Bulgaria

First of all, on behalf of the Bulgarian delegation, I take this opportunity to congratulate you, Mr. President, and the other members of the presidency on assuming the particularly important task of presiding over this important millennium session of the General Assembly and to wish you every success in guiding it to a successful conclusion. Let me start by saying that the Republic of Bulgaria, as an associated country, aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. This past year has been marked by a series of events, culminating in the Millennium Summit. From this General Assembly session we expect consensus decisions aimed at a strengthened and more efficient United Nations, capable of bringing us closer to a common vision for a better future, rid of the scourge of conflict and war, poverty and disease, backwardness and under-development, and based on peace and security, sustainable development and prosperity in the context of a dominating tendency towards a more globalized and interdependent world. This truly is a formidable task. It cannot be achieved by or for a separate country or region. It requires a broad and sustained effort to create a shared future, based upon our common humanity in all its diversity, as rightly pointed out in the Millennium Declaration. On the verge of the new millennium, it would not be an exaggeration to say that humanity has achieved a lot. Nowadays we have at our disposal far better and efficient means to produce more goods and services, to fight diseases and live longer and better lives, to reap the benefits of the new information technologies in all spheres of life. But at the same time, we cannot but recognize that humanity is still confronted by tremendous challenges. Poverty and misery are still dominant over large parts of the world. People in so many places are still exposed to conflict and violence. The world is still threatened by weapons of mass destruction. New threats, such as terrorism, international crime, illicit traffic in narcotics and small arms, are coming to the fore. Also of particular concern are the changes in the world climate and environment, which are bringing disasters capable of destroying the homes and livelihoods of millions. To cope with these challenges we must act together. This is the reason why we need a strengthened and effective United Nations, which could be achieved through the shared responsibility and the good political will of all its Member States. The Millennium Assembly is giving us the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the purposes and the founding principles of the United Nations, to go ahead with reforms and to strengthen its role and effectiveness, so as to make it serve us all better in meeting the challenges we are confronted with at the beginning of the new millennium. 26 Bulgaria joins the other Member States in supporting the proposals, contained in the Millennium Report of the Secretary-General Kofi Annan (A/54/2000) and aimed at the system-wide streamlining and strengthening of the Organization and at making it more efficient and responsive to new realities. Of particular importance in this regard is the strengthening and revitalization of the principal organs of the United Nations, in particular the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. Regarding the reform and the enlargement of the Security Council, we share the view that this process should result in a more representative, effective and legitimate Security Council, taking into consideration both the increased number of the United Nations membership and the enhanced role and political and economic potential of certain States, like Germany and Japan, for example, which could assume the responsibilities of permanent members. In our view, a reformed Council should be more transparent, open and accessible to the interested non-member States. A fair and balanced representation, including the Group of Eastern European States, whose membership has doubled in the last decade, should definitely be secured. A decision on the enlargement of the Council and on its working methods should be supported by the broadest possible consensus, including all the permanent members of the Security Council. During the past year, the international community continued to be engaged closely with the situation in south-east Europe. As a country, suffering most directly the impact of the developments in the region, Bulgaria is particularly concerned with the situation in Kosovo. We note that progress in implementing resolution 1244 (1999) of the Security Council has been achieved, particularly with regard to restoring peace and stability in the province. At the same time, it must be recognized that in terms of multi-ethnic coexistence the situation is still far from satisfying. Continuing ethnic violence is causing serious concern. Particularly worrying are the attacks against members of the international peacekeeping contingents and United Nations personnel. The situation requires resolute steps on behalf of all community leaders in Kosovo to reject violence and to promote tolerance and cooperation in compliance with the adopted declarations. We see such an approach as a key prerequisite for building up an atmosphere of confidence and ethnic tolerance. The successful preparation and holding of municipal elections with the participation of all ethnic minorities, including refugees and displaced persons, is particularly important for speeding up the political process in Kosovo and for securing lasting peace and stability. Since the very beginning of the Kosovo crisis, Bulgaria has been actively engaged in the overall efforts of the international community to settle the conflict and ensure lasting peace and stability in the region. As is well known, Bulgaria participates in the international peacekeeping forces in Kosovo and renders logistical support to the peacekeeping Mission in the province. Furthermore, my country has been mobilizing significant resources, in accordance with our potential, to increase its contribution to international peace activities. In response to the appeal to increase the size of the United Nations civilian police force in Kosovo, Bulgaria has increased its contingent to 60 police officers, and is now considering the possibility of increasing that number to 100. Bulgaria has sent an engineering platoon to join the international presence in the field. Bulgarian companies are engaged in the construction and assembling of houses to shelter displaced persons and refugees in Kosovo. Last, but not least, Bulgaria has been supplying low-cost electricity to Kosovo. The overall cost of these endeavours has so far reached $6 million. We deem particularly important the involvement of all the countries of the region in the process of seeking settlement of the outstanding issues through the process of multilateral and bilateral negotiations. In this context, the informal meetings held at the level of prime ministers and the meetings of the foreign and defence ministers of the countries neighbouring the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that are devoted to different aspects of cooperation are useful. Of particular importance to the post-conflict reconstruction of conflict-stricken areas is the elaboration and the implementation of a long-term strategy for the economic reconstruction and development of the countries of the region through their integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic structures. The speedy implementation of the different projects within the framework of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe could contribute significantly to the economic development and stability of the region. 