Canada

It is a great honour to represent Canada here today as we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations during this general debate. Canada has always been among the strongest supporters of the United Nations, not only in word but also in deed. In 1945 we were, through Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, an original signatory of the United Nations Charter. Ambassador John Humphreys helped write the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Successive Canadian Ambassadors to the United Nations have distinguished themselves in the service of the Organization, as have countless Canadian negotiators in areas ranging from disarmament to trade to development. In addition, Lester B. Pearson won a Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the success of the United Nations in establishing the first peace-keeping operation, in 1956. All these Canadians had a unifying purpose: to promote progress in implementing the United Nations Charter, which enshrines the commitment of the people of the United Nations to the advancement of humanity. Of course, there have been criticisms of the Organization; many are legitimate and require attention. It is clear, however, that the international community remains committed to the goals of the Charter and to the United Nations as the primary instrument for global problem solving. The United Nations deserves our continued support. If we look at the record of just the last few years, the United Nations has conducted successful peace-keeping operations in Cambodia, Mozambique and Haiti. Thanks to the United Nations, in this decade alone 5 million children will grow up normally, children who would otherwise have been paralysed by polio. This year the United Nations is working, as it does every year, to ensure a better life for the almost 23 million refugees in the world. Global resolve to support the United Nations and to advance the interests of the international community has recently been underscored by such successes as the indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. At the Halifax Summit in June, chaired by our Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, the P-8 (Political Eight) leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to the United Nations system of international institutions and added their ideas for revitalizing it. The central message is clear: we must take this momentous opportunity to confirm and renew our commitment to the United Nations. To do so, we require a renewed vision for the next 50 years. This vision must 5 be centred on not just striving for, but achieving, human security on the basis of the freedom of people everywhere to live in peace and without fear, to be prosperous and enjoy equality, justice before the law and knowledge. The Members of the United Nations must work together now to renew the Organization and its agencies and programmes and to help make this vision a reality. In Canada’s view pursuing this vision requires a focus on three interlinked objectives: preventing conflict; responding quickly when conflict occurs; and supporting peace-building efforts on an ongoing basis. I will address each objective in turn. (spoke in French) The first priority must be to help the United Nations better protect people from conflict. The United Nations has had important successes in the past few years but, unfortunately, there have also been set-backs. If the United Nations is to adapt to a changing world, if confidence in the Organization is to be restored, we must learn from the failures of Bosnia, Somalia and Rwanda and build on the successes of Cambodia, Namibia and El Salvador. Preventive action, as the Secretary-General has laid out so well in “An Agenda for Peace”, takes many forms, from economic development programmes to mediation, to the preventive deployment of personnel — as, for example, in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — from the investigation of human rights violations to the conclusion of agreements limiting the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Prevention saves lives, forestalls untold human suffering and makes the best use of limited resources. Last year I announced at this podium that Canada was providing a list of Canadian experts available to the United Nations for preventive diplomacy missions. We are also taking advantage of our membership in La Francophonie, in the Commonwealth and in regional organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) precisely in order to work towards enhancing the ability of these organizations to prevent conflicts. Our Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, is currently pressing for an expanded Commonwealth role in democratization and good governance, which are two key elements of conflict prevention. I recently convened a meeting of La Francophonie in Ottawa to generate recommendations for it to strengthen its role in conflict prevention, particularly in Africa. These recommendations will be presented to the leaders, the Heads of State and Government, gathered at the Francophone Summit to be held in Cotonou, Benin, in December of this year. Prevention also means deterring crimes against humanity. Canada strongly supports the early establishment of an international criminal court, which will, we hope, deter such crimes in the future but, should they occur, would punish the perpetrators. The recently approved Platform for Action at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing lends further impetus in this area. Our recent experiences in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda emphasize the link between security and human rights. The United Nations many human rights mechanisms produce a wealth of information that could help us identify and understand potential areas of conflict. