YouSaid · the spoken record

Joschka Fischer

lines on the record: 103
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2004-09-24
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

“We, the Member States, have to muster the political insight, the will and the creativity to adapt the Organization to the global reality. Germany is ready to make a committed contribution.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“A second aspect also has to be taken into account in Security Council reform. All in all, a greater number of Member States that are engaging themselves in the work of the United Nations should be able to get more involved in the work of the Security Council. For that to happen, additional non-permanent seats also have to be created. That would mean that the balance between permanent and non-permanent members could be retained. As I said before, United Nations reform will be the central and defining theme of this General Assembly session. I thus call upon Member States: let us use the fifty-ninth session, right up until the next session in 2005, to launch the overdue reforms and achieve tangible results.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“At the same time, account has to be taken of Members that can and want to make a particularly meaningful and sustainable contribution to maintaining world peace and international security and to realizing the purposes of the Organization. That twofold approach would increase the Council’s efficiency and its ability to act and to assert itself. For 40 years, the composition of the Security Council has remained unchanged. I believe it is high time to adapt it to the new global reality. Half-baked or interim solutions are neither necessary nor helpful. Like Brazil, India and Japan, Germany too is ready to take on the responsibility associated with a permanent seat in the security Council. But it is especially important to us that the African continent be represented among the new permanent members.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“A Council with more members would enjoy greater acceptance internationally as a basis for greater authority. The more balanced and comprehensive representation of all continents — also among the permanent members — would lead to a better sense of ownership of the Security Council for all States. Similarly, an enlargement would considerably bolster the motivation of the new Council members to make a long-term contribution to realizing the goals of the United Nations. The enlargement must adequately reflect sea changes such as decolonization, the end of the cold war and globalization. The composition of the Council must ultimately mirror the current geopolitical reality. That means that all major regions of the South must be represented by permanent members in the Security Council.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In turn, the responsibility and competences of the Council have expanded constantly. Crisis prevention will play an increasingly important role. And for peace-building, ever more comprehensive strategies, closer cooperation and additional resources will be needed. This will mean more and more decisions that entail long-term obligations, create new international law and make major inroads into State sovereignty. If we really want Security Council decisions to be accepted as legitimate and implemented effectively, we have to reform the Council. It has to more broadly represent a world organization that today embraces more than 191 countries. That is inconceivable without increasing the number of seats — for permanent and non-permanent members alike. The reasons behind such a move speak for themselves.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“But we ought to exercise enough self-criticism to ask ourselves whether it would not be better to pool competences in some cases. However, there are also spheres that need to be better equipped. I am thinking here, for example, of the handling of environmental issues in the United Nations system. We thus support the proposal made by French President Jacques Chirac last year to upgrade the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to a specialized agency with universal membership. That 18 could considerably strengthen UNFP’s contribution to sustainable development. At the heart of the reform of the United Nations is the organ shouldering the central responsibility for international peace: the Security Council. Conflicts are on the increase. They stretch across all continents, and they are growing in complexity.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The Economic and Social Council advisory groups on post-crisis rehabilitation in Africa are a step in the right direction. That is what the decisive link between conflict management and development cooperation could indeed look like. Such an all-embracing approach needs appropriate financial resources. The instrument of voluntary contributions has proven insufficient in everyday life, and therefore I propose earmarking a certain share of the United Nations peacekeeping budget for post-crisis rehabilitation. This means we could achieve what we have long been trying, a “prevention share”, which — let us remember Haiti — could help us save the costs of conflicts flaring up again. Many criticize the proliferation of subsidiary and subordinate organizations of the United Nations. Of course, a reduction cannot be an end in itself.