Greece

I express my sincere congratulations to the President on his election. I am certain his qualities and skills will bring a successful conclusion to the fifty-fifth session. May I also extend congratulations to Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, his predecessor, on what he achieved. Finally, I endorse the European Union's priorities paper, which was developed by Hubert Vedrine, the President of the Council of the European Union. Some believe that violence might be an intrinsic part of humanity. But so are humanity's relentless efforts to rule out violence, regulate antagonism, peacefully resolve confrontational situations and prevent hatred and prejudice. Whether we come together to understand each other or to debate each other, our goal has always been to better our lives and build a more secure future. Since ancient times, we have attempted to establish norms of peaceful coexistence. In this effort, we have built traditions and religions, as well as political structures. Through these norms we have tried to battle a fate seemingly dictated by force, poverty, oppression, prejudice, chronic and communicable diseases, inequality and a withering environment. Throughout history, our efforts have taken various forms. But they have all commenced with a unique first step: the overriding principle that, in order to solve our problems, we need to work together. This month is being marked by two events that will bring the peoples of our world much closer: the Millennium Assembly and the Olympic Games. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, nations will meet, compete, clash, differ and disagree. Yet our world has never looked more united or more determined to tackle its problems as one, indivisible community. In the current environment, our efforts to build a better world for our children can and ought to be pan- cosmic. We can all contribute to a future that inspires our children and inspires the will to grow and to create. As the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has very wisely said, “We face global challenges which oblige us to work together. If that is true in the economic and social sphere, it applies even more to the challenge of massacre and war”. These words command even more authority coming from a man whose political skill, moral authority and devotion have contributed, in numerous cases, to the resolution of conflicting issues. When a child misses its childhood and its education because it is in a dark prison cell, when a child is maimed from the explosion of a mine or when a child dies of hunger, of AIDS or in war, we do not witness just a tragic event. We do not witness only the sad state of some distant community. In today's world, when we see a child die, we lose another ray of hope that our global community will come together as one, that we shall live in peace and that we will finally tackle the challenges we all face together. In Greece, we have become deeply conscious of this reality. What goes on in our neighbourhood directly affects the way in which our children will grow and develop. So we have made a commitment to our world and, more specifically, to our region, and it is this commitment that I have come to share with the Assembly today. The two global events of this September — this Assembly and the Olympic Games — symbolize the beginning of an era for my country. After this ministerial week of the General Assembly, Greece will raise the Olympic flag in Sydney. For the second time in almost a century, the international community will bestow upon Athens the responsibility of the Olympiad. Over the next four years, Athens has committed itself to run both an athletic and a cultural Olympiad. Today, I commit our county to an Olympiad for peace: four years of the most relentless efforts and a commitment to the international community to fight against the evils that have kept our community of nations at war, under totalitarianism and under oppression. I pledge today that when the Olympic flame of our ancestors rises over the Athenian sky, it will light up more than a shiny stadium. It will light up a whole area of fighting for peace, democracy and justice. The next four years — the years that coincide with this Greek Olympiad — will set of the stage upon which 33 the future event will unfold. The globalization of the economy, the increased power of the media and rapid developments in information technology, communications and biotechnology are just some of these new challenges. Globalization, while creating incredible wealth for many, fosters conditions for conflict and poverty. The new economy cannot be dominated by interests, and must be monitored to promote both democracy and human security. For the next four years, Greece will take an active role in international forums to do its part in dealing with this problem of globalization. That is why Greece has also enthusiastically accepted an invitation to join the Human Security Network. Human rights laws alone cannot provide for human rights; they must be strengthened by civic responsibility and democratic institutions. We need to create structures that will reach beyond the democratic deficits of the global community. We need to create regional cooperation, build civic structures and community services and work with non-governmental organizations. We need to educate our citizens and our societies in making this process their own and allow their voice to be heard. This, in our view, is the role of the United Nations. This honourable Organization can and must bridge the gap between the global challenges we face and the democratic deficits that exist in our global culture. We believe that now is the time to turn the United Nations from an Organization working to globalize democracy into an Organization that is also able to democratize the process of globalization. The Millennium Summit agenda is proof that the international community shares these views. Initiatives taken within the United Nations can make our world a better place. Let me use a single but powerful example. On 7 September, nations were invited to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflicts. Whatever the causes of modern-day brutality towards children, the time has come to call for a halt — to call for a truce. The most fundamental principle is that children