Ukraine

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at the current session and to wish you every success in discharging your duties. I would also like to pay full tribute to your predecessor, Minister Gurirab, whose vast diplomatic experience and able guidance throughout the fifty- fourth session greatly contributed to its success and to the ultimate triumph of the Millennium Summit. It has been only 10 days since the historic event of the Millennium Summit secured an unprecedented quorum of the world's leaders to discuss at the highest level the role and place of the United Nations in the system of international relations in the new era. By adopting the Millennium Declaration, the international community clearly demonstrated its support for the fundamental purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, which continue to be the basis of international law and the main instrument that governs international relations. Ukraine's active participation in the work of the Millennium Summit and in the Security Council Summit, which was held on the initiative of the 6 President of Ukraine, testifies to the special importance that my country attaches to the activities of this universal Organization. Like most other States — and the Millennium Summit unequivocally reconfirmed this — Ukraine denounces the threat or use of force as a means of solving inter-State problems. We strongly believe that only the United Nations possesses both the relevant powers and the wide range of tools and mechanisms to address today's major global problems. These problems are the same today as they were several decades ago: war, poverty, inequality in distribution of resources, repression and discrimination. Having gathered on 7 September at the level of heads of State and Government for the second time in United Nations history, the Security Council reaffirmed its readiness to bear an essential share of responsibility for building a world free of fear, poverty and injustice. We consider the most important achievement of the Security Council Summit to have been the commitment, reaffirmed at the highest level, to ensuring the effective functioning of the system of collective security and to enhancing the efficiency of available mechanisms for preserving peace and, in particular, for conducting peacekeeping operations. We believe that the United Nations will not be able adequately to respond to the challenges to peace and security in the twenty-first century unless its peacekeeping potential is enhanced. Ukraine welcomes the report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations, chaired by Ambassador Brahimi. My country finds most of its recommendations substantial and far-reaching and calls for their speedy implementation. Ukraine has always considered United Nations peacekeeping to be one of the most important raisons d'etre of this Organization, which is called upon “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. That is precisely why since 1992 more than 12,000 representatives of Ukraine have participated in 20 United Nations peacekeeping operations and missions. Since the beginning of this year, Ukraine, fully recognizing its additional responsibility for maintaining international peace as a member of the Security Council, has increased twentyfold its contribution to peacekeeping operations. In the course of the past eight months alone, Ukraine has deployed a contingent of 650 troops with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). We have also sent a group of military observers to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), to Ethiopia and Eritrea, and have sent a group of civilian police to the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). The deployment of a special Ukrainian police unit of 115 servicemen with the United Nations police force in Kosovo is being completed this week. Our military contingent earmarked for the United Nations operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo stands in full operational readiness. Regrettably, it is common knowledge that human history can be called a chronicle of continuous wars and conflicts. I hope that at the end of the second millennium, having learned from its tragic past, humankind has finally grasped the simple truth — that it is necessary to fight the fires of wars long before they have erupted, because even the costliest peace is much better than the cheapest war. This leads me to emphasize the importance of the most expeditious and effective implementation of the proposal put forward by the President of Ukraine at the Millennium Summit and at the Security Council Summit. He spoke in favour of developing a comprehensive United Nations conflict prevention strategy, based on the large-scale use of preventive diplomacy and peace-building. Ukrainian experts stand ready for this work. I am glad to note that almost all the leaders who addressed the Millennium Summit recognized preventive action as a priority for the United Nations in maintaining peace. In our view, the concept of regional centres on conflict prevention can become a practical step towards developing a relevant United Nations strategy. In this context, Ukraine's recent proposal to establish a regional centre for ethnic studies in Kyiv, under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), deserves proper attention. We think that the activities of such a centre, authorized to monitor current developments in the sphere of inter-ethnic relations in the OSCE region and directed at the timely detection of dangerous separatist tendencies, will be conducive to a further elaboration of the United Nations preventive strategy in cooperation with the OSCE. My country is keenly following the process of conflict settlement in the neighbouring Balkans, the troublesome region of Europe. While developments in 7 Bosnia give us sufficient grounds for optimism about the future of its peoples, the situation in Kosovo still causes us serious concern. We are confident that a peaceful settlement in Kosovo has to be pursued in strict compliance with Security Council resolution 1244 (1999), with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In our view, it is impossible to resolve this problem without determining the future status of Kosovo following negotiations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the authorized representatives of the province. Ukraine is determined to intensify efforts aimed at promoting the final peaceful settlement of the so- called “frozen” conflicts in the post-Soviet territories, particularly in Abkhazia, Georgia; Nagorny Karabakh, Azerbaijan; and Transdniestria, Moldova. As a member of the group of Friends of