27 We deem infrastructure projects as being particularly important in that regard. Such projects will contribute to enhancing the transportation and communications links of the region and connecting them with the rest of Europe. Attracting investments and developing trade and the participation of companies from the region in the reconstruction process are important as well. We highly appreciate the progress achieved in strengthening cooperation between the countries of the region in such fields as fighting organized crime and corruption, the illicit traffic in narcotics, curbing the uncontrolled possession of small arms, and so on. An important achievement of that cooperation is the creation of a multinational peace force in south-eastern Europe, with joint headquarters in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. We are confident that the establishment of this force will strengthen the spirit of confidence and cooperation in the region of south-eastern Europe. An issue of special relevance to Bulgaria and also, I believe, for other countries of the region, is the negative impact on the national economy of the strict implementation of the economic sanctions imposed until recently by the Security Council on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As is well known, Bulgaria strictly abided by the decisions of the United Nations Security Council, and as a result suffered economic losses commensurate with the country's foreign debt. Those losses still affect our economic development. Given the continued relevance and importance of this issue under the present international setting, Bulgaria supports the view that, since the provisions of the Charter have equal importance, the issue of assisting third States affected by sanctions has to be taken into consideration together with the imposition of sanctions. The elaboration of a concrete mechanism for that purpose is therefore important for the United Nations, which must find ways and means of alleviating their negative effects, in particular on third States. The international community as a whole should take care of this. In our view, it is necessary that there be closer and more direct participation in the whole process by all third States that could potentially be adversely affected by the imposition of sanctions. We are confident that the discussions on this issue at the present session, based on the decisions already adopted and on the report of the Secretary-General under resolution 54/107, will result in more concrete decisions to that end. Bulgaria not only supports international efforts to overcome the crisis in south-eastern Europe, but it also fully supports the efforts aimed at resolving conflict situations in Cyprus, the Middle East, the Caucuses, Africa and elsewhere in the world. Bulgaria notes with satisfaction the positive progress in the relations between South and North Korea. In the context of the new challenges in the field of international peace and security, United Nations peacekeeping operations continue to be a crucial element in the activities of the United Nations. My country supports the efforts of the international community aimed at ensuring the necessary tools and resources required to promote conflict prevention, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and post-conflict peace-building and reconstruction. We are convinced that the new generation of peacekeeping operations should include in their mandates a proportionate combination of political, military, humanitarian, reconstruction and other relevant activities. In this regard, we believe that there are still unexploited opportunities to strengthen the cooperation of the United Nations and to make its cooperation with regional organizations in the field of preventive diplomacy, crisis management and peacekeeping more effective on the basis of on their competitive advantages. We share the concern of other Member States over ensuring the United Nations ability to deliver on its mounting array of peacekeeping commitments, and we are committed to work together to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations in this vital area. We fully support the need to reform the United Nations peacekeeping scale of assessments. I would like to point out, as a clear demonstration of this fact, that the Government of Bulgaria has decided to assume an additional financial commitment by increasing its contribution to peacekeeping operations. An issue closely linked to the maintenance of international peace and security is the fight against terrorism and international crime. Bulgaria attaches paramount importance to the efforts of the world community in the fight against terrorism. We condemn all terrorist acts and lament the loss of life and the destruction inflicted by such acts. We share the view that the threat of terrorism is assuming a magnitude that requires a decisive and joint response by the whole international community. Bulgaria supports the 28 activities of the United Nations aimed at setting norms and standards for the fight against terrorism and international crime through the negotiation of various legal instruments and by creating appropriate institutions for that purpose. We consider that the establishment of the International Criminal Court is a significant achievement in that regard. I would like to reiterate my country's strong commitment to the fight against the most serious kinds of international crime in all their forms. That commitment is a consistent part of Bulgarian policy. We are confident that the establishment of the International Criminal Court will be an efficient step by the international community towards deterring the potential perpetrators from committing such acts. Together with peacemaking and the building of a more secure world, the broadening of the human aspect of development through democracy and participation has been widely accepted and has become one of the priorities of the activities of the United Nations. The principle of the indivisibility of the universally recognized civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights continues to be a key element of today's system of promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms. Bulgaria is confident that the activities of international forums in the field of human rights should be aimed at ensuring the effective and universal enjoyment of those rights on a global scale. The principle of the indivisibility of universally recognized civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights continues to be a key element in today's system of promotion and protection of human rights and freedoms. Bulgaria is convinced that the activities of international forums in the field of human rights should be aimed at ensuring the effective and universal enjoyment of those rights on a global scale. In this respect, the monitoring and effective control of the implementation of human rights and fundamental freedoms remain of crucial importance. Guided by this understanding, Bulgaria is now party to all