A year ago the entire world
watched in horror as terror was visited on the city that
plays host to the United Nations. It is a city that has
welcomed people from all corners of the world for
hundreds of years and that still remains for many an
irresistible magnet as a place of opportunity.
We watched  all of us, from our different parts
of the world  as the terrible events unfolded. If there
had been any doubt before, that experience convinced
all of us that our world had indeed become a global
village. Modern technology enabled all of us
simultaneously to watch the events as they unfolded.
The devastation and drama of those events have since
forcefully brought grief to our individual hearts, across
continents, races, religions and political ideologies. If
ever there was any doubt about mankind's shared
humanity, that catastrophe conclusively dispelled it.
A year on, we still bear the deep scars; we have
not forgotten, and we dare not forget, because what
happened was not directed exclusively against New
York and the people of the United States. Nationals of
many countries, including Ghanaians, perished in that
tragedy. What happened was indeed an affront to
civilization itself.
Throughout the ages, whenever humanity has
found itself confronted with great danger, it is the sense
of unity and common purpose that has pulled us
through. This is no exception. Indeed, the resilience of
New York and of the people of the United States has
brought about a spirit of solidarity and generosity that
is just as awesome to behold as the tragic event itself.
It is for that reason that I am optimistic about the
future. The work of the United Nations and of non-
governmental organizations, and the growing
acceptance of the principles of good governance,
human rights, tolerance for a diversity of views and the
rule of law around the globe make me optimistic. In my
mind's eye, I can already see, in the near future, a
world in which there is more openness, more
forbearance and less categorization of mankind.
Our nations have been brought together by
science, technology and conscience, as well as by
4

adversity, and the acknowledgement of
interdependence among peoples has become a reality.
Now we are moving from the concept of beggar thy
neighbour' to one of prosper thy neighbour', which
should become the hallmark of the global village.
Sadly, the continent of Africa still lags behind in
many spheres, as poverty and disease plague the
continent. But there is a new spirit abroad among the
African countries. Africa has never wanted to be
perceived as the scar on the conscience of the world'.
We do not want to be the object of pity and charity, and
we do not want to provide the grisly images of war,
disease, ignorance, famine and poverty for the world's
television screens. It was largely as a result of our
determination to shed that unacceptable image that
many a country on the continent, on attaining
independence, desperately rushed into one or another
untried ideology or economic model that tended only to
worsen the woes of self-doubt left by exploitative and
unconscionable colonialism.
Today, under the auspices of the African Union,
the rejuvenated continental grouping, our countries
have resolved to tackle the continent's problems to
enable us join the mainstream of world development.
We have pledged to endeavour to be honest with each
other, and under the Peer Review Mechanism there will
be no hiding behind claims of sovereignty in order to
tolerate abuses of human rights in individual countries.
We are determined to strive for democracy and
good governance, not because those are fashionable
buzzwords but because we are convinced that they are
the surest  if not always the most rapid  path to the
development that we require to uplift the conditions of
life of our peoples.
The technology exists and the human expertise
abounds in the world to end the degrading poverty and
debilitating diseases that sap the confidence of the
peoples of Africa. This world Assembly must rally to
help Africa in its genuine efforts to tap into the
intellectual, financial and moral resources of the globe,
to be a worthy partner within it. The concept of the
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
provides the framework within which African countries
can be assisted to become part of the mainstream. It
provides a great opportunity for world leaders to move
from rhetoric to purposeful action.
Education has served as a route out of poverty for
people throughout the ages, and it should be the way
out for us in Africa as well. We have an essentially
young population that is ready and anxious to learn.
Fortunately, information and communications
technology provides the means to help Africa leap-frog
into the modern world. Let the world community
therefore assist Africa to join in the mastery of this
powerful tool.
Ours is a well-endowed continent. Our raw
materials keep the manufacturing engines of the world
running. The reasons for investing in Africa, therefore,
need not be charitable; investment can be based on
sound economic considerations. The market potential
of a thriving and economically viable Africa will do
wonders not only for Africa but also for the world
economy at large.
I am optimistic, because I think of what Ghana
and the African continent have contributed to the
development of the world. We have provided, and
continue to provide, personnel in various fields to all
kinds of institutions in the world. Ghanaian academics
and citizens from many other African countries can be
found in many top universities and companies around
the world, contributing significantly to the
development of cutting-edge enterprises. Africans are
in various jobs and are making a considerable
contribution to the running of organizations, including
the United Nations. I would like to take this
opportunity to express Ghana's  and Africa's
deepest gratitude to the international community for
the confidence it showed in re-electing Mr. Kofi
Annan, the Secretary-General, to a second term.
In all these endeavours, however, the missing link
for Africa has been the solid and sustainable
framework for good governance to support the
purposeful evolution of prosperous and stable nations
on the continent. It is for this reason that Ghana, like
other African nations, is trying to put its house in order
to take advantage of emerging prospects. We are
nurturing our infant democracy, and the citizens are
passionately committed to the defence of the
Constitution. We are putting in place mechanisms to
support good governance. The institutional framework
is being created to ensure an efficient public sector that
can interface effectively with an enterprising private
sector to create wealth and eliminate poverty.
But Ghana, like other developing countries,
cannot alone achieve the dramatic rate of growth that is
required; there must be significant injections of outside
5

investment into our economy. We need affordable and
sustainable sources of energy to be able to achieve
rapid development. We need the partnership, markets
and support of the international community to sustain
our development. That is the message of NEPAD. We
are working to develop a positive economic
environment to receive and integrate foreign direct
investment as a tool for regional development. That is
the sure path for Africa to connect effectively with the
global markets.
Ghana acknowledges its share of responsibility to
protect the resources that Nature has given our country
as the heritage of all humankind. The world cannot and
must not operate on the basis of the survival of the
fittest. Weaknesses caused by history and other factors
must be taken into account and, above all, our common
humanity must inform all our international dealings.
Ghana sees a lot of potential in globalization. We
wish to recommend, however, that an organization such
as the United Nations should provide the regulatory
framework to ensure that the benefits of globalization
are more equitably distributed. The opportunities are
enormous for those who can take advantage of the
move to more liberalized markets and increased flows
of investment capital. But nature did not make all
people equally competitive. That global organization
must, therefore, evolve systems of safety nets to
guarantee all humanity an acceptable minimum degree
of dignity and respectability. The United Nations must
rise up to this challenge.
For the pure and proper development of the
global village, certain initiatives by this Organization
must be commended and encouraged. Ghana is in full
support of United Nations effort to curb the illicit trade
in small arms and light weapons. We urge Member
States to join in the early implementation of the
Programme of Action that was adopted in 2001 to stop
this trade, from which most of the instability in Africa
stems.
Secondly, women and children need our
protection. It is for that very reason that in Ghana we
have created a Ministry for Women and Childrenës
Affairs to enable us tackle issues that affect those two
groups. We have embarked on a vibrant educational
campaign and are pursuing policy initiatives that will
create awareness and reduce the incidence of
discrimination against women and help improve their
livelihoods. We are also striving to ban child labour
and enforce free and compulsory education for all
children up to the junior secondary school level as
enjoined by Ghanaës national Constitution.
Thirdly, I must mention the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
which is threatening the survival of our countries. The
spread of the disease is compounding our difficulties
even further. I wish to pay tribute to the Secretary-
General for his interest, and for the setting up of the
Global Fund to help us fight the menace. The Ghana
AIDS Commission is constantly seeking new ways to
change attitudes at all levels towards the disease, and
we seek to learn from the experience of others in
combating it. We support the efforts of the international
community to provide more affordable antiretroviral
drugs for the most needy.
At this stage, permit me to congratulate
Switzerland on its accession to membership, and East
Timor on its forthcoming accession. That Switzerland
has at long last joined the Organization confirms its
universality. They are welcome.
The tragedy of 11 September has certainly made a
difference to the world. It has shocked the world into
uniting to condemn it. Let those of us who have
accepted the honour and privilege to speak on behalf of
our peoples determine that we must strive for a world
of greater tolerance and of more justice, a more
humane world in which law and order are fully
respected both within nations and in the international
community. Eleven September must be used to
underpin the vital communal spirit that must motivate
the global village. We would then be able to say that
we had left the world a better place than we found it.


