Madagascar

The success of a session of our General Assembly lies heavily with its President, the chief catalyser and conductor of our work during the session; with the state of affairs left by his predecessor; and, of course, with the capacity of the whole United Nations Organization to implement in a credible, coherent and sustainable way the various decisions, resolutions and recommendations made by the General Assembly. It is therefore a pleasure for me to express to you, Sir, on behalf of the Republic of Madagascar, our warmest congratulations on your election to the presidency of the present fifty-second session of our General Assembly. Please be assured of our support and of our conviction that your proven experience in international affairs is definitely a major asset towards the success of your mission. We would also like to express our gratitude to your predecessor, Ambassador Resale Ismaili, whose commitment during his tenure we admired and whose work and achievements make up a solid foundation on which this and upcoming sessions will build and further construct. Last but not least, I should like to reaffirm our strong praise and encouragement for our Secretary- General and his staff for their highly laudable work on proposed reforms of the United Nations aimed at making our Organization an even more credible and efficient body, capable of meeting the challenge of the next century. It would thus be a matter of legitimate pride to realize at the end of this process that major and positive United Nations reforms would have been achieved under the tenure of a native African Secretary-General. (spoke in French) There is no doubt that the question of United Nations reform, which has been of concern to us more particularly since the middle of July last and which has figured prominently in most of the statements made during the general debate, is not only making the fifty- second session of the General Assembly seem like a hive of feverish activity leading up to major events but also is lending it a special character that will remain in the annals of the Organization because of the importance of the stakes for all of humankind. It is a starting point for this necessary process to find answers to our aspirations for the future of our Organization, following the solemn commitment made here two years ago by our Heads of State and Government, in the framework of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, to work jointly to promote peace, development, equality, justice and understanding among peoples. This reform process should reflect the changes and profound upheavals that have taken place in the world and that have made it necessary for our Organization to adapt itself and its structures to the new realities of the world in which we live — a world characterized by an upsurge in globalization and by greater interdependence among nations. The free movement of goods, people, capital and information has increased. Technological progress is making it possible to transmit and disseminate ideas, cultures and lifestyles. Some developing countries have undergone rapid economic growth and have become integrated into the dynamic current of the world economy. Others — and unfortunately there are far too many of them — have experienced slow or even negative growth and have been marginalized in the globalization process. Poverty and famine still affect a considerable number of people. The figures speak for themselves: at a time when some people are privileged enough to surf the Internat to do their shopping, 800 million others go hungry every day — that according to a report of the Food and Agriculture Organization at the World Food Summit last November. And that is to say nothing of illness, illiteracy or violence. The basic principles that have given impetus to this process of renewal include good governance, sound management, transparency and the democratization of international relations. In this respect, Madagascar cannot but welcome this innovative approach because it is based on the same values and the same ideals underlying my Government’s quest for social and economic progress, whose goal is to provide a higher standard of living for the Malagasy people in conditions of greater freedom. Indeed, we in Madagascar hope to ensure that the observance of human rights, social justice, participation by all in national development efforts, the implementation of economic reforms and the practice of democracy do not remain mere political slogans but are put into practice. As the representative of a Government born of a democratic change of power seven months ago, I know what I am talking about. At this stage of the considerations presented by our Secretary-General, certain points are noteworthy. Among those I would refer specifically to restructuring, financial reform and the Security Council. With respect to restructuring, it is clear that efforts must be made to merge agencies of the United Nations system in order to ensure improved efficiency and better coordination. An example would be to merge into a single unit in Geneva the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Centre for Human Rights in order to strengthen complementarity in related activities of our Organization. My country believes that we must increase transparency and create a culture of shared savings, which a reform of the Centre’s administration would bring about — this with the aim of avoiding by every possible means the non-observance of democracy, which is the fundamental reason for serious human rights violations throughout the world. Likewise, humanitarian relief, which the United Nations continues to provide to countries that are facing natural disasters, would