Meeting the challenges of the 21st century.

ALBANIA

Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi said that both Serb and Greek nationalism were "seriously threatening the Balkans". Serb nationalism had launched an "aggression in the north" and a "war to realize a Greater Serbia by creating a real holocaust" against the Bosnian people and strengthening "apartheid in Kosovo". The Kosovo issue was not merely and solely a question of respect for the human rights of the 2 million Albanians--it concerned recognition of their "political self-governing entity", for which the Kosovo population had cast its vote in a democratic manner. He insisted that the lifting of sanctions against Serbia be conditioned on the settlement of the Kosovo issue. Greek nationalism--while making territorial claims against Albania--was trying to manipulate about 60,000 Greeks living there as a means of destabilizing the country and achieving its "annexationist designs".

ARMENIA

President Levon Ter-Petrossian stated that his country had no territorial claims against Azerbaijan. The conflict was between the people of the enclave of Nagorny Karabakh, who were striving for self-determination, and the Azerbaijani Government, which was refusing to address those rights. His country provided moral, diplomatic and humanitarian assistance to the enclave's people and could not accept a military solution which could only mean their "genocide or deportation". There was a "historic opportunity" today to end the conflict, but that required active, unified support of the international community, including the deployment of "international security forces". Armenia, despite numerous difficulties, was currently implementing "significant structural reforms" to create a "healthy market economy", which could flourish in a stable democracy. Today, his country had more than 30 registered political parties, had proclaimed freedom of the press, conscience and religion, and had laws guaranteeing civil and political rights.

AZERBAIJAN

President Heydar Alirza ogly Aliyev said that the Security Council's strong demand for the "immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal" of all occupying forces from Azerbaijan had "so far been completely ignored" by Armenia, which was openly carrying out plans to annex his country's territories. Using the Nagorny Karabakh springboard, Armenian armed forces had occupied another six regions, "with a territory four times bigger than that of Nagorny Karabakh". After six years of war, more than 20 per cent of his country was under occupation, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis had been killed, some 100,000 wounded, 6,000 taken prisoner, and more than 1 million--about 15 per cent of the population--had become refugees and lived in tents. This was a gross violation of the independence of a UN Member State. Although the cease-fire had been holding, the situation remained complicated and the truce was "very fragile". Azerbaijan would provide guarantees to the Armenian population of the region; however, it considered its sovereignty and territorial integrity "eternal".

BELARUS

Prime Minister Mikhail Chygir supported broad cooperation and regional arrangements in such fields as peacemaking, disarmament, environment, anti-terrorism, drug control and industrial conversion. Peace-keeping should not overshadow the "crucial problems of socio-economic development". He favoured a UN conference on sustainable development in countries with economies in transition. For Belarus, transition to a market economy was "very difficult", especially in privatization, "fighting monopolies" and stabilizing the monetary-financial system. An "excessively large" military-industrial complex inherited from the former Soviet Union, long-term consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and a severe drought had prompted his country to elaborate a programme of measures to pull the economy out of crisis. Belarus was the first State in history to voluntarily renounce the possession of nuclear weapons. Now was the appropriate time to delete "the outdated concept of the 'enemy State'" from the UN Charter.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 

President Alija lzetbegovic said his country's "irrevocable objective" was a "democratic Bosnia and Herzegovina within internationally recognized borders", where the Serbs would have "all rights, up to the highest level of autonomy, but they cannot have a state within a state". The current war, forced upon his country, was "one of the bloodiest" in the history of mankind. From the very beginning, it had not been a war, but rather an attack by a well-armed and equipped army, against defenceless citizens. As a result, 70 per cent of the territory had come under occupation, more than 200,000 civilians killed, over 1 million--one fourth of its inhabitants--expelled from their homes; and hundreds of cities and villages destroyed and burned. The world had "not responded in an appropriate manner to such barbarity"--it seemed "confused and hesitant". But when his people, facing a "threat of extermination and a clearly pronounced death sentence", decided to defend themselves, it had encountered a "new absurdity"--the notorious UN resolution on the arms embargo. Justice had "turned into injustice because the aggressor had weapons"--stockpiled over 40 years--while the victim was "unarmed and its hands were kept tied".

BULGARIA

Foreign Minister Stanislav Daskalov said that sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro had caused "significant direct and indirect losses" to Bulgaria. Those adverse effects had come at a time of major economic transformation, seriously distorting trade and having a "significant negative impact" on the economy, primarily on the emerging private sector. Urgent measures were imperative, and a "more active involvement" of international institutions and developed countries in, for example, financing projects for improving the transport infrastructure as part of the alternative road, railroad and communication links in Europe, as well as provision of better market access for Bulgarian goods and services, would be welcome. In that regard, the further liberalization of world trade and the implementation of GATT were of "paramount importance".