universal human rights instruments that have established specific monitoring bodies and has recognized their competence to consider communications from individuals. In our view, the relevant experiences of some regional organizations with competence in the human rights field also could be taken into consideration. We share the view that a more effective coordination and exchange of information and even joint efforts are needed between the United Nations and regional organizations such as the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). A better implementation of international standards could be achieved by improving existing mechanisms and by constructive and open dialogue on the most sensitive issues, including those related to human rights in individual States. Accordingly, the Bulgarian Government attaches great importance to the enjoyment of all human rights by Bulgarians living abroad and considers respect for their rights as an essential element in the enhancement of relations. Enhanced socio-economic development is another important factor for securing stability and peace in the world. The achievements registered in this field should be recognized and encouraged. The review process, based on the relevant ideas contained in the millennium report of the Secretary-General, must result in the strengthening of the coordinating role of the Economic and Social Council and of the entire machinery of this Organization. Of particular relevance in this regard are the steps aimed at the practical realization of the follow-up measures to the major international conferences. Bulgaria attaches major importance to the role of the United Nations in the field of sustainable development and is following closely the United Nations dialogue and the activities of the respective United Nations bodies and agencies on issues related to demographics, social development, women, the fight against diseases and drugs, and so on. Bulgaria is cooperating actively with the United Nations system of specialized agencies and programmes. We are interested in further developing this cooperation. We are looking forward to more dynamic and streamlined activities, especially through the use of the potential of United Nations Development Programme for capacity-building and assistance in the development and implementation of joint projects. In this regard, the system of resident coordinators and the efforts to make that system more operational will undoubtedly play an important role. Bulgaria shares the concern of the international community regarding the spread of diseases, in particular the AIDS virus. We support the activities of the United Nations in this field, and we join our efforts 29 to those of Governments, non-governmental organizations, and academic and research institutions in the fight against this dangerous disease. Development and economic growth are impossible without full participation in global economic and financial exchanges. In our opinion, the United Nations and its institutions could play a more active role with regard to the specific problems related to economic transition and reforms. Disarmament issues continue to play an important role in overall efforts to secure a better world for future generations. The Bulgarian Government attaches high priority to international efforts to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime. We call for an early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty as an important step in that direction and support the decision of the Conference on Disarmament to establish an ad hoc committee to conduct negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty. We favour the strengthening of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and believe that a further acceleration of the negotiations and an early conclusion of the protocol to the Convention is required. As a State party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, Bulgaria would like to contribute to increasing the number of accessions to the Convention in order to achieve recognition of the prohibition of chemical weapons as a universal norm of international law. As a concrete effort to this end, we are hosting a regional seminar of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Sofia from 28 to 30 September of this year. With regard to conventional arms, anti-personnel landmines are widely recognized as a terrible weapon, which kills and maims hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Convinced of the need for a total prohibition of anti-personnel mines, on 29 July 1999 the Bulgarian Parliament ratified the Ottawa Convention, thus contributing to its early entry into force. We are also ready to contribute to the efforts of the international community to reduce conventional weapons, including small arms, especially their excessive and destabilizing accumulation in areas of conflict. We regard universal participation in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms as an important step towards effective transparency, on both a regional and a global scale. For Bulgaria this past year has been a period of continued intensive efforts by the Government to build on the economic stabilization that has been achieved and to move forward with structural reforms, modernizing State administration, enforcing the rule of law in civil society and creating favourable conditions for sustainable economic growth. The steps and initiatives that have been undertaken in compliance with the Government programme 'Bulgaria 2001' are directed at moving ahead with the integration of Bulgaria into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. Being an integral part of Europe, Bulgaria regards accelerated accession to the European Union and full membership in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an expression of our sovereign political choice based on broad public support. Since Bulgaria is endeavouring to promote and enhance the values of democracy, we are sincerely interested in seeing these values become widely accepted throughout South- eastern Europe. The Republic of Bulgaria welcomes its inclusion in the process of enlargement of the European Union, together with other associated countries from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Cyprus. The Bulgarian Government is fully aware that our accession endeavours are contingent on the success of domestic economic and legislative reforms. The Bulgarian Government has developed a clear-cut national strategy to meet the criteria for NATO membership, based on a comprehensive national programme of preparation, which is being updated and optimized. Bulgaria has the political will and is undertaking concrete steps to translate and fulfil in regional terms the objectives of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the enhanced Partnership for Peace. Our positive attitude is reflected in the ongoing regional political dialogue and the practical follow-up measures to enhance regional security and defence cooperation in South-eastern Europe. In conclusion, I would like once again to declare my country's readiness to cooperate actively with all Member States for the successful implementation of the lofty goals which we have before us at the present session of the General Assembly. We are confident that discussions on important agenda items will be translated into practical measures.