Lithuania

Let me at the outset express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of Monday’s tragic accident in Queens, New York. I am particularly pleased to see Mr. Han Seung- soo guiding the General Assembly during this session. I wish to assure him of my delegation’s fullest support in all his endeavours. I would like also to extend my 32 congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on his election to a second term of office as Secretary-General. It is also with great satisfaction that we join other speakers in congratulating Mr. Kofi Annan on having been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. We are proud that the one hundredth Nobel Prize also honoured the United Nations as a whole. As rightly pointed out by the Secretary-General, this “challenges us to do more and to do better”. It is our responsibility to ensure that the Organization is at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world. This year Lithuania is celebrating the tenth anniversary of its membership in the United Nations. On 17 September 1991, our nation proudly watched as the Lithuanian flag was raised for the first time at the United Nations. In the 10 years that have elapsed, we have seen a rapid transformation in the world order. The world around us has shrunk with incredible speed. The benefits accruing from globalization have made us more dependent upon each other and thus more vulnerable to complex phenomena that affect the stability and security of our societies. Terrorism does not recognize national borders. It spills over into international terrain, no matter how ingenious the defences are that have been put in place. Only through the common efforts of the international community will it be possible to create successful defence mechanisms. Indeed, on 11 September, the world grasped the sheer magnitude of the defences that will be required. Terrorism is closely linked to extreme poverty, marginalization, human rights violations, ethnic strife, the proliferation of arms and drug trafficking. Thus, it is essential in the long term to devise and carry out an anti-terrorism policy that is inclusive and spans all regions and continents. I wish to express once again from this rostrum my nation’s strong condemnation of terrorist actions and to reaffirm our solidarity with the people of the United States. We are determined to stand alongside the international community in combating terrorism. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Lithuania supported the actions taken by the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, including the decision of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to invoke article 5 of the Washington Treaty. My Government has decided to grant permanent diplomatic clearance for the overflight and landing of United States Government aircraft. An important step aimed at combating and preventing terrorism was the adoption of an unprecedented Security Council resolution: resolution 1373 (2001). Now it is up to Governments to act without delay in following through the detailed requirements of the resolution. The General Assembly should also make its own contribution, first of all, by speeding up its work on the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Domestic legal steps to be taken by Member States include ratification of the 12 United Nations multilateral instruments directly designed for the suppression of terrorism. Lithuania has already stepped up its efforts to accede to the remaining five Conventions. In this endeavour, the experience and practice of other international bodies in the fight against terrorism should not be forgotten. For instance, the Council of Europe has successfully elaborated a number of treaties, such as the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, the European Convention on Extradition and its Protocols, and so on. The experience of this regional organization could also be used in the field of crime prevention, money- laundering and corruption. It is noteworthy that instruments of the European treaty system are also open to non-member States. Just last week — meeting in Warsaw at a conference of heads of State of Central and Eastern Europe on the common fight against terrorism — 17 leaders from the region, including from my own country, adopted a declaration on cooperation in the combat against terrorism and a plan of action against terrorism. It is aimed at improving cooperation among intelligence, customs and police services and cracking down on money-laundering and drug trafficking. The challenges posed by a globalized world are multifarious and interrelated. They require diverse and versatile actions. Therefore, due consideration and resources should be devoted to the problems of arms control and disarmament, as well as to poverty eradication and sustainable development. 33 In this regard, I would like to note the resolution adopted just a few weeks ago by the First Committee on multilateral cooperation in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation and on global efforts against terrorism. It puts a clear focus on multilateral efforts to combat international terrorism and fight proliferation. The results of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty (CTBT) article XIV Conference have rekindled the hope that widespread concerns about the delayed entry into force of the Treaty will be taken into account. We also hope that the implementation of the 13 steps agreed upon at the 2000 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will not be put on hold. Likewise, intensive bilateral consultations between the United States and the Russian Federation on a new strategic framework will, it is hoped, foster a common understanding and provide a basis for deep reductions in all classes of nuclear weapons, consistent with the commitments under article VI of the NPT. Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention also remains an urgent priority. The 2001 Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects has yielded a Programme of Action, a strategy and the political momentum to deal with the proliferation and misuse of small arms. There needs to be a follow-up process to tackle their brokering, marking and transportation and to build upon the measures agreed thus far. In the meantime, we believe that the strict implementation of the Programme of Action will bring about a real change at the end of the day. History has proved that democratic, prosperous States provide the most favourable environment for human activities. The United Nations should therefore continue its efforts to promote democratization and sustainable development. I would also like to underscore the need to pay even greater attention to the promotion and protection of human rights. Today we face the challenges of a globalized world, which are the result of rapidly developing technologies and human negligence. These challenges, although not as evident as open military conflicts, are no less threatening. A devastated and deteriorating environment could cause conflicts of an unprecedented scale. No effort should be spared to free people from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty. Assistance, new trade arrangements and debt relief should be complemented by firm commitments to poverty reduction, economic equality and measures to support education; they should be reflected first and foremost in the national policies of individual States and, at the same time, on the agendas of international organizations. In this regard, we commit ourselves to ensuring successful preparation for the International Conference on Financing for Development and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Summit, in Johannesburg, should make concrete contributions to the eradication of poverty and the promotion of sustainable modes of production and consumption. In this regard, the Government of Lithuania, in its domestic policy, aims at economic development that does not harm the overall quality of the environment. Priority is given to promoting investment aimed at the prevention of pollution, the use of clean fuel and energy sources and the introduction of low-waste and other progressive environmental technologies. The International Conference on Financing for Development should focus on better mobilization and more effective use of financial resources and find ways for more efficient cooperation between all development actors. The meeting will set strategic goals of policy coherence in order to integrate into the world economy countries with differing levels of economic development. The Bretton Woods institutions and the private sector should play important roles in the development process. The events of 11 September have proved how fragile international security can be. Moreover, in defence of our common values — freedom, democracy and openness — no nation can idly stand by or act unilaterally. Every nation must pull its own weight in contributing to regional and international stability. Strengthening dialogue and understanding among nations and civilizations should also remain in the forefront of our thinking. Better understanding and identified common values will foster trust and tolerance among people, preventing the spread of fanaticism, violence and terrorism. Lithuania made its contribution to these goals by hosting the International Conference on Dialogue among Civilizations in April this year. It is of crucial importance to Lithuania to participate actively in international organizations and 34 to contribute to peacekeeping efforts. We have continued to provide our civilian police officers to United Nations peacekeeping operations through the United Nations Standby Arrangements System. Our troops have been serving in the Balkans since the very beginning of the international engagement in that region. Just a few days ago, a Lithuanian medical squad, a small, but much-needed contribution to the United Nations, was placed under the Standby Arrangements System. Shortly, Lithuania will submit its application for full-fledged membership in the United Nations Standby Forces High-Readiness Brigade. Membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will solidify our region’s institutional, economic and security ties. Lithuania is sparing no effort in preparing for the challenges of a unified pan-Atlantic family of democracies. The work of the Vilnius 10 group, initiated a few years ago and launched in Vilnius, is proof of the ability of the region’s States to promote transparency, partnership and common values. At the subregional level, Lithuania stresses practical cooperative efforts to promote democratic and economic transformation throughout the region. Over the last decade, our engagement with Poland has become a close partnership. Dynamic trilateral Baltic cooperation has become part of broader Baltic-Nordic cooperation. Excellent cross-border cooperation with the Kaliningrad region has given rise to many dynamic developments. Just a couple of days ago, on 8 November, Lithuania assumed the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe, based on the common values of pluralist democracy, human rights and the rule of law, already has a history of cooperation with the United Nations and its agencies, most notably in the field of human rights. Recent joint efforts by the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe to facilitate recovery of South-Eastern Europe have proved to be of the utmost significance for the people of the region, and have opened a new chapter of cooperation between these organizations. During its chairmanship, Lithuania will seek to stimulate dialogue between the Council of Europe and the United Nations and its specialized agencies. We encourage a regular exchange of views on issues related to the fight against and prevention of terrorism, organized crime and money-laundering. Intensive coordination with regard to setting standards for pluralist democracy and respect for human rights will also be promoted. In the work of the Council of Europe, the Lithuanian chairmanship will focus mainly on fighting terrorism, supporting the enlargement process of the Council of Europe, promoting regional cooperation and ensuring the effective functioning of the organization. With the aim of building a modern pan-European society, we will keep working to establish a wider European identity, sharing the best practices of the Council of Europe with other organizations and States, and strengthening the impact of the Council of Europe.