I warmly
congratulate the President on his election to the
presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-third
session. Benin, my country, will make its modest
contribution to the work of this session and will strive
to promote the ideals of the Charter, to which my
country here reaffirms its full commitment. His
predecessor strove to find ideal solutions to the great
challenges facing humankind during his mandate. We
pay tribute to him for his good and faithful service to
the international community.
 I also wish to commend the diligent and resolute
efforts of the Secretary-General, who has understood
the scope of the grave crises that have shaken the
world over the past year. Thanks to his bold initiatives
to promote international cooperation, he has been able
to revive the virtue of multilateralism as the best way
to manage world affairs in an inclusive and
participatory framework highlighting the uniqueness of
our world and the shared responsibility of the human
species to maintain the fundamental equilibriums on
which its survival on the Earth and the permanence of
the biosphere depend.
 In 2007, responding to the alarm raised by the
scientific community, we focused our attention on

08-51606 36

climate change as a global problem affecting the
environment on our planet, with far-from-rosy
prospects for the future of humankind and obvious
consequences in our daily lives. The two major crises
that we have been attempting to contain for several
months are unfolding against that backdrop. The
energy and food crises, both of which are on our
agenda, are two of the world’s most serious crises in
recent history. They mark a departure from our
previous certainty as regards uninterrupted and lasting
supplies of energy and food for our peoples.
 The Secretary-General has demonstrated
outstanding leadership by sounding the alarm and
warning us of the risks of hasty and non-viable
responses that could lead to panic and serve to
exacerbate the situation. The Rome Conference
organized under the aegis of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations made it possible to
undertake a comprehensive assessment of the
complexity of the crisis and to develop an outline for a
comprehensive strategy. That strategy includes
immediate steps to address the emergency, as well as
several cohesive measures in the short, medium and
long term to preserve peace and stability in vulnerable
developing States. Those are the countries most
affected by the food crisis, which undermines their
efforts to combat poverty and hunger.
 The response to the food crisis emergency should
not lead us to lose sight of the timetable for the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The international community has a duty to mobilize the
necessary resources to correct the serious distortions
that are at the heart of the food crisis. Our performance
in that regard could be improved if vulnerable
countries were able to make the investments necessary
to relaunch agricultural production throughout the
world in a sustainable manner.
 In addition, there is a need to maintain sustained
growth rates that can produce prosperity and
sustainable human development in the long term. We
must continue to work to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals and make them a lasting reality.
 In this emergency, the United Nations should
bring to bear all its influence in order to help countries
experiencing difficulties ensure the survival of
threatened and vulnerable segments of the population,
who risk being decimated by hunger and famine if no
one comes to their aid.
 The time has therefore come to give concrete
expression to the right to food. It is intolerable that
hunger continues to be a scourge afflicting humankind
in the twenty-first century. In the short term, priority
should be given to strengthening social protection
systems in least developed countries. Our efforts
should make it possible to activate the dormant
potential of local productive capacity in order to
stimulate small and medium-sized businesses.
Problems must be addressed through an integrated
approach that makes it possible to maximize
agricultural production, as well as of preserving,
bringing to market and distributing food crops in order
to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable
groups of the population, whose welfare we must
effectively ensure. In the medium and long terms, we
must rethink agricultural investment policies in order
to re-establish the balance between cash crops and food
production, so as to ensure food security for States
while taking cultural specificities into consideration.
 Overall, this crisis illustrates that humankind is
not well equipped to manage the consequences of the
unfolding emergency. This proves that we are not
doing enough for the future and that we run the risk of
being subject to all sorts of ills. It is for that reason that
the proposal made by the High-Level Task Force on the
Global Food Security Crisis for an increase in the
proportion of official development assistance allocated
to agriculture from 3 to 10 per cent constitutes a
strategic approach that should be implemented with
common political will commensurate with the stakes
involved. I would like to pay tribute to the countries
that have already made firm commitments to provide
additional resources in that regard.
 Benin is being seriously affected by the food
crisis, but we are resolutely committed to undertaking
the necessary reforms. To that end, in 2006, my
Government launched a national agricultural
modernization programme in order to address
heightened distortions. To date, agriculture in Benin
has been characterized by small-scale family farms and
based on the use of outdated equipment. In order to
change that situation, which has confined food
production to subsistence farming, a year ago my
Government initiated a mechanization programme to
improve the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
 Given that that mechanization alone cannot bring
about the expected results without the marshalling of
water resources, we are considering a programme for

37 08-51606

rational water management to better utilize that
resource while preserving it for the future. The goal is
to promote irrigation agriculture, primarily by building
irrigation dams in valleys in the north of our country as
part of an overall development plan.
 Soil degradation, coastal erosion and the
combined effects of frequent flooding due to climate
change that seriously affect all of West Africa are
among the underlying factors contributing to the drop
in local food production. In that connection, I should
like to express our great appreciation for the
awareness-raising efforts of the secretariat for the
Convention to Combat Desertification.
 Financing mechanisms, including the World
Bank’s Adaptation Fund, must function with a
heightened sense of the urgent need for aid to affected
regions. They should promote the implementation of
soil regeneration projects, irrigation agriculture and
reforestation with species that will increase the
availability of basic foodstuffs.
 As part of efforts to promote diversification in the
agriculture sector, my Government also intends to
encourage the cultivation of crops suitable for biofuels
on marginally arable lands. The goal is to reduce
dependence on hydrocarbons, which has become more
acute following the dramatic drop in the generating
capacity of hydropower plants as a result of climate
change, whose impact has seriously affected economic
activity in my country over the past two years. These
difficulties have been exacerbated by the dizzying rise
in oil prices.
 The tax cuts and import subsidies to which my
country has resorted in order to protect the buying
power of taxpayers have had a negative impact on
public finances. Those stop-gap measures are simply
not sustainable in the long-run.
 This year we are commemorating the sixtieth
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. Benin initiated resolution 62/171, which the
General Assembly adopted to proclaim the
International Year of Human Rights Learning, which
will begin on 10 December 2008. My country proposed
that new approach in order to once again place the
human person at the very centre of sustainable human
development efforts. Human rights learning leads to
increased demands for human rights, which society is
supposed to provide. It is the duty of the international
community to guarantee them. We call upon all
Member States to give real effect to the International
Year, in line with their national specificities, as well as
to take all the steps they believe necessary to promote
ownership and the effective enjoyment of human rights
by all individuals on their territory.
 The activities that will take place during the
International Year of Human Rights Learning will
provide additional impetus to the efforts we have
undertaken to ensure that all citizens subscribe to the
Millennium Development Goals, especially in Africa,
where the risk of not meeting the Goals by the
established deadline is the greatest.
 We welcome the recommendations of the
Steering Group for achieving the MDGs in Africa.
Benin is honoured to be one of the 10 pilot countries
chosen. Benin has begun to integrate the concept of
“united in action” within the framework of its
cooperation with the United Nations system and
eagerly awaits its inclusion in the second group of test
countries for the implementation of the
recommendations of the High-level Panel on System-
wide Coherence. This will enable us to develop
synergies to accelerate the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals.
 At the national level, we have integrated the
achievement of the MDGs into our national
development strategies, which are based on attaining
those Goals as part of a sustainable development
process focused on and sustained by our nation and
aimed at supporting economic growth, which will
enable us to achieve lasting success.
 We welcome the ongoing consideration of ways
to enhance the effectiveness of development assistance,
and we hope that this will enable us to develop a
consensus vision on the best possible way to revitalize
the global partnership for development, with the
ultimate objective, in our view, of reducing the
scandalous inequalities which still afflict humankind.
 It is clear that democratization of the United
Nations and the promotion of the rule of law at an
international level are endeavours which will
contribute to the effective and efficient participation of
all peoples in managing world affairs, for the benefit of
present and succeeding generations. The promotion of
the rule of law at the international level requires the
increased representation of developing States in the
decision-making bodies of the international financial
institutions, as well as a redefinition of their

08-51606 38

institutional mandates to ensure that better use is made
of them to mobilize resources for the development of
the least developed countries, while preserving the
stability of the international financial system.
 The democratization of the United Nations also
includes the long-awaited reform of the Security
Council. As a hostage of the inherent contradictions of
today’s international relations, it has remained
hopelessly stuck, even though it is recognized as being
of cardinal importance to the effectiveness of the
Organization. The negotiations to that end should be
carried out with a heightened sense of responsibility.
We must ensure equitable representation of Member
States within the Security Council. I reiterate here the
legitimate demands of Africa, as expressed in the
Ezulwini Consensus, within the framework of reform
aimed at ensuring transparency, legitimacy and
increased effectiveness of the Council’s decisions as it
discharges its primary role in maintaining international
peace and security. The democratization of the United
Nations also means a firmer commitment by Member
States to respect international and national legality.
 In conclusion, I wish to make an urgent appeal to
all parties to the armed conflicts that continue in
various hotspots throughout the world, whether they be
in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America or Africa, to
choose the path of peace and dialogue and to respect
democratic values.


