Algeria

I should like first of all, on my own behalf and that of the Algerian delegation, to convey to Mr. Holkeri heartfelt congratulations on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fifth session. I wish him every success in discharging his noble duties. The choice of Mr. Holkeri as President is a tribute to his personal qualities and to the experience of his country, Finland, with which we enjoy a firm friendship. I should also like to take this opportunity to convey to his predecessor, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, the Foreign Minister of Namibia, our deep appreciation and gratitude for the great effort he made during his presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. Finally, I should like to salute the spirit of initiative and commitment shown by our Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, the head of the Secretariat, and commend his sincere and tireless work to reform the Organization and to give it a new dynamism so as to prepare it to meet the challenge of the enormous changes in international relations. I should also like to welcome the State of Tuvalu as a new Member of our Organization. Just a few days ago, the United Nations hosted a political event that was without precedent since the Organization was created: the Millennium Summit. Because of a host of fast-paced developments that occurred in international relations, we, the peoples of the United Nations, must take time at this juncture of history to organize a dialogue to discuss the shape of the new emerging world order and the effects on us, the peoples, the States and the United Nations, the repository of our collective hopes and aspirations. The world has changed in a very short time from a system with clearly defined parameters to a system where political and economic reference points are sorely lacking. It is a system defined by nebulous phenomena, which evolve according to rules set by forces that refuse, in the name of globalization, to accept any form of guidance or collective democratic oversight. It is no surprise that globalization is increasing the suspicions and fears of the developing countries vis-à-vis the evolving new world order. The current state of international relations, marked by injustice and imbalance, will inevitably get worse because of the unbridled process of globalization. It is because of this that the Millennium Summit forcefully proclaimed the need to reinvigorate the United Nations and to galvanize its role, since it is the 18 refuge of the weak and the marginalized. The massive presence of the leaders of the whole world at the Summit was irrefutable proof of the commitment of the peoples and nations of the world to the United Nations and to the principles and purposes it embodies. The United Nations is the only forum built on the ideals and reference points shared by mankind as a whole, marked by universality and globality in its missions and prerogatives. Certainly the United Nations is facing today new challenges caused by rapid, profound and sometimes surprising changes in international affairs. No one denies the fact that it needs to be radically reformed in order to prepare it and adapt it effectively to meet current and future challenges and to manage and redress the contradictions of international relations. Security Council reform and expansion of its membership are urgent matters, because this important body clearly lacks the necessary representativity to give legitimacy and efficiency to its decisions and actions. Likewise, consolidation of democracy and international relations, if it is to be truly meaningful, must involve the enhancement of the General Assembly and the establishment of its role as the principal source of international law, as well as oversight over the three principal organs, in keeping with the United Nations Charter. Accordingly, marginalization of the Assembly, when it comes to major questions such as the maintenance of international peace and security, does not in any way allow the overwhelming majority of nations to contribute to the decision-making process in international affairs. Opening the United Nations to the outside world is a necessity dictated by changes in the international community and the demands of our times. By involving civil society in its work, the United Nations will benefit from the considerable contribution that non- governmental partners can provide in meeting the needs of countries in matters of development, particularly in the areas of education, health and housing. But this partnership cannot be at the expense of the purposes and principles of the United Nations, nor the independence of its decisions. It is in the context of this vision that we state our position on humanitarian intervention. For us it is a question not of whether or not it is acceptable to intervene in humanitarian disasters, but, rather, of legal and political parameters that should govern any decision on this matter. We therefore demand that terms of reference be clearly and precisely established, that they should be democratically adopted in a context of transparency and that they should effectively reflect the will of the community of nations. They must be based on principles of solidarity and justice, ruling out any forms of selectivity, special treatment or double standards. Experience has shown that the international community has found in the United Nations a framework that allows for considerable progress to be made with regard to security and cooperation. In the area of disarmament, for example, thanks to the available frameworks for negotiation and dialogue, the Organization has been able to realize considerable achievements, such as the signing of many conventions on weapons of mass destruction and the success of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), presided