A/64/PV.14 General Assembly

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Armenia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine align themselves with this statement. I wish to thank the Secretary-General for his report (A/64/1) on the work of the Organization. The European Union would like to reconfirm its commitment to facing the multiple challenges before us through effective multilateralism. We need the broad-based legitimacy of the United Nations to underpin international actions and norms and to coordinate our efforts. The United Nations, for its part, will have to adapt to remain relevant and to be able to address the issues before us. Climate change has proven to be one of the greatest challenges of our generation, and 2009 is a critical year. It is also a year of hope and opportunity. The European Union will go to Copenhagen in December determined to reach a comprehensive, fair and ambitious global climate agreement. On scientific grounds, global temperature rise must be kept below 2 degrees Celsius. To secure this target, global emissions need to be reduced by at least 50 per cent by 2050. This is possible, and requires all countries to contribute and cooperate. Developed countries must take the lead in reducing emissions. The European Union commitments stand firm. The EU is also prepared to contribute our fair share of financing and support to developing countries’ mitigation and adaptation efforts. The European Union appreciates the leadership of the Secretary-General and commends his initiative to organize a Summit on Climate Change, where world leaders showed unanimous determination to seal an ambitious deal in Copenhagen. By bringing development actors around the world together to work towards the same goals, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) play a unique catalytic role in driving development progress. The European Union is very encouraged by the reports of concrete progress on the MDG regarding HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. On the other hand, we are deeply concerned about the setbacks in many other areas, with MDG 5 on maternal mortality, sadly, standing out. The year 2015 is fast approaching. In order to achieve the MDGs, we need to step up all efforts — national and international, regional and private, governmental and non-governmental, in the North and in the South. The role of the United Nations in development is pivotal, and the European Union will continue to support its work. The United Nations is in a unique position to pursue good offices efforts in preventive diplomacy around the world. We support the continued strengthening of United Nations capacity in this field, including through the Mediation Support Unit. The European Union is building up a similar capacity and looks forward to close cooperation with the United Nations and regional organizations. Furthermore, the EU supports the objectives of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative in order to contribute to mutual understanding among nations. United Nations peacekeeping is at a critical juncture. The paper entitled “A New Partnership Agenda: Charting a New Horizon for UN Peacekeeping” provides a basis for a strategic reflection about the role and capacity of the United Nations in the field of peacekeeping. As the Secretary- General points out in his report, the challenges that face the peacekeepers of today are unprecedented in scale, complexity and risk level. It is therefore crucial that the process of forming partnerships and sharing the burden continue with a view to finding the best collective responses to global and regional conflicts. The EU is committed to a strong and close partnership with the United Nations in peacekeeping. We continue to be involved in both United Nations-led and United Nations-mandated peacekeeping operations. EU member States contribute nearly 40 per cent of the peacekeeping budget. The recent transfer of responsibilities between the two organizations in Chad and in Kosovo highlights the close partnership between the EU and the United Nations. Efficient cooperation between the United Nations and other regional organizations, in particular the African Union, is vital in making peacekeeping efforts more effective. The full implementation of Security Council resolutions on women, peace and security is important to the European Union. We must ensure that they are followed up by concrete action. The United Nations has taken important steps in recent years to develop a more systematic approach to post-conflict peacebuilding. The Peacebuilding Commission has proven to be an important vehicle to mobilize political and financial support and to focus on key priorities. We must continue to take steps that can enhance joint coordination of policies and activities, both at Headquarters and in the field. In his report, the Secretary-General points to counter-terrorism and disarmament and non-proliferation as two areas where the United Nations should make a real difference. The European Union commends the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force for its work and would like to see further steps towards a more coherent United Nations approach to counter- terrorism, including the finalization of a comprehensive convention on terrorism. As stated in the report of the Secretary-General, there is encouraging growing momentum in global arms control and disarmament. Over the next year, we have a chance to revitalize multilateral work on these issues. The European Union places strong emphasis on achieving a successful outcome to the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. At the same time, we continue to face major proliferation challenges. We will continue to pursue resolute action in response to them. In that context, the European Union stresses the crucial importance of full and immediate compliance with Security Council resolutions. One of the main purposes for the establishment of the United Nations was to achieve international cooperation in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In spite of the progress made, as outlined in the report of the Secretary-General, much remains to be done. In order for the United Nations to become more efficient, human rights must be integrated into all policy areas of the United Nations. The European Union will continue its work in keeping human rights at the top of the United Nations agenda. We value what has been achieved to date by the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide and look forward to further information and outreach to Member States on his activities. The EU would like to express its gratitude and strong support to the Special Advisers of the Secretary- General, and not least the Secretary-General himself, with regard to the valuable report (A/63/677) on the implementation of the responsibility to protect. In particular, the EU looks forward to the Secretary- General’s further proposals for strengthening the United Nations early warning capability, as suggested in the report. The EU stands ready to contribute to the efforts ahead. Resolution 63/311, on system-wide coherence, which was adopted by the General Assembly on the last day of its sixty-third session, provides a good basis for further work in the Assembly to improve the ability of the United Nations to make a difference for people in need. Of particular importance is the strong and unanimous support expressed by the General Assembly in the resolution for the establishment of a composite gender entity headed by an Under-Secretary-General. The European Union stands ready to work with other Member States to finalize the remaining details of the entity. We are confident that this process can be a swift one. The European Union looks forward to contributing constructively to further progress in other areas concerning system-wide coherence during this session of the General Assembly. Improving the governance structures and funding modalities for United Nations development work is essential for the Organization to be an effective partner for developing countries. On the delivering as one principle, we encourage the Secretary-General to move forward as soon as possible with the independent evaluation of the eight pilot projects. Some important steps in management reform were taken in the past year. The European Union will continue to support efforts to modernize and reform the Organization. At the same time, especially in this period of global economic crisis, we need to ensure that the resources of the Organization are used in the most effective and efficient way, without preventing it from carrying out its mandates. In that regard, we will carefully study the budget and reform proposals presented to Member States. The European Union would like to see a change made to the scale of assessments this autumn. The EU believes firmly that a fair and more balanced way to share the budgetary responsibilities of the United Nations is essential to the effective functioning of the Organization. Lastly, on behalf of the European Union, I would like to thank the Secretary-General and his staff and to express our gratitude for their commitment and achievements in carrying out the mandate we have entrusted to them. I assure them of the full support of the European Union.

Change is upon us. This past year, the Organization and the international community at large went through one of the darkest periods in global economic history. As we recover from the impact of the global crisis, we are learning to change how we accomplish things. More cooperation is evident among Members of the United Nations, just as the Organization itself has learned that adapting to change is the only way by which it can remain relevant, which is important for an Organization that is more than 60 years old. The Secretary-General’s report (A/64/1) on the work of the Organization refers to the adaptation process that the Organization has undergone both in this past year and in previous years. We commend the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General in that regard. However, the reform of the United Nations as an Organization should not be a stand-alone project, limited only to the approval of the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. Member States of the United Nations must also have a fair amount of say in the goings-on of the Secretariat and other United Nations organs, bodies, agencies and programmes, especially when the reforms involve the creation of new mandates or an expansion of existing ones. There should also be restraint on the part of Secretariat bodies when it comes to proposing and embarking upon activities that could be detrimental to the work of the Organization, in particular when the views and opinions of Member States have not been sought. This year, after Member States had been belabouring the point for many years, the Counter- Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) was finally formally institutionalized and placed under the Department of Political Affairs. During the four years since its establishment by the Secretary-General, in 2005, the CTITF was free to establish working groups. The nine working groups it established existed without any kind of mandate from the Member States. That is something that we, along with many countries of the developing world, viewed with great concern. To have un-mandated and unapproved working groups on the question of terrorism, which is one of the highly political and frequently recurring issues at the United Nations, is simply baffling to this Member State. In particular for a developing country such as Malaysia, the practice of appointing officials within the United Nations system itself is a matter of concern. The appointment of advisers to the Secretary-General and other staff in top posts more often than not seems to be the exclusive purview of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The rest of us Member States only find out about an appointment when it is a done deal. While we do not challenge the Secretary-General’s prerogative to appoint the members of his team, more transparency, consultation and dialogue will no doubt go a long way towards contributing to the inclusiveness factor that is in the spirit of the United Nations. As an Organization with universal membership, the United Nations is well-primed to play a leading role in studying the impact and consequences of events by gathering information. However, before the system is fully locked into place, we welcome the recent efforts by the Secretary-General to brief Member States about the possible implementation of the Global Impact and Vulnerability Alert System, which he has proposed. We believe that further discussions are needed in order to fine-tune the system while ensuring the optimization of the Organization’s resources and further guaranteeing that the core business of the Organization is not jeopardized. Malaysia welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal and the United Nations Appeals Tribunal under the new system of justice for the Organization. After a few hiccups, the Dispute Tribunal was able to meet during summer of 2009, and was still meeting as of last week. For Member States to be able to assess the effectiveness of the new system of justice, a report on the work of the UNDT thus far should be forthcoming. For many around the world, the United Nations is a beacon of hope. The United Nations has always been central in the areas of peacekeeping and development. The past year was no different in that regard. In a sense, it is heartening to note that, despite the shrinking global economy, the Organization’s commitment in those two areas has not diminished. In both peacekeeping and development, the Organization has in fact experienced an increase in budgetary allocations. However, in an environment where funding allocations are decreasing, the expenditures of the United Nations on peacekeeping alone are simply staggering. This year’s forecast for peacekeeping expenditures is expected to increase from $5.3 billion, nearly a year ago, to $7.8 billion. That figure represents more than half of the entire United Nations Headquarters budget of $13.9 billion, and does not include the nearly $600 million that will need to come from the budget of the United Nations Headquarters. While Malaysia is as committed as any other Member to having United Nations peacekeepers on the ground, we will need to carefully weigh each and every peacekeeping mission, as well as the viability of ongoing missions that should turn from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. The practice of clustering all peacekeeping funding together for the approval of Member States without a critical analysis of the need for specific missions needs to be stopped. As the United Nations has shown that it can work in cooperation with regional partners such as the European Union and the African Union, this may be one way of managing the staggering costs of United Nations peacekeeping. It would also allow regional partners some measure of ownership over the maintenance of peace and security in their regions, with the United Nations standing by to offer technical and strategic support. The global economic crisis has put a damper on the momentum of the international community when it comes to achieving the Millennium Development Goals in general, specifically when it comes to the problem of eradicating poverty. The United Nations assessment that more than 100 million people have regressed to a state of extreme poverty is sobering, to say the least. The Organization will need to work even harder to fulfil the Secretary-General’s promise of delivering to those most in need. But the Organization has done well in its coordinated efforts and cooperation with other entities in responding to international calamities. Buoyed by the success of its 2006 reform initiatives, the Organization must be commended for its efforts to fully mobilize the resources at its disposal for quick and effective humanitarian responses. But the Organization must not be complacent. The increase in the total funding