I am honoured to join
those who have spoken before me in congratulating the
President on his election to guide the work of the sixty-
third session of the General Assembly, and in
commending his predecessor for his stewardship of the
Assembly over the past year. I also take this
opportunity to commend the Secretary-General and his
staff for their continued dedication in advancing the
work of the Organization.
 The world has entered an era where the basis of
international engagement is driven more by the trade in
goods and services and the distribution of the

08-52265 44

ownership of technology than by notions of
sovereignty. As a result, small vulnerable States like
Grenada are being relentlessly pressed to justify their
economic viability. That, along with globalization and
other challenges, has negative implications for the
stability of our countries. Against that backdrop,
Grenada believes that its diplomacy must undergo
fundamental change, not only to satisfy domestic
expectations but also to enhance our chances for
success.
 Just over two months ago, the people of Grenada
voted overwhelmingly for new leadership and a change
of direction for our nation. We humbly offer our
Government as an example of peace and reconciliation
in action. We bring together people committed to
service notwithstanding our politically turbulent
historical background. In our country, we have
managed to release the distrust and divisiveness that
have existed for more than 30 years in order to
embrace peace and reconciliation and move our
country forward. We stand as an example of hope and
encouragement to those who are still fighting and
cannot let go of the blame, the hatred and the anger
associated with the past.
 We stand today as proof that peace and
reconciliation are possible, that our collective hope for
those world regions where brothers fight brothers and
people die needlessly is not a fanciful or vain hope: it
is a valid hope that can be realized. It is a hope that has
materialized in our country as we move forward
together, reconciled from a divisive past to serve our
people and to serve our world through our participation
at the United Nations. From that platform of
reconciliation, we focus on and emphasize the strategic
significance of partnerships in governance. Our aim is
to build strong and meaningful relationships between
Government, the private sector, trade unions and other
groups within civil society.
 Grenada believes it must play an active role in
world affairs, since our own domestic agenda coincides
with many aspects of the global development dialogue,
particularly as it relates to the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Substantial
progress has been made in many of the targeted areas.
Moreover, the plans and programmes presently being
pursued will ensure that social and economic
development does benefit all our people.
 Grenada’s main strategy to eradicate extreme
poverty and hunger focuses on expanding the
productive sectors of the economy, particularly the
agricultural sector. Emphasis will be placed on
attracting young people to agriculture, stimulating the
rural economy and providing for food security.
 Grenada understands the importance of having a
well-educated populace. We are pleased that the goal of
achieving universal primary education has already been
accomplished. We are now striving to ensure that each
household has at least one university graduate by the
year 2025.
 Similarly, technical and administrative capabilities
throughout the public service must be strengthened to
support our developmental agenda. Grenada is
convinced that we will not properly advance unless
there are fundamental improvements in the
development of our human resources. That is an area
where international support is especially needed.
 Grenada has made relatively good progress in the
area of health care, especially in improving maternal
health, decreasing the rate of child mortality and
combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our gratitude
goes out to international donors and other partners
associated with effective programmes in this area.
 Global climate change represents a most pressing
and serious challenge to the viability and the very
existence of small island developing States. Climate
change is not only an environmental or sustainable
development issue; it is first and foremost a human
issue. With the release of the fourth assessment report
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
there is now scientific certainty that human activity is
the main cause of global climate change. Thus, the
opportunity to avoid irreversible damage to the climate
system will be lost if urgent and definite actions are not
immediately taken.
 Small island developing States have contributed
very little to the release of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. Yet we are being forced to contend with
the devastating effects of those emissions. We are faced
with coral bleaching, sea level rise, salt water
intrusion, water scarcity and increasingly severe
weather events, all with very real financial and social
costs for our already vulnerable economies.
 The recent devastation wrought by four major
hurricanes in the northern Caribbean highlights the

45 08-52265

serious problems we face as a direct result of climate
change. Our solidarity goes out to the countries hardest
hit, especially Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and the Turks and
Caicos islands. We call on the international community
to respond appropriately to their plight.
 In that regard, Grenada takes the opportunity to
strongly voice its support for the Alliance of Small
Island Developing States political declaration on the
urgency of responding to climate change, which is
slated to be adopted on Monday, 29 September.
 Members will appreciate why Grenada speaks
passionately on this issue. We have had first-hand
experience of the trauma, pain and economic loss
associated with natural disasters. Four years ago,
Hurricane Ivan literally destroyed our country. Thanks
to the international community and, of course, to our
resilient and resourceful people, we have since become
more conscious of the imperatives of disaster
preparedness and crisis management. As a consequence,
we will continue to be at the forefront of activities to
have this issue properly debated and appropriate action
plans adopted and implemented. The leadership role we
have played over the last several months, through the
chairmanship of Alliance of Small Island States, is
consistent with that mission.
 Grenada welcomes Japan’s important grant-aid
programme for environment and climate change under
its Cool Earth Partnership initiative.
 Another issue of utmost importance to Grenada is
the protection of the Caribbean Sea, an issue which has
been repeatedly spoken of in this forum. Indeed,
Grenada and other Caribbean Member States derive
tremendous economic benefits from those pristine
waters, which are threatened by transhipment of
nuclear waste and other hazardous materials. Grenada
reiterates the call for increased attention to be given to
this serious matter with a view to having our concerns
adequately reflected in a stronger General Assembly
resolution.
 Grenada cherishes the democratic style of
governance. We therefore pledge to contribute to any
multilateral dialogue to promote and enhance the
corresponding principles of transparency, accountability,
consensus-building and respect for institutions and
individual human rights. In that respect, we intend to
implement, in the short term, several critical pieces of
legislation, already passed by parliament, which are
designed to bring about improvement in the rule of law.
 Notwithstanding the atmosphere of peace and
security prevailing in Grenada, our main task is to
continue to enhance the daily livelihood of our people
as we strive to achieve and sustain economic growth
and to restore fiscal balance and debt sustainability.
That challenge is compounded by unfavourable
external factors including high energy costs, escalating
food prices and the worrying slowdown in major world
economies and financial markets.
 Grenada is determined to pursue the construction
of a new economy through the implementation of
strategic initiatives. As we proceed with our
development, we appeal to the international community
for technical assistance and other forms of support. The
usual role of United Nations bodies, including the Food
and Agriculture Organization, the World Health
Organization, UNESCO, the United Nations
Development Programme and others, will be critical in
the process.
 No one in the developed world can deny the
value of a small country like Grenada in the expansion
of democracy and the fight against terrorism.
Currently, environmental issues also demand urgent
action on the part of all States. Those shared goals and
values reshape relations between States. These issues
underscore an urgent need for new platforms to address
the issue of support for the developmental needs of
States. Grenada believes that the realization of a global
partnership for development is of urgent importance.
Serious attention should be paid to addressing the
special needs of the least developed countries in the
areas of trade, debt relief and the environment.
 It is Grenada’s hope that the sixty-third session
will be filled with a spirit of camaraderie, goodwill,
collaboration, equity, trust and confidence in our
ability to improve the general well-being of mankind.
It is our hope that the Organization’s reform will take
place in such a way that the perceived dominance by
some will not be a standard of inflexibility, but will
give way to genuine dialogue and cooperation.
 I can assure the Assembly that Grenada intends to
pursue its external relations based on the principle of
mutual respect. Thus, we will be an active participant
in multilateral debates on current issues.
 Grenada maintains its staunch and unwavering
stance in the fight against terrorism, illicit drugs,
weapons and human trafficking. We will continue to
unconditionally support all initiatives that promote and