On behalf of the
Government of the Republic of San Marino, I wish first
to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Jan Kavan on his
election as President of the fifty-seventh session of the
General Assembly. I am convinced that his experience,
professional skills and dynamism will contribute to the
success of our work. I also wish to thank Dr. Han
Seung-soo for having presided over the General
Assembly in one of the most difficult and delicate
moments of our recent history.
Inevitably, this session of the General Assembly
is still suffering the consequences of a deep, indelible
wound that, a little more than a year ago, was inflicted
on the whole of humanity, on the people who
contributed to creating this civilization and, in
particular, on a great and friendly nation, whose role
has always been crucial to the future of our planet.
Feelings of pain and fright, but also rebellion, are
still vivid in the minds of each and every one of us.
The firm and absolute condemnation of what happened
last year in September remains unchanged and has been
further strengthened by the determination to spare no
effort in combating and if possible defeating the
dreadful threat of terrorism, which is still present.
However, San Marino is convinced that fighting
terrorism exclusively through military, political and
economic actions is not enough. We must ask ourselves
why terrorism comes about and develops, why
fundamentalism and fanaticism exist, why some
individuals who proclaim to fight for the liberation of
the oppressed become instruments of death. We may
have found an answer, and that is why we keep on
repeating in all forums, that as long as the world is
stricken by hunger, poverty, underdevelopment,
inequality, oppression, ignorance and violations of
human rights and fundamental freedoms, there will be
no solution to all the political, economic and social
situations that are inexorably degenerating, which we
continue to witness with a growing feeling of anguish,
uncertainty and instability for a whole generation, for
the whole of mankind.
With that in mind, San Marino has fully
supported the initiatives and the procedures established
by the Security Council to stem the expansion of
terrorism. The Republic I represent has met in a timely
manner the requirements set forth by the Counter-
Terrorism Committee established by the Security
Council itself. In the same way, a number of legislative
and financial measures on anti-terrorism adopted by
San Marino Parliament and Government are evidence
of our will to proceed with the ratification of the
relevant international Conventions and of the intention
to pass a special law to counter terrorism and its
financing.
We also believe that dialogue and tolerance
among all peoples of the world are further instruments
to combat terrorism and fundamentalism. That calls not
only for effective political action, but also for a new
culture to develop within peoples, where diversity
becomes a universal heritage, and leads to unity rather
than division, helps eliminate, rather than worsen,
disparities, brings different cultures, religions and
traditions closer together, rather than turning them into
instruments of incomprehension and confrontation.
It is a disgrace that a solution to the ongoing
conflict and violence in the Middle East seems out of
reach. Terrorist attacks and military reprisals further
exacerbate hatred and revenge, undermining any
possibility of promoting negotiations and dialogue on
the basis of mutual respect and protecting human rights
and fundamental freedoms. San Marino is deeply
concerned about the worsening situation in this area
and strongly condemns the spiral of violence plaguing
that region and indiscriminately causing victims every
day, mainly among civilians, especially women and
children.
Israel has the legitimate right to exist within its
own borders and to defend and protect its own
population. Palestinians have the same legitimate right,
to live on their own land and the right to self-
determination within their own State. Therefore, we
deem it imperative that both parties respect the rules of
international law and fully comply with all United
Nations resolutions. Most recently, tensions have
escalated further because of the possibility of a war
against Iraq in order to remove its President, Saddam
Hussein.
The Republic of San Marino can certainly neither
tolerate nor accept that the world be held hostage by
15

unscrupulous dictators who are absolutely unreliable
and who are probably willing and able to jeopardize
international security. Yet, any action, including
military intervention as a last resort, would in any case
require the consensus and authorization of the United
Nations.
The international scene is marked on many fronts
by dread and insecurity. Nonetheless, San Marino
follows with interest and supports the intensive activity
that the United Nations is conducting to tackle a
number of issues with the ultimate goal of attaining a
more civilized, equitable, humane society fit for
humankind.
We followed with great attention the major
conferences that the United Nations promoted and
organized in 2002, especially those on children, the
ageing and sustainable development.
The twenty-seventh special session of the General
Assembly on Children agreed that in order to
implement the principles enshrined in the Convention
on the Rights of the Child, it is imperative to attain
three major objectives: to guarantee children a decent
standard of living in a safe environment in which they
can grow up and develop physically, mentally and
emotionally in a healthy manner; to ensure that they
can complete at least primary school; and to provide
adolescents with the opportunity to strengthen their
individual capacities in a safe environment, so that they
will be able to fully participate in and contribute to the
society in which they live. San Marino shares those
priorities and has adopted a number of legislative,
social and cultural initiatives to implement those
fundamental principles.
My country also welcomes the activities carried
out by the international community which, on the
occasion of the Second World Assembly on Ageing
held last April in Madrid, adopted a political
declaration and a new plan of action to safeguard the
interests and needs of the elderly, a population group
which has so far probably been neglected although it
will considerably increase in number over the next few
years.
San Marino attaches great importance to the
significant changes brought about by the Assembly in
the methods used to face and solve the problems of the
ageing population, while seeking to eradicate
stereotypes and prejudices. We have a feeling that in so
doing, the international community has laid down the
foundations for a future plan of action that will ensure
for all human beings wellness, health and security in
the last years of their lives.
Also within the framework of the United Nations,
although it had different objectives, the recent World
Summit on Sustainable Development held in
Johannesburg, South Africa was also of great
importance. San Marino is aware that the economic
growth of the most developed nations must go hand in
hand with economic growth at the global level.
Globalization, however, cannot be imposed. On the
contrary, it must be conceived as an opportunity for all
States and populations. It must facilitate access to
markets for developing countries and promote targeted
investments that take social and environmental
considerations into account. At the same time, we have
to build confidence and foster economic well-being to
achieve the integration which we all deem to be
essential. Such integration is also a precondition for the
protection of both the environment and cultural
diversity.
I would like to recall that the Statute of the
International Criminal Court entered into force on 1
July, 2002. With that formal achievement, the
community of States made a great leap forward in the
progress of international law, the Court being not only
a judicial institution created to prosecute genocide and
crimes against humanity, but also clear evidence of the
will existing at an international level to avoid granting
impunity — as is too often the case — to perpetrators
of atrocious and intolerable crimes against peoples or
individuals.
As well, because of the role of guarantor assigned
to that institution, the Republic of San Marino
participated in the celebration of the fourth anniversary
of the Court on 17 July, 2002 and was the first State in
Europe to ratify its Statute. Furthermore, my
Government believes that the International Criminal
Court does not in any way endanger the international
peacekeeping forces. On the contrary, the Court further
guarantees their protection through the articles of its
Statute. For that reason, my country hopes that the
International Criminal Court will be joined and
supported by as many countries as possible, and that
practical solutions will be found that do not alter the
Statute of Rome but that guarantee the continuity of
peace operations.
16

On this occasion, on behalf of the Government of
San Marino I feel it is my duty to reaffirm the
importance and the key role played by the General
Assembly as the main decision-making and
representative body. Unquestionably, the functions of
the General Assembly and the effectiveness of its
decisions need strengthening. Moreover, the General
Assembly should intensify its co-operation with the
other United Nations bodies, primarily with the
Security Council. A working group to which San
Marino has also contributed ideas and proposals has
been studying Security Council reform for eight years.
All Members probably know that San Marino has long
taken a stance in favour of an increase in the number of
non-permanent members on the Security Council,
while it agrees neither with an increase in permanent
seats nor with the extension of the right of veto. We
consider that this would have a positive effect on many
activities of the United Nations and therefore that it
would be beneficial to relations among and between
States; it is something which is now sorely needed.
I wish to conclude by reasserting that the only
way to overcome the consequences of the painful
events that we have recently experienced is to pool our
efforts and to work together, honestly and actively, in
order to start a virtuous cycle in which the objectives
of civil and tolerant coexistence among peoples and
nations are universally shared, supported and pursued;
in which the values of solidarity, respect for human life
and dignity dismantle the barriers of selfishness and
oppression; and in which democracy and freedom from
all constraints and needs become effective.
These are the same objectives that a small State
called the Republic of San Marino, which I have the
honour to represent here today in the most authoritative
and prestigious international Organization, has sought
to achieve over 17 centuries of history in a consistent,
persistent but also humble manner.


I am
honoured and gratified once again to take the floor
before the Assembly, to which I extend the most
cordial greetings on behalf of the Congolese people, its
Government and on my own behalf.
First and foremost, allow me, Sir, to congratulate
you very sincerely, along with the whole of your
Bureau, on your election to the presidency of the fifty-
seventh regular session of the General Assembly.
I wish also to convey to your predecessor,
Mr. Han Seung-soo, our great appreciation for the
extremely important work that he accomplished during
his term in office.
Allow me also to welcome the accession to the
United Nations of the Swiss Confederation and of
Timor-Leste as Member States.
Lastly, allow me to thank the Secretary-General
for his dedication to universal values and for his active
involvement in the quest for solutions to the conflicts
besetting humankind.
At a time when the whole world is remembering
the fateful date of 11 September 2001, the Congolese
people, its Government and I myself wish to take this
opportunity to convey once again our solidarity and our
compassion to the American people and to the grieving
families around the world who were victimized in this
heinous act of terrorism.
This is indeed an appropriate setting in which to
urge all peace-loving and justice-loving States in the
world to commit to working together to combat this
evil in all its forms.
For its part, as I had announced in my address to
the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, my
Government, on 21 December 2001, established a
national coordinating committee to combat
international terrorism, pursuant to Security Council
resolution 1373 (2001).
The first part of my statement will focus on the
status of the peace process in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
Externally speaking, it should be noted that, faced
with obstruction to the implementation of the Lusaka
2