CROATIA

President Franjo Tudjman said his country had become a key factor in the establishment of the "new regional order" in Southeastern Europe, and a recognized and important partner of the international community in the resolution of the "intricate crisis" in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, split into two parts by the occupation of one fourth of its territory, threatened continuously by "outlaw terrorism", burdened by the social pressures of displaced persons and the "war-exhausted economy", Croatia could not "endlessly agree to fruitless compromise". The source of those crises was Serbian aggression. Since sanctions had forced Belgrade to end the war and isolate the Bosnian Serbs, it should also be made to "desist from supporting the Croatian Serbs", who refused to agree to the reintegration of occupied Croatian areas and "brazenly oppose" the implementation of all Security Council resolutions. Although his country did not want to be "drawn into a new war against its will", it would be "forced to accept it", if the world community failed to achieve a peaceful solution.

CZECH REPUBLIC 

Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec said his country, which participated in many UN operations, felt that a radical reform to "over-come the crisis in the financing of peace-keeping" was needed, and the existing arbitrary mechanism should be replaced with a system based on standard, objective and quantifiable criteria. An independent body to study the principle of a country's capacity to pay should also be set up. The growth in peace-keeping operations had increased the dangers faced by their personnel; therefore, it was "important to complete as soon as possible the work on a convention dealing with responsibility for attacks on United Nations and associated personnel". Improved cooperation between the UN and regional organizations was also needed. "Understanding full well that they all have different charters, characters and qualities, we still feel that a continuing exchange of experience can enrich the entire international system of multilateral diplomacy."

ESTONIA

Foreign Minister Juri Luik spoke on 28 September--a "day of national mourning" in his country. The night before, the passenger and car ferry Estonia, sailing from Tallinn to Stockholm, had sunk at high sea, with most of the more than 850 people on board "presumed to be dead". That tragedy had demonstrated beyond doubt that the Baltic Sea was a "sea of cooperation"--with Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Estonian rescue units working together, and Russia, NATO and countless others offering help. For the first time in half a century, his country was "unfettered by the problem of the presence of foreign troops". The UN role in helping to "remove the last vestiges" of the Second World War had not been small. The celebrations and commemorations of the 31 August troop withdrawal symbolized the "end of one era and the beginning of another". But the problem of Baltic security had not yet been solved, and one dimension of moving towards "bona fide security" lay in trying to improve relations with the Russian Federation. It was the duty of both sides of the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty to "seize the moment and make that peace again".

GEORGIA

Foreign Minister Alexander Chikvaidze said today's political leaders seemed to have underestimated both the essence and the importance of recent changes in the international system; hence the inability to cope with problems or challenges of the post- confrontational world. Newly emerging independent States, including Georgia, were taking their "first unsure steps" on the road to a democratic society, a long and difficult road in a world that was still reeling from the nature of the changes and that realized neither the extent of the predicament they faced nor the stake it had in their existence and stable development. Many of those nations could, unfortunately, be described as "hot spots", the "unhealed wounds that cover the body of our planet. These open wounds cry out for radical surgery, while the peace-keeping activities of the international community, despite its best efforts, tend in some cases to resemble cautious treatment with prescribed medication." At the heart of the Abkhazian conflict was an attempt to "wrench a piece of territory away from a sovereign State".

HUNGARY

Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs said his country had a vital stake in the restoration of peace in the former Yugoslavia. The volatile situation of the "sizable Hungarian ethnic community" in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), the interruption of traditionally close economic ties with its southern neighbours, and the serious losses resulting from the sanctions had all inspired Hungary towards an active involvement in the search for a "durable and equitable settlement in those tortured lands". Committed to consolidating democracy and stabilizing its market economy, it would continue to serve the cause of international peace and stability, with special regard to the Central European region. His country was "honoured to act as host in Budapest" of the next CSCE summit, which was expected to serve as a "useful vehicle" in the efforts towards a "democratic and integrated Europe where rationalism may prevail over nationalism".

LATVIA

President Guntis Ulmanis reported with satisfaction that with the Russian troop withdrawal from Latvia and Estonia at the end of August, the Second World War had ended for the Baltic States. However, Russia's radar facility in Latvia and nuclear reactors in Estonia, as well as its "high military concentration" in Kaliningrad, were "risk factors" which potentially threatened the Baltic States. Therefore, security in that region continued to be a "pressing issue". With the formation of the Baltic Parliamentary Assembly and the Baltic Council of Ministers, a "balanced and active Baltic Union" had been created. Also, an "evolutionary process" towards an expanded European Union with a "dynamic Nordic-Baltic dimension" was taking place. His country aspired for a "three plus five"--three Baltic States and five Nordic States--model for regional cooperation in Northern Europe. With regard to peace-keeping, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had established the Baltic Battalion, which might participate in the peace-keeping operations of the Security Council.

