The primary
purpose of the United Nations is to maintain peace and
security, as set out in the very first Article of its
Charter. This remains the top priority of the
international community and of the United Nations.
However, 66 years after the adoption of the
Charter, our definition of peace and security differs
from what it was in the immediate aftermath of the
Second World War. Our concerns today are wider than
the mere suppression of aggression or similar breaches
of peace. We are now equally concerned about the
threats to peace and security resulting from factors
other than armed aggression. Tensions exist, within
nations and among nations, as a result of unequal
access to resources, the lack of food security, or
existential threats because of the inability to address
climate change issues. Insecurity also results from the
absence of an adequate international mechanism for the
redress of grievances and the peaceful settlement of
disputes.
I propose to deal with four of the constitutive
elements of present-day security that the international
community and the United Nations should address,
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namely, the elements of economic, environmental,
human and legal security.
When peoples and nations feel inextricably mired
in poverty and face bleak prospects for development,
they are insecure about their future. That economic
insecurity may ultimately threaten global peace. The
current economic turmoil is deepening the despair of
those who live in need and is spreading despondency,
even in relatively affluent countries. The world
economy has yet to recover from the crisis of 2008.
Today, Europe and North America struggle with
budget deficits, unsustainable debts and high
unemployment. At the same time, the recent political
turmoil across the Middle East could mean that oil and
food prices will continue to rise. As developed
economies grapple with these serious challenges, the
developing world finds itself negatively impacted by
economic and financial crises resulting from failures in
which it had absolutely no part.
While the ability of established developed
countries to deal with economic and financial problems
is in question, the world is witnessing the rapid rise of
a number of emerging economies. As the economic
centre of gravity shifts eastward and creates new
opportunities, we must ensure that those formidable
global challenges do not create economic insecurity for
those who feel left behind and that they do not lead to
other threats to international security.
It is imperative that we manage these
transformations judiciously and with pragmatism. In
that context, I must stress the particular economic
vulnerabilities of small island developing States
(SIDS). The economies of SIDS remain highly volatile
because of their open economies, small economic size,
narrow resource base, disadvantages in economies of
scale, high export concentration, dependency on
imports and high vulnerability to energy- and food-
price shocks.
We reiterate that SIDS need to be granted
preferential treatment as part of a global strategy to
ensure economic security. Regrettably, SIDS have been
denied the formal recognition of their specific
vulnerabilities that would entitle them to special
consideration. My delegation fully supports the
implementation of the Barbados Plan of Action and the
Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of
the Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States.
As there are increasing concerns over issues such
as employment, food security, climate change and
access to water, it is a matter of regret that trade talks
that could give a boost to international trade, and
therefore to economic security, are stalled.
On a broader note, I must say that talks on trade
and other economic issues, to the extent that they take
place at all, are held in sectoral and often restricted
forums. While the specialized nature of these
negotiations, or of the scope of the matters being
addressed by standard-setting organizations, may
require dedicated sectoral frameworks, it is imperative
that the international community ensures that those
frameworks are legitimate ones, with universal
membership. It is also imperative that, as an apex body,
the United Nations have a holistic view on global
economic, financial, trade and development issues.
During the 1970s, the United Nations played a
significant role in shaping the conceptual framework
for a new international economic order. The United
Nations has adopted a number of landmark resolutions
that have laid the normative foundation for a more
equitable economic order. The United Nations still has
a role to play in shaping the world economic order to
ensure economic security, in accordance with its
mandate under the Charter. The United Nations is the
only international organization with not just the
necessary legitimacy and universality but also the
responsibility to have an overview of global economic
development. In doing so, the United Nations will
ensure policy coordination among forums for various
sectors, set principles and guidelines for sector-specific
negotiations, and assume its ultimate responsibility for
the economic security of all nations.
To reaffirm its responsibility with respect to
economic security, the United Nations must not only
undergo reforms in its institutions and working
methods, it must also re-balance its focus on political
and economic issues. In this regard, the Economic and
Social Council must be given the prominence it was
intended to have as one of the principal organs of the
United Nations. And in assuming its responsibility with
respect to economic security, a reformed and
revitalized United Nations will have to work more
closely with regional cooperative institutions, which
are the pillars of international cooperation.
