YouSaid · the spoken record

Niels Helveg Petersen

lines on the record: 70
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 2000-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
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

“There is a need for further improvement of the international non-proliferation regimes. Peace, development and human rights have been the essentials in the work of the United Nations from the very beginning. They remain essential. The primary responsibility for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world rests with Governments, but the United Nations is here to help us. The Millennium Summit confirmed our common will to work together as truly united nations. I cannot leave this Assembly without expressing my deep concern at the situation in Burma. The treatment of Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi is a disgrace, and I call on the regime in Burma to immediately restore Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of speech, movement and communication.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Therefore, I reiterate my proposal to establish a procedural rule; a rule according to which a permanent member of the Security Council would have to state the reasons why it has decided to exercise its right of veto in a given situation. Furthermore, the Member State should state on which grounds it considers that matters of vital importance are at stake. I hope that this idea can be further developed and that it can gain broad support. I have addressed new challenges and possibilities at the start of the new millennium. Let me end by reminding this Assembly that old challenges still need to be addressed. Weapons of mass destruction are a lethal legacy of the cold war. They need our continued attention. Certain States are still pursuing the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and building a missile capacity.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Any intervention reflects a failure of prevention. As a last resort, the international community must have the ability to act in the face of organized mass murder or ethnic-cleansing, even if the Security Council is blocked. The challenge is to keep open the option of humanitarian intervention without Security Council authorization in extreme cases, but to do so without jeopardizing the international legal order. We must ensure that the Security Council functions as effectively as possible. If not, the influence of the Council will be diminished. The permanent members of the Security Council should apply the right of veto only in matters of vital importance.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“On the one hand, we had a basic rule of international law incorporated into the United Nations Charter ó that the use of force in international relations is prohibited unless authorized by the Security Council or in self-defence. On the other hand, many countries find that there is a political and moral obligation to act in the face of atrocities causing large-scale human suffering within another State. There is no clear-cut solution to this dilemma. But surely no legal principle, including sovereignty, can be used as a shield to commit crimes against humanity and other serious violations of human rights. The Security Council has a moral obligation to act on behalf of the international community. We must remember that the United Nations was founded, in the words of the Charter, in order to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Close cooperation between the United Nations and other international organizations is called for. We must establish a partnership between the United Nations and regional actors. Last year the Secretary-General called upon Member States to pursue more effective policies to stop 33 organized mass murder and violations of human rights. I fully support this view. We cannot leave large groups of people unaided where national authorities do not live up to their responsibilities. Conflicts in Kosovo and East Timor raise serious questions with regard to some of the classic principles of international law, the principle of State sovereignty, the principle of respect for human rights and the principle of the non-use of force in international relations.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“They are a comprehensive and complex undertaking involving disarmament, demobilization of combatants, supervision of elections, monitoring of human rights and training of local police among others. We must enable the United Nations to adapt to the new realities, do things better and avoid such failures as happened in Rwanda. I fully support the recommendations in the Brahimi Report on United Nations peace operations. We must provide stronger political and financial support to the Organization. I welcome the proposed shift towards the use of civilian police and the rule of law, as I welcome the focus on rapid deployment of military and civilian personnel. Police and judicial experts are indispensable to rebuilding the economy in civil society, and their work must be based on a solid peace-building strategy.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Denmark increasingly turns her efforts towards the prevention and management of violent conflicts in line with our comprehensive engagement in developing countries and active involvement in United Nations peacekeeping activities. We will strengthen this ability to react quickly and effectively. We will also continue to support regional cooperation also when it comes to countering the uncontrolled spread of small arms. Landmines are substantial obstacles to development. Increased efforts by the United Nations, Governments and non- governmental organizations are necessary. Right now, new momentum is needed. The second meeting of States Parties to the Ottawa Convention provides an important opportunity. Peace operations are no longer a question of merely keeping the warring parties apart or monitoring ceasefires.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“They helped to narrow down differences on key issues. A breakthrough has never before seemed so close at hand. Time, however, is quickly running out. I urge the parties to seize this historic opportunity. I salute the political courage displayed by the Israeli and the Palestinian leadership in their efforts to achieve a durable solution. I welcome the recent decision by the Palestinian Central Council to defer the decision on the question of statehood in the interest of further negotiations. Democracy is a peacemaker. Democracies are much less prone to violent conflicts. The Secretary- General recently called attention to what he called fig leaf democracies. The fig leaf of elections does not by itself turn a dictatorship into a democracy. Elections can even lead to a backlash as frustrations rise and tensions turn into violence.