08-52265 46

enhance global peace and security. Grenada strongly
condemns all violent acts by those who are bent on
creating chaos and panic in regions around the world,
and thus supports all efforts to bring the perpetrators to
justice. Additionally, Grenada is committed to the full
implementation of the recommendations adopted by
the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force to combat
money-laundering and terrorist financing.
 Grenada is optimistic about the opportunities for
wider and deeper engagement among Caribbean
countries. We strongly believe that all countries should
be allowed to develop without hindrance and undue
pressure. Accordingly, Grenada calls on all countries to
constructively engage Cuba at this historic juncture.
Grenada is a friend both of the United States and of
Cuba, and thus wishes to use this occasion to call on
the former to use its diplomatic experience to assist the
process of economic and social change now taking
place in Cuba. Grenada contends that the stringent
unilateral economic measures in place against Cuba
will benefit no one and do not facilitate the world’s
goal of achieving a global partnership of equals.
 Additionally, Grenada calls on the United Nations
to continue its vital role in assisting the African continent
in realizing its development objectives. In keeping with
the declaration of the recently concluded high-level
meeting on Africa’s development (resolution 63/1), we
urge the Secretary-General to use his good offices to
remind world leaders of their commitments for the
betterment of the African people.
 Similarly, the plight of Haiti, my fellow
CARICOM neighbour, must be addressed with utmost
compassion and urgency. Grenada recently pledged a
modest monetary donation, and is proud to be a police-
contributing country with the United Nations
Stabilization Mission in Haiti. In that vein, Grenada
urges the other States Members of this Organization to
do likewise.
 Grenada urges that we capitalize on the spirit of
cooperation and collaboration to assist the poor and
more vulnerable nations to become and remain viable
and to actively participate in a global process that
needs the input of all nations of the world, big and
small. In this regard, I wish to salute the Government
of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for
considerably easing some of the financial pressure
inflicted on our fragile economy by the sharp increases
in oil prices. Through the Petro Caribe Initiative,
several Caribbean countries are able to buy oil from
Venezuela on softer terms.
 Grenada is convinced that the principles upon
which this great organization was founded, as
articulated in its Charter, should be given full vitality.
That would certainly redound to our individual and
collective benefit as we seek to confront the many
challenges of this modern and complex era.
 Grenada commends the Secretary-General for his
outstanding leadership of this Organization. Finally,
Grenada once again congratulates the President on his
election to facilitate and direct the debate of this sixty-
third session of the General Assembly. I assure him of
our full support as he guides the process.


Romania fully associates itself with the statement made
on behalf of the European Union by President Nicolas
Sarkozy. I should simply like to make a few remarks
with regard to issues of particular interest to my
Government. I should like to frame my statement
around two words: responsibility and solidarity.
 The basic purpose of the high-level meeting that
took place on 25 September was to review the progress
made in the implementation of the Millennium
Development Goals and evaluate the feasibility of
achieving them. It was a matter not of whether they
were appropriate or reasonable, which they obviously
are, but rather of determining the viability of
implementing them in the face of new challenges. The
conclusion was that international cooperation and
determination could provide a solution, provided that
responsibilities were met and solidarity forthcoming. In
doing so, we would be making the idea of community
concrete.
 With regard to climate change, the world energy
crisis and food security, I should simply like to say that
the vulnerability of nature is inevitably linked to our
increased technological capacity to influence the
climate — sometimes irreversibly — through the
cumulative effects of human activity; hence the moral
imperative of responsibility to the future. We cannot
separately or individually find solutions to the
problems that affect us all, in particular global
warming and the energy crisis.
 In the face of all those interconnected challenges,
it is our responsibility to better equip the United
Nations with the necessary means to coordinate
effective joint efforts. The revitalization of the General
Assembly, system-wide coherence, Security Council
reform and, not least, the reform of the Department of
Political Affairs are all areas in which we have a
responsibility to make significant progress. It is
encouraging that there has been an effort to find
common denominators in many projects and initiatives.
 Any reform of the Security Council must take
into account the legitimate aspirations of the regional
groups, with the ultimate goal of ensuring a more
representative, legitimate, transparent and effective
Council.
 If we expect results from the United Nations, we
must provide it with the appropriate resources.
Following the reform of the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations, it is only logical to
strengthen the capacity for analysis, political
mediation, foresight and preventive diplomacy of the
Department of Political Affairs. My country is ready
once again support the initiative for institutional
consolidation, in particular as regards a European
regional office charged with expanding its reach to the
Western Balkans and the Black Sea region.
 United Nations regional political offices could
also increase their cooperation with regional and
subregional organizations, whose resources should be
in synergy with those of the global Organization. The
cooperation between the United Nations, the African
Union and other subregional organizations during the
recent crises in the Darfur region of the Sudan, in
Kenya and in Zimbabwe are all encouraging examples.
We also welcome the ongoing cooperation between the
United Nations and the International Organization of la
Francophonie.
 I should now like to say a few words on
democratization. Romania welcomes the substantial
expansion and improvement of cooperation in the
Conference of New or Restored Democracies,
including the unprecedented efforts of Qatar in that
regard.
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08-53122 34

 The current challenges should give rise to
renewed international cooperation. The network of
democratic solidarity that provides support to countries
emerging from conflict or from autocratic regimes is
founded on a philosophy of freedom that repudiates
threats from international terrorism or radicalism,
which have developed their own network as a sort of
parallel globalization based on fear. However, the
international network of cooperation should not have
anxiety and fragility as its common denominators, but
instead the natural propensity of States and
organizations that share the same values, principles and
objectives, namely, freedom and respect for the law
and the dignity of the human being. Allow me to recall
that, on Romania’s initiative, in 2000 the General
Assembly adopted its comprehensive resolution 55/96,
which set out the defining characteristics of
democracy.
 Peacekeeping missions remain the backbone of
the international role of the United Nations. Post-
conflict normalization and rebuilding should be an
integral part of the international strategy to deal with
potential breaches of peace or the reignition of
conflicts. My country acknowledges and praises the
endeavours of United Nations personnel in Kenya,
Iraq, Myanmar, northern Uganda, Somalia, Cyprus, the
Central African Republic and Nepal.
 The progress made in Iraq and Afghanistan
should trigger renewed solidarity with the peoples of
those countries. The efforts of the international
community to stabilize and ensure the success of the
ongoing deep transformations in Iraq and Afghanistan
should be matched by renewed commitment on the part
of the Iraqi and Afghan political leadership to reach
compromises and comprehensive agreements allowing
for political reconciliation and economic development.
 Romania remains committed to the democratic
future of both countries. Romania was first among the
countries that are not members of the Paris Club to
agree, in 2005, to the terms of debt relief for Iraq. The
NATO summit held this year in Bucharest reconfirmed
solidarity and engagement with Afghanistan. Any
security agreements to complement or replace the
current security arrangements in Iraq have to take into
account the need to ensure the protection of United
Nations personnel in order that the United Nations
Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Organization’s
specialized agencies, funds and programmes can
properly fulfil their extended mandates in Iraq.
 I should now like to say a few words about the
Human Rights Council. Romania has encouraging
expectations following the start of the activities of the
Council’s Universal Periodic Review mechanism.
Under the Romanian presidency, the Council examined
32 national reports, including my country’s own report.
The debates generated valuable recommendations and
entailed remarkable commitments with regard to the
universal application of recognized international
standards for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We should not weaken our support for the Human
Rights Council or for the Office of the High
Commissioner.
 The widespread impact of humanitarian crises
resulting from conflicts and natural disasters requires,
again and again, our solidarity with the people in need.
The tragedy of 7 million Sudanese, almost 5 million
Palestinian refugees, 5 million Iraqi internally
displaced persons and refugees, 3 million Afghan
refugees and 1.4 million Congolese and 1 million
Somali internally displaced persons should catalyse
concrete actions of assistance. The recent Georgian
crisis also added to the international statistics on
internally displaced persons and refugees. Yet, numbers
as such should not obscure in our conscience the
terrible individual tragedies implied by these
humanitarian catastrophes.
 Aware of that plight, Romania is preparing to
host a special evacuation transit centre for persons in
urgent need of international protection and onward
resettlement. The centre would provide temporary
shelter for refugees facing immediate danger in their
countries of origin, pending final resettlement in third
countries.
 The appalling humanitarian crises of recent
decades should prompt a renewed effort to define ways
to prevent and adequately react to such situations and,
furthermore, to rebuild for durable conflict resolution.
Further efforts should be made to forge a common
understanding of the conditions and application of the
principle of the responsibility to protect.
 Romania resolutely promotes international
cooperation in the areas of crime prevention and
believes that prosecutorial services represent one of the
main pillars of the criminal justice system. My country
is preparing to host, in March 2009, the third world
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35 08-53122