the Secretary-General, which is promoting a peaceful settlement of the almost decade-long Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, Ukraine cannot but be concerned about the lack of real progress towards peace in the region. I once again confirm the invitation by President Kuchma to host in Yalta the next round of negotiations between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides aimed at confidence-building. President Kuchma has also presented a feasible plan for the settlement of the Transdniestria conflict, based on the principle of “acquired status” acceptable to all conflicting parties. Ukraine, together with the OSCE, is currently examining the possibility of reorganizing the peacekeeping mission in the region, which will be made up of peacekeeping contingents from Ukraine, Russia and other OSCE members. We very much hope that in the long run these initiatives will reinvigorate the process of resolving the conflict. The credibility of the United Nations will always be measured by its ability to provide an adequate response to threats to peace and security in every region of the world. Today this principle should be upheld by giving special attention to the problems of the African continent. The untold sufferings of the peoples of Africa, resulting from both intra-State and inter-State conflicts, are unlike those in any other part of the globe. Ukraine is determined to make a practical contribution to United Nations peace efforts aimed at resolving conflicts in Africa. This determination is reinforced by our aspiration to expand trade and economic cooperation with our African partners. Let me repeat the words of the President of Ukraine at the Security Council Summit: “Ukraine looks forward to a century of African renaissance and stands ready to hasten its arrival.” (S/PV.4194, p. 13) I would like to underline that, in resolving conflicts in Africa the international community has no alternative but to promote the need for strict adherence to the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of the countries of the region. This has to be particularly emphasized in relation to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the most dangerous challenge to peace at the turn of the century. Ukraine calls on all parties to the Lusaka Agreement to comply fully with the relevant Security Council resolutions and to implement their own commitments. The recent events in Sierra Leone have become a serious test for our Organization. They prove the urgent need to consolidate international efforts, with a view to strengthening the effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping. I reiterate our position on the need to continue enhancing the sanctions regime against Angola's rebel group, UNITA. We are convinced that reducing UNITA's ability to wage war is an essential prerequisite for restoring peace in Angola. It should also be borne in mind that the sanctions have to be accompanied by greater international efforts to resolve this long-lasting conflict. We note with optimism the latest developments in the process of settlement in Somalia. This long- suffering nation is painfully but steadily overcoming the obstacles in its path to peace and stability. Over the past year an important step forward was taken in advancing one of the integral parts of the Middle East peace process — its Israeli-Lebanese component. The withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in compliance with Security Council resolution 425 (1978) has created new conditions for further progress in the whole process. Ukraine sincerely hopes that Israel and Syria will also be able to achieve a breakthrough in their stalled negotiation process in the near future, and calls upon the parties to resume the dialogue as soon as possible. 8 We are following closely the process of solving the core issue of the Middle East problem — the question of Palestine. It is our firm belief that the political wisdom and farsightedness of the Israelis and Palestinians will eventually help them to reach a mutually acceptable compromise. We welcome the 10 September decision by the Palestinian Central Council to postpone the date of proclamation of the State of Palestine. Ukraine hopes that, following strenuous efforts on both sides, the Palestinian people will finally exercise their right to self-determination and to their own statehood. The promotion of disarmament and nuclear non- proliferation are among the crucial issues before the United Nations and the whole international community at the turn of the century. We are convinced that those processes should go along with the overall improvement of the international situation in other spheres, the creation and practical implementation of universal security guarantees, unconditional adherence by States and international organizations to the norms and basic principles of international law and the consolidation of an atmosphere of mutual trust. As a country which has made outstanding contributions to the process of practical nuclear disarmament, Ukraine fully shares the concern that the attention of the international community to this issue has substantially decreased. We believe that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are the cornerstones of international security and a means of averting a global conflict. In our view, achieving the universality of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty is the best way to prevent nuclear proliferation and to ensure the elimination of nuclear weapons. It is the nuclear States that should be in the vanguard of this process. The problem of illegal arms trafficking, which has acquired a global dimension, also requires a universal approach to its solution. The key role of the United Nations is indispensable in consolidating the international efforts to fight this evil. Turning now to the problem of the Security Council-imposed sanctions, I would like to reaffirm the position of my country on this issue. Sanctions were designed as a powerful tool to ensure the implementation of the Council's decisions. However, they were eventually turned into ineffective and sometimes even harmful instruments. It is therefore absolutely necessary to develop a clear and coherent methodology for the imposition and lifting of sanctions that takes into consideration the concerns of innocent civilian populations and the interests of third countries. Ukraine supports the recent Security Council practice of defining time limits of sanctions at the stage of their imposition. We believe that it is of primary importance to develop objective criteria and mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of sanctions and their