Malta

I join other delegations in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your election as President of the General Assembly. Your experience and diplomatic skills will undoubtedly guide us successfully through the fifty-fourth session. I would also like to express our gratitude to your predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti, who displayed such competence and ability in conducting our work during the past year. We would also like to express our deep sense of satisfaction and gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his incessant diplomatic intervention to help resolve conflicts in various parts of the globe. May I also take this opportunity to offer our most sincere congratulations to the three new Members of this Organization, the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga and the Republic of Kiribati. I should also add that Malta already cooperates closely with these three new Members through our joint membership of the Commonwealth. For over half a century the United Nations has been instrumental in fostering a culture of partnership among States. The foundation and survival of a universal Organization entrusted with the maintenance of international peace and security and the promotion of social justice, freedom and human rights is an unprecedented achievement in the history of mankind. Undeniably, great strides have been made by this Organization in helping forge swords into ploughshares through enhanced cooperation between its Member States. We have striven individually and collectively, painfully at times and imperfectly at others, towards a process of political, social, economic and technological evolution. Globalization has become a central concept in the way we view the world. Interdependence has consequently become the norm. Overshadowing such progress, however, are the armed conflicts, economic imbalances and social dislocation that we still face. Events in our days show that gross violations of human rights and disregard for humanitarian principles continue to plague us. The atrocities that human beings are capable of inflicting on one another defy the noble aspirations that inspired the birth of our Organization. The irony of such a situation cannot be lost on anyone. Even less can the tragedy of such a predicament be ignored. Vicious armed conflicts, such as those we have been witnessing in parts of Africa and in the Balkans, not to mention the atrocities recently perpetrated in East Timor, continue to destroy an untold number of lives, disrupting entire societies, traumatizing tens of thousands of men, women and children and diverting precious resources away from development. The international community cannot afford to be complacent about the humanitarian crises that we are 23 witnessing today. It is incumbent on each of us to rise to the challenge of securing a world free from deprivation, fear and oppression. Strengthening the United Nations to become better equipped to address contemporary needs and to meet the challenges of the future thus becomes more urgent. The role of the United Nations in the promotion of preventive diplomacy must increasingly assume particular importance if, collectively, we are to defuse and resolve potentially destructive situations. Peace and security are intimately intertwined with development and prosperity. Too often, lack of development precipitates conflict. Promoting development helps prevent wars and acts as a means of creating channels of cooperation within, as well as among, nations. This was the essential message emanating from the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and the Copenhagen World Summit for Social Development. It was a commitment to consolidate the partnership of nations, a commitment restated and underscored during the review conferences held within the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. Democracy, good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law are essential foundations for the attainment of peace and development and for upholding the dignity of the human person. Where these are absent, our efforts to implement post-conflict peace-building, rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes in war-torn areas must be intensified. The importance of cementing ceasefire agreements with stable political and economic institutions, while simultaneously creating partnerships between Governments and civil society, cannot be underestimated. One of the main thrusts of the work of the United Nations has been aimed at the equitable and long-lasting reform of the Security Council, especially given the expanded membership of the Organization. It is in the interest of all to find a solution to the Council's reform that will ensure its smooth functioning, transparency and enhanced relevance. While the root causes of conflicts are complex, the illegal proliferation and trafficking of weapons clearly has a destabilizing effect on society and only serves to prolong conflicts. Increased global efforts are warranted to monitor and control the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons. The emerging global consensus on the issue is encouraging. Malta looks forward to the eventual convening of an international conference on the illicit arms trade in all its aspects. Addressing this disruptive phenomenon becomes more urgent when it is compounded by its complex linkages with other equally destabilizing activities, such as international crime, drug trafficking and terrorism. Responsibility for the plight of peoples cannot be shirked by national Governments. Accountability by individuals for their actions must be enforced. The international community's outrage at shocking, massive violations of human rights has found expression in the Statute of the International Criminal Court. The adoption of the Statute last year in Rome constituted an important milestone. It is