should have no part in war. This is only one of the initiatives that Greece will actively support in the international arena in the coming years. At the same time, our view of the purpose of international organizations comes from the rich experience we have amassed in our region. Starting with the war in Kosovo, my country has been deeply involved in the events unfolding in the area. We believe that the lessons of this involvement can greatly contribute to the work of these organizations. We are eager to share our experience with the international community. We believe that stability in our region is a prerequisite for Greek security, and we define stability to mean the practice of democracy, the strengthening of institutions that provide transparency and accountability, the reduction of economic inequalities and the rule of law in our societies and between our countries. Our security lies in being a member of the European Union and of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and we work so that countries in the region may benefit from the stabilizing influence of their future membership in these institutions. During the Kosovo war, my colleagues in neighbouring countries and I decided to cooperate closely to alleviate human suffering and avoid further instability in our region. We grew to understand that our fates were intrinsically linked. As a result, we were compelled to discover ways to increase our cooperation and effectiveness in dealing with our problems. We would otherwise have been condemned to constant strife, conflict and isolation in the world. In the next four years, Greece will build upon this base. We are determined to transform the plight of a war and its brutal memories into an opportunity for generations to come. Through this process, I hope that Greece has managed to inspire in the international community the importance of a consistent, universal and unifying policy towards South-Eastern Europe. From Bosnia to Cyprus, we have the same objectives: we want the countries in the region to be integral, peaceful and democratic; we want them to remain multicultural; and we want them to join the European Union. Yugoslavia, too, is an essential part of this political framework. We strongly desire to see the return of Yugoslavia to Europe. I would like to endorse my Romanian colleague's call to rethink our policy on sanctions, which often do more to serve purposes contrary to those for which we are striving. 34 That is our message. Even though it is simple sounding, our message is a radical break from the past, when favouritism, cold-war intricacies and double standards consistently broke the spirit of the people in the region. Now is the time to put an end to that. We must stop redrawing borders around ethnically homogeneous communities while compelling them to seek the favours of greater Powers. In the next four years, we will commit Greece to an effort to transform the multitude of races, religions and ethnicities in the region into an instrument of solidarity and stability — a beautiful kaleidoscope of creative, multicultural cooperation. Greece's vision for the Balkans is one of a region in which democracy finally becomes the norm; where citizens' aspirations can finally be realized through peaceful and democratic practices; where the rights of minorities are respected; and where Governments are accountable, economies are transparent and politics allow for the fullest participation of all elements of society. The world has a responsibility in supporting this vision for our region. We need to empower the region, which has historically been handicapped, dependent and divided by a world community of competing interests and a babble of conflicting signals. This balkanization of the region must be replaced by coordination of international efforts. This is why we have actively supported and promoted this new vision within the international community. Last year our efforts helped more than 40 countries develop a unique contract between the international community and south-eastern Europe. The contract was coined the Stability Pact. We have a clear sense of how the Stability Pact can achieve its goals and it is an optimistic sign that the European Union, the United States and Russia cooperate closely within its framework. Regional integration can also be achieved as the Stability Pact promotes investment in infrastructure projects. Education is a primary goal and a strategy for democratic leadership and institution- building, which will stimulate economic growth and will bring us together. The pact actively promotes respect for the rule law among States and peoples in the region. Our stand in international organizations and our agenda for the next four years is coloured also by our recent experience with Turkey. The earthquakes that shook Greece and Turkey a year ago created a new climate for the first time in our recent history. Tragedy generated a genuine feeling of human warmth. Spontaneous and dramatic acts of fraternity and solidarity were expressed. Our mandate was clear. Our peoples desire to live in peace together. Since the earthquakes, Greeks and Turks are using every opportunity to explore their newly found neighbours, and to come together, meet, exchange experiences and make up for lost time. On a bilateral level we have signed 10 agreements that will radically change the environment in which we interact; in one year, 10 agreements. We do not view these developments as a momentary result of what was lately coined as seismic diplomacy. We view them as the beginning of a long process that will radically affect our lives in the coming years. We have opened a dialogue; one that is honest. And although we may differ and do differ on many issues, such as how we see Cyprus or how we approach our bilateral relations, this open approach can only lead to a progressive resolution of our problems. When I speak today I know that those of the Turkish side will not or may not agree on many issues. But they know we are honest. We are honest in what we say and in our desire for a new and peaceful relation. I believe that Greece and Turkey have no choice but to explore new avenues for cooperation. I believe our mutual interests can outweigh our political differences. We can and must resolve these differences through peaceful means; peaceful