LITHUANIA

President Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas--stressing the "harmony of dates" of the Russian troop withdrawals from his country on 31 August 1993 from Estonia and Latvia exactly one year later, and from Germany--said that Russia was also reducing its military presence in the Kaliningrad district, which occupied a "unique place" in Europe and could become a "stone in the foundation of security and an attractive economic partner or, under less favourable conditions, a source or even exporter of military threat and unrest". Lithuania--whose territory was "traversed by transit" to that Russian enclave--attached particular importance to its relations with Russia and was "not indifferent" to the future of the district and the Lithuanian minority there. Overall, it sought friendly ties with all its neighbours, but Estonia and Latvia were closest among them. Having concluded with Poland in 1994 a bilateral treaty confirming present borders, a "final rapprochement" had "closed a chapter of our common history".

POLAND

Foreign Minister Andrzej Olechowski said that medium- and small-sized countries were "potentially a great asset" of the UN, as they could play a "stabilizing role and exert an important beneficial influence" on developments in their neighbourhood, and "tangibly contribute to global stability and security". They could become "nuclei of regional integration" as they should "not be suspected of seeking to dominate or to impose their will on others". Poland saw its "role and duty" in global cooperation by: developing friendly relations with neighbours; and promoting regional and international cooperation through such initiatives as the Visegrad group and its Central European Free Trade Agreement, and the Central European Initiative and the Council of the Baltic Sea States. "More power to the regions: more authority to the Security Council; more initiative and involvement on the part of medium-sized countries"--those were the "cornerstones and objectives" of UN reform. As a victim of the Nazi aggression in the Second World War, Poland wanted to close that chapter of history for all time by proposing the removal of the 'enemy States' clauses from the UN Charter.

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

President Mircea Ion Snegur said that, in spite of reasonable compromises by his Government, "tendencies of separatism" still existed in eastern regions, and human rights continued to be "flagrantly violated". Members of the "Ilascu Group" were "still illegally detained", despite deep concern expressed by Moldovan authorities and several international organizations, including the UN. Also, Moldovans from the left bank of the Dniester river were "prohibited from using the Latin alphabet in their schooling". The separatist leaders from Tiraspol continued to obstruct the signing of the already endorsed agreement on the legal status, modalities and stages of the 14th Army's complete withdrawal, although Russian Federation authorities showed a "correct understanding" of his Government's position. In spite of "transitional difficulties", his country remained firm in its decision to develop democracy and a State of law with a market economy, through efforts to create the necessary legislation to promote reforms, including privatization.

ROMANIA

President Ion Iliescu supported the process of "integration at the continental level", through a policy of good-neighbourliness and regional cooperation projects--particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, the Black Sea area and the Danube basin--which should "accelerate the integration" of the countries of those regions into the structures of the European Union, NATO, the Western European Union and the Council of Europe. States and regions were all affected by ongoing tragedies in the former Yugoslavia, the Trans-Dniester region, the Caucasus, Rwanda and Haiti. However, there was "no greater threat" to international peace and security than the "widening gap between the rich and poor States", which could cause uncontrollable massive population migrations from the underdeveloped areas to "much smaller zones of prosperity" in Europe and North America. It was in mankind's general interest to prevent such a prospect by eradicating underdevelopment and promoting the economic growth of the developing countries", thus turning them into the "truly equal partners" of the developed nations.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

President Boris N. Yeltsin said his country, having withdrawn its troops from Germany, Central Europe and the Baltic States, no longer posed "any threat to the security" of other countries. Although undergoing changes and "regaining its identity", it remained a great Power and was ready for "equal cooperation within the framework of the international community". Its economic and foreign-policy priorities, however, lay in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). It was bearing the "main peace-keeping burden" in the territory of the former Soviet Union, and its efforts had "not been fruitless". Concerned over the fate of millions of Russians in newly independent States, he proposed that the principles of the 1992 Declaration on the rights of national minorities be embodied in legislation of all UN Member States. He wanted a "solid system of security", including a "treaty on nuclear security and strategic stability" by the five nuclear-weapon States; and a conference on international cooperation in the field of conversion.

SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan said that his country--now a "full-fledged component of the community of nations"--was interested in the "best possible relations" with neighbouring States. Subregional arrangements, such as "Visegrad 4" or the central European initiative, helped to strengthen the stability of the "geopolitically sensitive" central European region. Since the former Czechoslovak federation had been a founding member of the Conference on Disarmament, his country felt it was "truly a paradox" that a country where arms production had "decreased to 9 percent of its 1989 level" was not yet a member of that sole multilateral disarmament body. Also, the Slovak Republic welcomed the establishment of stand-by forces, would contribute army engineers, and had trained more than 1,200 UN peace-keepers since May 1994. It also had much to offer to developing States--experts, products and technologies--and wanted not only to take from, but also be actively involved in UN programmes.

SLOVENIA

Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek said his country--the only successor State of the former Yugoslavia "not directly threatened by the ongoing conflict" in the region--remained "vitally interested in the stability of the Balkans". The international community had been caught unprepared for the eruption of the crisis, and the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina had "seriously damaged the image and credibility" of the UN. Without the involvement of UNPROFOR and the UNHCR, working in conjunction with many humanitarian organizations, the "tragedy in Bosnia would have been even worse". However, humanitarian assistance alone could not be considered as a substitute for effective policy. The world community must seriously consider all means at its disposal to prevent a repetition of that pattern of events in other parts of the world, especially the "terrifying pattern of 'ethnic cleansing"'. In less than two years of independence, Slovenia had achieved "positive economic growth", maintaining a "high level of social security and stability".

THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski said that sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro had "seriously burdened economic conditions in the neighbouring countries", including his own, which was being "exposed to the classic economic aggression of a unilateral economic embargo" introduced by Greece in February 1994, in order to "impose its will in matters concerning Macedonian national identity". His country was a "factor for stability in the region", and he reaffirmed the positive role and contribution of the UN peace-keeping forces deployed on a preventive mission there--a "very successful action undertaken in the interests of peace and deserving wider support". A "way out of the historical frustrations and war" in the Balkans was possible only through a "new European model" of open borders, integration and cooperation. The "emergence of new divisions" and "regrouping along religious or ethnic lines" was the "worst threat" for the Balkans, which could not remain a "living relic of bloc divisions".

UKRAINE

Foreign Minister Gennadi Udovenko stated that a "wave of political romanticism" had yielded to a "time of severe trials in the political, social and economic lives" of the newly independent States. "The overall tenor of the mood of society in the post-communist world might be described as 'great expectations gone with the wind."' His country's difficult economic situation--apart from problems of transition to a market economy--could be explained by the "vast financial burden of nuclear disarmament and the eradication of the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster". Ukraine had lost more than $4 billion as a result of the implementation of sanctions against the former Yugoslavia. Despite that and its "unjustified excessively high contribution" to the UN regular budget, Ukraine remained ready to cooperate as a major contributor to UN operations. "Appropriate protection and security" for peace-keeping personnel were "essential conditions" for such cooperation. Having "voluntarily and unilaterally" assumed the obligation of eliminating nuclear weapons in its territory--the third nuclear potential in the world--Ukraine had an obvious right to "reliable security guarantees" from other nuclear States.

ANDORRA

Prime Minister Oscar Ribas Reig said that his country--stuck like an "island in the middle of the European Union", with only 61,000 inhabitants, three quarters being immigrants--had three different educational systems: Andorran, French and Spanish. A study of some of the balances that existed there might help efforts in southern Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the world where people were struggling for peace. Andorra was the last of the four small, historically independent European States--after Liechtenstein, San Marino and Monaco--to have become a UN member. By their very nature, micro-States must have respect for "diversity and mutual harmony". Bigger countries could gain useful knowledge from their experience, built upon a "wisdom that only centuries can provide". In an increasingly interdependent and globalized world, micro-States were "not superfluous"--they could make useful contributions and be "points of reference in many cases".

AUSTRALIA

Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said the hopes for a new era of peace, after decades of sterile confrontation between the super-Powers, seemed not much closer to being realized, with "a long string of deadly conflicts within State borders, tearing existing States apart and far exceeding the threats to peace posed by conflict between States". These conflicts were marked by "extreme savagery, each day offering new evidence of how cruel and dangerous a place the world remains for so many." Their combined impact had had "a corrosive effect" on the UN's standing. "Pictures of Blue Helmets standing by, unable to prevent conflict and impotent to save life, have become a media cliche." The role that the UN system had played in its economic, social and humanitarian work, in responding to the "silent emergencies" of poverty and deprivation, had been overshadowed by the public image of an organization failing to meet its responsibilities and unequal to the challenges. "Some of this imagery is deeply unfair", not taking account of innumerable constraints faced by the UN.