summit of attorneys general, prosecutors general and
chief prosecutors. The meeting is to be organized with
the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime and will focus on prosecutorial independence
for effectiveness, integrity and public confidence. We
look forward to welcoming the international
community’s representatives in Bucharest next spring.
 Allow me now to turn to the issue of protracted
conflicts. It has always been striking to hear the
recurrent references to frozen conflicts. Let us be
honest: no conflict stays frozen indefinitely without
consequences. The recent crisis in Georgia proved that
the international community cannot hide or shy away
from dealing with uncertain situations under the
assumption that they will simply disappear eventually.
On the contrary, uncertain situations and grey zones
gradually produce effects, effect changes in the status
quo and can, from apparent tranquillity, spew forth the
magma of delayed — and thus amplified — conflicts.
A dormant volcano can still be an active one. Unsolved
issues carrying latent threats are not socially or
politically neutral, since they generate new realities
and risks to stability and security.
 Deferring the solution of a crisis is not a suitable
answer. Only a negotiated formula, with the support of
bona fide international and regional mediation and
assistance, can provide long-term and enduring
solutions. The crisis in South Ossetia, with its
reverberations in Abkhazia and the entire State of
Georgia and beyond, should focus the attention of the
international community on all protracted conflicts in
the area, including Transdniestria and Nagorny
Karabakh.
 We have to have a new energetic and
comprehensive approach to the so-called protracted
conflicts. It is time to jointly understand the danger and
take action. The United Nations and its Security
Council should play their parts and accordingly assume
their responsibility. Hesitation is not helping. Full
observance of all principles and norms of international
law, including the territorial integrity of States, is a
must for all of us if we want peace, security, stability
and prosperity to prevail.
 One of the main objectives of the international
community should be to consolidate stabilization and a
democratic future across the entire Black Sea region.
Romania promotes a wide range of cooperation ideas
in the Black Sea area. If we take a closer look, we can
see a region with a large population, an important hub
for energy and transport flows and great economic
potential. The United Nations should be there to assist
the region, not only in unfreezing conflicts but also in
helping coastal countries to cooperate to solve
problems related to pollution, illegal migration,
organized crime and drug trafficking, so as to project
stability and to support development.
 I now turn to disarmament, non-proliferation and
the fight against terrorism. I should like to underline
that responsibility and solidarity are also basic pillars
of the international norms in that regard. That leads me
to say, as many before me have done, that statements
such as the one made a few days ago in the Assembly
about Israel are unacceptable.
 First, every State has an essential responsibility
to effectively and comprehensively implement its
commitments by promoting the necessary legal
framework and establishing appropriate mechanisms
for verification and control.
 Secondly, there is a need for solidarity and
cooperation at the regional and multilateral levels so
that national measures and actions are recognized and
implemented. Romania has always demonstrated its
interest and readiness to work together with all States
members of the international community in that
respect. The most recent proof of that is the
contribution of my country to the seven-nation
initiative on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
launched by Norway in 2005. Concrete examples of
our involvement include the international seminar on
how the Black Sea region can contribute to improved
global security, which was hosted in Bucharest in 2007,
and other activities aimed at promoting the objectives
of that cross-regional initiative.
 Allow me to conclude by calling for effective
multilateralism and the strengthening of the United
Nations. After all, some questioned the relevance of the
United Nations after the end of the cold war. The
Organization has never lacked for criticism or
scepticism. We do not believe the issue to be one of
trying to regain a sense of lost purpose. The United
Nations continues to be the broadest and most
inclusive Organization in the world and enjoys a
special reputation and legitimacy. The United Nations
provides a forum for all Member States — large or
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08-53122 36

small, rich or poor, developed or developing — to have
their voices heard and heeded.
 Instead, the question for all Member States is
how to make the world Organization and its specialized
agencies, funds and programmes more effective,
responsible and coherent in the face of new and
ongoing challenges. If the moral imperative that should
lead us to carry out our responsibilities and
demonstrate solidarity in order to advance the cause of
humankind is not enough, then what we need is to look
towards the pragmatic aspect, namely, the utility and
sense implied in the fact that the world’s well-being
contributes to the well-being of our own countries and
citizens.
 History is a good teacher, provided we learn from
its lessons. History shows us the virtues of joint efforts
and the benefits of cooperation. We are still far from
the Kantian dream of a stable world order that is
democratic and prosperous. But we can move ever
closer to it through multilateralism and the
strengthening of the United Nations.


May I, at the outset, convey my heartfelt
congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as
President of the General Assembly at its sixty-third
session and assure you of the commitment of the
Kingdom of Bahrain and its delegation to working
closely with you towards achieving our shared
objectives. I have no doubt that your experience and
abilities will play a crucial role in ensuring the success
of this session. I also want to take this opportunity to
thank your predecessor, Mr. Srgjan Kerim, for his
leadership of the General Assembly at its previous
session and to express our continued and deep
appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his
ongoing, unflinching dedication and initiative in
addressing the many challenges facing the United
Nations and the world.
 These General Assembly meetings provide a
valuable opportunity for all of us in the international
community to reflect on the challenges, problems and
issues facing us all in order to form a more
comprehensive view of the issues, to understand their
causes, be it through success or failure, and to work
together to develop a shared vision of the future and
the tools necessary to achieve our aims and realize our
vision.
 Today, the international community faces many
challenges in achieving the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), notably those related to energy, the
environment, natural disasters, food shortages,
education and the financial crisis that has recently
shaken the world. These challenges make achieving the
MDGs difficult for many States, to a degree that affects
their economic development and increases the rate of
poverty in them. We therefore need an urgent and
effective response from the international community to
deal with those pressing issues in order to achieve the
MDGs. Yet, as we review our progress to date, the
global effort to achieve the Goals has been uneven, at
best, to the point that we are today on the verge of a
development emergency.
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08-53122 26

