YouSaid · the spoken record

Louis Michel

lines on the record: 118
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“That summit should assess the implementation not only of the Millennium Goals, but also of the goals of all the major United Nations conferences. But the success of that summit implies going further. It should at last boldly lay the foundation for a world in which inequalities between poor and rich countries can be filled in a sustainable way. It should nourish, in an irreversible way, the indispensable confidence the world needs to be safer, more human and more brotherly.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I am referring more specifically to fundamental labour standards such as the freedom of unions, the prohibition of child labour and forced labour and the right to quality employment, as well as environmental obligations, which are vital for sustainable development. I am also thinking of the need to exclude services of general interest from the market sphere. To conclude, it seems to me that such an ambition would opportunely translate the tremendous hope generated by the Millennium Summit. The Millennium Declaration clearly defined the goals at our level. I am pleased with the decision of the General Assembly to make the five-year review of the Millennium Summit in 2005 into an important event, which I think should be a summit of heads of State and Government.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“That is my conviction, especially since those fields form the requisite backdrop to achieving stability and security. The Economic and Social Council needs to be reformed to give it a more decisive operational role in the control of a world organization based on universal principles of equity. This goal should lead to broad and balanced synergies between international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and the International Labour Organization, which should really become instruments of the same project. The founding principles of such a concept exist already and are being applied in certain countries, such as in mine.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is clear that, in accordance with the analysis of the Secretary-General, this challenge requires fundamental reflection on the architecture of the major instruments of development. That demands openness of mind and should not exclude any option from the start. Has not the time come to reinforce the capacity of the United Nations to act effectively in this field? I wish to repeat a question that I raised at the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Cancún. Should we not, for example, create a real Economic and Social Security Council, which would derive its legitimacy and efficiency from law and which would have the same power in the management of economic, social and environmental policies as the Security Council has on issues of peace?”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Finally, my country closely follows the efforts by the United Nations to reactivate the project for a Great Lakes conference, which should seal the re- establishment of peaceful relations and the development of cross-border cooperation among the countries of the region. The credibility of the United Nations does not depend only on its willingness and capacity to manage crises. It also depends on its capacity to respond to the expectations of men, women and children all over the world, who are directly or indirectly confronted with imbalances and injustice whose causes and solutions both are found only at the global level. It is essential to master globalization, develop the promises it offers and correct its excesses.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It would be unforgivable not to forge, here and now, the conditions for a complete stabilization of the entire region. We also need to help Rwanda to continue its national reconciliation efforts, which are indispensable in order to guarantee sustainable stability in that fragile country. I am convinced the recent elections will contribute to this goal. As for Burundi, the implementation of the Arusha Agreements must continue, and the rebels have to be convinced that they should join this process. My country looks forward to participating actively in the new action on Burundi decided by the Economic and Social Council. We hope that will help Burundi to break through its isolation within the international community.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“In this context, I wish to mention the remarkable efforts by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). I am particularly happy about the success of Operation Artemis. Apart from restoring security in Bunia, this operation has given MONUC the thrust it needed to be able to face up to the challenges of its new mandate. 35 Now, priority must be given to the preparation of elections in order to grant the Democratic Republic of the Congo a new start on a solid basis and to consolidate its restored territorial integrity. Belgium will be present at all levels and in every phase of this process. But I wish to insist on the fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo needs the determined commitment of all the instruments of our community.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“From each side, we need to obtain bolder measures and the acceptance of the risks these imply. There is no alternative to the road map. It has not yet been implemented seriously. We believe it is particularly urgent to create a credible, on-site verification mechanism. It is in Africa, particularly in Central Africa, that my country commits itself in the most determined way to the restoration of peace and stability. We are encouraged by the successful installation of a transitional Government in Kinshasa that now brings together all the parties. Now, State structures have to be restored and good governance has to be introduced in order to allow for the return of foreign aid and investment. The persisting violence in the east of the country must end.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Much more fundamentally, we need to systematically attack the root causes of a phenomenon that is often rooted in the feeling of powerlessness or in feelings of real or perceived injustice. For this reason, Belgium will also continue to support, together with its European partners, the action of the Quartet for the re-establishment of peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. To achieve that goal, it is necessary that Palestinians decide unambiguously to renounce the toleration of blind violence and that Israel, in the same spirit, stop favouring the use of force. One has the impression that, as difficulties pile up, we have fallen back into the traps of Oslo: a gradualism of small steps and a too-pronounced reliance on sequencing. The road map prescribes parallel advances on the security, political and economic paths.