means of that of the International Court of Justice. The European Union's decision to upgrade Turkey's status to that of a candidate country in Helsinki in December marked an historic turning point in Greek-Turkish relations. Helsinki does not signal the end of Greece's efforts; it represents the beginning of a new and equally courageous Greek initiative. In this context, we are ready also to further discuss confidence-building measures between Greece and Turkey. I do not want to give the false impression that all our problems have suddenly been resolved. It is also most distressing that a variety of statements and acts still undermine this genuine and difficult effort, and there are those who certainly may wish that our efforts will fail. It is our historical duty to overcome these 35 difficulties and maintain the momentum in response to our peoples' mandate for peace. I would like to thank the Secretary-General and all those who labour with him towards a just solution in Cyprus: a solution based on United Nations resolutions for a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in one international personality, one citizenship and one sovereignty. At this time, I would appeal to him to move forward with the peace talks on this basis. The implementation of United Nations resolutions is not only important for Cyprus. It is important for the moral standing of this all-important Organization. Double standards and inaction only serve to undermine the credibility of this Organization in the eyes of so many countries and peoples. One cannot accept developments such as those that recently took place in Strovilia. This responsibility rests with the United Nations, with the guarantor powers and all those who have a say in international developments. It has become obvious that the current situation in Cyprus and its occupation by foreign forces challenges the integrity and credibility of this honourable Organization. I know this term may be painful, but Cyprus is an occupied island, and this must end. We need to go beyond the situation and it will take courage; courage from all involved. A solution to the Cyprus problem can and should be seen as a win-win situation. It is vital for peace, stability and security in our region. I truly believe that the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities can find solutions, and we must allow them to live together peacefully. We can aid them in this process. Greece and Turkey can aid them. Cyprus will either unite us or divide us, Greece and Turkey. We have a responsibility to cooperate on Cyprus and to facilitate the solution to this process. Greece and Turkey, through their rapprochement, share a rare opportunity to help the citizens of Cyprus rebuild their island, their homes and their dreams. The outcome of these efforts should be that every Cypriot enjoys safety, equality under the law, protection of their human rights, appropriate representation and security under a European roof. Cyprus, Turkey and Greece: for anyone willing to envision the future, our futures are as interwoven as our histories. A reunified federal Cyprus, member of the European Union, will not only serve the European aspiration for stability in the region, but the aspirations of every citizen in every one of the countries involved. I extend my appeal to the Turkish Cypriots. We want them near us, in our wider European family. In this family we do not only guarantee them the solidarity of the Greek people, but also the commitment of the Greek Government. Our citizens will only master the great possibilities that lie ahead if this last wall in Cyprus comes tumbling down. Our experience in our region, our rapprochement with Turkey and our consistent efforts for a just solution in Cyprus have given Greece a new voice in the international community. We treasure our new capacity and intend to grow it further. During our Olympiad for Peace we plan to keep a close eye on developments in the Middle East, always seeking methods to facilitate the hopeful process. We shall follow closely developments in the South and particularly in Africa, a continent for which the Greek people share a special place in their hearts. Our emphasis will be on children: their rights, their right to avoid a violent life. Our concentration in our Olympiad for Peace will be on international initiatives in which our country can play a role. Drawing on our ancient traditions, we are working to re-establish the practice of Olympic Truce. We aspire to the day when the tradition of suspending all hostilities during the Olympic Games becomes the seed for a more lasting peace. Huge amounts of resources are wasted on military procurements and war, and they must be channelled into health, education, culture and sport. To this end and in close cooperation with the International Olympic Committee and President Samaranch, we have established the International Centre for Olympic Truce in Greece. In both ancient and modern Greek, the word for truce is ekecheiria. It has a dual meaning. It means setting one's weapons aside, but it also means reaching out one's hand in friendship. We do not simply aspire to a momentary truce, but to a continuous truce, an active truce. The concept of Olympic Truce can complement the work of national and international organizations specializing in conflict prevention and resolution and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations sharing similar objectives. The Centre in Olympia will offer a sanctuary to support peace-building. This year we hosted children from war-torn areas in the Balkans. 36 Truce in Bosnia in 1992 allowed for children to be inoculated. Truce in Sidney this year will allow for North and South Korean teams to march under the same flags: an historic moment. I started my address by saying that people coming together has always been the prerequisite for building a better world and a more secure future. I conclude by appeal to members. Take this ancient tradition, which by now is no longer exclusively Greek. It has become universal. Use this tool to complement efforts and inspire the younger generation for peace and cooperation, going beyond ethnic, racial, religious or other divisions. This is the objective of the Olympic Truce. And this is the foundation upon which Greece shall build its four-year Olympiad for Peace.