Let me
begin by congratulating the presidency on the success
of the High-level Meeting on the least developed
countries, earlier in the week. I had the honour of
participating in the Meeting, which heralded a very
productive year for the Assembly under the astute
leadership of Her Excellency Ms. Haya Rashed
Al-Khalifa, President of the General Assembly, and her
Bureau.
I would like to express my deepest thanks and
admiration to His Excellency Secretary-General Kofi
Annan for his unparalleled dedication and contribution
to world peace and prosperity through his dedicated
service to our global Organization.
The United Nations was created, first and
foremost, to forestall another world war. Not only has
it achieved that cardinal goal despite four decades of
cold war, but it has also offered States multiple means
of resolving their differences, short of war. However,
we cannot be sanguine about future trends. If the
primary task of the United Nations in the twentieth
century was to curb inter-State conflict, its core
mandate in the new century must be to strengthen
States and to preserve the inter-State system in the face
of new challenges.
Some assert that the United Nations is poorly
equipped to deal with new threats, such as those posed
by non-State actors seeking to undermine the
international order. The Charter was crafted to give
Member States ample flexibility in adapting the United
Nations machinery to respond to novel threats in a
changing world. But our tools need sharpening.
Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001,
the United Nations has played an increasingly
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indispensable role in the international community’s
counter-terrorism efforts. Still, agreement on a
comprehensive convention on international terrorism
remains elusive. But we must continue to try. In the
meantime, the United Nations Global Counter-
Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288), adopted at the
end of the sixtieth session of the Assembly, will guide
our collective efforts to free the world from the scourge
of terrorism.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
poses an equally urgent and unacceptable threat to the
peace and security of the world. We cannot permit the
credibility of the international nuclear non-
proliferation regime, built around the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to be
undermined by evasion and concealment concerning
safeguards obligations. We should redouble our efforts
to get more countries to sign and ratify International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) additional protocols.
An early start of negotiations on a fissile material cut-
off treaty and an early entry into force of the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)
should also be supported.
Meanwhile, we must seek peaceful solutions to
the outstanding challenges to the system, including the
Iranian nuclear issue that is before the Security
Council. It is not too late to work towards a negotiated
solution on that issue with its far-reaching
implications. I would call for creative, constructive
thinking on the part of all parties concerned, so as to
resolve the issue within the framework of the NPT
regime.
As for the situation on the Korean peninsula, the
nuclear and missile programmes of the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea constitute a serious
challenge to the non-proliferation regime, as well as to
regional security. My Government fully supports
Security Council resolution 1695 (2006). We urge the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to refrain from
any action that might aggravate the situation, and to
return to the Six-Party Talks without preconditions, for
a diplomatic resolution of the matter.
In that regard, during the summit meeting held
last week in Washington, D.C., President Roh
Moo-hyun and President Bush agreed to work with
other nations of the Six-Party Talks to develop a
common and comprehensive approach to energize the
stalled talks. I strongly hope that those efforts will bear
fruit and that we can work to realize the
denuclearization of the Korean peninsula as envisaged
in the Joint Statement adopted on 19 September 2005.
Although not mentioned in the Charter,
peacekeeping has become a defining feature of the
post-cold-war era, as well as the largest, most
expensive and most visible operational activity of the
United Nations. The surge in calls for the services of
the Blue Helmets attests to the Organization’s
continuing, even growing, relevance.
The expanded United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon is a
challenging case in point. To succeed, UNIFIL must
have the active support of all Member States, backed
by timely humanitarian and economic assistance. To
that end, my Government has been providing
substantial humanitarian assistance to the afflicted
population.
The undiminished human suffering in Palestine
remains another source of deep concern. We urge the
early revival of the stalled peace process.
The violence and the loss of innocent lives in Iraq
concern us enormously as well. We trust that Iraq will
become a stable and prosperous democracy under the
leadership of its new Government. As a friend of Iraq,
my Government supports its efforts at national
reconstruction and welcomes the recent launch of the
International Compact with Iraq to speed the process.
In Africa, stability and democracy are gaining
ground, step by step, in Sierra Leone, Liberia and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. The security and
humanitarian crisis in Darfur, however, remains acute.
The Secretary-General’s strong personal engagement
has been critical in sustaining international attention
and the flow of assistance to the beleaguered people of
Darfur. Now, the smooth transition of the African
Union Mission in the Sudan to the United Nations
Mission in the Sudan must be accomplished in
accordance with Security Council resolution 1706
(2006).
The performance of the United Nations cannot be
measured by the creation of new machinery, any more
than by the adoption of resolutions. As the Secretary-
General has wisely reminded us, what matters is
whether and how the United Nations makes a
difference in the lives of people and in the conduct of
States and non-State actors over time.
