Latvia

Allow me to congratulate the President of the General Assembly on his election and to wish him success in discharging his duties. I wish us all a constructive fifty-third session of the General Assembly. In 1995, the United Nations system commemorated its golden anniversary. This year, the United Nations celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a major accomplishment for humankind. The Declaration has inspired the development of a reliable and effective international system for the protection of human rights. At the time of the adoption of the Universal Declaration, Latvia was under Soviet occupation. The Soviet Union did not respect human rights, even though it participated in the preparation and adoption of the Declaration. I will mention one example among many violations of human rights: three and a half months after the adoption of the Declaration, the people of Latvia, including myself, experienced the largest of several deportations. Tens of thousands of people, even elderly people and children, were deported to the gulag. This left a lasting mark on the collective consciousness of the people of Latvia and significantly altered the demographic situation. During the period of occupation, the people of Latvia were unable to utilize fully the human-rights protection system of the United Nations. That situation changed as Latvia restored its independence. In the seven years since Latvia became a Member of the United Nations, it has benefitted from the moral and political support of the largest international organization. Immediately after the restoration of independence, our nation had to achieve the removal of a foreign military force. This process was helped by two General Assembly resolutions and the good offices of the Secretary-General. I am pleased to announce that less than a month ago the last military installation of the Russian Federation in Latvia — the early-warning radar station in Skrunda — was closed. This event illustrates that international institutions can constructively assist in the fulfilment of bilateral agreements. Cooperation between Latvia and the United Nations has been rich in accomplishments. The experience gained in the United Nations community has helped us in our democratic development. At present, Latvia is paying particular attention to economic and social development. Latvia is experiencing healthy economic growth at present. Latvia has one of the highest rates of growth in gross national product and one of the lowest rates of inflation among European Union candidate States. It has a balanced budget, and expects to have one next year also. This creates justifiable optimism that the process of accession to the European Union will continue successfully. The development of an integrated society is a national priority. This is a complicated task because the Soviet regime intentionally created a situation in which Latvians almost became a minority in their own country. Nevertheless, Latvia is dealing resolutely with this task. By the end of the year the Government will have completed the elaboration of a programme for the integration of society. This programme will stimulate the development of a civil society and provide more opportunities for the learning of the Latvian language. When implemented, the programme will permit all residents of Latvia to participate to an even greater extent than at present in public and civic life. Already Latvia ensures broad opportunities for the development of the culture of various ethnic groups and for education in their mother tongues. This past June, Latviaâs parliament adopted a far- reaching decision about changes in the citizenship law. Most of the major political forces support these changes in the citizenship law. Shortly, the people of Latvia will voice their opinion of these changes in a referendum. Cooperation with United Nations institutions, especially the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has enhanced the social and economic welfare of Latviaâs inhabitants. The UNDP has helped our country resolve sensitive and important issues of integration. On behalf of the Government of Latvia, I would like to express gratitude for the assistance provided by the UNDP in enhancing the welfare of Latviaâs inhabitants. The successful cooperation should continue. The fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights spurs a consideration of Latviaâs possible contributions to the human-rights protection system. As a first-time member of the Commission on Human Rights beginning next year, Latvia will support the promotion of human rights as a priority of the United Nations, and the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights as the primary institution for that task. Latvia believes that the priority role of human rights requires increased funding. Latvia has decided to continue to support financially the project for the development of national human rights institutions. On the country level, I may note the National Human Rights Office which has operated actively in our country for several years and which is the first institution of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. The Office was established with the support of the United Nations. Latvia desires to continue this constructive cooperation with the United Nations. In support of the reform package proposed by the Secretary-General, the Government of Latvia will establish “United Nations House”. By the end of the year a building in Riga will be the home of five institutions of the United Nations system. It is significant that during the golden anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration, the United Nations diplomatic conference in Rome adopted a decision to establish an international criminal court. Latvia supports the establishment of an effective court and hopes that an overwhelming majority of United Nations Member States will do likewise. The best protection for human rights is a world in which peace and security prevail. The bipolar order, with its characteristic threats to peace and security, is gone. However, the world is still unsafe. International terrorism and crime are growing, access to weapons of mass destruction is growing, ethnic conflicts exist, and threats to the ecology of our planet are mounting. In order to solve these problems, the enhanced participation of the United Nations, including the Security Council, is essential. To fulfil its role effectively, the Security Council must reflect the real balance of the worldâs economic and social power and use skilfully the resources available to it. Latvia reiterates its continued support for an expansion of the Council that would result in the equitable representation of small States and all regional groups. As I speak from this rostrum, I appreciate the rare opportunity to address the shapers of world political opinion. We, the leaders of the United Nations Member States, must realize clearly that the highest mission of the United Nations is service to humankind. The United Nations should become a universal Organization. It will 2 retain credibility in the eyes of the world only if the results of its efforts are clearly evident. A prerequisite for this credibility is the ability to condemn and deter those who have violated internationally accepted norms of behaviour. The United Nations has shown the ability to do this on many occasions. I believe the time has come for world society to evaluate one of the most inhumane regimes of this century — Soviet totalitarianism. I take this opportunity to call upon victimized peoples to commence a joint effort to evaluate its legacy. The people of Latvia have endured the horrors of Soviet and Nazi occupations and therefore have the right to appeal to world society to do everything in its ability to avert the future appearance of similar scourges. We live in an era when the human mind has created much that is useful for promoting mutual respect and understanding in our everyday lives. I hope that the results of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly will be a lasting investment in shaping the United Nations for the next millennium.