I would like first to
congratulate Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann on his
assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly
at its sixty-third session, as well as to thank Mr. Srgjan
Kerim for the excellent work he did during his
presidency of the General Assembly in the preceding
year.
As we gather here once again to address the most
significant issues on the global agenda, the General
Assembly opening session reminds us of our shared
vision of the United Nations as the embodiment of a
family of nations.
It reminds us of the constant need for an effective
multilateral effort to address global challenges, and to
maintain and build peace in a range of conflict zones
and post-conflict societies, searching for solutions
within the rule-based international order, through the
promotion of freedom, democracy, development and
respect for human rights.
It also gives us the opportunity to take stock of
our achievements, as well as to redouble our
commitment to world peace and progress.
This is a commitment that Croatia and its people
accepted even before our independence: a commitment
to strengthen international cooperation through
effective multilateral organizations for advancing
peace and security, facilitating development and
combating poverty, protecting our environment,
eradicating diseases and promoting public health.
As a renewal of that commitment, we celebrate
this year the 120th anniversary of the birth of the
famous Croat, Dr. Andrija Štampar, a founding father
of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the first
President of the WHO Assembly. In his inaugural
speech in 1948, Dr. Štampar clearly stated that the
11 08-52265
Organization should become a pioneer of world peace
and promote understanding among nations.
Dr. Štampar’s words are also true for the broader
family of United Nations institutions. His words are a
testimony to the lasting commitment of Croatia and its
people to the promotion of peace through international
cooperation.
Since our independence, Croatia’s leaders have
come every year before this Assembly to renew this
solemn commitment. Even in the most difficult of
times, when our own existence was in peril and
collective security guarantees vanished, we still came
to New York to express Croatia’s adherence to the
values enshrined in the Charter.
Croatia has come a long way since those testing
days of struggle. Yet our determination in pursuing the
Charter principles has remained intact.
We have developed a stable democracy and a
growing economy, but we have not forgotten those
brave men and women who struggled for and achieved
our independence, as well as those men and women of
goodwill who, under the flag of the United Nations,
assisted us in our time of need.
With that conviction and determination, with that
sincere sense of gratitude and a genuine vocation for
cooperation, I come today before the Assembly to
share with it Croatia’s views on the most pressing and
relevant issues for our international community.
On this occasion, though, Croatia is for the first
time in a position to address these issues from a
different angle — that of an elected member of the
Security Council. Membership of the Security Council
is not only a great honour for Croatia, but also a great
responsibility we have been preparing for in recent
years.
(spoke in French)
Over the past decade, Croatia has completed a
transformative journey that may without exaggeration
be described as impressive. Since the war-torn early
1990s it has emerged as an anchor of stability, security
and cooperation in South-East Europe.
Croatia is today at the doorstep of the European
Union. We are determined to conclude the accession
negotiations in 2009, thus completing a demanding
process of profound political, economic and social
reforms.
Our European vocation has guided us in the
testing period of our transition, and it will continue to
guide us once Croatia becomes a full member of the
European Union.
(spoke in English)
We attach equal importance to our membership of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and
we look forward to the celebration of our accession to
the alliance at the next summit in spring 2009, which
will also mark NATO’s sixtieth anniversary.
Through reforms, we have successfully turned
our country from a consumer to a net contributor to
international peace and security. Today, Croatian forces
are engaged in 13 United Nations peacekeeping
operations in four different continents. Our men and
women in uniform also serve in the NATO-led
operation in Afghanistan and the European Union
operation in Chad, in accordance with the relevant
Security Council resolutions.
In all these conflict areas, our service men and
women have proved their dedication and
professionalism. However, probably their most
valuable contribution is their ability to share with the
local population Croatia’s own experience in
overcoming the consequences of war and taking the
road of reconciliation, cooperation and development.
As a member of the Security Council, Croatia
will continue to work as a responsible and dedicated
partner in the common effort to maintain and build
peace through the promotion of human rights and
democracy, the fight for the eradication of poverty and
injustice, and the advancement of effective
multilateralism.
In this Croatia will be guided by a sense of
responsibility, solidarity and good faith. We hold that
effective multilateral action, including with regional
organizations, is our best guarantee in safeguarding
these values.
While we see progress in advancing these values
in some troubled areas of our world, such as
Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, we have also
witnessed other conflicts arising, such as in Georgia.
In this respect, we welcome the six-point
agreement brokered by the European Union presidency
and President Sarkozy in August, as well as the
implementing agreement from September.
08-52265 12
We are also aware that the failure to address these
issues in a multilateral context of cooperation could
lead us into old paradigms of confrontation. At the
same time, the lack of audacity to confront them could
endanger the democratic gains obtained with the end of
the cold war. These gains should be preserved, as they
themselves derive from the fundamental principles
emanating from the Charter.
We should not forget that the United Nations
stands for the common fundamental values of freedom,
equality, solidarity, tolerance and respect for human
rights. In this regard, the suffering of the people of the
Sudan, particularly in Darfur, and the suffering of the
people in Somalia and Myanmar are also stark
reminders of the gap between the goals this
Organization has set and the realities on the ground.
My country welcomes joint international efforts
to address the question of flagrant violations of
international humanitarian law and human rights
through established international mechanisms and
institutions like the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC provides a vital recourse to justice in
situations where national Governments cannot or will
not address these issues themselves.