for humanitarian operations received from Member States in 2008 must be matched this year and the next so that the worldwide humanitarian assistance provided by the United Nations will be able to continue. At this juncture, allow me to express the condolences of my Government and its people to the people of Indonesia in connection with the devastating quake that hit the island of Sumatra recently. I understand that a United Nations assessment team will be in Padang this Friday to determine the extent of the humanitarian assistance that will be needed in the weeks and months to come. Similarly, I would like to extend our condolences to Samoa and the Philippines with regard to the devastation and loss of life caused, respectively, by the tsunami and typhoon. On 24 September 2009, the United Nations took a big step in connection with the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. In particular, the Security Council summit placed the matter clearly in the international spotlight. If ever there was a time to capitalize on the attention that has been generated around this issue, it is now. The Secretary-General must do all he can to keep the question on the agenda, while at the same time creating a conducive environment for Member States to pursue this particular matter. The Organization’s most recent push in this area will hopefully hasten the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Climate change is another important area in which the Secretary-General has not shown hesitancy. The problem becomes graver with every passing year. This year’s meeting at Copenhagen needs to deliver results. As it should be, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the main forum in which climate change is addressed. All other meetings held outside of the scope of the UNFCCC should supplement the work of the Convention, not duplicate it. The Organization as a whole has been able to assist national Governments in implementing the agreements related to climate change. We commend the effort by the United Nations Environment Programme to launch the Green Economy Initiative and Global Green New Deal, as announced at Pittsburgh in September 2009. Those are the kinds of deals that the United Nations should always try to seal. As we start the work of the Main Committees during the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly, Malaysia notes that the United Nations budget for the 2010 to 2011 biennium will be negotiated this year. Given today’s difficult economic situation, we call upon Member States to provide, in a timely manner, the resources necessary for the functioning of the Organization’s operations. We urge the Organization to prioritize its areas of responsibility and to allocate those resources accordingly. Cutting corners is a must, but not at the expense of the core business of the United Nations. Finally, pursuant to the report of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly (A/63/959), more must be done to raise the profile of both the United Nations and the General Assembly itself. The Department of Public Information must be tenacious in its efforts to generate wider media coverage of the issues being debated at the General Assembly. Because the United Nations should not stand in isolation, Malaysia welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General to reach out to different segments of society through programmes such as the Global Compact and the recently launched Academic Impact. Multi-stakeholder approaches are very much the norm now. Any effort that advances the causes that we as Member States hold dear in our hearts must be supported. The delegation of Malaysia stands ready to strengthen the Organization’s capabilities to function effectively and efficiently so that it may turn to doing its job in fulfilling the needs of the peoples of the world who are most in need.

Allow me at the outset to express our deep gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1) and for its clear message that the huge challenges currently facing our world make it imperative to strengthen our collective multilateral action, with the United Nations at its centre. Yet, despite the Secretary-General’s tireless efforts aimed at enhancing the Organization’s credibility by laying out plans for reforming and energizing it so that it may better perform its functions, the success of the United Nations in fulfilling its duties with the necessary efficiency, effectiveness and integrity depends on the political will of Member States and on the support they give the Secretary- General so that he can carry out his duties as well as possible. This year’s report shows that the challenges we are facing require global multilateral action that draws on the strengths of all countries and on their respective contributions to collective international action. Development activities, deservedly, are at the forefront of the report, which explains that the world financial crisis and the accompanying economic downturn have resulted in a shortage of the resources needed to continue the work of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), so that we will have to redouble our efforts between now and the target date of 2015. It is thus of pivotal importance that the Secretary-General submit to the 2010 MDG review summit concrete proposals in all areas of development, in particular social development, which has not yet received sufficient support. I would also like to commend the report’s discussion of the intention to establish a comprehensive approach within the United Nations system for addressing crises, as well as a global early warning system for determining possible impacts and identifying the most vulnerable parties. This will require Member States to work towards that goal and put in place the necessary machinery. This situation belies the claim made by developed countries that the world financial and economic crisis justifies abandoning their development financing commitments. On the contrary, from the point of view of the developing countries, not only has the current crisis made it even more important for developed countries to carry out their previous development commitments in full; it means that financial contributions actually need to be increased to help developing countries overcome the ramifications of the crisis itself, not to mention other crises they face. This is particularly true of commitments to Africa, since many of these have yet to be fulfilled, which threatens the ability of the majority of the continent’s countries to attain the MDGs by the year 2015. Moreover, we share the Secretary-General’s view that 2009 should be the year for confronting climate change. The Secretary-General has exerted massive efforts to influence international action on this issue, most recently the successful summit he convened at the beginning of the sixty-fourth session. All such efforts should be built upon in order to reach a new agreement at December’s Copenhagen Climate Change Conference that guarantees the international community’s unity on the issue. The Egyptian delegation agrees with the warning in the Secretary-General’s report that a deteriorating economic situation could possibly lead to political tension and the exacerbation of internal crises, threatening stability in Africa. We also agree that greater emphasis should be placed on United Nations efforts in the fields of preventive diplomacy, the peaceful settlement of disputes and post-conflict peacebuilding. Last year the General Assembly adopted the Secretary-General’s proposals for increasing the role of the Department of Political Affairs in the area of preventive diplomacy (see resolution 63/261). We should also turn our attention to reform of peacekeeping operations, especially in the light of the positive outcome resulting from the separation of the Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support. This will require an in-depth study of initiatives aimed at promoting and enhancing the effectiveness of the United Nations role in peacekeeping operations, based on the “New Horizon” non-paper and taking into consideration the views and suggestions of Member States, in a framework of transparency and frankness that reflects the interests of all parties: host countries, troop contributors and donor countries. By the same token, Egypt firmly supports the role of the Peacebuilding Commission in promoting peace and stability in post-conflict countries, especially in Africa. We also welcome the committee’s priorities in defining the general strategic framework formulated by the national authorities in each country, in coordination and cooperation with the United Nations, especially the Peacebuilding Commission. In this regard, we stress the necessity of considering a number of specific measures during the 2010 comprehensive review of the Peacebuilding Commission. Most important of these are: strengthening the principle of national ownership in all phases of peacebuilding; enhancing and developing the institutional relationship between the Commission and the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council; and developing the relationship between the Commission and all active national parties, including non-governmental organizations and civil society. We should also ensure that the General Assembly continues to support and strengthen the Peacebuilding Support Office and provide the Commission with the posts and financial resources required for holding meetings and fulfilling relevant tasks, including field visits, as well as providing support for the Peacebuilding Fund. There is no doubt that the natural disasters that have befallen the Philippines, Indonesia, Samoa, American Samoa and other places emphasize the importance of continued improvement of the United Nations role in providing humanitarian assistance, in a manner that enhances its effectiveness in countries affected by disasters, whether natural or man-made, especially as regards institutional capacity-building aimed at helping such countries respond effectively and successfully. This should begin with a preventive stage helping countries improve prediction, early warning and preparedness; it should be followed with assistance aimed at mitigating a disaster’s impact, embarking on reconstruction and moving forward from relief to development. In spite of the steps taken within the multilateral framework to promote respect for human rights, and the radical reforms represented in the establishment of the Human Rights Council and the introduction of the periodic review mechanism, there are still attempts by some to politicize human rights issues, through selectivity and double standards, as a pretext for interfering in countries’ internal affairs, contrary to the United Nations Charter. We therefore look forward to continued strengthening of the role of the Human Rights Council in the light of developments resulting from the agreement on the Council’s institutional structure. We also await a comprehensive evaluation in 2011 of the Council’s work, strengthening it and enabling it to take on the substantive role expected of it, in coordination with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This should also put an end to any attempt to impose special concepts or standards, or to give political and civic dimensions priority at the expense of economic, cultural, and social ones, while giving due attention to the right to development as a cornerstone of capacity- building efforts and promoting respect for human rights and basic freedoms. As we welcome the efforts of the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, we would like to point out with a note of caution that this noble concept is still more a theory than a practical reality. It will require greater action on the part of academic, cultural and media institutions to resist misconceptions and stereotypes and promote the concepts of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and respect for cultural specificities. Within the framework of the reform and development process launched at the World Summit in 2005, Egypt has participated effectively in the ongoing consultations regarding the responsibility to protect, as outlined in paragraphs 138 and 139 of the Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1). We look forward to continuing this constructive dialogue with a view to formulating a common, serious and objective approach, overcoming fears, and affirming the concepts of early warning and capacity-building as main pillars of that responsibility, without politicization or double standards. Together during the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, we managed a step towards an important and essential common goal, namely, gender equality and the empowerment of women to practice their fundamental rights and to realize their creative potentials. We hope that positive momentum will continue during the sixty-fourth session. Within the framework of the intergovernmental process to consider the recommendations of the Report of the High-level Panel on United Nations System- wide Coherence (see A/61/583), and as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Egypt contributed, through the NAM Joint Coordinating Committee and the Group of 77 and China, along with our partners from developed countries, to the adoption by consensus of resolution 63/311. That represented a step forward towards qualitatively enhancing the gender architecture within the United Nations and moving towards achieving the required and necessary enhancement of financing and governance systems. It also assures that issues related to business practices and the “One United Nations” programme will continue to be addressed. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts in this regard during the sixty-fourth session. We still have a great deal of work to accomplish on both revitalizing the role of the General Assembly and reforming and expanding the membership of the Security Council. Both issues are interrelated and are linked to several aspects of United Nations reform which could restore the institutional balance that is currently lacking among the principal organs of the Organization. This imbalance results in the loss of the fundamental character and identity of the United Nations as the engine of multilateral international action. Last but not least, Egypt welcomes the recent initiatives which created an encouraging momentum towards achieving the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons. We share the Secretary-General’s view that the review process of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has regained some of the momentum it had lost in 2005, which could help towards the success of the 2010 NPT Review Conference. However, realizing such expectations requires that the credibility of the NPT be strengthened through achievement of the Treaty’s universality, with the accession of all countries without exception. That should not be done through the creation of a discriminatory reality that will impose additional commitments and restrictions on the non-nuclear member countries while giving countries that are not parties to the Treaty the freedom to develop their nuclear weapons programmes. That would impose a new nuclear reality outside the framework of the Treaty. In that context, we were hoping that the Secretary-General would refer in his report to Israel’s ambiguous nuclear capabilities, which create an unacceptable exception in the Middle East, especially since the indefinite extension of the NPT in 1995 included integrated arrangements and specific steps to address the situation in the Middle East that have not yet been implemented. Hence, I reaffirm once again that the success of the 2010 Review Conference will depend primarily on the implementation of the terms agreed for the Treaty’s indefinite extension, especially the Conference’s resolution on the Middle East. Egypt will make the utmost effort to promote the balanced implementation of that agreement, with a view to supporting the non-proliferation regime and the initiatives that were launched in that regard.

