YouSaid · the spoken record

Ali Alatas

lines on the record: 136
first: 1994-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
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

“If we keep building on that to achieve something significant, we engender encouragement. We add to the fund of courage that the world needs to become a better one. And that fund of courage is all it will take for humanity to make an auspicious entry into the next millennium.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We can overcome these fears because they are but shadows on the wall; they have no substance. There will be failures and there will be setbacks, but if what we set out to do is worthwhile, and nothing is more worthwhile than the perpetuation of humankind, we will succeed. Let us now all act in consonance with our commitments to the United Nations Charter; to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT); to 36 Agenda 21; to the Uruguay Round and the World Trade Organization (WTO); to all agreements on international financial flows for development; on cooperation on human rights; on the eradication of all forms of discrimination. We cannot bring all of these to fruition in a single day, and some of them not even in a full decade, but if we all do that today, it will be enough to start with.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“For instance, we fully agree that massive and systematic violations of human rights, wherever they take place, should not be tolerated or condoned. But we cannot agree that this problem can be solved only by sacrificing the principle of national sovereignty and sovereign equality among nations. There must be a solution that does not threaten to demolish a principle on which the United Nations itself was founded. Let us have the intellectual courage to look for that solution and be willing to make any sacrifice to attain it, except the sacrifice of our principles. If many of us have grown cynical, I believe that it is not out of arrogance, but out of fear of the consequences of change, the loss of some privilege or advantage over another, or out of fear of futility and failure.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In the depths of every disappointment, we have had to summon the courage to persevere, to start all over again whenever necessary, because there is no alternative acceptable to our people. We do pray for the courage to change, but not for ourselves alone. For the solutions to the global problems of our time demand a fortitude on the part of nations that is strong enough to break the doubts, the prejudices, the sophistry and the apathy that have hardened with the passing of decades. That means the courage to take action where we have only paid lip-service. It also means the courage to recognize that many of our problems are complex and demand more creativity from us than we have so far demonstrated.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We accepted that responsibility and additional burden, although we had never laid claim to that half-island, as it was not a part of the Dutch East Indies out of which the Indonesian nation evolved. Today our responsibility and our commitment are to help make possible the fulfilment of the newly expressed will of the majority of East Timorese to seek a new destiny outside the Indonesian Republic. We will abide by that responsibility and commitment and at the same time ensure that the parting of ways will proceed honourably, peacefully and amicably. In this process of change, not only in East Timor but also throughout our national life and in our relations with our friends, we have not had an easy time. We have had more than our share of setbacks, frustrations and mistakes.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“New laws are being passed, new ways are being tried to give our people the widest opportunity to participate in the making of decisions that affect their lives, to level the economic playing fields and to earn the confidence of our foreign partners. The Government has taken a long, hard look at itself and its responsibilities today. In the case of East Timor, our responsibility has changed. Twenty-four years ago, it was our responsibility to accept the Territory as a province of our Republic in order to stop ongoing fratricidal carnage after a disastrously bungled decolonization process; to accommodate the desire of the majority of East Timorese at that time to seek freedom and sanctuary through integration with our Republic; and to contribute to the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But we do not make the necessary decisive moves because these require change — profound and radical change. There must be change not only in our methods, but in the way we look at the world, the way we regard one another and ourselves. That kind of change brings no comfort and poses the deepest challenge to our faith and our courage. Hence, we hesitate. The protracted debates in this Assembly, in the Economic and Social Council, in the Conference on Disarmament and in many other forums are in reality just one long hesitation. We in Indonesia know how difficult that kind of change can be. In response to the Asian financial and economic crisis, as well as to its social and political impact, we have begun to reform our social, economic and political institutions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But if it means the conquest of poverty, the taming of the human penchant for conflict and violence, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of human life, I am afraid that we may be entering the new millennium not really much better off than we were a century ago. Our tragedy is not in our ignorance, but in the waste of our wisdom. The truth is that we know the solutions to our problems. We know what kind of global partnership it would take to tackle the problems of poverty and underdevelopment. We have spelled out the global measures to initiate in order to prevent the irreversible decay of our environment. And we are aware of what it would take to move the disarmament agenda forward; what kind of representation on the Security Council would make it a true instrument of the whole international community.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We could have built a more equitable partnership between the developed and the developing world. But at best, the weaker economies were left to the tender mercies of the market. At worst, globalization has been used by the strong to press their advantage over the weak, widening the chasm between rich and poor. After all this, what can we say to sum up the passing of 100 years? If progress means going to the moon and exploring outer space; if it means the rapid movement of money, goods and people from one continent to another and the delegation of personal initiative to clever machines, then we have made some 35 progress.