Hungary

I would like to take this opportunity to extend to you, Sir, our sincere congratulations on your election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session. You may safely count on my delegation’s full support in the discharge of your important responsibilities. Hungary is firmly committed to effective multilateralism as a key tool of its foreign policy. Well- functioning international organizations and institutions having broad political support in the international community can and should, indeed, play a significant role in addressing the challenges of our globalized world. We are looking forward with eager expectation to the outcome of the work of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, set up by the 23 Secretary-General, to be finalized later this year. Addressing the complex and difficult tasks that we are facing today needs not only strong political will on the part of all of us, but also an improved and adapted multilateral framework of cooperation. Only a system of international institutions whose activities and form of operation are renewed and adjusted to the realities of our contemporary world can be effective as an instrument in addressing successfully the threats and challenges. Hungary remains strongly committed to making the United Nations more effective. To this end, the United Nations, including the Security Council, must adapt to the changing circumstances of the political landscape. New and emerging threats, including international terrorism, the danger of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, transnational organized crime and failing States are all grave menaces. The role played by Member States in prevention and early warning should therefore be stronger than ever. These challenges are global or regional in nature and, in our view, the response to them must be at the same level. Without such enhanced cooperation among the members of the international community, all efforts are doomed to be fruitless. Heinous acts of terrorism such as those that caused immense human suffering in New York, Washington, D.C., Bali, Istanbul, Madrid and, recently, the Russian Federation, should be considered brutal attacks against the values of democracies. By putting innocent lives at risk, they also seek to undermine the openness and tolerance of our societies. Along with our partners in the European Union, Hungary strongly condemns all forms of terrorism. In this regard, we fully support the important work of the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee. We hope that its reinvigorated activity, including planned visits by the Committee to Member States, will contribute to the enhancement of our capabilities in combating terrorism. It is of the utmost importance to provide assistance in strengthening the preparedness of those countries that are eager to tackle the menace originating from their territory. Substantial work has been undertaken on freezing funds and financial resources to prevent the financing of terrorism. The United Nations has to continue to be a key player in that fight. To achieve real and tangible results in that regard, we have to ensure full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and the accession of the largest possible number of States to international conventions and protocols to combat terrorism. Hungary has done its part to that end. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery continues to be a clear and present threat to international peace and security. New discoveries of large-scale nuclear-weapon programmes, networks of illicit trafficking in nuclear material and technology and the ill-conceived policies of denial and deceit about the purpose and nature of such programmes remain a most serious concern to the international community. There is a growing recognition, shared by Hungary, that those programmes also represent the most serious risks of proliferation. The danger of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons falling into the hands of rogue States, terrorist groups or, for that matter, any other non-State actors that menace our world, gives rise to new, major security challenges. In that regard, we must act together in a decisive manner, both regionally and globally. In that respect, Hungary strongly supports the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), which calls on all States to establish effective national export controls. We urge full implementation of that resolution and are prepared to assist others in doing so. In our fast-changing world security environment, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is and should remain the cornerstone of the universal non-proliferation regime. Along with our European Union partners, we are committed to safeguarding the Treaty’s authority and integrity. In that context, we are looking forward to the Seventh Review Conference of the NPT next year. We should continue our efforts in the field of conflict prevention and post-conflict crisis management. For millions of people in conflict areas, those efforts mean hope for peace and a better, more secure future. We are confident that the joint efforts of the Iraqi people and the international community will lead to a democratic and prosperous Iraq living in peace with 24 itself and its neighbours. Hungary strongly condemns the terrorist acts and the kidnappings aimed at undermining the political and reconstruction process in that much-suffering country. The contribution of the United Nations is essential for success. Our Organization has already proven to be effective in advancing the political process when it seemed to have come to a standstill. Hungary continues to contribute, along with coalition forces, to the stabilization and the improvement of security conditions in Iraq. We deem it important that relevant international organizations and institutions increase their joint efforts towards that end, including through the training of Iraqi security personnel. At this moment, our priorities in Iraq must be to assist preparations for the national elections and the drafting of a new constitution. Security Council resolution 1546 (2004) provides a key role for the United Nations in the political transition process. Its ample experience in establishing democratic institutions, the rule of law, the promotion of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and electoral assistance can and should be utilized. Hungary views the potentially successful realization of the presidential and the subsequent parliamentary elections in Afghanistan as important steps towards the normalization of the political situation in that country. We welcome the fact that despite unsatisfactory security conditions, progress is being made on preparations for the presidential elections to be held in October this year. Hungary is deeply concerned about the continued violence in the Middle East, where substantial progress is yet to be achieved. We remain convinced that full and unconditional implementation of the road map offers the best chance for the parties directly involved to live side by side in peace and security. We urge all involved, including the Quartet, to redouble their efforts to that end. The situation in the Balkans continues to remain at the centre of our attention. Overall developments in the region and the efforts of the international community have resulted in a calm but fragile political environment. In that respect, Hungary is committed to maintaining its presence in the international missions, in the service of peace and stability, in that region which is so close to us. In that connection, we are following with serious concern the deterioration of the human rights situation in our immediate neighbourhood — in Serbia and Montenegro. It is particularly alarming that the number of incidents perpetrated against the non-Serb population, including the Hungarian community, is on the rise. Hungary once again calls upon the Serbian authorities to take the necessary measures to stop and to prevent those violent acts, as well as to identify, prosecute and punish the perpetrators of serious crimes of physical abuse, as well as psychological threats and intimidation. We are looking forward to the results of the international monitoring currently under way. International protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms is at the core of the foreign policy of Hungary. It is not only an expression of support for the universal values we feel so close to our hearts. It is also an essential prerequisite for preserving human dignity and enhancing liberty in our contemporary world. Freedom of the individual and full respect for the rights of human beings are matters well above the authority of any given State. In today’s world, we could hardly find a country where everyone speaks the same language or shares the same culture, beliefs and traditions. The presence of different national, ethnic, linguistic and religious groups within the borders of a country is not only an asset but also a source of social and cultural enrichment. It is our firm belief that the United Nations, as the most comprehensive multilateral organization, has a major role to play in the promotion of respect for, and the observance of, human rights, including the rights of national minorities. Against that background, the international community should continue to examine all possible ways to promote and establish an early-warning mechanism or a monitoring body dealing with minority-related situations. That should include the options of nominating a Special Rapporteur on minorities and elaborating a legally binding universal document to address shortcomings. Next year, with a major event, will be particularly important for the United Nations. In the course of addressing the burning issues on our agenda, we have to take a long, hard look at our tasks, including the review of the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, adopted by heads of State and Government in 2000. In our view, the review exercise 25 requires careful preparation, vision, political determination and the courage to act. Hungary is ready and willing to take part in this process.