Belgium

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European Community and its member States. Allow me, first of all, Mr. President, to pay a tribute to your predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, who conducted the General Assembly’s proceedings during its forty-seventh session. The Assembly has unanimously decided to entrust to you, Sir, the conduct of this the forty-eighth session. We welcome that decision as we are familiar with your personal qualities and your professional experience. We also see this as a well-earned tribute to your country, the Republic of Guyana, and to the contribution made by the Caribbean region to the activities of our Organization. The European Community and its member States, which continue to enjoy fruitful relations with the countries of the Caribbean, within 10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session the dynamic framework of the Lomé Convention, assure you of their fullest cooperation. We welcome also the admission to our Organization of the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Eritrea, the Principality of Monaco, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Principality of Andorra. In his address to the Assembly last year, my British colleague, Mr. Douglas Hurd, made the point that, after a brief interlude of optimism, the world had entered a period of instability and of challenges to law and order. This trend has increased over the past 12 months. We now have to cope with new crisis situations, while - speaking only about Europe - a just and lasting solution to such a long-standing problem as that of Cyprus has yet to be found, despite the continued efforts of our Organization. Long restrained by the so-called balance of terror, latent antagonisms have resurfaced in the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The collapse of the old institutional frameworks has led to the emergence of forms of rapidly competing nationalisms. The personal ambitions of certain rulers and the propaganda machines they control have plunged clans or whole peoples into conflicts marked by the blind use of violence. In that process, the basic rights of the individual and the elementary rules of international humanitarian law have been constantly flouted. In other countries, the economic and social crisis has continued to provide fertile ground for religious fundamentalism, enabling it to increase the number both of its followers and of its victims. Elsewhere, the existence of a large immigrant population has served as a pretext for reactions of racial intolerance, which have even led to deliberate criminal acts. All these forms of fanaticism designate human beings as the enemy to be destroyed. They must be fought not only through political declarations and laws but also through a more sincere and committed engagement in favour of the human values which should unite us all across continents and cultures. The proliferation of these situations has gone hand in hand with a growing desire to possess weapons of mass destruction. In this connection, we are concerned by the actions of Member States of our Organization which have ample resources, bear regional responsibilities and claim to be lovers of peace. The proliferation of these weapons represents a grave threat to both global and regional security and stability. It is of the utmost importance that the Non- Proliferation Treaty should be unconditionally extended in 1995 for an indefinite period. Economic underdevelopment and the unacceptable living conditions of hundreds of millions of inhabitants of the planet constitute another major concern for the European Community and its member States. The outcome of three decades of development cooperation cannot be regarded as positive. This means that all of us, countries of the South and of the North, must take serious stock of the situation. We know that it is pointless to speak of peace in the world if we do not at the same time work towards global economic and social development. The forthcoming world conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen and Beijing will be important landmarks in this process. Our concerns have not blinded us to the important efforts undertaken in all regions of the world towards democratization and economic recovery. The Republics which made up the former Soviet Union have pursued the immense task of creating a political, economic and social framework designed to strengthen their sense of identity as individual nations. We must help these countries find ways of achieving deep-rooted national reconciliation while fully respecting each other’s territorial integrity. The European Community and its member States will continue to support them substantially through technical assistance and partnership agreements. They will also maintain their trade with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, in particular through new or strengthened association agreements. The European Community and its member States support President Yeltsin in his efforts to promote economic and political reform as well as to strengthen democracy in his country. It is in Africa that the gap between objectives and realities remains most discouraging. Two hundred million people across that continent live in abject poverty. However, in spite of armed conflicts and acute economic problems, there are undeniable signs of the dawn of a new political era. It is of course up to the African people to determine the pace and practical form of their democratic development. Some dictators, however, are still clinging to the power they have long exercised for their own exclusive benefit. Their armies, for whose services they somehow manage to pay, are like a weapon permanently aimed at their own people. Despite appearances, they are now no more than an anachronistic element of underdevelopment. South Africa is approaching the historic moment when the democratic majority of its people will accede to power. Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 11 The path leading to this has, alas, been littered with further massacres and attacks. The European Community and its member States reiterate their support for the negotiating process pursued by President Frederik De Klerk and Mr. Nelson Mandela and appeal to the international community to assist South Africa in this crucial phase by helping to organize elections and to rebuild and develop the country. In Asia, the positive trend of the past few years has been maintained. On the economic front, the Asian countries of the Pacific Rim, particularly China, are characterized by remarkable dynamism. The European Community and its member States hope that this progress will swiftly bear positive results for the living and working conditions of their populations. Latin America is a continent at peace, continuing its economic recovery in accordance with the objectives of democratically elected Governments. In several of these countries, rapid population growth, social imbalances and drug-trafficking are, however, still a considerable handicap in the march towards progress. More attention has been paid by the authorities to the indigenous peoples, but certain tragic events have occurred to remind us of the precarious conditions in which those peoples live. The European Community and its member States welcome the substantially improved prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East. They hope that following the recent Israeli-Palestinian agreements new decisive steps will be taken by Israel and the Arab countries directly concerned in the Middle East peace process. The recent Israeli-Jordanian declaration of principles is a positive move in this direction. We call upon this Assembly to take account of these major developments when considering the situation in the Middle East. The European Community and its member States, in keeping with their long-standing position, stand ready to assume, in close coordination with the competent international institutions, an important part in the general coordination of the assistance offered by the international community to the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. In this connection donor countries will, above all, have to be guided by criteria of efficiency and speed. During this difficult period the United Nations has not been merely a passive onlooker. The World Conference on Human Rights made it possible to adopt a Final Declaration which reaffirms and enriches the universal consensus on the essential respect due in all circumstances to the human person. The Vienna Programme of Action provides for a large number of measures to ensure greater respect for, and promotion of, such rights throughout the world. The European Community and its member States will endeavour, from the present session, to achieve application of these measures, in particular as regards increased resources for the Centre for Human Rights and the appointment of a United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Active preparations have continued for other world conferences, on population, social development and the promotion of women. The follow-up to Rio was ensured by the first meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which, from the outset, established a relation of partnership, which we consider to be highly promising. The "Agenda for Peace" has been discussed in various bodies. The warm welcome it has received has been followed by various practical measures of implementation. We would, however, like our Assembly to show more willingness to abandon its reservations regarding certain types of preventive action which have already been adopted in practice by the Security Council and the Secretary-General. The Organization itself has embarked on and made progress with a series of restructuring measures. The most complex is probably the restructuring of the Security Council, but it is encouraging that this topic is now the subject of open dialogue. Pending a reform which would not compromise its efficiency, the Council has kept up the pace of its activities. It has given a larger place in practice to the concepts of preventive diplomacy and cooperation with regional organizations. The Secretary-General has resolutely backed this trend both through his numerous visits on the ground or those of his personal representatives and through the adjustments he has made within the Secretariat. These have focused particularly on strengthening the departments responsible for managing peace-keeping operations. The indispensable extension of these services has not yet been completed and will require further assistance from the Member States. Indeed, there has been an overwhelming increase in the United Nations operations in this area over the last few years. They have not simply multiplied: their objectives have also diversified. In several cases, the traditional task of peace-keeping has had to be supplemented 12 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session or, initially, replaced by the much more delicate task of restoring peace. The Organization has, in the eyes of some, met with failure in the very difficult situations with which it has had to cope in the former Yugoslavia and Somalia. The duplicity of some warlords constitutes a permanent threat of destabilization. But, in no circumstances has the international community chosen to combine humanitarian-aid missions with peace-restoring missions. The use of force has been seen only as a last resort in order to come to the help of people held hostage by self-proclaimed leaders. Our Organization has consequently been constrained to use, under certain circumstances, means corresponding to the provocations it has had to face. We must, however, draw lessons from the experience acquired through these various operations. The breadth and complexity of humanitarian