YouSaid · the spoken record

Per Stig Moeller

lines on the record: 25
first: 2003-09-24
most recent: 2005-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“Lastly, let me briefly address the call by the Secretary-General and Member States, including Denmark, for management reform. The Secretary- General must be given the necessary discretionary powers, accompanied by accountability and independent oversight. We need to modernize the way we work so as to enable the Organization to meet its share of the priorities set out at the summit. The coming months will be crucial. The outcome of the summit must be implemented. We will be faced with many difficult but important tasks. They will have to be solved in a true spirit of international cooperation. We must strengthen this great institution. It has a vital role to play in the world of today. Denmark will spare no effort in doing its share.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Sixty years after the creation of this Organization, we should give human rights the necessary attention and priority in order to meet the expectations of the people, whom we are meant to serve. The grave crimes against humanity committed in Darfur serve as a reminder to the international community. Impunity is unacceptable. Some argue that we face a dilemma every time a country emerges from conflict. They argue that the pursuit of justice clashes with the pursuit of peace. However, peace and justice are not contradictory but, in fact, complementary. The precedent created by the referral of the Darfur situation to the International Criminal Court is promising. It is a major step forward in the fight against impunity and bodes well for the pursuit of international justice.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“It is our obligation to address and to act on human rights violations wherever they occur, and we must do so in a spirit of cooperation and understanding. It is our common duty to measure every Member State’s actual performance against the universal standards of human rights, including when that means naming and even shaming. Otherwise, we risk undermining important norms of human decency and behaviour. All Governments must remember that they are in office for the people and not for themselves. For those reasons, Denmark strongly supports the establishment of the Human Rights Council as a permanent, principal organ of the United Nations, as well as the overall strengthening of the entire United Nations human rights machinery, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In order to ensure sustainable development the world’s poor countries must prioritize human development and respect for human rights, tackle national inequalities and curb corruption. In a closely interrelated and interdependent world, our collective security and prosperity depend critically on the success of our fight against poverty. We must continue to look for new ways to enforce international law and protect those in need. Promoting the rule of law must be one of the main objectives when devising peacebuilding strategies in Africa and when addressing democratic deficits elsewhere. The President returned to the Chair. Indeed, prosperity and security will occur only if and when we decide to respect and promote human rights.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We must increase our assistance to regional capacity-building and, at the same time, be prepared to provide the necessary human and financial resources for conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts. To that end, Denmark is sponsoring a major capacity-building programme in Africa in close cooperation with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. The summit confirmed our dedication to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals through considerable donor commitments, as well as the need to pay particular attention to countries in Africa that are lagging far behind. Denmark will remain well above the 0.7 aid target and urges all donor countries to implement the goals decided by the summit. The responsibility, however, does not rest with donor countries alone.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We believe the United Nations is well 12 placed to coordinate international efforts to assist countries emerging from conflict. Therefore, we have actively supported the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission. This new body will add value to the work done by various actors including the funds and programmes of the United Nations. I urge Member States to ensure that the Commission will be operational by the end of the year, as requested by the summit. It is a fact that conflicts in Africa continue to loom large on the Security Council’s agenda. The slogan “African solutions to African problems” must not lead to indifference from donors.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Everybody must acknowledge the danger and refrain from activities that increase the threat. We need a concerted effort in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament. The failure of the non-proliferation treaty review conference, held this spring, to produce an agreement and the lack of new commitments at the summit must not lead to resignation, but rather must spur us to redouble our efforts. At the same, time concerted action is needed to end illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons, which kill 500,000 people every year. Arms transfers must be transparent. Denmark strongly supports the adoption of an international arms trade treaty. Such a treaty must be legally binding, include all weapons and be United Nations-based. Denmark favours a holistic approach to peacebuilding.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“It is imperative to strike the right balance between, on the one hand, preventive and swift action against terrorists and, on the other, adequate safeguards for the individual, and not least for those who have been unjustly listed. The summit has sent an important political message about the dedication of Member States to fight terrorism, even if it was not as strong as we had wished. We must now make every effort, at the present session of the General Assembly, to reach agreement on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Any further stalling on that important issue will send the wrong message. The single most frightening scenario today is that of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non- State actors. Such possession constitutes a danger to civilizations all over the world. Nobody can claim to be safe today.