over by Algeria. The United Nations has also provided a framework to coordinate international efforts to deal with new dangers that pose a threat to international peace and security, such as terrorism, organized crime, and drug and arms trafficking. On the subject of terrorism, the international community has embarked on a process of implementing its strategy to combat this scourge and to prevent it. The United Nations and regional groups have adopted legal instruments that supplement international laws dealing with anti- terrorist actions. We hope that these achievements will be enhanced by the adoption of a comprehensive international convention, to be considered a political, legal and moral international covenant, to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Algeria is keen that its relations within its political and geographical spheres be governed by a vision of the future that goes beyond short-term interactions or ephemeral motives. In our policy towards the peoples and countries with which we have relations of neighbourliness, geography and common heritage, we want to consolidate the principle of dialogue and consultation and develop cooperation and solidarity in keeping with the demands of good neighbourliness, common destiny, mutual interest, mutual trust and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. 19 Regarding the Arab Maghreb region, Algeria's commitment to build a unified, stable and prosperous Maghreb is based on our conviction that Maghreb unity is a strategic option dictated by the aspirations of the peoples of the region and by the current international situation, which encourages integration and the formation of blocs. Algeria is prepared today to work with its Maghreb partners to reactivate the process on the basis of an objective thorough analysis of common Maghreb action according to a rigorous and pragmatic methodology that seeks to maximize the complementarities of the countries of the region and that ensures gradual integration, taking into account the principles of equity and balance of interests. It is on the basis of this vision that Algeria has spared no effort to help find a just and lasting solution to the problem of Western Sahara. Algeria's support for the United Nations settlement plan is based on our commitment to preserve the security and stability of the region, without, however, rejecting the principle of the right of peoples to self-determination. The settlement plan, which was supported by both sides — Morocco and the POLISARIO Front — and by the international community, remains the practical, realistic option that will guarantee a just and lasting solution to this issue. Today the settlement plan is at a delicate stage, and the international community, which has already made a considerable effort to implement it, must give it even more attention and more support. Thanks to the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Mr. James Baker, and the cooperation of both sides, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) has resolved the difficulties that for so long prevented implementation of the plan. Today, there is no reason to delay or to block the referendum process. My country is convinced of the interdependence of the interests of the States and peoples on both shores of the Mediterranean Sea. We therefore reaffirm our commitment to the Euro-Mediterranean process, which provides a promising framework for the promotion of dialogue and consultation among the countries of the region and opens up great prospects for understanding, intercultural exchange and improvement of partnership for the benefit of all peoples. The Middle East region has seen some developments this year that have had an important impact on the peace process. The question of Palestine, which is at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is at a delicate stage. That means that the international community must mobilize even further in order to move the peace talks forward. Algeria reiterates its support for the Palestinian people and salutes their struggle for recovering their legitimate rights, including the right to establish their own independent State with Al-Quds as its capital. Algeria would also like to reaffirm its support for the fraternal Syrian people and its right to recover the occupied Golan. We express our profound satisfaction and pride at Lebanon's regaining its sovereignty over all its territory. Algeria once again reaffirms the need to lift the embargo that has hit the fraternal Iraqi people so hard. We also call for a final lifting of the sanctions that continue to penalize the fraternal peoples of Libya and the Sudan. Africa is undergoing profound changes that are opening up new vistas for the peoples and countries of that continent. Those changes have been brought about by the serious and determined will of Africans to free themselves from the burdens of the past and by their aspiration to join in the process of change that is sweeping our world today. Democracy is gaining ground daily as the mode of governance for the vast majority of societies in Africa. The State of law and respect for human rights are becoming embedded in African societies. That tendency is strikingly reflected in the historic decision by the 1999 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government no longer to recognize any anti- constitutional changes. That was a promising sign for the establishment of a democratic culture in Africa. At the economic level, African countries have wasted no time in joining the world trend towards a market economy and in creating the necessary conditions to promote free trade and investment. With regard to the conflicts that have devastated the continent and continue to cause humanitarian disasters and to tarnish Africa's prestige, the continent's