Thailand

It is an honour for me to deliver this statement on behalf of Mr. Surakiart Sathirathai, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Allow me to join all previous speakers in expressing our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or suffered from the tragic incidents of 11 September 2001. The people and Government of Thailand share the feelings of sorrow and outrage caused by those acts of terrorism. Our condolences go to the people and Government of the United States. I wish to extend my congratulations to the President on his election to the presidency for the fifty- sixth session of the General Assembly and express my full confidence that, under his guidance, we shall be able to build upon the United Nations Millennium Declaration and accomplish our goals of bringing peace, prosperity and well-being to this world. I also wish to express our warmest congratulations to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on his being conferred the Nobel Peace Prize, together with the United Nations, as well as on his re-election as Secretary-General. This prestigious recognition has been made because of the tireless efforts of the Secretary-General himself and of the dedicated United Nations staff. The achievement of the Secretary- General is noted in his Millennium Report, which encapsulates the United Nations activities ahead, outlines the framework for the tasks and focuses on people as the centre of development, both at the international and national levels. After the events of 11 September 2001, the shared destiny of the world will depend greatly on how we manage to cope with these emerging new realities and growing complexities. No country is truly safe from terrorism and no one is capable of fighting it alone. Now is the time for every nation to contribute and participate in the joint efforts to combat terrorism. In Thailand, we resolutely condemn all forms of terrorism and are fully supportive of all the international community’s efforts to combat this grave threat to global peace and security. Thailand supports all actions against terrorism in the framework of the United Nations and in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and international law. We have extended cooperation to the international 37 community through existing laws, such as those on mutual assistance in criminal matters in the form of information exchange and intelligence sharing. The Thai Government is amending existing domestic legislation and regulations to enable the country to be party to relevant international conventions, especially the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. At the regional level, Thailand has participated actively in the recent regional gatherings at the highest level, where international terrorism received a high priority, namely the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in Shanghai. We joined other APEC leaders in expressing grave concern over the threat to world peace and the stability of the world economy caused by terrorism and in reaffirming a renewed sense of urgency to restore confidence to the global economy. At the 7th Summit of the Association of South- East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on 5 November 2001 in Brunei Darussalam, ASEAN leaders issued a declaration outlining specific measures to further strengthen cooperation to deal with the threat of terrorism in the region. Measures proposed include the enhancement of intelligence exchange and the deepening of cooperation among law enforcement agencies. ASEAN leaders also stressed the need to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN Dialogue Partners and within the framework of the ASEAN Regional Forum and affirmed that the United Nations should play a major role in this regard. My country, Thailand, supports a ministerial-level international conference on international terrorism, under the auspices of the United Nations, to be held at the earliest opportunity. This should facilitate the discussion of problems and cooperation on antiterrorism, leading to possible concrete measures at the global level. Terrorism should not be identified with any ethnic group, faith, or nationality. Otherwise, our efforts could result in greater danger for our peoples. International terrorism has also exacerbated the slowdown in the global economy. This carries with it significant social ramifications as well. Airlines, tourism and related industries worldwide have felt the impact of international tension. Countries already struggling to recover from the recent economic slowdown are preparing to safeguard their economies from sliding further into sluggishness. Confronted with the ever widening gap between developed and developing countries, the United Nations and Member States must work together to arrest and reverse this trend. The efforts to bridge the gap must not be confined to the United Nations framework alone. The World Trade Organization meeting in Doha, Qatar, which was just concluded, was a timely opportunity in which nations proved that they could work together and achieve substantial progress in pushing forward the global trade agenda for the common good of the world. Since assuming office early this year, the present Thai Government has been pursuing a new approach to economic and social policy. The Thai Government has introduced a series of economic and social schemes aimed at promoting the capacity-building of the people at the grass-roots level. For instance, it has established the People’s Bank and microcredit schemes for both the rural and the urban poor. This is to assist each community by financing small, local projects so as to develop and market a community’s own products based on local know-how. In addition, more than 2 million small-scale Thai farmers will benefit from the Government’s debt suspension scheme and a nationwide health insurance scheme. On the issue of Afghanistan, the United Nations and the international community, in collaboration with the Afghans themselves, must move quickly to formulate modalities that would help restore order and stability. We should also render all possible assistance to Afghanistan, starting with assistance of a humanitarian nature at this crucial time and assistance aimed at capacity-building in the near future. Thailand, for its part, will provide a fairly large amount of rice — approximately 3,000 metric tons — as food relief for the Afghans. The Thai Red Cross has also donated 10,000 blankets. Within our own region of South-East Asia, Thailand has reinvigorated bilateral relations with our immediate neighbours and has cooperated closely in pursuing a common vision of opening borders. We have also decided to establish joint production bases and transportation linkages. These initiatives carry on the momentum begun last year when the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) adopted a resolution proposed by Thailand on the “Decade of Greater Mekong Subregion Development 38 Cooperation, 2000-2009”. This subregion has been placed at the forefront of the Asia-Pacific development agenda. In addition, Thailand also has a role in keeping peace in the region. We take special pride in the fact that two Thai Generals have successively served as Force Commanders of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), the successor operation to the International Force in East Timor (INTERFET). This is part and parcel of Thailand’s commitment to shouldering its fair share of international responsibility, particularly in South-East Asia. We envisage the United Nations playing a major role in strengthening the foundation for a future world that will be peaceful, tolerant, and sustainable for our peoples and future generations. Therefore, Thailand is fully supportive of the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations and participated actively in the recently concluded World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa. As we celebrate the fifty-sixth anniversary of the United Nations, and as we congratulate the Secretary- General and the Organization, we must ask ourselves: what do we expect of the United Nations? I believe we expect it to work even harder towards cultivating a culture of peace, as well as improving the pace of international social and economic development. In these endeavours, we believe that rich and poor nations alike must contribute in their varied capacities. These national efforts must go hand in hand with those of the United Nations. Let us focus on the immediate priorities of maintaining peace and harmony in the world. Let us pledge to work together with even greater vigour for the political, economic, social, and physical well-being of our peoples. These are, and should be, the enduring priorities for the United Nations and for all humankind.