Allow me, Madam, to
add my heartiest congratulations to you on being the
third woman in the history of the United Nations to be
elected President of the General Assembly, particularly
at such a critical moment. Your election is an
inspiration for women everywhere who are struggling
to achieve equality and opportunity. You illustrate the
truth that, as Plato wrote 2,400 years ago, any society
that does not exploit the talents of its women is wasting
half of its resources. I also wish to congratulate and
thank your predecessor, my friend and colleague Jan
Eliasson, for all he worked so hard to achieve during
his term.
While we are recognizing service to the United
Nations, we would be remiss if we did not extend our
appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. I want
to express the appreciation of my Government for all
his efforts to maintain and strengthen the prestige and
moral authority of the Organization.
I would also like to welcome Montenegro to the
family of States.
(spoke in French)
Greece fully aligns itself with the statement made
by the President of Finland on behalf of the European
Union (EU). We would also like to express our views
on the major questions that the United Nations will be
dealing with in the session that is now opening.
It is just the beginning of the twenty-first century,
and the future looks threatening: we see poverty, war,
humanitarian crises, refugee flows, terrorism, arms
proliferation, human trafficking, drugs, sectarian
violence, environmental degradation and natural
disasters. In order to understand the full extent of these
calamities, we must identify and understand, and then
deal with, their roots, which have been formed over the
centuries. We have to unite the force of our ideas and
resources and mobilize what we have in common —
that is, our humanity. As taught to us by the
philosopher Isocrates, the condition for peace is not
money, which buys men, or force, which subjugates
them; it is the all-encompassing power of goodwill.
The United Nations is a unique forum, the place
where, as individuals and as nations, we offer the best
of ourselves. We need this Organization to be strong
and productive. We draw from it the strength that frees
us from mistrust to overcome conflicts, the strength
that allows us to move forwards towards greater
understanding and tolerance.
Terrorism is the scourge of our times. It is a blind
evil that takes no account of our religion, our race or
our gender. This danger must be confronted
collectively. It is neither possible nor desirable to
confront it alone. We will firmly support the efforts
undertaken by the Security Council’s Counter-
Terrorism Committee, and we are prepared to provide
it with all necessary assistance. Finally, we would like
to support the counter-terrorism policy that the
Secretary-General will soon be presenting to the
General Assembly. The best way to confront terrorism
is to promote peace, tolerance, the acceptance of others
and, above all, development: no longer to abandon
anyone by the wayside and to give everyone the
opportunity to access what is essential for life.
In the light of what I have said, and bearing in
mind the General Assembly’s main theme for this
year — to create a global partnership for
development — this is both timely and appropriate.
Translating this vision into fact must happen at the
global level, and for this we need significant
participation by all countries in the economic and
financial decision-making process. The International
Monetary Fund’s recent decision to increase the voting
rights of countries such as China and India is an
important step in the right direction.
The news coming from the Doha round, however,
is not encouraging. The clock is ticking; and each day
it becomes even more important for all parties to put
their shoulders to the wheel to reach an agreement,
with the objective of creating an effective multilateral
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trading system. The winners will be the developing
countries — but also the developed countries.
Equally important is the need to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals in line with the agenda
established by heads of State or Government at the
Summits of 2000 and 2005. Among our objectives,
clearly, is to reach the critical threshold of 0.7 per cent
of gross national income to be allocated for official
development assistance to the countries most seriously
affected by economic difficulties. That is the keystone
of a global partnership for development, which we are
committed to forging as soon as possible.
Developing countries, for their part, need to
follow sensible economic policies. They need to
undertaken reforms that will encourage growth, and
they need to finally improve governance by creating
institutions that are accountable and operate with
complete transparency. It is only together, through
collective action, that we will be able to correct the
inequalities that are at the root of many of the conflicts
in the world.
Allow me to stress in this respect that Africa must
be the highest of our priorities. We must pay heed to
the dormant conflicts in West Africa, East Africa and
Central Africa if we want to avoid the kinds of crises
being played out in the Sudan and other countries on
the continent. The African Union is best placed to put
an end to these conflicts, and we must help it by
finding lasting solutions to the problems that make life
so cruel in very many of these regions.