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“As for Iran, I trust that through a sustained and constructive dialogue it will meet the expectations of the international community and respond to the requests of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Belgium will continue to participate in a determined and proactive way in the international efforts that were initiated two years ago to track down terrorism. In Belgium, there is no sanctuary for terrorism, nor will there ever be. Nevertheless, the fight against terrorism should not be used as an abusive justification for actions that would undermine the democratic quality and the sacred principles of the rule of law. Furthermore, I am not one of those who believe that the military option is the exclusive answer, although obviously it should not be excluded.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We must each confront the threat together, by shouldering our fair share of the actions undertaken. The European Union and its member States currently possess an essential document which deals with the European security strategy. It should enable us, as Javier Solana quite recently reminded us in Brussels, to plot a European chart of the challenges facing this world to better guarantee the effectiveness of our collective security system. Belgium will actively participate in this endeavour. Furthermore, we fully share the international community’s concerns about the nuclear programme of North Korea. We strongly call upon North Korea to abide by its previous international commitments. We are grateful to China for having offered a useful format for discussion in this respect.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The United Nations has a central role to play in accompanying the political reconstruction process in Iraq, even if the tragic events of August have shown how risky and vulnerable that process is. However, such a role requires a clear mandate and sufficient means. I wish to renew my sincerest condolences to the Secretary-General, to the bereaved families and to colleagues, and express my high regard and admiration for all the United Nations staff members for their involvement, their selflessness and the sacrifices that they accept so steadfastly. The principal security threat is the uncontrollable proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their potential use by some States in breach of minimal ethical standards or by certain terrorist movements. That threat is serious.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We must convince the Iraqi people that national union, the re-establishment of State authority and economic recovery are accessible and at hand. This of course does not imply that the international community should demobilize. A strong military force in Iraq will still be necessary for some time to guarantee stability. It is of course up to the United States to assume its management. But from now on this presence must not be regarded as designed to occupy the country, but rather as a way to assist in the reconstruction process 34 for the sake of the Iraqi people. The Security Council resolution that is currently under discussion must create this prospect so as to insure broad participation by the international community.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“That is the responsibility of us all, for it concerns a region neighbouring Europe, and we cannot tolerate, if only for the sake of our own security, increased instability or the persistence of an uncontrolled spiral of violence that feeds resentment towards the international community, which, as history has taught us, constitutes the principal breeding ground for terrorism. It is thus necessary to stop the violence as quickly as possible. To this end, I share the opinion of the Secretary-General and of many among us. It is necessary to restore as quickly as possible responsibility for governing Iraq to the people of Iraq. The return to sovereignty, under the watchful eye of the United Nations and of the international community as a whole, is capable of providing the salutary shock needed to reverse the current trend.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Rather, our concerted support could help accompany, legitimize and strengthen their approach and their effectiveness, thanks to the indisputably added value of multilateral dynamics. In many cases, this would avoid taking unnecessary risks and misunderstandings. In that regard, I think that, given its role as a global actor, the European Union greatly deserves a permanent seat on the Security Council on its own behalf. It is this conviction that has inspired my country’s position on the Iraq crisis. But now is not the time to determine who was right or who was wrong. All sides clearly had their reasons. One can only respect them for it. But it is now necessary to contribute to the re- establishment of stability and ensure Iraq’s reconstruction.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is not a question of advocating an institutional shake-up of the Organization; rather debate should enable us to overcome the all-too-many misunderstandings that undermine the credibility of our shared instrument, and from which we can draw conclusions that will help us to make the Organization’s mechanisms more credible and up to date. The Security Council was founded on the recognition of the particular responsibility and role of some of our Members, and I fully subscribe to it. But should we not integrate new perspectives into this state of affairs, such as the regional dimension, present geopolitical facts and also new threats? This is in no way meant to contest the specific influence of some of those involved in international peace and security management.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We cannot elude this vital debate for a peaceful, more harmonious and more just future indefinitely. Sooner or later, we must answer the essential question: How can we ensure that all Member States of the United Nations will be prepared to accept the binding nature of Security Council endorsements of military action prior to engaging in it? To make myself perfectly clear, and to avoid any misunderstanding, the question that I ask is as follows: What reforms need to be made to the Organization’s operations to placate the often-understandable apprehension or reticence of those who, because they assume specific political responsibilities, refuse to submit their geostrategic options to the rules of our Organization? As long as we remain unable to answer that question, we will continue to live in doubt and uncertainty, if not in helplessness.