 The Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes the
opportunities provided by the high-level event on the
MDGs, held on 25 September, and the high-level meeting
on Africa’s development needs, held on 22 September, to
renew the commitments of all States.
 In addressing these important issues, we must not
lose sight of the impact of disasters, both natural and
man-made, in holding back progress towards achieving
the MDGs. It is thus imperative that States integrate
disaster risk reduction into their development plans.
We simply cannot afford to ignore or delay these
development issues. Nor can we dismiss them as soft
issues, for if action is not taken soon, they will become
real threats to global security and prosperity. The
Kingdom of Bahrain therefore fully supports the
Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction
and plans to host the launch of the report in May 2009.
 As we all know, the issue of climate change is of
utmost importance. As the world prepares to meet to
negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol by the end
of 2009, global demand for energy is rising fast, as
populations increase and some developing countries
undergo dramatic economic growth. The International
Energy Agency predicts that the world’s energy needs
could increase by 50 per cent by 2030. We therefore
look forward to the meeting to be held in Poland later
this year in advance of the United Nations Climate
Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen in 2009.
We are hopeful that all sides will realize the
importance of the climate change issue and will
commit themselves to addressing the overriding
interests of the future of our planet and of future
generations. Our hope is that a comprehensive and
effective agreement can be concluded and
implemented.
 The peaceful use of nuclear energy has become a
preferred option for many countries, and here the
Kingdom of Bahrain therefore shares the concerns of
the international community. Therefore, future
agreements on the use of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes must be made within a strengthened
non-proliferation regime, with improved safeguards
and an expanded verification mechanism, in order to
ensure that our peoples are not put at risk. Indeed, a
highlight of the twenty-eighth Supreme Council of the
Gulf Cooperation Council, held last December in
Doha, was the acknowledgment of the right of
countries of the region to seek nuclear expertise and to
possess nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, in close
cooperation with the International Atomic Energy
Agency.
 Given its universal impact and implications,
energy and its various sources are in need of a holistic,
global approach, yet they are dealt with in a
fragmented, piecemeal manner. That unsatisfactory
situation leads us to suggest the establishment of a
truly comprehensive energy organization. Such an
organization would bring a joint international
perspective to determining the role and usage of
hydrocarbons, nuclear power, new and renewable
energy sources, and would introduce innovative
solutions to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions. Such a body could provide accurate
assessments of global energy demand and supply and
bring energy data under one roof. It would also provide
any objective advice that might be required on an
optimal energy mix that is both safe and
environmentally sound.
 Having spoken of energy and climate change
issues, I must now turn to the food security crisis,
which is a result of high food prices and which in 2007
increased the number of hungry people in the world by
about 50 million. We believe that the solution to that
crisis lies in working together to implement solutions,
such as reducing biofuel production, changing
consumption habits and investing in sustainable
agricultural methods.
 The shock that has recently affected the
international financial system has almost resulted in a
global economic catastrophe. That shock has revealed
the weaknesses and fragility of the current financial
system and its propensity for rapid and widespread
dislocation. We bear the historic responsibility to
establish transparent new regulations based on the
interests of all States Members of the United Nations
and to prepare a framework that can contain any future
financial crisis.
 The fact is that multilateral cooperation is
fundamental to addressing these challenges, as no
country alone can resolve such issues and crises or
isolate itself from their consequences. As the
Secretary-General said in his opening statement,
(spoke in English)
“Nations can no longer protect their interests or
advance the well-being of their peoples without
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27 08-53122

the partnership of other nations.” (A/63/PV.5,
p. 1).
(spoke in Arabic)
 The Kingdom of Bahrain therefore supports
efforts to reform, renew and reinvigorate the
international Organization and its organs to be more
responsive to the needs of a new world. We agree with
the view of the Secretary-General, set out in his annual
report (A/63/1), that we need a stronger, more effective
and more modern Organization. We look forward to the
structural reform of this international Organization to
enable it respond more effectively to the challenges
faced by the international community and to increase
its capacity to deal with such issues.
 We must make every effort to address such
shortcomings as threats to the international security
system emanating from a wide range of external sources,
including extremists, terrorists, drug traffickers, money
launderers and intellectual property pirates. We need to
develop collective security arrangements that bring
together our security efforts while ensuring respect for
existing borders between States and avoiding
encroachment on their sovereignty.
 On the issue of terrorism, we consider terrorism
to have many faces — whether in the form of the
heinous crime perpetrated in Islamabad a few days ago
that led to the deaths of scores of innocent people, or
agitation and incitement from afar or a variety of other
manifestations. We should be clear and decisive in
confronting terrorism in a comprehensive manner so as
to defeat it both in the field and ideologically. We
believe that the struggle against terrorism is a battle
that we should wage, united, if we are to get rid of its
evil.
 The Middle East faces many acute issues in
desperate need of settlement, the most pressing of
which is the need for a just, comprehensive, lasting and
peaceful settlement of the Palestinian question based
on ensuring security for all the peoples of the Middle
East region, including Israel. Such a settlement must
take place within the framework of international
legitimacy and the relevant terms of reference, where
the choice will be just peace, as called for in the Arab
Peace Initiative.
 In that regard, there is also an urgent need for a
peaceful settlement on the Syrian track, including
withdrawal from the occupied Arab Syrian Golan and
the remaining Lebanese territories. It also requires a
halt to Israeli incursions into Lebanon, whose stability
must be supported. It is also important to have a
resolution of the issue of the occupied islands of the
United Arab Emirates, either through direct
negotiations or by referring the issue to the
International Court of Justice. That would be a
significant step towards strengthening trust between
the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iran.
 The Gulf region, which is an integral part of the
world economy, has experienced destructive wars
during the past three decades. It will not be able to
endure a new war, due to the severe consequences on
the world economy. The Kingdom of Bahrain therefore
reiterates its call for a peaceful solution to the Iranian
nuclear issue, in order to avoid the scourge of war in
the region and to enhance world peace and stability.
 Moreover, there is an urgent need to rid the
Middle East and the Gulf region of weapons of mass
destruction, including nuclear weapons, while
safeguarding the rights of all countries to the peaceful
uses of nuclear energy in accordance with the
comprehensive safeguards regime of the International
Atomic Energy Agency.
 In order for the Middle East to enjoy stable and
lasting peace, it is incumbent upon us to re-evaluate
our outlook on the region and to consider the
possibility of developing new regional frameworks to
address and overcome long-standing challenges. Now
is the time, for example, to consider the establishment
of an organization that would include all States of the
Middle East, without exception, to discuss long-
standing issues openly and frankly, in the hope of
reaching a stable and durable understanding between
all parties. As Arabs, we accept peace as a strategic
option. We are committed to international legitimacy,
ending old conflicts and hostilities and beginning a
new chapter for a historic rapprochement between the
peoples of the region that will lead towards a better
future characterized by understanding, stability and
prosperity.
 Developments in the Kingdom of Bahrain in
recent years have been characterized by dialogue and
understanding, a process inaugurated by our leader, His
Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, as part of his
extensive reform programme that aims at strengthening
democracy, political reform and the promotion and
protection of human rights. At a time when we will
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soon join the United Nations and the international
community in commemorating the sixtieth anniversary
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
laid down the principles and values of freedom and
human justice for modern times, Bahrain’s election to
the Human Rights Council and the adoption at Geneva
in June of the report on our first universal periodic
review serve to clearly illustrate the international
community’s recognition of Bahrain’s efforts in the
area of human rights.
 The Kingdom of Bahrain will continue to move
forward in that and other fields, for example, by
establishing Bahrain’s national human rights institution
and continuing to make progress in the political,
economic and regulatory spheres. The Kingdom of
Bahrain will not hesitate to play its role in helping
brotherly and friendly States and in sharing its success
stories, which have helped provide a better life for our
people. In that regard, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin
Salman Al-Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of
Bahrain, in cooperation with the United Nations
Human Settlements Programme, has sponsored an
award called the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa
Habitat Award, which honours distinguished research
that contributes to alleviating poverty and safeguarding
the environment and recognizes the efforts of States to
achieve desired economic development. His Highness
is expected to present the award this year during the
fourth session of the World Urban Forum, which is to
be held in Nanjing, in the People’s Republic of China.
 A key pillar of Bahrain’s approach to the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) continues to
be its investment in modern education that is practical,
relevant and of high quality and that instils critical
thinking and creativity and encourages innovation and
acceptance of the other. In that respect, I want to note
that Bahrain has been able to achieve the Millennium
Development Goals in the area of education
significantly before the 2015 deadline. We have done
so by providing children with free high-quality
education and by making basic education for all a
fundamental human right.
 In conclusion, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the “land
of immortality” and proud host of many civilizations,
is a country where the concepts of tolerance and
coexistence among all segments of society are central.
Mosques stand alongside churches and temples of
various denominations, and people enjoy freedom and
religious tolerance irrespective of their religion or
ethnicity. Fraternal values, moderation and the
rejection of violence and terrorism are embedded in our
culture, auguring a promising new era in the history of
humankind.
 That is the Kingdom of Bahrain that is committed
to participating fully, along with the rest of the
international community, in achieving global peace,
stability and prosperity and to confronting current and
future challenges, for the benefit of our peoples and
future generations. That is a task the international
community must undertake in a spirit of cooperation
and good faith, for when future generations evaluate
our actions and hold us to account, they will not
forgive our mistakes and miscalculations.


