A/54/PV.53 General Assembly

In the light of a recent letter from the President of the General Assembly regarding punctuality by delegations, I would ask representatives to press the green button on their desks to confirm their delegations’ presence in the Assembly Hall. Earthquake in Turkey and crash of a United Nations aeroplane in Kosovo

Before turning to the items on our agenda this morning, may I, on behalf of the members of the Assembly, extend to the Government and the people of Turkey, again struck by a disastrous earthquake, our deepest sympathy for the tragic loss of lives and extensive material damage. May I also express the hope that the international community will demonstrate its solidarity by responding promptly and generously to any request from Turkey for assistance in its present plight. Another tragedy also took place on Friday; an aeroplane carrying United Nations personnel crashed in Kosovo. On behalf of the General Assembly, I would like to express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims.

I give the floor to the representative of France to introduce draft resolution A/54/L.25.

I have the honour of introducing today the draft resolution entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie”. This draft resolution demonstrates the intensification of cooperation that began several years ago and that has continued to develop, in particular starting with the 1990 World Summit for Children, between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie. Portugal and Bulgaria should be added to the 48 sponsors listed in the draft resolution. At the Hanoi Summit of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACTC), on 15 November 1997, the heads of State and Government established the International Organization of la Francophonie, for which the ACTC has become the principal operator. Last year, in decision 53/453, the General Assembly took note of the change in the institutions and decided to transfer to the The cooperation is taking place in various areas, the first of which are the prevention of conflict and support for democracy. A working meeting was held last April between the secretariats of la Francophonie and the United Nations on areas of common interest. The first area was the political situation in seven African countries members of la Francophonie: Burundi, the Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. The second area was cooperation between la Francophonie and the United Nations regarding assistance for and observation of elections. This cooperation has already taken shape in the sending of four francophone observation missions in close cooperation with the United Nations — in July 1998 to Cambodia for legislative elections, in November and December 1998 to the Central African Republic, also for legislative elections, in February 1999 to Nigeria for the presidential elections and, more recently, to the Niger for the presidential elections. A fifth mission is now being prepared for the presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau. The third area dealt with in the meeting was the role of regional organizations in peacekeeping. We should note here that la Francophonie participated for the first time in the biennial meeting between the United Nations and regional organizations last 28 and 29 July, specifically on the subject of cooperation for conflict prevention. In the working document that it submitted on that occasion, la Francophonie reaffirmed its dedication to respect for the primacy of the United Nations and the need to coordinate efforts between regional organizations and the United Nations. Finally, representation of la Francophonie at a growing number of conferences and meetings held under the aegis of the United Nations attests to the prospects for fruitful political cooperation between the two organizations. Thus, la Francophonie was represented at the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court in June and July 1998. It was present at the meeting on Burundi, The second area for cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie concerns the economic, social and cultural fields, where this cooperation is developing fruitfully, both with the United Nations Secretariat and with the specialized agencies, the funds and the programmes. Thus, in the area of new technologies, a seminar on the theme “The Internet as a tool in the service of development” was held in Abidjan last July. An agreement signed with the Department of Economic and Social Affairs should make available to la Francophonie, on an interim basis, young experts from developing countries, in particular specialists in new technologies. Allow me also to note that there has been increased cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This cooperation has included a symposium on multilingualism in international organizations; the publication of abridged versions of The General History of Africa and of works on literacy training and copyright; collaboration on the international meeting on technical and vocational education, which was held in Seoul in April 1999; advancement of the role of women; collaboration with the parliamentary assembly of la Francophonie; and the participation of UNESCO at the first Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance of la Francophonie, in Monaco last April. All of these activities and shared projects demonstrate the wealth of contacts between UNESCO and la Francophonie. Moreover, a framework agreement for cooperation was signed with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development this year. This led in particular to the organization of a seminar on investment. The partnership with the United Nations Development Programme should become closer in the years to come. Cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund is flourishing, and in fact the Summit of la Francophonie, held in Moncton last September, had youth as its subject. Finally, la Francophonie, whose priorities include the right to development and the World Conference against Racism, planned for the year 2001, intends to expand its cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. I would like to add that cooperation between the United This cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of La Francophonie is developing fruitfully. It is a great source of satisfaction to see networks of solidarity coming together in the pursuit of the same ideals — in particular cultural diversity.

By encouraging the development of cooperative ties with intergovernmental international and regional organizations, the United Nations profits from their experiences, work and insights. This contributes to the enhancement of the calibre of joint activities and the positive impact of these activities on populations. The International Organization of la Francophonie, the crucible of North-South cooperation between French- speaking countries, brings together roughly 50 United Nations Member countries representing 500 million inhabitants. The place this organization occupies in international relations affords it an opportunity to become a privileged partner of the United Nations in the pursuit of the objectives of the Charter of the United Nations. The Charter of the International Organization of La Francophonie assigns it the objectives of helping build and develop democracy, prevent conflicts, promote the rule of law and human rights, intensify dialogue among cultures and civilizations, bring peoples closer together and strengthen solidarity among peoples by means of multilateral cooperative efforts aimed at promoting economic growth. The framework of this cooperation with the United Nations is set forth in an agreement signed on 25 June 1997. This agreement opened the way to the participation of la Francophonie in United Nations activities in the fields of conflict prevention and support for democracy and the electoral process, as well as to contributions by la Francophonie to peacekeeping operations. As regards assistance to and monitoring of elections and strengthening Africa's peacekeeping capabilities, la Francophonie has been involved in election observation missions in Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and the Niger. Also in the political arena, la Francophonie envisages periodic dialogues between the two secretariats on the following subjects: taking stock of the political situation in seven African countries: the Central African Republic, The cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of La Francophonie also involves the economic, social and cultural areas. From 5 to 16 July 1999, Côte d'Ivoire hosted in Abidjan a seminar organized by la Francophonie and the United Nations Department of Public Information on the theme of “The Internet as a tool in the service of development”. With the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, la Francophonie is envisaging making a contribution to promoting the right to development and to the World Conference against Racism, scheduled for the year 2001. This cooperation extends as well to the United Nations specialized agencies and its funds and programmes. Thus, fruitful cooperation has been established with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has made it possible, inter alia, to complete the translation into French of the eight-volume abridged version of The General History of Africa. La Francophonie has taken part in a conference organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on the institutional response to good governance and in the third forum on governance in Africa, organized by the United Nations Development Programme and the ECA. In addition la Francophonie will contribute to the upcoming follow-up to the International Conference of New or Restored Democracies, which will be held in Cotonou next year. La Francophonie has made major contributions to the world conferences held under the aegis of the United Nations. These contributions have included the participation at those conferences of governmental and non-governmental delegations from the developing countries that are members of la Francophonie; the translation of negotiating documents into French; and the organization of dialogues to promote the exchange of views on controversial issues. We always keep in mind what the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, which gave birth to International Organization of La Francophonie, did to promote the dynamic involvement of African delegations in the Fourth World Conference on Women, in Beijing, and in the preparations for that Conference. La In addition to cooperating with the United Nations, the International Organization of La Francophonie has established ties with the other international, regional and subregional organizations that are pursuing common objectives. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Côte d'Ivoire's commitment to the values that the International Organization of La Francophonie upholds, values that have been reaffirmed in the declaration and plan of action adopted at the recent Summit held in Moncton, Canada. Every two years since 1993, Côte d'Ivoire has hosted the Marché des arts du spectacle africain, organized by la Francophonie in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the European Union. It is contributing to the promotion of the culture of the French-speaking countries and to the inclusion of their artists on international circuits. My delegation is keen to see a strengthening of the cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie in working for peace, the rule of law, human rights, education, economic and social development and the transfer of new information and communications technologies. We support draft resolution A/54/L.25.