The high food prices of 2007 and 2008 and the
global economic crisis led millions of people into food
25 11-51360
insecurity and raised the total number of people who
go hungry to more than 1 billion. Commodity prices
remain high and the risk of repeated crises is real. With
the projected increase in world population to
9.1 billion by 2050, and the rising costs of production,
there is a risk of persistent price volatility. That will be
exacerbated by the effects of climate change. The
international community must therefore seriously
address the issue of food insecurity around the world.
Economic security also entails working towards a
more inclusive national society without discrimination,
eliminating inequalities and fostering wider
participation on the part of all sections of the
community in national development and governance.
Two days ago, at our 14th meeting, we gathered
to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption
of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
We welcome the progress achieved in the fight against
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance since 2001. We nonetheless recognize that
in spite of these efforts, many people continue to be
victims of these despicable practices.
We commend the United Nations on the success
of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on
Youth (see A/65/PVs.111 and 112) and the adoption of
the outcome document (resolution 65/312).
Development and security will require greater
participation by young people in the formulation of
strategies and policies.
In that same spirit, we welcome the establishment
of UN-Women and its overarching vision of a world in
which societies are free of gender-based discrimination
and where women and men have equal opportunities,
respect and consideration. A more inclusive world,
where women’s intellectual and economic potential is
fully realized, will promote economic security.
In June of next year, world leaders will meet in
Rio de Janeiro to renew their political commitment to
sustainable development and, hopefully, to adopt
concrete measures that will contribute to greater
economic security. But before we can move ahead, we
will also have to consider why so many past
commitments have not been honoured. We look
forward to the oceans receiving the attention that they
deserve at Rio, as part of the broader economic agenda.
Small island States in particular are relying on the
international community to give due attention to the
sustainability of the oceans in the context of the United
Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20) and beyond. The sustainability of oceans is
crucial to the security and, in some cases, the very
survival of many small island States.
Humanity as a whole is now increasingly
concerned about its environmental security, probably
more than it has ever been in its history. For some
small island nations, this concern is, in fact, an
existential one. In recent decades the United Nations
has brought to the fore the concept of sustainable
development and the measures required to promote
such development. The preparatory work under way for
Rio+20 has highlighted the serious gaps we still face in
this area. The disruptions resulting from climate
change pose a real threat to global security.
Climate change is real. Extreme weather
phenomena such as super-storms, floods, droughts and
heat-waves are already upon us. Climate change is
affecting us in our daily life, and it threatens the very
survival of many small islands. Mauritius is already
experiencing the adverse effects of climate change. Air
temperature has risen by 0.6° to 1.1°C in different
microclimates over recent decades. The sea level is
rising at the rate of 1.2 millimetres per year in the
south-west Indian Ocean. Our annual rainfall has
decreased by 8 per cent compared to the 1950s.
Extreme weather conditions such as flooding are
becoming more frequent.
Without international cooperation and concerted
action, the impact of climate change will be
devastating for all our nations. My delegation firmly
believes that the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change is the primary
international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating
the global response to climate change. Small island
nations are economically vulnerable, and their
vulnerability is exacerbated by the dramatic
consequences of climate change. Small island States
rely on the international community for their security.
Mauritius is committed to the concept of the
green economy. We recognize that it is not a one-size-
fits-all notion. Countries need to reflect their own
national priorities and realities in their implementation
of it.
My Government has been pursuing a sustainable
development strategy. The Maurice Ile Durable project,
which we adopted in 2008, is taking shape, and a
whole range of measures have already been
11-51360 26
implemented. We propose to increase the share of
renewable energy in the generation of power from the
present 18 per cent to 35 per cent by 2025, by making
more intensive use of biofuels and wave, solar and
wind energy. To that end in May last year I set up a
full-fledged ministry with responsibility for sustainable
development. We are engaged in a national
consultation process to formulate strategies and
policies that have public support and are designed to
protect the environment, deliver social justice and
create a sustainable economy.
Climate has impacted the water cycle both
directly and indirectly, and will continue to do so, by
affecting precipitation and evaporation cycles as well
as water availability and patterns of water
consumption. Many regions of the world are already
experiencing reduced rainfall. As climate change
intensifies and water scarcity becomes more acute, the
threat of tensions among different nations and different
users may increase. The international community must
therefore work together to address this pressing issue.
Environmental security must be a priority of the United
Nations in promoting global security.