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This has led to the eclipse of development as a common goal and a common responsibility of developed and developing nations. It has engendered a tendency to forget commitments reached at global conferences on environment and development, social development, population and development, women and development, habitat and food. Just over a decade ago, with the barriers of the cold war broken down, science and technology unlocked the awesome force of globalization. This blind force could have served as the chief instrument of a united humankind in a decisive assault against the global problems of poverty and underdevelopment. We could have enlisted it to empower people everywhere and thus broaden participation in governance and productive initiatives.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In fact, the nuclear arms race has surged along as countries seek to join and enjoy the dubious privileges of being nuclear- weapon States. The world thus remains in danger of nuclear self-destruction. The same situation obtains in multilateral economic forums. They, too, have become afflicted with the inequities and imbalances they are meant to rectify. The introduction of irrelevant social issues and undue emphasis on unfettered markets in these forums have brought about the neglect of core development issues, such as international cooperation for development, the need for non-commercial financial flows and the necessity of differential treatment for developing countries. Thus, the international agenda has been steered by the desire of developed countries to open doors for their foreign investments, private capital flows and exports.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The unhappy truth is that the inequities, imbalances and discrimination in international relations that the United Nations was supposed to cure have infected its own vital organs and processes. This is true not only of the United Nations itself but also of related multilateral institutions. This is why it has been so difficult to reform, democratize and empower the United Nations, and so difficult to make the membership of the Security Council truly reflect the political, economic and demographic realities of the world today. Although the work of the Council is focused on conflict situations that are mostly in the developing world, developing countries are woefully under-represented on the Council. For the same reason, nuclear disarmament has achieved no substantial progress in recent years.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“And together with its specialized agencies and related institutions, it is carrying out an immense array of activities in support of economic development and social progress; these are touching every aspect of people's lives all over the world, and thus at least keep hopes alive. But even the very instrument of our salvation is not spared our recklessness: the United Nations has been allowed to go bankrupt at a time when so much more is demanded of it as the central mechanism and catalyst for multilateral cooperation. Its organs should be working in harmony and complementing one another: instead, we have the spectacle of a Security Council — when not paralysed by the veto of a permanent member — venturing to take over the work of other United Nations organs in such fields as human rights, democracy and humanitarian aid.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Five decades ago, the human race teetered on the brink of a nuclear holocaust, but we were able to postpone the effective end of history because between us and the precipice stood the one shining achievement of humanity in a violent century, the United Nations. Founded in the wake of the Second World War as a forum for maintaining security, resolving conflicts and serving development, the United Nations is, whatever its flaws, a masterpiece of human reason. It has not achieved its finest promise of global peace, nor has it significantly curbed poverty. Still, it has managed to save us from the horrors of yet another world war, one fought with nuclear weapons.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It was clear even then that the prudent use of such power could solve the problem of poverty that for millenniums people accepted and suffered as an inevitable part of the human condition. Since then, unfortunately, that power has been used instead to enlarge humankind's capacity to kill and destroy. That terrible capacity was amply demonstrated in two world wars that levelled cities and decimated populations in Europe and Asia. In time of peace, science 34 and technology have made it possible for one part of humanity to adopt an irresponsible lifestyle and patterns of production and consumption that ravage the fragile ecology of this planet while teeming millions, in the squalor of poverty, driven by the pangs of hunger, are tearing their environment apart in a desperate bid to survive.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In South Asia, an uneasy ceasefire reigns over the line of control between two neighbouring States with nuclear-weapon capability. Meanwhile, in the backwaters and slums of the developing world, in the ghettos of the industrialized countries, hundreds of millions fight a desperate war against poverty, ignorance and disease. There has as yet been no fulfilment of a hope we all share, a hope to which we have clung for nigh on a century. A hundred years ago, electricity was just beginning to light up the cities of the world, the commercial manufacture of horseless carriages had just begun and the pioneers of air travel were taking off in crude flying machines. But it was beyond question even then that enormous power called science and technology had been placed in the hands of humankind.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This return of confidence and the positive signs in the affected economies — such as stability of currencies and lower interest rates — could be the first firm indications of a recovery. Recently the G-8 decided to ease the debt burden of the poorest countries by expanding the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative. This will help the poorest countries get back on the road of development. But ours is still an essentially brutal world. In many places, wanton violence and armed conflicts persist, often bringing about humanitarian disaster. In spite of the presence of a United Nations peacekeeping force, Serbs and Albanian Kosovars are still shooting each other in Kosovo. In Afghanistan, dialogue has been abandoned and once more the warring factions have taken to the battlefield.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“They include also the Lomé Peace Agreement on Sierra Leone; the Framework Agreement on the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, the Ceasefire Agreement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, some progress in the rehabilitation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the resolution of the stalemate over the Lockerbie incident. Closer to home, there have been the signing of the 5 May 1999 Agreements reached in New York and the implementation of the historic popular consultation in East Timor which — although, most unfortunately, its aftermath was marred by violence — remains an important, positive development. These are all encouraging steps in a long journey towards just and durable solutions. In the economic field, investor confidence is beginning to trickle back into the Asian economies severely hit by the financial and economic crisis.