Slovakia

I wish to convey my congratulations to Ambassador Insanally on his election as President of the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session. I wish him luck and success in his high office. Let me also thank the President of the previous General Assembly session, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, for his effective guidance of its deliberations. I would also like to express my profound appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary- General of the United Nations, for all his dynamic work in leading this organization. A year has passed since I last had the honour to address the Assembly. As the last Minister of Foreign Affairs of the common State of Czechs and Slovaks, I asked representatives at the forty-seventh session for their understanding and support for the process of transformation taking place at that time in the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic, and I reiterated the desire of the new successor States to be admitted to the international community of sovereign States on an equal basis. In addition to its membership in the United Nations, the Slovak Republic today is a member of 53 international organizations, including United Nations specialized agencies, the Council of Europe and the Conference on Security and 10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). We declared our interest in the fastest possible integration, together with other countries of the Visegrad Four, in such effective Euro-Atlantic political, security and economic organizations as the European Community, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Western European Union. Slovakia is building its statehood on civic principles based on respect for individual rights. The objective of the Slovak Republic as a multi-ethnic State is to create a functioning system of ethnic coexistence and guarantees of equal rights and opportunities for all. The President returned to the Chair. The tragedies of Bosnia and Herzegovina and of Georgia alert us to inconsiderate and irresponsible attempts to gain political capital from nationalistic sentiments. We are against steps, regardless of their motivation, that would ultimately lead to the creation of ethnically pure territories and States and that would question or endanger the peaceful coexistence of populations of different ethnic origins. We apply the existing international norms regulating such peaceful coexistence and we favour their further elaboration. We support the idea of adopting a generally binding document on the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic and other minorities in the United Nations, the CSCE and the Council of Europe. We are convinced that such a document must equally respect the territorial integrity of States and the principle of inviolability of existing borders. Our economic policy aims to build a balanced and prosperous economy based on market principles. Thus far the reform measures have not brought the expected economic revival. The economic difficulties are aggravated by various internal and external factors, among others the conversion of the armaments industry. The 1990 decision on a far-reaching conversion led to the reduction of Slovakia’s military production to an unprecedented 9 per cent of the 1989 level. This political decision to close a whole major branch of Slovak industry without the necessary preparation for a real conversion, though highly moral, did not take into account its economic and social consequences. If we are to attain the necessary economic growth, we need access to the markets of developed nations, something which is increasingly complicated - all the more so because of the economic recession. We are convinced that protectionism is not a solution. We hope that negotiations on the further liberalization of world trade will be successful, in particular the negotiations of the current Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. We also feel encouraged by clear expressions of a political will to reform and remove export controls inherited from the cold war period that now unfairly burden legitimate commerce and unduly restrain growth and opportunities, as recently stated by President Clinton before this body. Incidentally, on this very day, Slovak representatives are signing an association agreement between the Slovak Republic and the European Community in Luxembourg. The association agreement, which we consider the first step in our efforts to gain full membership in the Community, also reflects the general direction of our foreign policy. It encourages further positive development in our country, and we believe that it will help us resolve some of the aforementioned economic problems. The international community is daily confronted with such tragedies as that in Bosnia and Herzegovina or Tajikistan, with countries at the crossroads, such as Russia today, but happily also with encouraging developments, such as those in the Middle East and in South Africa. It is only natural that the United Nations adapt itself to the increased tasks in its mission as the guardian of international peace and security. To manage the ever- increasing load of responsibilities more effectively, it is necessary to pay attention to early warning and preventive action at an early stage. Equally demanding our attention today is the phase of post-conflict peace-building and restoration as a basis for preventing the renewal of conflicts. Regarding the peace-keeping operations of the United Nations, common experience urges us to require improvements in their planning and execution. Every operation should have clearly defined political objectives, an unambiguous mandate, and an understanding of its possible and feasible scope and duration and of available means and support. When the Security Council sets up a new operation, it should define and ensure security and safety conditions and guarantees under which the operation is to be deployed. We support the idea of a universally binding legal instrument on the safety of peace-keeping operations personnel. Troop-contributing countries should also have the possibility, through some regular mechanism, of being constantly informed and consulted prior to and during the whole operation. Another means of enhancing the effectiveness of peace-keeping is increased cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements, such as the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. In the Euro-Atlantic area, we should also seek involvement in peace-keeping of Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 11 such organizations as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the Western European Union. All these organizations should be mandated in every specific case by the Security Council. Slovakia is among the countries that have been most severely afflicted by the sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We