Agreement as regards the withdrawal of foreign forces,
my Government, basing itself on the relevant
provisions of the Security Council that encourage
bilateral discussions, has entered into the Pretoria
Agreement with Rwanda on the one hand, with the
facilitation of South Africa and the assistance of the
United Nations, and, on the other hand, it has signed
the Luanda Agreement with Uganda, under the
sponsorship of Angola.
The Pretoria Agreement, signed on 30 July 2002,
essentially addresses the question of the withdrawal of
Rwandan troops from the territory of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and the disarmament of the
former Rwandan Army (ex-FAR) forces and the
Interahamwe. The Luanda Agreement, signed on 6
September 2002, deals with the issue of the complete
withdrawal of Ugandan troops from the territory of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as with
cooperation and the normalization of relations between
our two States.
Almost 45 days have passed since the signing of
the Pretoria Agreement — half of the time period set
by the timetable for its implementation — without any
significant progress having been made on the ground.
The commitment undertaken yesterday by the President
of Rwanda to begin the withdrawal of troops as from
next week may mark a decisive phase in the
implementation of the Pretoria Agreement.
For its part, the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, consistent with the
commitments that it has undertaken, had already
assembled at Kamina more than 2,000 Rwandan ex-
combatants, who are awaiting repatriation to Rwanda.
Furthermore, it has notified the third party, as of 5
September 2002, about additional information
concerning Rwandan ex-combatants.
With regard to the Luanda Agreement, it should
be noted that the withdrawal of Ugandan troops has
begun and that a joint peacemaking programme has
been set up in the Ituri region.
The successful implementation of the Pretoria
and Luanda Agreements, in particular with respect to
the withdrawal of Rwandan and Ugandan troops, will
have a clear impact on the conclusion of a
comprehensive and inclusive agreement in the context
of the domestic political process aimed at national
reconciliation and the reunification of the territory of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a view to
the prompt holding of free, democratic and transparent
elections at all levels.
Following consultations with various political
and social groups, as well as with the Special Envoy of
the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, my Government suggested that
arrangements for the signing of an inclusive agreement
could begin at an early date.
I would like now to turn to the particular and
worrying situation that prevails in the eastern part of
my country. I am referring to the bloody and
distressing events that took place in Kisangani and
Bunia; the resumed fighting in the Kivu region; the
rapes; the plundering of the wealth of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo; and all the other human rights
violations that have taken place. I also have in mind the
appalling destruction of fauna, flora and the ecosystem
in general in the eastern part of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
I urgently appeal to the international community
to put an end to this tragic situation, which is afflicting
the people of the eastern part of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and to ensure that the
perpetrators of these vile and barbaric acts are punished
and brought to justice.
Likewise, we look forward eagerly to the
conclusions of the Panel of Experts, which we hope
will be accompanied by proposals for sanctions to be
imposed on those who are plundering the resources of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is the
bleak situation that has been prevailing in my country
for more than four years; the socio-economic situation
of the people has deteriorated as a result of the war,
which has deprived my Government of more than half
of its resources. In order to deal with this economic
disaster and to alleviate the suffering of our people as
much as possible, a number of measures been in place
for more than a year. The tangible effects of these
positive measures include the stabilization of our
currency and of the price of major consumer goods, as
well as the resumption of cooperation with
international financial institutions.
In the same spirit, a large-scale national
reconstruction programme is under way, aimed at the
rehabilitation of the basic social infrastructure so as to
promote the recovery of the economy and the process
of development.
3

I have condemned the terrorism and the tragic
events of 11 September 2001, which plunged the
American people and all of humankind into mourning.
I have provided an updated review of the peace process
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular
with regard to the Pretoria and Luanda Agreements. I
have expressed my grave concern about the disturbing
humanitarian situation prevailing in the eastern part of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is
characterized by massacres and massive violations of
human rights and international humanitarian law. I
have also pointed to the particularly difficult socio-
economic situation affecting the population of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, noting that it has
been aggravated by war and its adverse effects. If the
war persists, the Government's efforts to achieve
economic recovery may well be completely nullified.
In order to put an end to this protracted tragedy, I
earnestly appeal, through this Assembly, to the entire
international community, to mobilize and become more
deeply involved in the quest for solutions to bring
about the reunification of our national territory and to
return peace and stability to my country and to the
whole of the Great Lakes region.
I would like to make several specific points. First,
I believe that a conference should be held, under the
auspices of the United Nations, on peace, security and
development in the Great Lakes region. My country's
desire, in keeping with its African tradition, has always
been to live in peace and harmony with all the States of
Africa and of the world, beginning with its neighbours.
Secondly, the international community should be
more actively involved in resolving the conflict that is
tearing the Democratic Republic of the Congo apart. It
is clear today that the international community seems
to be forgetting the role played by Africa in the
development of today's wealthy States, and is showing
a degree of indifference to African issues.
Thirdly, the large number of Security Council
resolutions which have, to date, remained
unimplemented.
Fourthly, I am thinking of technical contributions
and the mobilization of the international community to
rehabilitate our ecosystem, so as to preserve this
heritage of humankind.
The founding fathers of our universal
Organization, who were convinced that nations could
be brought together only through peaceful settlements
of conflict, signed the Charter in order to ensure that no
armed conflict would be a matter of indifference to the
remainder of humanity. For this reason, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, which believes deeply in the
universal values championed by the United Nations,
expresses the hope that all the organs of the United
Nations will play their role to the fullest to ensure that
we may silence weapons wherever they are being used,
in order to make peace a genuine right within the grasp
of all of us.


Let me at the outset
extend to His Excellency Mr. Jan Kavan, former
Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, our sincere
congratulations upon his election as President of the
fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. I want
to assure him that he can safely count on the full
support of my delegation in discharging his important
responsibilities.
I would also like to welcome in our midst the
latest new State Member of the United Nations,
Switzerland.
It was only four days ago, when so many of us
here paid tribute at Ground Zero to the memories of the
thousands of victims who lost their lives last year in
the brutal 11 September terrorist attacks. The
remembrance there was heartbreaking, but at the same
time it was a day of resolve as well. There is no doubt
in my mind: this was a time that again brought into
focus our deep commitment to freedom and democracy.
In that regard, I would like to reiterate that the people
and the Government of Hungary continue to maintain
relentlessly their strong solidarity with the United
States.
Our contemporary world has been decisively
transformed since 11 September 2001. The fight
against international terrorism is high on our agenda.
Hungary is strongly committed to the effective efforts
of the community of nations to counter this threat.
Towards that goal, we have consistently acted in
cooperation with our allies and the rest of the
international community.
In that respect, Hungary supports the ongoing
global endeavours of the United Nations aimed against
terrorism. We find it crucial that Member States make
every necessary and possible move to prevent further
terrorist acts and implement national measures under
relevant Security Council resolutions to combat that
phenomenon. Effective cooperation among States is
also indispensable to act resolutely against the menace
of terrorism.
Besides being a reliable partner in the global
coalition, Hungary has taken the necessary domestic
legislative and executive measures to implement the
decisions of the international community. The
Parliament of Hungary this week took the decision to
ratify the International Convention for the Suppression
of the Financing of Terrorism. By this legislative act,
Hungary has become a party to all of the international
instruments adopted by the United Nations against
terrorism. We continue to attach particular importance
to the unimpeded work of the Counter-Terrorism
Committee of the Security Council, with which we
maintain a particularly close relationship.
In the context of the global coalition against
terrorism, Hungary is following developments in
Afghanistan with keen interest. We welcome the
consolidation achieved so far by the Government of
Afghanistan with the assistance of the international
community. We wish to place on record our deep
15

appreciation for the excellent work done by the
international forces. in that country. Further efforts to
contain and eliminate terrorist groups in Afghanistan
will remain a top priority. Hungary is committed to
maintaining its support to the Government of
Afghanistan as well as to its people.
Iraqi non-compliance with Security Council
resolutions is a serious concern for all of us. Hungary
regrets that the Iraqi regime refuses to cooperate with
the United Nations and continues to pose a threat to
peace and security in the region and the world at large.
The international community cannot disregard this fact
and has to respond to it in a resolute manner. We will
work closely with our allies and partners to pursue the
full implementation of the relevant Security Council
resolutions, and we will do our share in the efforts to
build a broad coalition of nations in order to prevent
the Iraqi regime from producing and using weapons of
mass destruction.
Having entered the twenty-first century, mankind
continues to face further major global challenges, such
as illicit drug trafficking, money-laundering, corruption
and transnational organized crime. The role of the
United Nations in facing and tackling these phenomena
is of paramount importance. By the same token, global
risks are widened by new types of security threats. In
our view, serious problems of regional stability, of low-
intensity armed conflicts and threats of natural and
man-made catastrophes are increasingly on the rise.
Illegal transfers of nuclear, biological and chemical
materials pose grave threats. Illegal migration and
illicit trafficking in human beings are also rightly
viewed as new forms of security risks. Hungary is more
than prepared to play its role, with all the means at our
disposal, to meet these new challenges through
concerted international efforts, including regional
arrangements.
The year 2002 marked the beginning of a new
review cycle of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons. We expect the annual sessions of the
Preparatory Committee leading up to the 2005 Review
Conference to make a significant contribution to the
further strengthening of all aspects of this legal
instrument by ensuring its full implementation and
promoting its universality.
The early start of negotiations on a fissile
material cut-off treaty stands out as the next logical
step aimed at curbing the proliferation of nuclear
weapons. We cannot but regret that disagreements over
the comprehensive programme of work are preventing
the Conference on Disarmament from starting
substantive work on this issue.
One of the most important new threats to
international peace and stability in the changed security
environment at the beginning of the twenty-first
century is caused by the proliferation of ballistic
missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass
destruction. Hungary is ready to join international
efforts to counter this danger, including new political
and diplomatic initiatives. The system of multilateral
legal norms relating to non-proliferation, disarmament
and arms control fails to include regulations on
responsible international behaviour concerning ballistic
missiles. Out of the several propositions emerged
recently, Hungary lends its utmost support to the
negotiations on an international code of conduct
against the proliferation of ballistic missiles. We
appreciate the vigorous efforts of the States members
of the European Union to move this process forward
and hope for its successful completion in the near
future.
Developments over the past 12 months have
raised more critically than ever the question of how to
address in an efficient way the challenges posed by the
deliberate spread of disease, such as the anthrax
incidents. The reinforcement of national public health
and civilian defence capabilities is crucial, even though
there are only a few countries that, acting alone, can
put meaningful assets in place. International
cooperation in this respect must not be a distant
opportunity; it is in the interest of each and every
country, and of all nations as a whole.
Complementary preventive efforts would be
needed as well to at least diminish the likelihood of
such an occurrence. Among such preventive efforts, the
benchmarking of arms control compliance will
eventually have to find its legitimate place. That is why
we deem important the successful conclusion of the
Fifth Review Conference of States Parties to the
Biological Weapons Convention, to be resumed in
November this year under Hungarian chairmanship.
Hungary remains strongly committed to the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and its
verification regime. In this regard, we concur with the
view that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
will also be essential to combat international terrorism.
16