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Every year at this time, for more than a decade now, I have tried from this rostrum to present Indonesia's views on the state of world affairs and international relations. Today, I could deliver last year's statement, or even that of three years ago, and it would not make much difference because there really has been no significant change. It is true that there are always a number of positive developments. This year they include the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum signed by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, which raises our hopes for the resumption of the derailed Middle East peace process.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On behalf of the Indonesian delegation, I should first like to congratulate my colleague and good friend Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, Foreign Minister of Namibia, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. We are confident that under his leadership we will achieve substantial progress in our work. To his predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti, I convey our sincere appreciation for his able guidance of our work during the last session. I join other members in paying a tribute to our Secretary-General for his untiring pursuit of the objectives of the United Nations Charter. On behalf of the Government and people of Indonesia, I extend a warm welcome to Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga on their accession to membership of the United Nations. My delegation looks forward to working closely with them.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But many of us were enchanted with the gospel of unfettered laissez-faire until it was seen that the contagion of a financial crisis in one developing country in one corner of the globe could plunge the entire world into depression. Now it is clear â€” if it was not sufficiently clear before â€” that we are stewards of one anotherâs welfare, that we must extend a hand to every brother and sister who falters, or in the course of globalization none of us, developed or developing, will see salvation. Human destiny is indivisible. Let us never forget that again.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In the face of the challenges of our time, we in Indonesia will rebuild and refine the institutions that will make the laws of economics work for our society. At the international level, I believe that it is also necessary to build and refine the institutions that will make global economics work for all nations, whether developed or developing. Globalization is not the demon that has been menacing our prospects for the future. But for too long we have accepted doctrines formulated and waved in the name of liberalization. The most perceptive economists of our day have been pointing out that error, and we must now heed them. Globalization and liberalization never required us to merely compete in dancing to the tune of the market place. It never told us to stop cooperating with one another.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In fact, in line with our commitment to the Vienna Declaration, we have just launched a National Plan of Action on Human Rights aimed at infusing the various segments of society and of the Government, including the national security apparatus, with values conducive to the promotion and protection of human rights. We expect to sign and ratify in the near future several more United Nations conventions on human rights. The reform-development Government that is now in place in Indonesia will carry out vigorous measures to further democratize our national life. For we know very well that our economic recovery will basically have to be driven by confidence, on the part of the international community as well as on the part of our own citizens, in our own system of governance.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action on South-South cooperation will be held at a special one-day meeting in the General Assembly. Of great importance is the Group of 77 initiative on a South summit to be held prior to the Millennium Assembly, in the year 2000. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was proclaimed as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. To us in Indonesia who are now in the midst of formulating and initiating far-reaching 25 economic, social and political reforms, this is a particularly significant occasion.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Because we want the North-South dialogue to proceed in earnest, we should broaden and intensify South-South cooperation. Decades of development efforts have greatly increased the economic complementarities among developing countries. We must tap these complementarities and strengthen partnership in the South. In this effort, our developed-country partners and international institutions can play a valuable role by participating in tripartite arrangements. In this regard, a number of steps to promote South-South cooperation have been initiated, including a high-level meeting on regional and subregional cooperation, which will be held in Bali, Indonesia, this coming December.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We should therefore seriously consider various initiatives for enhancing global financial and monetary cooperation. The proposed United Nations conference on financing for development would provide an opportunity to explore various options towards financial stability and development. It is also encouraging that the two-day high- level dialogue of the General Assembly last week contributed to increased awareness and understanding of the economic and social impact of globalization and the need for international cooperation in addressing that issue. Another important proposal is the one made by the Non-Aligned Movement for an international conference on money and finance for development in order to pursue comprehensive reform of the existing international monetary and financial system.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Thus, the international agenda has been governed by the interests of the developed countries in opening up opportunities for foreign investments, private capital flows â€” that often turn out to be merely speculative â€” and the export of their manufactures. In the face of such stark global realities, we must intensify international solidarity and cooperation. The international community should strengthen its management role in the world economy, in particular in the monetary and financial fields, including the establishment of surveillance and regulatory frameworks for short-term capital flows and trade in currencies, without constraining the liberalization of economies. This strengthened international management role is essential if we seek to avert future crises, alleviate the adverse impact of globalization and maximize its benefits.