Switzerland

In 2000, at the dawn of the new millennium, the heads of State and Government of the Member States met here to reaffirm their shared goals. Three years later, that international consensus has eroded. Member States perceive threats differently, and they do not share the same priorities. Some States emphasize the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In other regions in the world, civil wars, small arms, poverty, hunger and AIDS are the main dangers. 21 Can the international community reach a consensus on the objectives to be attained and the way to achieve them? What importance should we give to multilateral cooperation? Has the time not come to review the system of collective security inherited from the Second World War? Could it be that the United Nations is due for far-reaching reform? The fact that so many heads of State and Government have responded to the Secretary-General's invitation is a preliminary answer. It is an encouraging sign. The Member States look to the United Nations to seek solutions. We must seize the opportunity of this debate to reaffirm our commitment to multilateral cooperation and the goals of the United Nations. Life in society demands a minimum of order, rules and solidarity. That also applies to international relations. Switzerland attaches great importance to respect for international law, which explains its commitment to humanitarian law or to the International Criminal Court. Without international law, many countries would feel themselves at the mercy of the law of the mightiest. The great powers, like the smaller ones, need a multilateral framework to resolve their differences. The time has come to rethink the role of the United Nations. Almost 60 years after the foundation of the Organization, the threats have changed, as have the geopolitical realities. Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have taken on more threatening dimensions. Civil wars have multiplied. AIDS has become the most deadly epidemic in the history of humankind. Poverty is far from being eradicated. Security can no longer be addressed in purely military terms. We need to review our vision of security by focusing greater attention on individuals. By broadening our approach to security and by placing fresh emphasis on human security, we can overcome some of the current differences between the North and the South. Together with other countries, Switzerland is endeavouring to promote the idea of human security. This year it will commit itself to the issues of the proliferation of light weapons and anti-personnel mines. We hope the General Assembly will establish a working group to develop an instrument for marking and tracing small arms. If the Members of the Organization concur, Switzerland is ready to take the chair. The Swiss Government also takes an active interest in the issue of migration. We are working with other countries to establish a global commission on international migration, which will be asked to make recommendations. In order to promote human security, we must also keep the promises made in the field of development. In the Millennium Declaration we have undertaken to ensure that globalization becomes a positive force for all humankind. To that end, we have adopted a series of clear objectives, and deadlines to meet them have been set. But merely proclaiming goals is not enough; we must now fulfil them. If the rich countries and my country is among them do not keep their promises, they will end up causing poor countries to lose hope. In Cancun, the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) tried to revive trade liberalization. Although positions converged somewhat, disagreements persist and there is a risk of lasting failure. That would result in weakened growth at the global level, to the detriment of all countries. We need to give negotiations another chance and, above all, avoid the lure of protectionism. To affirm a belief in the multilateral system should not blind us to its weak points. The United Nations needs more thorough reform. Switzerland considers that the role of the United Nations in the economic and social fields must be defined. We must better take account of the links between international security and economic development. Relations between the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions and WTO should also be reconsidered by a group of independent eminent persons. We must also focus our attention on the functioning of the Organization itself. In the General Assembly, resolutions that are adopted are too often reduced to the lowest common denominator or to a long, vague wish list, with no real impact. The Assembly must be revitalized. There is a need to reduce the number of agenda items, limit the length of texts and avoid the proliferation of resolutions on issues that overlap. With regard to the Security Council, a consensus already exists on the fact that its composition no longer 22 sufficiently reflects contemporary geopolitical realities. Switzerland supports the idea of enlarging the Council. That could be done without harming its effectiveness as long as the increase in the number of members remains within reasonable bounds and takes into account the various regional sensibilities. In the last few years, countries not members of the Council have been given more opportunities to participate in the Council's work. Switzerland welcomes those efforts. However, the crucial decisions too often remain confined to the restricted circle of the five permanent members. All members of the Security Council should be permanently involved in the decision-making process. It is also important to institutionalize the modalities of participation for the other Member States. For example, consultation mechanisms with those States most directly affected by conflict areas should be strengthened. It should be necessary for non-permanent members of the Council to feel a greater responsibility to represent the views of those who elected them. The right of veto is a privilege involving special responsibilities. It should be used only in exceptional circumstances. When a permanent member exercises its right of veto, would it not be desirable for it then to explain its action to the General Assembly? That way, that member could make its position better understood by the international community. Another goal is to open the United Nations to civil society. Switzerland welcomes the decision of the Secretary-General to set up a panel of experts to consider the possible ways to achieve that. It is in this spirit of openness towards civil society that preparations are being carried out for the World Summit on the Information Society, due to take place in Geneva in December. More than half of the world's population does not have access to a telephone. The use of Internet is even more limited. The goal of the Summit, a part of the larger framework of the Millennium Goals, is to discuss ways to narrow the digital divide between the rich and poor countries. New technologies must be placed at the service of development, human rights and democracy. I invite all Member States to participate actively in the Summit. Many heads of State and Government have announced their intention to attend, which gives me great pleasure. I must address, above all, my colleagues of the industrialized countries: we must shoulder our responsibilities. I appeal to them not to miss that important appointment. We need a North- South dialogue at the highest level. As I have already said, we must keep our promises. In recent months, Iraq has made visible some international tensions. We must now search together to find solutions for the future. We all face the same danger: that of Iraq falling prey to disorder and instability. The United Nations must be given its place in Iraq and must receive a clearer mandate from the Security Council. At the same time, determined progress must be made towards restoring Iraqi sovereignty. In its national history, Switzerland has a long tradition of harmonious coexistence among its different communities. We well understand that no single political model fits all situations. Nevertheless, Switzerland is ready to share its experience and to provide support for the process of drawing up a new constitution in Iraq. Switzerland joined the United Nations as a neutral country. That does not prevent it from defending the universal values to which it is attached. In this, Switzerland wishes to collaborate with the other Member States, drawing on the strength of the Organization. At this point, I would like to pay tribute to the United Nations and all its staff, who have just suffered a deadly attack in Baghdad. Every day, throughout the world, the United Nations and its specialized agencies do irreplaceable work. The Secretary-General has spoken of peace as a dream in suspense. I believe that this also applies to the other ideals for which the United Nations stands: justice, solidarity and respect for human dignity. Dreams are an essential part of the vision of the United Nations, but so are action, realism, courage and perseverance.