The Chinese delegation welcomes Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). I take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his diligent work and outstanding performance over the past year. Deepening economic globalization and the rapid development of science and technology have further strengthened the interdependence among countries and regions. Countries worldwide find their interests and destinies increasingly integrated. No one can remain immune to the acute challenges presented by the financial and economic crisis, climate change and the need to provide security in the areas of food, energy, resources and public health. And no one can cope with these challenges single-handed. In the face of these unprecedented opportunities and challenges, we must opt for multilateralism, promote the democratization of international relations and strengthen global coordination and cooperation. In addition to the lack of fundamental improvement and the grave lack of resource for development, developing countries are now facing further domestic economic difficulties and a worsening external development environment as a result of the international financial crisis. That crisis has caused immense setbacks in their efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although developing countries are not responsible for the outbreak of this crisis, they are its principal victims. In coping with the international financial crisis, we should also pay attention to the unprecedented development crisis. Any endeavour to address the financial crisis must take into account the need for development, particularly the special concerns of the least developed countries and African countries. The United Nations should increase its input in development, play a bigger role in responding to the financial crisis and promoting development, and work hard to create an international environment favourable to the development of developing countries so as to ensure the timely attainment of the MDGs. The success of the high-level Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, held during the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, demonstrated the important role of the General Assembly in responding to the financial crisis. China supports the full implementation of action to follow up on the outcome of the Conference. Climate change involves the common interests of all countries, particularly the development interests of developing countries and the welfare of their peoples. At the recent United Nations Summit on Climate Change, President Hu Jintao of China set out my country’s position on climate change and announced a series of measures that China will take in this regard. As the world’s most populous developing country, China still faces numerous difficulties in its development endeavours. Nevertheless, it puts great emphasis on the issue of climate change. We will work together with other countries, take a responsible approach to the issue, abide by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol as the main channel for tackling climate change, adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the mandate of the Bali Road Map, and make active efforts to push for the success of the Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen. While the overall international security situation is stable, some long-standing hot-spot issues remain unresolved, and regional conflicts still flare up from time to time. The financial and economic crisis has exacerbated existing social problems in some countries and has triggered new social conflicts — even political turbulence. The international struggle against terrorism still faces daunting challenges. Somali pirates now pose a new threat to the security of international shipping. In places such as the Middle East, Darfur, the Horn of Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan, the United Nations is playing a significant role in peacekeeping and post- conflict reconstruction. At the request of the countries and regional organizations concerned, the United Nations has also been actively engaged in good offices efforts and preventive diplomacy, thus contributing to preventing the further escalation of instability. Facts have proven that, in addressing regional hot-spot issues and international disputes, it is imperative to adhere both to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to peaceful dialogue. In deploying United Nations peacekeeping missions, equal attention should be paid to promoting political negotiations. China is firmly opposed to all forms of terrorism, separatism and extremism. Combating terrorism requires the elimination of the breeding grounds for terrorism. Double standards should not be allowed in the fight against terrorism; nor should terrorism be linked with any specific country, ethnic group or religion. Within the framework of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, the United Nations should continue to integrate the resources of the relevant organs of the system and implement the four pillars of the Counter- Terrorism Strategy in a comprehensive and balanced manner. The process of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation now faces an important opportunity. Countries should set their sights on the goal of universal security, uphold the new security concept characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, give full play to the role of multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, continuously consolidate and reinforce the existing multilateral mechanisms for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, strengthen dialogue and cooperation in the field of security and make joint efforts to create a harmonious and stable security environment at the international and regional levels. China has always stood for the comprehensive prohibition and total destruction of nuclear weapons and for the realization of a nuclear-weapon-free world. The international community should effectively promote the process of nuclear disarmament, eliminate the risk of nuclear proliferation and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and international cooperation in this regard. China supports the necessary and reasonable reform of the United Nations as a means to enhance its authority and efficiency, increase its capacity to respond to various threats and challenges and fulfil more effectively the responsibilities entrusted to it under the Charter. While some positive progress has been achieved in the reform of the Organization since 2005, there is still some way to go towards meeting the expectations of Member States. The reform of the United Nations should be a multidimensional and multisectoral undertaking with particular emphasis on development, which is the major concern of developing countries. It is necessary to increase inputs in that field, guarantee resources for development and strengthen development institutions. China supports the revitalization of the General Assembly, which we believe is the joint political responsibility of all Member States. The revitalization of the Assembly should first of all find expression in the active participation of Member States in the policy deliberations of the Assembly and the effective implementation of its resolutions and decisions. China supports Security Council reform, which is an important part of the overall reform of the United Nations. China is of the view that priority should be given to increasing the representation of developing countries in the Council, especially African countries. The intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform have provided a new platform for Member States to explore this issue. We hope that Member States will continue broad-based and democratic consultations with a view to achieving the widest possible agreement on a package solution to all categories of questions on Security Council reform. China supports a strengthened United Nations capacity for peacebuilding endeavours. China hopes that the Peacebuilding Commission will integrate the resources of the relevant United Nations organs, strengthen coordination and cooperation with them and continue to seek successful ways to assist countries in post-conflict situations in their efforts to engage in peaceful reconstruction and embark upon the path towards stability and development. The establishment of the Human Rights Council is one of the important achievements of United Nations reform. The Human Rights Council has witnessed an improvement in its institutional operation and in its capacity to respond to emerging human rights situations and to reduce the number of internal confrontations. Since the Human Rights Council is expected to be a forum in which human rights issues are dealt with in a fair, objective and non-selective manner, China hopes that, in taking part in the work of the Human Rights Council, various parties will proceed from the standpoint of promoting and protecting human rights, avoid politicizing human rights issues, pay equal attention to all kinds of human rights, increase mutual understanding and narrow differences on the question of human rights through dialogue, cooperation and communication. The United Nations needs a stable financial foundation in order to function normally. The principle of the capacity to pay is the basic tenet in defining ways to assess contributions. It should continue to be upheld. Stability should be maintained in the scale of assessments and its calculation methods. That contributes to a stable financial foundation for the United Nations. In the context of the ongoing expansion and deepening of the international financial crisis, maintaining the current method of calculating contribution assessments is in the interests of the majority of States. In his speech during the general debate at this session of the General Assembly, President Hu Jintao of China called on the international community to join hands in the march forward, uphold the ideals of peace, development, cooperation, win-win progress and tolerance and work towards a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity. China will continue to firmly support the United Nations in playing a central role in international affairs, resolutely stand for the maintenance and enhancement of the authority of the Organization and work tirelessly for the noble cause of peace and the development of humankind.

I would like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1), which describes the activities of the United Nations during a period characterized by multiple and combined crises. We appreciate the continued efforts of both the Secretary- General and the Secretariat to promote the purposes and principles of the United Nations. The report calls for a new multilateralism as the way forward for the international community to meet the challenges brought about by the economic, financial, food, energy, environmental and health crises. That has been Brazil’s vision for a long time now. Ever since he took office, President Lula has called for, and worked towards, globalization with solidarity and social responsibility. The universal character of the United Nations makes it an invaluable platform to foster global cooperation on our common challenges. In order to maintain that fundamental feature, the United Nations system must reform and strengthen itself. The General Assembly has provided ample evidence of its own vitality by addressing some of the most urgent and pressing issues facing the international community. The interactive dialogues on the food crisis, energy efficiency and human trafficking and the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development are examples of the renewed impetus of this organ. The General Assembly has also shown leadership in holding intergovernmental negotiations on the reform of the Security Council. A new multilateralism calls for a new Security Council — one with greater representation for developing countries in both categories of membership. The increased participation of developing countries in multilateral regimes is a means of raising their voices with regard to finding solutions to problems that concern and severely affect them. It cannot, and must not, mean shifting to their shoulders a burden that is not theirs. This is especially true with regard to the economic and climate crises. Although a host of measures have been devised within several forums in recent months to avoid economic collapse and to build the foundations for recovery, much more needs to be done. Developing countries need new and additional resources for the implementation of countercyclical policies. Financial market regulations need to be overhauled in developed countries to avert a recurrence of the problems that generated the global crisis, with its serious implications for developing countries. In addition, the economic recovery must be jobs- intensive, promote decent work for all and establish adequate social protections. Its effects must be widespread and reach, in particular, the poorest countries. With regard to climate change, its link to development cannot be overstated. Bold commitments must be taken in Copenhagen within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol, and based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. If developing countries are to embark on the path of low- carbon development, access to and transfer of technology will be imperative, as will be adequate new and additional financial resources both for nationally appropriate mitigation actions and for adaptation under the provisions of the UNFCCC. We need to forge a new international covenant to foster sustainable development. It is important that we recommit to the agreements and goals set in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and in 2002 in Johannesburg, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. A new conference in 2012 is warranted, in our view. We are encouraged by the support we have received from the Group of 77 and China and from other countries for our offer to host that conference. Concerns over food security must also remain high on our agenda. In addition to taking urgent measures to ensure that sufficient food reaches the hungry and vulnerable in a timely manner, we must address the underlying distortions that have generated underinvestment in agriculture, particularly in developing countries. We also need an integrated approach to food security that can allow for comprehensive and long-lasting solutions. Such an approach must include investment in production and infrastructure, research, trade, social safety nets, emergency food assistance and nutrition. Special attention and support should be given to the food and agricultural needs of Africa. We welcome the auspicious signs of recent months in the area of disarmament. We must build on such progress. The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the commencement of substantive negotiations on a fissile material treaty would significantly strengthen the disarmament and non-proliferation regime. There is a clear and inextricable link between disarmament and non-proliferation; they are mutually reinforcing processes in which the best guarantee against nuclear proliferation is nuclear disarmament. The balance between the three pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons must be maintained. United Nations peacekeeping is another important element of our efforts to make and keep the world safe for all. Having experienced unprecedented levels of deployment in increasingly complex situations, peacekeeping should be adapted to the needs of the twenty-first century. Enhanced cooperation among the Security Council, troop- and police-contributing countries, the Secretariat and regional organizations is key to successfully addressing the challenges before us. The peacebuilding efforts of the United Nations are another tool at our disposal in the search for peace and development. They are already bearing fruit in Burundi, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and the Central African Republic. We must continue to strengthen the United Nations peacebuilding structures and make them more responsive to the needs of countries emerging from conflict. The synergies between conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding should be strengthened. Conflicts, the food crisis and natural disasters are redoubling the pressures on humanitarian assistance. We commend the progress made in ensuring more timely, predictable and accountable humanitarian responses from the United Nations system, as well as strengthened responses to United Nations consolidated and flash appeals. It is unfortunate, however, that the total requirement of the humanitarian appeals has not been fully met. The Human Rights Council continues its important work of promoting and defending human rights. The implementation of the Universal Periodic Review, the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the positive outcome of the Durban Review Conference are all relevant developments. The Council must continue to operate in a non-selective and constructive manner, while maintaining the capacity to address situations of particular concern. Despite its many shortcomings, which we must keep working to redress, this Organization is still mankind’s best hope for building a more just and humane international system. Today, I reiterate Brazil’s firm commitment to such a lofty yet very concrete endeavour.