Another urgent need is to act effectively and
speedily to put an end to the suffering of the
populations of these countries, so that we no longer see
babies dying of AIDS when a few dollars’ worth of
medicines can save them.
(spoke in English)
The tensions in the Middle East demand equal
attention. The Middle East is the region that will test
the mettle of this Organization as a force for peace in
the immediate future. If we fail in that test, all of us
stand to pay a heavy price. During the past several
months, we all witnessed unforgettable images of
suffering and destruction in that part of the world.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the root of
most problems in the region, and it is obvious that it
should be at the top of the list of our priorities if peace
and stability are to return to that area. The Road Map
offers the strategic plan for a solution based on the
principle of land for peace, especially since basic
elements of it are well known and generally accepted
by the international community. The Road Map is in
essence a performance-driven guide to a settlement
based on all relevant Security Council resolutions,
including resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and
on the conclusions of the Madrid Conference and the
Beirut Arab Summit. We must all make every effort to
see that they are implemented.
On Lebanon, strict implementation of Security
Council resolution 1701 (2006) provides the blueprint
for resolving the basic problems that led to the recent
crisis. We understand the difficulties before us, but we
must push ahead resolutely, because determination and
tenacity are essential to tackling long-standing issues
in volatile regions.
The continued violence and instability in Iraq are
a cause of great concern for all of us. It is critical that
every possible effort be made to bring order and unity
to that troubled country. Deaths, especially of civilians,
have reached terrifying levels, with no end in sight to
the slaughter. All who have any influence with the
warring factions in Iraq must try to make them see
what pain and suffering they have inflicted on their
own people and what yet worse horrors they will
unleash on their land if they continue to drift towards a
devastating civil war.
Our own region, the Balkans, was once known as
history’s cauldron. We endured a century of bitter
ethnic, religious and ideological conflicts, up to very
recent times. We are moving rapidly, however, to
disown that label for the sake of our own peoples and
of the new Europe we are building. Some trouble spots
remain, but we are trying to deal with them in a new
spirit of cooperation and tolerance.
Kosovo is one issue that still needs attention. The
status talks are under way, and we hope that they will
produce a viable settlement that will strengthen the
security and stability of the entire region. Right now,
this appears difficult. To overcome the impasse will
require patient and careful diplomacy. Our goal in
reaching a viable long-term solution should not be
compromised by setting an artificial deadline.
I deeply regret the fact that the Cyprus problem
remains unresolved. For all 32 years of the military
occupation of one third of the territory of Cyprus by
well over 40,000 Turkish troops, Greece has strongly
23 06-53323
supported every United Nations initiative aimed at the
achievement of a comprehensive solution. We are
committed to doing everything possible to achieve a
just and viable solution, on the basis of the pertinent
Security Council resolutions and of EU principles and
values. We strive for a bizonal, bicommunal federation
that will bring peace and prosperity to the island. Our
goal remains a solution agreed between the two
communities without arbitration and tight timetables,
to be approved subsequently by referendums. To those
efforts we are prepared to lend our wholehearted
support.
Greece’s foreign and security policy is based on
the principles enshrined in the Charter, especially those
relating to the peaceful settlement of disputes and
good-neighbourly relations. This basic framework is
also reflected in my country’s continuing efforts to
further improve relations with Turkey and to
consolidate mutual understanding and cooperation. For
our part, we are trying to overcome the remaining
difficulties and are continuing to take initiatives to
widen and deepen cooperation in all fields so that the
relationship with Turkey becomes a win-win situation
for both countries. In this context, we are hopeful that
Turkey will reciprocate so that our countries can
solidify good-neighbourly relations.
European integration is the bright promise on the
horizon for the entire region of South-Eastern
Europe — a future which will encompass greater
cooperation and interaction among all the countries in
the area and at long last heal the wounds of the past
century.
We live in a troubled world, and the United
Nations is always enmeshed in the worst of the
troubles so that it sometimes seems that it is not
accomplishing much. We must not forget, however, the
conflicts it has resolved, the misery it has diminished,
the suffering it has relieved and the pain it has eased all
over the world in its brief lifetime.
“Man feeds on dreams of hope”, Aeschylus
wrote. For men, women and children everywhere, the
United Nations remains the best hope there is.