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“No one should expect easy solutions, but we must work together to prevent and resolve armed conflicts in Africa. We witness an increased African effort in the field of peace and security. The international community must support this trend through our active involvement. We must assist in capacity-building by relevant African organizations, and by backing United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Africa itself must create the conditions for international involvement. We welcome the initiatives by the Security Council to create common ground for United Nations peacekeeping operations by inviting the parties involved to discussions and special sessions of the Council in New York. Although the Camp David talks did not bring about an agreement in the Middle East, they represented a major step forward.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The growing transfer of private capital rarely flows to the countries in Africa. We must do more to integrate Africa into the world economy. Trade opportunities must be improved. We must give free access to the markets of industrialized countries, as well as to products where African countries have a genuine competitive advantage. The legal framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) must take into account the special difficulties of developing countries. Trade-related technical assistance must be improved. Peace and security, we know, are fundamental conditions for economic and social development. War, internal strife and political unrest have devastated large parts of Africa, causing untold human suffering and destruction.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In the past year, the Council has taken up issues as diverse as AIDS in Africa, protection of civilians in armed conflicts and children in armed conflict. These initiatives increase our awareness of the root causes of conflict. The international community must shoulder its responsibility in relation to the AIDS epidemic in sub- Saharan Africa. The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS could seal the fate of more than 30 million Africans over the next five years and epidemic undermines decades of development efforts and dissolves the social texture of nations. It could destabilize entire regions. The AIDS epidemic is not a local problem. It is a matter of security of global importance. Africa has enormous potential but millions continue to survive on less than one dollar a day.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The best preventive action against conflict and strife is to ensure sound economic and social development based on good governance, respect for human rights and protection of minorities. An encouraging and innovative feature is the decision adopted by the Economic and Social Council in July to establish a permanent forum on indigenous issues thereby advancing the aspirations of indigenous peoples. The Danish Government and the home rule Government of Greenland welcome this recent development. We will actively support the work of the permanent forum. I welcome the fact that the Security Council has shown increasing attention to humanitarian issues. The open meeting in the Council on Africa in January gave new prominence to the humanitarian challenges for this continent.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Increased communication between countries and peoples reinforces the need for common norms of social and economic behaviour. The global United Nations conferences within the last decade bear witness to the value of the United Nations as a unique norm setting forum. The follow up conferences to the social Summit in Copenhagen and the Beijing Conference on Women are cases in point. These United Nations summits have advanced our understanding of the interaction between peace, development and human rights. The United Nations process on financing for development offers an opportunity for renewed commitment and action. The relationship between social development and promotion of human rights is today recognized.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Allow me first to associate myself with the statement by my colleague, the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the European Union. May I also congratulate you, Mr. Vice-President, and through you, President Holkeri, on your election to preside over this millennium Assembly. A few days ago, leaders from all over the world gathered at the Millennium Summit. They gathered to reaffirm their faith in the Charter and to give direction to the United Nations in the twenty-first century. The Charter remains as relevant as ever with its mandate to promote peace and security, create an international community based on the rule of law, uphold respect for human rights and promote social development. The new millennium brings new challenges to the United Nations in an ever more globalized world.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The pursuit of human security and human development are not two independent paths. They are interrelated. Without economic and social development, it makes no sense to talk about human security. Where security does not exist, there will be no sustainable development. When violent conflict erupts, the results of decades of development may be undone in a very short time. We must uphold the importance of both concerns and we must emphasize that they are a national as well as an international responsibility. We thus face a major challenge at the threshold of the next millennium — a challenge we should give proper attention to at the Millennium Assembly next year.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The downward trend of official development assistance must be reversed and a higher share should be multilateral. Many poor countries are crippled with debt hampering their development. We therefore welcome the proposals to improve the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt (HIPC) Initiative. We are, however, disappointed by the lack of progress in financing the Initiative. We appeal to the major donor countries to live up to their responsibilities following the debt declaration of the Cologne summit. Besides aid, not instead of aid, developing countries need trade. In the forthcoming new global trade round, 38 every effort must be made to ensure better market access for developing countries and to enhance their real capacity to take part in international trade.