The Belarusian delegation supports the recommendation made by the Secretary-General in his report (A/64/1) that difficult international questions be addressed through multilateralism. We share the view that multilateralism has never been as important as it is today, and that the multilateral efforts of powerful countries and the contributions of all countries are therefore necessary to address global problems. From the viewpoint of Belarus, multilateralism and partnerships are cooperative mechanisms that have no viable alternative in tackling numerous and contradictory global problems. The Non-Aligned Movement has long affirmed that point. We are pleased that, after a long interruption, countries worldwide are again thinking in terms of a single coordinating system and that world leaders are beginning to talk in the common language of common sense. We repeat the appeal made at the general debate of the General Assembly 10 days ago by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus to members of the international community, including the world power centres and leading political groups, to translate their good intentions into practical deeds by developing global partnerships and crisis strategies. We believe that within the framework of multilateral efforts to promote the global good, greater attention should be paid to forming energy partnerships to overcome the global energy crisis. We need immediate and decisive multilateral action in the sphere of energy to establish a global mechanism to increase access to new and renewable energy technologies for developing countries and transitional economies, which could become a special new kind of partnership. By taking part in such a mechanism, all interested parties — including developed countries, the private sector and non-governmental entities — would make it possible to form a clear framework for coordinated action and to promote broad, universal use of the latest energy technologies and new and renewable energy sources. Coordinating efforts in the energy field will lay the foundation for a quantum leap forward. Belarus calls on the delegations of United Nations Member States and the Secretary-General to study this question thoroughly. Belarus also supports the measures proposed by the Secretary-General to combat hunger, poverty and disease. At the same time, we believe that it will be impossible to implement such measures without first strengthening the economic potential and the political role of medium-income States. We believe that the United Nations system must undertake active steps to assist those countries in solving their specific social and economic problems. Success in the work of medium-income countries will make it possible to form a stable global system to open new opportunities for the economic growth of poor countries and increase assistance for development. A few days ago, from this rostrum (see A/64/PV.10), the Belarus delegation informed the Assembly of the formation of one of the most up-to- date global partnerships against human trafficking and slavery in the twenty-first century. The logical outcome of the creation of such a partnership should be a global plan of action for combating human trafficking. Important steps have already been taken to that end. The idea of a global plan won wide support in the course of the thematic debates of the General Assembly in May. The President of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session appointed the ambassadors of Cape Verde and Portugal as coordinators for consultations on questions of producing a global plan. We call on all delegations to take an active part in the work of preparing and adopting this plan. If we approach this question constructively, we will be able to translate into concrete effect the Secretary-General’s declaration that we are giving the highest priority to the problems of women and children. We support the efforts of the United Nations to keep the theme of human rights at the centre of the international agenda. We see the development of interfaith and intercultural dialogue as the basis of stability and security as an important step in this direction. At the recent ministerial meeting on interfaith dialogue for the benefit of peace and development organized by the Philippines, Belarus suggested the idea of the General Assembly’s holding thematic debates on interfaith dialogue. We propose that the leaders of the world’s leading religions and faith-based non-governmental organizations be invited to these debates, which could make an important contribution to the development of mutual understanding and respect for our respective cultures and religions. Belarus welcomes the return of disarmament to the international agenda and the attention accorded that important issue by the Secretary-General. Belarus stresses the particular role and responsibility of the nuclear-weapon States. We note with satisfaction the positive signals of growing attention to questions of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation within individual States and international forums. As a State party to the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, which is to expire in December 2009, Belarus welcomes the intention by the Russian Federation and the United States of America to come to an agreement on the further reduction and limitation of their strategic offensive weapons and to conclude new legally binding agreements. Belarus’ adherence to the strategic offensive weapons Treaty through its signature of the 1992 Lisbon Protocol is inseparably linked to its decision to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a non-nuclear-weapon State. In this regard, we are convinced that one important priority, along with nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and ensuring genuine and equal access to peaceful nuclear technology, is the provision of clear, legally binding security assurances to non-nuclear-weapon States. Unfortunately, the question of providing negative security guarantees is not addressed in the report of the Secretary-General. After the tragic events of 11 September 2001, the United Nations assumed a lead role in combating international terrorism. That led, in 2006, to the adoption of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In the context of the counter-terrorism efforts mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General, we call for consideration of the idea put forth during the general debate by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus that the United Nations declare 11 September the international day of the fight against terrorism (see A/64/PV.10). The delegation of Belarus supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to strengthen the United Nations. We are impressed by his comparison of the Secretariat to a heart and of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council to arteries and nerves that “transport the life blood and energy to the Organization” (A/64/1, para. 130). In that regard, we consider it imperative to actively pursue the work of revitalizing the General Assembly so as to maintain the health of the Organization’s cardiovascular and nervous systems. The delegation of Belarus hopes that the realization of such proposals, as rightly pointed out by the Secretary- General, will make the refurbishment of the facade of the Organization’s Headquarters into a symbol of its internal renewal.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Secretary- General for the presentation of his clear report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). We note that the past 12 months, which have witnessed so many major events throughout the world, are reflected in the diversity and intensity of the activities of the United Nations. On the one hand, the Organization has been able to address the emerging challenges; on the other hand, however, the results have been mixed. Accordingly, it is worth highlighting some of the issues raised by the Secretary-General in his report. First, he has eloquently and persuasively outlined the scope and magnitude of what he calls the tectonic shifts that are shaping the emerging global landscape. Secondly, he has emphasized the diverse and numerous channels of interaction between nations and societies that shape the high level of interdependence that, for better or for worse, unites us. Thirdly, he has identified the most relevant emerging issues affecting transnational phenomena. Fourthly, he has also stressed the increasing speed with which human endeavours are globalizing. In short, if we see the situation as an equation in which, on the one hand, there is a demand for transnational efforts, and on the other, a response to or offer of such efforts, the demand side of the equation is broad, diverse and complex. Indeed, humanity is facing challenges that require international cooperation as never before. The Secretary-General provides some examples in his report, referring to the impact of the financial and economic crisis on the feasibility of meeting the Millennium Development Goals, the challenge of climate change, the risks of the influenza H1N1 pandemic, food insecurity, the proliferation of conventional arms and weapons of mass destruction, and countering terrorism. We believe that he should have added to that list the fight against transnational crime. In any event, there is no question that no single country among us, large or small, is equipped to confront these challenges on its own. For that reason, when we look at the other side of the equation for addressing the challenges — that is, the response or supply side of transnational efforts — the Secretary- General is correct in pointing out the imperative of exploiting the vast potential of multilateralism, and, within it, of the United Nations. Today as in the past, the world needs our Organization. It is a well-worn platitude to say that if the United Nations did not exist, it would have to be invented. That is undoubtedly true, but one might well wonder whether or not it would be better to invent a new organization instead of working under the weight of the old petrified structures and working methods that so frequently slow down our work. I want to make it clear that I am not advocating for such a radical departure. I simply want to make the point of how urgent reform is. In that regard, following the logic of that argument, demand changes and expands very rapidly, while the capacity of the Organization to respond changes at glacial speed. Topics such as the reform of the Security Council, the revitalization of the General Assembly and system-wide coherence, which have been on the agenda for many years, attest to the sluggishness that characterizes our own capacity to adapt to changing circumstances. The report may well fall short on that score, urging us to accelerate our efforts in bringing about the rather modest progress achieved in recent years in promoting the organizational, structural and normative changes that will be needed in “defining the nature of multilateralism in the new century” (A/64/1, para. 155). This year we will have the opportunity to make progress in that direction. We will have to approve the regular and peacekeeping budgets, as well as the scale of assessments for their financing. We will have to find a way to respond to the single most important pending matter, namely, the reform of the Security Council, which would decidedly spark the reform of the United Nations system of governance. We will have to prepare ourselves to carry out an in-depth assessment of the degree of attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. We are poised to address a matter that could literally define the future of humankind at the Copenhagen Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We also have before us important decisions concerning disarmament, respect for human rights and international cooperation in general. Are we up to meeting the challenges? Part of the answer must be sought within this universal forum, namely, the General Assembly. Of course it is difficult to reconcile the sometimes opposing interests of 192 Member States. It is equally difficult to face the powerful interests in the real world around us, which are affected by the recommendations and actions promoted by the United Nations. At the end of the day, however, a climate of cooperation must prevail over confrontation if we are to have at least an opportunity to address the major problems affecting humankind, among which we rank first providing the inhabitants of the planet with a level of material and spiritual welfare compatible with the means and knowledge that are at our disposal. We know what we have to do to eradicate poverty. We should now move on to action. Of course, adapting the Organization is not exclusively the work of intergovernmental bodies. The Secretariat and the specialized agencies and programmes all have a role to play. The responsibility falling to the Secretary-General is therefore daunting. For our part, we acknowledge the enormous effort of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to live up to his responsibilities and we appreciate the transparency of his efforts, as reflected in his periodic meetings with the General Assembly to inform us about his activities. I would like to take this opportunity early in our work during the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly, and on today’s agenda item, to reiterate the commitment of our delegation to do everything within our power so that the United Nations can respond in a constructive and positive manner to the great challenges described in the Secretary-General’s report.