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has a role to play in enhancing the early warning functions of the United Nations. The experience of the Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda revealed the need for the more effective coordination of United Nations field missions. Canada has commissioned work on the human rights components of field operations and on stand-by arrangements for them. This work will yield recommendations on ways to integrate human rights into United Nations field operations, in a way consistent with the approach outlined in “An Agenda for Peace”. One of the priorities of Canada’s foreign policy and one of the best ways to renew commitment to the United Nations consists of adopting a coherent approach to the prevention and management of complex emergencies. Averting crisis requires more flexibility and speed in decision-making and in implementation. In this regard Canada supports the proposal for a conference on security, stability and development in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. We also reaffirm our strong support for the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs. (spoke in English) Another major focus of Canada’s preventive action is arms control and disarmament, especially concerning nuclear weapons. The historic decision to extend the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) indefinitely provides a foundation for further important gains on nuclear disarmament. We must now complete the comprehensive test-ban treaty negotiations as early as possible in 1996 in order to permit its 6 signature at the General Assembly next September. An agreement to begin negotiations on a treaty to ban the production of fissionable material for nuclear weapons is currently held up. We squander such opportunities at our peril. Canada calls on all members of the Conference on Disarmament to proceed urgently with the cut-off negotiations. Regrettably our efforts to take preventive action are eroded by the continued global imbalance between spending on armaments and spending on human development. Multilateral institutions should take trends in military and other unproductive spending into consideration. All States Members of the United Nations should comply with the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms which will, we hope, be expanded soon to include military holdings and national procurement activities. Together, interested countries could develop criteria to identify excessive military expenditures and appropriate international responses. Canada has taken some initiatives in this regard in recent months and we look forward to productive negotiations with many Member States here. When a United Nations preventive diplomacy operation stumbles and efforts to prevent conflict fail, Member States all too often criticize the United Nations. But much of the blame for the failures of the Organization lies with the Member States themselves who do not provide it with the tools needed for success. These tools are never needed more than when a crisis erupts. Last year I discussed the problems the United Nations has encountered in mobilizing its peace operations to respond to crises. Canada’s long experience with peace- keeping has convinced us that improvements are possible. The international community’s slow response to the horrible and deeply distressing events in Rwanda was very much in our mind. It was in this context that I announced that Canada would examine ways to improve the capacity of the United Nations to react quickly to such events. Today I have the honour of presenting to the Assembly Canada’s report entitled “Towards a Rapid Reaction Capability for the United Nations” as a special Canadian contribution to the United Nations during its fiftieth anniversary year. It presents practical proposals for enhancing the United Nations rapid reaction capability in the field of peace operations. I believe the proposals will both help save lives and conserve scarce resources. The report expresses the view of the Government of Canada, but considerable care was taken to consult with other Governments, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental institutions. We are also deeply grateful to the many experts from many countries who have lent us their time and wisdom. The main proposal of the report is the "Vanguard Concept". This concept will permit the United Nations to assemble, from Member States, a multifunctional force of up to 5,000 military and civilian personnel, and, with the authorization of the Security Council, quickly deploy it under the control of an operational-level headquarters. This operational headquarters would be responsible for the advance preparations that are crucial if rapid reaction is to work. Forces will be provided under enhanced stand- by arrangements with Member States. Our other proposals seek to enhance training, to create more efficient logistics and transportation, and to strengthen the planning efforts of the entire United Nations system. Let me say that none of the 26 recommendations in the report requires Charter reforms. But the search for immediate, practical solutions must not preclude more visionary possibilities. In this regard, the report looked at longer-term questions, such as advanced technology in support of the United Nations peace operations, the feasibility of a permanent group of civilian police, the idea of a United Nations Standing Emergency Group, a permanent force as has been considered by our colleague from the Netherlands; and the question of independent sources of revenue for the United Nations system. (spoke in French) I believe that the recommendations in the report, if implemented, will strengthen the United Nations capacity for more rapid, effective and successful peace operations. They will help restore confidence in the ability of the United Nations to respond to crises. We are conscious of the fact that words are not enough. In the words of a former military adviser to the United Nations: “We can’t deploy studies.” For Canada this report is only the first step in translating ideas into action. To meet the growing need for civilian personnel during crises, Canada will offer the United Nations secondment or the loan of civilian personnel on a short-term urgent basis to help in the development of a fully trained capacity in the areas of 7 human rights, legal advice, humanitarian assistance, and other aspects of a rapid civilian response to crises. Last week Canada sent the Secretary-General an updated inventory of Canadian personnel and equipment on stand-by to the United