Following the Hanoi Summit of 1997, the heads of State and Government of the members of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACTC), the International Organization of la Francophonie was established as a new international organization. This institutional reform has enabled la Francophonie to become ever more popular, visible and accessible and to make it known and recognized on the international scene. Led by Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali and with ACTC as its principal operator under the new name of Agency of la Francophonie, the International Organization of la Francophonie has become a larger organization with a political, economic and cultural dimension. It has pursued Endowed with a charter and recognized as a regional organization, la Francophonie has enjoyed observer status in our General Assembly since 1998. This has allowed it to participate fully in international life and in conferences and meetings organized under United Nations auspices. In past years, we have noted with satisfaction the development of fruitful cooperation between la Francophonie and the United Nations in several areas. Indeed, regular contacts, exchanges of information and analyses of working meetings have occurred not only at the level of their respective secretariats, but also among experts and high-ranking officials of the two organizations. In the political field, la Francophonie has played an active role in preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution and the promotion of the rule of law. To that end, in 1998 it participated in numerous consultative meetings on cooperation for conflict prevention and settlement, as well as in electoral assistance and observation missions in a number of countries at their request and under United Nations auspices. Moreover, in the area of economic, social and cultural cooperation, la Francophonie is actively engaged in cooperating with United Nations agencies, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the United Nations Children's Fund and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, for the implementation of several programmes of shared interest, such as the development of Internet services in Africa; general and regional history projects; the organization of its annual film festival against exclusion and for tolerance; the organization of a seminar on investment, trade and economic development; civil- service training for national personnel; a programme for strengthening national capacity in information technology; and so on. In a word, we are gratified to see that the cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie is continuing to grow. The recent biennial Summit of la Francophonie, held last September at Moncton, Canada, reaffirmed the resolve of the heads of State and Government of French- speaking countries to contribute actively to resolving the major political and economic problems of today's world As in the past, my country, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is ready to do its all to make a positive contribution to that end.

At the outset, I wish to congratulate Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the International Organization of la Francophonie, for their efforts to develop cooperation between their two organizations and to extend it to new areas of common interest. The international community is facing increasingly complex problems and therefore attaches ever greater importance to multilateral negotiations and agreements. This holds equally true for the role assumed by regional organizations. Norway believes that these organizations are important instruments for promoting the principles of the United Nations. My Government considers la Francophonie to be an essential partner of the United Nations because of its influence in all the French-speaking countries. We all know that the influence of cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie is expanding beyond the borders of the French-speaking countries. Norway should like to express its support for cooperation between la Francophonie and the United Nations in their common search for solutions to global problems linked to the establishment and development of democracy, the prevention of conflicts, the strengthening of the rule of law and protection of human rights and the intensification of dialogue between cultures and civilizations. All of these critical areas offer opportunities for joint action between the United Nations and such regional organizations as la Francophonie. We also endorse the desire for complementarity that guides the two organizations and their awareness of their respective strengths. We welcome the intensification of the efforts of the United Nations and of la Francophonie to promote international peace and security. In the light of the active role of la Francophonie in the area of peacekeeping, in particular in Africa, we encourage these two organizations In a world that is becoming more and more uniform, Norway appreciates the role played by la Francophonie in championing linguistic and cultural diversity. Norwegian artists, poets and composers have always sought and found inspiration beyond the borders of our country and have often found it in francophone countries. We also welcome the significant work conducted by la Francophonie in the areas of culture and education, often in close cooperation with the United Nations and its programmes, funds and specialized agencies. In francophone Africa, the joint organization of the seminar on the use of the Internet as a tool of development illustrates perfectly the modern approach in cooperation for education. Moreover, my Government has noted with interest the possibility of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and la Francophonie concluding a protocol of agreement on the recruitment of young professionals from developing countries. Norway also notes with pleasure that la Francophonie and United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, are cooperating to advance social and economic development. We welcome the cooperation between la Francophonie and the United Nations Children's Fund to benefit children and youth, and we are particularly pleased that a joint programme places special emphasis on the education of girls and the training of young women who come from the most disadvantaged classes. In conclusion, Norway would like once again to commend the efforts made by the United Nations and la Francophonie to develop cooperation between the two organizations. We hope that this fruitful relationship will continue to develop in the years to come.

In taking the floor in this debate that has become a tradition, I should like yet again to voice Romania's dedication to ensuring an ever greater role for la Francophonie on the world stage and to strengthening its cooperative ties with the world Organization. We are delighted to see la Francophonie, built up over 30 years of cultural and technical cooperation, take on a new political dimension, particularly since the Hanoi Summit of 1997, and to see it established as a full-fledged international organization working alongside other regional organizations and at the Allow me to cite a few examples to illustrate la Francophonie's recent activities in furthering political solidarity and more active diplomacy. At the first working meeting in Paris, on the International Day of la Francophonie in 1998, the Secretaries-General and the representatives of 16 major regional organizations marked the start of a cooperative relationship that has already found tangible expression in a number of agreements and joint actions. At the ministerial conference held in Bucharest last December, la Francophonie showed that it can become a real forum for political dialogue. This was shown by the adoption of resolutions on conflict situations in Africa, and is also shown by the fact that it intends henceforth to speak out in major debates, whose scope goes beyond its geographical confines and that are of interest to the international community as a whole, such as disarmament, the democratization of international relations and sustainable economic development. Finally, the first Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance of la Francophonie, held in Monaco in April 1999 under the theme “Investment and trade”, as well as the participation of la Francophonie in the Partners for Development Summit, organized by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at Lyon, as well as the framework agreement for cooperation signed with UNCTAD, the first result of which was the Evian seminar, held in April 1999 on investment, trade and development attest to the current interest in consolidating the economic dimension of la Francophonie, an approach that we fully support. The report submitted by the Secretary-General offers a detailed and comprehensive picture of strides made recently in cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie. In the political realm, we welcome the regular contacts between their secretariats regarding preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution, democratic development and particularly assistance in the observation of elections. The report rightly points out the good cooperation that has been established between the United Nations and la

