It is a great
honour for me to address the General Assembly today
in my capacity as the Chairman of the Presidency of
Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the very outset, allow me
to congratulate the President of the Assembly at its
sixty-fourth session and the other members of the
Bureau on their election, and to express our full
support to their future work. Furthermore, I would like
to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto
Brockmann, whom I met on several occasions, on the
results achieved during his presidency of the sixty-
third session of the General Assembly at a time when
this body and the international community in general
were facing an array of challenges related to pressing
global issues.
Sessions of the General Assembly have always
served as opportunities for leaders of States to gather
and exchange their opinions about the situation in the
world with the aim of finding the most suitable
solutions for current global issues. The United Nations,
like other organizations, depends upon the collective
strength of its Members; that strength needs to be
based on consensus among Member States. One of the
most pressing issues that has marked the past year is
the global economic and financial crisis, which has
become the biggest threat to global peace and stability.
If we miss the opportunity to tackle its negative effects
immediately, it could produce unimaginable
consequences throughout the world.
Even though there are indicators which show that
recession in developed countries is slowly abating, it is
evident that recovery will be slow and time-consuming.
With regard to the developing and less developed
countries, we can only imagine the harmful
consequences that this crisis could produce in the times
ahead. It is more than obvious that countries cannot
combat these crises on their own, regardless of the
efficiency of their Governments. Global crisis requires
global solutions.
Ms. Koirala (Nepal), Vice-President, took the
Chair.
We welcome the adoption of the outcome
document of the recent high-level Conference on the
World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on
Development (resolution 63/303, annex). The
Conference confirmed once again that the role of the
United Nations — and especially of the General
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Assembly, as one of the most democratic of forums —
is to lead this process and find new modalities for
improvement of cooperation with the aim of
establishing effective mechanisms for preventing crises
and alleviating and eliminating their consequences, as
well as for eradicating poverty and establishing social
justice in the world.
It is accurate to say that the present global
economic crisis — the severest since the establishment
of the United Nations — has heavily compromised and
even jeopardized the attainment of the Millennium
Development Goals, one of the noblest tasks set by the
Organization since its foundation. This applies in
particular to the poorest countries, and especially to
sub-Saharan African countries that had failed to
achieve positive results even before the onset of the
crisis. I stress that besides the responsibility borne by
those countries pertaining to their activities in
establishing good governance and the rule of law,
which are prerequisites for achieving the
aforementioned development goals, a huge
responsibility lies with the developed countries.
It is exactly the developed countries that are
expected to do everything in their power in order to
overcome the global economic crisis. We think that
during the crisis it is necessary to reform the global
financial system and make it more transparent, to
develop mechanisms for market monitoring and thus to
avoid the mistakes that occurred in the period prior to
the current decrease in the global GDP.
State institutions in my country — Bosnia and
Herzegovina — have made systematic efforts to
accomplish the Millennium Development Goals, and
we believe that other than the difficulties caused by
global economic volatility, there possibly will be no
other obstacles in the context of finalizing the defined
tasks by 2015. At the moment, Bosnia and Herzegovina
is preparing a development strategy and a social
inclusion strategy. The anti-poverty strategy was
drafted earlier and has been implemented. Such
projects have been carried out in cooperation with
relevant United Nations agencies in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and I wish to take this opportunity to
express my gratitude for that intensive cooperation.
Climate change is one of the key issues that
require an urgent response from the international
community. Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to end the
year 2009 with successful completion of international
negotiations on climate change. Furthermore, we hope
that the Copenhagen summit will produce an
agreement that outpaces the Kyoto Protocol and that it
will gain the support of the United Nations Member
States.
However, it is not only island countries that are
affected by this problem. It is a universal challenge and
threat. Humanitarian catastrophes caused by weather
conditions that have affected parts of our planet over
recent years should serve as a warning to all of us.
Neither economic nor political interests must be
allowed to obstruct the achievement of a global
consensus as the true beginning of a global struggle to
prevent the loss of the natural balance of our planet.
All of us gathered here today agree that
consensus and comprehensive reform of the United
Nations system is necessary and that it ought to be
carried out in a careful, prudent manner that ensures
the broadest consensus of the Member States. United
Nations reform should result in efficient and
coordinated functioning of all bodies of the system.
However, a widely accepted perspective is that the
reform of the Security Council is of key importance for
substantive reform of the entire system of the world
organization.
I am convinced that the majority agree with me
that Security Council reform ought primarily to result
in better transparency of that body and its activities and
should provide for a considerably larger spectrum of
non-member States to participate in its work. That
applies in particular to countries that are most on the
Council’s agenda, countries that are directly affected
by a particular crisis, as well as countries that could
use their expertise or experience gained in similar
situations that contribute to following the best and
most acceptable solutions.
We all have to be aware that any further delay in
Security Council reform will undermine the credibility
of that body, whereas the willingness to reach a
compromise must be an imperative. Dialogue and
compromise are the only way to ensure the broadest
possible support for reforms.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is of the opinion that
Security Council reform should urgently commence. In
any case, we believe that in the future reformed
Council, the group of Eastern European countries must
have another non-permanent seat, considering that the
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number of countries in that group has more than
doubled in the last two decades.
