The Norwegian Government believes there is a clear distinction between unilateral measures and sanctions adopted by the international community through the United Nations. Only sanctions adopted by the international community through relevant and representative organizations have the necessary legit…
At the outset, let me thank the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for the important work accomplished by the judges and officers of the Tribunal and for her address to the General Assembly.
Norway welcomes the substantial achievements of the Rwanda Tribunal, as reflected i…
At the outset, I would like to commend the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Ms. Kirk McDonald,
We are impressed by the achievements of the Yugoslavia Tribunal, as reflected in its various judgements and in the report before us. Recent judgements and indict…
I wish to begin by commending Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the current Chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami, President of Iran, for their commitment to the cooperation between the two organizations and their work to extend it to new fields of c…
Norway would like to commend the sustained efforts of the Secretary-General to find a comprehensive and internationally acceptable solution to the question of East Timor and to pursue the consultation process aimed at achieving the independence of East Timor. We would also like to reiterate our high…
My delegation welcomes this opportunity to consider the report of the Security Council to the General Assembly covering the period from 16 June 1998 to 15 June 1999. We express our appreciation to Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, President of the Council this month, for his excellent introduction of the re…
At the outset, I would like to commend the Secretary-General for his excellent and thought-provoking report to the General Assembly on the work of the Organization.
Among its many important messages, the report highlights the ever stronger interrelationship between the various activities of the Uni…
Almost five years ago our heads of State and Government gathered in Copenhagen and committed themselves to an ambitious agenda for poverty eradication, social integration and productive employment. In less than a year from now, in June 2000, Member State representatives will meet again to reconfirm …
The International Year of Older Persons 1999 has been warmly welcomed both by the Norwegian Government and by the Norwegian non- governmental organizations. The International Year, on the eve of the millennium, has been a significant event for demonstrating the importance of older peoples' contribut…
The tragedy in East Timor shows us again that when war and violence erupt the world community turns to the United Nations for the resolution of conflicts and the preservation of peace. We welcome the Security Council’s action to endorse the multinational force that is now moving in to bring security…
In many of today’s conflicts, targeting civilians has become an integral part of war tactics. While in the First World War 5 per cent of the victims were civilian casualties, in today’s wars the figure is close to 90 per cent, and children are among those most affected by this development. The lack …
A map of the world was drawn 50 years ago. The world community now had a new map to navigate by. Based on the best values, this map showed new landmarks. Many of the previous roads, bridges and harbours had been destroyed in the Second World War. We needed new directions, new standards and new rules…
I am honoured to address the General Assembly on the important agenda item on relations between the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). First of all, I would like to commend Poland for its efficient chairmanship in 1998.
Norway is a sponsor of the draf…
Winston Churchill called genocide “the nameless crime”, and it has been repeatedly pointed out that the crime of genocide remains in a class by itself, putting in jeopardy the very notion of an international community.
We welcome the first-ever judgements on the crime of genocide by an internationa…
The year 1998 was proclaimed the International Year of the Ocean, and, as stated in the Secretary-Genera’s report on oceans and the law of the sea, developments in ocean affairs and the law of the sea have clearly signified the overall trend towards universal participation in and adherence to the le…
Norway has on a number of occasions stressed the need for the renewal and strengthening of the United Nations so it can better meet future challenges and better assist developing countries. Last year at the fifty-second session we were encouraged when the General Assembly supported the reform progra…
The broad participation in the Ministerial Meeting of the group of New or Restored Democracies here in the United Nations two months ago was a clear illustration of the fact that democracy is taking hold all over the world. As the twentieth century draws to a close, democracy is emerging as a clear …
Norway is impressed by the achievements of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, as reflected in various judgements as well as the report before us. Recent judgements have shed light on the chain of events linked to the cycle of violence in the former Yugoslavia. We join those that h…
I would like to begin by expressing my deepest sympathy to the Governments and the peoples of Central America for the losses and suffering inflicted on them by the devastation wrought by hurricane Mitch. We were distressed to receive the news of so many deaths and such extensive damage. The survivor…
Bethlehem is one of the most historic and religiously significant sites on earth. The celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ and the onset of the new millennium is of monumental importance — not only for the Palestinian people and for the region, but also for the believe…