Hungary has, from the very beginning, given its
strong support to the establishment of the International
Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has become the first
major multilateral legal institution of the twenty-first
century. We were proud to become a State party to the
Statute of the ICC and to be among those whose
ratification helped bring about the entry into force of
the Statute this year. We firmly concur with the view
that international law will be strengthened through this
new legal institution.
As a sign of our deep commitment to the Rome
Statute, my Government has decided to nominate a
candidate to the panel of judges of the ICC. I am
confident that the election of a Hungarian judge would
contribute to the genuine realization of the objectives
set out in the Rome Statute.
Human rights are universal values. States
Members of the United Nations are expected to observe
the norms and standards of human rights and
fundamental freedoms, including minority rights,
adopted by the United Nations. By the same token, it
will remain the moral and political responsibility of
States to call upon others to act in accordance with
their voluntarily undertaken obligations. Hungary will
not hesitate to raise its voice when human rights are
violated in any part of the world. International
protection of minority rights remains a major
preoccupation for us. We continue to pursue our efforts
aimed at a functioning universal legal system for the
protection of minorities.
Globalization and interdependence are two major
phenomena shaping the contemporary world, including
the political landscape of the United Nations.
By taking advantage of the opportunities
stemming from these phenomena, all of us could seek a
much better life for the inhabitants of our globe. The
United Nations has the necessary instruments at hand.
A better and more responsible use of these instruments
can contribute to the implementation of the Millennium
Declaration Development Goals, aimed at creating a
more prosperous and sustainable world for generations
to come.
If we have the necessary political will and
determination, we can have a United Nations that
works relentlessly to improve the lives of all. That is,
in the final analysis, what the United Nations was
founded for.


The challenges we
face at the beginning of the twenty-first century are
immense. We are facing terrible poverty; crises and
wars; millions of refugees; the hideous face of
terrorism; trafficking in human beings, arms and drugs;
and regions decimated by disease as we continue to
destroy the earth's ecological balance.
There are no simple answers to these problems.
But there is a place where we all can meet to find
solutions: the United Nations. The world needs a strong
United Nations.
I have just quoted my Swiss colleague, first of all
to celebrate his country's and East Timor's entry into
the United Nations, and secondly because I fully agree
with his statement.
In the words of Kofi Annan:
“The more a country makes use of
multilateral institutions — thereby respecting
shared values, and accepting the obligations and
restraints inherent in those values — the more
others will trust and respect it, and the stronger
its chance to exercise true leadership”. (See
A/57/PV.2)
I know the personal commitment of my dear
friend Jan Kavan, the President, to this principle. Our
two countries have worked closely in a common effort
to promote peace, the rule of law and shared values in
South-eastern Europe.
Today we can be proud that we also contributed
in changing this region. It is no longer “CNN-able”, as
our colleague from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr.
Lagumdjia, said yesterday.
Yet this has not been an easy process.
Take my country, Greece. In the previous century,
we went through two world wars, two Balkan wars and
a major war with Turkey, which resulted in millions of
refugees and in painful population exchanges. We
suffered under civil war, famine and dictatorship. We
witnessed the forced division of Cyprus through
military invasion and occupation by Turkey, and the
recent wars in the disintegrating former Yugoslavia in
our backyard. Not far from us, conflict continues. We
stand ready to support all efforts to ensure that Israel
17

may be secure and that the Palestinians may have a
State they can call their own.
It is no wonder that today we cherish the peace
we have achieved. It is no wonder that we cherish the
fact that Greece today has its most stable democracy in
modern history, that we are among the more prosperous
countries in the world, and that we will soon be hosting
one of the most demanding events humankind has
created, the Olympics. This to us is a responsibility.
We have learned our lessons. We are where we
are today only because of our people's steadfast
commitment to work for the shared values of
democracy, peace, justice, and human rights.
It is no wonder that Greece has become a
champion of the enlargement of the European Union,
because the European Union is a community of values,
and being a community of values is the biggest peace
project of our region. We have a responsibility to our
neighbours, from Turkey to Bosnia and Herzegovina,
to see them, sooner or later, part of this wider European
family — creating a new vision where all can share the
values of peace and democracy and be citizens of the
European Union.
We have learned that at the heart of these
conflicts are human beings, as the Danish Prime
Minister, Mr. Rasmussen, has said. We have learned
that democracy and human rights are fundamental to
the life and dignity of all human beings.
Whenever our global principles are violated, it is
usually in societies and places where extremism and
lack of democracy exist. I believe that democracy will
isolate the phenomena that we have seen in recent
years, such as that of 11 September.
We in Greece have also known terrorism. We
have suffered at the hands of a small terrorist
organization called November 17. Since June, Greek
security forces have brought all the key members of
November 17 to justice. This formidable achievement
was supported by assistance from allied intelligence
agencies, to which we are indebted for their support.
This experience is just one more example of how close
international cooperation can accomplish common
goals and protect our common values. It is also a
tribute to our long-lasting democratic institutions.
In the European Union, we are building not only
a community of nations but a community of values.
The Greek presidency of the European Union, which
begins in January 2003, will promote the values of
democracy and peace in every element of its agenda.
We want to focus our efforts on reinforcing the trans-
Atlantic relationship. We believe that the United States
and the European Union share the same democratic
values. We must stand united in our efforts to promote
peace within a multilateral framework.
We also will pay tribute to the cultural diversity
that is at the heart of the European project, with a focus
on reinvigorating democratic governance by renewing
our efforts to build social inclusiveness and civil
participation across borders, working with our new
neighbours, from the Baltic region to the
Mediterranean, from the Atlantic to the Caucasus, a
new neighbourhood of peace, cooperation and
democracy.
In this community of values, I should like to talk
about a case in point. A few years ago, the notion of
rapprochement between Greece and Turkey was
unthinkable. Now, with a common European vision,
our Governments are creating a framework to solve
existing problems, and citizen's diplomacy is building
a bridge of peace between our nations. Athens and
Ankara have concluded a number of agreements in
areas ranging from energy to tourism, from education
to landmines, designed to ease tension and strengthen
our common interests. While fundamental differences
remain on certain issues, in a short space of time, we
have come a long way — and we surely can go further.
I welcome my discussion and meeting with the new
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Gürel, and his
willingness to continue on this path of rapprochement
and peace.
Yet our shared values are being sorely tested on
the issue of Cyprus. There is now a compelling
deadline for a resolution to the continuing division of
the island. Negotiations for the accession of the
Republic of Cyprus to the European Union will be
finalized in December. We hope that a free, united
Cyprus will join a free, united Europe. Unification will
undoubtedly bring greater security and prosperity to
both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities on
the island. But if a political settlement is not reached,
the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus will
join alone. Let us therefore work to break down the
walls that keep future European Union citizens apart.
With the exception of Turkey, the whole world
shares a vision for Cyprus as a federal State with a
18