AUSTRIA

Alois Mock, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that with the emergence of new areas for UN activities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Vienna saw itself as an important point for coordinating activities to support and assist those States as they moved "towards democracy, a state of law and a market economy". Within the framework of the UN's 50th anniversary, a high-level conference--devoted to consider measures to preserve peace--would be held in Vienna in March 1995. Favouring "stepping up" UN activities in preventive diplomacy, his Government had established a centre for civilian peace-keeping operations in Schlaining, as well as a training programme for civilian international operations relating to peace-keeping and peace-building. As host to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria wanted an "unconditional and unrestricted extension" of the Non-Proliferation Treaty at the 1995 Review Conference.

BELGIUM

Willy Claes, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, highlighted "four principles" of peace-keeping operations. First, such operations could not be improvised; the UN must at all times be able to mobilize means for a new operation; its launching should be seriously considered only after all other means of solving the crisis had been exhausted. Second, it must be based on the consent of the parties--which must agree to the operation's deployment and aims, except in the case of an "obvious humanitarian catastrophe"--and on consensus among States legitimately involved. Third, cohesion of the command and control structures and regular consultations with troop-contributing countries were essential. Fourth, the security of the Blue Helmets should be ensured, and prosecution of those attacking peace-keeping forces must be efficiently organized. The International Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia might be a "valuable precedent" for dealing with crimes committed in Rwanda.

CANADA

Foreign Minister Andre Ouellet believed that the Security Council was "on the right track" in solving conflicts, and his country's "tangible contribution" to UN operations --more than 2,600 soldiers and civilian police in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda--reflected that conviction. The UN capacity for preventive action and its "rapid-intervention capability" must be strengthened. It should be able to count on qualified human resources, available on short notice, to complement its own personnel. Creation of a "permanent UN military force" must be considered. Canada would open a "centre for peace-keeping research and training", named for Lester B. Pearson. An in-depth review of UN economic and social activities was needed. The 1995 Group of Seven summit, to be held in Halifax, was to consider those issues, including the role and mandate of multilateral formal institutions, such as Bretton Woods. The Council must make its working methods "more transparent", more receptive to the special concerns of non-member States.

DENMARK

Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen said his Government was proud to host in March 1995 the World Summit for Social Development, whose challenge was to "create new foundations of peace through development". The Summit presented a "unique chance to overcome the North-South divide through new approaches", and an "opportunity for world leaders" to commit themselves and their Governments to a "better and more just world". The international community must "eradicate poverty and enable all people to earn a livelihood", and promote social integration by "fostering just, safe and stable societies with the full participation of all people". The establishment of UN stand-by forces would enhance its ability to respond quickly to emerging crises. Denmark, while setting up an "international brigade for that purpose", favoured a combination of peace-keeping and humanitarian relief operations. With 1,400 troops, civilian police and monitors in the former Yugoslavia, it was "one of the largest troop contributors" to UNPROFOR.

FINLAND

Foreign Minister Heikki Haavisto said it was "dangerous and fallacious" to think that the UN could or should "always step in to rectify irresponsible actions and policies", nor could it be expected to be "present forever in conflict areas". The world body would never have enough resources to meet all demands, and the community of nations must be able to "prevent fires before they start". Too often, conflicts erupted because of a lack of preventive action and "misperceived faith" in the UN's readiness and ability to step in. The world was increasingly challenged by complex emergencies, that included political, military and humanitarian concerns, which could not be addressed through traditional peace-keeping efforts alone. A comprehensive approach and sustained efforts by States concerned, as well as assistance of regional organizations and arrangements, were required. Unfortunately, there was a lack of commitment to the UN by some Member States, without which it could not truly be a centre for international conciliation and cooperation.

FRANCE 

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that during the darkest years of the Second World War, General De Gaulle had spoken of the need to establish a world order "that could guarantee the security of all, to make rational use of all the world's riches and to bring together all the people on the face of the Earth. The time has come for us to rediscover the ideal that inspired the generation of the founders and to ask ourselves with clarity what means are necessary to implement it." Almost everywhere "we are seeing the positive movement of nation-States into groups. France has made the building up of Europe one of the pillars of its foreign policy. How could it not, then, encourage the formation of new areas of solidarity?" The experience of rebuilding Europe, which began 40 years ago, was a case in point. "It has done more than just do away with the age-old rivalries that had led to two world wars. In the western part of the European continent, economic integration and political cooperation have attained a level that is unmatched in the world." Europe today was a world power, assuming international responsibilities, actively supporting peace processes around the world.

GERMANY

Klaus Kinkel, Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Foreign Affairs, also speaking on behalf of the European Union, said Europe had become more closely integrated as a result of the Maastricht Treaty, and intended to broaden its cooperation, based on partnership, with the world's other regions as well. "I am speaking for a Europe that is committed to world peace and development and whose political actions are determined by its belief in individual freedom, democracy and the rule of law; a Europe which sees in the realization of justice a crucial precondition for avoiding war and the use of force and which is prepared to play its part in promoting the economic development of all regions, the struggle against hunger, and measures to protect the Earth's natural sources of life. But I am speaking above all on behalf of a Europe that wishes to place the UN in a better position to meet its foremost obligation as guarantor of world peace and security.