crises throughout the world also require greater coordination of humanitarian assistance both during strategic planning of operations and during their implementation on the ground. The spirit of perseverance, in compliance with the Charter and human rights, is more necessary than ever. It enabled Cambodia to implement the Paris Agreements in conditions which proved to be very difficult - as indeed they had promised to be. This represents a great victory for the Cambodian people as well as a remarkable success for the United Nations, and was achieved through unprecedented effort: by numerous Governments, by thousands of officials and volunteers, and also by large numbers of soldiers, dozens of whom sacrificed their lives. The European Community and its member States pay tribute to the "Blue Helmets" who, frequently killed in cold blood, have been victims of their duty throughout the world. Their safety, as well as that of all United Nations staff, must be improved and the pursuit of their aggressors must be organized more effectively. The European Community and its member States are also convinced of the need to react to the consequences of the presence of mines resulting from armed conflicts. These devices claim numerous victims every year amongst the civilian population and jeopardize the rehabilitation of vast areas of territory ravaged by war. We ask this Assembly to consider the draft resolution which we have submitted on this subject with a view to a more systematic and effective organization of assistance in mine-clearing. We also welcome the French initiative of asking the United Nations Secretary-General to convene a conference to review the 1981 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects. Thus, the overall picture of activities by the United Nations and its Members during the last 12 months is far from disappointing, and I could have listed many other positive developments. However, when we consider the difficulties facing us, it is hard to claim categorically that, whatever happens, the United Nations will be able to meet the challenges of the future effectively. The Secretariat’s capacities are being used to the full; they are no longer sufficient to deal with Member States’ wishes in every case. The Organization’s coffers are empty or virtually so. The development of new activities is hampered more and more often by disagreements about the allocation of costs. Most of the major contributors, who are seriously affected in their own countries by an unfavourable economic situation, regard strict budgetary restraint as more important than ever. The cost of peace-keeping operations alone will be $3.6 billion for 1993. In addition to the immediate cash-flow problems, there is an increasing structural deficit in the balance between the ability to take multilateral action and ever-increasing requests for intervention. What can we do to ensure that the United Nations does not fall victim to its own success? We feel that finding a solution entails three areas of action. First, of course, all Member States must pay their contributions fully and in a timely manner. That is a fundamental obligation with which the European Community and its member States never fail to comply. The effort this requires is neither more nor less than that demanded of other contributors, be they "big" or "small", for each Member State is required to make a contribution in line with its ability to pay. Failure to pay represents a serious breach of the commitments entered into, and it is all the more regrettable that certain defaulting countries at the same time lay claim to a privileged role in the Organization’s debates and decisions. Secondly, the various reforms undertaken in order to improve the operational efficiency of the Organization have to be pursued with a maximum of determination. We have in mind in particular the management of the Secretariat, the control of its expenditures and the forthcoming restructuring in the economic and social sector. It is unacceptable that the objectives set could not be met owing to interminable Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 13 negotiations or power struggles between senior administrators. Thirdly, although the United Nations remains an intergovernmental body, it is called upon more and more frequently to fulfil a central government task, with responsibility for solving each and every problem that may arise. In order to cope with this growing tide of demands, the Secretary-General in his "Agenda for Peace" has quite rightly stressed the need for cooperation with regional organizations and arrangements. But are they ready? Do they exist everywhere? Does the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations offer real prospects if the latter do not become effective centres of decision and action? We feel that, without the capacity for swift and ongoing intervention on a regional scale, preventive diplomacy by our Organization is a resource which is undoubtedly indispensable but of limited scope. It will indeed facilitate successes here and there, but will be insufficient to come to grips with the most deep-rooted and most threatening antagonisms. If nothing changes, the danger of entire countries imploding is real. The situation will channel multilateral resources more and more into makeshift rescue and rehabilitation operations, to the detriment of collective sustainable development objectives. In this connection the positive effects of an area of stability such as the European Community no longer need to be demonstrated. The European Community was inspired at the start by a profound desire for peacemaking and reconstruction. The same needs and aspirations are to be found elsewhere in the world but have not been matched by a comparable response. We believe that there is no alternative to the establishment of such areas in every continent. The resolute pursuit of regional economic integration