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“On the one hand, that body maintains a network of expertise unequalled in the world. We have to make better and more targeted use of it. On the other hand, we see the Economic and Social Council as a partner for the Security Council for peacekeeping, as laid down in Article 65 of the Charter. When it comes to fighting the causes of conflicts and to post-crisis rehabilitation, the Economic and Social Council has an important role to play that can support Security Council efforts for conflict prevention and peace- building. We should grant the Economic and Social Council more competences in the operative sphere. After all, the efforts we make in peace missions will be successful only if the military commitment is followed by a longer phase of stabilization, and very often that phase turns out to be the most difficult one.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Let me therefore outline some thoughts on this matter. I want to start with the General Assembly. It is the central organ of the United Nations, the only one with universal membership. For this very reason, the Assembly has to be more than an annual forum where we just go through the motions. What we need to do first is focus our topics more carefully. We have to discuss the truly crucial issues — otherwise, essential questions will be dealt with in other forums. Secondly, we need more efficient working methods. The Economic and Social Council has to finally become the central organ in the United Nations system for consultation and decision-making on economic and social issues. We believe that the Council has at two levels vast potential that has yet to be fully tapped.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“To that end, he appointed a panel of high-level international experts who are to present him with reform proposals at the end of the year. We look forward to that report and the ensuing debate with great interest. What is at stake is a new, shared understanding of the Charter system. How can we shape prevention to make it more effective, and peace-building to make it more sustainable? How can we further implement the proposals on the reform of peacekeeping? What exactly do we understand by the right of self-defence? How do we define terrorism? The answer to this question in particular seems clear, yet real agreement would take us, the international community of States, a step forward. A number of very concrete proposals on the reform of the United Nations institutions have already been presented.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“But we must realize that there will not be fewer conflicts in the future, and the demands made of the Organization will grow. Against this backdrop the question arises whether the structures given to the United Nations at its foundation almost sixty years ago are still suited to this mandate, whether its work enjoys the international acceptance it needs. In particular, the disputes concerning the Iraq crisis highlighted this problem once again. We are convinced there is no alternative to a world acting multilaterally. To make this multilateral cooperation sustainable and capable, we need a courageous and comprehensive reform of the United Nations that faces up to the challenges we are facing. It was the Secretary-General himself who took the initiative, and for this we extend our thanks.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The international community is making more and more use of it as a forum for tackling the major challenges facing humanity. For millions of people today the Blue Flag means quite tangible help, often on essential issues, and hope for a better future. For this, we are all very much indebted to the Organization and its staff. They are on the ground in many crisis regions in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. It is becoming ever clearer that different approaches must be found to prevent or resolve each 17 individual crisis. The commitment of the United Nations in all crisis areas is the proof. In Afghanistan and in the Balkans, in Haiti and in the Great Lakes region the United Nations is already making a considerable contribution.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“This breakthrough of multilateralism on the African continent will develop an ever more pronounced dynamism. Given global interdependencies and connections, we need a world organization that has close links to these regional structures and can thus boost the efficiency of joint action. The United Nations is the most important forum for setting global rules. Its might is the might of the right, as the Secretary-General highlighted in his impressive speech at the opening of this General Assembly session. With its legitimacy we have a unique and universal competence for solving problems together. Since the breaking of the internal blockade caused by the cold war, the United Nations has been playing an increasingly significant role.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“That is a reform we need urgently, because we have to create an effective multilateral system which enables us to work together to prevent crises and, where that does not work, find long-term solutions. There have already been promising developments at the regional level. With their sometimes painful history very much in mind, the States of Europe have joined together in the European Union and thus have reached a new level of multilateralism. This political and economic community, now embracing 25 States, has become an anchor of stability for Europe and beyond. Since its foundation the African Union has been impressively shouldering its shared responsibility for preventing humanitarian disasters and resolving major regional conflicts. This is a courageous and key step forward.