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We have given priority to enhanced cooperation between the relevant Security Council subsidiary organs dealing with terrorism, and we will continue to do so. We have also engaged in dialogue with parts of the United Nations family not previously involved in the fight against terrorism. The aim of that dialogue is to identify their role in helping States that would like to engage more actively in the fight against terrorism, but which lack the capacity to do so. We will continue our efforts to strengthen the synergies between relevant United Nations actors to further strengthen the counter-terrorism capability of the United Nations. Our efforts to fight international terrorism must be carried out with full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We must continue an intensive dialogue on how best to implement sanctions and how to follow them up to ensure the desired outcome. The approach must always include both carrot and stick — incentive and punishment. The United Nations plays a central role in efforts to fight terrorism and we support the Secretary- General’s outline for a comprehensive United Nations counter-terrorism strategy that will engage the whole United Nations system in the fight against terrorism. We will take an active part in its further development and implementation. We also welcome the new resolution on terrorism adopted by the Security Council (Security Council resolution 1624 (2005)). As Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Denmark regards itself as having a special responsibility in that field.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We have — to the best of our abilities — sought to translate the trust bestowed upon us into action: Denmark holds the Chair of the Counter- Terrorism Committee; we work for improvements in United Nations peacekeeping by pursuing a holistic approach to the concept of peacebuilding; we advocate better protection for women and children; and we support a stronger emphasis on the rule of law and the need to end impunity. The Security Council must clearly demonstrate its will to enforce the decisions taken by it. If not, the Council loses credibility, and the international community loses its only forceful multilateral instrument. Targeted sanctions are an important instrument for achieving compliance with decisions of the Security Council and for compliance with international law in general.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The spirit of the new interrelated reform agenda is captured in the report’s observation that “… we will not enjoy development without security, we will not enjoy security without development, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights” (A/59/2005, para. 17). With those words the Secretary-General identified the three pillars of the United Nations in the twenty-first century: security, development and human rights. The custodian of international peace and security is the Security Council. In October last year, members elected Denmark as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The conclusion of the summit last week marks the beginning of another busy year for the General Assembly and the Member States of the United Nations. The summit gave us an ambitious new agenda and in the spirit of multilateralism we must do our utmost to meet the goals it set out. Denmark intends to pull up its sleeves and contribute to that undertaking and I encourage others to do the same. In his impressive report “In larger freedom” (A/59/2005), issued in March, the Secretary-General 11 gave us the best possible basis for the necessary and profound changes the Organization must undergo.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We express strong support for the Secretary-General and for his persistent efforts in that regard, and we hope that the Secretary-General's high- level panel will provide new inspiration and fresh ideas for us all. But we, the Member States, must take the lead; the ball is in our court. We must enable the United Nations to take credible, efficient action to meet the challenges of this century and of this millennium; that is our collective responsibility and duty. As a member of the European Union, Denmark is working actively towards these goals, and I can assure the Assembly that all the Nordic countries strongly support the Secretary-General's proposals and are ready to face these challenges. Let us together ensure that the United Nations is ready, too.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“If we become a member of the Council, we shall work to further develop the Council's efficiency and its impact. We shall work for increased synergy among the military, political, humanitarian and developmental aspects of conflict management. We hope we can make a special contribution to solving the various conflicts that are still not settled around the world, and we shall do our utmost to prevent new conflicts from arising. Our aim will be to continue to build bridges between the multiple interests of the Members of the United Nations. Underpinning our vision of a strong United Nations for the twenty-first century is the need to strengthen and reform the Organization at all levels and in all its aspects.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Over the past 50 years, we have been building strong regional institutions to overcome our divisions and to manage our problems. With the initiative of the New Partnership for Africa's Development and the rapid intervention of the Economic Community of West African States in Liberia, recent developments in Africa are very encouraging in that regard as well. To further promote those developments, we must all continue and expand our political and financial support for the strong and progressive African leadership. Over the years, Denmark has been active in world affairs and has been a strong supporter of the United Nations. We shall continue to focus on areas where we can contribute to make the world a better place in which to live for all. Denmark is therefore seeking to become a member of the Security Council in 2005 and 2006.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Consequently, a comprehensive reform is needed to make the Council more representative and, at the same time, to safeguard the efficiency of the decision- making process. It is of equal importance that the Security Council ensure compliance with its resolutions. The process towards more targeted and smart' sanctions should be continued. We must ensure that sanction regimes clearly monitor whether the objects targeted are in compliance with the aims pursued by the sanctions. Assistance to Member States in implementing sanctions should also be considered. Accompanying resolutions with incentives or carrot- and-stick measures could be another option. We would also welcome a strengthening of the division of labour and cooperation with regional and subregional organizations.