My delegation wishes to address the General Assembly on the occasion of the introduction of the draft resolution entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie”, of which we are a sponsor. My country is dedicated to its linguistic and cultural diversity, and therefore feels very much at home in the francophone movement, whose primary goals include the defence of diverse cultures and languages. In on our own experience, la Francophonie has turned out to be a forum for serious cooperation for development. The various operators gathered together in la Francophonie have demonstrated their know-how and have made a significant contribution to the development of the francophone countries, in particular through technical cooperation. Francophone cooperation affects numerous areas, for it deals with important subjects ranging from the consolidation of democracy to the advancement of women's entrepreneurship. My country particularly welcomes the possibilities provided through la Francophonie to participate in electoral observation in various francophone countries. We also appreciate the initiatives of la Francophonie to promote economic development. Increasing the capacity of member countries through technical training and higher education has been a major concern since the beginning of francophone cooperation. This year, within that framework, Mauritius welcomed the establishment of the Francophone Institute of Entrepreneurship on its territory. This institution, which is aimed at supporting economic development through training, is turning out to be an important instrument for regional cooperation and could certainly assist in United Nations activities in the same domain. We welcome the United Nations Secretary-General's report on cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie, and we note with satisfaction the growing participation of la Francophonie in joint activities with the United Nations, in particular in the area of conflict resolution. We should also emphasize the large number of collaborative projects between la Francophonie and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). We hope that the joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Francophonie committee, which will meet in the following weeks, will provide a new impetus for the UNDP-Francophonie cooperation. A concern for complementarity and a sound awareness of their respective comparative advantages, as highlighted in the Secretary-General's report, must remain pivotal aspects in cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie. This cooperation between the United Nations, the most important world organization, and la Francophonie, which brings together States which have certain characteristics, is proof that globalization can be implemented through using the specific qualities of all sides and that uniformity is not inevitable.

The item which we are considering today, cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie, holds particular importance in the eyes of my delegation. Senegal is the homeland of President Léopold Sédar Senghor, who, I will recall, was one of the first heads of State to get involved in the fight for creating a space for French speakers, one developed in a framework of cooperation and solidarity and open to the world. This initiative, according to President Senghor, should bring about something that he called “the universal civilization”, meant to be a civilization embracing all of humankind, an accomplishment achieved through convergence and From that commitment of President Senghor, together with other pioneers such as Hamani Diori and Habib Bourguiba, the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation was born on 20 March 1970 in Niamey to serve as a special framework for gatherings, dialogue and synergies within the francophone family. The Agency thus became one of the first milestones on the path towards achieving a grand design, that of rallying around a common purpose all the countries sharing and using the French language, thus contributing to the expression of solidarity by bringing peoples together through fruitful and ongoing dialogue among their cultures and civilizations. For almost 30 years, the Agency has done its job felicitously and efficiently. Thus it was only natural for the heads of State and Government of francophone countries to take the decision, at the Hanoi Summit in November 1997, to give to the francophone world a full- fledged and structured political dimension and have it come fully into its own as a player on the international stage. This new institution, taking the name “International Organization of la Francophonie”, came into being in December 1998 and has as its mandate to affirm and develop multi-dimensional cooperation among its members in such essential sectors as knowledge, economic and social development, international cooperation, conflict prevention and promoting human rights, democracy, good governance — in a word, a state of law. Is there any need to stress that these are the very same objectives as those rightly set forth in the United Nations Charter? This is exactly the philosophy behind the cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie, and it had to be translated into specifics in the daily life of both of these institutions. For that matter, it should be underlined that this cooperation has been a welcome fact of life ever since the General Assembly, by its resolution 50/3 of 16 October 1995, noted the complementarity of the activities of the Agency and those of the United Nations, along with those of programmes and specialized institutions of the United Nations. In implementing that resolution the two institutions set up cooperative machinery, thanks to a cooperative agreement designed to strengthen their ties on issues of common interest, notably in the political, economic, scientific and cultural areas. I should therefore like to appeal to Member States to support the draft resolution before us, which enshrines the efforts being made together by the United Nations and la Francophonie to strengthen, expand and deepen their cooperation in the interests of peace and international solidarity.

As have done preceding speakers, my delegation endorses the very relevant observations made by the French representative in his eloquent introduction of the draft resolution under consideration. On 15 November 1997, in Hanoi, some 30 years after its establishment in March 1970 in Niamey, the Summit meeting of the heads of State or Government of countries that use French as a common language took the decision to endow la Francophonie with its full political dimension by making it a full-fledged international institution. Originally it included 21 States and Governments, while today they number 49, covering America, Asia, Europe and Africa, and representing more than a quarter of the Member States of the United Nations. La Francophonie is the only organization aside from the United Nations in which the countries of the world meet with such a diversity of race, colour, culture and religion, and it is gradually becoming an important meeting point for strengthening cooperation and solidarity among peoples. The international cooperation it inspired has lasted nearly 30 years, while the number of States and Governments that it brings together has nearly doubled. This proves that throughout these years that intergovernmental organization has been able to do its work with strict respect for the individual identities of each of its members as well as to participate constructively in the global dialogue. However, the International Organization of la Francophonie has not limited its actions only to its own The Kingdom of Cambodia is gratified by the decision taken by the General Assembly on 18 December 1988, to allow la Francophonie to participate as an observer in its various endeavours. There is no doubt that la Francophonie plays an important role in the community of nations, both politically and culturally. It is therefore quite natural that its activities should be coordinated with the United Nations system and that enhanced cooperation should be intensified between la Francophonie, the United Nations and the specialized agencies. Indeed, the new millennium that is soon to commence will provide an opportunity to lay the bases for even closer and more fruitful international cooperation resolutely aimed at meeting all of our global challenges and in the service of peace, stability and prosperity for all the peoples of all the countries throughout the world. The draft resolution before us is designed to strengthen la Francophonie's long-standing cooperation with the United Nations, which has already proved itself. The Kingdom of Cambodia, which has always based its policy on dialogue and friendly concerted action, is pleased to be able to make an active contribution, through this partnership between la Francophonie and the United Nations, to a revival of international cooperation. This is why my delegation is pleased to join in sponsoring the draft resolution, and we hope that it will be adopted by consensus.