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We also know that crises are the fruit of poverty and a sense of hopelessness, and vice-versa. We will have no peace without development, nor indeed development without peace, so we have comprehensively to secure peace and stability — above all through economic and social development. The States of the world have to work together to shape economic, technological and ecological globalization and rise to the resulting challenges. They will not be able to do so without close cooperation. Indeed, that is now beyond the tools of traditional diplomacy alone. Their ability to secure and stabilize the international system on their own will in future prove less and less adequate. What we need is a far-reaching reform of the international system and its institutions that takes due account of these changes.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“On the one hand, there are threats to national and global security such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the nuclear threat, the danger posed by failed States or, as we all painfully remember in this city, by terrorism, which does not respect humankind or human dignity. On the other hand, there are also so-called soft threats, such as far-reaching environmental and climatic changes, poverty, major shortfalls in education and training and the negative aspects of globalization, refugee flows, and diseases and epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. They are a threat to security and stability and take a heavy toll. The two — hard and soft threats — are closely connected. After all, we know that the causes of war and violence, poverty, need and oppression are multifaceted and deep-rooted.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Let me first of all congratulate you, President Ping, on your election and wish you every success in your responsible post, and express my sincere thanks to the outgoing President for his dedicated work. I endorse the statement of the Netherlands European Union presidency. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the world is changing at dramatic speed. In just a few decades, humanity will have reached the 8 billion mark. With the networking of world trade and with global communication technologies, we are growing ever closer. We are going to become increasingly interdependent in economic, technical and ecological terms. At the same time, we all face a host of new challenges and new dangers which threaten us all — the South and the North, the developing and the developed world alike.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“The Assembly of States Parties gave the green light this week to the establishment of the Court. Next spring we will celebrate its opening in The Hague. The International Criminal Court will start work as soon as possible and as efficiently as possible. But it must not be weakened in its work from the outset. My country is applying for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the period 2003-2004. Germany wants to play an active role in developing the international security system within the United Nations along the lines that I have outlined. I would like to ask all members for their vote in the election on 27 September.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Moreover, we must be careful today to ensure that basic human rights are not annulled under the pretext of combating terrorism. No one has the right to an “anti-terrorism bonus”. 19 Cooperative global security will have to measure up to the binding legal framework in which it is embedded. It is imperative for the globalization process to be flanked by a growing set of international rules, because international law and the rule of law constitute the indispensable foundations for peaceful and ordered coexistence. That is why the establishment of the International Criminal Court is so important to us. Its Statute entered into force on 1 July; Germany, along with all the other members of the European Union, is among the 79 States to have ratified it.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In the long term, a sensible energy policy — and that means, above all, the promotion of renewable energy sources and economical energy consumption — is the best solution to the climate problem. Work must therefore start today. Let us not forget that difficult economic and ecological problems, with their social and humanitarian repercussions, will increasingly endanger stability and security too. The protection of human rights must be one of the pillars of a global security system. All efforts to secure peace will fail if human rights are not protected and made a reality. We need a binding global set of values to prevent and overcome conflicts that emerge through inequality, injustice and the denial of freedom. Here, too, States are called upon to play a decisive and active role.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In Zimbabwe, hunger is caused principally not by failed harvests or droughts but by self-destructive governance — a policy of keeping a grip on power through the suffering of the people. Such a policy relies upon the fact that the international community's humanitarian conscience and readiness to assume responsibility will reduce the consequences. We must hold this policy up against the benchmarks defined by Africa itself in the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's Development. Climate and energy policy is a key component of the new global economic order. The Kyoto Protocol can be seen as a milestone in global climate protection. I am delighted that several countries have recently announced plans to ratify the Protocol, and hope that this will happen as soon as possible so that it can enter into force.