become more effective with the creation of an office for the coordination of emergency situation efforts, complemented by an appropriate intervention mechanism. I take this opportunity to convey my country’s gratitude to those who did not hesitate to assist Madagascar in our efforts to deal with the locust invasion in the southern part of the island. I would mention in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Food Programme, the United States Agency for International Development and the World Bank, as well as friendly countries — Japan, Germany, France, Norway and the United Kingdom, among others. My delegation, which welcomes the strengthening of certain United Nations activities and the inclusion of new priorities, agrees with the conclusions of the fifty-third session of the Commission on Human Rights, according to which human rights are inseparable from the promotion of peace, security, economic prosperity and social equity. It reaffirms, therefore, that the work of the United Nations in the area of human rights must be considered as an element of the Organization’s activities in the field of preventive diplomacy, and that United Nations operations to monitor the observance of human rights must promote respect for these rights in order to be able to restore 2 social stability and assist in the reconstruction and recovery of societies following periods of conflict. In this regard, the restructuring of the Secretariat should take into account all approaches to human rights, in accordance with the outcome of the Vienna Conference, which, as we know, proclaimed the interdependence and indivisibility of human rights as well as the promotion of the right to development. My delegation, however, would appeal for greater vigilance on the question of human rights, bearing in mind that on 10 December we shall begin to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in view of the possible consequences of international oversight of human rights for the sovereignty of States, particularly when this involves monitoring measures and even conditionality, under the guise of humanitarian concerns. Reform must not be reduced to a simple cost-cutting exercise; rather, it must strengthen the role of the Organization and above all enhance its efficiency. Hence Madagascar recognizes the need to strengthen the role of the General Assembly, which we feel must remain the primary forum for States to discuss essential issues of peace, security and development. At a time when the virtues of democratization are preached, the General Assembly is the only body capable of guaranteeing that as many people as possible can make their voices heard at the world level and play an effective part in the management of international affairs. The Charter could therefore be amended to give greater power to the General Assembly, so that it might play a bigger role alongside the Security Council, particularly in the maintenance of peace. We therefore support the Secretary-General’s initiative to set up a ministerial commission to consider the possible changes. On financial reform, many eminent speakers — I would refer in particular to the Prime Minister of Pakistan — have stated in this debate that one of the main weaknesses of the United Nations stems from the fact that while some Members are supposed to pay their assessments in full and without conditions, others delay payment, making it contingent on one reason or another, whether stated or not. Madagascar appeals for what I would call a code of good conduct or financial civic-mindedness, in order to remedy this situation. We support the principle that the financing of the United Nations must be an integral part of the reform process. Moreover, the scale of assessments, the key to the apportionment of expenses, must reflect the capacity of each State to pay, as it is applied in most, if not all world organizations, on the basis of equity, pure and simple. It is clear to us that the scale cannot be set in stone and that there should be provision for amendment when necessary — that is, when there is a change in a country’s capacity to pay. Finally, we welcome the desire of the Secretary- General to allocate more predictable resources to finance development, to ensure an overall increase in official development assistance and to create an Office for Development Financing to allocate to developing countries what have been described as the dividends of reform. In regard to the Security Council, it would be putting it mildly to say that its present membership no longer reflects reality. To speak of our continent alone, Africa has the greatest number of Member States of the United Nations, and yet the continent has no permanent seat on the Security Council. Nor was the continent even consulted or considered at the time of the first review of the Council in 1965. Madagascar endorses the position of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and would opt for an expansion of Security Council membership based on democratization, transparency and equitable geographical representation. An increase in number and an improvement in the Council’s functioning and working methods, as well as its relations with States that are not members of the Council, are essential in order to reflect the present reality, and above all to allow the United Nations to lend an attentive ear to the problems of the poor and less favoured countries. In addition, relations between the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council must be strengthened, so that decisions on international peace and security can take into account social factors. In this regard, my delegation welcomes the decision of the sub-working group of the African