The annual consideration by the General Assembly of the cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie is evidence of the international community's interest in the contribution that such cooperation can make, and is making, towards the attainment of the purposes and principles of the United Nations. This is reflected in the fact that, according to the very Charter of the International Organization of la Francophonie, adopted at the Hanoi Summit, the organization has set itself the goals of helping establish The report of the Secretary-General on this item sets forth in detail work done in the context of cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie and reflects the diverse areas in which the latter can make a valuable contribution to the United Nations. I cannot let this opportunity pass without congratulating the Secretary- General on the quality of the report he has submitted for our consideration. Multidimensional and varied cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie is clearly oriented in the same direction as the progress to which our peoples aspire. Of the many actions that demonstrate this cooperation, I am pleased to briefly call to mind some that, to my delegation, seem essential. The International Organization of la Francophonie has particularly distinguished itself recently by its contribution to the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law, notably in Africa. Many countries in that continent have benefitted from the intensive cooperation between la Francophonie and the United Nations in these spheres. The initiatives undertaken by la Francophonie in this respect have usefully complemented or even replaced United Nations activities. These initiatives without a doubt make la Francophonie one of the partners of choice for the United Nations as it unflaggingly strives to build a world of peace and stability with a focus on development. Thus, again this year numerous steps have been taken in which, together, la Francophonie and the United Nations have committed themselves to seeking solutions to crisis or conflict situations involving members of la Francophonie. My country, in the context of the resumed dialogue among political leaders, is currently benefiting from the support of outside facilitators, including from the International Organization of la Francophonie, and fully appreciates the multidimensional cooperation between the United Nations and la Francophonie, particularly the work being done by the latter for the benefit of countries in Africa. Togo appreciates the efforts made by the two Secretaries-General to strengthen the positive cooperation between their organizations. Draft resolution A/54/L.25, of In the context of strengthening cooperation between the two organizations, my delegation would like to express the hope that the International Organization of la Francophonie and the United Nations will give particular attention to the issue of linguistic diversity. It must be recalled that linguistic diversity ranks high among the objectives of the International Organization of la Francophonie. The declaration and plan of action endorsed at the Organization's recent biennial Summit, held from 3 to 5 September 1999 at Moncton, Canada, stressed just how important this issue is to the countries that use French as a common language. In this connection, it would be appropriate for the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie to explore further the ways and means to make linguistic diversity a reality, in particular by ensuring the most appropriate treatment possible of the French language. My delegation echoes this concern, which is surely one shared by most French-speaking countries. Moreover, this concern is implicit in all the recommendations of the report before this meeting. That report was adopted by the Committee on Information at its twenty-first session, which was held at New York from 3 to 14 May 1999. The Committee also recommended that the General Assembly call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to make every effort to ensure that the press releases of the Department of Public Information are issued in all the official languages of the United Nations. It is to be hoped that forthcoming initiatives will make it possible for Member States, particularly those that use French as a common language, to become more involved in the discussions of the United Nations through the use of their primary working language.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Haitian delegation to express the support of the Republic of Haiti for draft resolution A/54/L.25, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie”. This draft resolution illustrates the obvious interest in strengthening the ties of cooperation that already exist between the two organizations. This interest is heightened by the fact that the International Organization of la Francophonie focuses its principal activities in areas that are also of the highest interest to As the Assembly is aware, the International Organization of la Francophonie is in no way an instrument designed simply to promote a language or to work for the possible reduction of the influence of other languages used at the United Nations. Quite the contrary, it represents one of the institutional means designed to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity throughout the world as a way of enriching and preserving the human cultural patrimony. At a time when the United Nations is increasingly emphasizing the problems associated with sustainable development and human security, it goes without saying that the International Organization of la Francophonie, strengthened by its experience in recent years, will be able to make a substantive contribution to the projects of the universal Organization. Over the last few years, the International Organization of la Francophonie has clearly demonstrated its expertise in the area of development assistance. Cooperation between Haiti and that international organization has been fruitful in a number of areas, particularly those regarding cooperation in university and primary education. Allow me to mention the subject of youth and the role it is called upon to play in the development process of society. This issue played a central role at Summit of la Francophonie held at Moncton, Canada at the beginning of last September. Through Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the United Nations was able to demonstrate the level of the particular interest it attaches to this subject, as well as to other subjects promoted by the International Organization of la Francophonie. Young people are the future and the hope of the world, and it is therefore understandable that the International Organization of la Francophonie takes such an interest in them. There can be no doubt that the United Nations, led by the Secretary-General, will accord great importance to this issue. Moreover, upon his return from Moncton, Mr. Kofi Annan demonstrated his endorsement of this idea by requesting that States participating in the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly include as many young people as possible in their delegations. Such concern clearly underscores the interest taken in the work of the International Organization of la Francophonie and As the Secretary-General stressed in his report contained in document A/54/397, cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie is increasingly expanding to an ever-greater number of areas. It is therefore up to the General Assembly to take note of this and to facilitate all measures designed to mobilize new synergies to promote development. It is in this context that the Haitian delegation urges the General Assembly to give its full support to this draft resolution.

This is the first time that I have spoken from this rostrum as the new Permanent Representative of Burundi to the United Nations. I therefore have the pleasant duty of congratulating Mr. Gurirab on his election to the presidency of the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly. It is also a great pleasure for me to come to the rostrum to hail and support the cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie. This cooperation is not only beneficial to the countries that use French as a common language, but it is also beneficial for all the Members of the United Nations and all the organizations working for peace, development and dialogue among cultures and peoples. Burundi notes with appreciation that, as indicated in the report of the Secretary-General the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie are cooperating closely in a variety of areas, notably in the political sphere, and particularly on the issues of preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution, in the economic, social and cultural spheres, on human rights and democracy and so on. It is only natural, therefore, that the two organizations take an interest in each other. The International Organization of la Francophonie brings together a large part of the countries and organizations within the United Nations that cooperate with it. The organization’s biennial Summit, which was held from 3 to 5 September in Moncton, Canada, brought together delegations from 55 members of the International Organization of la Francophonie, 40 of them represented at the level of head of State or Government. Burundi also welcomes the cooperation between the International Organization of la Francophonie and other Indeed, the International Organization of la Francophonie, as the successor agency to the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, joined with its counterparts in Paris on 20 March 1998 in order to introduce itself and to review the possibilities for cooperation and synergy between international organizations in the areas of peace, security and development. That conference's participants included the United Nations Secretariat, the Association of South-East Asian Nations, the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, the Economic Community of West African States, the Council of Europe, the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Organization of American States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Organization of African Unity. The universal character of the International Organization of la Francophonie is clear. Burundi has already received joint assistance from the United Nations and la Francophonie. Let me by way of illustration cite here the organization's contribution to the consultations organized by the Secretariat and the Canadian Government, held on 10 and 11 January in New York. The goal of that meeting was to evaluate the steps taken towards peace in Burundi and to give fresh impetus to the ongoing peace process. The Government of Burundi has welcomed, and continues to welcome, the assistance of la Francophonie and in particular that of its special representative, who is closely monitoring the peace talks in Burundi. It is for these reasons that my country will support the draft resolution on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie” which is before us. We invite the other States Members of the United Nations to follow suit.