single international personality and a single citizenship,
no foreign troops on its soil, and equal rights and
security guarantees for both the Greek and Turkish
Cypriot communities. The vast majority of the Cypriot
population agrees that the two communities can and
should live together, united by shared values, while
preserving their individual cultural identities.
We must respect United Nations resolutions on
Cyprus. They must be honoured, as my Maltese
colleague just repeated.
Cyprus is also a critical factor for the stability
and security of South-eastern Europe and the Middle
East. A solution to this problem, therefore, will widen
the area of stability and peace throughout the region.
Not much farther away, the situation in Iraq is a
challenge for us all. It challenges our respect for
international law and our respect for international
organizations. Greece vows to act in the way it sees fit
to safeguard these valued principles.
In dealing with Iraq, our actions must be guided
by evidence of a threat to global security, and must be
embedded in respect for the well-being of the Iraqi
people. We must exhaust all available diplomatic
means to ensure that Iraq complies with existing
United Nations resolutions, immediately accepts the
unconditional return of United Nations weapons
inspectors and destroys all weapons of mass
destruction. This will free the people of Iraq from the
economic sanctions, which are depriving them of their
basic needs.
We welcome the statement by President Bush. By
taking the issue of Iraq back to the Security Council, he
has both challenged the Council and empowered it to
move forward more effectively and more credibly.
Democracy is a value that should not be taken for
granted. It must be reinforced to meet new challenges
in a globalizing world. In this spirit, Greece launched,
in Johannesburg, the first-ever online global poll on
sustainable development and the environment.
Electronic democracy offers tremendous potential for
bridging the digital divide that separates many peoples
and individuals, for strengthening civil participation
and for enhancing global democratic legitimacy and
transparency. We suggest that the United Nations
establish a new global forum — an electronic
Demos — where citizens could articulate their views,
mobilize around the issues that concern them and shape
political decision-making, both nationally and
internationally.
Greece will make good on its commitment to
sustainable development by taking concrete actions and
identifying specific targets.
This year, many countries celebrated the
establishment of an institution that was founded on the
premise that good global governance must be built on
sound global principles. The International Criminal
Court represents a commitment by our community of
nations that no crime against humanity will go
unpunished. Creating a watertight system of global
justice which requires all countries to uphold common
rules, principles and rights will be an important step
towards building a real community of global values.
Finally, I would like to say that those values lie at
the heart of the Olympic Truce, which was endorsed by
the Millennium Summit and the Millennium
Declaration. It is global peace initiative which was just
recently endorsed by the former President of South
Africa, Nelson Mandela. When he signed the Olympic
Truce in June, President Mandela said:
“The Olympic Games represent one of the
most evocative moments of celebration of our
unity as human beings in pursuit of noble ideas.
Among those ideas is the quest for global peace.”
We uphold the values of democracy, human
rights, peace and sustainable development; they can
enrich us all. They can inspire us and challenge us.
They are values that can inspire change in one person,
in one community or in a large nation. They are values
that can change the life of not just one person, but the
world as a whole. These are the values upon which we
must build our future and the future of our children.


At
the outset, allow me to congratulate Mr. Jan Kavan on
his election as President for the current session of the
General Assembly. I would also like to express
appreciation to Mr. Han Seung-soo for his excellent
organization of the work of the previous session of the
General Assembly.
A year ago the world confronted acts of terror,
unprecedented in scale and barbarity. We all remember
the 11 September 2001 events in the United States and
mourn the lives lost.
The events of last autumn, first of all, show that
security threats are taking on new and dangerous
forms. The phenomenon of terrorism has become more
complex. At the current stage the world has to contend
with organized international terrorism.
The United Nations devotes much attention to the
fight against international terrorism. We welcome the
United Nations Security Council resolution 1373
(2001), which stipulates the establishment of the
Counter-Terrorism Committee to coordinate and
increase the efficiency of the international
community's efforts to fight this most dangerous threat
of the twenty-first century.
I would like to recall in this regard that
Uzbekistan strongly urged establishment of such a
committee within the United Nations as early as 1999.
Uzbekistan is one of the few countries that are
parties to all twelve conventions on combating
terrorism. We sincerely hope that the appeal by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the United Nations
Member States to join and ratify these documents will
be followed and put into practice.
Uzbekistan supports the international counter-
terrorism coalition as a matter of principle and stands
ready to make its contribution to enhance global and
regional stability.
17

The events of 11 September made the world face
up to the situation in Afghanistan and, one can say,
opened the eyes of the international community to the
fact that terrorism has no borders and only through
joint efforts we can defeat this perilous challenge to
humanity. In a strict and, I would say, categorical way
the events of 11 September reminded everybody that
twenty years of war turned Afghanistan into a breeding
ground and hotbed of international terrorism that
threatened not only neighbouring countries and nations,
but all of humanity.
We are gratified today by the positive
developments in that country; we welcome the
convening of the Loya Jirga, and the transitional
Government led by President Hâmid Karzai.
At the same time, despite the successful
completion of the military phase of the counter-
terrorist operation in Afghanistan, today there can be
no room for complacency.
First, huge amounts of weapons accumulated
during the long years of war in Afghanistan still remain
in the possession of armed groups there. In this context
there can be no justification for the attempts of certain
States to supply ever more weapons to this long-
suffering land.
To ensure stability and prevent military
confrontation it is important to resolve the problems
related to the reduction and collection of the huge
amounts of weapons accumulated in Afghanistan.
Clearing the Afghan territory of weapons arsenals
belonging to criminal groups will also reinforce the
activities of the United Nations and regional
institutions to thwart the illicit arms trade.
Secondly, the post-war dislocation, economic
disaster, as well as the lack of resources to rebuild
Afghanistan, may become a catalyst for social unrest
that could be used by certain armed groups inside and
beyond Afghanistan to create a new round of military
confrontation.
Thirdly, there are still various groups in the
territory of Afghanistan, including remnants of the
Taliban, that are capable of conducting subversive
actions and guerrilla warfare. Confrontation continues
among various warlord-leaders of different ethnic
groups.
Fourthly, the situation on drug trafficking remains
almost unchanged. Afghanistan is still the world's main
supplier of opium and heroin. According to many
international experts, the removal of the Taliban regime
does not yet mean the elimination of the criminal
narcotics business in Afghanistan. Today the whole
world is seriously concerned about this problem. There
is an urgent need for adequate measures and assistance
on the part of the entire international community, as
well as the active support of the Afghan authorities to
combat narco-aggression.
The number of drug addicts in the world runs into
the hundreds of millions of people. Proliferation of
drug addiction undermines both the health of living
generations and the gene pool of nations. This affects
people in both the developed and developing countries.
The Republic of Uzbekistan, making great efforts to
fight drug production, abuse and trafficking, fully
supports the measures undertaken by the United
Nations and the international community to confront
these threats.
I would like to underline that it is much easier
and more effective to fight drug trafficking at the
source. Therefore, we have to block the huge flow of
the Afghan drugs right at the borders of the Central
Asian States, rather than hunt for grammes and
kilogrammes in Europe and other developed countries.
In this regard, it is advisable to shift from
numerous counter-narcotics programmes of small
efficiency to the concrete solution of this acute
problem by allocating the United Nations-controlled
resources and means to nip the narcotics trafficking at
the source.
Today the attention of the entire international
community is riveted on the issue of Iraq. In this regard
we support the statement of United States President
George Bush delivered in the United Nations from this
very rostrum.
The measures towards resolution of the current
situation proposed by the President of the United States
deserve thorough consideration and may be taken as a
basis for the elaboration of the position to be taken by
the United Nations Security Council.
Uzbekistan attaches great significance to the
strengthening of the global process of non-proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction. Our country has
already received credit for its activity in this field. The
strategy of Uzbekistan in ensuring security is based on
the country's participation in the United Nations-led
18

processes of disarmament and arms control and
reduction.
Uzbekistan fully supports the principle of
indivisibility of security and in this context, as an
initiator of the nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central
Asia, acknowledges responsibility for strengthening the
nuclear non-proliferation regime and takes active part
in the elaboration process of international instruments
in this field.
Uzbekistan proposes to sign the practically
finalized and agreed draft of the document on the
nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia in
Kazakhstan in the city of Semipalatinsk, the former site
for hundreds of nuclear tests, in the presence of United
Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan during his
upcoming visit to the Central Asian region.
The Republic of Uzbekistan supports proposals
made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the United
Nations reforms. This is necessary for an appropriate
adaptation of this Organisation to the dynamic changes
in the international arena. Uzbekistan is one of those
States that considers the United Nations Security
Council reforms to be part of the evolution of the entire
United Nations system.
The current structure of the Security Council
reflects the realities of a past era. The world has
changed since then. We believe that Japan and
Germany have a legitimate right to permanent
membership in the Security Council. All necessary
grounds for this are present.
In conclusion, I would like to recall that it has
been ten years since Uzbekistan became a United
Nations Member, and it is very gratifying to see the
United Nations family expanding. We congratulate
Switzerland and the Democratic Republic of Timor-
Leste on their decision to become fully-fledged parties
to the multilateral cooperation and dialogue of the
United Nations. It should mean that the idea of peace
and noble principles of the global security system are
the order of the day.