“I am committed to
truth, not to what is established,” said Gandhi. The
Millennium Development Goals, which seek between
now and 2015 to eradicate extreme poverty, achieve
universal primary education, promote gender equality,
reduce infant mortality, fight the spread of such
diseases as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and guarantee
environmental sustainability, are a challenge to us all,
individually and collectively. Each human being is
unique and respect for others must be both universal
and imperative.
 The world is paradoxical. We meet here during
these weeks to speak of the food crisis and famine in
the world, and we do so 63 years after having set in
motion actions and structures within the framework of
the United Nations to eradicate such phenomena.
 In 2008, well into the twenty-first century, of the
2.5 billion poor people living in the countries of the
South, 950 million live in conditions of extreme
poverty. The forecasts of the International Fund for
Agricultural Development indicate that, by 2025, the
world will have 2 billion more people living in
conditions of extreme poverty.
 In one year, the world has been confronted, as it
was in the last century, by mass movements of
populations driven by hunger. The Governments of the
wealthiest countries, international agencies and
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) stand helpless
before the worsening malnutrition and social tensions
that have resulted.
 The Secretary-General declared in his 2007 report
on the Millennium Development Goals that the world
does not want more promises. However, reality in its
crudest aspect has put us through disturbances in recent
months caused by people who are suffering famine in
various countries. On Tuesday, the President reminded
us in his opening speech of the perils of our current
situation. We face a global financial crisis, a global
energy crisis, a global food crisis and climate change.
Faced with this situation, it is inevitable that we ask
ourselves the questions: What did we do wrong? What
is it that does not work?
 The prices of basic food products have risen by
50 per cent in one year, and a group of United Nations
experts has determined that the price of goods around
the world has risen by 30 per cent since January 2008.
If we take into account that there are 1.4 billion people
living on less than $1.25 a day, there are far too many
people living in the world today in extremely
precarious conditions, with no access to schools,
potable water or basic health care and hygiene.
 Some experts say that the food crisis is the result
of the failure of development policies that were
adopted to encourage economic and social progress in
countries classified as poor. Those countries often have
substantial natural resources and could produce basic
products, such as cereals, but reality is obstinate and
the fact is that two thirds of developing countries are
net importers of food products.
 Alfred Sauvy, the economist and sociologist, said
that the milestone of the economy is not labour but
consumption. That is the source of one of the principal
current problems. Consumer goods are scarce and
demand exceeds supply. The Director-General of the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), Jacques Diouf, forecasts an increase of
56 per cent in the cost of imports of cereals for the
more disadvantaged countries, but he also forecasts an
increase of 53 per cent for the European countries.
 The current crisis is closely related to the
geographical distribution of productivity. Perhaps
production should be increased in the places where
people are suffering famine and less surplus sent from
countries with more resources, since it contributes to
increasing the dependency of the poor countries. In that
respect, we agree with the decision of the World Bank
to double its loans for agriculture to Africa, with a
provision of $800 million for 2009.
 At the same time and in order to correct the
distortions that have been created in the markets, the
liberalization of agricultural markets must be
accompanied by measures of support for small local
farmers so as to avoid the temptation of giving up
production in favour of importing foreign food
products. In fact, liberalization would have to be
reinvented. Rather than serving as a common pattern
for all countries, it would have to be applied according
to the specific circumstances of each country, while the
pros and cons are analysed with caution.
 On the other hand, the subject of agricultural
subsidies has not been resolved definitively, nor has
true freedom of trade, which would serve to help the

41 08-51851

countries that need it most, been established.
Liberalization would also have to involve an increase
in productivity and the development of human
resources, basic infrastructures, access to technology
and knowledge including respect for the environment.
In other words, it would have to contribute to
sustainable development, as indicated in the Doha
Outcome Document of July 2008.
 The current crisis shows the vulnerability of the
present system. In that regard, without ignoring hard
realities, Andorra fully shares the approaches agreed in
Rome in June during the High-Level Conference on
World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate
Change and Bioenergy. Since 2005, the Government of
Andorra has worked on development cooperation with
all of the major international bodies, vulnerable
countries at their request, NGOs and civil society.
 In the current context and in accordance with the
call from world leaders, major international actors and
international specialized and regional organizations,
we have assisted the most affected countries through
financial contributions to FAO and NGO initiatives.
We also cooperate on support for agricultural trade and
production in Burkina Faso, Colombia and Morocco
through NGOs active in the field. For that reason, we
endorse the future options being used to maintain
biological diversity, sustainable forestry practices and
the adaptation of new technology that can help to
promote ecological balance and slow the effects of
climate change.
 Demographic growth on a planet that already has
more than 6.7 billion inhabitants; chemical and
industrial pollution; ill-adapted land use; desertification
and water; the interaction of animal, vegetable and
horticultural species; international trade and the
movements of peoples are all destabilizing factors that
are now upon us and very real. We have to address
them with all the means available to us. Guaranteeing
food for everyone on our planet is basic, essential and
vital. Sixty-three years ago we thought that today, in
the twenty-first century, this would be a fact, an
outdated concept, a matter achieved, the success of our
dreams. Sadly, we were wrong. Now, we need to be
strong. To keep going and face up to the most
pessimistic forecasts which warn us of the failure of
the Millennium Development Goals.
 We have made the diagnosis, we are aware that
the policies we have encouraged in recent decades have
not fulfilled our expectations. But we still have time to
rectify this and for this reason I would like to
congratulate both the Secretary-General for his
initiatives and the rest of the international bodies and
civil society for the specific actions they are
implementing around the world.
 Speeches, reports and fine words are necessary
but we suffer from a serious inability to act. Let us not
hide behind excuses. Let us take action based on the
facts. The dignity of every human being obliges us to
do so and humanity deserves it!


At the outset, on behalf of His Excellency El
Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese
Republic and head of State, whom I have the honour to
represent here, I should like to sincerely congratulate
you, Sir, on your election as President of the General
Assembly at its sixty-third session. You can be assured
of our full and entire readiness to cooperate to ensure
the success of your weighty mission. It is also my
pleasure to pay a well-deserved tribute to your
predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Srgjan Kerim, for the
talent and dedication that he showed in guiding our
work throughout the sixty-second session. Finally, to
His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of
the United Nations, I express my encouragement as he
carries out his lofty duties at the head of our
Organization.
 The food crisis that is currently raging is
characterized by rising prices for foodstuffs. Its causes
are both structural and immediate. Indeed, the
predominance of biofuel crops over subsistence crops
and the implementation of trade policies based on
subsidies and export restrictions have a disastrous

