A/56/PV.80 General Assembly

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 3369 (XXX), of 10 October 1975, I now call on the observer for the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

On behalf of the general secretariat of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), it is my privilege to address the General Assembly on sub-item (d) of agenda item 21, entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference”. I wish to convey to the Assembly the greetings of Mr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as his best wishes for the success of all the endeavours of the Assembly at this session. We have read with interest the report of the Secretary-General contained in document A/56/398. We commend the United Nations Secretariat for its part in the preparation of the report, which, like others in the past, also includes contributions from other organizations of the United Nations system. Much of the report is devoted to detailing the status of the implementation of programmes and activities in priority areas of cooperation jointly developed by our two organizations and by our respective specialized agencies and institutions during the period under review. As reported, the progress of implementation is encouraging, and I would like to reassure the General Assembly of our specialized and affiliated institutions’ continued dedication to the tasks that we are jointly pursuing. Having said that, I wish to draw attention to paragraph 34 of the report, which suggests that information from a number of other organizations, programmes and departments of the United Nations system on their programmes and activities in cooperation with the OIC and its specialized institutions could not be included in the report. We feel certain that only some unforeseen and perhaps unavoidable technical constraints would have led to the absence of that information. We sincerely believe that had the material been available in the report, it would have added to our collective understanding of the state of cooperation between our two organizations and to the lessons to be learned from the experience for our future direction. I therefore express the hope that the report of the Secretary-General to the Assembly at its fifty-seventh session will contain all relevant and available information on cooperation between our two organizations and their respective agencies, programmes and institutions in jointly identified priority areas. That, however, does not detract from the fact that the present report of the Secretary-General is an important and useful document: it contains informative details about cooperation between our two organizations during the period under review. His Excellency Ambassador Moctar Ouane, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mali, acting in his capacity as Chairman of the Islamic Group in New York, has graciously introduced draft resolution A/56/L.36, on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. I wish to draw the Assembly’s attention to two of the 14 operative paragraphs of the draft resolution because of their particular significance. First, in paragraph 3, the two organizations are requested “to continue to cooperate in their common search for solutions to global problems, such as questions relating to international peace and security, disarmament, self-determination, decolonization, fundamental human rights, social and economic development and technical cooperation”. In accordance with previous resolutions, contacts and interactions between the United Nations and the OIC and between our respective agencies and institutions will continue to be strengthened through the Islamic Group in New York and through a number of OIC contact groups and committees at the United Nations. The Permanent Observer Missions of the OIC to the United Nations here in New York and in Geneva are participating actively in the work of the General Assembly and other United Nations organs in the capacity of observers, and are serving as channels of communication and consultation between the United Nations and the OIC and its specialized and affiliated institutions in all matters of common concern. We look forward to the further strengthening of that cooperation in the future. Secondly, the latter part of paragraph 5 takes note of the close cooperation between the two organizations in continuing the search for a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. As the Secretary-General’s report indicates in paragraph 9, close contacts between our two organizations have been developed and cover many aspects. The events of the past few weeks have brought about serious changes in the situation in Afghanistan, signalling the need for even closer cooperation in those aspects of the peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-building processes in which OIC support for United Nations efforts may be deemed extremely useful. We in the OIC are ready to undertake the tasks that lie ahead. Here, let me pay special tribute to the prodigious and dedicated efforts of Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan. We convey our complete and continued support for his efforts. Paragraphs 3 through 8 of the report of the Secretary-General refer to other political situations, notably the situation in the Middle East and in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem. Consultations between the United Nations and the OIC have continued with a view to finding just, acceptable and lasting solutions. We express the hope that the same degree of concern that the United Nations is demonstrating in remedying the conflict-ridden situation in Afghanistan and in rebuilding that country’s national institutions, infrastructure and social and economic strength, will be focused also on the Middle East in order to put an end to the Israeli occupation of Arab lands and of Palestinian territory, and to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to establish their own independent sovereign State. We are convinced that here the United Nations has an important and mandated role in implementing the general will of the international community as reflected in numerous resolutions of the General Assembly and of the Security Council. I conclude my statement on the same note of hope and expectation as I did a year ago for the future of cooperation between our two organizations in all areas in which the best interests of our common member States can be served. While we may leave it to history to judge the outcome of that cooperation, the demands of the global village with respect to our common journey to peace, progress and well-being offer opportunities and challenges that must not be missed. The rewards appear to be promising, and the United Nations can count on the continued and complete cooperation of the OIC in fully discharging its role in this worthwhile and noble effort.

