Mr. President,
Heads of State and Government, Mr. Secretary-General, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to address the 58th General Assembly of
the United Nations on behalf of the European Union, whose presidency
Italy holds until December 31, 2003. The acceding countries Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Poland, the Slovak Republic, and Slovenia align themselves with this
statement.
On this occasion, I
cannot forget the sacrifice of Sergio Vieira de Mello and the other
United Nations officials who recently fell victim to blind,
indiscriminate hatred in Baghdad. Allow me also to pay homage to the
memory of the Foreign Minister of Sweden, Anna Lindh, victim of a
brutal act of violence.
In their memory,
and in the memory of all those who have given their lives in the
service of freedom and democracy, the European Union pays its
heartfelt tribute.
Two weeks ago, we
commemorated the second anniversary of September 11. The European
Union remembers with great sorrow the victims of those attacks, when
the horror of terrorism struck this city, the United States and the
world.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The European Union
welcomes the Secretary-General’s recent report on the implementation
of the development goals indicated in the United Nations Millennium
Declaration and its conclusions. We share his view that the
multilateral institutions should be updated and strengthened and we
are ready to contribute actively to the goal of building an
international order based on effective multilateral institutions and
within the fundamental framework of the UN Charter.
Two of the greatest
threats to peace and development today are terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The European Union
condemns all acts of terrorism, which are threats to democracy,
human rights and economic and social development. We must be firm in
our determination to destroy this virus and free present and future
generations from its aggressions. Efforts to combat terrorism must
respect human rights and the fundamental freedoms, rule-of-law and
humanitarian law.
In this struggle we
are working in close collaboration with and give our full support to
the United Nations. It is a battle that must be conducted for the
sake of freedom and democracy—the universal values engraved in the
United Nations Charter, which should be deeply rooted in the lives
of all the peoples of this globalized world.
We must show the
same commitment to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and their carriers. We cannot shirk our
responsibilities. The European Union has doubled its efforts to put
an end to this threat to international peace and security. After
having recently agreed to an Action Plan, we are now busy with its
implementation. The universal subscription to the main multilateral
agreements is at the heart of the European Union’s policies.
World peace and
security are indivisible. The peoples of Europe are well aware of
the need to address both the military and the humanitarian aspects
of the North Korean situation. The European Union is closely
watching the six-party talks aimed at resolving the current crisis
relative to North Korea’s nuclear programme. The EU sends a firm
appeal to North Korea to completely dismantle its nuclear programme
in a prompt transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner, in
compliance with the obligations deriving from international
non-proliferation agreements.
The European Union
reiterates its request to India and Pakistan to adhere to the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to act in compliance with UN
Security Resolution 1172. We forcefully encourage India and Pakistan
to pursue a process of political dialogue that will lead to an
agreement that is satisfactory to all the parties on all the
controversial points, including Kashmir: a problem that cannot be
resolved through violence or terrorism.
The European Union
expresses its growing concern over the development of the Iranian
nuclear programme and the risks of proliferation that it involves.
We reiterate our expectation that Iran will demonstrate accelerated
cooperation and full transparency with the International Atomic
Energy Agency by acceding to its requests. Urgent and unconditional
acceptance, signature and implementation of an IAEA safeguards
additional protocol is of the utmost importance. The international
community would consider it a sign of Iran’s commitment to the
non-proliferation framework and a step toward the desired reforms.
The
non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a priority. It
requires constant political pressure and, as the first line of
defence, every political and diplomatic instrument available. We
cannot allow unconventional weapons to end up in the hands of
terrorists or regimes that represent a threat to world peace.
In this context,
another grave danger is represented by the increasing spread of
light and portable weapons and by the expansion of armed organized
violence, whose toll in human lives has begun to exceed the lives
lost in wars.
With regard to
non-proliferation, the European Union is firmly committed to
supporting the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, in
pursuit of the following common objectives: strengthening
international agreements; increasing support for the monitoring
agencies; and intensifying controls over illegal trafficking.