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Official development assistance also assists in building up the sectors that do not attract private investment: health, education, the social sectors and capacity-building in general. In this way, countries may also, eventually, become able to attract private investment and to avail themselves of the opportunities of international trade. In this context, it is deplorable to see official development assistance reaching its lowest point ever. Honouring the commitments of official development assistance entered into internationally by industrialized countries has become a question of credibility. It is also a question of the effectiveness of the multilateral system. The United Nations system cannot perform the tasks we ask of it if we deny it the necessary means.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In addition, we are providing funding to help address global problems in the field of the environment as well as peacekeeping and conflict prevention. These grants will grow in the coming years, reaching half of 1 per cent of gross domestic product by the year 2005, thus bringing Denmark's total contribution to international assistance to 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product. Creating an enabling environment for development is a challenge, first of all for developing countries themselves. Reforms cannot be imposed from the outside. If they are to succeed, local ownership and local roots are essential. Official development assistance has an essential role to play in helping the poorest countries, particularly in Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“International development cooperation must be based on the fulfilment as soon as possible of the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product for official development assistance and on implementing the decisions of the big United Nations conferences of recent years with regard to human and social development, eradication of poverty, sustainable development and gender equality. The follow-up conferences to the Beijing conference and, in the year 2000, to the Copenhagen summit are important events requiring our full attention. Denmark stands by these commitments. We will continue our policy of contributing 1 per cent of our gross national product to official development assistance. Poverty reduction is the prime goal of our development cooperation programmes.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The international community must acknowledge its share of the responsibility for making the opportunities of globalization available to all. Globalization must not become identical with protected and selective prosperity. Eradication of poverty is an essential goal in its own right. Furthermore, poverty is an important cause of conflict. And again, violent conflict may undo the results of decades of development. Development cooperation, therefore, constitutes an effective crisis-prevention effort for the long term.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In Europe we have to deal with the Balkans. But we must not neglect the other important issues on the international agenda, in particular international development cooperation and the struggle for the eradication of poverty. In a world where a third of the population of developing countries earns less than $1 per day, where 30 per cent of all children under five in those countries are underweight, where 14 per cent of the population will not attain the age of 40, where financial crisis has led to a major setback in poverty reduction — in such a world development cooperation must remain an integral part of the effort of the international community to promote and protect human security and human development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Now we are gradually turning to assistance in 37 reconstruction and rebuilding of both physical and social infrastructure. A plan of action for Denmark's support in this respect has been drawn up. The plan expects Danish funds in the order of $100 million dollars to be used in the region in 1999 and around $120 million dollars in the year 2000. The reconstruction of Kosovo is important. It includes the establishment of a well-functioning civil administration. The United Nations family and many non-governmental organizations are undertaking important tasks which deserve our full support. All parties must strive to heal the wounds of conflict. International relations and international cooperation are not based on a one-issue agenda. Certain issues may grab and almost monopolize the headlines for a while.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The prospects for lasting peace and reconciliation are severely undermined if war criminals and the like remain at large. The historic adoption last year in Rome of a statute for a permanent international criminal court is a landmark contribution to restoring the rule of law and ending impunity. Although not perfect, the Rome Statute provides a satisfactory basis for an effective and credible court. We urge all States to ratify the Statute as early as possible in order to put this historic building block in place. Denmark intends to ratify in the spring of the year 2000. Secondly, post-conflict assistance must be provided to the societies split by civil strife or war. Denmark is ready to do its part. With respect to the western Balkans, we initially provided assistance to refugees and for their safe return.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It should be carried out on the basis of a common resolve to secure human rights for all. The United Nations constitutes a needed and valuable tool to this end. Conflict resolution must, of course, not become only a question of the use of force. Let me point to two important aspects of the post-conflict situation. First, those who are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice. The creation of the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda were important first steps towards establishing an effective international legal order based upon democratic values and the rule of law. The work of the tribunals has underlined the need for a permanent international criminal court designed to bring to justice those who have committed crimes of the most heinous kind.