35 08-51570

impact on food security. The food riots of the second
half of 2008, which have taken place throughout the
world — particularly in Africa — in response to
soaring food prices, reflect a major crisis and express
the increased difficulties faced by hundreds of millions
of people in feeding themselves.
 One hardly need repeat the words said by
Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali when, in November 1999,
he addressed the thirtieth session of the Conference of
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO): “Hunger is as unacceptable as war.” It
is therefore urgent that we make a lasting response to
the food crisis by taking collective action at the global
level to halt it and ensure food security for our most
vulnerable populations.
 Here, I should like to commend the adoption, on
5 June 2008, of the Declaration of the High-level
Conference on World Food Security by heads of State
or Government meeting in Rome. Likewise, at the
regional level, we welcome the conclusions of the
regional meeting on the food crisis held on 29 July
2008 in Kinshasa under the auspices of the Economic
Community of Central African States. At the
continental level, we call for the effective
implementation of the July 2003 Maputo Declaration,
which sets out a framework for accelerating
agricultural development and food security; the 2006
Abuja Declaration, which advocates a green revolution
in Africa; and, more recently, the Sharm el-Sheikh
Declaration on the challenges of the increase in food
prices and agricultural development.
 It is in that contact that Gabon, like other
countries of the South hit by this crisis, has taken
urgent fiscal and budgetary measures supported by a
six-month suspension of import duties and taxes on
consumer products and a suspension of the value-added
tax on such products, causing a substantial loss in
terms of the State budget.
 In addition, from a medium- and long-term
perspective, Gabon is working together with
international partners, in particular FAO and the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to
implement its national poverty reduction strategy and
its special food security programme. The latter
incorporates aspects related to water management,
intensifying vegetable production and diversifying and
increasing agricultural production. We are prepared to
go even further, because we must banish the spectre of
hunger and malnutrition once and for all. The
achievement of Millennium Development Goal 1
depends on that.
 Furthermore, the food crisis poses the problem of
the role and place of agriculture in our economies.
Rather than making us overly concerned, it should lead
us to rethink that sector in order to increase its
contribution to the development of our countries.
 The challenge of feeding a planet with a growing
population is closely linked to the environmental issue
and to climate change. Environmental degradation is
characterized by the degradation of natural resources,
including the growing water shortage, the increase in
arid lands, deforestation and the effects of global
warming. All these elements prevent an increase in
agricultural production that could contribute to a lasting
solution to the food crisis. Thus, we must do our utmost
to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
 That is why my country welcomes the road map
adopted during the negotiations held in Bali, as the
outcome of the thirteenth session of the Conference of
the Parties to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. The road map is an
important step towards the formulation of a follow-up
to the Kyoto Protocol, which is set to expire in 2012.
Here I should like to commend the recent efforts made
by the industrialized countries at the Group of Eight
(G-8) summit held in Hokkaido, Japan, in July 2008, at
which they once again reaffirmed their will to halve
their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
 For its part, my country, Gabon, whose forests are
one of the components of the important Congo
Basin — the planet’s second ecological lung, after the
Amazon — has acceded without reservation to the
conventions related to the fight against climate change
and the preservation of biodiversity. Indeed, we have
decided to shoulder our share of the responsibility by
devoting 11 per cent of our territory to humankind
through, inter alia, the establishment of 13 national
parks. Naturally, those efforts require others, in
particular the admission of our forests into the carbon-
trading mechanisms and the granting of compensatory
measures to African countries by industrialized
countries, which are the primary emitters of carbon
dioxide.
 Developing countries need the international
community’s ongoing and substantial support to meet
the new challenges that they face. It is thus urgent that

08-51570 36

all development partners keep their promises, in
particular by doubling official development assistance,
introducing innovative development financing methods
and cancelling debt, whose burden undermines our
development efforts.
 This appeal also has to do with the varying
constraints that weigh on developing countries,
particularly HIV/AIDS pandemic, malaria and other
infectious diseases that impact their populations and
their economies. In fact, with regard to HIV/AIDS, the
efforts of African countries to provide universal access
to prevention, care and treatment by 2010 do not appear
to be sufficient to eradicate that modern-day scourge.
 The interdependence of the threats confronting
the international community highlights more than ever
the need to provide a new impetus to the efforts to
promote solidarity and international peace and security.
In a number of regions around the world, tensions and
deep crises maintain instability and insecurity, thereby
inhibiting any chance for development.
 Specifically with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, we can never emphasize enough that only
concerted and thorough efforts based on the principle
of two States — Israel and Palestine — living in peace
and security within secure and internationally
recognized borders will make it possible to bring about
a lasting, just and equitable solution to that conflict.
 In Africa as well there are many hotspots of
tension that continue to be concern. That is the case
with respect to Somalia, where the instability that has
prevailed for more than 15 years undermines any
fledgling development. Still, we should commend the
recent efforts to promote a political process that would
be open to all in that country, in particular reaching the
agreement signed on 9 June 2008 in Djibouti between
the Federal Transition Government and the Alliance for
the Reliberation of Somalia under the auspices of the
United Nations, with the support of the African Union.
One hopes that that event, which is a true opportunity
towards a lasting settlement of that conflict, will lead
to the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping
operation that could help end the chaos that has
prevailed in that country since 1990.
 The overall security situation in Darfur also
continues to be a source of great concern for the
international community. One should, however,
commend and encourage the tenacious efforts
undertaken in the joint mediation of the African Union
and the United Nations in carrying out an inclusive
process that would lead to a settlement to the conflict
in Darfur, which has lasted for a number of years.
 The situation between Chad and the Sudan has
sparked genuine hope, due to the resumption of dialogue
between those two States within the framework of the
various agreements that they have signed, particularly
the Dakar Agreement of 13 March 2008.
 With respect to Central African Republic, we can
only commend the meaningful progress made within
the framework of the preparations for an inclusive
political dialogue since the first meeting of the follow-
up committee on peace talks. We encourage the United
Nations and international partners to commit further in
rebuilding that fraternal country.
 Lastly, with respect to Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon
welcomes the progress made in the implementation of
the Ouagadougou Agreement and its additional
agreements. We appeal to the various partners of that
fraternal country to support those efforts.
 The myriad challenges we have just addressed
can be dealt with only through collective actions at the
global level. That is why the heads of State and
Government recognized in the Millennium Declaration
and reaffirmed in the Outcome Document of the 2005
World Summit the need to strengthen the United
Nations in order to make it a tool that would allow
them to better achieve their priority goals. That is why
my country welcomes the fact that since the 2005
World Summit, most of the major recommendations in
the Outcome Document have been implemented in the
framework of the process of reform of the United
Nations. The establishment of two major bodies — the
Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights
Council, which have been operational since June
2006 — is a perfect demonstration of this.
 Bolstered by the major progress made, we need to
continue our efforts over the coming sessions to
complete the reform process. For example, we need to
complete the revitalization of the General Assembly,
the Organization’s most representative deliberative
body. Similarly, consistency in the actions of the
United Nations bodies should be reinforced. From that
standpoint, I wish to commend the Delivering as One
initiative, which has had encouraging results in the
pilot countries.

37 08-51570

 Regarding reform in the Security Council, we
need to commend the tireless efforts of the different
Presidents of the General Assembly, which have made
it possible to complete the process of consultations that
should lead to the beginning of intergovernmental
negotiations by 31 January 2009, at the latest. The
building of a more just and secure world that would
meet the deep aspirations of our peoples depends on
that.


I would like first to
congratulate Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his
assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly
at its sixty-third session, as well as to thank Mr. Srgjan
Kerim for the excellent work he did during his
presidency of the General Assembly in the preceding
year.
 As we gather here once again to address the most
significant issues on the global agenda, the General
Assembly opening session reminds us of our shared
vision of the United Nations as the embodiment of a
family of nations.
 It reminds us of the constant need for an effective
multilateral effort to address global challenges, and to
maintain and build peace in a range of conflict zones
and post-conflict societies, searching for solutions
within the rule-based international order, through the
promotion of freedom, democracy, development and
respect for human rights.
 It also gives us the opportunity to take stock of
our achievements, as well as to redouble our
commitment to world peace and progress.
 This is a commitment that Croatia and its people
accepted even before our independence: a commitment
to strengthen international cooperation through
effective multilateral organizations for advancing
peace and security, facilitating development and
combating poverty, protecting our environment,
eradicating diseases and promoting public health.
 As a renewal of that commitment, we celebrate
this year the 120th anniversary of the birth of the
famous Croat, Dr. Andrija Štampar, a founding father
of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the first
President of the WHO Assembly. In his inaugural
speech in 1948, Dr. Štampar clearly stated that the