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Two new intergovernmental bodies, the Human
Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission,
seek to make just such a difference. Their success,
however, is far from assured. A great deal is at stake.
Will the new Human Rights Council usher in an era of
renewed cooperation and solidarity in the work of the
United Nations on human rights? Will the universal
periodic review succeed in offering all States a candid
and constructive assessment of ways to enhance their
human rights practices?
Together, we can make the Council the pre-
eminent global forum for the advancement of human
rights around the world. Divided, we will lose a
historic opportunity. The protection of human rights is
not a matter of choice. It is the solemn duty of all
responsible members of the international community.
Without respect for human rights — in particular for
the most vulnerable members of society — peace and
development have little meaning.
The successful conclusion of the negotiations on
a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities
speaks to the essential humanity of the United Nations,
which is its most precious asset. The Republic of Korea
is fully committed to the principle of all human rights
for all. We deeply empathize with the suffering in those
areas of the world where human rights are given little
more than lip service.
In particular, we fully share the international
community’s concern over the situation of human
rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
We call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea to heed those concerns and to meet the call for
dialogue on human rights.
The United Nations greeted the twenty-first
century with a solemn promise to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Progress has been made, but it has been far too uneven
from country to country and from region to region.
Those countries in Africa that lack the minimum
resources for development require the focused attention
and assistance of the international community. Key
goals, such as the eradication of extreme poverty and
curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases,
are in danger of slipping out of reach if we do not act
quickly and decisively.
Meeting the MDGs by 2015 is a tall order, but we
should never forget that, for the neediest members of
humankind, the United Nations may be the only beacon
of hope for a better life. The credibility of the United
Nations largely depends upon its ability to accomplish
its mission as regards the MDGs. While developing
countries should take primary responsibility and
ownership for their own development, we must honour
our commitments and redouble our efforts to realize
effective global partnerships for development.
The target established at the 2005 World Summit
of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for
development assistance forms the cornerstone of our
strong commitment to achieving the MDGs. Innovative
sources of financing, such as the air-ticket solidarity
fund, need to be further explored. New sources of
financing should not, however, be a substitute for
existing official development assistance (ODA). As
part of its commitment to doubling overall ODA by
2009, this year my Government launched Korea’s
Initiative for Africa’s Development. Under that
initiative, we will substantially increase our
development assistance to Africa.
The key lessons to be drawn from the Korean
experience over the decades are that education is key to
development, and that women and girls are the most
effective agents for change and social progress. Gender
mainstreaming must be made a central pillar of policy
strategy, in particular with regard to attaining the
MDGs in such areas as eliminating poverty and
combating HIV/AIDS. Lasting social change cannot be
realized until women are fully incorporated into the
process.
The urgency, complexity and scope of the three
pillars of the work of the United Nations — peace and
security, development and human rights — demand the
highest standards of efficient, effective and
accountable management. The highly decentralized
nature of the United Nations system puts a premium on
coherence and coordination. We must streamline the
United Nations machinery, reorganize priorities and
minimize redundancy. The High-level Panel on United
Nations System-wide Coherence may offer some fresh
ideas in that regard.
A number of valuable ideas for reforming United
Nations management practices were contained in the
Secretary-General’s report (A/60/692) entitled
“Investing in the United Nations”. Some of those
proposals have already been adopted by the General
Assembly, while others await further consideration
during this session.
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The Secretary-General’s comments on the
evolving nature of the human resource needs of the
United Nations were especially apt in the light of the
accelerating demands for field staff. The General
Assembly should give positive consideration to steps to
make the Secretariat more mobile, integrated and
multi-skilled. The United Nations needs to be able to
deploy the best people where they are needed and when
they are needed, to ensure that managers have the
requisite expertise and experience to oversee highly
dynamic and professional operations under often trying
conditions.
Improving the accountability and oversight of the
Secretariat while building upon the measures already
taken over the past year remains a priority. The early
launch of an independent audit advisory committee that
is genuinely independent and professional, along with
steps to ensure management accountability, would be
instrumental in that regard.
The United Nations procurement system requires
strengthened internal controls and transparent
management to match the growing dimensions of its
work.
As Member States and stakeholders in this vital
Organization, we should address mandate review as a
historic opportunity to streamline, focus and strengthen
our collective efforts.
This unique world body was forged by men and
women of conscience, courage and determination.
Their genius was to understand that we need the United
Nations not because we always agree but because
frequently we do not. The United Nations remains no
more and no less than what we make of it. The United
Nations journey is never easy, but it is always well
worth taking. We have come a very long way, but the
road still stretches out endlessly before us. I have every
confidence that, with the founding principles and
purposes as our guideposts, and empowered by
renewed faith and commitment, we can together go
very far and fast in the challenging and exciting times
to come.