Nations, including technical information that would be crucial to rapid response. We are now prepared to negotiate with the United Nations a more detailed memorandum of understanding on stand-by arrangements, which would include more information on readiness and capability standards. Our report devotes special attention to the creation of an operational-level headquarters as the heart of the “Vanguard” concept. Canada is prepared to help in establishing its headquarters should the United Nations decide to accept this recommendation. We have already made a significant number of military personnel available to the United Nations on secondment or on loan. We are prepared to make available additional personnel, both civilian and military, in order to bring this idea closer to realization. The time for moving towards fundamental improvements in the way the United Nations responds to crises is now. A number of countries have advanced proposals similar to Canada’s and there are many new and interesting proposals for change coming also from the non- governmental sector. Follow-up is of key importance. We need to marshal our energies, to determine the most promising areas of action, and to move quickly towards putting words into action. Over the coming weeks and months, Canada intends to work closely with like-minded countries from around the world, and, of course, with the United Nations Secretariat to this end. The ongoing work of peace-building must continue alongside preventive diplomacy and now rapid reaction operations. Indeed, peace-building involves a wide range of activities. Much of the work needed for articulating a broad vision of human security has already been done in the series of United Nations conferences in the economic and social fields, culminating in the Platform for Action recently adopted at the United Nations Conference on Women. It sets out a comprehensive view of sustainable development, which balances economic and social agendas for the purpose of promoting the well-being of society. This global consensus offers an opportunity to restore confidence in the work of the United Nations system in these fields, and to dispel the perception of aimlessness and drift. The United Nations can continue to play an invaluable role in forging global agreements on development goals, in advocating core values, and in responding to humanitarian and development needs. We must seek to anchor change in a commitment to people-centred sustainable development. A strong emphasis must be placed on the reduction of poverty and on the integration of the poorest countries into the world economy. However, no single country, or even group of countries, can achieve global results alone. We are, therefore, determined to work with all Member States to pursue these goals sufficiently and effectively. Let me take this opportunity to set out some ideas on the way to renew commitment to the economic and social work of the United Nations. First, there is a need to achieve the right balance between wide-ranging debate and decisions on which programmes should be adopted. The justified breadth of debate does not mean that United Nations programs should be established to address every problem. There are many other actors who play important roles. The United Nations should focus on what it is uniquely equipped to achieve. Secondly, there is a need for a fresh sense of the real goals of development. The outcomes of the major conferences are at the core, and their distillation and coordinated follow-up should be a touchstone for the United Nations in the economic and social fields. The roles and functions of organizations and agencies should be examined and refocused to ensure that they are oriented to future needs. The Agenda for Development is an important opportunity to initiate the institutional change required. Improving cooperation with and among specialized agencies is essential to give limited resources some impact. The Economic and Social Council must take more responsibility for policy coordination within the United Nations system. A start was made this summer in Geneva. The recent establishment of the United Nations Programme on AIDS is a promising example. There, the executive heads of agencies and programmes must demonstrate leadership, particularly in coordinating the follow-up to international conferences and ensuring that duplication, overlapping and needless spending are eliminated as far as possible. 8 We must effectively harness the complementary roles of the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions. To ensure a smooth transition from emergencies to rehabilitation, improved cooperation in crises must be an immediate priority. I urge the Secretary-General and the leaders of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to propose new arrangements for post-crisis assistance. They could also establish a high-level working group to consider how to strengthen cooperation, both at the Organization’s Headquarters and elsewhere, in areas such as data collection, analysis and reporting. The World Trade Organization (WTO) should also participate in relevant aspects of this work. We have all come to understand the extent to which human security is indivisible from environmental security. More and more conflicts are arising following disagreement over the use of finite natural resources. The United Nations therefore has a key role to play in promoting sustainable development. Canada welcomes the recent success of United Nations conferences in some areas of international resource-management operations, such as the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. Our goal is concrete, internationally sanctioned conservation measures. The same objective applies to our efforts to ensure the sustainable management of forests and arable land. The Rio Summit achieved landmark agreements on climate change and biodiversity. Canada welcomes the progress made by the Commission on Sustainable Development and by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in clarifying their respective roles in following up these agreements in collaboration with Member States. (spoke in English) In speaking about the three elements — preventive action, rapid reaction