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The Security Council must do its utmost to live up to its primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace, security and humanitarian decency — a primary responsibility that all the Member States have vested in the Security Council in accordance with Article 24 of the Charter. The Council's permanent members should apply the veto only in matters of vital importance, taking into account their unique responsibility for the interests of the United Nations as a whole. And they should state on what grounds they consider such a situation to be present. The Secretary-General has said, “any armed intervention is itself a result of the failure of prevention”. (A/54/PV.4) I agree with the Secretary-General that conflict prevention and resolution must be given the highest possible priority in international relations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Pressure from the international community brought about action. An agreement was reached to deploy a multinational force. We welcome this development. We urge the Indonesian Government to cooperate fully with the multinational force. In the meantime, the Indonesian Government remains responsible for the security of the population. It must make it possible for the humanitarian organizations to provide assistance for the large number of displaced persons in East Timor. We all share the responsibility for enabling the international community to address these issues and for enabling the United Nations to act. Where force has to be resorted to, we have to look to countries possessing that capability. In practical terms, this means that we often have to rely upon countries and organizations in the region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Unfortunately, the Council was not able to live up to its responsibilities concerning the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Should the paralysis of the Council lead to blind acceptance? No; the international community could not stand idly by and watch, while the principle of State sovereignty was misused in Kosovo to violate international humanitarian law. In this serious situation the decision to launch the North Atlantic Treaty Organization campaign was legitimate and justified. It opened the way to a political solution, bringing the United Nations back into a central role. In East Timor we were faced with widespread, organized atrocities against a civilian population exercising its right to self-determination. In addition, the risk of total disregard for the United Nations was looming. Fortunately, the Security Council was not paralysed.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I am referring, in particular, to the conflicts in relation to Iraq, Bosnia, Haiti, and Albania. A main challenge for the Security Council remains that of reacting effectively against gross and systematic violations of human rights conducted against an entire population. 36 The Council has interpreted its competence under Chapter VII of the Charter to cover humanitarian situations that shock the conscience of mankind. This augurs well for the victims of brutal oppression and ill for the dictators of today. Oppressors of whole peoples, mass murderers and ethnic cleansers can no longer invoke the shield of national sovereignty. Nor can they expect impunity. The international community has a responsibility to act in the face of a humanitarian tragedy such as the one we witnessed in Kosovo and the one we are witnessing in East Timor.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The thorny question is whether and when to use military force in the face of an emerging humanitarian catastrophe, such as a planned ethnic cleansing or downright genocide. It cannot be emphasized too often that a negotiated settlement must remain the primary and ultimate goal of any conflict solution. If, however, all attempts at securing a peaceful solution fail or are brushed aside, the question of whether to use force in one form or another arises. This brings the United Nations Security Council to the forefront. The Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. It has carried out its functions as foreseen in the United Nations Charter in a much more effective and innovative way since the end of the cold war.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have spent the last 50 years developing an impressive body of human rights law, applicable in time of peace as well as during armed conflict, starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Indeed, there is no shortage of rules. What is lacking is effective implementation of existing rules, in the very last resort through the use of force. We must now aim at enforcement in order to provide assistance, regardless of frontiers, to the victims of human rights violations. We must show resolve in promoting respect for the rule of law and for the institutions called upon to uphold the rule of law. A broad spectrum of actions is available; the choice of action must depend on the problem we face.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Kosovo and East Timor raised serious questions with regard to the classic concepts of State sovereignty, the respect for human rights and the non-use of force in international relations. How do these concepts interrelate? How do they relate to our concern for human security? And what does the interrelationship mean for the role and responsibility of the United Nations and for the Security Council? The first point to be made is that the international community cannot be idle in the face of gross and systematic violations of human rights. Nor can we stand idly by if the United Nations and its representatives, who have assisted a people in exercising its right to self- determination, are trampled on. International law finds itself at a crossroads.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But paradoxically, although the challenges are global, policy-making and institutions still remain predominantly national in focus and scope. Increasingly we see internal conflicts and blatant violations of human rights and humanitarian law pose a special and serious kind of threat. Terrorism, drug- trafficking and international crime also thrive in a globalized world. The international community must possess the means and display the resolve to confront such challenges. Our fundamental concerns about human security and human development cannot be met only in a domestic context. I should like to illustrate these concerns, first, in relation to the Kosovo and East Timor crises and, secondly, with regard to international development cooperation.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Let me first associate myself with the statement of my colleague, the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the European Union. Let me also, Mr. President, congratulate you on your election. Denmark's relations with Namibia and with you personally go back to long before your country's independence. I am therefore particularly gratified to see you in this position. In my statement today, I should like to dwell upon the responsibility of the international community, including, of course, the United Nations, for human security and development. We live in an ever more globalized world. Almost every day we are confronted with new challenges that must be met. Distance or ignorance of events no longer provides a sense of security. Close international cooperation is needed to meet the challenges.