Slovakia

I have the honour of addressing the General Assembly on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Eduard Kukan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. Slovakia as a European Union acceding country fully endorses the statement made by the Prime Minister of Italy on behalf of the European Union. The positions and ideas expressed in Mr. Berlusconi’s address perfectly reflect the values of the Government and people of Slovakia. I will therefore concentrate only on the topics that we consider the most important. At the outset, I warmly congratulate the President on his assumption of the presidency and wish him every success in discharging his important duties. He can rely on Slovakia’s support and cooperation. Let me also add the voice of my delegation to those who have thanked his predecessor, Mr. Jan Kavan, for his contribution to the work of this body. Amongst the most challenging issues before us, the one that has drawn the closest attention of the world community is the situation in Iraq. We should join our efforts to help the Iraqi people reconstruct their country and build a democratic society, which is the best course of action for stabilizing the situation, which is still volatile on the ground. The unprecedented tragedy of the destruction of the United Nations Baghdad headquarters, which ripped from our midst many brave United Nations personnel, including Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, to whom we again pay our undivided tribute, has shown us that no target is safe. Uniting to help Iraq has become a matter of common interest. Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) laid the important framework enabling the international community to contribute to Iraq’s reconstruction. At the time of its adoption, Slovakia decided to participate in stabilization operations in Iraq by sending mine- clearing experts. Although this was only a token contribution, given our capacity and the number of Slovak troops already deployed in active peacekeeping missions around the globe, I believe that it showed our commitment to creating conditions in which the Iraqi people can build their own future. As more troops are needed on the ground, we support the efforts to win greater participation from willing countries. The United Nations, with a specific mandate, must play a greater role in the Iraqi post-war restoration. Iraq must show that a free and democratic country is the inevitable replacement for dictatorship. A democratic and prosperous Iraq is important to peace and security in the Middle East, which directly affects the rest of the world. 26 The difficult economic and social situation in Afghanistan, where people continue to strive to build a democratic and viable society, still leaves room for a resurgence of extremists. The international community cannot move away from Afghanistan. It must stay committed and continue to provide the necessary assistance to the Afghan people. I am pleased to announce that last July the Slovak Parliament decided to extend the participation of Slovakia in Operation Enduring Freedom. Ten years after Israelis and Palestinians astounded the world by signing the Oslo Accords, the two sides are again locked in a cycle of violence, attacks, counter-attacks and revenge. It is unfortunate that the latest wave of violence has come at a time when the road map had started to encourage feelings of hope. Slovakia is deeply concerned over the deteriorating situation. Recent tragic and violent events have caused enormous suffering and resulted in many innocent victims. In the face of the current situation, both sides must act responsibly, with the utmost restraint, and consider carefully the tremendously negative consequences of a complete breakdown of the peace process. The only realistic way out of the impasse is the creation of a viable Palestinian State existing alongside Israel, with the security and survival of each guaranteed. Every effort has to be made to keep the road map on the table, because there is no other alternative. Both sides must fully and without further delay implement their obligations in accordance with the road map. Slovakia reiterates its support for the road map and sees the role of the Quartet in the peace process as irreplaceable and essential. We will not relax our efforts in the fight against global terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Underestimation of this peril could have a fateful impact on the international community. The United Nations must continue to play a decisive role in this fight. The Slovak Republic appreciates and fully supports the activities of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Slovakia, as a party to all 12 global international conventions against terrorism, has successfully implemented their provisions into its legislation. As a party to various international conventions and treaties, Slovakia supports joint efforts to adopt global international legal instruments and standards concerning the principle of the rule of law. The ratification process of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is well under way in the Slovak Republic and should be completed by the end of this year. Over the past decade, we have witnessed exponential growth in peacekeeping activities in an increasing number of conflicts throughout the globe. The recent comprehensive reform has significantly improved the effectiveness of planning and management of the ever more complex and challenging United Nations peacekeeping operations. However, the most important factor for the success of United Nations peacekeeping is still the political will of Member States and their readiness to contribute contingents and equipment. In order to support and sustain the increasing number of peacekeeping operations, the timely payment of financial contributions is necessary. Slovakia has been among the leading contributors to United Nations peacekeeping operations since it became a Member of the United Nations in 1993. Our peacekeepers are currently serving in six United Nations missions in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Given our clear understanding of the new threats to our security and a willingness and ability to help tackle them, our engagement in peace support operations around the world will expand even more when we join the European Union and NATO next year. Slovakia’s active involvement in peacekeeping operations confirms the fact that the maintenance of international peace is among the priorities of our foreign policy. In recent years attacks on humanitarian workers and on United Nations personnel have increased alarmingly. We therefore welcome the unanimous adoption of Security Council resolution 1502 (2003) on the protection of United Nations personnel, associated personnel and humanitarian personnel in conflict zones. It emphasizes the obligation of each Member State to take every step in its power to protect those working under the blue flag and to bring to justice those who attack or harm them. Slovakia has been a party to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel since 1996, and we invite those States that have not yet done so to become parties to this very important international legal instrument, which provides for the protection of United Nations and associated personnel. 27 One of the most important steps towards achieving international justice and putting an end to impunity for the most serious violations of human rights, war crimes and genocide was the establishment of the International Criminal Court. Slovakia, which is a State party to its Rome Statute, is firmly committed to ensuring that the Court is an independent, fair and effective institution. The election of 18 judges and of the Prosecutor and Deputy Prosecutor was essential for the successful start of its work. We are convinced that their expertise and moral integrity will ensure the highest standards in their performance and will guarantee fair and impartial justice. Slovakia views arms control as a pivotal instrument of security policy. Here I would like to reiterate our continued support for the further strengthening of major international disarmament and non-proliferation instruments such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). It would be most appropriate to reinforce this cornerstone of nuclear non-proliferation by speedily bringing into force another significant instrument — the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) — hence my delegation’s repeated call on those that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the CTBT as soon as possible. Slovakia also encourages those countries that have not signed or ratified the Ottawa Convention to do so quickly. The terror that landmines cause, despite their limited military utility, continues to spread, along with the appalling humanitarian consequences of their use in actual conflicts. With its entry into the European Union, Slovakia is taking on moral responsibility for the poorer countries of the world. Just as Slovakia received aid in the past, it is now in duty bound to help reduce social tensions and poverty in other parts of the world. That is our contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Slovakia is systematically and consistently preparing its compact and efficient development agenda. The Slovak Government has recently adopted a legal framework and strategy for development assistance. An important step in the development of official assistance was the approval of the first annual budget in December 2002. The current modest level of official development assistance reflects the potential of our growing economy, and we are convinced that the effective and efficient use, and sustained growth, of such official development assistance will place Slovakia more firmly within the group of new emerging donors. We endorse the appeals made for the strengthening of the role of the United Nations and for improving the efficiency and working methods of its major organs. First and foremost, a comprehensive reform of the Security Council and a revitalization of the General Assembly is needed. In the past year, the international community has had to deal with events whose significance have put to the test the principles that have governed international relations since the signing of the United Nations Charter. Though it is undisputed that the validity of these principles remains undiminished, we cannot shy away from seeking answers and solutions to the fundamental global challenges that we face today, including extreme poverty, drug smuggling, the spread of deadly diseases and global climate change. Finding appropriate solutions to these and other issues requires multilateral cooperation, with a viable United Nations at its core. We all wish to see a strong and decisive United Nations that is capable of effectively responding to current and future challenges. Slovakia remains committed to multilateralism and to its fundamental institutions.