At the outset, on behalf of
the Cambodian delegation, let me extend our heartfelt
congratulations to you, Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa of
the Kingdom of Bahrain, on your election to the
presidency of the sixty-first session of the General
Assembly. Your election to that important post is a
testament to Your Excellency’s distinctive abilities and
impressive achievements over the years. I am
convinced that under your direction, this year’s session
will achieve a successful outcome.
Please allow me also to pay tribute to the vision
and tireless efforts of Secretary-General Kofi Annan in
promoting global peace and in taking the necessary
steps to encourage many initiatives for the reform of
the United Nations. Our appreciation is also addressed
to His Excellency Mr. Jan Eliasson for his efficient
leadership as President of the sixtieth session of the
General Assembly, as well as for his countless
contributions to United Nations reform initiatives.
In the face of uncertainties and challenges, where
the world seems to be inundated with conflicts and
serious threats — such as the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction (WMDs), terrorism, environmental
degradation and infectious diseases — it is important
for all of us to keep our commitment to maintain peace
and security in the world. In addition, I believe that the
reduction of global poverty and the achievement of
sustainable development in many developing countries
are vital for human security. At the same time, they are
a daunting task for the United Nations as a catalyst of
the international community in helping to improve the
situation of those countries.
Concerning the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction, Cambodia is of the view that the
international community needs to be more vigilant
about the issue and to ensure that WMDs or their
components do not fall into the wrong hands — those
of terrorists, organized crime groups or others —
which could have dangerous implications for
international peace and security. In that regard, we
need to strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) regime in order to secure a
better and more peaceful world for all. Nor should
small arms and light weapons be underestimated, as
they are an equally dangerous source of conflict,
transnational crime and violence in many regions and
countries.
The fight against terrorism remains of utmost
priority for all Governments and for the United
Nations, given the continuing threat posed by terrorism
despite the serious measures and actions that have been
taken by Governments and international and regional
organizations at various levels, including this world
body. To combat terrorism effectively requires, I
believe, more efforts, more technical capacity, more
education, more information-sharing among law
enforcement authorities and intelligence communities
and maybe more understanding in some specific cases
of the root causes of acts of violence which are
tantamount to reactions of despair.
Concerning the Middle East crisis, we have to
congratulate the Security Council on the adoption of its
resolution 1701 (2006) to end the recent war in
Lebanon. We call upon all parties concerned to fully
respect that resolution in order to prevent a repetition
of the conflict and further loss of innocent life. In the
same vein, the international community should work
more actively to help bring about a permanent end to
the violence between Palestine and Israel. I believe that
peace in the Middle East will be better guaranteed only
when the leaders of both sides — Palestine and
Israel — have the courage and wisdom to realize that
they cannot continue to destroy each other forever, but
must work together for a lasting peace in the region.
Both Israel and Palestine have the right to coexist
as independent and sovereign States. At the same time,
they need to overcome their historical animosity and
hatred towards each other. Whether they like it or not,
Israel and Palestine are destined to coexist as
neighbours forever. I strongly believe that a peaceful
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would create
the foundation for durable peace and security in the
entire Middle East.
With regard to United Nations reform, it is clear
that in recent years, every State member of the world
body has wanted the United Nations to be reformed.
However, when the opportunity arises, we face a
deadlock on this very important issue, because too
much emphasis has been placed on reform of the
Security Council. In that regard, I think that we should
learn this lesson and try to avoid repeating such
mistakes in the future. In other words, we should take a
step-by-step approach and tackle minor problems first,
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such as strengthening the role of the Economic and
Social Council to deal with development, since that
issue is less controversial and there is more inclination
to support it.
Next, we might consider revitalizing the General
Assembly as the sole body representative of all United
Nations Member States. Afterward, we can move
forward to the reform of the Security Council. We have
to start first with issues where consensus could be
easily reached, and then move to the more difficult
ones, without having to completely stall the United
Nations reform process.
Since their adoption in 2000, by and large there
has been progress in achieving the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). But in actuality there has
been little achievement for developing countries thus
far due to a number of factors, such as lack of financial
and human resources, including the negative impact of
globalization, which has led to a widening gap between
developed countries and poor nations.
In Cambodia, the Royal Government has set up
its own “MDGs”, called the Cambodia Millennium
Development Goals, with specific target priorities.
Since their establishment, Cambodia has made positive
progress in some areas, such as reducing poverty,
combating HIV/AIDS and improving the livelihood of
our people, thanks to the rectangular strategy of the
Royal Government, which yielded strong economic
growth over the past year.
Extreme poverty in the world today is an affront
to the whole world with 1.3 billion people still living
on the margins of life, earning less than one dollar a
day, while another 1.8 billion are living on less than
two dollars a day, in spite of the commitment to the
MDGs in 2000. Addressing this crucial problem
requires painstaking efforts at the national and
international levels. The eradication of poverty is, first
and foremost, the responsibility of the whole world and
requires the cooperation of the developed countries and
international organizations. Given the enormous
resources and wealth of this world, I believe that no
one on this planet should go hungry while in developed
countries there is an over-supply of food, which has led
to wasteful dumping.
To deal with global poverty, a comprehensive
approach and collective actions are needed. Official
development assistance, debt relief, market access,
transfer of know-how, foreign direct investment and so
forth must be addressed all together, so that developing
countries can catch up with the current globalization in
order to bridge the gap between peoples and nations in
this world where we all are living.
Finally, let me reiterate that our world today will
continue to face major global threats and challenges.
The role of the United Nations, as an Organization that
is representative of the whole world, in tackling these
phenomena is of paramount importance for humankind.
Therefore, Cambodia hopes that United Nations reform
can move ahead to significantly contribute to dealing
with these challenges successfully.