impact — including on the target State. We also support the immediate lifting of sanctions when there are sufficient grounds to believe that they have served their purpose. This is indeed the case as far as the sanctions against Libya are concerned, where the Security Council should move, as soon as possible, to the next stage and take a long-overdue action. Among the major challenges of the new century, the problem of HIV/AIDS occupies a special place. AIDS has become an epidemic of global proportions with enormous human and social ramifications that go far beyond the province of health alone. The time has come for the United Nations to elaborate a comprehensive agenda for action against this pandemic. Aware of the magnitude of this problem, the delegation of Ukraine, together with other sponsors has promoted the convening, as a matter of urgency, of a special session of the General Assembly on that question. We are encouraged by the wide support for this idea and look forward to further work towards its realization. We are convinced that the multilateral forms of international cooperation have played and will continue to play a decisive role in the attainment of the goals of sustainable development. We support the reform efforts of the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for improving the situation in the field of mobilization of resources and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of its work. During the difficult period of economic transition, the assistance to Ukraine by UNDP plays an important role by streamlining the efforts of various international partners. It also helps to alleviate the complex problems related to the elimination of the Chernobyl disaster's consequences and the decommissioning of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the countries participating in the July 9 donors' conference in Berlin, which pledged more than $320 million of additional funding for the transformation of the shelter facility into an environmentally safe system. Almost $50 million still needs to be raised to reach the amount required, and we count on continuing international assistance in this regard. I believe this could be effectuated within the framework of the United Nations Chernobyl programme. Let me underline that these funds will be aimed mainly at the implementation of realistic objectives, specifically the decommissioning and eventual closing down of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant by 15 December 2000, a decision that was reconfirmed by the President of Ukraine at the Millennium Summit. We also hope that consideration at the current session of the General Assembly of the item relating to the integration of the countries with economies in transition into the world economic system will make it possible to elaborate a common strategy to solve specific problems of these countries. In this context, we attach great importance to the accession of Ukraine to the World Trade Organization. International economic cooperation at the regional level is also of significance for Ukraine. I mean, in particular, the development of our relations with the European Union and interaction within the framework of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and the Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Republic of Moldova (GUUAM) group. Fulfilling the concept of “human rights for all” in the next century is a task of global dimension. That is why strengthening and improving the international monitoring of human rights violations becomes particularly acute today. At the same time, we remain convinced that the use of force cannot be considered an adequate means of ensuring respect for human rights. I wish to emphasize that adherence to and protection of human rights became the key policy principle of my country. Ukraine has signed and ratified all basic international documents in the field of human rights and put in place at the national level effective mechanisms for their implementation. This year Ukraine adopted a decision to abolish capital punishment. The time that has passed since the historic Rome Conference clearly reaffirmed the epoch-making significance of the document it adopted. We consider the International Criminal Court the only viable democratic mechanism of a universal character to enforce compliance with and respect for international humanitarian law. I would like to join previous speakers in expressing our great hopes for the continuing role of the United Nations in bringing solutions to global problems. Given the complexity and the multidimensional nature of this task, our Organization needs to stand on a solid financial footing. We hope that this session will enable us to speed up the process of reforming and improving the mechanisms of the apportionment of the United Nations expenses on the basis of objective economic criteria. Therefore, the process of United Nations reform, initiated three years ago, should get additional impetus. There is also a need to reactivate the efforts aimed at Security Council reform, which is the key element within the process of renewing the United Nations. This was rightly emphasized in the statements of many world leaders at the Millennium Summit. The absence of substantive progress on this issue limits the capacities of the Council as the major instrument of collective security. I would like to reiterate the position of Ukraine that the Security Council's comprehensive reform should be based on the norms and principles of the United Nations Charter. In our view, increased representation in the Security Council for all regional groups should remain an essential principle. The interests of both developed and developing countries have to be taken into account. Ukraine believes that the necessary balance within an expanded Security Council can be achieved through an increase in both categories of its members. By pursuing the path of strengthening the United Nations and building up its institutions on democratic foundations, the international community reinforces its own capacity to meet the challenges of the time and to create a climate of justice in international relations and an atmosphere of mutual respect between States, peoples and civilizations. In the course of the historic Millennium Summit, the international community, enriched by this Organization's half-century of experience, outlined the road map to be followed by mankind in the twenty-first century. Only by intensifying concerted and resolute efforts to attain our determined goals will we realize 10 the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations. After all, this is the only raison d'être for our Organization.