As well as dealing with the existential threat that
climate change poses for some nations, people around
the world continue to be concerned about their own
security. I will mention four such concerns.
Disarmament is a major component of
international security strategy. The threat to humanity
posed by the continued existence of nuclear and other
weapons of mass destruction is a universal concern.
Our failure to resolve the issue of disarmament
continues to undermine global development and
security. A significant reduction in the production of
conventional weapons and eventually a world free of
nuclear weapons are goals that will be achieved only
over time, and that will require patience and
perseverance. As a matter of fact, the international
political environment is now probably more conducive
to the realization of these goals than it has ever been.
Terrorism continues to be a threat to security.
Recent events have reminded us that acts of terrorism
can be perpetrated by extremists from all points on the
political spectrum, and that terrorism is equally capable
of breeding in both poor and rich countries. The
international community needs to follow up on the
United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and
enhance international cooperation in that regard.
The World Drug Report 2011 again shows that
drug trafficking and consumption remain significant.
Narco-trafficking and drug money in organized crime
and terrorist activities are a threat to stability and
security at the national and regional levels. As we
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the 1961 Single
Convention on Narcotic Drugs, let us recommit our
efforts to fight drug trafficking as part of the global
strategy to ensure human security.
We are 30 years into the fight against HIV/AIDS,
which is an ever-present threat to human security. I am
convinced that we have achieved more in the 10 years
since the special session of the General Assembly on
HIV/AIDS than we did in the previous two decades. It
is heartening that the High-level Meeting on
HIV/AIDS held in June renewed the political
commitment of Governments to halting and reversing
the spread of HIV/AIDS and to ensuring that, by 2015,
no child is born with HIV (see resolution 65/277,
annex).
Mauritius fully adheres to the UNAIDS vision of
uniting for universal access. The National AIDS
Secretariat, which I set up in May 2007, pursues its
work to achieve zero new infections, zero
discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths in
Mauritius.
Article 2 of the United Nations Charter provides
that all Members shall settle their disputes by peaceful
means. Article 33 spells out the means and ways of
doing so. In the same spirit, the Charter provides in
Chapter XIV for the establishment of the International
Court of Justice.
However, recourse to international adjudication
for the peaceful settlement of disputes between States
has, historically, required the consent of the States
concerned. In recent times, a number of bilateral or
multilateral agreements have provided for the prior
commitment of States to submit to arbitration or
adjudication. We welcome that development.
Security requires the appropriate legal framework
for the redress of grievances or the settlement of
disputes. The international community has yet to set up
adequate machinery for the peaceful settlement of
disputes that is available to all States.
The General Assembly has decided to convene a
high-level meeting during the sixty-seventh session on
the rule of law. We welcome that decision, but we want
27 11-51360
to stress that the debate on the rule of law must apply
at both the national and international level. We would
therefore look forward to the Assembly discussing the
rule of law as it applies to inter-State relations as part
of the forthcoming debates.
Allow me to give as an example the difficulties
that my own country has experienced in resolving a
dispute with the former colonial Power, the United
Kingdom, relating to decolonization. The Chagos
Archipelago, which is part of Mauritian territory, was
excised from Mauritius prior to independence, in total
disregard of resolutions 1514 (XV) and 2066 (XX) and
the principles of international law, and was declared
the so-called British Indian Ocean Territory. The
United Kingdom has failed to engage in any
meaningful discussions with us on the matter.
When the Government of Mauritius consequently
announced in 2004 that it would refer the dispute to the
International Court of Justice, the United Kingdom
immediately amended its declaration, under Article 36
of the Court’s Statute, to reject the jurisdiction of the
Court with respect to certain disputes with a member or
former member of the Commonwealth. That illustrates
the kind of difficulties that a State may face in settling
a claim under international law. The States involved in
the dispute may refuse to negotiate in good faith and
seek to ensure that no international tribunal can
determine the law applicable to the dispute.
We call on the United Nations to keep under
review the whole issue of the settlement of disputes,
including by judicial means, and to set standards of
conduct for all States with respect to negotiation,
conciliation, mediation or other forms of non-judicial
and peaceful settlement of disputes or, alternatively, to
the submission of the dispute to adjudication.
In that context, Mauritius is particularly pleased
to welcome the decision of the President of the General
Assembly to adopt as the theme of its current session
the role of mediation in settling international disputes.