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I would like at the outset to extend my sincerest congratulations to you, Sir, on your accession to the presidency of the General Assembly. It comes at a particularly difficult time, which I might even describe as painful, in the history of our Organization. Indeed, the past year has gravely challenged the capacities of the United Nations to manage the crisis in Iraq to its conclusion, a country to which it was accountable. It saw the pre-eminent role for the maintenance of international peace and security of this institution, symbol of multilateralism and stability, called into question. Yet, it is not our institution’s intrinsic capacity that is the cause of its powerlessness. It is essentially its Members’ lack of political determination.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Human civilizations must learn more about one another in order to live together in harmony. The citizens of the world have different perspectives on life, on religion, on the way they organize their society, on the past and the future. But they all dream of justice, happiness and equality. Often they dream the same dream, but the path to implementing that dream sometimes varies. Respecting others even though they are different will help us move towards a more harmonious world. This is what we, as political leaders, have a responsibility to do, in order to broaden day after day the common area of the values that we share.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I wish to recall that each and every one of us, in signing the Charter of the United Nations, solemnly undertook to comply with that Charter. Therefore, on behalf of my country and of its citizens, I wish to make a clear appeal to Iraq. I formally and solemnly ask the Iraqi authorities to implement urgently and unconditionally the resolutions adopted by the United Nations. Respect for our Organization and respect for what we are, collectively and individually, is the only way of avoiding recourse to force. I ask the Iraqi authorities to seize this last opportunity. All of these challenges require a united, multilateral reaction in a spirit of solidarity. The world is a village now, but too often we are rather narrow- minded and do not listen to one another. Sometimes the other is seen as a stranger or even an intruder.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The question of Iraq is a challenge to all of us, because it involves questions at several different levels: the need to eliminate a major threat to the international community; the need to ensure the credibility of our Organization; the need to determine whether a country has weapons of mass destruction that can bring death to millions of people; the need to determine if a country is failing to meet its obligations to the United Nations; and the need to know if a preventive unilateral military action is or is not a doctrinal problem under international law. All of these questions are core issues with respect to our Organization, its missions and its individual and collective political responsibilities.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The difficulties prevailing in this area are without a doubt complicating the political solution. Another area in need of structural stability is the Middle East. Men, women, mothers, fathers, children all are suffering on a daily basis from the violence, and for this reason we must reaffirm those principles that will enable us to find a lasting and equitable solution: land for peace, a viable Palestinian State and security for Israel. Rather than going beyond the gains made through Oslo and Madrid, we should enshrine and reconfirm them by translating them into reality. This is what the European Union has sought to do by drawing up a road map setting out the actions to be taken by the parties concerned with a view to achieving a comprehensive and lasting solution. 4 Lastly, let me ask a question that I think is of global significance.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Through the many meetings I have attended in the region, I have become acquainted with Congolese political figures. I know that they have the will, the authority, the competence and the grasp of history to realize the dream of peace and prosperity of a population which has suffered for too long. I should like also to pay tribute to the South African and Tanzanian mediation in the context of negotiations for a ceasefire in Burundi. Despite the progress made, there has been a resumption of violence that could undermine the gains recorded in the Arusha process — so ably facilitated by the political and moral authority of President Nelson Mandela. I would also urgently appeal to all international partners to consider which concrete steps should be taken to help Burundi emerge from its political, economic and social crisis.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Pretoria Agreement addresses the main causes of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: its territorial integrity and the security concerns of Rwanda. The United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has a crucial part to play in ensuring implementation of the Agreement, with its operation to disarm and demobilize the armed groups. I urge Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take advantage of this opportunity to restore to their peoples the peace and prosperity they deserve. I would also like to pay tribute to the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Niasse, for bringing all the Congolese parties to the negotiating table with a view to arriving at a democratic, inclusive agreement.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The strengthening of democracy and the recent successful elections in Africa are an encouraging sign. The prospects for Africa also include regional integration of African countries, which we encourage. We can see some positive but still fragile signs with regard to reconciliation in countries that have been too long devastated by conflicts, such as the Great Lakes region, Angola and the Sudan. Further efforts have been made this year to find a solution to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The inter-Congolese dialogue has led, first, to the signing of a partial agreement at Sun City, which created a dynamic of reconciliation, thanks to the efforts of South Africa, to which I pay tribute here.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The sordid exploitation of such resources — for instance, conflict diamonds — too often contributes to finance or at least prolong regional tragedies such as civil wars and inter-ethnic conflicts. To face this challenge, a credible international monitoring system, based on common standards, has to be established. Substantial improvements must be made in the functioning of the various sanctions committees, and we believe that a single monitoring body, with a long-term mandate, should be set up. Africa is at the centre of our concerns, but also of our hopes. The creation of the African Union during the Durban summit of the Organization of African Unity, along with the dynamic of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), are major steps forward taken in recent months.