Malta

I would like to join the other delegations here in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your election as President of the General Assembly. May I also pay tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Theo- Ben Gurirab who, through his experience and diplomatic skills, guided the fifty-fourth session to a successful conclusion. I wish to express our appreciation to the Secretary-General, under whose guidance and with whose expertise the Organization has been moving ahead in the attainment of its goals. May I also extend a warm welcome to Tuvalu, the newest Member of the United Nations. For many years Malta and Tuvalu have cooperated as joint members of the Commonwealth. This is an auspicious occasion, not merely because the General Assembly is the most widely representative group of the world's peoples, but also since it comes at a time when we are poised on the edge of a new dawn, a new beginning. Only last week we saw and heard the heads of State or Government of countries the world over reaffirm their faith in the Organization and its Charter as indispensable foundations of a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. It was a renewed commitment to make the United Nations a more effective instrument in the hands of the world's people. This is a weighty undertaking, and one which may well benefit from a re- examination of the experience acquired during the past 55 years of the United Nations existence. As we are all no doubt aware, the United Nations has been instrumental in fostering a culture of partnership among States. Indeed, we meet here today in the understanding that this culture of partnership must continue to constitute the basis for humanity's progress. This is more than just a vision for the future; it is the road map for the way forward based on a programme of action that has weathered the vicissitudes of time and withstood test after test ever since its adoption in San Francisco over half a century ago. It is a noble endeavour that has survived in the face of adversity, that has experienced occasional setbacks, but that has also registered more than a fair share of success. Aided by its long-standing commitment to dialogue, the United Nations has positively contributed to the process of decolonization that has so decisively transformed the political map of the world. It has promoted a culture of dialogue and cooperation in the most diverse fields of human existence and endeavour, 28 ranging from health care to food supplies, from literacy to urban development, from historical heritage to the natural environment, and, more recently, improving the status of women. Nevertheless, in the crucial area of the maintenance of peace and security — the very raison d'être for the creation of the United Nations — the Organization, for various reasons, has at times been unable to fulfil this mandate. This is reflected in the painfully honest reports of the Organization's failings in Rwanda and Srebrenica. These negative experiences provided the backdrop to the recently published Brahimi report. The Government of Malta shares the concerns expressed in this report, which cautions in particular against entrusting the United Nations Secretariat with unrealistic mandates while not providing it with commensurate resources. We look forward to early consultations on the manner in which the recommendations of the report may be pursued. We have given serious consideration to addressing these concerns and have decided to match them with a specific commitment. It was in this connection that my Prime Minister last week, in his address to the Millennium Summit, signalled Malta's intention to significantly increase its peacekeeping contribution through a voluntary move from group C to group B. It will be recalled that over the years Malta has made other contributions towards promoting the global objectives of the United Nations. These have included a number of initiatives not designed in the narrow national interest but in the interest of the international community as a whole. May I recall in this connection Malta's proposals to the General Assembly relating to the seabed and the ocean floor, which led to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to the question of the ageing and to the initiative relating to climate change. These initiatives alerted the United Nations to examine the far-reaching, serious implications of those issues and thereby enabled it to adopt timely measures, which, as can be appreciated, have helped defuse, and continue to defuse, potential political tensions, environmental dangers and social complications. The progress recorded in the United Nations over the years is impressive and a source of great satisfaction to my Government. The goals achieved, while relevant the world over, lie extremely close to the heart of the area of which Malta forms part. The Mediterranean can be seen as a microcosm of the larger world stage. We have faced, and continue to face, intermittent conflicts and wide gaps in development levels. The shortage of freshwater resources in some areas is potentially another serious challenge. Despite being a sea of promise and great opportunity, the Mediterranean continues to challenge our political will to nurture long-lasting stability. Security in the Mediterranean requires committed and quiet determination to identify both the problems and, more importantly, the solutions. The element of dialogue that has so often underscored the work of the United Nations has brought much to the enhancement of relations between the States of that part of the world. Malta indeed not only shares the aspirations of the United Nations in this regard, but has striven throughout the years to ensure that they become an integral part of all dealings in the Mediterranean. Together with the rest of the world community, Malta welcomes the progress made in the Middle East peace process. We hope that the same determination as helped overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the past will continue to inspire the protagonists to work for the goal of a just and permanent peace and security for our Middle Eastern neighbours. The Balkans are another part of the Mediterranean area that also continues to challenge the will of the international community in its quest for stability and its determination to ensure that full respect for human rights becomes the common heritage of all peoples who live there. In this respect, every positive development is of the utmost importance. For over 25 years the situation in Cyprus has remained a cause of concern. We therefore earnestly hope that an