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Resources must be more fairly distributed and poorer countries must be able to participate in international trade and take advantage of the opportunities of globalization. This will necessitate free market access for all, as well as the realization of economic and political freedoms and a just and reliable legal framework. We must not close our eyes to the problems of Africa, in particular. The food situation in the South of the continent is a particular source of concern. Countless people are going hungry and comprehensive assistance is needed there. In Zimbabwe, however, the former granary of Africa, a wholly irresponsible policy is the reason for the difficult situation.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The people of Afghanistan will only grow in courage, however, when they see and feel that the international community is also standing by its pledges for the reconstruction of their country. The commitments of the donor countries must materialize in the form of concrete projects. A system of global cooperative security must be based on a comprehensive security concept. This must embrace not only military security but also the economy, human rights, democracy and culture. “To achieve a safer world, we must create a better world”: that is how President Bush summed up the situation in his impressive speech to the German Bundestag last May. Shaping cooperative global security therefore also means shaping a new global economic order. Account must be taken of the needs of all — the developing and the developed world alike.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Without a just and lasting solution to regional conflicts, we will not be able to eliminate the recruitment base for terrorists and thus successfully counter the asymmetrical threat. Afghanistan is an obvious example here. The Taliban system has collapsed there and the Al Qaeda network has largely been destroyed. We are still a long way from being able to call the situation in the country stable and secure, but progress can be noted. The implementation of the provisions of the Bonn Conference agreement began with the formation of a legitimate Interim Administration. The process that was launched on the Petersberg was taken to the next level with the convening in June of the emergency loya jirga. For the first time in years, the Afghan people have the chance to lead a life of dignity based on self-determination.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The consensus among the international community of nations on the Middle East question is now greater than 18 ever. We must all pull together to achieve the goal envisaged by President Bush for 2005, that of two States, Israel and a democratic Palestine, living as neighbours within secure and recognized borders. The European Union has devised a road map to achieve that goal. An early conference on the Middle East could help to build bridges and accelerate the process. Together with our European Union partners, we are ready to make a considerable contribution in that respect. A comprehensive peace in the Middle East must also include Lebanon and Syria. Saudi Arabia's significant initiative contains the assurance that the Arab world would then also be ready to fully normalize its relations with Israel.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“I would like to pose the further question of whether a peaceful solution to the question of the Middle East could not contribute considerably more to the establishment of regional stability, to the successful fight against terrorism and to the effective control and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction. In that way, would the regime in Baghdad not be isolated much more effectively, thus generating political pressure for change? Would this cooperative approach to finding a new order for the region not be a more promising way to bring democracy to the Middle East — one that would be supported by the regional Powers? Nowhere is the connection between terrorism and regional conflict more obvious than in the Near and Middle East. The breakthrough to peace is therefore of paramount importance in that region of the world.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“What would it mean for regional stability? What effect would it have on the Middle East conflict? Are there new, concrete findings and facts? Does the situation as assessed justify the taking of a great risk, namely, taking responsibility for peace and stability in the entire region for years or even decades to come? Would such action gain the consent of the Arab neighbours? What consequences would it have for the continuation of the global coalition against terrorism? In the face of these open questions, we feel deep scepticism with regard to military action and thus hold to our approach.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The Security Council and Member States must make it unequivocally clear to Baghdad that the unrestricted and unconditional re-admission of the weapons inspectors is the only way to avert a great tragedy for Iraq and the entire region. The Iraqi Government must implement all relevant Security Council resolutions in their entirety and without delay. We do not, however, want any automatism leading to the use of military force. The fight against international terrorism remains perilous. We have not yet managed to fully stabilize Afghanistan. Explosive regional conflicts in Kashmir, the Middle East and the Caucasus must be resolved or at least effectively contained. Certain central questions arise for us. Have all economic and political means of pressure been truly exhausted? What consequences would military intervention have?”