Let me first extend
my congratulations and a warm welcome to
Switzerland, a neighbouring country of Liechtenstein,
on its membership in the United Nations. Switzerland
has for centuries lived the ideals of the United Nations
as a place where peoples of different ethnic
backgrounds, languages, cultures and religions have
peacefully lived together and have founded a nation
based on democratic principles and the rule of law.
Now its people have chosen to join the United Nations.
We look forward to Switzerland's contribution, its
expertise and experience in the challenging work of
this Organization. Together with the admission of East
Timor a few days from now, this brings the United
Nations even closer to being what it was intended to
be, a truly universal family of nations.
In the past year, the United Nations has again
convened a number of meetings at the highest level, with
the best intentions and the most ambitious agendas. Those
included the special session on children, the International
Conference on Financing for Development and the World
Summit on Sustainable Development. All these meetings
have resulted in important outcomes, but they have
sometimes fallen short of the expectations of those most
directly affected. Bigger is not always better. We
believe that the era of such world conferences and
summits has come to a close. We have established good
standards and must now focus on their implementation.
The Millennium Development Goals must be given
primary importance in this respect.
A few years ago, we had hoped to be entering an
era of the primacy of the rule of law. Small States in
particular rely on the rule of law, both at the national
and at the international levels, where this Organization
plays a particular role. Today, we are all challenged
more than ever to uphold the principle of the rule of
law. The events of 11 September made us realize that
no person and no place is immune to the threat of
international terrorism. The international community,
and especially this Organization, responded vigorously.
For weeks immediately after the attacks, countries
were determined to join forces to oppose and eliminate
the threat to all of us. Today provides a good
opportunity not only to commemorate those who have
died at the hands of international terrorists, but also to
reassess our common response and responsibility as the
international community.
In looking back, we realize today that the sense of
working together we all felt was short-lived and that it
has not extended to all areas. After the terrorist attacks
there was recognition that international terrorism can
only be fought successfully if all States and nations
work together. This raised hopes for an era of genuine
multilateralism. However, those hopes vanished
quickly and were replaced by the realization that
unilateralism and confrontation were again dominant.
One example of such confrontation was the
debates on the International Criminal Court, which
extended even to the Security Council. Holding these
debates implied, ironically, that the International
Criminal Court jeopardized peacekeeping operations of
the United Nations. As a State party to the Rome
Statute, we welcomed the entry into force of the Statute
on 1 July as a true landmark in the history of
international justice. We remain fully committed to
preserving the integrity of the Court's Statute. We
found it therefore disquieting that the Council dealt
with the International Criminal Court in a manner
suggesting that the Court posed a threat to international
peace and security.
The Security Council, above all, is called upon to
uphold the rule of law. The state of affairs worldwide
makes it abundantly clear that credible and effective
28

action by the Council is needed now more than ever.
Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) illustrates how
determined action by the Council can contribute to
fighting real threats to international peace and security.
My Government has attached the highest priority to the
work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee established
pursuant to that resolution. We submitted on time two
comprehensive reports on our national implementation
thereof. One year after the inception of the Committee's
work, we have to take stock of its achievements and of the
challenges ahead. There are obviously different stages of
implementation worldwide and diverging capacities of
States, especially in the area of combating the
financing of terrorism.
Thus, it is imperative to introduce minimal
standards to which all States need to adhere. Such an
effort to set and implement benchmarks will ensure the
practical impact and continued political relevance of
the Counter-Terrorism Committee. We all must strive
to bring our national enforcement and cooperation
mechanisms to the highest achievable standards. This,
however, must be accompanied by a set of minimum
standards which are observed and enforced globally. As
stated on previous occasions, Liechtenstein stands
ready to make its contribution to developing such
standards and to contribute to compliance enhancement
by offering our extensive practical expertise.
Injustice must not be fought through injustice.
The fight against terrorism must therefore go hand in
hand with basic standards of the rule of law.
Overzealous action must not, as has occurred in some
instances, jeopardize the rights of the individual. Non-
derogable human rights, as contained in the relevant
international treaties, must be safeguarded under all
circumstances. States have an obligation to ensure that
people who are suspected of having committed acts of
terrorism are treated in accordance with the relevant
standards. The United Nations, as the primary
international law-making body, has a special
responsibility in this respect and has to live up to its
obligation to be the guardian of the rule of law.
When the United Nations is called upon to uphold
the rule of law, it must, of course, ensure first and
foremost the legality of its own actions in all areas and,
in particular, when it comes to armed action and
intervention. The Charter of the United Nations
provides for the sanctioning of such action by the
Security Council. The debates of the past few weeks
have made it clear that nothing can replace — as
Secretary-General Kofi Annan put it so aptly — the
unique international legitimacy provided through a
decision of the Council. Legality, and thus political
credibility, are ensured through seizing the Council. At
the same time, however, the full implementation of all
such decisions must be ensured. This must therefore be
the way to go for the international community.


The
creation on 24 October 1945 of the family of nations
brought the peoples of the world values, principles and
goals to cherish and to realize. The founders of the
United Nations brought us hope; they brought us new
belief in the future of humanity after two world wars.
They opened the eyes of the world community to such
key issues as human dignity, equality, tolerance, peace,
national and international security, social and economic
progress, and respect for human rights.
How do we deal with those precious gifts? Do
we, the Member countries — large and small; powerful
and less powerful; developed, less developed and
developing — make the optimal use of those tools to
shoulder the necessary responsibility and solidarity
with one another and with our peoples, in particular the
most vulnerable ones among us: our children, older
persons, persons with disabilities, persons with
HIV/AIDS, women and men, and older and younger
persons who are suffering from extreme poverty,
hunger, deadly diseases, drought and war crimes?
In my statement today on behalf of the
Government and the people of the Republic of
Suriname, in which those fundamental issues should be
addressed, I would first like to express feelings of
peace and love to the entire United Nations family:
peace and love, which was brought to us in the peace
messages of the President and of the Secretary-General
and in the beautiful songs of the United Nations Choir
during the Peace Bell Ceremony, held this morning
here at Headquarters, on the occasion of the
International Day of Peace; peace and love to you, Mr.
President, because of your unanimous election to that
high Office, because of your readiness to serve and
because of your country's important contribution to the
lofty goals of the Organization; peace and love to your
predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo, for his energetic
guidance and leadership during the remarkable fifty-
sixth session of the General Assembly; and peace and
love to the dedicated and inspiring Secretary-General
and to the entire Secretariat — those who work actively
every day everywhere in the United Nations system
and who, despite their difficult roles, which include
security personnel, interpreters, conference officers,
field workers, information and communication
technology personnel and personnel in the various
agencies and programmes, always stand ready to serve
humanity with a kind smile.

Peace and love were enshrined in the recent 11
September message of President Runaldo Ronald
Venetiaan of the Republic of Suriname to President
George W. Bush of the United States of America:
“On this day, our thoughts and feelings are
with the families and friends of the victims of the
cruel terrorist attack on 11 September 2001, as
well as with the Government and people of the
United States of America. The people of
Suriname pray that the whole of the American
nation will prosper in peace, together with all of
the global family”.
We express peace, love and special words of
welcome to the newly admitted Swiss Confederation,
which, as of 10 September 2002, has joined our family
as the 190th Member State, after having served the
United Nations so well as an observer State, especially
with respect to the promotion of human rights and the
protection of humanitarian law. We also express our
special feelings of love, peace and welcome to the
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, which will be
admitted as the 191st Member State of the United
Nations on 27 September 2002 after a long process of
preparation, on the basis of Security Council resolution
1272 (1999), with the strong participation of its own
well-motivated people and with the guidance and
support of the international community. We wish the
Governments and peoples of both countries well in
their future endeavours.
Last year, designated as the United Nations Year
of Dialogue among Civilizations, came at a time in
today's world when dialogue proved to be most
essential. Suriname is a fervent advocate of dialogue.
Therefore, we prefer to choose the path of dialogue to
solve our disputes. I am pleased to say that the
Surinamese peoples, who originated in all parts of the
world — in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe —
live in peace and harmony with one another. We also
cherish our peaceful and friendly relations with
neighbouring countries and with many other countries
27

around the globe. To promote unity in our society, the
ideals of peace and respect for one another's cultures
are incorporated into our national educational
programmes and are taught from an early age.
The human rights based approach to
development, including the notion that human rights
education is a key to development, should be
embraced. Therefore, the national education plan of
Suriname will also deal with human rights education.
Awareness should be raised that poverty among our
peoples is a serious violation of their human rights:
every human being has the right to an adequate
standard of living with regard to health, medical care
and well-being — the right to education, to food, to
housing and to social services in general.
Suriname has ratified all major human rights
instruments. We welcomed the special attention of the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women during the consideration of, among
other things, Suriname's initial periodic report,
submitted last June, on the importance of human rights
as a way to transform society and as a birthright. My
delegation emphasizes that no equality can be achieved
unless human rights become a way of life.
Therefore, on behalf of my Government, I would
like to express my heartfelt thanks to the former High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary
Robinson, for the excellent manner in which she
carried out her duties. At the same time, we wish to
welcome the newly appointed High Commissioner for
Human Rights, who is from our region: Mr. Sergio
Vieira de Mello of Brazil.
We extend our best wishes to him, and are
convinced that he will guide us in promoting and
protecting the effective enjoyment by everyone of all
civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights,
including the right to development, in accordance with
General Assembly resolution 48/141.
If we indeed want the United Nations to maintain
international peace and security, we need to abide by
and implement the various resolutions and decisions it
has adopted towards this goal. The commitments,
declarations and action plans drafted at the various
United Nations follow-up conferences held this year
will have to be implemented. The difference in
positions of various countries poses a threat to
international peace and security, especially with regard
to the consequences of trade liberalization for
developing countries.
Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
must be our first priority, and this achievement should
not be jeopardized by an increase in defence
expenditures.
We welcome Iraq's recently announced decision
to allow the return of United Nations weapon
inspectors into the country; we also applaud the
recently agreed peace plan that aims to achieve, by
2005, a final settlement towards a peaceful solution to
the conflicts in the Middle East.
If we want to guarantee international peace and
security, we have to live up to the challenge of creating
a world fit for children; a world without child-soldiers;
a society for all ages, where people are no longer
starving, dying of famine, drought or living in extreme
poverty; where there is respect for human rights, the
rule of law and international law; where there is fair
trade, sustainable development, good governance; and
where each individual has the right to development, the
ultimate goal being to improve the quality of life of
every human being — children, women, men, older
persons and persons with disabilities.
According to the 2002 Human Development
Report, many countries are poorer than they were 10,
20, and in some cases, even 30 years ago; genuine
attention should be given to these most vulnerable
people. Developing countries can by no means meet
the needs of their people on the basis of their own
financial resources; Governments of the developed
world, international financial institutions and donor
countries should increase their official development
assistance.
Poverty eradication should be a high priority in
our countries. Our poverty eradication programme is
designed in such a way that it emphasizes not only
labour demanding growth, but also, and especially,
domestic capital demanding growth. Our Government
has confidence in a programme focusing on technology
and the education of our people to elevate our
population to higher material and spiritual levels.
Education is an important vehicle leading to the
awareness of health problems, such as HIV/AIDS,
malaria and tuberculosis, human rights and democracy
issues, criminality, including cross-boundary crime,
and drug trafficking. Suriname has a long tradition and
28