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This is an overriding objectives of Denmarkâs considerable assistance to those countries. Whatever challenges we face to the international legal order, we must never fail in our determination to follow the words of the preamble of the Charter: â€œto reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and smallâ€.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The United Nations system must ensure, on its part, an effective and coordinated follow-up to the global United Nations conferences. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the financial resources are provided to attain these common standards. Denmark will continue to contribute development assistance in the amount of 1 per cent of our gross national product. Let me conclude by expressing my conviction that the best way to promote the rule of law in international relations is through respect for democratic norms in our own societies. The norm-setting activities of the United Nations have given an indispensable impetus towards democratization and good governance. Assistance to the establishment of democratic institutions in developing countries and countries with economies in transition can also make an important contribution.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I should also like to emphasize the role and prerogatives of the Secretary-General in the field of peace and security. The Secretary-General has exercised these functions in a highly commendable way. Before concluding, I wish to refer to the normative role of the United Nations as an important aspect of the rule of law. In particular, the United Nations conferences of the past decade have set valuable norms for improving living conditions for mankind. Common standards have been set in such important areas as eradication of poverty, environmentally sustainable development, gender equality and promotion and protection of human rights. Achievements have been made in meeting these standards, but much remains to be done. The responsibility falls both to Member States and to the international institutions.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“If, for instance, members of the Security Council cannot agree on a mandate for a peace operation, they must allow for other possibilities for effective action. 17 When faced with an urgent agenda, the option should not be action or no action, but what line of action. There will usually be a broad range of actions available for the international community. It is a question of choice and political will. It does not suffice to leave everything to the humanitarian agencies. Emergency relief, however necessary, is not a substitute for political action. A reform of the Security Council can serve to strengthen the authority of the Council. But in the end we depend on the readiness of the members of the Council to act and to apply the same yardstick to all cases.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The least we can expect from Members is for them to make the necessary resources available for the Organization, inter alia, by paying their contributions in full, on time and without conditions. We must find ways which enhance the ability of the United Nations to deal with violations of international peace and security and other serious breaches of international law. Failure to act on such challenges is morally indefensible and betrays the principles of the United Nations Charter. Violations and breaches must be met convincingly, with resolve and with the legitimacy of international law. Legitimacy will usually be provided by the Security Council. That is how it should be. Disagreement in the Security Council about a particular line of action must, however, never lead to the paralysis of the international community.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Indeed, direct intervention by the international community through the United Nations can be fully justified and legitimate, including in grave cases of humanitarian law being violated. Respect for the rule of law in international relations can be ensured only if the international community and the United Nations possess the instruments and the resolve to act. In this respect, regrettably, we must note a certain paralysis in recent years in the face of grave humanitarian conflicts and emergencies. Disagreement among Member States on how to deal with a particular crisis weakens the resolve of the United Nations to act. But we must, unfortunately, also note a lack of general support for the United Nations in certain quarters.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The United Nations remains the core institution in the international legal order and must maintain a central role in international efforts to ensure peace and security. We are approaching the twenty-first century, a century in which international society also should be governed by the rule of law. The norms of international law are universal but, sadly, they are not always universally respected. Respect for national sovereignty cannot be invoked as an excuse to avoid the obligations of international cooperation and international law. International criticism of violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law is fully legitimate. The role of the United Nations in this respect remains crucial.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Such conceptual flexibility will add to the strength of United Nations peacekeeping. We, the United Nations Members, must be ready to meet our obligations and equip the Organization with the necessary tools for these future challenges. We must also, of course, ensure the safety of personnel working for the United Nations. We are witnessing an enhanced role for regional organizations. Their special expertise has proved valuable in addressing causes of conflict and establishing a basis for settlement. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is a good example. A division of labour between organizations is necessary, but it must not lead to confusion in leadership and responsibility.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Todayâs peacekeeping challenges differ from those of earlier decades and much work has been done to adjust the United Nations to the new challenges. Denmark has taken an active part in the process. Together with other countries, Denmark aims to improve the United Nations capacity for rapid reaction within the framework of the standby system. Denmark is also engaged in the creation of a new peacekeeping capacity of the Baltic States and of southern Africa. The demand for adjustment and reform continues. There is still work to be done in areas such as preplanning and logistic support. But peacekeeping goes beyond military operations. A broader, integrated approach involving components such as civilian police, preventive diplomacy and humanitarian assistance is called for.