Samoa

Mr. President, you assume the presidency at a historic moment and during the most challenging of times. Most warmly do we congratulate you. Samoa welcomes your leadership and pledges to you and to Namibia our fullest support. This Assembly is an especially happy one for the Pacific: we now have in our midst three more South Pacific Forum States, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga. Ancient in tradition and long in the business of political independence, each represents the variety and uniqueness of our region. They make more real the goal of universality, as I know their contribution will enrich the work of the Organization. In the name of my country, I extend to the Governments of Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga the warmest of greetings. Let me, at the outset, pay a tribute to the stewardship of our Secretary-General and acknowledge the remarkable work of the United Nations — remarkable in terms of what is being done and achieved, at times against extreme and appalling odds. The twentieth century has been marked by violence and tragedy throughout. Millions have died in countless conflicts worldwide. Millions more continue to perish from poverty and disease. The Secretary-General’s report on the work of the Organization (A/54/1) is thoughtful and challenging. Our world is one of trouble and insecurity. The range and complexity of the issues are worrying, in some respects seemingly overwhelming. Ordinary aspirations are not being matched by effective action. Far too many are embroiled in the brutalities of war. Fundamental human needs and rights are being denied. I believe we should all pay much more attention to the reports of the Secretary-General. There is much there to confirm, and much to test our own perception of events and trends: directly, and in my view rightly, the Secretary-General has drawn attention to the place of sovereignty in the context of our contemporary common interest and asks how and by what means we are to defend that common interest. These questions go to the heart of the matter; the answers to them will define the role of the United Nations in the next millennium. There will, of course, be variance in perspectives. The experience of the United Nations itself in recent times does not yield satisfactory answers. Yet there are challenges that need to be met, seriously and urgently. I would agree with the Secretary-General that it is critical to set clear criteria for international action and intervention. It is the United Nations, with its multilateral setting, that is best placed to determine such criteria; it is the United Nations that has been invested with the global ideals to deal with interventions, but, alas, there have been failures and there has been inability. We should now look more deeply into the causes of those failures and lack of ability and in so doing we must balance competing rights and values. The very essence of the Organization is thus brought into focus: we need to ensure that the United Nations is able to function effectively in the new century, that we have a United Nations strengthened by commitment and reform. Above all, we need to bear in mind the essential connection between peace, development and human rights. We ignore any one to the fundamental detriment of all, although peace is the ultimate measure of our common interest, indeed, of our common future. We think it is time to move to a more definitive phase in the current efforts to reform the Security Council. The issues are clear, and have been clear for some time: points of argument are now being repeated, or repackaged. Substantive changes are required: the current structure does not reflect the facts and realities of today; suffers from imbalance and inequities. Membership of the Security Council should be enlarged: we have said before that Japan deserves to be a permanent member. Provision for this should be made. We appreciate the procedural changes made to the working of the Council, and we would encourage more of them: it would not be desirable to seek to resolve the unfairness of representation in one category without proper attention to the other. We share the view that Security Council reforms must necessarily be comprehensive and must address all aspects as a whole, including the power of veto. The veto is a central issue which must be resolved in the context of the current reforms. We think there is a proven case for the power of veto to be curtailed, and restricted to Chapter VII matters. Samoa fully supports the ongoing efforts to modernize and strengthen the Organization. Reform measures must provide for the serious and early review of the regional groupings. The current arrangements are more representative of the past than the present. There is a need for reconfiguration to reflect natural geographies and to ensure equitable representation of subregions. The anomaly of Australia and New Zealand being counted outside their geographical area should be corrected. They form a natural part of the South Pacific subregion of the Asian Group. Samoa adds its voice to the call made by Fiji and Papua New Guinea during this session for such regional reconfiguration. The matter should figure in the reform of the Organization and should be taken into account in reforming the structure and membership of the Security Council. In the coming year, as we move towards an agreed approach to the Millennium Assembly, my Government believes that the world community should focus on major global challenges likely to confront humankind in the next century. We agree with the Secretary-General that, alongside war and conflicts, natural disasters are a major and priority global challenge. Natural disasters remain a most serious threat to human lives and national economies. As we have seen in recent times, natural disasters occur widely and indiscriminately, not stopping at any border. At this moment, we think especially of communities whose lives and property have been affected in Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, the United States and the Bahamas. The world has experienced three times as many great natural disasters in the 1990s as in the 1960s, the year 1998 being the hottest year on record and the worst for weather-related natural disasters. Yet we learn with dismay from the Secretary-General’s report that emergency aid funds have declined by 40 per cent in the past five years alone. For small island States such as the Bahamas, these “once-in-a-century” events are occurring with alarming frequency and severity. They are truly calamitous in effect. Hurricane Floyd was the fourth- strongest hurricane measured this century. My own country has not been spared. We can only be thankful that our neighbours and traditional friends come so readily to our assistance at moments of disaster. Our Pacific neighbours, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, continue to be at the forefront of emergency and rehabilitation efforts in disasters affecting our Pacific region. Countries far from the Pacific, such as those of the European Union, have also been generous. Even 2 developing nations have not been hesitant in coming to our help. In the major disasters that have devastated our country, the People’s Republic of China in particular, despite the severe and regular natural disasters it itself suffers, has been unstinting in helping our country in those difficult times. China last week commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Republic. Samoa joins other nations in congratulating the People’s Republic of China in reaching this important milestone in its history. The immediate practical needs are to determine what preventive action might be available, especially to the small and vulnerable. Advanced early-warning systems using satellite-derived data and Internet dissemination would be essential, as would be the need to train and improve capacities. Greater efforts to establish contingency planning and other preparedness measures for disaster-prone countries are required. In all these, active cooperation at all levels — national, regional and international — would be vital. Above all, we agree that we should maximize the lessons learned from the experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction. It is critical for all countries, especially the most vulnerable, that this work be continued. Samoa adds its voice to the expression of outrage at the violations in East Timor. These are violations of principles and of Government responsibilities, violations against the innocent and defenceless. The real lesson of East Timor is that a people’s aspirations for freedom will triumph in the end. They cannot be suppressed for ever. Indeed, their balloted choice is abundantly clear. It is also the lesson of East Timor that the United Nations is best placed to safeguard rights and freedoms while ensuring order and security. We are relieved that the multinational force is now in position and we appreciate the ready and effective response of key States, including our South Pacific neighbours, Australia and New Zealand. Samoa is especially grateful for the clear and committed leadership taken by Australia. The violations to which I have referred reinforce the need for the world community to move as expeditiously as possible to complete the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Those responsible for these unacceptable acts of violence and crime must be brought to account. Samoa was able to contribute to the making of the Rome Statute. We are firmly committed to the early establishment of the Court, and we will continue to play a role in the work of the Preparatory Commission. We believe very firmly that the Court will provide an essential step in the name of human rights and the rule of law. To this end we should ensure prompt and widespread ratification of the Court’s Statute. Speaking now in Samoa's role as Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and on behalf of the forty-three members of our Alliance, allow me, Mr President, to thank you most sincerely for the time and effort you have devoted to the special session to ensure its success. I also wish to express to all Member States, to the United Nations agencies and intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations, our very deep appreciation for their participation in the twenty-second special session in the past two days. The AOSIS countries are especially grateful for the expressions of commitment, understanding and support. What we have heard provides additional motivation for us to make the Barbados Programme of Action one of real and sustained implementation. There are critical challenges that require attention. We are determined to turn those challenges into opportunities. With your support, we believe there is every prospect for achievement.