Malta's hope that it is only a matter of time before the Court begins to function. Heinous crimes against humanity are an affront to the intrinsic values of civilization. They cannot be tolerated. Likewise, the shameless disregard for human rights that have been enshrined in various international instruments cannot go unheeded. Effective protection of those rights should not be allowed to fall victim to excuses of national sovereignty. This is even more compelling given that only last year we commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The international community has made great headway in the way it deals with the world's resources to safeguard the heritage of future generations. Since it joined the Organization 35 years ago, Malta has played an active role in this field. It would be remiss of me today not to pay tribute to Professor Arvid Pardo, Malta's first Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who sadly passed away recently. His diplomatic skills and judicious acumen, as well as his vision, were instrumental in developing the concept of the common heritage of mankind. This concept, so ably launched by Professor Pardo on behalf of the Malta Government, was the key to the process that eventually led to the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In a similar vein, during the last session, my delegation was active in promoting the idea of a better and more substantive discussion on oceans through improved coordination among the various organs dealing with the subject. In this regard, it is our hope that a workable solution to this issue will be reached. Malta's readiness to play an active and positive role in the furtherance of international peace and cooperation has led to the reactivation of our application for membership in the European Union. In September of last year, following elections and a change in Government, 24 Malta reactivated its application, which had been frozen for the previous two years. The application had been submitted in 1990, and by the time it was suspended in 1996, Malta was widely considered as a prime candidate for early membership of the European Union. The 1998 reactivation was therefore generally seen, both within and outside Malta, as a resumption of unfinished business, rather than as a new beginning. The contractual basis of our present relationship with the Union remains the Association Agreement signed in 1970, as subsequently amplified and amended. Until it is superseded by membership, we expect this Agreement to remain in force and to continue to be complemented by additional measures in both traditional and new areas of cooperation, including the areas of justice and home affairs. We see our objective to join the European Union as the most appropriate response to Malta's historical and cultural heritage, as well as to the economic, social and security requirements of our national development. The accession negotiations that we hope to be conducting in the near future will be guided by this perception. The outcome of these negotiations will then be submitted to the judgement of the Maltese people in a referendum. Since independence in 1964, Malta has been steadfastly committed to the critical role that multilateral cooperation, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter, is increasingly playing in the endeavour towards progress, justice and stability within and among nations. Over the years, notwithstanding constraints imposed by its size and resources, Malta has engaged itself in many United Nations-sponsored initiatives related to the promotion of human rights, economic and social development, disarmament, the peaceful settlement of disputes and safeguarding the environment. As members of the European Union, we expect to find increased opportunities, as well as to benefit from an increased capacity to pursue these and related objectives at both the global and regional level. This certainty springs from our conviction that the European Union is at the forefront of endeavours to strengthen international understanding and cooperation. Its policies towards enlargement and regional cooperation, the promotion of economic and social development, conflict resolution and peacekeeping provide a constant gauge of its relevance in this regard. Malta views the enlargement of the European Union not so much as an option but rather as a fulfilment. Each enlargement step constitutes fulfilment for the Union itself, and that contributes to the completion of an historical process that reverses the age-old conflict and the fragmentation of the European continent. It is also a fulfilment for a candidate country like Malta in that membership assures it of a continuing role in the political and economic life of the continent where most of its history and culture were, and continue to be, forged. The unfolding of events in Europe over the last decade highlights this fundamental dimension of the Union's enlargement process. As they emerged from political suppression and economic stagnation, the Central and Eastern European States immediately defined their national aspirations within the framework of European integration. For its part, the European Union recognized that the objective of membership for all the Central and Eastern European States was a vital ingredient in sustaining stability and progress throughout the continent in the shorter and the longer term. Significantly, in spite of the complexities involved, there is already a marked readiness by the Union to contribute both assistance and funds towards reconstruction in the Balkans while simultaneously pursuing enlargement through Central and Eastern Europe and with the two Mediterranean islands — Malta and Cyprus. Cooperation with the neighbouring regions and around the world is, for the European Union, an indispensable accompaniment to enlargement. Be it in the traditional transatlantic domain, on the