In accordance with 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 wish at the outset, on behalf of the Secretary-General of the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF), to congratulate the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the high quality of his report (A/56/390) on cooperation between the two organizations since the Assembly’s adoption of its resolution 54/25 of 15 November 1999. As members know, that resolution recommends to the United Nations and to the International Organization of la Francophonie that they should continue and intensify their consultations with a view to ensuring greater coordination in the areas of conflict prevention, peace-building, support for the rule of law and democracy and promotion of human rights. It also invites the two organizations to identify new synergies in favour of development, in particular in the areas of poverty elimination, energy, sustainable development, education, training and the development of new information technologies. The report before the Assembly today, with whose assessments and conclusions we fully agree, responds nearly point by point to each of the recommendations the Assembly made two years ago. It reflects the quantitative and qualitative evolution of the cooperation between the two secretariats, above all in the political domain. This obviously includes the prevention, management and settlement of conflicts, as well as support for democratic processes, strengthening the rule of law and the protection and promotion of human rights. The exchange of information and analysis between the two organizations affects all States members of the OIF that have experienced or continue to experience crises: from Burundi to Haiti, from the Central African Republic to Guinea-Bissau, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Togo, as well as the Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea. This exercise is continually marked by “clear awareness of [our] respective comparative advantages and by a constant concern for complementarity” (A/56/390, para. 65). The objective of both sides is to facilitate peacemaking and reconciliation, dialogue and reconstruction — in a word, peace and development. As to support for democracy, electoral assistance and the promotion of human rights, although much remains to be done in order to strengthen cooperation in these fields, the links between the two organizations have been tightened. The past two years have been marked, on our part, by the convening of the international symposium on the Practices of Democracy, Rights and Freedoms in the French- speaking Community, held at Bamako in November 2000. The symposium was a highly important political event for the affirmation of the essential mission of the OIF, which is the consolidation of peace, democracy and the rule of law. The United Nations was closely involved in preparing for this event, which helped, inter alia, to facilitate further cooperation with the Department of Political Affairs in order to identify ways and means of strengthening collaboration between the two organizations in these areas, and in particular in electoral assistance. In the economic and social areas, over the past two years new partnerships have been forged between the International Organization of la Francophonie — through its principle mechanism, the Intergovernmental Agency of la Francophonie — on the one hand, and several agencies and programmes of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), on the other. These partnerships have generated tangible projects, undertaken for the most part in sub-Saharan Africa, in such areas as the elimination of poverty, support for good governance, the fight against AIDS, the promotion of private sector activities and new information and communication technologies. I wish in particular to welcome the promising synergy that has emerged between the OIF and UNCTAD in the framework of preparing and ensuring follow-up to the Third United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held last May in Brussels, especially with regard to strengthening national capacities in international trade, business development and investment promotion. A special ceremony took place in Brussels, at the margins of the Conference, that was co-chaired by the Secretary- Generals of the OIF and UNCTAD and at which a series of investment agreements were signed between French-speaking countries of the North and the South. With regard to new information technologies, a tradition of cooperation has gradually evolved. Following operations in support of the French-speaking countries of West Africa, the Maghreb and the Middle East — undertaken in 1999 and 2000 by OIF, through its Intergovernmental Agency, and the Department of Public Information — we are currently developing a programme of cooperation for 2002 and 2003 that would be of interest to the countries of Central Africa and the Caribbean, as well as to the staff of the permanent missions of French-speaking countries to the United Nations in New York. Progress has been tangible and the range of areas of cooperation has grown broader every year, to the benefit of our common members. We must now consolidate these achievements and seek to enhance them further. That is the aim of draft resolution A/56/L.34, introduced yesterday with great eloquence by the Permanent Representative of Lebanon, Ambassador Tadmoury, on behalf of the 61 sponsoring countries. On behalf of the Secretary-General of the International Organization of la Francophonie, I wish to take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to Lebanon, the host of the forthcoming Summit of Heads of State and Government of countries that use French as a common language, which will have as its theme “dialogue of cultures”. We also thank all the sponsors of the draft resolution and all the members of this Assembly for their support for the draft.

In accordance with General Assembly resolution 55/161 of 12 December 2000, I call on the Deputy Secretary- General of the Economic Community of Central African States.