GREECE

Foreign Minister Karolas Papoulias said his country could not accept the insistence of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on calling itself "Macedonia", because--together with "appropriation of Greek national and historical emblems"--that indicated "irredentist claims" against Greece. He hoped that the good offices of Cyrus Vance would "soon bear fruit". A normalization of Greek-Turkish relations presupposed a "just and lasting solution" to the Cyprus problem and the "restoration of the rule of international law", the only possible basis for establishing and consolidating a "climate of mutual trust" between Greece and Turkey. If the Secretary-General's current efforts were not successful, the world community would have to consider "new, alternative methods and measures" to ensure the implementation of UN resolutions calling for restoration of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Cyprus. Deprived by Albania's previous regime of all fundamental rights, the Greek minority faced the same policies from the new Government. Greece urged Albania to respect human rights and wanted good-neighbourly relations with that country.

ICELAND

Permanent Representative Gunnar Palsson was particularly concerned over the "deteriorating condition of the world's oceans", as the ecosystem of the sea was "now in greater danger than ever before" from pollution and overfishing. A "hopeful sign" was increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable use of the sea's resources. Since the poorest two thirds of the world's population got about 40 per cent of its protein from fish, food production must "more than double just to keep pace with the growth in demand in the decades ahead". The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea had "extended the rule of law to over two thirds of the Earth's surface, contributing "more than any single undertaking to the furtherance of that goal". Also needed was the universal acceptance of the "sovereignty of the coastal State over its adjacent waters". An international regime governing all aspects of utilization of living marine resources could best be achieved by setting up regional fisheries management organizations.

IRELAND

Dick Spring, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, said that the "complete cessation of military operations", announced by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in August, opened the prospect of a peaceful resolution of the Northern Ireland conflict. Although the edifice of a solution still remained to be constructed, solid foundations had been laid. At the conflict's origin lay a "difference of view as to whether the partition of Ireland earlier this century was or was not a denial of the right of the Irish people to self-determination". That difference had been "passionately and violently acted out by two communities" in Northern Ireland. The December 1993 British-Irish Joint Declaration had offered all the parties a "compelling political alternative to the endless cycle of bloodshed and retribution". Ireland was establishing a Forum for Peace and Reconciliation to enable all democratic parties to recommend ways to promote "agreement and trust between the two traditions".

ITALY

Foreign Minister Antonio Martino said in today's world trade united peoples, while politics divided them. At the Naples G-7 Summit, his country had strongly advocated the "further dismantling of barriers" to world trade in order to foster the creation of wealth. Nations required opening of markets and liberalization of trade. That would be the role of the World Trade Organization. "Without impinging on the statutory powers" of the Security Council, primary responsibility should be attributed to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) for issues concerning stability and security in its area. Peace-keeping required closer cooperation, and the UN and the CSCE should adopt a standard set of principles for such activities undertaken by individual States or third parties. Italy participated in eight UN missions. The strengthening of international security was closely related to the "fight against terrorism and organized crime". Italy would host in November in Naples the ministerial World Conference on Organized Transnational Crime.

LIECHTENSTEIN

Andrea Willi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Culture, Youth and Sports, said the World Summit for Social Development "can be a crucial event for the future of mankind, and we must not miss this opportunity to promote social progress and better standards of living in greater freedom". Her country felt that preventive diplomacy could and should be used more often and more efficiently, and commended the activities of the CSCE. The UN was playing a more active role than ever before in conflict resolution. Unfortunately, the "sheer number and magnitude" of conflicts surpassed the abilities of the Organization. "There is no region in the world without a conflict of some sort; regional conflicts have become a major threat to international peace and security". UN peace-keeping operations had to have clear mandates and reasonable and realistic time-frames. International law was the best guarantee of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as of international peace and security. For her country, it was "also the only guarantee".

LUXEMBOURG

Jacques Poos, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Cooperation, said world security was "increasingly indivisible" and the links between development, economic growth, environmental protection and population movements, could not be disregarded. Luxembourg's "vision of the future" could not merely accept "poverty and privation in far too many parts of the world, where populations are deprived of their fundamental right to food and education and even to water, health and a roof over their heads". His Government wanted to double, by the year 2000, the percentage of its gross national product earmarked for official development assistance, to reach the target of 0.7 per cent. The principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of a State should "no longer serve as a shield for flagrant and massive violations of human rights". The UN was the ideal forum to "carry on the quest for lasting development" and meet today's "true challenge", which was the "agenda for humanity".

