importance.
Belarus supports the immediate implementation of all
the decisions taken at the Summit of the Organization
of African Unity held in Lusaka, Zambia, in July 2001.
It is important to maintain the momentum that has
been created in the political process leading to
statehood for East Timor and to its admission, as a
fully fledged member, into the world family of nations.
We must encourage the active efforts being
undertaken to continue dialogue, on the basis of
equality, between North and South Korea.
The Cyprus problem continues to be a pressing
issue. We call for the resumption of negotiations on
this question, in accordance with the provisions of the
relevant resolutions of the Security Council.
The Republic of Belarus has been increasing its
participation in major United Nations international
legal instruments in a number of strategically important
areas. These include the combat against organized
crime and drug trafficking. Belarus has signed the
United Nations Convention against Transnational
Organized Crime and its supplementary Protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children, as well as the
Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land,
Sea, and Air.
Beyond that, the Republic of Belarus has become
a party to the International Convention for the
Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, the International
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of
Terrorism, the Convention on the Safety of United
Nations and Associated Personnel, the Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees, the Protocol
Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
The current session of the General Assembly
represents an important stage in the process of
establishing a legal framework for Belarus to join the
United Nations system of peacekeeping operations. On
1 October 2001, the Republic of Belarus signed a
memorandum of understanding with the Secretariat
regarding its participation in the United Nations
Standby Arrangements System. We see the recent visit
of representatives of the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations to Belarus to test and select Belarusian
candidates for United Nations civilian police
contingents as an important initial step in the process
of implementing this memorandum.
Of major importance in the Millennium
Declaration is the promotion by Member States of the
principles of sustainable development. It remains clear,
however, that implementation of the paradigm of
sustainable development in many developing countries
and in countries with economies in transition continues
to be confronted with major difficulties.
In this regard, we attach particular importance to
preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, to be held in Johannesburg in 2002. We
consider the Rio + 10 Summit to be an appropriate
forum for defining new approaches to the solution of
global problems and for developing new and effective
financial, institutional and legal mechanisms for their
implementation.
The current session of the General Assembly is of
fundamental importance to my country, since it will
consider issues relating to the cleanup of the
consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear
power plant. The economic, social and humanitarian
ramifications of this problem cannot be overestimated.
Suffice it to mention here just one figure: over the past
decade, Belarus has spent $12.5 billion on the cleanup
of the Chernobyl disaster. However, the people living
in the contaminated areas have not yet been able to
return to their normal way of life. There is a need
further to rally international support for my country's
efforts to mitigate and minimize the aftermath of the
Chernobyl catastrophe.
In this context, we greatly appreciate the
initiatives proposed by the Under-Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Kenzo Oshima, to
intensify international post-Chernobyl cooperation,
including shifting its focus towards assistance for
sustainable development of the contaminated areas and
enhancing the region's human potential. The findings
and outcome of the special United Nations assessment
mission to the three most affected States earlier this
25

year are expected significantly to contribute to the
understanding of what precisely should be done in the
near future. In the course of the current session of the
General Assembly, a draft resolution entitled
Strengthening of International Cooperation and
Coordination of Efforts to Study, Mitigate and
Minimize the Consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster
has jointly been submitted by the Governments of
Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. I call
upon all delegations to support it.
In his road map towards the implementation of
the United Nations Millennium Declaration, our
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, observed quite
rightly that
The international community has just emerged
from an era of commitment. It must now enter an
era of implementation. (A/56/326, para. 11)
This means that the successful implementation of
the Organization's strategy in this era of globalization
depends on us, as United Nations Member States, and
us alone. This is not only our common privilege; it is
also our common responsibility.
Belarus is confident that the United Nations and
the international community are capable of mobilizing
political will and technological and intellectual
resources for the sake of building a stable and
prosperous world.
For the Republic of Belarus, the tenth anniversary
of its independence coincided with the second
presidential elections in the history of my country. The
support of the overwhelming majority of voters for
Mr. Alyaksandr Lukashenka confirmed the soundness
of the democratic foundations of the Belarusian
society.
Similarly, the foreign policy of our country will
remain consistent and constructive. It will be guided
exclusively by the basic principles of the United
Nations Charter and universally recognized norms of
international law, including the aspiration for the
establishment of a world order in which the interests of
all countries, big and small, developed and developing,
in both the North and the South, are equitably taken
into account. Cooperation with all United Nations
Member States on a mutually beneficial and
constructive basis will remain the central priority for
the Republic of Belarus.