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“The regime in Baghdad must not own or produce the means for mass destruction or the systems to deliver them. Despite binding demands from the Security Council, Saddam Hussein refuses to provide credible and verifiable answers to the pressing questions posed by the community of nations regarding his weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, the United Nations not only must maintain the pressure on the Iraqi Government but also must intensify it. We welcome the fact that President Bush, in his most recent speech, turned towards the Security Council. Even if it becomes very difficult, we must do everything possible to find a diplomatic solution.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“No other organization has comparable legitimacy and credibility. Decisively strengthening its ability to act by continuing the reform path of the Secretary- General is, therefore, a central focus of German foreign policy. The developments in Iraq fill us with grave concern. Saddam Hussein's regime is a brutal dictatorship. Under his leadership, Iraq has attacked its neighbours Iran and Kuwait, has fired missiles at Israel and has used poison gas against Iran and against its own Kurdish population. The regime is horrendous for the Iraqi people and a risk to the region. For that reason, an effective containment policy and reliable military control of the no-fly zones have been implemented and a strict sanctions regime against Iraq has been introduced since the Gulf War.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“For one thing is clearer than ever after 11 September: terrorism threatens world peace just as much as civil war and regional conflicts. Such a system, therefore, must not be toothless, but rather must function in all three fields through reliable verification systems and enforceable sanctions mechanisms. I am convinced that developing such a comprehensive system of global cooperative security will be our central political task for the twenty-first century. This problem can be solved only through multilateralism — that is, if nations work together. Terrorism does not stop at national borders, and shaping globalization is a task that Governments can no longer tackle alone. Thus, the United Nations has a major role to play in developing this security system; it is the most important forum for establishing global rules.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“But, above all else, we must not forget: on the one hand, terrorism must be fought resolutely by the military and police; on the other, we need to resolve the political and social conflicts quite rightly emphasized in the Millennium Declaration, as they form the breeding ground for the emergence of terrorism. Opting for one approach and neglecting the other risks failure. Our common goal is for the people in our countries to be able to live in safety and freedom, and without want. To achieve that, we need a system of global cooperative security that, unlike the former bipolarity of the cold war, includes all levels of global policy relevant to security: the relations among great 17 Powers and their alliances as well as the potential danger of regional crises and the threat posed by asymmetrical conflicts.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Since 11 September 2001, the community of nations has had to look at the question of peace and security at the dawn of the twenty-first century from a whole new angle. We will not be able to negotiate with terrorists like Osama bin Laden. His aim is to kill as many innocent people as possible, thus creating the maximum degree of terror and fear. If the terrorists succeed in acquiring weapons that are yet more horrific, they will deploy them against us all without hesitation. Therefore, we must work together in the international coalition against terrorism to overcome and destroy that international terrorist network. The highly dangerous combination of religious hatred, smouldering regional conflicts, terrorist attacks and the danger of the deployment of weapons of mass destruction must be prevented at any price.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“We have not forgotten the images of 11 September; we have not recovered from the shock. Our solidarity with the United States is unbroken. We understand our American friends. Just like them, we are not prepared to live under the sword of Damocles that terrorism represents. The murderous attack on the people and the Administration of the United States was also an attack on all open societies. Countless States mourn their countrymen among the thousands of World Trade Center victims. The attack could have struck any open society, but the terrorists consciously chose the United States as a symbol of freedom and democracy. We know that the new totalitarian challenge is also directed at us all.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“First of all, I should like to wish you every success, Mr. President, in your responsible office. We are delighted that you, a representative of our Czech neighbours, will preside over the General Assembly this year. I also express my sincere thanks to the outgoing President. I endorse the statement of the Danish presidency of the European Union. One year ago, the world was shaken by the terror of 11 September, which was disdainful of human life. Civilian aircraft were transformed into guided missiles whose deployment had been planned without any regard for human life. The devastating consequences destroyed families, shattered hopes and tore people apart, regardless of their age, gender or religious affiliation. Three days ago, we remembered the victims in a moving ceremony here in New York.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“If together we succeed in implementing such a policy, we will not just ultimately win the war against terrorism but will also be able to eradicate its roots forever.