I would like in turn to associate myself with the preceding speakers who, from this rostrum, have extended to the Secretary- General gratitude and congratulations on the excellent report he has submitted to us on the subject we are currently debating, “Cooperation between the United Since its founding in 1997, the International Organization of la Francophonie has taken up and intensified the fruitful cooperation that the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation had with the United Nations. Benin warmly welcomes the outstanding progress made by these two organizations over the last two years within the framework of the joint actions they have initiated as well as in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. Despite the fact that the cold war is over, many hotbeds of tension remain and a number of tragedies are taking place right before our eyes, in particular on the African continent. In this respect it is encouraging to note that most of the joint activities carried out by the United Nations and la Francophonie in the political field have had as their major objective to promote peace and democracy where there is little or no threat to them; to prevent crises or latent conflicts from erupting; or to assist in the management of existing conflict situations in order to restore to the countries affected the peace that is indispensable for their economies to flourish, a necessary element of the development to which all peoples of the world aspire. It is clear that these are useful actions and initiatives that should be duly appreciated. The delegation of Benin welcomes the skill and far-sightedness with which these undertakings have been carried out by the two organizations. It strongly urges their Secretaries-General to continue this pooling of efforts in order to achieve one of the loftiest goals of humankind, which will require even greater dedication: the quest for peace. It seems to us just as important to note and encourage the joint initiatives of the two institutions designed, inter alia, to assist the development of the Internet in Africa; joint projects of the International Organization of la Francophonie, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the United Nations Children's Fund, whose aim is to benefit children, youth and women; and the signing of the framework agreement between la Francophonie and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, which, in our view, responds to imperative needs whose satisfaction doubtless will contribute to improving the social and economic conditions of the French-speaking peoples of the developing countries. In this respect, the delegation of Benin shares the views expressed by the representative of France in introducing the draft resolution before us, and we call for its adoption by consensus.

Allow me at the outset to thank the Secretary-General for his report entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie” (A/54/397). I should also like to thank the Secretary-General of the International Organization of la Francophonie, Mr. Boutros- Ghali, for his tireless efforts to promote the role of the organization he heads and to strengthen its capabilities, with the goal of promptly and adequately responding to the situations created by the realities of a unipolar world. Since the creation of the International Organization of la Francophonie at the Hanoi Summit in 1997 and the subsequent adoption by the General Assembly of its decision 54/453, whereby it transferred to la Francophonie observer status with the General Assembly, intensive and vigorous cooperation has been taking place between the two organizations. In this context, la Francophonie embarked on a series of activities relating to disarmament and peacekeeping operations. Egypt encourages such developments in areas relating to the maintenance of international peace and security. The development of a protocol between la Francophonie and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization enabling young professionals in developing countries to be hired by that specialized United Nations agency. This provides them with an opportunity to learn at first hand how the multilateral system works and to appreciate better the reality of international relations at a time when the world is increasingly being transformed into a global village as a result of the communications revolution and the phenomenon of globalization. We support and encourage the involvement of la Francophonie in international conferences, in particular those of the United Nations. Apart from the advantages of participating in such conferences as an observer, such For example, the Rome Conference on the establishment of an International Criminal Court reflected this important role played by la Francophonie in the context of the active participation of the French-speaking world. In this respect, I should like to thank the permanent missions of countries of la Francophonie to regional and international organizations, particularly those here at United Nations Headquarters in New York, for their ongoing efforts to attain the objectives of la Francophonie. The link between education and development cannot be denied. Any investment in the sphere of education will certainly have a positive and direct impact on the development of society and, as a result, on the well-being of individuals. In this connection, we cannot fail to pay tribute to la Francophonie for the assiduous work that it has been doing in organizing seminars on the most important current issues on the agenda of the international community. I should like to express our support for and give our blessing to the cooperation between the International Organization of la Francophonie and the United Nations Children's Fund. Finally, the delegation of Egypt stresses the importance of continuing cooperation between the International Organization of la Francophonie and the entire United Nations system, of which I have provided just a few examples, in order to achieve better coordination.

As a sponsor of draft resolution A/54/L.25, Cameroon naturally endorses the statement made at the beginning of the meeting by the representative of France. The fact that Cameroon still wanted to take part in this debate demonstrates how much we welcome the consensus that, year after year, has been built around cooperation between the United Nations and the French- speaking world. There are several reasons for that. First, for those of us who are francophones, that consensus is an expression For all those reasons, Cameroon supports the draft resolution in document A/54/L.25. We are convinced, for those same reasons, that the draft resolution will gain the full support of all the Members of the United Nations.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 33/18 of 10 November 1978 and decision 53/453 of 18 December 1998, I now call on the Observer for the International Organization of la Francophonie.

