Spain

First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Han Seung-soo on his election as President of this fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Likewise, I would like to congratulate the Organization itself and its Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, on having been awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Annan's re-election guarantees the continuous leadership of someone who has enormously contributed to strengthening the prestige of the United Nations and its role in the world. I also wish to emphasize my full support for the statement made in this Hall by the Minister for Foreign 32 Affairs of Belgium on behalf of the presidency of the European Union. The horror of the terrorist attacks of 11 September shocked the world. We were all attacked on that day all of us who defend freedom, tolerance and respect for the dignity of human beings. Spain knows well the cruelty of terrorism and the grief that it can cause. Therefore, Spain, its Government and its citizens are in complete solidarity with the American people, the families of the victims and this city of New York, which is also our city the city of the United Nations. Once again, I wish to express my solidarity and my condolences to the families of the victims of today's tragedy. After 11 September, we cannot continue acting in the same way. There has been change in the political paradigm the coordinates that have guided us until now. The paradigm has changed, and now the political culture must also change. Terrorism cannot continue to be regarded as an inevitable evil for our peoples, but rather as a mortal enemy of them all. There can be neither excuses nor pretexts: this is the time to demonstrate the political will of each and every one of us to take effective measures for international cooperation against terrorism measures which Spain has been promoting for years to take a qualitative leap forward. Since 11 September, an important international consensus has emerged on the need to confront terrorism. This shows that terrorism has nothing to do with the differences between North and South or East and West, much less with a supposed conflict between civilizations. Many Islamic countries are among its main victims. It does have to do, however, with the difference between those who commit these kinds of acts or give them their support, and those who consider them to be atrocities and violations of the most elementary principles of human coexistence, which are common to all the great civilizations. The United Nations has risen to the occasion. Its action has been quick and effective, demonstrating that the Organization is indispensable at the dawning of the new millennium. Resolution 1368 (2001) made it possible for a coalition of wills, of which Spain is a part, to emerge in order to respond to the attacks. Resolution 1373 (2001) expresses the determination of the international community to maintain concerted action for as long as necessary against terrorism: against terrorism without adjectives, against the terrorists themselves, and also against those who lend them any type of support, active or passive. Progress has also been made in the negotiation of a general convention against international terrorism, overcoming some of the obstacles that had blocked the negotiations for years. Now that we are close to reaching an agreement, we must make an effort to eliminate the problems that are still pending. The goal must be to draw up an operative and effective instrument against terrorism that cannot be paralysed by interminable discussions of a political rather than a legal nature. The subject is of pivotal importance, and the very credibility of the United Nations is at stake. We have a historical opportunity before us; it would be a shame if we were to squander it. To their cynicism and disdain for elementary human values, terrorists often add a shameless opportunism in order to manipulate particular situations to their advantage. These situations undoubtedly require a solution on account of their intrinsic nature, on their own merits, without any relation to terrorist claims. We must all work together to find that solution. These situations involve structural problems such as poverty and the marginalization in which many millions of people live all over the world. They also have to do with regional conflicts, such as that in the Middle East, where there is an urgent need to stop the blind cycle of violence and return to the negotiating table. If the political will exists, negotiations are possible. Madrid, Oslo and the advances made at Camp David and Taba prove this. There is no alternative to the peace process and, at the end of the road, the State of Israel and the Palestinian State will coexist peacefully within secure borders. Terrorist attacks against innocent civilians cause alarm among our peoples, but they are not the only cause for uncertainty at the beginning of the new millennium. When the political and ideological confrontations that had defined the second half of the twentieth century were largely overcome, other types of conflicts emerged with force. These tend to be not international, but rather internal, conflicts and are therefore difficult to address with the instruments of traditional 33 diplomacy. Some of them have given rise to serious humanitarian crises that have afflicted our peoples. At a time when we have decoded the human genome and the advances of biotechnology pose new dilemmas, millions of people continue to live in conditions of extreme poverty, with less than a dollar per day to cover all their needs. As we witness the interconnection of economies worldwide and can send information instantly to any corner of the Earth, we see how globalization distributes its benefits unequally, making more visible and intolerable the breach between rich and poor, the powerful and the weak, the haves and the have-nots. These situations give rise to uncertainty, but they also give rise to a demand for solutions. Our peoples turn to us Governments and international organizations and they ask us to act, especially the United Nations. Its global vision, its universal composition and its vocation to defend the interests of all humanity give it a unique legitimacy in the eyes of our citizens. In order not to disappoint these expectations, the United Nations must face the challenge of its modernization, following the path charted by the Millennium Summit. My country has also undergone a significant process of modernization in recent years, which has enabled it to become fully incorporated into international life. Spain has been able to break away from the inertia of the past and seek new solutions to its new problems. It has done so without renouncing its identity as a bridge between different cultures and regions of the world. That is the perspective from which my country backs the process of reform and modernization. It will continue to do so from the presidency of the European Union, which it will hold during the first half of next year. The phenomenon of globalization is responsible for much of the current uncertainty facing the processes of change. The United Nations, which thinks globally, is the natural forum for managing globalization. In addition to the fight against terrorism, effective instruments must be developed to combat drugs and transnational organized crime. This year, progress must be made in the preparation of a convention against corruption. The International Criminal Court is one of the key instruments of international relations that we will need in the new millennium. Spain has been involved from the start in the fight against the culture of impunity with regard to the most heinous crimes. It now seems more necessary than ever for the Court to start to act. The different legal systems of the world must be duly represented in the court, because globalization does not mean homogenization. No country must be marginalized from this historic process; all must be able to contribute to the Court their own views regarding international criminal justice. Arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation require greater attention from the international community. Progress in the destruction and prohibition of anti-personnel mines as a result of the Ottawa Convention and the results of the Programme of Action of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects are encouraging. The need to protect the environment is real, and the solutions cannot be postponed. The Kyoto Protocol offers some answers to this problem. Those who do not accept Kyoto will have to propose a better solution. In the meantime, its ratification will be the only practical measure taken in this field. That is why we welcome the agreement reached in Marrakech, which we believe to be a step in the right direction. New conflicts require new solutions. We must deal with all the stages of a particular conflict through a comprehensive approach that includes efforts to prevent the causes, to keep the peace when crisis erupts, to consolidate that peace and, afterwards, to begin economic and institutional reconstruction. This idea has inspired the efforts being made by my country, in cooperation with the Russian Federation, in the demining project in southern Lebanon. It also motivates efforts, in which Spain is an active participant, to strengthen African capabilities to prevent and settle conflicts. For that reason, Spain was very pleased to welcome the birth of the African Union at the Lusaka Summit, as well as the New African Initiative that was adopted there. This approach must also be applied to international action in support of the Afghan people, whose situation is particularly dire. We must urgently help them to meet their basic humanitarian needs, 34 especially given the approach of winter. This international action, to which Spain is contributing, must also include clear support for the economic and institutional reconstruction of the country. The future of Afghanistan is something that only the Afghan people can decide. Nevertheless, the international community must support them so that they can establish a stable Government and maintain normal relations with their neighbours and the rest of the world. In this task, the United Nations must play a fundamental role. The new diplomatic instruments that are required must accord special attention to humanitarian affairs. The need to protect the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons, access to humanitarian assistance for affected populations and the situation of children in armed conflicts, in addition to the security problem of United Nations and associated personnel all these issues require effective solutions. If some States fail to meet their responsibilities in this area, it will be necessary to draw attention to their attitude repeatedly, until it changes. Peacekeeping is an essential instrument in this comprehensive approach to dealing with conflict. The General Assembly must take concrete steps to implement the recommendations of the Brahimi report on peacekeeping operations by increasing the size of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the Secretariat, improving the participation of the troop- contributing countries in the decision-making process and strengthening civil police operations, in which Spain has played an active role. None of this will be enough if peacekeeping operations do not receive clear and adequate mandates, backed with the firm political support of the Security Council. If mandates are not clear and adequate, it will not be possible to send United Nations units to places in which they may have to use force. No country is prepared to risk the lives of its soldiers to defend empty words. This brings us to the need to conclude the process of reforming the Security Council. We need a more representative, democratic, effective and transparent Security Council. Spain, which is a candidate for non-permanent membership of the Security Council in the elections to be held during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, will strive, if elected, to increase the quantity and improve the quality of the consultations with non-member States, especially with those most affected by the issues being debated by the Council. Human rights and fundamental freedoms civil and political, as well as economic and social are the birthright of all humanity and not just of a particular group of States. Their violation today provokes condemnation in a way that it did not in the past. We must continue to strengthen such points of agreement, incorporating the concerns of all. It is therefore important that the Durban Conference was able to adopt a final document. Spain, like the rest of the European Union, upheld to the end its commitment to the objectives of the Conference. We must take advantage of the agreement reached at Durban to continue to make progress in this field. Along the same lines, my country will organize, in the next few days in Madrid, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, an international consultative conference on student education in relation to freedom of religion or beliefs, tolerance and non-discrimination. I cannot fail to refer to the question of Gibraltar. As has already been communicated to the Secretary- General, the United Kingdom and Spain agreed, on 26 July in London, to relaunch their talks within the framework of the Brussels Declaration, issuing to this end a communiquÈ in which they underlined their political will to overcome all of their differences over Gibraltar and to conclude these talks promptly and successfully for the benefit of all the parties involved. Furthermore, they invited the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to participate in ministerial meetings within the framework of this process. The problem of development is central to the activities of the Organization. The Millennium Declaration constitutes the basic framework for these activities and must be implemented in its entirety. At this session, the General Assembly must set in motion an effective monitoring mechanism for the Declaration. Spain is also working to define new fields for development cooperation. For example, Spain is a pioneer in the development of microcredits, which constitute a particularly suitable instrument for the development of the less advanced countries. This year, Spain organized in Las Palmas a high-level meeting on tourism and development in less developed countries with a view to placing its extensive experience in this 35 field at the service of tourism development in such countries, some of which, such as the small island States, have comparative advantages in this field from which they could benefit. Next April, Spain will also organize the Second World Assembly on Ageing, thus responding to the need to pay special attention to vulnerable populations those most likely to suffer the highest rates of poverty. The eradication of poverty is the primary objective of both the Millennium Declaration and Spain's policy for cooperation in development. If there is one group of people who are vulnerable by definition, it is people who are ill. The special session of General Assembly on AIDS and other infectious diseases highlighted the urgency of halting their spread. Spain will make a major contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which has been created for this purpose. The United Nations will not be able to accomplish all of these tasks if it does not have the necessary resources to do so. The budget for the coming two-year period will be discussed during this Assembly's session. The effort to impose budgetary discipline must continue, but rigid positions that prevent the Organization from facing up to its responsibilities must be avoided. Evading responsibility is something that the United Nations cannot afford to do, especially today. Unique legitimacy imposes a unique responsibility. The United Nations will be judged in this new millennium by its effectiveness in addressing the new problems confronting it, by its ability to transform uncertainties into solutions, insecurity into confidence and fear into hope. In conclusion, I would like to make one further comment. In his statement, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Morocco referred to the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla and to other Spanish territories. In the context of the relations of friendship and good-neighbourliness that exist between Spain and Morocco, I wish to stress that the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, and the adjacent islands, are an integral part of the territory of Spain and that their citizens are represented in the Spanish parliament in the same capacity and under the same terms as the rest of their compatriots.