Croatia

At the outset, allow me to sincerely congratulate Mr. Kavan on his election to the position of President of the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly. I am confident that under his able leadership the work of the Assembly will be conducted in a most productive manner. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank the outgoing President, Mr. Han Seung-soo, for the successful completion of the work of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. I would also like to use this opportunity to warmly congratulate Switzerland on becoming a full member of the United Nations family and to welcome the return of the United States to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Following the horrific terrorist attacks of 11 September last year, there have emerged a new vigour and resolve to make our world a safer place for all, not only in promises but in deeds. General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, especially Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), serve as a common platform for combating terrorism. However, their letter and spirit must be fully and thoroughly implemented in order to rid ourselves of global terrorist threats. In our endeavours, the United Nations is proving to be the best framework and unique pillar for the international community's joint actions in maintaining international peace and security, as well as in providing legitimacy to these actions. 13 The prompt and almost universal response of Member States to the requests of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee is a telling example of how efficient the United Nations can be in mobilizing the international community in facing common challenges. It is our hope that Member States will respond with the same sense of responsibility in another important aspect of eradicating terrorism: to finalize current negotiations on the comprehensive convention on combating international terrorism. Furthermore, Croatia believes that efforts should be intensified to resolve regional conflicts that offer fertile ground for recruiting terrorists. The cycle of violence in the Middle East must end. Parties to the conflict must return to the negotiating table and make a reality of the vision of two peoples living in peace within secure and recognized State borders. We also call for Iraq's full compliance with its international obligations regarding the possession and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Violations of Security Council resolutions must not be tolerated, and we welcome the decision by President Bush to work with the United Nations Security Council in this regard. We must also recognize that today Afghanistan is on a difficult yet hopeful road to recovery with the assistance of the international community. We fully support the Secretary-General in his efforts to move the United Nations from a culture of reaction to one of prevention. We consider that the timely dispatch of well-structured peacekeeping operations with a clear and effective mandate can prevent the recurrence of conflicts and create a platform for rebuilding peace and shattered societies. It is exactly here that new tasks and challenges lie for contemporary peacekeeping operations, whose birth we have witnessed in East Timor and Kosovo. In this regard, we welcome the Security Council's new approach of having regular meetings with troop- contributing countries. As a contributor of military observers in peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea and recently in Kashmir, Croatia has found that exchange of information and experience most fruitful and useful for all. That brings me to the subject of Security Council reform, which, as all of us agree, is necessary to address the new political environment of the twenty- first century. Unfortunately, we have still not achieved sufficient political consensus for significant progress in this respect. The lack of progress is certainly discouraging for many. Nevertheless, we must reform the Council in order to be able to adequately address the security threats we are facing today. As we revisit the historic promises made by our world leaders, enshrined in the Millennium Declaration, we must now embark on a process of improving the United Nations as an instrument of global co-operation for the benefit of all humankind. In this regard, we commend the Secretary-General for his report on the integrated and coordinated implementation of, and follow-up to, the outcome of the major United Nations conferences and summits, as a necessary prerequisite to implementing the goals set in the Millennium Declaration. To that end, the full and constant co-operation of Member States and the Secretariat is essential. The Economic and Social Council has continued on the path of strengthening its role within the United Nations system. A number of innovative precedents have been set this year related to the improvement of cooperation and coordination among many bodies of the United Nations and between the Economic and Social Council and the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and to the Council's cooperation with non-governmental organizations and the private sector. The resolution concerning the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on African Countries emerging from conflicts was adopted to help such countries in their peace- building processes. Guinea-Bissau has already submitted an official request for the establishment of such an Ad Hoc Advisory Group for its own country. Croatia is pleased that it can contribute, through the President of the Economic and Social Council, to the revival and strengthening of that highly important body. The United Nations should continue to keep development at the forefront of all areas on the Organization's substantive agenda. Among all multilateral organizations, the United Nations is the only one with the institutional capability to address and manage the challenges of globalization. The Croatian delegation hopes that the outcome and follow-up of the conferences held at Monterrey and Johannesburg will keep our commitment on track, in particular with regard to mobilizing additional financial resources. We 14 must work together to improve the lives of people in poverty and to reverse the continuing degradation of the global environment. A truly global mobilization of all relevant stakeholders will be necessary to ensure that the outcomes of those conferences are transformed into reality. We note the broader acceptance by Member States of United Nations norms, which will ultimately lead to the globalization of human rights and to a universally recognized international code of human rights. As Governments, we must provide the environment for the universal acceptance and full implementation of such rights. Croatia is contributing to that goal through its membership in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Global contributions comprise individual achievements. In order to contribute to global peace, security and development, each country must be stable and secure and must function on a well-founded economic system. My Government is doing exactly that. In October last year, Croatia signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union. Over the past two years, we have introduced a set of reforms aimed at bringing Croatian society closer to the European Union and to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The commitment of the Croatian Government in that respect was recognized by the European Commission. In its first report on the stabilization and association process, issued this past spring, Croatia was singled out as the country most advanced in the process. Another important element in that regard is regional cooperation, in which Croatia plays a very active role. The outstanding issues that may reflect on the region's stability, such as the return of refugees, are high on my Government's priority list. Therefore, Croatia has adopted an action plan for the voluntary return of refugees through the end of the next year. We have significantly improved bilateral relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and will continue to do so. In the light of the discussion between the two delegations held just a few days ago, I believe that the remaining open issues will be successfully resolved in the near future. One of those issues is the identification and delimitation of the land and sea border in the area of Prevlaka. Intensive negotiations are under way, and we believe that some form of temporary solution may be reached soon. In any event, the situation concerning Prevlaka no longer represents a threat to peace and security, and therefore we believe that the United Nations Mission of Observers in Prevlaka has successfully accomplished its mandate and that, consequently, that mandate should not be extended after it expires. With regard to border issues, I would like to report an important success: an agreement on the northern part of our border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. That agreement was reached through the valuable efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whom we sincerely thank. At this point, shortly before the end of the United Nations presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I would like to express my Government's appreciation for the Organization's overall contribution to the stability and development of that country. On the other hand, we cannot fail to express our deep frustration at the continued failure to apprehend two of the most notorious war criminals to date: Karadzić and Mladić. We strongly reiterate the view that lasting stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be achieved only with the arrest of Karadzić and Mladić and with their extradition to the appropriate authorities. Bringing those two individuals to trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia would serve to provide closure for many victims who suffered terribly. The same goes for Sljivanćanin and Radić, indicted by the Tribunal for war crimes committed on Croatian territory. Having faith in the maxim No peace without justice', my Government attaches the highest importance to bringing to justice all those guilty of war crimes. We are committed to maintaining the good and extensive cooperation that we have established with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and we urge other countries within its mandate to do so. However, that does not diminish the key role that domestic war crimes trials play in the process of healing and national reconciliation. The Croatian judiciary is ready and willing to meet these challenges. In that spirit, the Republic of Croatia welcomed the entry into force of the Rome Statute and looks forward to the operationalization of the International Criminal Court. The establishment of the first such permanent Court is crucial in putting an end to the culture of impunity and selective justice. By 15 strengthening the universal rule of law, which in turn leads to the advancement of universal peace and security, the new Court holds the promise of becoming a true guarantor of the ideals enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Our fundamental and common interests in world peace, security and development require our concerted and united efforts. I am confident that this fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly will take us a step further in realizing those common goals.