I am very pleased to participate in this discussion on behalf of the International Organization of la Francophonie and to share with the Assembly some thoughts that have been prompted by the report of the Secretary-General on cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie, as well as by the draft resolution relating to this agenda item, which the Assembly is about to adopt. I should first like to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General for the quality of his report. It provides an exhaustive account of the development, which has been particularly positive, and of the unprecedented intensification, of relations between the two organizations in all areas of common interest, as embodied in the respective Charters of the United Nations and of the International Organization of la Francophonie, as well as in The objectives of peace, security and development pursued by the United Nations are at the very heart of the francophone undertaking, as set forth by the founders of the intergovernmental francophone movement in Niamey, Africa, in 1970, and developed through the biennial summit conferences held by French-speaking countries. This undertaking has become a genuine atelier of progress based on common values, including those of democracy and the rule of law. From the 1986 Versailles Summit to last September's Moncton Summit, heads of State or Government of the countries members of the International Organization of la Francophonie — one out of four countries on Earth — have consistently reaffirmed their determination to work together to solve the political and economic problems of the world and have called for active partnership with the United Nations and with the organizations that make up the United Nations system. That partnership began at the series of international conferences organized by the United Nations, beginning with the Earth Summit, held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and continuing with the World Conference on Human Rights, held at Vienna in 1993; the International Conference on Population and Development, held at Cairo in 1994; the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Barbados in 1994; the Fourth World Conference on Women, held at Beijing in 1995; and the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, held at Istanbul in 1996. At these conferences, la Francophonie and its partners worked closely with the United Nations; they complemented it, enriched its debates, and sought to ease the presence and active participation of French- speaking countries at every stage of preparation, meeting and follow-up. We continue to take the same approach to other United Nations conferences and other major international gatherings, for example the United Nations Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court, held at Rome, and the forthcoming United Nations conferences on light weapons and against racism, both of which are to be held in 2001, as well as the Seattle round of trade negotiations to begin in a few days' time under the auspices of the World Trade Organization. This partnership with the United Nations has grown stronger with concrete development cooperation activities. There have been specific agreements to that end, and a variety of projects — including in the areas of education, literacy, training, sustainable development and new information technology — have been put in place by the International Organization of la Francophonie through its principal operational body, the intergovernmental Agency of la Francophonie, in cooperation with a number of United Nations specialized agencies, programmes and funds. The report of the Secretary-General before the Assembly today provides a complete description of the synergy that we have sought to develop and will continue to develop with the United Nations system in the area of development cooperation. Moreover, other speakers have already addressed these matters, and I shall not dwell on them beyond applauding such cooperation and thanking those delegations for their words and for their positive assessment. But I would like to highlight a new dimension in relations between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie: cooperation in the political sphere. As members know, the Hanoi Summit of Heads of State and Government of countries that use French as a common language, held in November 1997, was a turning point in the evolution of la Francophonie. It was then that heads of State or Government of countries that use French as a common language decided to broaden the involvement of la Francophonie, which had until then been confined to the areas of cultural and technical cooperation, to include the political sphere. The Hanoi Summit also created the post of Secretary-General of the organization; the heads of State or Government appointed the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The establishment of that post was to add the proper political dimension to the new institutional structure of la Francophonie, for it is the Secretary-General's task to ensure that the organization is In the same spirit, and of course with an eye to complementarity — including complementarity with other activities of the international community — the International Organization of la Francophonie began to enhance its diplomatic activities within the French- speaking world. In October 1998, for example, our Secretary-General, on the request of President Eyadema of Togo, asked Mr. Moustapha Niasse, former Prime Minister and Minister of State and then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Senegal, to carry out a goodwill mission to Togo following the political crisis that had emerged there following the June 1998 presidential elections. That followed an appeal to all actors and parties to engage in dialogue, an appeal issued by the mission jointly carried out by the International Organization of la Francophonie and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to observe the Togolese presidential elections. As members know, the talks that have been under way for several months between the opposition and the authorities in the context of a process of dialogue and national reconciliation are taking place under the auspices of a four-party mediation group recognized by all parties to the dialogue and comprising France, Germany, the European Union and the International Organization of la Francophonie. Further, at the request of President Laurent Désiré Kabila, the Secretary-General of la Francophonie sent a mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the leadership of the former President of Benin, Mr. Emile-Derlin Zinsou. Since then, la Francophonie has continued closely to follow the development of the complex situation in that country and throughout the subregion, and to support the peace efforts of such organizations as the OAU and the Southern African Development Community. Moreover, the conference of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of la Francophonie, held at Bucharest in 1998, adopted a resolution calling for the immediate lifting of the economic embargo from which Burundi had been suffering for the previous two years; to follow up that resolution, our Secretary-General named a special envoy to Burundi, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mauritania, Mr. El Hacen Ould Lebatt. The crises in those countries and in others of the French-speaking world have been among the key elements of the newly established political relations between the International Organization of la Francophonie and the United Nations. There are regular consultations and exchanges of information and analysis between the two organizations. These include periodic meetings among senior officials, the first of which was held in New York in April 1999 and provided the opportunity for talks with the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operation, and meetings of special envoys, such as that held on 19 October 1999, when the Department of Political Affairs informally brought together all special envoys to Burundi, including that of the Secretary-General of la Francophonie, to survey the evolution of the situation in that country and the prospects of the inter-Burundian dialogue following the death of President Nyerere. It was in this same spirit that for the first time the International Organization of la Francophonie was involved in the biennial meeting, organized by the United Nations Secretary-General, with leaders of regional organizations. The 1998 meeting focused on preventing conflict, the approach favoured by the International Organization of la Francophonie in its activities in the service of peace. La Francophonie has also contributed to efforts made by the international community to restore peace in two French-speaking countries: it participated in the consultations organized in January 1999 by the United Nations Secretariat and the Government of Canada to evaluate progress in the Arusha process and to consider resuming cooperation with Burundi after the lifting of sanctions; and it participated in the meeting organized by the Secretariat on Guinea-Bissau, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1233 (1999), to support forces deployed in that country by the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group. I should like, finally, to stress just how important we deem cooperation with the United Nations in the areas of electoral assistance and the promotion of human rights and As to supporting democratic processes, we are pleased to see the institutional approach, adopted by la Francophonie for some time ago, winning more and more support from other international partners. We are in favour of increased interaction in this area. The joint commission that we expect to organize in the near future with the United Nations Development Programme should lead to a real partnership in this field. Finally, with respect to human rights, a meeting of high-level officials was held on 26 October in Geneva between representatives of the International Organization of la Francophonie and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights marking the launching of consultations to set the terms for the cooperative programme for the biennium 2000-2001. This programme should be definitively set following the conference of the Foreign Ministers of la Francophonie, scheduled for the end of this month in Paris. If the report of the Secretary-General on activities over the last two years reflects an intensification of cooperation between the two organizations, the draft resolution introduced by the representative of France, which the Assembly is preparing to adopt, opens up for us new prospects that we eagerly anticipate. On behalf of the Secretary-General of the International Organization of la Francophonie, I should like to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to all the countries that sponsored this draft resolution, as well as to all those others that will give it their support.

We shall now proceed to take a decision on draft resolution A/54/L.25. I would like to announce that Costa Rica has also become a sponsor of the draft resolution.

May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 25?