MALTA

Guido de Marco, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, said many representatives had acknowledged his country's role in "launching the concept of common heritage"--a "guiding principle" in many international conventions--on the signing of an agreement on deep seabed mining provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. A "unit to coordinate and monitor areas related to the common heritage" was needed. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Malta was proposing a "transition and evolution" in the role of the Trusteeship Council, which could be such a "point of convergence". The concept of trust should be applied to new realities. The UN held "in trust for humanity its common heritage and its common concerns": the environment; natural resources; climate; rights of future generations; and the "safeguarding of the rights of peoples in situations of complete breakdown of the organs of the State". The "Mediterranean dimension" today was high on the international agenda.

MONACO

Crown Prince Albert suggested adoption of a "convention-based instrument" to protect civilian populations in ethnic and civil conflicts--such as those in Bosnia and Herzegovina or Rwanda--through which States parties would undertake in advance the establishment of "protection and security areas reserved for defenceless children, women and the elderly". While protecting innocent civilians, the world community should not neglect future generations. It must stop depleting the Earth's natural resources and damaging the environment. By nature of its maritime traditions, Monaco had always stressed the protection of the marine environment and in that respect, a "cooperative undertaking" with the UN--an "international marine radioactivity laboratory" established under an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)--had existed since 1961. It also welcomed the conclusion of an agreement on deep seabed mining. Only world cooperation--finding the "right formulae to accommodate the interests of all by preserving the general interest"--would help meet those tremendous challenges of the future.

NETHERLANDS

Foreign Minister Hans Van Mierlo welcomed the establishment of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the start of a "broad discussion on a future tribunal for Rwanda". His country strongly supported the "early establishment of an international criminal court" to exercise jurisdiction with regard to "serious crimes of international concern". The introduction of a draft statute for such a court had been a "major step forward". Punishment of war criminals and "ethnic cleansers" was "not a matter of revenge", but a matter of justice and deterrence, because "impunity encourages future crimes against humanity". Unfortunately, the world community had "failed to stop the breakdown of civil society and the descent into barbarity". Such failures undermined people's belief in the authority of the UN, in regional organizations and Governments, and in public authority as such. Establishment of a professional and rapidly deployable UN brigade--a "United Nations Legion"--should be considered.

NEW ZEALAND 

Donald Charles McKinnon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, said at the outset of a crisis, "more serious efforts" through preventive diplomacy were needed. When disputes were first placed before the Security Council, affected States should be given an "adequate hearing before addressing the problem behind closed doors". Also, six elements were crucial: a sustainable financial system; a transparent political accountability; clear objectives incorporating regular reviews; a clear, unambiguous command and control structure; a credible legal regime guaranteeing the security of UN personnel; and the availability of resources so that objectives could be met quickly and efficiently. His country--whose defense personnel were actively "engaged in peace-support operations"--believed that collective security was the "cornerstone of the security of small States". A problem in any part of the world could "ripple to the Earth's farthest corners".

NORWAY

Foreign Minister Bjorn Tore Godal said that it was important that the UN capability for conducting peace-keeping operations be continuously enhanced. He referred to the Nordic countries' initiative on strengthening UN command and control capabilities on which progress had been made over the last year. A year to the day after signing the Declaration of Principles by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), following talks in Oslo, the parties had ironed out certain differences obstructing the peace process. In Guatemala, the peace process had reached a "turning point", and Norway--as a member of the Group of Friends--urged the parties to "keep up the momentum of the negotiating process". The UN Conference on Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks should succeed in establishing a "solid foundation for the long-term conservation and sustainable use" of those living resources. "More than ever, Africa needs our support to overcome the prevailing crisis."

PORTUGAL

Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said the "end of the bipolar era has created, somewhat perversely, greater unpredictability and uncertainty in the system of collective security, which has most visibly led to a rebirth of extreme nationalism and new focuses of conflict". The "road to stability and the progressive development of a new concept of security also passes through the stimulation of political institutions capable of guaranteeing respect for universally recognized values. Similarly, greater international control of the use of force will require not only the best and most adequate means but also a constantly renewed political legitimacy in order to wield them". That legitimacy was tied to the goal of "building an international society based on ideals which promote peace, democracy and human rights". He appealed to the main Mozambican political forces to find forms of dialogue and understanding conducive to a "true national reconciliation". In Angola, peace would not be possible unless there was a genuine will on the part of the Angolans themselves.