Group, chaired by Egypt, which is considering the modalities for implementing a rotation system for two permanent seats which could be allocated to Africa, called for in the Harare Declaration of the summit of Heads of State and Government of the OAU. 3 We feel that the veto must not be considered separately from the question of expanding the membership of the Council. Moreover, given the principles of democracy supported by the international community as a whole, it would be logical to extend the right of veto to all permanent members, or simply to abolish it. In addition, we emphatically reaffirm that any question relating to reform of the Security Council must be subject to a two-thirds majority vote of Member States, in accordance with the provisions of Article 18 of the Charter. Any initiative to submit a simple resolution running counter to that would be prejudicial to the Organization and to its Members. The 15 priority areas on which the Secretary-General has taken action and made recommendations respond to the demands of today’s world. My delegation is certain that the substantive comments and proposals of the General Assembly will help implement the initiatives taken, so that our Organization can keep pace with the demands of our time and, above all, live up to the expectations of our people. In any event, Madagascar, within the framework of the regional forums to which it belongs, is considering the proposals of the Secretary-General in a spirit of constructive dialogue and without preconceptions. However, I cannot speak of international peace and security without expressing my concern at the slow pace of negotiations leading to general agreement on every aspect of Security Council reform. We are concerned because, despite the establishment of a Department for Disarmament and Arms Regulation, announced in the package of reforms, the Council will still remain, under the Charter, the body entrusted with maintaining international peace and security. However, the Malagasy Government welcomes the fact that cooperation between the United Nations and the OAU with regard to peace was mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report to the fifty-second session, as well as in statements made last Thursday at the ministerial meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Africa. We are pleased to note the determination of the Secretary-General to increase this cooperation and extend it to all activities related to the maintenance of peace, including conflict prevention. In this area, we welcome the Secretary- General’s plan to appoint a representative based in Addis Ababa. It is important here to emphasize the importance not only of combining, but also coordinating, the efforts of the OAU — which has a central Mechanism for Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution — with those of the Security Council, so that we do not work at cross- purposes. Here I would like to recall that the OAU welcomed the principle of strengthening African peacekeeping capacity, which France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have jointly proposed to assist. My delegation welcomes the negotiations to date on nuclear disarmament measures and on limiting and gradually reducing conventional weapons and in particular anti-personnel mines. On this last point, Madagascar has voted in favour of General Assembly resolutions on a moratorium on the export of mines. We welcome the agreement drafted in Oslo on the text of a convention for the complete elimination of anti-personnel mines, as well as Norway’s commitment to provide $100 million for demining activities and assistance to victims. In this respect, my country appeals to States with military arsenals to continue resolutely to take measures aimed at general and complete disarmament. The participation of all States in this process of disarmament, in cooperation with the Department for Disarmament and Arms Regulation, whose establishment is part of the reform programme, will provide an invaluable contribution to the easing of global tensions. This international determination will also be a source of mutual assistance and cooperation in combating organized transnational crime. Transnational criminal organizations have, in fact, existed for a long time, but the globalization of international relations with regard to the economy, commerce, telecommunications and the rapid progress of technology, as well as the disappearance of ideological blocs, have permitted the activities of transnational criminal organizations to expand and have increased their power to such an extent that they are now a permanent threat to the foundation and internal security of States, to their cultural and artistic heritage and to the environment of the planet. Today we are witnessing the emergence of new forms of transnational crime: money- laundering or the investment of capital generated by activities that are usually interconnected, including drug- trafficking, corruption, traffic in weapons, terrorism, traffic in nuclear and toxic material, traffic in protected natural resources, traffic in human beings, removal of organs, and more. From this standpoint, the countries that are weakest in terms of economic, institutional, material and technological capacity are the most vulnerable — developing countries in general and African countries in particular — because the automatic effect of the activities of developed countries to prevent and combat organized 4 crime is to condemn such countries to becoming new zones of expansion. We must therefore urgently find an effective response to this threat by defining a common objective based on a united stand and coherent action, by establishing or strengthening