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 5 of its report (A/54/540) that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2000: Mr. Gérard Biraud; Ms. Norma Goicochea Estenoz; Mr. Vladimir Kuznetsov; Ms. Susan Shearouse; and Mr. Roger Tchoungui. May I take it that the Assembly appoints those persons?

In paragraph 5 of its report (A/54/541), the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the Committee on Contributions for a three- year term of office beginning on 1 January 2000: Mr. Alvaro Gurgel de Alencar Netto; Mr. Ju Kuilin; Mr. Sergei Mareyev; Mr. Angel Marrón, Mr. Hae-Yun Park; and Mr. Ugo Sessi. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to appoint the persons recommended above?

In paragraph 5 of its report (A/54/542), the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the Auditor-General of the Republic of South Africa as a member of the Board of Auditors for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 July 2000. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to appoint that person?

The Fifth Committee recommends in paragraph 5 of its report (A/54/543) that the General Assembly confirm the appointment by the Secretary-General of the following persons as members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to confirm the appointment of those persons?

In paragraph 5 of its report (A/54/544), the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the following persons as members of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal for a three-year term of office beginning on 1 January 2000: Mr. Julio Barboza; and Mr. Mayer Gabay. May I consider that the Assembly appoints those persons?

In paragraph 5 of the report the Fifth Committee recommends that the General Assembly appoint the following person as a member of the United Nations Staff Pension Committee for a term of office beginning on 15 November 1999 and ending on 31 December 2000: Mr. Amjad Hussain Sial. May I take it that the General Assembly appoints this person?

The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 17.

Members will recall that a debate on agenda item 14 was held at the 46th and 47th plenary meetings, on 4 November 1999. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1.

A group of Member States concerned by operative paragraph 9 of the draft resolution has held discussions and agreed that we can accept the new version of operative paragraph 9, which takes fully into account the text in GC(43)/RES/22, adopted by the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. The new text for operative paragraph 9 was distributed to Member States, and I can confirm that the group of Member States who were particularly concerned about this paragraph has reached agreement on this new version.

I would like to ask the representative of France if he would read the agreed-upon amended text.

Although we have just been talking about la Francophonie, unfortunately I am going to have to read this text in the language of Shakespeare. I trust this will be overlooked. So, the text begins: “Also commends the Director General of the Agency and his staff for their strenuous efforts to implement Security Council resolutions 687 (1991), 707 (1991), 715 (1991), 1051 (1996), 1060 (1996), 1115 (1997), 1154 (1998), 1194 (1998) and 1205 (1998), stresses the need for full implementation by Iraq of all relevant Security Council resolutions, stresses that the Agency's ongoing monitoring and verification activities should be resumed without delay, and also stresses that it is essential that, although the Agency is satisfied that remaining questions which were unanswered as of mid- December 1998 do not prevent the full implementation of the ongoing monitoring and verification plan, the basis for this resumption

We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1 and the oral amendment submitted by the representative of France. I shall now call on those representatives who wish to explain their votes or positions. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

My delegation commends the efforts made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in implementing its tasks under its Statute. In connection with the agenda item under discussion, we had hoped that the draft resolution would reflect international consensus in support of the Agency’s activities, independence and professionalism. Unfortunately, certain paragraphs of the draft resolution lack objectivity and reflect a political point of view that compromises the impartiality, independence and professionalism of the Agency. I refer in particular to my delegation’s firm opposition to paragraph 9 calling on Iraq to implement fully all relevant Security Council resolutions and for the resumption of the ongoing monitoring and verification plan. We oppose this paragraph for the following reasons. First, the invitation to implement the Security Council resolutions on Iraq should have been extended to the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Both of those States have violated and continue to violate all relevant Security Council resolutions and the United Nations Charter. They are perpetrating daily acts of aggression against Iraq in the no-fly zone, in violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, all of which require respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq. The United States of America and the United Kingdom launched a comprehensive military aggression against Iraq on 16 December 1998 without Security Council authorization. This aggression has destroyed the economic Secondly, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, through the inspectors of the United Nations Special Commission supervising the verification and monitoring system in Iraq and its installations and sites, spied on my country and fomented political crises there. In attempting to justify their aggression against Iraq, they have dealt a heavy blow against the credibility of the United Nations verification systems. This flagrant violation of the rules of work of international organizations has gone unpunished. The authors of the draft resolution have not made the least reference to these unethical and illegal practices of the United States and the United Kingdom, although they have opened a great breach in the credibility of the United Nations verification systems. All States, not only Iraq, must therefore take all measures necessary to protect their national security, sovereignty and dignity from those who don United Nations helmets to spy on other countries. What guarantees can the United Nations offer against repeated acts of espionage by inspectors, which threaten the security and independence of States? Thirdly, we do not know why the sponsors of the draft resolution ignored paragraph 14 of Security Council resolution 687 (1991), although Iraq has honoured all of its obligations under section C of that resolution. Paragraph 14 is the sole provision requiring implementation. It is well known that its implementation serves international and regional peace and security, enhances the status of the Agency and brings us closer to the universality of the safeguards system, and hence to our ultimate goal of nuclear disarmament. For all these reasons, we oppose paragraph 9 of the draft resolution in its totality and in all its details.

I wish to state the position of the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1 on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As one can see, in the case of secret underground nuclear facilities, the United States is fabricating all sorts of crises, attempting to shift the responsibility for its non- compliance with the Agreement to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, confirming once again that the United States harbours the intention of isolating and stifling the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The fate of the Agreed Framework depends entirely on the United States, and we are paying due attention to that. As for the implementation of the safeguards agreement with the IAEA, it is inseparably linked to the implementation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea/United States Agreed Framework. The Agreed Framework clearly stipulates our obligations with regard to the safeguards agreement with the IAEA. We are to comply with the safeguards agreement in accordance with the extent of implementation of the Agreed Framework by the United States. At present, we are faithfully fulfilling our obligations under the Agreed Framework. The safeguards Moreover, it is self-evident that we cannot leave a political-military issue which is directly linked to the sovereignty and the survival of our nation to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is a specialized agency. If the sponsors really wanted to see a settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula and our full compliance with the safeguards agreement, they should have urged the United States to faithfully implement the Democratic People's Republic of Korea/United States Agreed Framework. The draft resolution will not help in the settlement of the nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula, but will serve the dishonest purpose of putting pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and non-compliance with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea/United States Agreed Framework Agreement. Therefore, the delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will vote against the draft resolution.