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the 10 States members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. At the outset, may I join the President of the General Assembly in expressing condolences to our fellow ASEAN member countries of Indonesia, the Philippines and Samoa for the natural disasters that recently befell them. ASEAN wishes to thank the Secretary-General for his report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). The world today faces multiple global crises. It has become clear that, as the world becomes ever more interconnected, no country can solve such crises alone. Many challenges — for example, climate change, influenza and the world economic crisis — require unity of purpose, harmony of effort and a spirit of cooperation from all parties, large and small, rich and poor. ASEAN fully concurs with the report of the Secretary-General that we are now at a critical multilateral moment. Although imperfect, the United Nations, with its universal membership and legitimate convening power, still stands out as the best instrument there is to harmonize interests and bring the world community together to advance the global public good. The onus is upon each and every Member State to live up to the expectations of our peoples and transform this critical time of crisis into a real opportunity to strengthen this collective institution that we all own. This is a time that will test the collective commitment, resolve and unity of all Member States. As it has always been, ASEAN will continue to be a strong and consistent supporter of the multilateralism that is embodied in the United Nations. In our own region, ASEAN will continue to do all it can to advance the goals and principles enshrined in the Charter. I would now like to share with the Assembly ASEAN’s views on some critical issues. First, ASEAN attaches great importance to development. We are therefore concerned about the impact of the world financial and economic crisis on the development of countries around the world, in particular those that are most vulnerable to external shocks. We are concerned that, although developed economies have been significantly affected by this most recent crisis, it is the poor and vulnerable people in developing economies who are being hit hardest and longest by this downturn, which was triggered in another corner of the world. We are concerned that the economic crisis, when coupled with the food security and energy crises, which have already caused strains in developing countries, not only will prevent those countries from realizing their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but could reverse the hard-won gains. Here, ASEAN has made clear its concern, which derived from our own first-hand experience during the economic crisis of the late 1990s, at various meetings of the United Nations, as well as at the Group of 20 summits in London and, more recently, in Pittsburgh. We will continue to stand with the United Nations in emphasizing the human face of this economic crisis and the necessity of assisting the poor and vulnerable populations in developing countries. The current world economic crisis has provided an impetus for ASEAN to strive for broader and deeper economic integration among the 10 ASEAN countries and between ASEAN and its regional partners, such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India. While pushing for greater integration, ASEAN has also moved ahead with efforts to strengthen social safety nets in the region in order to cushion our population from the adverse impacts of the crisis. ASEAN has been working closely with our Plus Three partners — China, Japan and the Republic of Korea — to strengthen that regional self-help financial mechanism through the establishment of a regional reserve pooling arrangement under the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM), with a total fund of $120 billion. We look forward to the launching of the CMIM by the end of 2009. ASEAN and its Plus Three partners have also agreed to develop a regional surveillance mechanism to monitor and analyse regional economies and to support CMIM decision- making. ASEAN will play its role in the preparations for the upcoming MDG summit next year and will continue to emphasize to the international community that, unless we all translate the summit into meaningful changes on the ground, in 2015 we will end up with unfulfilled targets and promises. Secondly, tackling climate change is not a matter of luxury for ASEAN but an issue of utmost necessity. Year after year, ASEAN countries endure severe weather patterns resulting from climate change, all of which entail enormous damage in terms both of human lives and of economic losses. Memories of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar last year, and the latest massive tropical storms that have hit the Philippines and many countries in South-East Asia offer a stark reminder of what is at stake to all the negotiators who are currently meeting in Bangkok at this very moment for their penultimate round of negotiations before the Copenhagen meeting in December. The message from nature to all those participating in the negotiations is clear: either we put aside our individual interests and strive for a compromise that has the collective interests of all at heart, or we all risk even more severe weather patterns in the future. In short, it is a choice between win-win and lose-lose. In the same vein, ASEAN believes that countries should use this moment to promote greater investment in green technologies in order to build a green economy. Such technologies should be made accessible and affordable to countries that are in need. ASEAN also believes that international cooperation and assistance to strengthen the mitigation and adaptation capacities of developing countries, including in the form of funding mechanisms, should be further strengthened and expanded. Thirdly, ASEAN is determined to strengthen its already strong partnership with the United Nations in the area of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. We are pleased with past and ongoing cooperation with the United Nations humanitarian agencies in South- East Asia, for example in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and the humanitarian operations in Indonesia and the Philippines following earthquakes and tropical storms, respectively. We are also moving ahead to strengthen the region’s cooperative framework in that area. The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response is scheduled to be implemented at the end of this year. That Agreement would provide a solid basis for further cooperation with the United Nations system on disaster reduction and emergency response. Fourthly, in this globalized era, peace, stability and security in one region are intertwined with peace, stability and security in every region. As the saying goes, no country or region is an island unto itself. ASEAN thus believes that the goals and principles enshrined in the Charter have become even more, not less, relevant. ASEAN strongly believes that the United Nations remains an indispensable pillar for the maintenance of international peace and security. We support the comprehensive approach to peace and security of the United Nations, which has sought to strengthen the Organization’s capacity in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We are committed to supporting the agenda of general and complete disarmament. We welcome recent positive developments in that field, such as the adoption of the programme of work of the Conference on Disarmament, the negotiations between the United States and the Russian Federation on a new legally binding agreement, and the recent adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1887 (2009) on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. ASEAN strongly believes in the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world. We fully support the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones in various parts of the world as positive steps and important measures towards attaining the objective of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We will actively participate in the forthcoming Second Conference of States Parties and Signatories of Treaties that Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and in the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2010. At this session of the Assembly, ASEAN will propose a draft resolution on the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon- Free-Zone. ASEAN hopes that the draft resolution will receive strong support from fellow Member States, as in the past. Fifthly, ASEAN is taking significant steps in the area of human rights. During their recent meeting in Thailand in July, the ASEAN foreign ministers endorsed the terms of reference of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. The Commission is scheduled to be officially established during the upcoming ASEAN summit in Thailand at the end of this month. ASEAN envisions the Commission as an evolving body and believes that its establishment will significantly advance the cause of human rights in the region. Finally, ASEAN agrees with the report of the Secretary-General that the United Nations needs to adapt to the new environment by being modern, efficient, nimble and more accountable in its administration. ASEAN is of the view that the United Nations should be more efficient in its capacity to deliver services to those in need in the field, while ensuring coherence and coordination among all relevant agencies within the system. However, in this complex world of multiple crises, it is clear that the United Nations cannot and should not be expected to do everything. The United Nations should focus on its comparative advantages and work closely with partners in various sectors. It is in that context that ASEAN welcomes efforts by the United Nations to strengthen partnerships with regional organizations around the world. We welcome the reference in the report of the Secretary-General to close partnership between the United Nations and ASEAN. This year, ASEAN has begun a new chapter in the history of the organization with the entry into force of the ASEAN Charter. The 10 ASEAN countries are moving ahead with ASEAN community-building processes. We firmly believe that a strong and resilient ASEAN will be a strong and effective partner for countries in the region and for the United Nations. That is our commitment.

First of all, I wish to express my deep appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his dedication to leading the wide-ranging activities of the Organization. The most pressing challenge before the United Nations is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The global economic and financial crisis has seriously affected the efforts of many developing countries to achieve the MDGs. All means available to us should be mobilized towards the target year of 2015. We should sharpen our focus on the development agenda towards the high-level meeting to be held next year. Pursuit of the reduction of poverty alone will not lead to the achievement of the MDGs. Large segments of the bottom billion poor are trapped in conflict or struggling for survival in fragile situations. About half of post-conflict countries have relapsed into conflict within 10 years. The end of conflict should be accompanied by visible changes in everyday life, and the arrival of peace by immediate efforts to strengthen social and economic stability. In order to end the vicious cycle of conflict and poverty, it is essential to tackle both in an integrated manner. The Peacebuilding Commission is the key organ for promoting such an integrated strategy and to fill some of these gaps. Human security advocates a human-centred and integrated approach aimed at realizing every individual’s freedom from fear and want. Human security pursues the bottom-up perspective, focusing on not only the protection, but also the empowerment of the individual and the community. Therefore, the human security approach is essential to achieving the MDGs and peacebuilding efforts. We wish to see the human security perspective properly and well reflected within the work of the United Nations. The recent decision (resolution 63/311) on system-wide coherence among gender- related activities, for instance, will also benefit from the human security approach. We commend the work done by the Friends of Human Security over the past two or three years. We very much look forward to the debate of the General Assembly on that issue during this session. Peacekeeping and peacebuilding are, obviously, the core activities of the United Nations. Peacekeeping operations and special political missions are continuously expanding, and sometimes even overstretching our capacities. The relevant United Nations organs should collectively elaborate improvement measures to manage them effectively under clear and achievable mandates. It is essential, therefore, to ensure that all stakeholders, troop- contributing countries, police-contributing countries and donors be closely involved in the planning, managing and evaluating of peacekeeping operations. With regard to peace, we welcome the current positive movement towards global nuclear disarmament. As the only country that has suffered nuclear devastation, we are determined to stop nuclear proliferation and to work with others for the elimination of nuclear weapons. As we approach the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. We must take a crucial step towards the creation of a world free of nuclear weapons. Japan will submit a draft resolution during this session to lay out measures towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons and we appeal for support in this regard. Climate change is another major challenge confronting humanity. We must mobilize our efforts and innovative technology towards reaching an agreement on an effective post-2013 regime during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Japan highly commends the initiative of the Secretary-General to raise political momentum by organizing the Summit on Climate Change. At the opening meeting of the Summit, Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Japan’s mid-term target to reduce its emissions by 25 per cent by 2020 from 1990 levels. He also introduced the Hatoyama Initiative, which aims at supporting the efforts of developing countries through technology and financial assistance. Japan will play a leading role towards the successful conclusion of the Copenhagen Conference through such initiatives. It is also essential for the United Nations to continue to protect and promote human rights as one of its three pillars. Even after the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, serious violations of human rights remain unabated in many parts of the world. Japan supports mainstreaming the human rights approach throughout all United Nations activities. United Nations reform will not be complete without meaningful Security Council reform. Japan welcomes the good progress made in the intergovernmental negotiations since last February. The General Assembly adopted the decision to immediately continue the intergovernmental negotiations during this sixty-fourth session, building upon progress made so far. Japan believes that the Security Council needs to be reformed by expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership in order to reflect the reality of the world in which we live. We are pleased with President Treki’s emphasis on the need for expeditious reform of the Security Council. We hope that a concrete outcome will be achieved at this session under his able guidance and leadership. Japan attaches great importance to transparent, accountable and efficient management of the United Nations. Japan welcomes and supports the Secretary- General’s determination to make a more efficient and responsive Secretariat. However, as the world economy affects the Member States’ financial situations, the trend whereby the United Nations continues to expand its regular and peacekeeping budgets is no longer sustainable. It is important to make the Secretariat more efficient and dynamic in order to fulfil its mandates at an affordable level for Member States. To that end, the Secretariat should work diligently to prioritize expenditures and find less costly ways to implement mandated activities. New requirements should be met in principle through the deployment of available resources. We should maintain stronger financial discipline in planning and implementing the 2010-2011 programme budget, as well as the peacekeeping operations budget. Let me conclude by reiterating Japan’s strong commitment to creating an effective and better functioning United Nations.