and peacebuilding — I wish to emphasize the need to see them as mutually reinforcing. United Nations Member States must be committed to all three in order for any one to be successful. To ensure a renewal of the United Nations vision through these actions, we must also reassert our commitment to assuring the effectiveness of its key bodies. Although I could speak of many United Nations agencies in this regard, because of its critical role in promoting the vision of the next 50 years, I will limit my remarks to the Security Council. The Security Council’s mandate to help prevent disputes and to resolve conflicts confer on it unique responsibilities. The binding nature of some decisions adds further weight to its deliberations. In recent years the Council has experienced a period of intensified activity. It has also experienced setbacks from which we can all learn. One lesson of particular importance is that members of the Security Council, especially the permanent five, need to demonstrate a firm commitment to the implementation of their own decisions. For Canada, the need for more open, transparent and collegial decision-making is crucial. There must be closer consultations with countries contributing personnel and equipment in order to help implement Council decisions. Here, real progress has been achieved of late, which Canada warmly welcomes. This progress needs to be institutionalized. The credibility and effectiveness of the Council in promoting international peace and security is also a key element. Although we do not regard expansion of its membership as a panacea, it is clear that composition plays a role in fostering credibility and effectiveness. The Council is no longer as representative as it once was. Its legitimacy,and perhaps also the quality of its decisions, would be greatly enhanced by more representation from those countries that contribute the most to the maintenance of international peace and security and to the broad purpose of the Organization — that is, the key criterion for non-permanent membership enshrined in Article 23 of the Charter. Perhaps it is time to reflect together on those purposes to which Article 23 refers. They would surely include participation in United Nations peace operations, commitment to arms control and disarmament, support for good-neighbourly relations, humanitarian assistance, human rights, development cooperation and the promotion of civil society. An understanding among Member States along these lines would help in the selection of non-permanent Council members, whether on the existing basis or on a modified basis. A recurring theme throughout my remarks has been the need for the United Nations to marshal its scarce resources more effectively. There is simply no other option if we are to restore confidence in this Organization and in the specialized agencies. As the Secretary-General has stressed, the Organization’s financial crisis is 9 crippling its effectiveness and its credibility. We cannot allow this to happen. The answer lies in addressing both expenditure and revenue. Many Governments, including Canada’s, are facing difficult budgetary decisions. We have had to live with expenditure reductions in real terms while maintaining priority programmes. International organizations must respect the same pressures as domestic Governments. The United Nations and its agencies must focus on key objectives and reduce overhead spending in order to protect priority programmes. In fact, there are many steps that chief executive officers can take to increase efficiency and to reduce costs without impairing programmes, and we should all insist that they do so. Similarly, many agencies’ budgets should be held at present levels, wherever possible, if not reduced. Member States must work collectively to this end. Canada strongly supports the proposal put forward by the Secretary-General for an efficiency task force to address these issues. We are prepared to contribute both expertise and personnel to get it started soon. While the United Nations needs to do more to limit spending and to promote efficiency, its financial crisis would be significantly alleviated if its Member States were to meet their financial obligations in full, on time and without conditions. Canada calls on all Member States to do so. We cannot accept that Member States, some of which rank among the richest countries in the world, fail to meet their financial obligations to this institution. This is even more difficult to accept when we consider that a number of the poorest countries in the world meet their payments in full and on time. Indeed, among the merely 60 Member States that had met their regular budget obligations to the United Nations fully by 31 July of this year, 32 were developing countries. Unfortunately, 71 other Member States had made no payment at all. Almost 100 countries still owe money from previous years, including, I have to say, several members of the Security Council. The majority of Member States appear content to approve programmes, appropriations and assessments without honouring the obligations to which they are committed. This is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue. The General Assembly’s High-level Working Group considering the United Nations financial plight should begin looking at the establishment of incentives to pay. It should also agree on an equitable method of sharing the burden, free of the distortions that characterize the present scale of assessments. In conclusion, let me say that I have sought to pay tribute to this Organization’s achievements, and to emphasize that Canada strongly supports the United Nations. We are prepared to contribute concretely and actively to its revitalization and renewal. But confidence will be restored and commitment renewed only through a partnership in which Member States live up to their commitment and focus on key priorities that respond to human-centred goals for sustainable security and development. If we are successful, and frankly I truly believe that we will be successful, I have no doubt that 50 years from now our successors will be able to praise, without hesitation or qualification, the record of our Organization’s first 100 years.