Slovakia

I would like to express my sincere congratulations, Sir, on your election to the presidency, and my best wishes for success in the fifty-first session of the General Assembly. I wish also to thank your predecessor, Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral, for his leadership and his personal contribution to the positive achievements of last year’s session. Last year we commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. That was a good opportunity not only for historical reflection and drawing lessons from the past, but also for setting out new priorities and tasks for the years to come. It is obvious that the United Nations, if it is to meet expectations, has to adapt itself to meet new challenges. Slovakia supports all efforts that will contribute to the enhancement of democracy, transparency and efficiency in the work of the United Nations. The need for the reform of the United Nations is also confirmed by its current difficult financial situation. This state of affairs can be resolved only if all Member States meet their financial obligations in a timely manner and pay their arrears, and if a new formula for determining a more adequate scale of assessments based on a country’s capacity to pay is adopted. In this context, Slovakia appreciates the European Union proposal for the financial reform of the United Nations and welcomes an open and pragmatic discussion in this regard. Let me stress that Slovakia, which has paid its contributions to the United Nations regular budget in full and on time, is also ready to bear its fair share of responsibilities in financing United Nations peace-keeping operations. Now, more than three years after our admission to United Nations membership, it is high time Slovakia was fairly allocated to an appropriate group for the financing of United Nations peace-keeping. Bearing in mind the available economic data and comparing them with those of several other countries of the Central European region, we are fully convinced that Slovakia should be allocated to Group C, and we see no compelling reason for further postponing this decision. Of course, such a decision would be without prejudice to a comprehensive review process of the method to be applied for the apportionment of the expenses of United Nations peace-keeping operations. But the contributions of any Member State for 1993-1997 should be assessed only on the basis of the scheme applicable in that period. In the context of United Nations institutional reform, great attention is focused on the Security Council. Slovakia supports Security Council reform and is of the opinion that the expansion of its membership should reflect the principle of equitable geographical representation. The membership of the Group of Eastern European States has recently more than doubled, and this fact should be duly taken into account in the Security Council reform process. Countries able to bear global responsibility should be granted the status they deserve in the Security Council. On the other hand, expansion of the membership should hamper neither the efficiency nor the decision-making process of the Security Council, so the increase should be a rather limited one. Several inspiring proposals have been submitted to the United Nations. Slovakia is of the opinion that we should look for the positive elements contained in those proposals and make maximum efforts aimed at reaching a generally acceptable solution. Practice has shown that an increased role for small and medium-sized countries in the Security Council can contribute favourably to the effective implementation of its decisions, thus improving the authority and the democratic character of that body. Slovakia actively supports the United Nations efforts to maintain and strengthen international peace and security. After three years of difficult negotiations, the Slovak Republic has finally become a full-fledged member of the Conference on Disarmament, thus filling the vacancy caused by the dissolution of the former Czechoslovakia. Slovakia, as a country using nuclear power solely for peaceful purposes, unequivocally supports all steps which prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and create conditions for their eventual elimination. Therefore, we welcomed last year’s decision of the fifth Review Conference to extend indefinitely the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This September we voted for the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Last Monday I had the honour to sign it on behalf of the Slovak Republic. We hope that it will soon enter into force and become law in international relations, thus making the world safer. The world community is also paying close attention to another important disarmament agreement — namely, the Chemical Weapons Convention. Slovakia has already ratified this important instrument and supports a speedy resumption of the ratification process so that it can enter into force. We consider the problem posed by anti-personnel landmines a serious one. We therefore welcome initiatives aimed at a ban on the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of this kind of weapon. For our part, we have already unilaterally declared a moratorium on the export of these devices, which cause casualties mostly among the innocent civilian population. Peace-keeping operations continue to be a major part of United Nations activities. Slovakia sees their further development through the enhancement of elements of preventive diplomacy, with a significant strengthening of their humanitarian dimension and a broader incorporation of civilian components at all stages. Practical evidence of Slovakia’s efforts to implement the basic United Nations goals is our participation in the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) and the United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III). Slovakia, as a troop-contributing country, understands the significance of appropriate protection for United Nations personnel. Therefore, we have already ratified the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel. The brave men and women in blue helmets deserve stronger protection. We call upon all other States which have not yet become parties to the Convention to ratify it as soon as possible. The European continent was the theatre of two world wars in the past. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to pay great attention to the issues of security and peace in this part of the world. Underestimating the gravity of the situation caused an immense human tragedy for millions of innocent people in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The Dayton Agreements, and above all their successful implementation, represent a turning point towards a peaceful settlement of this traumatic conflict, not only for its direct participants but also in a global context. The international community also plays an irreplaceable role in this process through United Nations mechanisms. Slovakia is ready to get fully involved in the reconstruction of the destroyed economies of the countries of the region. We welcome Security Council resolution 1074 (1996), adopted just two days ago. Maintaining peace and security in other parts of the world is of no lesser importance. Preserving the continuity of the peace process in the Middle East is an important part of that. We must not allow the peace process to end and the results achieved so far to be destroyed. We observe with concern the growth of instability and the spread of conflicts on the African continent. Slovakia supports all efforts by the United Nations, the 2 Organization of African Unity and other organizations involved in the search for