11 08-52265

Organization should become a pioneer of world peace
and promote understanding among nations.
 Dr. Štampar’s words are also true for the broader
family of United Nations institutions. His words are a
testimony to the lasting commitment of Croatia and its
people to the promotion of peace through international
cooperation.
 Since our independence, Croatia’s leaders have
come every year before this Assembly to renew this
solemn commitment. Even in the most difficult of
times, when our own existence was in peril and
collective security guarantees vanished, we still came
to New York to express Croatia’s adherence to the
values enshrined in the Charter.
 Croatia has come a long way since those testing
days of struggle. Yet our determination in pursuing the
Charter principles has remained intact.
 We have developed a stable democracy and a
growing economy, but we have not forgotten those
brave men and women who struggled for and achieved
our independence, as well as those men and women of
goodwill who, under the flag of the United Nations,
assisted us in our time of need.
 With that conviction and determination, with that
sincere sense of gratitude and a genuine vocation for
cooperation, I come today before the Assembly to
share with it Croatia’s views on the most pressing and
relevant issues for our international community.
 On this occasion, though, Croatia is for the first
time in a position to address these issues from a
different angle — that of an elected member of the
Security Council. Membership of the Security Council
is not only a great honour for Croatia, but also a great
responsibility we have been preparing for in recent
years.
(spoke in French)
 Over the past decade, Croatia has completed a
transformative journey that may without exaggeration
be described as impressive. Since the war-torn early
1990s it has emerged as an anchor of stability, security
and cooperation in South-East Europe.
 Croatia is today at the doorstep of the European
Union. We are determined to conclude the accession
negotiations in 2009, thus completing a demanding
process of profound political, economic and social
reforms.
 Our European vocation has guided us in the
testing period of our transition, and it will continue to
guide us once Croatia becomes a full member of the
European Union.
(spoke in English)
 We attach equal importance to our membership of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and
we look forward to the celebration of our accession to
the alliance at the next summit in spring 2009, which
will also mark NATO’s sixtieth anniversary.
 Through reforms, we have successfully turned
our country from a consumer to a net contributor to
international peace and security. Today, Croatian forces
are engaged in 13 United Nations peacekeeping
operations in four different continents. Our men and
women in uniform also serve in the NATO-led
operation in Afghanistan and the European Union
operation in Chad, in accordance with the relevant
Security Council resolutions.
 In all these conflict areas, our service men and
women have proved their dedication and
professionalism. However, probably their most
valuable contribution is their ability to share with the
local population Croatia’s own experience in
overcoming the consequences of war and taking the
road of reconciliation, cooperation and development.
 As a member of the Security Council, Croatia
will continue to work as a responsible and dedicated
partner in the common effort to maintain and build
peace through the promotion of human rights and
democracy, the fight for the eradication of poverty and
injustice, and the advancement of effective
multilateralism.
 In this Croatia will be guided by a sense of
responsibility, solidarity and good faith. We hold that
effective multilateral action, including with regional
organizations, is our best guarantee in safeguarding
these values.
 While we see progress in advancing these values
in some troubled areas of our world, such as
Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, we have also
witnessed other conflicts arising, such as in Georgia.
 In this respect, we welcome the six-point
agreement brokered by the European Union presidency
and President Sarkozy in August, as well as the
implementing agreement from September.

08-52265 12

 We are also aware that the failure to address these
issues in a multilateral context of cooperation could
lead us into old paradigms of confrontation. At the
same time, the lack of audacity to confront them could
endanger the democratic gains obtained with the end of
the cold war. These gains should be preserved, as they
themselves derive from the fundamental principles
emanating from the Charter.
 We should not forget that the United Nations
stands for the common fundamental values of freedom,
equality, solidarity, tolerance and respect for human
rights. In this regard, the suffering of the people of the
Sudan, particularly in Darfur, and the suffering of the
people in Somalia and Myanmar are also stark
reminders of the gap between the goals this
Organization has set and the realities on the ground.
 My country welcomes joint international efforts
to address the question of flagrant violations of
international humanitarian law and human rights
through established international mechanisms and
institutions like the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC provides a vital recourse to justice in
situations where national Governments cannot or will
not address these issues themselves.
 Human rights and the rule of law are essential
building blocks for a more peaceful, just and
prosperous world. This year we are marking the
sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. As a member of the Security Council,
my country is dedicated to advancing these rights to
those most vulnerable in conflict: civilians, notably
women and children.
 We are pleased that this year the Council adopted
a strong and action-oriented resolution addressing the
disturbing practice of sexual violence as a method of
warfare.
 We also continue to work on advancing the cause
of preventing children becoming part of armed
conflicts, believing that the realities on the ground
require stronger Council involvement. For this and
many other reasons, Croatia has decided to present its
candidature for membership in the Human Rights
Council for the period 2010-2013.
 We live in a world that has significantly redefined
the traditional notion of threats to international peace
and security. In an increasingly interconnected world,
global threats are taking many forms.
 Terrorism, poverty, disease, climate change,
environmental degradation and rising food prices
command that we work together, as only a common
vision and collective action, implemented in the spirit
of solidarity and responsibility, can counter these
challenges.
 Terrorism attempts to undermine the core values
of the modern world and poses a serious challenge to
our security, the basic principles of democratic
societies and the rights and freedoms of our citizens.
Terrorist acts are criminal in nature and cannot be
justified under any circumstances. Croatia appreciates
and fully supports all efforts in the global struggle
against terrorism, within the United Nations system
and beyond.
 Since the beginning of this year, my country has
been chairing the Security Council Counter-Terrorism
Committee, which was established in the immediate
aftermath of the devastating terrorist attacks against the
United States and the whole democratic world on
11 September 2001. We have assumed this
responsibility with the utmost seriousness and are
working towards moving the Committee forward by
focusing on concrete results and achieving realistic
objectives.
 I would also like to reiterate the importance
Croatia attaches to the Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy as one of the primary international documents
in the global fight against terrorism. Croatia is also
active on the regional level, presiding over the
Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER)
within the Council of Europe.
 In overcoming global threats and challenges,
initiatives such as the Alliance of Civilizations can also
act as a stimulus, augmenting mutual respect,
understanding and cooperation among States and
peoples across cultures and religions. As the Alliance’s
main goal is to counter intolerance, religious
fundamentalism and extremism, Croatia is pleased to
be a part of this ever-growing group.
 Our dialogue and cooperation should also be
directed with more emphasis at combating poverty and
establishing a global partnership for development. In
this regard, my country welcomes the Secretary-
General’s leadership in calling for action to make
progress for the poorest of the poor, the so-called
bottom billion.

13 08-52265

 We also believe that it is essential for
Governments to support the delivery of commitments
made, with the aim of getting the Millennium
Development Goals back on track. Specific
arrangements between donor and recipient countries on
the implementation of the Millennium Development
Goals should be put into action through a human-
centred approach to the key themes of the Goals, or
more precisely health and education, the environment
and the eradication of poverty.
 In this sense, we recognize the importance of
mobilizing financial resources for development, as well
as their effective use in developing countries. The
Monterrey Consensus remains the foundation of the
global partnership for development, and Croatia
believes in a positive outcome of the review conference
to take place in Doha later this year. In this context,
Croatia will honour the obligations and figures
established pursuant to its status as a candidate for
membership in the European Union.
 Through its transition process Croatia has
emerged from being a recipient country to being a
country whose own experience and resources have
enabled it to become an international donor. As a
contributor to various United Nations funds and
programmes, Croatia has confirmed its capability to
support the activities of the United Nations in
numerous fields, and will continue to do so through
sharing our experiences and assisting those in need.
 However, while Croatia increases its contribution
to global progress and takes a more assertive role in the
international arena, it also remains active in, and
committed to, fostering stability in South-East Europe.
Our membership in the Security Council and our
advanced phase of integration in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union
has not led us to turn our back on our neighbours. On
the contrary, it has enabled us to redouble our efforts in
preserving stability and maximizing the benefits of
peace.
 Through initiatives such as the establishment of
the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC),
headquartered in Sarajevo and with a top Croatian
diplomat, Mr. Hido Biscevic, as its first Secretary
General, we have actively contributed to regional
stability.
 However, there is still unfinished business in our
neighbouring region. Let me mention one example:
Bosnia and Herzegovina. The foundations for stability
in that country reside in respect for equal rights for all
three constituent and sovereign people: Croats,
Bosniaks and Serbs.
 The Republic of Croatia stands ready, along with
the international community, to support and assist
Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all the other
countries in the region, through an active policy of
cooperation.
 Such cooperation paves the way for long-standing
security and prosperity in South-East Europe. And in
that way Croatia will continue to back the Euro-
Atlantic aspirations of all its neighbours. In that way
my country will renew its determination to foster
peace, democracy and tolerance, thus honouring our
commitment to the Charter.
 Last April, in this very Hall, His Holiness Pope
Benedict XVI reminded us that:
 “The founding principles of the Organization —
the desire for peace, the quest for justice, respect
for the dignity of the person, humanitarian
cooperation and assistance — express the just
aspirations of the human spirit and constitute the
ideals which should underpin international
relations.” (A/62/PV.95, p. 3)
 We should always remember these ideals as we
continue to work together on exploiting the full
potential of the United Nations in creating a more
peaceful, prosperous and democratic world.