is a decisive and indispensable step in that direction. The benefits of economies of scale and the free movement of persons and goods then contribute as much to consolidating peace as to sharing prosperity. By uniting to form centres of stability and progress, the participating countries gradually free themselves of the mounting problems and crises which, at this time of tremendous change, tend to be more than they can cope with on their own. In addition to these areas of stability, it is also necessary to create or strengthen broader regional mechanisms, making it possible for a number of subregions to develop principles of peaceful and prosperous coexistence. Here, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe can serve, if not as a universal model, at least as a source of inspiration. Even if its ability to intervene directly is limited, it constitutes an indispensable platform for dialogue. When internal or bilateral crises occur, it encourages the neighbouring countries to show moderation and thus contributes to limiting the conflict. As respect for common rules grows, more concrete collective actions can be envisaged. These are the essential tools for achieving the threefold objective which the Secretary-General recommends in his latest report on the activities of the Organization: peace, development and democracy. Already 32 years ago, a young Egyptian jurist declared at the Academy of International Law: "To encourage assemblies of States in a world that is becoming more and more Balkanized, to play the role of bringing peoples together and to offer massive and constant aid to underdeveloped countries: these should be the primary objectives of the international organization." (Recueil des cours, Académie de Droit International, La Haye, 1960, II, pp. 69-70) This jurist is today at the head of our Organization. To be sure, in all continents regional bodies have already embarked on this course of action: in the past year they have contributed, in cooperation with the United Nations, to crucial mediation and peace-keeping ventures - but always after the conflict had flared up. Areas of genuine stability and more reliable regional mechanisms would make it possible to forestall major crises by reducing their causes. Regional integration indeed can only help contain the collective frustrations and anxieties that fuel nationalist movements. It also provides a formidable incentive for economic growth and therefore a strategic element in combating poverty. Finally, regional economic integration, as it is progressively being built, simply eliminates the option of war from the thinking of the Governments and peoples involved. The disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and its tragic consequences make it all too clear that the comments we have just made relate to a course of action that will prove long and demanding rather than a miracle cure. 14 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session Neither the European Community nor the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe has been able to prevent the outbreak of the conflict and the subsequent series of disasters. Like the United Nations and the United States of America, the European Community and its member States have consequently been accused of lacking strategy and of indifference. For the European Community and its members, one of the lessons to be learned from this catastrophe is that the deepening of its own internal relations - more Europe rather than less Europe - would strengthen the role it must play as an instrument for promoting stability and peace in Europe and neighbouring areas. No one can dispute, however, the fact that the European Community and its member States have endeavoured to mediate from the earliest days of the conflict. It was the members of the European Community who, going against the current, managed to persuade the whole Security Council to react to the worsening situation. Without compromising their positions of principle, and despite numerous disappointments, the member States of the Community have at no point wearied of their thankless task. The efforts deployed at the London and Geneva Conferences bear witness to this. As you are aware, the European Community and its member States have played a fundamental role on the ground, particularly through the activities of their monitors, in the implementation of sanctions and through their contribution to the United Nations Protection Force and to measures to help the victims of the civil war. The European Community and its member States also reiterate their readiness to participate in the implementation of a peace plan accepted by all the parties. The Treaty of Maastricht on the European Union should provide us with the means of strengthening the Union’s ability to act in the world, in particular by implementing the common foreign and security policy. Once it has entered into force - which should happen in the next few days - that Treaty will enable the European Union to play an enhanced role in all areas of international policy and security and will establish close working relations between the European Union and the Western European Union. Moreover, the imminent enlargement of the European Union to include new members will simply increase its ability to exercise a stabilizing influence over adjacent countries. The enlargement of the European Union and its readiness to conclude association and cooperation agreements of ever wider scope with virtually all regions and countries of the globe are proof of our sincere desire to forge ahead with the building of Europe while at the same time opening Europe to the world. This is the kind of Europe that is proving increasingly able to serve the objectives of the Charter. It provides encouragement to other countries and regions to unite, to join together, as Europe has done, in the common task of achieving greater peace in tomorrow’s world.