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Conflict prevention is one of my country's foreign policy priorities. We are engaged concretely in preventive diplomacy, particularly in Central Africa, where Belgium is proactively supportive of the Lusaka and Arusha peace processes. Belgium actively advocates this approach within the European Union. Belgium is seeking to make this concept of conflict prevention, conflict management and post-conflict support an essential part of international doctrine. We need standing monitoring and warning mechanisms to alert us in time to crises. Such mechanisms could spare the lives of many people. For similar reasons, we need to develop a real strategy against the illegal financing of conflicts and the related illegal trade in natural resources.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“My country was at the forefront of combating impunity for the most serious crimes and for the rapid development of a true international criminal justice. That is why we continue to support the internationalization of the Rome Statute, and why we are resolved to preserve its integrity. Admittedly, we know that the dialogue is never easy when law interacts with politics, but we are convinced that in the long- term, nothing will block society's right to demand justice when the most serious crimes against 3 fundamental values are committed. States have primary responsibility for prosecuting the crimes covered in the Statute of the Court. We urge the world community, including the most powerful among us, to give the Court credibility and resources commensurate with its lofty mission.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Secretary-General and his team, including his Deputy, Louise Fréchette, can count on my country's commitment and support for all the reforms under way. We must revitalize the General Assembly, continue the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council, expand the Security Council and carry out organizational reforms. I know that the United Nations will take up these challenges. The outstanding and far-sighted speech made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan rightly, skilfully and resolutely reminded us what, in the final analysis, is the meaning of the world government and parliament. He made his statement very convincingly and intelligently. We share his view on reshaping our Organization so that it can live up to our ambitions.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I also attach paramount importance to follow-up of the Durban Conference against racism, and to the implementation of the Durban Programme of Action. Combating racism, discrimination and intolerance is absolutely essential for the millions of human beings who have often silently suffered from infringements on their dignity. I stress the historic importance of the agreement on the origins and causes of racism. It forms the basis of a new partnership. Unless we recognize past injustices, we will not have a solid basis for future efforts. Another challenge that we wish to address is to attain absolute gender equality. This is absolutely essential in a civilization of progress, in which our ideals of democracy and humanism are realized.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“However, each time, at the end of these grand meetings, when the speeches are over, when those who advocate on behalf of the poor have stopped their ritualistic pleadings, poverty remains in place. One gets the impression that we have offered those who expected so much of us only empty rhetoric and posturing. The Millennium Goals must become a benchmark for all the work of the United Nations and for that of each of its Member States. We have to translate them into financial tools and into access to markets and technology. At Monterrey, my country pledged to reach the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for development cooperation by 2010. We have offered, furthermore, new initiatives on the debt burden.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“With such unanimity, it should be easy to put an end to inequality. It should be easy to bring together a world which for too long has been cut in two, a world that generates tensions and frustrations. There cannot and should not be a superficial division at the margin of our wealth. We need a loftier conception of cooperation, one that derives not from paternalism but rather from partnership and mutual respect. Putting an end to inequality and forging a new solidarity is the way to ensure sustainable development for future generations. At each of our summits, the rich world has raised the hopes of the millions of indigent people who are searching for a glimmer of light in the darkness.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“However, we also know that misery, injustice, poverty, exclusion and humiliation create fertile ground for extremism, intolerance and hatred to flourish by taking advantage of the hopelessness and suffering of those left behind by a society too quickly satisfied by its clear conscience. Why should we deny it? As our Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt has said, in less than a year we have focused at least four times on the challenges facing the world: at Doha, Monterrey, Rome and Johannesburg. The elimination of poverty, debt reduction and liberalization of international trade as a factor for development are all questions that have been repeatedly discussed. We all come to the same conclusions. We identify the same causes. I am certain that we all know the solutions that must be applied.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Combating terrorism also means, above all, that we must defend the fundamental rights and legal protections of every man and woman. We have a humanist conviction and we must defend it, because otherwise we would be ceding victory to the terrorists. It would also be a 2 mistake to believe that the fight against terrorism can be won by military means alone. Military means are admittedly necessary, but are not themselves enough to put an end to this horrible phenomenon. There is absolutely nothing that can justify terrorism. No cause can justify terror. I categorically and definitively reject the idea that we have to look to the inequities of the world for the source of this perversion of the mind and soul. In my view, that would mitigate this abominable act. The origin of the attack cannot be found there.