still-evolving Eastern border or on its historical southern, Mediterranean border, the Union provides a constant and credible reassurance of the outward-looking dimension embedded in the European integration process. Straddling, as it does, both the horizontal and the vertical axes of the Mediterranean, Malta attaches particular importance to the promotion of cooperation in this area. It is as much for regional and global geostrategic reasons as it is in our own national security interests for the Mediterranean to be considered as a meeting place, rather than as a dividing line between peoples and cultures. Of particular importance to us is the Euro- Mediterranean partnership launched in 1995 by the European Union in Barcelona. This partnership provides strong support for our belief that membership in the Union will reinforce Malta's traditional role in the 25 promotion of Mediterranean security and cooperation. One of Malta's contributions to the Union will be the added insight into, and the commitment to, Euro-Mediterranean cooperation that Malta will bring with it. At the regional level, as much as at the broader international level, Malta sees its membership in the European Union as an element of further involvement in the process of multilateral cooperation for peace and prosperity in the Mediterranean. Malta has welcomed, and is wholeheartedly involved in, the Barcelona partnership because of its intrinsic merits in promoting a concrete and effective programme of cooperation in the Mediterranean. In this regard, at their last meeting in Stuttgart, the foreign ministers of the Euro- Mediterranean partnership agreed to reinforce comprehensive stability in the region through the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Peace and Stability — an initiative in which Malta has been active from the outset and which it is keen to see take shape. Despite the many challenges faced by the Mediterranean, it is our firm view that lasting solutions may be found. We sincerely believe that an early settlement of the Cyprus question along the lines of the relevant Security Council resolutions can be achieved. Malta has been encouraged by the positive overtures signalled by the major protagonists in the Middle East peace process in recent months. What appeared to be for so long an intractable problem has been slowly but steadily unfolding towards the path of reconciliation and peace. True cooperation within the region demands that the spirit of reconciliation prevail. Recent events — most especially the Wye II Agreement — carried forward by all those working for peace in the region bode well for continued dialogue and cooperation between the parties of the region. It is in this light that we hail the progress achieved on the question of Lockerbie and the resulting suspension of sanctions on Libya. The satisfaction expressed recently by both the Security Council and the European Union General Affairs Council in respect of positive developments in Libya also augurs well for the inclusion of Libya in the Euro-Mediterranean process as soon as it adopts the Barcelona acquis. We welcome this development. May all these efforts lead to widespread cooperation for the Mediterranean as a whole, bringing peace and prosperity for its people in the years to come. To many the new millennium is a time of promise and expectation, a period of change and transition. Yet, to many others — indeed too many — it is a time of difficulty and trepidation, of unfulfilled promises. Poised as we are on the brink of a new era, it is vital that the United Nations prevails to safeguard the well-being and prosperity of future generations. Even our best efforts can be brought to nothing in an instant, by the sheer force of nature. The recent devastating earthquakes that hit the peoples of Turkey, Greece and Taiwan have galvanized the international community. Shocked by the loss of so many lives, the displacement of whole communities and the pain of thousands, the international response to alleviate the suffering was generous and expeditious. It was yet another instance where the expression of solidarity towards the victims of a natural disaster unveiled the human face of the international community. That same spirit also inspires us when challenged by man-made disasters. It was that same spirit that gave birth to the United Nations. We acknowledge that the United Nations cannot be the perfect panacea for the ills of the world. Yet it remains the unique platform from which to promote and protect the inherent rights of all peoples to live in peace, freedom and dignity. By focusing on human security in its manifold dimensions — political, economic and social — the United Nations will continue to be a beacon of hope to all nations. The General Assembly has always shown that it is fully conscious of the need to invest in the future — an investment that also requires the consolidation of a culture of peace. This was the essence of the resolutions that proclaimed the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the next decade as the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World. It is our fervent hope that the Millennium Assembly next year will generate the necessary political will and solidarity to ensure that our efforts on the international scene bear fruit to safeguard the values on which this Organization was founded. We must move the process of introspection and deliberation forward to a process of committed implementation and action. Strong political will and conviction are needed to fulfil our common goals. 26 We should not aim for short-term remedies, but should rather pool our collective efforts in order to achieve long-lasting solutions to the challenges we face today — the eve of a new era. This is Malta's pledge for the new millennium. This is what we aim to ensure — that our efforts, both at the national and international level will be achieved.