leaders are now using preventive diplomacy and their own skills in mediating and settling conflict. Along the same lines, the OAU's Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution is being reinforced as the authority of reference to provide a framework for dialogue and conflict 20 prevention. As a result of those efforts, we see signs of easing in various conflicts in some parts of Africa. Through its chairmanship of the OAU last year, my country made great efforts to resolve some of those conflicts and to limit their scale. Algeria's efforts were successful in the case of the conflict between two neighbours, Ethiopia and Eritrea, where the Algiers Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities doused the fire of that destructive war between two fraternal peoples. The Agreement now offers real prospects for a just and lasting settlement of the border dispute between the two countries. Algeria has also stepped up its initiatives to end the conflict in the sisterly nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In coordination and consultation with the countries of the region concerned and with the United Nations, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has intensified his efforts with the parties, urging them to find a peaceful and negotiated solution in order to spare the peoples of that country any further suffering and preserve its unity and territorial integrity. Today, more than a year since the Lusaka Agreement, we can only view with regret the reversals that have taken place in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Those setbacks have led to a deferment by the United Nations of the deployment of its peacekeeping mission. UNITA's continued defiance of the international community in Angola and its failure to comply with the commitments it made in the peace process continue to inflict the disastrous consequences of an endless war on the people of Angola. While reaffirming UNITA's responsibility for the ongoing war in that country, we note with satisfaction the new effectiveness of sanctions on that rebel group. We reiterate the need for complete compliance by any means necessary to make the rebel elements comply with international law and honour their commitments under the Lusaka Agreement. The solidarity expressed by the international community for the efforts of the leaders of Sierra Leone to restore peace and security must be accompanied by a tough attitude towards the criminal elements guilty of murder and despicable acts against civilians. Those acts have not spared even members of the United Nations Mission. While we reaffirm the fundamental role of the United Nations and the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security, we continue to stress the need for the Security Council to demonstrate the same effectiveness and speed of action with regard to conflicts in Africa as it does in connection with conflicts in other regions of the world. In that regard, I would like to express our desire that the General Assembly give the necessary attention and in-depth consideration to the Brahimi report's recommendations on peacekeeping operations, and that it implement those recommendations so as to make the United Nations more effective in this essential area of maintaining international peace and security. The contrasts that exist in today's world can be seen very clearly in the economic and social situation of the world. Humanity has never before achieved such a level of technological development. That development now makes it possible to meet basic human needs economically, socially and culturally. However, some segments of humanity continue to suffer the most abject forms of poverty and destitution. The Secretary-General's report to the Millennium Summit contains a clear formulation of those contradictions, which do us no credit as a civilized society that aspires to preserve human dignity and to protect the rights of those whose rights have been wrested from them. Mr. Kofi Annan also recognized in his report that the benefits of globalization remain limited to a small group of people. That fact reinforces our conviction of the need to accelerate the restructuring of international relations and our insistence on the need for a serious and comprehensive dialogue between the North and the South to find solutions for the imbalances that exist in the international financial and trade systems. It is time to tackle international economic relations from the standpoint of humankind's needs and dignity rather than from the standpoint of market forces alone, because experience has proved that such forces do not accord the necessary importance to social issues. If there is one area in which we must translate into reality the values of solidarity upon which the United Nations was founded and the interdependence which marks international relations, it is that of combating poverty, ignorance and epidemics. Effective and unified tackling of the problem of sustainable development in the third world necessarily entails settling the problem of debt, reviving cooperation for development, promoting investments 21 and opening up the markets of the North to the products and commodities of the South. We are meeting today for the last session of the General Assembly in our century, which has been marked by many events, a century in which the horror of destructive wars was mingled with the joy of peace and détente, a century marked by a struggle between hope and resignation, where it became evident that people are at once capable of the most abject acts and the most useful kinds of actions. We leave behind a century and usher in another, hopeful that humankind will learn from the past and will demonstrate the necessary determination to avoid making the same mistakes, for which we have paid such a high price.