peaceful solutions for eliminating crises and violence. Slovakia supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to achieve a durable solution to the question of Cyprus that will guarantee respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the country, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. My country is prepared to continue its mission of good offices by organizing meetings of the political party leaders of both Cypriot communities. As far as humanitarian assistance is concerned, we emphasize the need for the efficient mutual cooperation of all involved entities, together with a strengthening of the coordinating role of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Early warning as one element of preventive diplomacy and the rapid reaction of the international community in response to an emerging crisis situation are factors which significantly affect overall results. The role of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in the reconstruction of territories suffering from military conflicts, including in demining, is important. International conflicts and internal strife are not the only threats to international security and the stability of States. Increasingly, acts of terrorism and organized transnational criminal activities undermine democratic societies and become their joint enemies. We strongly support international cooperation aimed at their suppression and elimination. We will study with interest several timely initiatives put forward during this General Assembly session, such as the initiatives of Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. We are convinced that granting observer status to INTERPOL in the General Assembly will have a positive impact on the activities of both organizations in this field and will enable closer cooperation. Human rights will undoubtedly continue to be high on the United Nations agenda. Full respect for human rights is a prerequisite for freedom, justice, stability and peace. We commend the efforts to increase the efficiency of the United Nations human rights programmes, the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and his policy goal of transforming the Centre for Human Rights into an overall coordinator of human rights policy and action within the United Nations system. In less than four years of statehood, Slovakia has established a system of democratic institutions. All commitments under the relevant human rights instruments have been incorporated into its legislation. Our country respects the rule of law and guarantees all citizens within its jurisdiction respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including for the individual rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic minorities. We have established an inter-ministerial coordinating committee for women’s issues as an advisory body to the Slovak Government. It is designed to initiate and monitor the implementation of the conclusions and recommendations of the Fourth World Conference on Women. Family issues are very closely interlinked with the rights of women and the rights of the child. In today’s world, the family requires better protection and promotion. A strong family is a basis for a sound society. An international centre for family studies has been established in the Slovak capital. We are interested in signing a memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Slovak Republic and the United Nations on the promotion of family issues through the Bratislava International Centre for Family Studies and the United Nations. Sustainable economic and social development is a sine qua non for full enjoyment of human rights and the decent life of mankind on all parts of the globe. We welcome the new, integrated and comprehensive focus of the United Nations on these issues, as reflected in the series of United Nations conferences and summits held during the term of office of the current Secretary-General. He deserves his share of credit for their success. Now and in the years to come, we have to concentrate on the implementation and review of the recommendations, conclusions and plans of actions adopted in Rio, Vienna, Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing and Istanbul. We consider the convening of a special session of the General Assembly in 1997 to review the implementation of Agenda 21 a timely course of action. As a new member of the Commission on Sustainable Development we will pay special attention to these activities. The Economic and Social Council should play a key role in fostering international activities for sustainable economic and social development; its coordinating role is needed. We support efforts to enhance the efficiency of the Economic and Social Council and to streamline its procedures. Its sessions should be more focused on topical issues. The relationship with its functional committees requires further reflection and improvements. 3 Unnecessary duplication in the work of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council should be avoided. The consideration of economic issues in the Second Committee and social ones in the Third Committee seems nowadays an increasingly artificial separation. As these issues are interlinked, it would only benefit us to find a proper remedy for this artificial separation. This may require a new redistribution of responsibilities among the Main Committees. A close interconnection between environmental issues and economic development is reflected in the process of economic transformation in Slovakia. Economic development in Slovakia has reached a new level, and the foundations for the transition to a market economy are now firmly laid. This can be seen in the positive economic results achieved in 1995, when Slovakia ranked second among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with a real annual gross domestic product growth of 7.4 per cent. The Slovak economy is closely linked with the development of regional and world economies. As a founding country of the World Trade Organization, Slovakia is actively participating in the ongoing integration process and the formation of a new trade system on the regional and multilateral levels. In this context, the cooperation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement countries may be an example worth following in the integration of countries into the multilateral trade system and global economy. We see the Central European Free Trade Agreement not only as a vehicle to promote trade between its partners, but also as a step on the road to full integration into the European Union in the future, which is one of our foreign-policy priorities, together with membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. We welcome the positive results of the ninth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which stressed the need for the improvement of cooperation with the WTO and the Bretton Woods institutions. The reform of its intergovernmental structure, the focus on a smaller number of priorities with a view to integrating developing countries into the international trade system, should lead to a renewal of the status of UNCTAD in the global economy. The forthcoming Ministerial Meeting of the WTO in Singapore will be a good opportunity to further strengthen the Organization’s regulatory role. Slovakia also places particular importance on cooperation with other United Nations agencies. We are interested in actively contributing to the improvement of their functioning. I am convinced that the United Nations will prove its viability in the future, as it has so far, and confirm its unique role in the community of nations. The Slovak Republic is prepared to do its utmost for this goal.