shall provide data on these losses shortly. We believe that the effort to secure effective economic assistance should not be limited to moral appeals to States and institutions. The economic situation of the countries depending on the Danube as their main waterway has been ever more aggravated by arbitrary acts of blockade and other violations of the respective United Nations resolutions and international conventions. We are convinced that such acts require a clear and resolute response. The decision of the Geneva Conference on Disarmament on a mandate for a comprehensive nuclear-test- ban treaty is a major move in itself. It also sends a signal to the whole non-proliferation regime. We support the universal and indefinite extension of the non-proliferation Treaty. We also hope that the question of the nuclear arsenal of the former Soviet Union will be satisfactorily and speedily resolved in the spirit of non-proliferation. Slovakia welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, which we consider to be a first decisive step leading to increased global transparency and constraints in conventional weapons. We are ready to support moves towards enhanced transparency, as well as more detailed information on military holdings and procurement through national production, made under the banner of the United Nations, the Conference on Disarmament or the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Wishing to ensure full continuity with the activities of Czechoslovakia - an original member of the Conference on Disarmament - and enjoying the support of the Eastern European regional group, the Slovak Republic applied for membership in the Conference on Disarmament. A window of opportunity for Slovakia to become a member was opened by the proposal to gradually enlarge the membership of the Conference. Those on the proposed list of 23 new members should in our opinion be admitted as soon as possible. The World Conference on Human Rights reaffirmed the universality of and respect for human rights and the need for their universal application. It also, appropriately, drew our attention to the vital interdependency of human rights and sustainable development, and their bearing on international peace and stability. We are prepared to support steps towards implementation of its recommendations. Slovakia therefore encourages the establishment of a post of United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Recent developments in many areas of the world where civilian populations are increasingly the targets in predominantly non-international conflicts impel us to demand that States and parties to conflicts strictly observe and enforce the rules and principles of international humanitarian law. We support efforts to bring those who are alleged to have committed war crimes to justice, inter alia through the establishment of an international criminal court. International humanitarian agencies and organizations, whose activities we highly esteem and support, can attest to another deplorable feature of today’s world: the misuse and even the rejection of humanitarian assistance for political reasons. Those conducting humanitarian operations are working under increasingly unsafe conditions. The international community should demand respect for human rights and humanitarian norms by the States and parties to conflicts. Neither should we completely ignore the fact that sanctions which are rightfully applied against those who have breached international peace and security have a direct bearing on the fate and even the lives of innocent civilians. In a true humanitarian spirit, we should at least try to address this aspect of sanctions as well. Furthermore, questions related to large-scale migration, refugees and displaced persons require our urgent attention. The international community should set forth appropriate rules and standards regulating large-scale population movements and seeking solutions for their root causes and consequences. We also feel responsible for the most vulnerable segments of the world population - the women, the children, the disabled and the aged. We are ready to take part in the international community’s efforts to seek means for addressing their needs and concerns. The Slovak Republic is greatly interested in reinforcing the role of the United Nations and enhancing its effectiveness and capacity for action. We wish to join the ranks of those States that support the implementation of the reform process of the United Nations in order to transform it into a more effective and economical organization. Its organizational structure should respond more adequately to current global realities. 12 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session Slovakia is prepared to deliberate on proposals made by other members of the world community, including the proposal to restructure the Security Council, which should maintain its representativity and at the same time its transparent character. We are of the opinion that countries such as Germany and Japan should be invited to assume the responsibilities of permanent members of the Security Council. At the same time, the Slovak Republic observes that the number of States able to contribute - owing to their growing economic influence and role in world affairs - to the objectives of the United Nations is increasing. Any decision on the composition of the Security Council should be the result of a democratic discussion. An expansion of the Security Council must not jeopardize its effectiveness and operational capability. The General Assembly itself, in our opinion, should also play a more important role within the United Nations system. The reform of the Economic and Social Council should continue, with a view to avoiding duplication between the Council and General Assembly agendas. Cost reductions can also be made in the activities of the United Nations Secretariat. When this issue is considered, it should be borne in mind that the Secretariat executes its tasks in response to the requirements of the Member States. The reform of the United Nations should be carried out in the context of the financial situation of the Organization. We consider the change in the financing principles underlying the United Nations regular budget and the budget of peace-keeping operations to be one of the most significant aspects of this restructuring. The Member States should meet their financial obligations to the United Nations fully and in due time. We believe, however, that the rules for determining the contributions of Member States to the United Nations budget should be made more flexible in order to accommodate changes in the economies of individual Member States. The present economic reality, rather than history, should become the main and decisive criterion. Let me conclude by wishing the General Assembly every success in the demanding work that is ahead of it at this session.