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“It is imperative that all States be committed to cooperating constructively with the United Nations human rights mechanisms and that they overcome traditional attitudes concerning State sovereignty. Thirdly, the United Nations is at the core of efforts to tackle old and new security challenges. The Security Council has successfully taken on international terrorism, and it should continue to focus on how to deal with weapons of mass destruction. Another pressing issue is how to prevent the breakdown of societies and to address the root causes of conflicts; and, if prevention is unsuccessful, how to deal with the breakdown of social order. A strategic vision on how to deal with the new challenges is urgently needed. The Security Council still reflects the power structures that existed at the end of the Second World War.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Attesting to that is the immense work done in the fields of human rights; the rights of women and children, including the right to reproductive health care and services; the 34 struggle against terrorism; and the efforts to control nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Furthermore, the establishment of the International Criminal Court is the single most important step in the modern history of international criminal law. It sends a strong signal that the international community will no longer allow the most serious international crimes to remain unpunished. Denmark firmly believes that a democratic society based on the rule of law is the best guarantee for stable development, in terms of both upholding fundamental freedoms and furthering social justice. Human rights are universal and must be applied by all States.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Denmark stands ready to provide a full account of its efforts to achieve the Goals, including in the fields of trade and development assistance. Secondly, the United Nations is essential for the establishment, the implementation and the development of an international legal order based on the rule of law. The United Nations was created with a strong purpose and a great vision. The concepts and values of the Charter of international peace and stability based on equality among nations and respect for their sovereignty are universal. The strength of our values and of our principles must be measured by our ability to apply them to the realities around us. We must be ready to adapt our collective actions to the needs of the world.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Denmark's commitment to development speaks for itself, be it in terms of development assistance or in relation to trade liberalization. Especially for the benefit of the developing countries, we need such trade liberalization. Therefore, the lack of results in Cancun was a great disappointment. We needed results, both for the developing world and for the global economy. We did not achieve those results in Cancun, but Denmark will certainly work hard to achieve them in the future not least for the developing world. Denmark supports a high-level event in 2005 focusing on the commitments made in the Millennium Declaration in order to give new energy to the implementation of all the Millennium Development Goals.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Let me highlight three areas where the United Nations could be even stronger. First, the United Nations is at the forefront of the fight against poverty. By agreeing to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, we have set ourselves measurable targets by which we must all stand and be counted. In Monterrey and Johannesburg the developing countries acknowledged responsibility for their own development, based on good governance, democracy and the rule of law. The African efforts must be especially highlighted and supported. Every individual on the African continent must feel the urgency of our collective efforts to improve his or her living conditions. Only then can the tide be turned on a continent that has been lagging behind for too long.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Sovereignty should be transferred to the Iraqis as quickly as possible, but the international military presence must be maintained until security is fully restored. The United Nations role and presence in this process must be strengthened. Immense challenges lie ahead of us. Our goal is to ensure that the twenty-first century becomes the century in which each and every one of us can live in peace, stability and growing prosperity a century in which freedom, respect for the individual, human rights and democracy become daily realities, not just abstract ideas, for billions of people. Considered over time, the United Nations has a strong scorecard. We have managed to transform the paralysed cold war Organization into a key forum for international discussions and decisions in all fields.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We need the United Nations to establish, implement and develop an international legal order based on the rule of law. And we need the United Nations in combating poverty and securing sustainable economic growth. Iraq has been a key challenge for the Security Council. A united Council provided the United Nations with a mandate to assist the people of Iraq in a wide range of areas, including facilitating and supporting the political process. Iraq, the United Nations and the international community as a whole suffered a tragic loss in the recent attacks. But it should not make us waver in our determination to continue working for a better future for Iraq. Those evil attacks must not inspire other terrorists to threaten the United Nations presence in Iraq.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“I should like at the outset to express, on behalf of Denmark, the most sincere condolences to the United Nations and to the families of Sergio Vieira de Mello and of all those who so tragically lost their lives in Baghdad five weeks ago. I also wish to pay tribute to Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. She was taken from us by an evil act that is beyond comprehension, while carrying out her important work. We will all miss Anna; she should be here today. We need the United Nations today more than ever. We need the United Nations to provide a more secure world, to fight international terrorism, to resolve conflicts and to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction. We need the United Nations in ensuring fundamental human rights for all people.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)