We affirm our full support in advancing that cause.
Greater legal security also requires better global
governance. In that respect, the United Nations must
lead by example. The United Nations must recognize
that the world has changed since 1945. Current efforts
to adopt reforms in relation to the Security Council, the
revitalization of the General Assembly and the working
methods of our Organization must be given the sincere
and strong support that is required.
My delegation continues to believe that
comprehensive reform of the Security Council should
include reform in the membership of both the
permanent and the non-permanent categories. Africa
should no longer be deprived of its right to permanent
representation on the Council. My delegation fully
supports the African common position enshrined in the
Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
We equally believe that Latin America also fully
deserves permanent representation on the Council.
Mauritius further reiterates its support for India’s
rightful aspiration to a permanent seat in a reformed
Security Council.
We also look forward to a more all-inclusive
United Nations system that can effectively address
issues of international security, with the admission of
Palestine as a Member State. The United Nations and
the international community have a duty to restore to
the Palestinian people their dignity and their right to
statehood and security. Mauritius supports the
application for full membership of the United Nations,
submitted to the Secretary-General yesterday by the
President of the State of Palestine (A/66/371, annex),
and the legitimate aspiration of the Palestinian people
to take their rightful place in the international
community. We welcome the statement by President
Abbas at the 19th meeting that Palestine extends its
hands to the Israeli Government and the Israeli people
for peacemaking and for building cooperative relations
between the States of Palestine and Israel.
We are also pleased to welcome the emergence of
South Sudan as an independent and a sovereign State
and its admission to the United Nations.
Before I conclude, I wish to say a few words
about matters of interest to our region.
As a coastal State of the Indian Ocean, Mauritius
is concerned by piracy, which poses a threat to global
commerce. It hinders economic development and has
become a major security issue in the region and
beyond. We welcome the response of the international
community to that serious threat. Cognizant of the
problems that arise in connection with the prosecution
and detention of pirates, Mauritius has offered to assist
with the prosecution and detention of pirates. Mauritius
and the European Union signed an agreement in July
this year to enhance our capacity to contribute to the
international effort under way in that regard.
11-51360 28
If the international response to the famine in
Somalia is not commensurate with the immense and
immediate needs of the people, we fear that the
problem of piracy will only worsen.
The continued unlawful occupation of the Chagos
Archipelago by the United Kingdom is a matter of
concern for the region. Mauritius welcomes the support
of the African Union and of the Non-Aligned
Movement for the territorial integrity of our country.
The purported declaration of a marine protected area
around the Chagos Archipelago by the United
Kingdom, in breach of the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea, is another cause for concern.
That is why, in December of last year, Mauritius
commenced arbitration proceedings against the United
Kingdom under the 1982 Convention on the Law of the
Sea.
As regards Tromelin, Mauritius and France made
progress with an agreement on joint management,
without prejudice to our sovereignty. However, we
need to continue our dialogue for at the end of the day,
the territorial integrity of Mauritius will not be
complete without the return of Tromelin.
As a member of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and current Chair of
the Indian Ocean Commission, Mauritius welcomes the
signing last week of an agreement between leading
stakeholders on a road map for the restoration of
democracy in our neighbouring State of Madagascar.
That agreement was reached following the relentless
efforts of SADC and the Indian Ocean Commission to
bring the parties together. Implementation of the road
map requires the holding of national and local
elections, for which significant resources need to be
mobilized. We call on the United Nations and the
international community to extend all their support for
the successful implementation of the road map.
(spoke in French)
The lack of security on the economic,
environmental, legal or even, in some cases, existential
fronts calls for a review of the mandated obligations of
the United Nations. While the initial concerns of the
founding fathers about threats to international security
remain valid, the international community today is just
as concerned by other threats to its security and other
challenges to be tackled.
I would add that, in updating this concept of
security and, by extension, in redefining the role of the
United Nations, the international community must also
foster dialogue among cultures and civilizations. We
welcome the Secretary-General’s initiative to create the
Alliance of Civilizations, whose mission is to improve
understanding and relations among nations and peoples
of different cultures and religions and to assist efforts
to halt the forces that fuel divisions and extremism.
Tensions are often caused by ignorance, by fear
of others and by feelings of justice denied. Thus it is
crucial not only to maintain dialogue among nations
and peoples, but also to promote the understanding of
cultures and civilizations.