We thank the Secretary-General for presenting his annual report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). We agree with its accurate analysis of the current situation of the world, plunged into an acute economic and financial crisis with devastating effects for all countries, in particular for the developing nations, which, although not responsible for it, are the ones to suffer most from its disastrous consequences. Since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, our country has warned that those very modest targets would not be achieved unless the existing unfair and unbalanced international economic order was radically changed. Today, we endorse that prediction, given the multiple crises that are collectively striking the countries of the South and that, in turn, are the result of a structural crisis of capitalism, exacerbated by neoliberal policies that promote an economic model based on unsustainable production, consumption and distribution patterns. We therefore reiterate that the true cause of the failure to achieve the Goals and the other internationally agreed development objectives lies in the lack of political will shown so far by the developed countries. The report notes that additional financial resources are needed to address the growing needs of low-income countries, and we agree. However, that is not enough. The creation and implementation of policies that focus on the human being and that promote the development of all countries are required. Nevertheless, the prompt actions to rescue bankrupt financial institutions of the North contrast shamefully with the meagre expenditure on official development assistance and the reluctance of the developed bloc to commit to providing new and additional resources. It is crucial to find collective solutions to global problems not only to promote development, but also for the very survival of the human race. In that regard, the report’s acknowledgement that the United Nations must play a key role in addressing the multiple crises currently threatening the world and use this historical moment to promote progress is fundamental. However, that progress will not be possible without a new international economic order, founded on sustainable development and the creation of wealth on the basis of justice and fairness, the economic and financial institutions of which, under the aegis of the United Nations, make promoting development their main objective. In that context, we believe the recent United Nations Conference at the Highest Level on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development to be an important first step, which we hope can be complemented and advanced by the work of the open-ended working group of the General Assembly that will follow up on the issues addressed at that event. As one of the United Nations system’s responses to the crisis, the report mentions the establishment of a Global Impact and Vulnerability Alert System that will track the impact of global crises on the poor and the most vulnerable people. We hope that such a system will be a useful tool and not mere repetition of the data and proof that we already have. What we need is not a diagnosis, but urgent and viable solutions. Therefore, we believe that we must consider establishing a system that monitors the responses being made to the crises, in particular responses arising from those who are really responsible, as well as the actual effects of such responses on the countries most affected. The phenomenon of climate change attracts particular attention in view of the Copenhagen conference. The last summit on climate change convened by the Secretary-General reaffirmed the main concerns of the developing world regarding the need for financing and the transfer of technology and know- how so as to advance the processes of adaptation and mitigation. It is clear to all that the success of those negotiations will depend to a large extent on the will of the developed countries to meet their commitments and to set themselves new and more ambitious goals in line with their historical responsibility and with their ecological debt to humankind. We uphold the need both for the United Nations and for its in-depth reform and democratization. However, that must be done by respecting its Charter, not by redrafting it or by distorting its purposes and principles. The main challenge facing us is reforming the United Nations so that it serves the interests of all nations equally. We cannot allow the reform to fail and to end up turning our Organization into an instrument that serves the interests and whims of a few rich and powerful countries. The report covers the controversial issue of the responsibility to protect while many important questions and legitimate concerns surrounding that concept have still not been properly addressed. It is up to the General Assembly to continue examining the matter transparently and in depth and to take the appropriate decisions. Some are seeking to implement the concept even before it is clearly defined. Cuba is against that, as it would open the way for turning the responsibility to protect into an instrument that can be easily manipulated in order to attack the sacred principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. We must revitalize the leading role of the General Assembly, the only United Nations organ where there is no place for hegemonies, where we all have a voice and a vote, and where the obsolete right of the veto does not exist. On the other hand, we will not be able to talk about a true reform of this Organization until real reform of the Security Council takes place. The intergovernmental negotiation process on Council reform that began last year has been an important step forward. However, it has not produced the concrete results that we hoped. We trust real progress will be made during this session. We urgently need a truly fair and representative Security Council that acts on behalf of all and within its mandate under the Charter, without encroaching on the functions and prerogatives of the system’s other bodies, as is increasingly happening. Concerning the chapter of the report on humanitarian affairs, we reaffirm the importance of continuing to work to improve effectiveness and timeliness in the coordination of United Nations humanitarian assistance. We reaffirm the validity of the governing principles of humanitarian assistance recognized in Assembly resolution 46/182. The report refers to United Nations humanitarian assistance actions in response to some 55 emergencies in the period under consideration, but only a few of these are mentioned. We would have appreciated more information on the others. With respect to reform of the United Nations system, we believe it is essential to take into account the vision of the countries of the South, the majority of which are affected by those humanitarian emergencies. We recognize the work being done by the Central Emergency Response Fund. On the other hand, the so-called cluster approach should receive intergovernmental consideration and analysis by Member States. Cuba reaffirms the importance of the principles of international cooperation and genuine dialogue on human rights. The use of political manipulation, selectivity and double standards in this area must be eradicated. We must all prevent the current United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council, from being affected by such vices. In that spirit, my country has participated actively in the creation of the Council and has taken part in its work with a great sense of responsibility. We hope the Council can continue to remain at a remove from the issues that defeated its predecessors. In his report the Secretary-General refers to support provided on the ground by the United Nations country teams so that States can implement recommendations resulting from the universal periodic review. In this regard, we are concerned that that reference is limited to the results of the review only as they pertain to developing countries, where the country teams are present. It must not be forgotten that the countries of the North must also be accountable to this mechanism for their human rights situations, including those countries that have not yet been reviewed. We must bear in mind that human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent. As to the coherence of the United Nations, we consider that this negotiation exercise must remain within the framework of intergovernmental deliberations, since ultimately it will be the Member States that make a decision concerning it. In this respect, any proposal to reform operational activities must reflect the development needs and priorities of recipient countries. Operational activities, with their inherent diversity, cannot be required to follow inflexible formulas intended to be applied equally to all. Moreover, any initiative in this area by the Secretariat coordination mechanisms must be duly presented to Member States for appropriate consideration and possible adoption. Here once again we call upon the United Nations System Chief Executives Board to respect intergovernmental mandates and substantially improve transparency and accountability for Member States. I would like to conclude by echoing the Secretary-General’s appeal in his report when he said: “Let us join together to make 2009 the year when we remade the world, restoring global hope and solidarity and renewing the foundation for international security and peace, sustainable development and human rights.” (A/64/1, para. 159) Great challenges lie ahead. More than ever, the world needs the United Nations and our joint action.