I wish to emphasize that I expect the Council to
engage more strongly in preventive diplomacy. We
believe that taking that new course of action would
mean that many issues and crises could be solved
before they become aggravated, thus increasing the
Council’s efficiency. Ensuring timely and efficient
conflict prevention, rather than reacting once a crisis
has already escalated, is a more efficient and less
expensive method for preserving peace and security.
Unfortunately, armed conflicts remain the reality
of our world, and those most in danger are the poorest
peoples and nations, who are left to fend for
themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to foster
additional United Nations early warning mechanisms
and establish multiple sources of information in order
to create a true picture of the situation and at the same
time strengthen countries’ abilities to resist enticements
that lead to genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and
crimes against humanity.
Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to
full cooperation with the International Criminal
Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, since those
indicted for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia must
be prosecuted. Meanwhile, a legal framework has been
set up in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Court of
Bosnia and Herzegovina has begun to prosecute war
crimes. That is one of the requirements for building
mutual confidence and reconciliation in post-conflict
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The number of refugees has been growing daily
around the globe, but less effort and fewer means are
devoted to finding a concrete solution to this global
issue. We in Bosnia and Herzegovina are well
acquainted with the destiny, pain and suffering of
refugees, and thus we urge maximum effort to
systematically resolve the global refugee crises. We
support the joint and continued endeavours of all
United Nations agencies and the non-governmental
sector that directly deal with this problem. We are
willing to offer cooperation in every aspect.
With regard to United Nations peacekeeping
missions, we believe that, with foresight and
considering the best practices, each crisis has to be
carefully examined, taking into consideration all its
causes, if we are to find a sustainable and justifiable
solution. We believe that there are no universal
solutions applicable to every crisis, to the requirements
of each particular case.
Various cultures and traditions have coexisted in
the Balkans for centuries. We are willing to share both
our positive and negative experiences in the post-
conflict peacebuilding aspect.
The foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is
aimed at preserving and improving long-lasting peace,
security and stability, democratic and comprehensive
social development and contributions to international
peace and stability.
The presence, participation and actions of small
countries in the decision-making process of the
Security Council are of great importance in
maintaining balance within the Council. However,
apart from the views of the permanent members and
world Powers, the Council needs to encourage smaller
countries to present their views and participate in the
decision-making process of that body, which in some
ways represents global government. That is one of the
reasons why we decided, after careful consideration
and for the first time in our history, to run for a
non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the
period 2010-2011. Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has
been the main topic of numerous debates of the
international community, today wants to have the
capacity to actively participate in and contribute to the
work of the Security Council.
As a small but multi-ethnic, multinational and
multireligious country with a rich historic heritage,
Bosnia and Herzegovina is conversant with a plethora
of sociopolitical systems and cultural and historical
contexts. Bosnia and Herzegovina is willing to share its
experience in peacebuilding in a post-conflict situation,
particularly in the area of confidence-building among
multicultural communities, and thus actively contribute
to better understanding and long-term reconciliation in
such regions.
Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina actively
participates in the work of international organizations,
especially the work of the United Nations. It has been a
member of the Human Rights Council since June 2007,
and within the Council’s framework it has been
working on promoting and protecting human rights
throughout the world. Since 2000, members of the
armed forces and police forces from Bosnia and
Herzegovina have been equal participants in United
Nations international military and police missions in
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the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Liberia, Sudan, East Timor, Cyprus and Haiti,
thus contributing to the preservation of international
peace and stability. Furthermore, it supports
international efforts to stabilize the situations in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
Finding a solution to the Middle East crisis
remains one of the priorities of the world Organization.
We believe that positive momentum ought to be used in
the best possible manner to establish equitable and
comprehensive peace in this region. After so many
years of suffering, bloodshed, tension, mutual
misunderstanding and conflict, we must support the
latest activities of the Quartet members, as well as
regional initiatives aimed at taking the crucial step
forward leading to sustainable peace, which implies
creation of a sovereign, independent and self-
sustaining Palestinian State.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been closely
following the situation in Africa. We expect that
despite the hard-hitting global economic crisis, the
world’s most developed countries will continue to
increase the percentage of their gross domestic product
that they contribute to official development assistance
and to contribute the other expertise necessary for
strengthening the capacities of poor African countries.
We therefore welcome the efforts by the United
Nations through the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development intended to lead Africa to stable and
sustainable development and to fulfil the Millennium
Development Goals.
This particularly relates to sub-Saharan countries.
We support the efforts of the African Union, African
Governments, the United Nations, the United Nations
Office for West Africa and other regional initiatives
designed to improve the rule of law and democracy and
to strengthen capacities of civil society and
institutions, and thus to upgrade all aspects of social
life. We underline the importance of the continued
provision of material aid for Africa, as well as
improved use of these resources towards sustainable
development.
Nowadays, when political and social processes
are more dynamic than ever and we are facing
challenges quite opposite from those of several decades
ago, it has become more obvious that only a strong,
multilateral approach can provide the right answers.
The United Nations has faced numerous challenges, yet
it remains the only path leading to a better future and
the only Organization able to offer adequate solutions
to the array of global issues we are facing. If we work
together to implement the conclusions reached here at
this high-level event, we will undoubtedly live in better
and more equitable conditions than is the case today.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is willing to fully
contribute to the work of the United Nations. I would
like to express my gratitude to all Member States who
supported Bosnia and Herzegovina and who are willing
to elect my country as a non-permanent member of the
Security Council for the period 2010-2011.