Allow me at the outset to
congratulate the President on his assumption of the
high post of the presidency of the General Assembly at
its sixty-fourth session. In fulfilling his challenging
tasks during this session, he may rest assured of the
support and cooperation of the delegation of the
Republic of Hungary.
The current session of the General Assembly
begins its work against the backdrop of an
extraordinary downturn of the world economy.
Hungary was among those countries which were
especially hard hit by the storm of the current financial
and economic crisis. In order to cope with its
consequences, the Hungarian Government has adopted
and implemented a series of stabilization measures. As
a result of this policy, the first positive trends have
already emerged. Today we can claim that the
Hungarian economy is well on its way towards
recovery and that the foundations of a more sustainable
development have been laid. If implemented
vigorously, the strict fiscal policy of my Government
will put the country back into the ranks of the
financially stable economies.
At the same time, Hungary cannot and does not
want to turn a blind eye to the plight of millions
worldwide, especially the most vulnerable ones in the
developing world, particularly in Africa, who have
been thrown into poverty as a consequence of the
global economic crisis. The present crisis should not
undermine our common efforts to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals. Hungary continues to
take its share of responsibility by implementing its
donor programmes in Afghanistan, Viet Nam and the
neighbouring middle-income countries of the Western
Balkans.
Global crises require that we all think and act
together in the spirit of shared responsibility. It is right
that climate change is high on the United Nations
agenda, as it threatens the very foundations of our life.
Yet for too long we failed to respond adequately.
Hungary is willing to accept its share of responsibility
and is fully committed to achieving important results at
the United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Copenhagen. In this regard, the summit on climate
change recently convened by the Secretary-General
was a useful forum in identifying the necessary steps
towards a successful outcome.
Preventing conflicts and managing crises remain
high on our agenda. The United Nations, in
cooperation with regional organizations, continues to
play a key role in this respect. Full integration of the
Western Balkans into European and Euro-Atlantic
structures is a means to promote the stability and
prosperity of that region, a goal that Hungary supports
actively. Interaction among countries of the region to
fulfil the conditions of European integration is an
essential tool. International efforts in Kosovo represent
a good example of effective cooperation among various
stakeholders, such as the European Union and NATO.
In Georgia, the situation on the ground remains
fragile. We firmly believe that a peaceful and lasting
solution to the conflict must be based on full respect
for the independence, sovereignty and territorial
integrity of that country within its internationally
recognized borders. We deplore the decision that led to
the termination of the monitoring activities of the
United Nations and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe in the breakaway parts of
Georgia/Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The resumption
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of the international presence in these regions is
necessary.
The stakes in Afghanistan are high. The success
of international stabilization and reconstruction efforts
will have a major impact both on our security and on
the defence of the values our societies stand for.
Failure is not an option. Hungary will remain
committed to supporting, politically and by
contributing troops and civilian and development
assistance, the creation of a stable Afghanistan
governed by the rule of law. We welcome the joint
initiative of the United Kingdom, Germany and France
to hold an international conference at the ministerial
level, co-chaired by the United Nations and the Afghan
Government.
In the Middle East, Hungary warmly welcomes
the commitment of the United States to vigorously
pursue a two-State solution and a comprehensive
peace. It is now up to the parties themselves to engage
in a meaningful process of negotiation. It is our
responsibility to assist them in carrying the process
forward.
The nuclear programme of Iran continues to be a
matter of most serious concern. We deeply regret that
Iran’s leadership has refused to abide by the relevant
Security Council resolutions. In flagrant violation of its
international obligations, Iran has even increased its
uranium-enrichment capacities. Recent revelations
about the existence of a second enrichment facility
underscore the legitimacy of our previous concerns. We
urge Iran to engage in substantive negotiations on its
nuclear programme without further delay. The news of
recent missile tests only reinforces our sense of
urgency.
The idea of a world without nuclear weapons has
long been cherished. We welcome the affirmations of
commitment to this goal made at the recent summit-
level meeting of the Security Council (see S/PV.6191),
along with the adoption of a comprehensive set of
measures to strengthen the global non-proliferation
regime. Hungary hopes that the momentum created by
that meeting will also have a positive impact on the
2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The global economic and financial crisis has
affected the political landscape in many countries and
has led to the re-emergence of extreme nationalist,
racist and xenophobic ideologies and political
movements. Like many other countries, Hungary is not
immune from this phenomenon. We cannot allow those
alarming trends to prevail or to roll back the advance
of democratic values and human rights. The
Government of Hungary condemns, in the most
resolute terms, all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and
xenophobia and fights any manifestation of them not
only in words, but also in deeds.
The promotion and protection of human rights,
including the rights of national minorities and the
preservation of their cultural and linguistic identities,
have traditionally been high on the agenda of the
Hungarian Government. The presence of flourishing
minority communities does not weaken a State, but
rather makes it stronger. Trust between the majority
and minorities within a country can be built only on
that basis. The Republic of Hungary attaches great
importance to the work of the United Nations Forum
on Minority Issues and is determined to contribute
actively to the Forum’s second meeting, to be held this
November in Geneva. We are witnessing alarming
tendencies that have a detrimental effect on the
political participation, cultural life and educational
opportunities of minorities. The international
community should pay special attention to respect for
minority rights.
At this point, I would also like to confirm the
commitment of Hungary, as a newly elected member of
the Human Rights Council, to play an active role in the
most important human rights body of the United
Nations. We strongly believe that there is a clear and
urgent need for further institution-building in the field
of the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. For
that reason, this year Hungary prepared a feasibility
study on the establishment of the Budapest Centre for
the International Prevention of Genocide and Mass
Atrocities. It is envisaged that the Centre will work in
close cooperation with the United Nations, including
the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of
Genocide and Mass Atrocities and the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The ongoing changes in international politics and
the world economy have created a new situation for the
United Nations. We welcome and strongly support the
efforts aimed at strengthening the ability of the
Organization to adapt to the new realities, but we
cannot be satisfied with the pace of the transformation.
The present challenges should lend additional impetus
to moving forward more vigorously on such issues as
45 09-52598
Security Council reform, peacekeeping activities,
system-wide coherence, budgeting of the Organization,
management reform and reform of the environmental
governance system of the United Nations. With a view
to actively promoting those goals, Hungary presented
its candidacies for the Security Council for the term
2012-2013 and for the Economic and Social Council
for the term 2011-2013.
Once again the United Nations stands at a
crossroads. It needs to adapt to the changing
international environment. This change will require
sacrifices, but it also offers new opportunities as it
paves the way for new consensus on the future of the
United Nations.