Taking the floor for the first time in the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly, I wish to reiterate, following the President of the Republic of Senegal, His Excellency Maitre Abdoulaye Wade, the hearty congratulations of the Senegalese delegation on your election, Mr. President, to your prestigious post. As you know, the support of my delegation is something you can count on in the performance of your important functions. As for the Secretary-General, there is hardly any need to reaffirm our great satisfaction with the excellent manner in which he presides over the destiny of the Secretariat. Consideration of the report of the Secretary- General on the work of the Organization (A/64/1) offers us an opportunity to examine the principal activities of the United Nations, evaluate their relevance and effectiveness and, ultimately, redirect them. This task is facilitated, we should acknowledge, by the quality of the report, which has been submitted by the Secretariat. Combining concision and exhaustiveness, the report has missed no sphere of activity of the United Nations, from the most modest concerns to efforts to strengthen the Organization, all while safeguarding the welfare of humanity. There has been significant progress in all these areas, and as the Secretary-General tells us in his report, the world today is more prosperous and peaceful than ever before, and the ideal of a universal normative framework has never before been so close. But those excluded from that prosperity and peace are so numerous that it seems to us that the particular needs of Africa, of peacekeeping or of climate change should have our greatest attention. Furthermore, we are of the opinion that universal acceptance of the normative global framework that is the United Nations is largely dependent on speeding up and deepening the process of reform under way. With regard to the particular needs of Africa, the report informs us that Africa’s average annual growth rate was 6 per cent in the period 2004 to 2008 and fell in 2009 to just 0.9 per cent, and that we can also expect an increase in unemployment and in precarious employment, a result of the drop in export earnings and government revenues. Such a situation shows that if the effects of the financial crisis on the developed countries are beginning to dissipate, its consequences for African economies are far from diminishing, particularly with regard to the serious threat that the crisis poses for our capacity to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. With regard to the world food crisis, though it has certainly been eclipsed in the Western media by other events, it remains a heavy burden draining our economies, and, according to recent estimates, nearly 300 million Africans suffer chronic hunger. The paradox of this untenable situation is that solutions to conquer hunger in the world are known, but the means to implement them are lacking. The enormous means immediately mobilized in response to the financial crisis make clear that the resources to fight hunger definitely exist; the problem is that those resources are not at the disposal of the poor countries, especially in Africa, where the hungry live. To point that out is not to run from our own responsibilities but to affirm them, because for the most part our countries have, within the limits of our respective resources, undertaken the actions necessary to limit the effects of the crises. Clearly, solutions to the food, energy and financial crises will require much greater resources than the budget lines the African countries assign to them in national or even regional initiatives. That is why, while I welcome the Group of Eight’s decision to mobilize $20 billion to fight world hunger and to promote sustainable agriculture, I would like to express the hope that that commitment be rapidly realized by initiatives like the Global Partnership for Agriculture and Food Security launched 26 September last year by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The report is unequivocal when it states that climate change is the great challenge on which history will judge our generation. In this regard the laudable initiative that was the summit meeting of 22 September 2009 allowed our heads of State and Government to send a strong political message that we hope will be echoed in Copenhagen. However, allow me to repeat here that, for Africa, the urgency of the transition to a world economy more frugal with carbon emissions is beyond all doubt. We are ready to make our contribution to the joint effort before us to lead to what it is being called the Global Green New Deal — with the understanding, however, that we do not consider that we have to endanger our own development. We need sufficient resources not only to ensure the development of our respective countries but also to take measures necessary to adapt to — and indeed to survive — the consequences of climate change. In those consequences I include, among others, rising sea levels and floods, which already take a heavy toll on our feeble economies. Africa, for its part, has already taken up arms against the pernicious effects of climate change by means of several diverse initiatives, among which is the continental project, the Great Green Wall. This project consists of a green swath 15 kilometres wide, stretching from Dakar to Djibouti, that, if it is realized, will constitute a veritable supplemental green lung, to the benefit of the entire planet. But whatever actions we the developing countries take, and whatever commitments we agree to, one constant remains: without a clear commitment on the part of the Annex 1 countries to make adequate resources available on a non-discriminatory basis, there is great danger that the tireless efforts we have deployed since the December 2007 meeting in Bali towards an acceptable and effective post-Kyoto regime will, in Copenhagen this December, prove to have been in vain. On the subject of peacekeeping, the report recounts the unprecedented size and complexity of the difficulties faced by United Nations peacekeeping operations. Given those circumstances, there is reason to welcome the important administrative reforms initiated by the Secretary-General, which merit our complete support, especially the one relating to developing a standing police capacity in a strengthened Police Division. Senegal’s resolute commitment to peacekeeping and the attention its leaders give the issue can be clearly seen on a map of our deployment of troops on the ground. We welcomed with great attention the reform proposals submitted by France, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as the ideas set out in the non-paper jointly presented by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the Department of Field Support. We believe it important to make it clear that one of the major challenges to peacekeeping at this time lies in operationalizing the mission to protect civilians. By this I mean translating that goal into an operational strategy and bringing it into conformity with other mission objectives, while respecting the neutrality and impartiality that should guide all blue helmet operations. Another challenge, no less important, is the quadrupling, in the space of ten years, of the overall budget for peacekeeping operations, which without any doubt constitutes a heavy burden on the international community. While we understand the concern of some delegations to find an immediate solution to such an exponential increase, we should keep in mind that a lack of predictability in programming financial resources for peacekeeping operations, or a drastic reduction in the budget through across-the-board cuts, would not only undermine the fragile peace and stability in most of the intervention zones but would also dampen the international community’s development efforts in those zones. The necessary condition for any success in the activities of the Organization, including in the three key areas I have mentioned, is to make the United Nations a stronger Organization. The Secretary- General has made a commitment to that goal and has made it one of his primary concerns. That warrants our praise. The numerous reforms he has launched within the Secretariat, which have just been supplemented by our recent decision to create an entity devoted solely to women’s issues, are important steps towards that stronger United Nations. But those advances will always feel unfulfilled without reform of the Security Council. The intergovernmental negotiations that we conducted since the sixty-third session have made it even clearer that an agreement is within reach, provided that we all demonstrate, for our own parts, an elevated sense of history. Thus, we hope that the present session will provide the outcome to which we aspire.

I take this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for his report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). We are meeting in the midst of new and old challenges that need to be addressed collectively and effectively. These include the impacts of the multiple crises — financial, food and energy. In the background is the force of climate change, slowly gathering speed — not to mention the current rapid spread of H1N1 influenza. At the same time, we are still confronted by perennial problems, such as the challenges of achieving a nuclear-free world, persistent inter-State and intra-State conflicts, human rights violations, transnational organized crime and, in particular, terrorism. These are a set of cross-border challenges that can be addressed only through a multilateral lens. Renewed international efforts and cooperation to tackle the multifaceted threats become more pivotal. We must seize this moment to embrace new multilateralism: to work in solidarity, in unity and in the interest of all. Thus, the need to perfect the triangle of development, freedom and peace has never been greater. Central to such an effort is the strengthening of our multilateral institutional architecture, which should be more robust and more proactive. In that context, we need to ensure that the United Nations can truly be more relevant by making it more democratic and coherent. It is only through such efforts that the United Nations can become a credible and reliable institution capable of performing its functions and its mandate in line with Member States’ needs. In addressing the development imperative, we must take into account the three systemic crises affecting us now: the financial, food and fuel crises. Against that bleak backdrop is the threat of climate change. The most urgent task for us at this session is to disentangle the global economy from the economic crisis and recession. We all have made important contributions to ensure progress, yet the underlying causes of the crisis still have not been addressed fully or effectively. We need to ensure that we take action to follow up on the outcome of the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development, in full and in a timely fashion. At the same time, our work at this session must also create synergy with other processes. In the meantime, global food security remains elusive, with inadequate access and supply of food for the majority of the world’s poor. With approximately 1 billion people now suffering from hunger and malnutrition, we cannot afford to keep this issue out of the main focus of the United Nations. The Organization should continue to play an active role in mainstreaming agricultural policies in the international development agenda. Central to that is the strengthening of international food security and social safety nets. With regard to climate change, in Copenhagen we need to reach a comprehensive agreement that is inclusive, equitable and fair. The Summit on Climate Change, held in New York on 22 September, has galvanized the political momentum to reach a consensus. The negotiations should be guided by the Bali Road Map, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Although it is important to note that the negotiations should be carried out under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations process plays a crucial role in providing a constructive way to inject political support into the climate conference in Copenhagen. Concerning the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), many developing countries have made good progress. We are, however, concerned that the current global crises threaten to set back the progress made. Given the very limited time until 2015, our work this year must also be able to contribute concretely to our global efforts to achieve the MDGs. The United Nations should ensure active monitoring and evaluation on the achievement of the MDGs, so as to provide valuable inputs for next year’s MDG review meeting. The role of the United Nations on the global development agenda must be promoted. Indonesia deeply appreciates the expressions of support and solidarity by many on the occasion of the devastating earthquake that recently hit Western Sumatra. We also express condolences to our friends in the Philippines, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos, India, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga and others in the region, who have also recently been struck by natural calamities. The human and economic losses resulting from natural disasters highlight the importance of intensifying joint emergency response to and preparedness for disasters, especially in developing countries. In that context, the United Nations humanitarian system should continue to mobilize funds and strengthen capacities, which are vital aspects in addressing emergencies throughout the world. The new spirit of multilateralism must also be utilized to address the long-standing peace and security challenges confronting the world. Peace in the Middle East is particularly crucial to long-term global stability. Indonesia remains fully supportive of the two-State solution, in which Israel and Palestine would live side by side in peace, and in which the Palestinian State would enjoy full, unqualified sovereignty and authority. At this critical juncture, we wish to underscore that the United Nations has a historical responsibility to work to find a truly comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. Terrorism is a complex phenomenon. Consequently, the fight against it requires a comprehensive approach. We must steadfastly combat terrorism without, however, resorting to repressive and undemocratic measures. The root causes, such as poverty and injustice, should also be urgently addressed. The United Nations can thus play a unique role by building on various national and regional efforts to overcome the challenges of terrorism. We are now at a promising juncture in our efforts to achieve a world free from nuclear weapons. Given the current positive atmosphere among Member States, States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States should strive to agree on concrete steps to ensure the attainment of the objective of total and complete disarmament and to strengthen non-proliferation at the Review Conference next year. In that context, the United Nations should continue to work towards the revitalization of multilateral disarmament efforts. With respect to peacekeeping, Indonesia welcomes the ongoing discussions on the future direction of United Nations peacekeeping operations. We should ensure that that process provides a framework on such operations that builds a strong global partnership encouraging ownership on the part of all stakeholders. In addition, we should not neglect the potential role of women in peacekeeping operations. However, peacekeeping is not a panacea for dealing with the root causes of conflict; its potential lies in creating a favourable environment so that political processes can advance. We need to reaffirm that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated and must, therefore, be treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis as that placed on other issues in the United Nations. In order to advance the work of the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly must provide strategic guidance. The United Nations should also strengthen its advocacy efforts and take concrete steps to integrate human rights into all aspects of its work. On the issue of the responsibility to protect, prevention is key. Deliberations should focus on the effort to strengthen the capacity of Member States to meet the requirements of good governance and the rule of law. To that end, the General Assembly should include a comprehensive and clear strategy aimed at strengthening those objectives. Understandably, not all solutions lie with the United Nations, but its relevance cannot be overestimated. We should invest in more-adequate resources for the United Nations. The United Nations should also make every effort to be more transparent, democratic, effective and efficient in fulfilling its mandate. We need a reformed Security Council that is credible and that reflects the plurality of our world today. The role of the General Assembly should be reaffirmed as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. The Economic and Social Council needs to be empowered, so that it can advocate and coordinate policy on all aspects of development, especially in an era of interlinked crises. While there is no certainty as to what the future holds, if history is our teacher, then there is hope that we can prepare better for what lies ahead. For that purpose, the culture of work in the United Nations must be reformed. We must ensure that results-based management, good governance, transparency and accountability are integral parts of management in the United Nations system. That is what system-wide coherence is all about. Let me conclude by emphasizing that the challenges we face today are immense. Our success will be defined in terms of how we can address the challenges of development, peace and security and human rights, all on an equal footing and with the United Nations at the centre of the effort.