On behalf of the secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and of its member States, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Han Seung-soo on his election as President of the General Assembly. We are also very proud to make this statement as you, Sir, preside over this meeting, because you are a national and a representative of a State member of our Organization. This is also an opportunity for me to pay tribute to Mr. Han’s predecessor for his outstanding work. I also wish once again to extend our congratulations to Secretary-General Kofi Annan and to the United Nations on their joint awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, which attests to the United Nations tireless endeavours to promote peace and security throughout the world. At a time when the General Assembly has on its agenda the sub-item on cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Community of Central African States, I wish to place on record the gratitude of our member States to all those who have worked to establish and strengthen cooperation between our two organizations. Cooperation between the United Nations and ECCAS, articulated in resolutions 55/22 and 55/161 — which respectively institutionalized their relationship and granted observer status to ECCAS in the General Assembly — has steadily increased and now offers fresh prospects in the context of the charters of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity. With more than 6 million square kilometres of territory, more than 100 million inhabitants, a central geostrategic position in Africa and extraordinary mining potential, Central Africa deserves the sustained attention of the international community, because its stability will determine the development of the rest of the continent. The cooperation between the United Nations and ECCAS is being strengthened despite a subregional geopolitical environment marked by the persistence of the war in Angola, the emergence of new fronts of instability in the Central African Republic and the constant threat of the regionalization of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which could have hindered subregional economic integration. Thus, security and conflict prevention in the subregion of Central Africa are quite rightly the major focuses of cooperation between ECCAS and the United Nations. In these areas, the States members of ECCAS have worked to establish and strengthen mutual confidence-building measures, giving priority to questions of security, defence and peace on the agenda of the ECCAS secretariat. The impetus given by the United Nations and the political will of the ECCAS heads of State and Government have made it possible to outline a subregional architecture for peacekeeping and conflict prevention. This is organized around the Council for Peace and Security in Central Africa and the early warning mechanism for Central Africa, which is designed to prevent new conflicts or to anticipate the proper responses to them; and, as appropriate, it would draw on the Multinational Force for Central Africa. All of these instruments and endeavours would be ineffective without the support of the United Nations, which alone has universal legitimacy and whose experience in the areas of peacekeeping and dispute settlement is instructive. Although we can legitimately rejoice in the progress made in less than a decade, there are still many challenges to be met, many opportunities to be seized and many tasks to be carried out collectively. The strengthening of cooperation with the United Nations should take into account the expectations of our peoples in the areas of human rights, the promotion of democracy and, above all, the struggle against poverty and new plagues such as HIV/AIDS. The decision taken by the United Nations to create in Central Africa a Subregional Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, with headquarters in Yaoundé, and the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, will all, we are convinced, help accelerate the democratization process of States members, along with the subregional parliament, to be based in Equatorial Guinea. ECCAS would like to develop with the United Nations close cooperation based on intensive collaboration between the two secretariats and regular contacts between the two entities through the participation of United Nations representatives in ECCAS meetings. This cooperation, which we fervently seek, should encompass all areas of the life of our peoples and strengthen subregional integration, which is still fragile in some respects. It would also enable ECCAS to diversify its partners and to benefit more from the support of the agencies of the United Nations system. Security and democracy very much depend on the economic and social development of our States, as does the well-being of our peoples. It is to create the necessary conditions for constructing these links that the ECCAS secretariat, in accordance with its activity programme for 2002-2003, intends particularly to liberalize trade within the Community by creating a free trade zone, to develop transport and communication infrastructures, to identify integrative projects in sectors of high priority to the Community and to set up a new autonomous mechanism of Community financing. These projects would not be possible to complete solely within the framework of our organization; we must take into account the overall state of the continent and the quality of bilateral and multilateral relations among the States members of ECCAS. That is why we believe that the future of ECCAS is linked to that of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the success of the OAU’s transition to the African Union, and the interest that Africans themselves and the international community will show in helping it overcome its current difficulties. The Secretary-General, in his report contained in document A/56/301, stresses the importance of strengthening the structures of ECCAS and the need to achieve, with the assistance of the United Nations, the objectives it has set for itself in all areas, particularly those of peace, security, democracy and good governance. The many areas of tension in the subregion and the complexity of the situations that need to be settled make it all the more relevant for ECCAS to approach the United Nations. It is because our concerns are in accord with the objectives of the Organization, contained in its Charter, that we today invite the General Assembly to adopt the draft resolution presented for its consideration by the current Chairman of ECCAS, Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. (spoke in English) We shall now proceed to consider draft resolutions A/56/L.25/Rev.2, A/56/L.26, A/56/L.29, A/56/L.30, A/56/L.31, A/56/L.32, A/56/L.34, A/56/L.35, A/56/L.36, A/56/L.37 and A/56/L.38. I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of vote or position before action is taken. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