Finally, should all political and diplomatic measures fail, recourse
to enforcement measures provided for by the United Nations Charter
cannot be ruled out.
It will be possible
to avoid recourse to force, however, if all the instruments of
international law—including human rights safeguards—come to prevail
in all their effects.
To this end, the
European Union considers the International Criminal Court to be a
new instrument with great powers of deterrence and reiterates its
full support for the Court and its universalization.
The EU is and will
always remain committed to the promotion and protection of all human
rights and all the fundamental freedoms. In this context I reiterate
our strong support for achieving a universal abolition of the death
penalty. In recent years important progress has been made in this
direction, thanks in part to civil society. Abolition is our primary
goal. Where capital punishment continues to exist, however, we are
requesting that its application be impeded through a general
moratorium on executions.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Conflict prevention
and crisis management are essential components of the EU’s
contribution to the safeguarding of international peace and
security. More than 40,000 men and women of the European Union are
currently deployed on UN-led or -authorized peace operations in the
world. The Union is directly involved in missions in the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and until
a few days ago was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where
the EU demonstrated its will to contribute, also through military
means, to the international community’s efforts to restore peace and
stability in Africa.
In light of this
concrete commitment, the EU reaffirms its support for the reform and
strengthening of United Nations’ peace-keeping activities.
To confirm its
strategic collaboration with the United Nations, the Council of the
European Union has decided to intensify relations between the
European Union and the United Nations in the area of crisis
management. The European Union is currently drafting guidelines on
the protection of civilians in EU-led peace operations that will
fully reflect the UN doctrine.
Democracy is the
only government system that can fully guarantee respect for human
rights while fostering development, prosperity and peace. The EU
aims to increase its cooperation with Countries that share the
values of freedom and democracy. In a spirit of openness toward the
entire international community, the EU states its willingness to
give support to all those States that intend to comply with these
principles.
The European Union
continues to consider its relations with Africa a priority, and
recalls the common commitment to strengthen this dialogue. The EU
has expressed a special interest in strengthening African capacities
in peace-keeping and conflict resolution, and has focused its
initiatives in these fields also on Africa. We are committed to
supporting the efforts of the African Union aimed at establishing a
regional security mechanism.
The European Union
will continue to work for inter-African peace and will support the
efforts of the African States to end the many conflicts that afflict
the continent.
Stable conditions
for peace cannot be created, however, without a strategy to
eradicate the background of poverty and the social exclusion that
fuel so many conflicts in Africa and other regions of the world.
On the long road
toward governing globalisation and delivering its beneficial effects
to all, Africa will remain at the heart of Europe’s commitment, and
the EU’s privileged partnership with its countries shall continue.
In this framework we reiterate our support for NEPAD and for the
hopes that it represents for African development.
The EU’s special
commitment to Africa should also be seen in the framework of the
Millennium Development Goals, aimed primarily at eradicating
poverty, hunger, disease, social and gender inequality and
environmental degradation.
The EU expresses
its deep regret over the failure to achieve substantial progress,
especially with regard to agricultural products, on the occasion of
the Cancún Conference organized by the World Trade Organization. We
remain convinced that a growing liberalization of world trade,
together with development cooperation activities, can play a crucial
role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals for a better
world. This is why the European Union feels that it is important to
continue the negotiations in the WTO framework with the
determination and flexibility needed to honour the commitments
enshrined in the Doha Development Agenda.
The EU has taken on
a financial commitment, in line with the Monterrey objectives, to
increase development assistance resources until we reach the target
of 0.39% of the Gross National Product by 2006.