I would like to begin by thanking the Secretary-General for the comprehensive nature of his report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). Given the global nature of today’s challenges, the Secretary-General rightly noted that this is the ultimate multilateral moment. It is therefore imperative that the United Nations embody the hope of the new multilateralism. The Secretary-General has identified five essential elements for a renewal of multilateralism. While we are in broad agreement with regard to the elements identified, it is evident that the fifth element — reform of the global multilateral architecture — holds the key to progress on the other elements. Efforts to promote a new multilateralism have little chance of success without comprehensive reform of global governance structures. The ongoing financial crisis has further highlighted the urgent need to take concrete action in order to restructure international governance architectures in a manner that reflects current realities and provides for the enhanced representation of developing countries. If we want our multilateral institutions to be able to counter current and emerging challenges, we cannot continue with structures that date from the Second World War and do not reflect the current and emerging global realities. Small steps, such as an enhanced role for the Group of 20, are a beginning, but certainly not the end. In that context, there is a critical need at the United Nations for an expansion in both the permanent and the non-permanent membership of the Security Council and an improvement in its working methods. We are happy that a unanimous decision was recently taken to resume immediately the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform. The decision to build on the progress already achieved allows us to focus now on what is the opinion of the overwhelming majority: that there should be an expansion in both the permanent and the non-permanent categories. We are still grappling with the adverse effects of an unprecedented global economic and financial crisis. Developing countries, in which the crisis did not originate, have been the most affected. It is imperative that stimulus efforts and other actions to help developing countries be continued and enhanced. At this time, there is no place for protectionism in any form in the developed countries. The Secretary-General has eloquently brought out the direct correlation between resource availability and progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The fact that efforts by developing countries to achieve the MDGs have been affected by the economic and financial crisis demands that the international community significantly spur the provision of greater assistance and investment flows to developing countries. At the recently held mini-ministerial meeting of trade ministers in New Delhi, we made major progress towards revitalizing the Doha phase of multilateral trade negotiations. We hope that the Doha Round will now make progress towards an outcome that is development-oriented and can assist developing countries in meeting their development goals. The Secretary-General has correctly highlighted climate change as a top priority. We appreciate his initiative in organizing the Summit on Climate Change on 22 September 2009. As a country that is hugely affected by climate change, India will be part of the solution and will push for an ambitious and equitable outcome at Copenhagen. The outcome must be in accordance with the provisions and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — in particular, common but differentiated responsibilities — and ensure that developing countries can pursue their overriding development imperative of poverty eradication. We are also undertaking numerous mitigation and adaptation measures domestically to address climate change. Many of these will have specific, quantitative and time-bound goals. On the multilateral side, there has to be a greater focus on technology access for developing countries. The United Nations must play a true facilitator’s role in providing access to affordable and cost-effective technology for developing countries, as well as its transfer to them. There is also no escaping the need to revisit the intellectual-property-rights regime from the perspective of balancing rewards for innovators with the common good of humankind. Peacekeeping remains the most visible United Nations activity and also one that, perhaps more than any other, represents the aspiration of the Charter to prevent the scourge of war from afflicting societies. However, as things stand today, the United Nations has neither the resources nor the expertise to satisfactorily execute many of its ambitious peacekeeping mandates. There are countries that are willing and able to contribute more in terms of resources. The challenge is in creating a framework that will enable the United Nations to access and utilize those resources and capacities. As a Member State that is closely associated with United Nations peacekeeping, India will actively contribute to building the renewed global partnership on peacekeeping that the Secretary-General has called for, including in the area of the rule of law and the deployment of police units. I am happy that the work of India’s female formed police unit deployed in Liberia has been much appreciated. Peacebuilding is one of the United Nations activities that must evolve significantly and quickly in the coming years, given the huge needs in post-conflict societies. Of course, peacebuilding must be, first and foremost, a national process. But the international community must be there to assist countries recovering from conflict. Here again, I would like to reaffirm the commitment of my Government to partner with the United Nations, this time in its peacebuilding efforts. India has unique combinations of the relevant experience, expertise and capacities, which, we believe, are critical for nation-building in any part of the world. We welcome the efforts made by the Secretary- General to use the opportunity of the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to strengthen Member States advocacy efforts in the human rights field and to take concrete steps to integrate human rights into all aspects of the Organization’s work. While integrating human rights in the work of the United Nations, we should ensure that the development agenda pursued by the United Nations is not undermined by the introduction of new conditionalities in the provision of development assistance. One of the priorities on the human rights front should be to enhance the Organization’s commitment to making the right to development a reality sooner than later. India has consistently been of the view that the responsibility to protect its population is one of the foremost responsibilities of every Member State. We agree with the Secretary-General that the consultations on the application of the responsibility to protect to the four mass atrocities he has identified and the emphasis on the non-use of force should continue, and therefore we sponsored General Assembly resolution 63/308. However, we need to be cognizant that creation of new norms should include safeguards against their misuse. In this context, the responsibility to protect should in no way provide a pretext for humanitarian intervention or unilateral action. We appreciate the progress made by the United Nations Democracy Fund in the last four years. India was one of the first countries to support its establishment and has already contributed $20 million. Let me assure you that we will continue to be actively engaged in this Fund and its activities, which we believe contribute to the promotion of good and participative governance practices. Terrorism is the scourge of our times. It needs to be combated with all the power at the command of the international community. While I am glad that the United Nations has been working on operationalizing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, we believe it is essential for us to adopt, at this session, a comprehensive convention against international terrorism, which has been in negotiations for over fifteen years. This would then provide a solid legal basis for the fight against terrorism. India fully shares the concerns arising from the existence of weapons of mass destruction and their possible acquisition by non-State actors and terrorists. India attaches the highest priority to the goal of universal nuclear disarmament and has an impeccable non-proliferation record. Nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing processes and thus require concerted and cooperative international efforts. We welcome the renewed global debate on achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. India’s civilizational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we are one family, guides the way we perceive the work of the United Nations. We will do all that we can to strengthen the United Nations and unite the international community in order to address the world’s problems through decisive action. In that spirit, the Indian delegation looks forward to meaningful and results-oriented discussions on the various items on the agenda of the General Assembly.

Allow me to convey once more, Sir, the Philippines’ congratulations on your assumption of the presidency of our General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session. I am confident that with your gifts of understanding and wisdom and the wealth of your experience in multilateral diplomacy, you would breathe fresh and invigorating air into the work of this most representative parliament of nations and crown your stewardship with victories. The Philippines also congratulates the Secretary- General for his comprehensive report on the work of the Organization (A/64/1). The report is, no doubt, a product of the mind, heart and soul of a man who wants nothing but a United Nations that can truly fulfil its vision and mission in these challenging times. The report deserves careful consideration, not only here at the seat of the United Nations, but also in our respective capitals. His account of the state of the world and of how the United Nations has grappled with transboundary challenges illustrates the need for both collective resolve and action on the part of the entire United Nations membership. In that regard, the Philippines fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Thailand on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Nonetheless, it wishes to stress a few points. My delegation supports the general principles enunciated in the Secretary-General’s recommendations for a new multilateralism and his conclusions on forging an effective way forward with the United Nations at the hub of his call for a new multilateralism. This new multilateralism calls for priority to be accorded to transboundary challenges, such as climate change, economic growth, food security, global health, disarmament and non-proliferation and the fight against terrorism. However, prioritization without a time-bound workplan could lead to an interminable debate. For example, the tendency to look beyond the high-level climate change meeting in Copenhagen this coming December reveals the potential for indecisiveness in reaching concrete agreements in Copenhagen. Copenhagen must be a defining moment on climate change, with the results of the Summit on Climate Change convened by the Secretary-General last September kept in mind. Only residual issues or issues on the modalities of implementation of agreed courses of action reached in Copenhagen should be remitted to the next year’s climate change event in Mexico City. In the field of financing for development, in 2010 the United Nations will organize the fourth high-level follow-up conference on the Monterrey Consensus. Parallel and marginal issues should not obscure the very purpose of the Monterrey Consensus, namely, to allocate at least 0.7 per cent of gross national product of the developed countries to official development assistance (ODA) for the poor countries. Very few countries have succeeded in meeting this target. This forthcoming conference should explore how most of the developed countries could meet their ODA commitment under the Monterrey Consensus in a timely fashion and manner. On food security, there is a need to expand the horizons of multilateral cooperation from the traditional supply and demand dimension to include the futures market and commodity trading in general, as that market has the capacity to distort food security factors through sheer commercial greed. There should therefore be a specific time frame to consider how futures markets can be mainstreamed into the food security planning process. Global health is another crucial area for global cooperation. The rapid manner in which nations, international organizations and the peoples of the world have responded to pandemics such as the recent swine flu (H1N1) is indeed inspiring. However, actions in this regard have dealt mostly with post-outbreak measures. Of equal importance are pre-emptive or preventive measures, and that dimension of the work should also be time-bound through a reporting system monitored at the multilateral level. Nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation deal with broad, highly politicized and sensitive concerns, which are nonetheless crucial in ensuring a sense of security for the world as a whole. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), whose parties meet every five years, stands out in the firmament of the disarmament regime. The 2010 NPT Review Conference under the Philippine presidency will meet next year after a long hibernation period characterized by lack of progress in the accomplishment of its goals of nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Nonetheless, there are positive indicators that augur well for a successful 2010 NPT Review Conference. While consensus on moving the NPT process forward is anticipated, every effort should also be exerted to identify, wherever possible, areas of convergence through time frames for implementation. The fight against terrorism, a detestable scourge at the national, regional and international levels, has increased in intensity worldwide, and international cooperation in this area deserves to be sustained. To enhance the effectiveness of this global campaign, an agreed time-bound element is needed for the enactment of legislative and regulatory measures at the national level in the combat against terrorism. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the best model of a time-bound international cooperative effort, establishing a 15-year period as the specific target for the realization of the eight MDGs. The achievement of the target goals is easily measurable and monitored. Unless the United Nations continues to specify time frames or timetables for accomplishing agreed courses of action, we will be hampered in our delivery of global public goods in a timely fashion, particularly to our most vulnerable populations. The Philippines submits that specifying time frames is a very effective way of re-engineering the United Nations and should be at the core of a new multilateralism. Otherwise, that multilateralism may be lost in the sound and fury of rhetoric. Finally, let me place on record the profound gratitude of the Philippines to Member States that have expressed their condolences, sympathies and compassion in the wake of the loss of life and destruction of property that Typhoon Ketsana has caused our country and our people.