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In Mozambique, United Nations peacekeepers have demobilized thousands of combatants and made room for democratic elections. In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the 16 United Nations preventive deployment remains an essential stabilizing factor. And in Bosnia and Herzegovina today, the United Nations is responsible for the crucial task of training and restructuring local police forces. Denmark has a long tradition of contributing to United Nations peacekeeping operations. Danish forces took part from the very beginning and have served the United Nations faithfully for the last five decades. In recent years, Danish forces have served all over the world, from the Middle East to the Balkans, as well as in Asia and in Africa.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I urge those countries â€” including India and Pakistan â€” that have not yet done so, to sign and move to ratify these Treaties without condition. This year marks the first half-century of United Nations peacekeeping. The first mission was established 50 years ago, based on the goals of the United Nations Charter. Since then, United Nations peacekeeping has developed norms and principles of its own: consent of the parties, impartiality and non-use of force. These principles continue to guide the international communityâs efforts in securing peace and stability on all continents. Peacekeeping operations are an important illustration of the resolve of the international community, represented by the United Nations. Their successes are real. In the Middle East and Cyprus, the United Nations has been a source of stability for many years.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Pakistan, regrettably, followed Indiaâs lead and conducted its own tests for the first time. These tests not only contradict the non-test norm that had developed over the past two years. They also endanger peace and stability in the region and internationally. Therefore, the nuclear testing by India and Pakistan is of legitimate concern to the international community. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons enjoys almost universal support. A substantial number of countries have ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and more are following every month. These two Treaties are the cornerstones of the international non-proliferation regime and the foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The international community must continue to condemn all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable under all circumstances, wherever and by whomsoever committed. No ends justify such means, but, apparently, condemnation is not enough. We need to further strengthen international cooperation to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There must be no safe haven for terrorists. Those responsible for terrorist acts must be brought to justice. If traditional extradition agreements cannot bring about such a result, less traditional arrangements must be contemplated, as envisaged in regard to the horrendous terrorist bombing over Lockerbie. In May this year, India, regrettably, decided to resume nuclear testing after 24 years of self-imposed restraint.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The review clause in the Statute â€” a proposition strongly advocated by Denmark all along in the negotiations â€” assures that. The signature in December last year in Ottawa by 121 States of the Convention to ban the use and production of anti-personnel landmines has established a very important norm in international humanitarian law. For too long has this inhumane, indiscriminate weapon been allowed to claim thousands of innocent civilian victims every year. We welcome the entry into force of the Convention by 1 March 1999. Let us now intensify our joint efforts to clear the many mines already in the ground. Denmark offers its continued support. A most disturbing factor in the international legal order are the terrorist attacks taking innocent lives and jeopardizing relations among States.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The prospects for reconciliation and lasting peace are undermined if the perpetrators remain at large. A key objective of the International Criminal Court is exactly to restore the rule of law and end impunity. This is a matter not only of justice, but also of peace and security. The ad hoc Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia have been an important first step, but only a preliminary step. We need a permanent institution. Denmark urges all States to ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court. It is an urgent task to set this historic building block in the construction of international society in place. In light of experiences gained, the door is open for adjusting the functioning of the Court to the needs of the world community.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“15 It is a most proper contribution by the United Nations to adopt this year a declaration for the protection of the work of human rights defenders, those who strive to realize the solemn pledges contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We also warmly welcome the progress made in firmly establishing the rights of indigenous peoples. Another landmark contribution was achieved this year through the historic adoption in Rome of a Statute for a permanent International Criminal Court. Time and again, we have observed the failure of national criminal law systems to punish the perpetrators of atrocities and those behind them. The shocking events from Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and now Kosovo and elsewhere are fresh on our minds.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“All States in Vienna in 1993 reaffirmed that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights constitutes a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. All States further proclaimed that the promotion and protection of human rights is a legitimate concern of the international community. A feature of present-day international law is that, by now, we have almost all the standards against which to hold Governments accountable for their acts. What we are still missing is an effective international machinery to ensure the implementation of all the rules in practice â€” to move from declarations to deeds. I wish to pay special tribute to the many human rights defenders who struggle in the front line for the defence of our common human values, often at the greatest personal risk.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)