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We cannot simply make a division between good and evil. To build a wall would be to fall into the trap of those who openly display their hate and intolerance. Instead, more than ever we must realize that the source of wealth and hope in the world is precisely its great diversity and pluralism. The struggle against terrorism must, of course, be based on effective methods with no room for laxity. I want to make this point very strongly: fighting terrorism must not lead us to distort the nature of democratic tolerant life or respect for the rule of law. Preserving our concept of a pluralist, open and tolerant society must be our goal. We cannot be misled or accept distortions of our firm belief in the fundamental human rights and the rights of peoples.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“A coalition against that vile crime stood side by side with the people of the United States. We felt it was our duty; we felt that their suffering was our suffering and that their cause was also our cause. We could not permit there to be any doubt in the minds of the enemies of our shared values; we could not leave any scope for those who sought to break the promise of a world of justice, progress and peace. Today we must move beyond fear. Our response must be guided by clear-minded analysis and rational action. The enemy is faceless but is not everywhere. We all are now constantly vigilant, but must not reach the point of being unable to look one another in the eye without mistrust or suspicion. We are in an infinitely great majority; only an infinitesimal minority is against us. We cannot simply reduce the entire world to a battlefield.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Some 50 years ago my predecessor Paul-Henri Spaak said before the Assembly, in a phrase that stands out in our minds, “We are afraid”. At that time, totalitarianism threatened democratic freedoms and our open society was in danger. Fortunately, political and diplomatic dialogue gradually won out over confrontation, mutual threats and force. The advent of a freer world, more united and more respectful of everyone is finally within our grasp. After September 2001, all democratic forces throughout the world felt a moment of fear, terror, confusion and horror at the barbaric violence that smashed their strongest beliefs into pieces. That irrational hatred threatened the same democratic values, fundamental freedoms and humanistic world outlook. The free world came together with a sense of solidarity, compassion and survival.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Looking beyond the tremendous and growing complexity of our actions at the international level, our debate should highlight this basic truth: if we want to build a world made more peaceful by respect for the law, solidarity and tolerance, we must strengthen our cohesiveness in the face of the new challenges before us, and also step up our efforts to promote human rights, eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. In this forum of the United Nations, we reply to the messengers of destruction with our common ideal, which will be stronger than hatred and division among mankind. That edifice, whose foundations are set in our spirits and in our hearts, will be unassailable.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We must now turn our attention to the process of following up the Declaration adopted by heads of State or Government with all due regard for the lofty and balanced aims of that cardinal text. For that, we need reliable data and depend on the existing follow-up machinery and processes and on the concerted efforts of the various actors in the 41 international community who can help us to achieve those objectives. We must also continue reform of the United Nations system as a whole, including the specialized agencies and the operational funds and programmes. The strengthening of the Security Council and its comprehensive reform in all its aspects should be pursued with determination. If we want a Security Council capable of responding even more effectively to the major challenges of the moment, we must intensify our efforts.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We will actively contribute to the creation of the new Global Fund to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and we will play an active role in all the other processes that emerged from last June’s special session so that the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS is put into practice through concrete measures. Among other challenges, the demographic changes that lie ahead are of particular interest to the European Union. The second World Assembly on Ageing, to be held at Madrid in April 2002, will be an opportunity for us to work together to build a society for all ages. The Millennium Summit enabled us to tackle, at the highest level, the major challenges facing the world community.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We hope that United Nations Member States will without delay commit themselves to be represented at Monterrey and at Johannesburg at the highest possible political level. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was one of the major results of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. We welcome the progress made at Bonn and at Marrakesh, and we undertake speedily to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. We have also just reached an intergovernmental consensus at the highest level on the strategy needed to halt the appalling global AIDS pandemic. That was a major step forward, but the urgent and tragic nature of the problem demand greater ambition.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“At the World Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held at Johannesburg in October 2002, we wish to promote the sustainable use and management and the protection of the natural resources that are the underpinning of economic and social development. We wish also to integrate action on the environment and poverty, to ensure that globalization serves the needs of sustainable development, and to promote better ways of managing public affairs and participation. The European Union would like to explore with its partners the possibility of achieving at the Summit a global pact on sustainable development. Such a pact should contain commitments both from Governments and from other actors. A global pact should lead to concrete action to improve the implementation of sustainable development policies.