early settlement of the Cyprus question will be found. In this connection, the Maltese Government reiterates its full support for the Secretary- General's efforts to find a solution on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Mediterranean has also been witness to the cruel and merciless trafficking in human beings, a tragic and criminal exploitation of the misery of others. We welcome the initiatives taken by the Italian Government at the Conference for Development and Security in the Adriatic and the Ionian held in Ancona 29 last May. The broad parameters established in that Conference can indeed serve as a prototype for similar agreements elsewhere. Malta has always been acutely aware of the role it can play in bridging the divides of this complex area. Successive Maltese Governments have consistently promoted efforts to develop and consolidate cooperation between the littoral States of the Mediterranean at both a bilateral and multilateral level. In the mid-1970s we hosted the preparatory meeting that led to the Barcelona Convention that launched the Mediterranean Action Plan. In 1995 we argued in favour of a Mediterranean stability pact for the region, a proposal which is now taking shape in the form of a Euro-Mediterranean charter for peace and stability. In 1997, at a time of difficult political circumstances for the area, Malta hosted the second Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, following that of Barcelona in 1995. More recently, Malta was one of the prime movers behind a recommendation within the Conference on Security Co-operation in the Mediterranean process of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for the establishment of a Parliamentary Assembly of Mediterranean States. These initiatives serve to underscore our commitment to the achievement of peace, prosperity and a just solution to the demands of the Mediterranean people. We believe, however, that on our own we can only do so much, and that therefore the principle of multilateralism, as enshrined in last week's Declaration, must be fully respected and observed. As was stated in the final Declaration of the Millennium Summit, the management of economic and social development, as well as the risks and threats to international peace and security, must be a shared responsibility. Freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance and respect for the natural environment are goals towards which our combined energies and efforts should be channelled. It is for these reasons that we have chosen to pursue the path of membership of the European Union. It is the common values and principles that inspired the birth of what is today the European Union that inspire us in our quest. This is because it is through membership that we feel we can best play our part on the international stage, and contribute more effectively towards the promotion of peace and progress in the Mediterranean. We feel that our capabilities to play a useful role may be greatly enhanced from within the European Union. This is not solely for our own local benefit. We believe that our membership will give the European Union an added dimension that will serve to benefit both the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean littoral. Good governance is what we, the peoples of the United Nations, seek at a national, regional and international level. Yet good governance is exactly what is threatened by a number of phenomena that plague our contemporary society. Ranging from the trafficking of drugs to that of armaments and human beings, international organized crime threatens the very texture of law and order through abuse, corruption and violence. The growth of related crimes also alerts us to the need for ever closer international cooperation. As much as the socio-political environment requires constant vigilance, so too does the physical environment. Global warming remains a constant concern, and we urge that the undertakings to ward off the further degradation of the ozone layer be fully adhered to. Questions of disarmament, extreme poverty, the striking proportions of HIV and AIDS and the vulnerability of the disabled, infirm and those discriminated against on the basis of race or religion remain ever present on the world agenda. At no time must we lose sight of these very real issues faced by a huge proportion of the world's people. We must, in pursuit of a more caring and equitable society, seek to understand and subsequently meet the needs of these vulnerable members of society. It is not sufficient to promote global e-commerce and ever new economic world orders if we do not also tackle the root causes of many of the problems in the developing world. We need to convert these enormous challenges into moments of opportunity. We need to harness the positive forces of globalization, the new knowledge- based economy and the opportunities of trade to bridge the divides that persist throughout each and every continent. The United Nations has taken a leading role in promoting international understanding and agreement in relation to these varied and diverse areas. Indeed, a wide spectrum of activities, international agreements and agencies of the United Nations have been put to good use in the creation of the impetus necessary for change. We must continue in our endeavours to bring 30 people to a common understanding of how this can best be consolidated, not solely through dialogue, but through concrete actions that must necessarily follow. The number and variety of tasks that face the United Nations are by no means small. Malta is, however, convinced that the United Nations is the forum best positioned to provide workable options and long-term solutions to the problems that plague the world and man's relations with it. Last week's Millennium Summit clearly demonstrated the international community's renewed commitment to this unique and indispensable Organization and its vital role in the maintenance of peace and stability, the eradication of poverty, ignorance and disease and the protection of the global environment. If the Millennium Summit charted our course towards making the United Nations a more effective instrument in the hands of the world's peoples, then the Millennium Assembly must come to be remembered as the point in time when the first major decisions were taken to place the Organization firmly on this chosen path. I hope that these will not be merely empty declarations of intent, but that each Government and each of us here present today will endeavour to better our corner of the globe as best we can. My Government remains determined to play its part.