history regarding the involvement of civil society and
other non-State actors in the development of our
country and attaches great importance to real
partnership between Government, civil society and
non-governmental organizations in the fields of social
affairs, education and health, among others.
During our participation last Monday in the high-
level General Assembly session on the New
Partnership for Africa's Development, we expressed
the solidarity of the Government and People of
Suriname with our brothers and sisters on the African
continent and our strong support for Africa's
determination to emerge from poverty, hunger and
famine, and such destructive deadly diseases as
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, in order to build
a strong and lasting culture of peace and democracy
based on Africa's precious natural and human
resources and its cultural wealth.
Information and communication technologies
(ICT) must be considered as essential for the
sustainable development of peoples and societies; the
rights-based approach to development should include
the right to information and communication
technologies. ICT has been recognized as an effective
instrument in the fields of economic growth,
knowledge, education at all levels, poverty eradication,
people's empowerment, capacity-building, decision-
making and the promotion of sustainable development.
The United Nations Secretary-General should be
commended for the timely initiative within the United
Nations system to create the United Nations
Information and Communication Technologies Task
Force, which plays a vital role in the preparatory
process for the World Summit on the Information
Society in December 2003 in Geneva and 2005 in
Tunis. Various ICT programmes and projects for
children, students, older persons and others, are being
carried out in Suriname by the Government, the
university and civil society.
My country will continue to support the work of
the United Nations. We are committed to implementing
the plans of action of the important follow-up United
Nations Conferences held this year — namely, the
Special Session on Children, the International
Conference on Financing for Development, the World
Assembly on Ageing, the World Food Summit and the
World Summit on Sustainable Development.
The challenges that we face with regard to
economic, social and environmental development are
to cut poverty in half within the next 10 years. My
Government is committed to working on the economic
growth and poverty eradication of our own people. We
are also faced with the challenge of improving
environmentally-friendly and healthy products and
consumer goods; protecting and managing the natural
resource base of Suriname; improving the sustainable
development of small island developing States; and
strengthening the management of sustainable
development at the national, regional and international
levels.
Because Suriname is situated in the Caribbean
region, the region with the second highest rate of
HIV/AIDS-infected people in the world, this issue is of
utmost importance. Besides HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis pose grave threats not only to health in
general, but also to the labour sector and to the social
and economic development of Suriname. We are,
therefore, now taking the necessary steps to submit a
request for funding through the United Nations Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
We are faced with a vast amount of issues that
need to be solved, and agreements and programmes
that need to be implemented in order to improve the
lives of our peoples. The United Nations still proves to
be the best place to collectively discuss the problems of
the world and to look for lasting solutions. It is up to us
to live up to our commitments as Members of the
United Nations and to create better living conditions
for our people. We can only hope that this would
eventually lead to stability in and between our
countries, and ultimately lead to peace and security, as
envisioned by the founders of this great Organization.
Secretary-General Annan and Assembly President
Kavan, at this morning's Peace Bell ceremony,
exhorted the international community to heed the
message of International Peace Day and let it resound
far and wide, spreading dignity, justice, understanding,
solidarity and prosperity.
Let there be peace on earth. Let peace begin with
all of us who are assembled in this beautiful, historical
General Assembly Hall. May the Almighty be with all
of us.


Allow me
to begin my statement by expressing the pleasure of the
Government and people of Panama on your well-
deserved election, Sir, as President of the General
Assembly at its fifty-seventh session. We fully
supported that election.
We value your understanding of most of the
issues that are the subjects of debate in this world arena
and the opportunities afforded us by the experience that
you have gained in your homeland, along with that in
general of the peoples of Eastern Europe, a region that,
in recent years, has been the crucible of the most
complex problems and, at the same time, the most
innovative solutions.
I also pay tribute to the extraordinary work of
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has made
undeniable and productive efforts to achieve
reconciliation among peoples living in the midst of
conflict.
I wish to express my satisfaction at having been
able to stand with the American people at the
commemoration of the first anniversary of the tragic
events of 11 September. Images of the moving and,
above all, authentic homage paid yesterday morning
will remain graven indelibly in my memory. If the
nationalities of the heroes had been noted along with
their names, we would undoubtedly have understood
more clearly that this crime was an assault not only on
the United States of America, but on the whole of
humankind.
Terrorism has become the gravest threat to
international security and to the environment of peace
that has gradually gained ground throughout the world.
This has come at the price of an immense sacrifice in
13

terms both of human life and of resources that should
be devoted to promoting the collective well-being of
our societies.
That is why terrorism must be defeated utterly,
using all means available to us, wherever it may be
found. With such resolve, Panama has taken specific
steps, ratifying the major international instruments
against terrorism and adopting and implementing
domestic legal norms designed to control the sources of
financing. In the context of this collective endeavour,
our country has chaired the Committee on Hemispheric
Security of the Organization of American States,
seeking thereby to adapt to our realities all instruments
that are relevant to this issue, while strengthening
mechanisms of cooperation in the fight against
terrorism.
In the light of that commitment, on 7 March we
ratified the Rome Statute creating the International
Criminal Court and deposited our instruments of
ratification with the United Nations on 21 March. We
firmly believe that, as stipulated by the Statute, we
must end the impunity of those who commit appalling
crimes against humanity, regardless of the charges
brought by the victims and of the immunities that may
have been extended to the perpetrator within or outside
his own country.
However, the fight against terrorism and the
abuse of power that hinders democracy and undermines
human rights must go hand in hand with genuine
growth opportunities for the developing countries.
The Republic of Panama has unreservedly
assumed the commitment to broadly disseminate the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on
women, as well as to implement the Platform's 12
critical areas of concern.
We also reaffirm that the progress of nations must
be based on sustainable development, guided by the
commitments undertaken at Rio de Janeiro and the
relevant processes culminating at Johannesburg, with
all their agreements and initiatives.
Our foreign policy is based on the fundamental
values of our people, such as the promotion of
democracy and good governance, solidarity and
international cooperation. For that reason, we have
embraced the free trade option, but, as we indicated in
Monterrey in March 2002, a more equitable economic
regime must be consolidated that will enhance
opportunities for cooperation, address the question of
our external indebtedness and stimulate free trade
based on equity and symmetry.
In that context, we currently host the interim
secretariat for the Free Trade Area of the Americas,
aspiring, as we have demonstrated, to become the site
of the permanent secretariat in 2005.
Panama is moving firmly in the right direction,
addressing the far-reaching themes of the new
millennium with the active participation of society. It is
modernizing the State administration, tackling the need
to modernize its educational and social security
systems and developing its rural sector. At the same
time, we are beginning to forge a new industrial
strategy with tools that will give us access to
international markets on a competitive footing in terms
of price and quality.
At the same time as the Panama Canal is being
rapidly modernized to respond to the demands of world
trade, we are enhancing our democratic stability
through increasingly efficient and transparent
processes. We respect and support human rights,
particularly the freedom of expression, and we are
taking innovative steps to guarantee a promising future
for our society.
In the context of all of these initiatives, which are
repeated in country after country, the United Nations,
without doubt, will have to play a much more
aggressive role, sustaining and enhancing capacities for
political dialogue and preventing the economic domain
from assuming that role. For that reason, this
revitalizing effort must be supplemented with sustained
action, as has been recommended by the Group of
Latin American and Caribbean States and other
regional groups.
Panama hails the way the Security Council has
conducted its work over the past year and continues to
believe that this important United Nations organ be
composed of a larger number of members. However, as
we did at the fifty-sixth session of the General
Assembly, we stress today that consideration of
permanent or non-permanent status must be linked to
justifications in keeping with the new vision of the
world and that changes must not be introduced that
could lead to the permanent distribution of privileges
that became manifestly obsolete years ago.
14

Like the rest of the world, we are concerned at
the situation in the Middle East, in neighbouring
Colombia and in many other parts of the world where
international support is still being anxiously awaited.
Our Government believes that the benefits of the
United Nations system and its various bodies must be
extended to the people of Taiwan, while fostering a
broad debate with the aim of beginning formal,
peaceful negotiations that will lead the people of China
to resolve existing differences.
Our delegation is particularly gratified at the
presence of so many political leaders who have come
here in a gesture of fraternal solidarity with all the
citizens of the world who were victims of the madness
and the evil of groups that do not understand the
advantages of dialogue and civilized understanding.
We will only be able achieve the lofty goals we
are setting at this forum through the unity of those who
aspire to live in a fraternal, prosperous and peaceful
world. May God enlighten us and guide us in the
search for that legitimate aspiration.