Human rights and the rule of law are essential
building blocks for a more peaceful, just and
prosperous world. This year we are marking the
sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. As a member of the Security Council,
my country is dedicated to advancing these rights to
those most vulnerable in conflict: civilians, notably
women and children.
We are pleased that this year the Council adopted
a strong and action-oriented resolution addressing the
disturbing practice of sexual violence as a method of
warfare.
We also continue to work on advancing the cause
of preventing children becoming part of armed
conflicts, believing that the realities on the ground
require stronger Council involvement. For this and
many other reasons, Croatia has decided to present its
candidature for membership in the Human Rights
Council for the period 2010-2013.
We live in a world that has significantly redefined
the traditional notion of threats to international peace
and security. In an increasingly interconnected world,
global threats are taking many forms.
Terrorism, poverty, disease, climate change,
environmental degradation and rising food prices
command that we work together, as only a common
vision and collective action, implemented in the spirit
of solidarity and responsibility, can counter these
challenges.
Terrorism attempts to undermine the core values
of the modern world and poses a serious challenge to
our security, the basic principles of democratic
societies and the rights and freedoms of our citizens.
Terrorist acts are criminal in nature and cannot be
justified under any circumstances. Croatia appreciates
and fully supports all efforts in the global struggle
against terrorism, within the United Nations system
and beyond.
Since the beginning of this year, my country has
been chairing the Security Council Counter-Terrorism
Committee, which was established in the immediate
aftermath of the devastating terrorist attacks against the
United States and the whole democratic world on
11 September 2001. We have assumed this
responsibility with the utmost seriousness and are
working towards moving the Committee forward by
focusing on concrete results and achieving realistic
objectives.
I would also like to reiterate the importance
Croatia attaches to the Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy as one of the primary international documents
in the global fight against terrorism. Croatia is also
active on the regional level, presiding over the
Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER)
within the Council of Europe.
In overcoming global threats and challenges,
initiatives such as the Alliance of Civilizations can also
act as a stimulus, augmenting mutual respect,
understanding and cooperation among States and
peoples across cultures and religions. As the Alliance’s
main goal is to counter intolerance, religious
fundamentalism and extremism, Croatia is pleased to
be a part of this ever-growing group.
Our dialogue and cooperation should also be
directed with more emphasis at combating poverty and
establishing a global partnership for development. In
this regard, my country welcomes the Secretary-
General’s leadership in calling for action to make
progress for the poorest of the poor, the so-called
bottom billion.
13 08-52265
We also believe that it is essential for
Governments to support the delivery of commitments
made, with the aim of getting the Millennium
Development Goals back on track. Specific
arrangements between donor and recipient countries on
the implementation of the Millennium Development
Goals should be put into action through a human-
centred approach to the key themes of the Goals, or
more precisely health and education, the environment
and the eradication of poverty.
In this sense, we recognize the importance of
mobilizing financial resources for development, as well
as their effective use in developing countries. The
Monterrey Consensus remains the foundation of the
global partnership for development, and Croatia
believes in a positive outcome of the review conference
to take place in Doha later this year. In this context,
Croatia will honour the obligations and figures
established pursuant to its status as a candidate for
membership in the European Union.
Through its transition process Croatia has
emerged from being a recipient country to being a
country whose own experience and resources have
enabled it to become an international donor. As a
contributor to various United Nations funds and
programmes, Croatia has confirmed its capability to
support the activities of the United Nations in
numerous fields, and will continue to do so through
sharing our experiences and assisting those in need.
However, while Croatia increases its contribution
to global progress and takes a more assertive role in the
international arena, it also remains active in, and
committed to, fostering stability in South-East Europe.
Our membership in the Security Council and our
advanced phase of integration in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union
has not led us to turn our back on our neighbours. On
the contrary, it has enabled us to redouble our efforts in
preserving stability and maximizing the benefits of
peace.
Through initiatives such as the establishment of
the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC),
headquartered in Sarajevo and with a top Croatian
diplomat, Mr. Hido Biscevic, as its first Secretary
General, we have actively contributed to regional
stability.
However, there is still unfinished business in our
neighbouring region. Let me mention one example:
Bosnia and Herzegovina. The foundations for stability
in that country reside in respect for equal rights for all
three constituent and sovereign people: Croats,
Bosniaks and Serbs.
The Republic of Croatia stands ready, along with
the international community, to support and assist
Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all the other
countries in the region, through an active policy of
cooperation.
Such cooperation paves the way for long-standing
security and prosperity in South-East Europe. And in
that way Croatia will continue to back the Euro-
Atlantic aspirations of all its neighbours. In that way
my country will renew its determination to foster
peace, democracy and tolerance, thus honouring our
commitment to the Charter.
Last April, in this very Hall, His Holiness Pope
Benedict XVI reminded us that:
“The founding principles of the Organization —
the desire for peace, the quest for justice, respect
for the dignity of the person, humanitarian
cooperation and assistance — express the just
aspirations of the human spirit and constitute the
ideals which should underpin international
relations.” (A/62/PV.95, p. 3)
We should always remember these ideals as we
continue to work together on exploiting the full
potential of the United Nations in creating a more
peaceful, prosperous and democratic world.