Our commitment does
not stop at financial contributions. We are also aiming to join with
our development partners in a process that integrates the fight
against poverty and disease with progress in the field of
safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms, good governance
and environmental protection. The defence of our environment, also
through the implementation of the commitments undersigned in the
Kyoto Protocol, is the benchmark of our ability to foster a lasting
development that reconciles the demands of economic progress with
the need to protect natural resources. These two goals are not
alternatives but rather the pillars of the Johannesburg Declaration.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The European Union
appreciates the progress made starting with the 57th
General Assembly following the presentation of the
Secretary-General’s report on reform, “Strengthening the United
Nations: An Agenda for Further Change,” and continues to support the
Secretary-General’s efforts to implement the reforms needed to bring
about efficient management capable of achieving the objectives
established for the United Nations by the international community.
We will work for the adoption of a budget plan for the 2004-2005
biennium that supports the implementation of the Millennium
Declaration and the reform process begun during the 57th
General Assembly.
The safeguarding of
international peace and security require a strong commitment to
address regional conflicts. Otherwise there will be an increase in
destabilization that could affect the entire international
community.
In the Middle East,
the European Union is deeply concerned by the deterioration of
relations between the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority
and reiterates its strong support for the road map, the only hope
for a lasting peace in the area and for opening the gate to the
stability and development of the region. The EU will lend its
efforts to this end within the Quartet. To implement the road to
peace, it is also important that there be a concrete and generous
commitment on the part of the European Union and the G-8 countries
to a plan for the comprehensive economic reconstruction of the area.
Both Israel and the Palestinian Authorities must act urgently to
implement the commitments provided for in the road map.
In Iraq, the
European Union has welcomed the end of Saddam Hussein regime, whose
power was built on fear and violation of human rights. The formation
of the Iraqi Governing Council was the first major step toward a
representative government of the Iraqi people. The European Union
underlines the importance of the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty
and the establishment of a fully representative Iraqi government
through democratic elections. The United Nations has a vital role in
this process. The upcoming donors conference in Madrid provides a
welcome opportunity for all who share our concern for Iraq’s future
to contribute positively to the political and economic regeneration
of Iraq. We recognize that, for the reconstruction process to be
successful, it will need to be accompanied by improvements in the
security situation.
In Afghanistan, the
European Union wishes to express its full appreciation for the work
done by the United Nations within the framework of the Bonn Process.
We will continue to assure our support for the process of
democratization also through assistance to the reconstruction of the
country. The European Union underlines the importance of an
effective reform in the area of security as the basis for lasting
security and stability in Afghanistan and throughout the region. The
preparations for the 2004 election, aimed at forming a government
and parliament that are representative of each component of Afghan
society, are of primary importance.
In accordance with
the conclusions of the European Council of Thessaloniki, the
European Union will continue to work tirelessly in support of the UN
Secretary-General’s efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just, viable
and functional solution to the Cyprus problem, consistent with the
relevant Security Council resolutions. The European Union recalls
its willingness to accommodate the terms of a settlement in line
with the principles on which the EU is founded.
Relations between
the countries of Europe and Latin America are rooted in history and
provide the basis for an intense collaboration and for the EU’s
strong interest in the region. The European Union is committed to
further improving the overall arrangement of its relations with the
countries of Central and South America.
Lastly, the EU will
continue to support the processes of stabilization, democratization
and development in the Western Balkans. At the EU-Balkan Summit in
Thessaloniki, the EU reaffirmed its full consensus on the future
European perspective of the region. The realization of these hopes
will depend on the ability of the individual countries in the region
to implement governmental and economic reforms, and on the
fulfilment of the political criteria of the Union, including full
cooperation with the International Tribunal on Crimes in former
Yugoslavia and progress in the field of respect for the rights of
minorities.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The events of
recent decades have profoundly changed the world order. Today the
conditions exist for the democracies of the world to unite in order
to spread those goods that are the unavoidable premise for all
others: freedom and democracy.
In the Millennium
Declaration we promised food, water, health and education to all.
Now the democracies must commit themselves to providing, also and
above all, the intangible goods from which the other more tangible
goods spring: because without the prerequisites of freedom and
democracy there can be no hope for lasting peace and development,
nor can there be an ultimate defeat of the challenge of poverty.
Thank you.