Not very far from here stood
two towers that symbolized freedom, prosperity and
progress. Halfway around the globe stood two
magnificent Buddhas that represented a culture of
tolerance and a nation with a rich history. These
symbols have now been linked together through the
global scourge of terrorism. Terror may have
demolished these physical structures, yet it served to
strengthened the resolve of the international
community never to abandon the spirit and
determination with which these icons were built.
Terrorism and violence are against the teaching of
Islam; a religion that stands for peace, respect for
human dignity, dialogue, and tolerance. The Taliban,
who destroyed our country and cultural heritage, did
not represent Afghans, nor does the Al-Qaida represent
the Arab world. Even more, neither one represents
Islam.
The Afghan people, as the prime victims of war
and violence, and the front line fighters against
terrorism, particularly appreciate, honour and admire
the friendly hand extended to them by the United States
of America and other members of the anti-terror
coalition, the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), the United Nations Organization, particularly
the Secretary-General Kofi Annan  whom I must
thank for his kind remarks and support of Afghanistan
this morning  as well as Ambassador Lakhdar
Brahimi, the Special Representative of the Secretary-
General, for their tremendous support to Afghanistan
during this critical juncture of Afghan history.
Sir, I am honoured to have this opportunity to
highlight some achievements of my Administration
during the brief course of the past eight months. First,
the implementation of the Bonn Agreement and the
peace process in my country are quite on track. In
accordance with the terms of the Bonn Agreement, the
people of Afghanistan manifested their robust
resolution and solid consensus for democracy and the
rule of law by gathering under one tent to convene the
emergency Loya Jirga  that is the Afghan Grand
Council  held on 11 to 17 June 2002. The success of
the Loya Jirga, with broad and unprecedented
participation of women, was a significant milestone in
the recent history of Afghanistan, and a major step
forward in the process of peace, stability and nation-
building. During the proceeding of the Loya Jirga,
hundreds of delegates exercised their right to free
speech and expressed their desire for security, peace,
national unity, reconstruction, democracy and good
governance.
The people of Afghanistan told me univocally of
their disdain for war and violence. The Loya Jirga
demonstrated that after 23 years of imposed wars,
foreign interventions, violence, bloodshed, repression,
destruction and subversion, Afghans are on the way to
enjoy peace and benefit from reconstruction. Hence,
they are determined to take every measure to avoid a
relapse into warlordism and lawlessness.
Secondly, as a result of the back-to-school
campaign, schools that were closed for over six years,
when neither boys nor girls went to school, have
reopened. Three million children from all over the
country, both boys and girls, have returned to school.
Thirdly, the strong commitment of the
Government to the eradication of poppy cultivation and
the destruction of narcotics resulted in the burning of
drugs worth an estimated street value of 8 billion
dollars.
Fourthly, as a sign of stability and security, we
are very glad to have over 1.6 million of our refugees,
who were mainly living in Pakistan and Iran, return
home in a period of less than seven to eight months.
Fifthly, we have formed a Constitutional
Commission to undertake the historic task of drafting
the country's new Constitution. We have already
established a Judicial Commission, to rebuild the
Afghan justice system, a Civil Service Commission to
reform the entire administration and impose a merit-
based system, as well as a Human Rights Commission
to protect human rights, women's rights and civil
liberties. We have also adopted a series of laws and
decrees to promote and attract domestic and
international investments, safeguard property rights

and other pillars of the free market economy, combat
narcotics, and protect the forests and the environment.
Sixthly, despite these achievements, we are
realistic about countless challenges and problems that
we are confronted with. Foremost among them is
security; a principal demand of the Afghan people, and
the most fundamental requirement for sustainable
peace. It is the position of my Government that the real
key to the restoration of sustainable security lies in the
creation of a national army and a national police
force, along with a comprehensive demobilization
programme.
We have established a commission for the
formation of a national army. I have also highlighted
the establishment of the national army and police force
as a top priority and the main objective of my
Government; but the people of Afghanistan need a
clear commitment and sustained support from the
international community to realize these objectives.
We appreciate the contributions of our American,
British, German, Turkish and French friends in training
our national army and police force, and the
Government of Japan for its assistance in
demobilization programmes. I would like to once again
request the donor countries to further support our
strategy for the creation of a national army and a
national system for security by translating international
pledges into concrete contributions.
The Afghan delegates from various provinces that
regularly come to Kabul to discuss various matters
with our Administration, strongly request the
expansion of the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) to other parts of the country. They want
to be certain that Afghanistan will not be once again
left alone by the international community.
We owe particular gratitude to the donor
community for its assistance to Afghanistan, but would
also like to remind our friends that the majority of the
financial pledges made to Afghanistan at the Tokyo
Conference are still unfulfilled. We have presented the
donor countries with our National Development
Framework to indicate our priorities, help manage the
reconstruction programmes effectively, and channel
financial resources to national capacity building. It is
the position of my Government that the consolidation
of peace and stability depends on the international
community's sustained engagement in providing
funding for reconstruction.
Implementation of labour-intensive projects
throughout Afghanistan has a direct influence on
security and the demobilization of combatants. Despite
these facts, the level of direct financial support
provided to the Afghan Government can be
characterized as insufficient, especially given the
generosity of donors at the Tokyo Conference, where
over $4.5 billion dollars were pledged to support
Afghanistan. The Afghan people urgently needs the
pledges in Tokyo to be turned into cash.
While we agree that there is still a humanitarian
crisis in Afghanistan, I would like to request the
international community to focus more on
reconstruction, to support long-term recovery efforts,
and to treat the causes of poverty, rather than its
symptoms. Building highways and repairing the road
networks in Afghanistan is an important undertaking
with significant economic, political and social impact
for the Afghan people. It creates jobs, helps with
security and demobilization, provides better
connectivity, strengthens national unity and assists with
the reintegration of Afghanistan into the regional
economy.
While the world has now clearly voiced its unity
to honour the dignity of life and reconstruction over
terror, destruction and subversion, the threat posed by
the terrorist groups requires resolute commitment on
the part of all nations to fight this evil to the end. I
warned the world before the 11 September tragedy
about the dangers of terrorism. The Afghan people
have suffered tremendously at the hands of the Taliban
and terrorist groups. They killed many thousands of our
people, destroyed villages and burned orchards and
vineyards.
Afghanistan is a Muslim country and the people
of Afghanistan truly believe in the teachings of Islam,
which is based on peace, justice, equality, moderation
and tolerance, and reject any abuse and misuse of the
holy name of Islam by extremist groups to justify
violence, death and destruction. My vision of
Afghanistan is of a modern State that builds on our
Islamic values, promoting justice, the rule of law,
human rights and freedom of commerce, and forming a
bridge between cultures and civilizations  a model of
tolerance and prosperity based on the rich heritage of
the Islamic civilization.
Afghanistan is committed to continuing to have
friendly relations with its neighbours and the
12

international community and to being a resilient
partner in the war against terrorism. The establishment
of security and prosperity within Afghanistan is a
means of promoting security and prosperity in the
region and the world as a whole. We do not want to
live in the past and are determined not to let the events
of the past harm our relations with our neighbours. We
extend a sincere hand of friendship to all our
neighbours on the basis of mutual respect for
sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and non-
interference in the internal affairs of each other. We
will never permit our soil to be used for any subversive
activities against any of our neighbours or countries in
the region, and we expect others to do the same.
We are deeply concerned about the loss of
innocent lives in Palestine and Israel. We strongly
support the realization of the right of self-
determination of the people of Palestine. We also
support the relevant United Nations resolutions and the
Saudi Arabian-sponsored declarations in Beirut. We are
also concerned about the dispute between our friends
and neighbours, India and Pakistan. We have good
relationships with both those countries. The people of
Afghanistan know the high price of war and violence
and are yearning for peace, stability and prosperity in
the region. They know that a peaceful resolution of the
issues between Pakistan and India is an urgent
necessity to consolidate peace and security in the
region and the world at large.
In conclusion, I would like to take this
opportunity to congratulate Switzerland and East Timor
on joining the family of the United Nations, and extend
my appreciation to Iran and Pakistan, our neighbouring
countries, for having accepted millions of our refugees
for over two decades and for having looked after them.
We are very grateful to both these neighbours. We are
also very grateful to the donor countries for having
helped Afghanistan and to the international
organizations that have helped us over the past many
months and years.