cooperation for exchanging experience and knowledge, by increasing our exchange of information and, above all, by actively promoting and supporting cooperation with international or regional forums so as to provide institutional technical assistance and logistical support. That notwithstanding, we note the special importance attributed by the Secretary-General to the need to improve the capacity of the system to combat drug-trafficking and terrorism. Peace is, with development, one of the main missions of the United Nations. My country reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the principle of settling disputes peacefully. It is deeply concerned by the threats to destabilize peace in the world, especially in Africa. With regard to the Republic of Congo, therefore, Madagascar appeals to the parties to develop a dialogue aimed at a definitive ceasefire, in accordance with the spirit of the Libreville Summit, held on 14 and 15 September 1997, and at allowing the deployment, under the auspices of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU), of the international intervention force recommended at the Summit. As for the internal crisis in the Comoros, which is an immediate neighbour of Madagascar, we support of the efforts of the Secretary-General of the OAU as well as those of the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Furthermore, we reaffirm our support of the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros with regard to sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this respect we support the convening of an international conference to restore peace in that sister Republic, and we have expressed the readiness of Madagascar to become involved in any initiatives along these lines. Also in Africa, Madagascar welcomes the establishment of direct talks between Morocco and the POLISARIO Front, which recently culminated in the Houston Agreement, as a result of the mediation of James Baker. We believe this to be a major landmark on the path to the settlement of the question of Western Sahara, which has gone on for too long. In the Middle East, Madagascar also strongly appeals to the parties concerned to safeguard the progress achieved in the peace process. We believe that an essential element for this is for Israel to halt the establishment of new settlements. Finally, we reaffirm our support for the concept of the reunification of Korea and welcome the progress that is starting to appear in this regard. During the course of the United Nations conferences on human rights, the environment, population, social development, women, etc., we succeeded in achieving important global commitments, and we must ensure the follow-up. We have achieved an international consensus on the need to ensure that ecological realities and priorities for environmental policies are taken into account in structural changes that are in progress in the international economic order. To be more specific, we must integrate environmental factors — a precondition for sustainable development — into economic priorities. In this regard Madagascar encourages the efforts already undertaken by international development finance organizations and by Governments. We are convinced that the overall implementation of the provisions in the basic Agenda 21 document for rapid and specific action will come to fruition in the recommendations of the Secretary- General as contained in his programme for reform. In conclusion, I take this opportunity to recall my comments at the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly, on an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21. While reaffirming our full adherence to the principles of mutual interest and the shared but differentiated responsibilities of developed and developing countries contained in the Rio Declaration, and to its general implementation, we requested, first, that developed countries honour the commitments undertaken in Rio to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross national product to development assistance. Secondly, we requested that the Global Environment Facility be restructured and adequately replenished so as to facilitate access to resources; and thirdly and above all, that, following the concept of the “democracy dividend” and the “economic adjustment and reform dividend”, an “environment dividend” should be advocated for the least developed countries to enable them to protect their environment and thereby speed up the eradication of poverty, the main cause and consequence of environmental degradation. 5 We now ask whether the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its present form has the necessary power to impose sanctions or to grant dividends, or whether we need to strengthen its mandate or create a new structure with adequate power. For its part, Madagascar — we cannot repeat this often enough — is proud to comply with the measures recommended in Agenda 21. Indeed, it stands out in its capacity as a country that is both a nature sanctuary and a natural sanctuary, possessing treasures and specific characteristics that are rare, if not unique in the world, in terms of flora and fauna. We hope that in Kyoto in December firm commitments will be made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming and thereby contribute to the further deterioration of our environment. It rests only with us to make this session a session of reform, as the Secretary-General wishes, or to make it a session like so many others — one in which speakers assail us with rhetoric or at best with verbal promises that are not followed up with actions. Madagascar is convinced that we will make the right choice at the right time to consolidate our ideals.