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The European Union committed itself to untying aid, to opening up its markets through the “everything but arms” initiative and to the full financing of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative. It is now a question of finalizing the follow-up mechanisms of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries. The European Union will also continue to give priority to the development of Africa. Two major international conferences will give us an opportunity to take up the challenges and achieve the principal objectives of the Millennium Declaration. At the International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held next March at Monterrey, Mexico, we shall focus on improving cooperation among all development actors, and on using resources more effectively and better mobilizing them.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The European Union has stated its willingness to respond and has already entered into a dialogue at the highest level with the African Union. At the Millennium Summit, we pledged together to attain a set of development objectives. That is an ambitious project which involves, inter alia, good governance in each country and at the international level. The Union underlines the need for strengthened partnership between rich countries and poor countries to achieve the development objectives of the Millennium Declaration. That partnership entails obligations and joint but varied efforts on the part of all countries. First of all, we must make every effort to eradicate poverty. New, concrete commitments were made at the third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, held at Brussels last May.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We continue to support the Secretary-General’s endeavours towards a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus question in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. The scale of the tragedies on the African continent demands resolute action on our part, at all levels, to address the direct structural causes of those 40 conflicts. Conflicts in Africa have become increasingly complex and their cross-border effects increasingly destructive. The crises in the Great Lakes region of West Africa, in Zimbabwe and in the Horn of Africa require increased vigilance on the part of the Organization. Those crises also show the need for a comprehensive and integrated international approach. We gave an enthusiastic welcome to the launch of the New African Initiative at the Lusaka summit of the Organization of African Unity.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It is primarily for the parties themselves to try to find peace through negotiating all elements relating to permanent status. This will include finding a viable and just solution to the particularly complex issues of Jerusalem and the refugees, as well as those of the economic support for the Palestinian people. The European Union, in close cooperation with the United States of America and the other partners involved, reaffirms its willingness to work for a final settlement to the conflict. We believe that it is now a matter of urgency to develop an initiative to strongly urge the parties to resume their political dialogue. The European Union finds the status quo in Cyprus unacceptable. We express our disappointment at the unjustified decision of the Turkish side to decline the Secretary-General’s invitation to pursue talks.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The European Union calls on both parties to do their utmost in the political, security, economic and social areas in order to get back to the negotiating table, without preconditions, with the objective of realizing the legitimate aspirations of the peoples of the region, as set out at the Madrid Conference of 1991. For the Palestinians, the establishment of a viable democratic State and an end to the occupation of their territory is essential. The Israelis must have the right to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders. The European Union also recalls that the search for a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region requires due account to be taken of the Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese aspects of the conflict. The same principles should apply in the resolution of those situations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The European Union calls on Israelis and Palestinians, while there is still time, immediately to resume the peace process, without preconditions, on the basis of the Mitchell report. It calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately withdraw their forces from Palestinian-administered areas. It calls on the Palestinian Authority to do its utmost to arrest those responsible for violence against Israel. It is necessary to preserve what has been achieved so far in the peace process: the principles of the Madrid Conference, in particular the principle of land for peace, as well as Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the agreements signed by the parties, which have already led to real results on the ground and to progress on the basis of earlier negotiations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The Balkans, a region so close to the countries of the European Union, remains at the centre of the Union’s external activities. We resolutely maintain our commitment to contribute to building a region of security, prosperity and democracy there, where multi- ethnic societies can be free to flourish. Progress has been remarkable and encouraging, but unfortunately in many cases the situation remains fragile. The international community must remain vigilant and must not let extremists, of whatever kind, use violence to destroy the stabilization work already carried out. The situation in the Middle East is worsening. The lack of any political perspective naturally encourages continued confrontation and plays into the hands of extremists. Defiance, fear and resentment radicalize people’s mindsets.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“But much remains to be done, and the European Union will continue to provide its active support for improving the capabilities of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and advocating that the Organization be given the resources that it needs to enable it effectively to discharge its increasingly complex responsibilities. A comprehensive and long-term approach is required in order to resolve differences of opinion, consolidate peace and prevent a resurgence of conflict. The European Union, which is currently establishing its own military and civil crisis-management capability, is actively engaged in strengthening its cooperation with the United Nations and other international organizations in the area of conflict prevention, crisis management, humanitarian aid, post-conflict reconstruction and long-term development.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)