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“And we must strengthen the sole advocate of the global environment, the United Nations Environment Programme, institutionally, operationally and financially. 11 September made it horrifyingly clear that the human race will not be able to live in peace and security in the absence of political order at the global and regional levels. Germany will continue to do its utmost to bring about the strengthening of the United Nations and its capacity to act, so that the world will be a more peaceful, just and humane place in the twenty-first century than it was in the twentieth century. The future belongs to responsible governance for one world, governance based not on hegemonic claims, but on cooperation, solidarity and multilateralism.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“At present only a minority of the world’s citizens profit from the opportunities for growth offered by globalization and from the use of the new information technologies. This state of affairs cannot be accepted, even by the rich countries — for moral reasons, but also because tensions and conflicts today spread much more quickly and widely than ever before. The battle against poverty cannot be won unless we take equally determined steps to preserve the natural resources on which life depends. At the coming World Summit in Johannesburg we must make a quantum leap forward towards sustainable development, improved poverty eradication and better management of our natural resources. The Kyoto Protocol must enter into force next year.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“As regards biological weapons, in view of the acute threat, effective global control mechanisms must finally be created. The Chemical Weapons Convention must be more rigorously implemented. All States are called 14 upon to participate in the negotiation of an international code of conduct on ballistic missile proliferation. The fight now beginning against terrorism must build on the awareness that the first world cannot in the long term live secure and safe from the tensions and conflicts of the third world. Almost one quarter of the world population is starving. Ninety-five per cent of those infected with AIDS live in developing countries. Africa is particularly hard hit.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It can bear fruit only if it is pursued free of all constraint. And it has a purpose only if all participants are also ready to offer self-criticism. The insidious anthrax attacks since 11 September show that the threat from weapons of mass destruction in terrorist hands, which yesterday seemed abstract, is today a real and deadly danger. The community of States must do everything in its power to counter it with a new push for non-proliferation and global disarmament. The dangers of the dissemination of weapons to non-State groups and of regional arms races require new answers and effective, internationally enforceable criminal sanctions. In the nuclear field, the commitment contained in the Non-Proliferation Treaty to complete nuclear disarmament remains crucial.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We must counter the terrorist strategy designed to bring about the clash of civilizations with a dialogue of cultures and religions. We need a spiritual debate based on mutual understanding that attempts to reach genuine agreement on the fundamental values that unite us. Such a dialogue presupposes the existence of shared values, but also respect for other traditions and differences between peoples. However, one thing must be clear: human rights are universal, not Western values. Consensus was reached on them by the international community of States in the Charter of the United Nations and the human rights conventions. Any dialogue must build on the universality of human rights. It must be conducted with respect for the dignity of all involved, in tolerance and openness. It must start at home, within cultures themselves.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“This is truer today than ever before. Never before has there been broader international backing for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Mitchell recommendations still form the basis for the timetable accepted by all sides, and in their spirit we call on Israelis and Palestinians alike to put an immediate and lasting end to violence and confrontation, to resume the agreed direct talks without delay and to seriously implement the negotiated ceasefires. These talks must lead to genuine negotiations on a viable political solution. The real aim of the terrorists is to trigger a clash of civilizations and to inflame the situation in the Near and Middle East. Under no circumstances can we allow ourselves to be drawn into such a conflict. We are fighting international terrorism, not Islam.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples have a right to live free of fear, in dignity and in peace. This is indivisible not only from Israel’s right of statehood, as recognized in Madrid — which is, in our view, inviolable — but also from its security. Germany bears a special responsibility towards Israel stemming from its past. Any policy that aims at destroying Israel by means of terrorism or otherwise will face determined opposition from Germany. However, we equally advocate the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and their right to their own State, Palestine. In the European Union Berlin Declaration of March 1999 we stated that “the creation of a democratic, viable and peaceful sovereign Palestinian State on the basis of existing agreements and through negotiations would be the best guarantee of Israel’s security”.