At the outset, I would like
to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President
of the General Assembly, and to stress that you can
count on the full support of the Croatian delegation in
the coming year. At the same time, I would like to
thank Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki for his successful
work as President of the General Assembly over the
past year and for the results achieved under his
leadership.
The consequences of the serious threats facing
the modern world — from terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to
humanitarian crises and climate change, to mention
just a few — reach far beyond the original framework
within which they began. Without exception, they are
acquiring global proportions. In the same way,
contemporary social and economic relationships have
grown far beyond narrow national frameworks and,
through the flow of people, goods, services and capital,
are creating a global network of mutual relations and
influence. Does the recent eruption of the volcano on
Iceland not testify to this in as vivid a manner as the
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joint humanitarian actions undertaken in response to
recent terrifying natural disasters?
This accelerated development of the
contemporary world, and especially the challenges and
threats to which it is exposed, call on all of us to take
swift action, shoulder joint responsibility and foment
new solidarity. There is no alternative to working
together in today’s world.
In that vein, the theme you have chosen, Sir, for
the opening of the sixty-fifth session of the General
Assembly reminds us, in focusing on the concept of
global governance, of the role of the Assembly in
formulating the global response to the challenges we
face in today’s world. At the same time, your proposal
calls for an examination of our own contribution to the
formulation of responses to these challenges.
During its membership of the Security Council,
Croatia promoted the ideas that are the backbone of all
civilized governance and therefore also of global
governance: the importance of the rule of law and the
protection and promotion of international law,
especially human rights and minority rights,
international humanitarian law and transparency in the
work of the main bodies of the United Nations.
Within the rich legal heritage of the United
Nations, the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2)
has particular significance. That document confirms
the global strategy of the United Nations in areas
crucial to the life and well-being of a large proportion
of humankind, and unites the activities of the relevant
institutions in this sphere. For Croatia, implementing
the Millennium Development Goals is of additional
importance because of their strong link with the
priorities related to the process of our accession to the
European Union, which has entered its final phase.
Croatia has decided to confirm its readiness to
participate in the international activities aimed at
achieving these goals by increasing its financial
contribution to the programmes and activities of the
United Nations. In that context, allow me to mention
the Republic of Croatia’s successful shift from
recipient to provider of international aid. Croatia has
aimed its support at the neighbouring region of South-
East Europe, where our knowledge and experience may
be most useful to the recipient countries.
Along with its contribution of peacekeeping
troops, police and military experts to 14 international
missions led by the United Nations, NATO and the
European Union, Croatia is also ready to share its
experience with States emerging from armed conflict
by offering expert advice and other services in the field
of security and defence sector reform and in
reintegrating demobilized persons into civilian society.
I would particularly like to emphasize that
peacebuilding support for countries emerging from
armed conflict is one of the most important and
complex challenges confronting the United Nations. In
that light, Croatia strongly supports the work of the
Peacebuilding Commission and the report (A/64/868,
annex) drawn up by the co-facilitators of the process of
reviewing the United Nations peacebuilding
architecture and the work of the Commission. Croatia
was a founding member of the Peacebuilding
Commission, and, wishing to continue contributing to
the significant efforts being made in this area, has
announced that it will be a candidate for membership
of the Commission for the period 2012-2013.
However important our joint action at the global
level may be to finding responses to the many
challenges that confront us, it is imperative when it
comes to attempting to find a deterrent to the use of
nuclear weapons. In recent years, we have witnessed a
renewed desire within the international community for
a world without nuclear weapons, which Croatia also
recognized in the historic Security Council summit of
September last year on the prevention of the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, with
President Barack Obama presiding (see S/PV.6191).
Making its own contribution to the significant
efforts aimed at preventing the proliferation of nuclear
weapons, in June the Republic of Croatia successfully
organized a regional workshop on the implementation
of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). Of course,
in Croatia we are aware that mere words and adopted
documents are not enough, especially to preventing the
direct threat posed by the possibility of terrorists
getting hold of weapons of mass destruction. We
therefore welcome the concrete steps being taken by
the nuclear States to reduce their nuclear capacities and
to increase the transparency and security of nuclear
reserves.
At the same time, we must not forget that, in
parallel with the existence of a nuclear threat, the
illegal trade in small arms and light weapons has taken
many human lives. Croatia most strongly condemns
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terrorism and is wholly dedicated to preventing this
threat in all its various forms at the national, regional
and global levels. In an attempt to make a contribution
to these efforts, during its time as a member of the
Security Council Croatia chaired the Counter-
Terrorism Committee for two years. During its
presidency of the Security Council in December 2008,
Croatia organized a debate on the subject of threats to
international peace and security caused by terrorist acts
(see S/PV.6034). The Council then adopted a
presidential statement (S/PRST/2008/45) calling on all
Members of the United Nations to show the same level
of solidarity they displayed immediately after the
tragic events of 11 September 2001.
As a member of NATO and a future member of
the European Union, Croatia is strongly engaged in
securing peace and stability in South-East Europe. This
is also precisely the reason why we advocate a clear
Euro-Atlantic perspective for all the States in the
region. To realize that perspective, it is first necessary
to accept and fully apply the principles on which
European integration was initiated 60 years ago:
cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect.
In that spirit, Croatia and Slovenia last year
agreed on a solution to their long-running border
dispute through international arbitration. By my
agreement with Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor,
a new page was turned in Croatian-Slovenian relations,
and at the same time a way was opened for all the other
countries of South-East Europe to realize their right to
a European future through dialogue and cooperation.
In that sense, I would like here to welcome the
decision by the General Assembly to adopt by
consensus a resolution on Kosovo (64/298) sponsored
by Serbia and the European Union. In this way, a
completely new European paradigm of cooperation,
peace and progress is being created in South-East
Europe. Croatia will lead the way in supporting and
promoting these values throughout the region, and
especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which also has
the right to a Euro-Atlantic perspective as a united
State of three constitutive and equal peoples. There is
no real alternative to the Euro-Atlantic future, and any
attempt to go back to the old and failed ways of the
past would be extremely harmful. This is the only
sphere of peace and security ensuring prosperity in the
Euro-Atlantic zone whose doors will be open to the
countries of South-East Europe that meet the
conditions for membership of NATO and the European
Union.
With this in mind, the Republic of Croatia
advocates the accepted concept of responsibility for the
protection of civilians against genocide, ethnic
cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. We
welcome, support and follow with special attention the
work of the International Criminal Court. In the same
vein, allow me to point out here that the Republic of
Croatia supports the work of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and welcomes the
Tribunal’s exit strategy.
Finally, this is an opportunity for me to say that
the Republic of Croatia, in line with its focus to date
on human rights, will continue its activities to protect
and promote them. I especially welcome the
establishment of UN Women as an important and
welcome new body within the Organization, aimed at
supporting gender equality and strengthening the
position of women.
In closing, allow me to end this address by
asserting that lasting and civilized governance,
especially insofar as it includes the United Nations,
must arise from the individual and return to the
individual. The protection of the dignity of human life,
and the dignity and identity of each nation, is the firm
foundation on which the United Nations can fulfil its
task to promote peace and security in today’s
globalized world.