India, a founding member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), attaches the highest importance and value to the objectives of the Agency. Since draft resolution A/54/L.21 pertains to the activities of the IAEA, we would have gone along with the draft resolution, but we cannot do so because we have considerable difficulties with the third preambular paragraph. The language in that paragraph appears to link adherence to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) with the freedom to develop, research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The statute of the IAEA, which must guide all our deliberations on the activities of the Agency, calls on the Agency to accelerate and enlarge the contributions of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. Further, the statute stresses the principle of sovereign equality of all its members. The purpose of these provisions of the statute of the IAEA are obviously to encourage unfettered access of member States to the peaceful uses of atomic energy without any discrimination The NPT is not an equitable Treaty. Also, the provisions of article VI of the NPT have not been fulfilled by the nuclear-weapon States. Therefore, the NPT should not be used for discriminating among members of the IAEA. By implying that only adherence to the NPT, on which my Government's views are well known, would give access to peaceful uses of atomic energy, the resolution deviates and, in fact, derogates from the objectives enshrined in the statute of the IAEA. We are concerned about how the IAEA's basic objectives are being distorted, both in terms of the NPT and now, in terms of taking up matters such as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty which are not of any relevance to the statute of the Agency. We have therefore been constrained to call for a vote on the third preambular paragraph and shall vote against it.

Since my delegation already made clear its positions on the issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's non- compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards agreement in the First Committee, as well as in the plenary General Assembly, I will refrain from repeating those positions today. We hope that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will return to the IAEA as a member and will fully comply with the IAEA safeguards agreement as a State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote before the voting. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1 and the oral amendment submitted by the representative of France. Before proceeding to take action on the draft resolution, I should like to announce that since its introduction, the following countries have become sponsors of draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1: Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt the oral amendment submitted by the representative of France?

A separate vote has been requested on the third preambular paragraph of draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1. If there is no objection to that request, I shall now put to the vote the third preambular paragraph of draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1. A recorded vote has been requested.

I will now put to the vote draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1 as a whole, as orally amended. A recorded vote has been requested. [Subsequently, the delegation of Azerbaijan informed the Secretariat that it had intended to vote in favour.]

I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of vote on the resolution just adopted. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

While appreciating the efforts made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in connection with the implementation of its mandate, we must point out that the report of the IAEA contains a number of questions dealt with during the forty-third session of the General Conference of the Agency with which we do not agree or are unsatisfied. One of these issues is the question of the implementation of safeguards in the Middle East and the Israeli nuclear capabilities and the risks attached thereto. Most regrettably, neither the resolution adopted nor the report refer to Israel by name. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has not adhered to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and continues to refuse to place all its nuclear facilities under the safeguards regime of the Agency. It continues to build up its capabilities with missiles and Nevertheless, the General Conference of the Agency confined itself to a presidential statement that did not even contain a reference to the concern caused by this armament process. My delegation, while registering its disappointment at the report of the Agency due to the lack of the necessary reference to this fact, hopes that the international community will understand our legitimate concern regarding the Israeli nuclear capabilities, and on the basis of the provisions of the NPT we call upon the international community, particularly nuclear-weapon-States, to avoid double standards and selectivity in dealing with States, as is now the case. One country is singled out by name while another is ignored and a blind eye is turned on its activities. In Syria we look forward to a Middle East region where a just, lasting and comprehensive peace prevails, a peace based on international legality, not on expansion, occupation and the monopoly of nuclear military power, which can only lead to increased tension in the Middle East.

Cuba voted in favour of the draft resolution contained in document A/54/L.21/Rev.l in view of the important, irreplaceable work done by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We regret that the inclusion of controversial elements in its text — a practice that, unfortunately, has become customary in considering this item, made it impossible once again for the resolution to be adopted by consensus. From my delegation's point of view, the draft resolution on the report of the IAEA on which the General Assembly takes action should contain only those elements that enjoy acceptance by all delegations. We do not believe that it contributes in any way to the work of the IAEA when, in contrast to the adoption of resolutions involving reports submitted by other international organizations, in this case we find ourselves compelled to take a decision by voting. The IAEA is not the only international organization where contentious issues are dealt with. However, the resolution pertaining to it, instead of being essentially procedural, is the only one that raises again the substantive Bearing these points in mind, my delegation would like to place on record that if operative paragraphs 8 and 9 of draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1 had been voted on separately, we would have abstained. By the same token, my delegation abstained in the separate vote on the third preambular paragraph, as we have done in corresponding cases in previous years, because it is our view that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is an inalienable right of all States and therefore cannot be made conditional on whether or not one is a party to certain international treaties. Our reservations with regard to that paragraph are based on its particular emphasis on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). As we have stated in many forums, we believe that the NPT in its very essence is a discriminatory and selective juridical instrument whereby two categories of States are established with different obligations and rights and whereby the possession of nuclear arms by certain States is legitimized. That is precisely what kept Cuba from becoming a party to that particular Treaty. We hope that at the next session, through joint efforts on the part of all delegations, the Assembly will be able to adopt a resolution on the report of the IAEA without a vote.

Israel's vote in favour of the resolution as a whole indicates its appreciation of the professional work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in all areas under its mandate. However, in reference to the third preambular paragraph, it peaceful purposes should be conducted on a basis of equality, as described in the IAEA statute, regardless of whether or not a member State of the Agency is party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Therefore, Israel had to vote against the third preambular paragraph of the resolution.

My delegation would like to explain its abstention in the voting on the draft resolution entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. Lebanon fears that the resolution could be misconstrued by Israel, which continues to refuse to place

The Chinese delegation voted in favour of draft resolution A/54/L.21/Rev.1. I should like to explain my delegation's position. China appreciates the role and the efforts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and in promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy. China gives a positive assessment to the work done by the Agency in the past year. As a member of the Agency, China supports, and has actively participated in, the various activities carried out by the IAEA. With regard to the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, China has consistently supported the efforts to maintain peace and stability there. We are in favour of making the peninsula a region free of nuclear weapons. We shall continue to support the solving of problems through consultation on the basis of the Framework Agreement between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States of America. We are not in favour of exerting pressure in the process of trying to settle the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. I call on the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, who wishes to speak in exercise of the right of reply. May I remind members that, in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, statements in exercise of the right of reply are limited to 10 minutes for the first intervention and to five minutes for the second intervention and should be made by delegations from their seats.

As my delegation has clearly and fully pointed out its positions vis-à-vis the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula both in the First Committee and in the plenary Assembly, it will underline only one point here. As a group of traitors of the nation that has introduced a large number of nuclear weapons into the Korean peninsula, which is the living ground of the entire nation, the South Korean authorities have no right whatsoever to speak about the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to remind the South Korean authorities once again that the real parties to the solution of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula are the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States, and not South Korea at all.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 14?