SAN MARINO

Gabriele Gatti, Secretary of State for Foreign and Political Affairs, said that from the "top of our Mount Titano, on a clear day, one can see the coast of the former Yugoslavia". In the fourth century, San Marino's founder had "fled from that coast to escape religious persecution". Today, his country was launching an "appeal for peace for those tormented regions". The world was "still witnessing with amazement shameful anti-Semitic, xenophobic and racist attitudes", showing that a "culture of tolerance, dialogue and respect" had still to be developed at all levels. Unfortunately, respect for others seemed difficult to achieve since it could not be imposed by law or a Government decision. That ambitious goal could be attained "only through an educational process", and the UN--as it approached its 50th anniversary--was "surely in a position to meet these challenges".

SPAIN

Foreign Minister Javier Solana said Ibero-American nations were satisfied at the "progress made on the path to democracy and economic modernization". In Guatemala, a UN-promoted negotiation process between the Government and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca should lead to national reconciliation and full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The "delicate situation" in Cuba called for additional efforts in order to incorporate that country into the "democratic current" flowing through the continent. Spain attached particular importance to a "new process of dialogue and cooperation" in the Mediterranean. It had "special ties of friendship and cooperation" with the Maghreb countries. The solution to Western Sahara lay in a "referendum on self-determination with all appropriate international guarantees". A priority goal was negotiations on Gibraltar. Spain was resolved to "put an end to this colonial anachronism".

SWEDEN

Foreign Minister Lena Hjelm-Wallen said her country "wants a United Nations which reacts effectively against atrocities and mitigates human suffering and through which we can tackle the major questions of global survival, together and in solidarity". It wanted a UN that not only was a forum for States' interests, but placed the individual's well-being at the centre. "Solidarity does not recognize borders." The expectations and hopes of millions of the world's peoples "are threatened by war and violence, by the suppression of human rights, and by racism and xenophobia. They are threatened by starvation, poverty, disasters and environmental degradation. Peace and security, democracy, human rights and sustainable economic and social development constitute a cohesive entity. If we neglect any of these values, we endanger the others." Sweden--whose non-participation in military alliances remained unchanged--wanted to strengthen cooperation with all its neighbours around the Baltic Sea and in the Barents Sea region, including the new, democratic Russia.

TURKEY

Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal said that most conflicts "high on the international agenda" were taking place around his country-- which "lies at the very epicentre of the vast geography and the new geopolitics of Eurasia"--remaining a "factor for stability". As an active participant in UN peace-keeping operations, Turkey believed that UN stand-by forces would be a "step forward", since only when a potential aggressor clearly perceived that the international community would "retaliate in a timely and effective manner" might it change its behaviour. In that regard, with the adoption of Security Council resolution 943 (1994) on sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro, "once again, aggression has been rewarded". The Bosnian Government must be provided with the "means necessary for self-defence"--a "moral, legal and political obligation" on the part of the world community. Turkish Cypriots remained "totally isolated in their part of the island", and even the UN-sponsored confidence-building package had been "deliberately torpedoed by the short-sighted policies of the other side". A "realistic and viable negotiated settlement" continued to be the Turkish Cypriot objective.

UNITED KINGDOM

Douglas Hurd, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said that the UN was "often the target of criticism" because it could not solve "every problem laid at its door". "Machinery cannot run on thin air" and the UN could "only run on fuel" supplied to it by Member States. The Organization--which "at the moment works miracles with what we do not pay it"--must be able to pay its peace-keepers. Some countries were "paying too much and others too little". Although "not a perfect glass palace", the UN was indispensable--the "best building we have". Recent dramatic advances--the new South Africa, the progress in the Middle East, the Downing Street Declaration on Northern Ireland--were "beyond expectation", a "marvelous refutation" of the "cynicism that so often weakens our work". The United Kingdom--which had 4,000 "men and women in blue berets, from Georgia to Rwanda"--would continue to "contribute practically". However, in making their decisions to participate in a UN operation, countries needed to be confident that their military personnel would be "supporting peace and not becoming a party to war".

UNITED STATES

President William J. Clinton said that the world community faced an "age-old fight between hope and fear", a struggle between freedom and tyranny, tolerance and bigotry, knowledge and ignorance, openness and isolation. "Our sacred mission is to build a new world for our children--more democratic, more prosperous, more free of ancient hatreds and modern means of destruction." Although his country had a special responsibility in those common endeavours, it had "no desire to be the world's policeman", but it would help civil societies "emerge from the ashes of repression", sustain fragile democracies, and "restrain the destructive forces". A great cause of confidence was the growth of cooperation with the Russian Federation, and both were taking "dramatic steps to ease tensions around the world". The United States wanted a global convention to halt production of fissile materials, a ban on nuclear testing, an extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and an agreement to reduce the number and availability of anti-personnel land-mines. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) held the "promise for all of us of increased exports, higher wages and improved living standards". He called for efforts to keep UN reform "moving forward so that we do more with less."