The United States regrets that it will not be able to participate in the adoption of the draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe, contained in document A/56/L.31. The draft resolution contains language on the International Criminal Court that is unacceptable to the United States Government. The United States has well- known objections to the International Criminal Court, including the Court’s purported ability to exercise jurisdiction over nationals of non-parties, the inclusion of the crime of aggression within the Statute of the Court and the possibility of politically motivated prosecutions. The United States values the cooperative relationship between the United Nations and the Council of Europe but cannot endorse the draft resolution’s statements on the Council’s efforts to support the International Criminal Court.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The European Union wishes to express its regrets concerning the request by the delegation of the United States that the draft resolution entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization” be put to a vote, because the European Union believes that the work of the Preparatory Commission supplements effectively the efforts of the United Nations, particularly in the area of international security, arms control and disarmament. That is why the European Union — as it had stressed at the second Conference on facilitating the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT), held in November last — welcomes the adoption of a partnership agreement between the Preparatory Commission for the Treaty and the United Nations as well as the conclusion of cooperation agreements with the United Nations specialized agencies and programmes. As far as the European Union is concerned, the Treaty marks a significant phase — both symbolic and tangible — in the process of non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament, pursuant to article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which, the European Union would note, is the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime and the foundation of our efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament. The call by the delegation of the United States for a vote on this draft resolution is regrettable, because its purpose is to prevent — if such a thing were possible — cooperation between our Organization and the Preparatory Commission for the Treaty, even though the need for such cooperation is unquestionable. The European Union will vote in favour of the draft resolution entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”.

Australia is pleased to be able to support the draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). We regret that we will not be able to adopt the draft resolution without a vote. The establishment of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission was a landmark achievement for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We take this opportunity to reiterate Australia’s strong commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and our support for the very important work of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission.

We have heard the last speaker in explanation of position before action is taken on the draft resolutions. The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolutions A/56/L.25/Rev.2, L.26, L.29, L.30, L.31, L.32, L.34, L.35, L.36, L.37 and L.38. Draft resolution A/56/L.25/Rev. 2 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Community of Central African States”. Before proceeding to take action on the draft resolution, I should like to announce that, since the publication of the draft resolution, the following countries have become sponsors of A/56/L.25/Rev.2: Austria, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.25/Rev.2?

Draft resolution A/56/L.26 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States”. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has become a co-sponsor of this draft resolution since its publication. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.26?

Draft resolution A/56/L.29 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum”. Senegal and Kuwait are among the sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.29. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.29?

Draft resolution A/56/L.30 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.30?

Draft resolution A/56/L.31 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Council of Europe”. Germany and the Russian Federation are among the sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.31. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.31?

Draft resolution A/56/L.32 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Economic Cooperation Organization”. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.32?

Draft resolution A/56/L.34 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Organization of la Francophonie”. Albania, Angola, Colombia, Dominica, Slovakia, Suriname, Turkey and Ukraine are among the sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.34. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.34?

Draft resolution A/56/L.35 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union”. Before proceeding to take action on the draft resolution, I should like to announce that, since its publication, the following countries have become sponsors of A/56/L.35: Australia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Croatia, El Salvador, Eritrea, Guinea- Bissau, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Nepal, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, the Sudan, Thailand and Yemen. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.35?

Draft resolution A/56/L.36 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference”. Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Indonesia, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Niger, Pakistan, Senegal, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are among the sponsors of A/56/L.36. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.36?

Draft resolution A/56/L.37 is entitled, “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity”. I would like to inform members of a technical error in the text of the draft resolution. In the last operative paragraph, paragraph 20, the words “fifty- eighth session” should be replaced by “fifty-seventh session”. Paragraph 20 should therefore read as follows: “Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on the implementation of the present resolution.” The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Seychelles and Chile are among the sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.37. May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/56/L.37, as orally corrected?

Draft resolution A/56/L.38 is entitled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization”. Suriname is among the sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.38. A recorded vote has been requested. I shall now call on the representative of New Zealand, who wishes 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.

New Zealand was pleased to support the draft resolution in document A/56/L.38 today. For many years, we advocated, within the United Nations, the importance of a Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Its adoption in 1996 and the establishment of the Preparatory Commission marked significant steps forward in the maintenance of international peace and security. It is therefore a matter of deep regret to my delegation that today we were unable to adopt the draft resolution in document A/56/L.38 without a vote.

We have heard the only speaker in explanation of vote. May I take it that is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of sub-items (b), (c), (d), (e), (g), (h), (j), (k), (l) and (m) of agenda item 21?

The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (f) of agenda item 21. I should like to inform Member States that all the draft resolutions under sub-items (a) and (i) will be submitted at a later date.