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Is it possible to establish humanitarian protected areas, to use the expulsion of the Taliban from Mazar-e-Sharif and other towns to improve the humanitarian situation, and to make a town like Kabul an open city? Of course this will be very difficult, but let us nevertheless think without taboos about absolutely all ways in which we could help the people. As chair of the Afghanistan Support Group, Germany has issued an invitation to a meeting in Berlin at the beginning of December. I appeal to all States to make a great humanitarian effort now and to come to the aid of the downtrodden Afghan people. Solving regional conflicts will be of critical importance in the fight against terrorism. The Middle East conflict is a top priority. Our hearts go out to the many innocent victims on all sides.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Only a peace process under the auspices of the United Nations will succeed in excluding external involvement in the future and 13 ensuring a peaceful future for the country in harmony with its neighbours. Germany and the European Union are willing to play their part towards a political solution for Afghanistan and to participate in the long term in the economic and social reconstruction of Afghanistan. More than anything, the refugees and the civilian population must be helped. We cannot tolerate the fact that the Taliban is hindering humanitarian access and is using the civilian population as a shield. Especially because of the approaching winter, we must do everything in our power to provide the people with at least the most basic necessities and to alleviate their despair and hardship.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“In Afghanistan, too, the root of the tragic conflict is profoundly political, and so the solution, too, can ultimately only be a political one. It must come from within, must reflect the diversity of peoples in Afghan society and must be accepted by the Afghan people. But a peaceful solution also requires assistance from the international community. Afghanistan must not be left alone with its problems yet again. A clear political and humanitarian perspective for Afghanistan is now crucial. The United Nations should be the coordinating agency for all peace efforts. It is indispensable as the framework for the political process and as the guarantor of internal agreements within Afghanistan.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We must not forget that the suffering of the people in Afghanistan is above all the work of the Taliban. It was the Taliban that, long before 11 September, increasingly impeded effective humanitarian relief, robbed women and girls of all their rights and actively supported terrorism, also with the goal of destabilizing Arab and Muslim States. Not to react would indeed be to invite further terror and oppression and would be extremely dangerous for world peace. The dramatic nature of this threat is illustrated by Osama bin Laden’s statement that he will not shrink from using even nuclear weapons. Civilian means alone are unfortunately not always enough to put an end to violence and terror. This was the case in the Balkans.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The community of States urgently needs to take a closer and preventive look at the problem of failing States — but not just in Afghanistan, and not only after a catastrophe has occurred. No conflict prevention measures have ever been undertaken in Afghanistan. Far from it. This has proved to be a fatal error. For more than 20 years, a humanitarian catastrophe has been playing itself out before the eyes of the world, in which women and children, in particular, have suffered. Civil war, human rights violations and abject misery have also been the nourishing ground for the unprecedented symbiosis between the terrorists of the Al Qaeda group and the Taliban regime. From there the trail leads directly to the horrific attacks in the United States. As hard as this decision may be, without the use of military means, this threat cannot be averted.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The International Criminal Court can also become a valuable instrument in the fight against terrorism. Under article 7, paragraph 1, of its statute, it will have jurisdiction to try cases of murder “when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population”. There can be no doubt that the attacks on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania fulfil this requirement. For this reason, I would like to ask you all once again to ratify the Rome Statute as quickly as possible. The attack on the World Trade Center was a wake-up call to the profound threat to world peace that can be posed by failing States. Areas where political and social order has collapsed offer terrorists a safe haven from which they can organize their murderous networks worldwide.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“The Security Council responded to 11 September with rare solidarity and, with resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373 (2001), took decisions on concrete, internationally binding anti-terrorism measures that point the way ahead. The General Assembly, too, severely condemned the terrorist attacks and called for joint action against international terrorism. This path must now be rigorously pursued with the rapid and universal ratification and implementation of the 12 United Nations anti-terrorism conventions and the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. We must endeavour anew to bring this project, on which we all place so much hope, to a successful conclusion. I therefore call upon all States that have not yet approved the present compromise to reconsider their position.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)