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This doctrine presents unbridled liberalization as a panacea for all economies, developed and developing. In their desire to integrate themselves with the global economy, many developing countries have audaciously opened up their economies, only to realize that the social and political costs of doing so often outstrip the benefits. Moreover, the inordinate emphasis on unfettered markets has led to the neglect of such development issues as international cooperation for development, the need for non-commercial financial flows and the necessity of differential treatment for developing countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“External indebtedness has escalated, and protectionism in international trade has risen significantly as more and more countries have become inward-looking in this era of globalization. This dire situation will certainly impact on the implementation of the commitments agreed upon at the recent major global conferences, including in the fields of environment and development, social development, population and development, women and development, habitat and food. It is therefore a matter of great concern to all of us that the achievement of sustainable human development will be further removed from reality. I believe that our troubles are less the result of the vagaries of globalization than the consequence of an economic doctrine that has dominated international economic relations for many years now.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In spite of the judicious macroeconomic policies that they adopted and the often painful structural adjustments that they carried out, the development gains they earned over the decades crumbled in the span of a few weeks. The lesson of this debacle is that the market is driven by sentiments as much as fundamentals, by perception rather than facts alone. These adverse aspects of globalization have furthermore greatly eroded multilateral cooperation for development. The concept of development as a special part of a multilateral support system has been largely replaced by the laissez-faire approach to the globalized economy. This has resulted, inter alia, in sharply contracted financial resources for development for the majority of the developing countries, particularly the least developed countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In Asia, robust growth for decades had transformed much of the region into an economic powerhouse. Today, many of those dynamic economies are crippled. One third of the world is grappling with serious economic slowdown and the frightening possibility of a depression. In the affected countries, including Indonesia, economic turmoil has reached a devastating level, pushing their economies into recession and their people to the very edge of their endurance. Unemployment has soared, and an unacceptable number of people have slipped under the poverty line. Education has been severely affected, and food is in short supply. The experience of South-East Asian countries in this financial turmoil has shown that 24 even the most dynamic economies are vulnerable.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is time that all the parties in Cambodia resolve their differences in the spirit of national reconciliation and unity in the larger interest of their country, work together toward the formation of a new government and thereby contribute to peace and stability in South-East Asia. The world economy is teetering on the brink of recession, if not already experiencing one. Economic output has slowed for the developed and developing countries alike, and growth in world trade has also decelerated. While official forecasts indicate a slowdown in the growth of world output to 2.5 per cent, any such forecasts may still be too optimistic. Only a little more than a year ago, the world economy was on a significant growth path, and the outlook was generally bright.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This would pre-empt negotiations on the status of the Holy City and threaten to unravel the peace process, with grave repercussions not only for the Middle East but also beyond. Peace and stability will continue to elude the region until Israel complies with its treaty obligations and unconditionally withdraws from all occupied Arab territories in accordance with all relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978). The peace process must be resumed and agreements reached must be implemented in their entirety and not selectively or conditionally. In South-East Asia, the elections held recently in Cambodia, deemed to have been generally free and fair by international observers, should now lead to the restoration of normalcy in the country.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Early implementation of this resolution will hopefully lead to a definitive settlement of this issue and the lifting of sanctions imposed on Libya. In the Middle East, the situation in the occupied territories keeps deteriorating as the peace process remains in the grip of a stalemate. Israeli policies and practices of oppression and provocation have continued unabated. In a blatant attempt to change the demography of the occupied territories, Israel keeps building new settlements and expanding existing ones. More ominously, it has arbitrarily extended the administrative powers of the occupying authorities in Jerusalem beyond the cityâs borders in a bid to consolidate Israelâs hold on East Jerusalem and the West Bank and thereby entrench Jerusalem as its capital.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“At the same time, we stress that we will never condone the resort to unilateral acts of aggression and violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States as a means to combat terrorism. We therefore urge all States to enhance international cooperation in the fight against terrorism while strictly observing and implementing the relevant international instruments. My delegation welcomes the recent positive developments concerning the Lockerbie incident that culminated in the adoption of Security Council resolution 1192 (1998). It is our hope that discussions will now take place between the United Kingdom, the United States and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including on the appropriate trial arrangements.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In Afghanistan, we call on the warring factions to cease hostilities and to start constructive dialogue. The protracted civil strife in that country also threatens to spill over beyond its borders. We urge the parties concerned to cooperate with the United Nations in its concerted endeavours to restore peace and stability in the region. The dire situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo calls for continued and concerted efforts in restoring peace and tranquillity. Indonesia is appalled by the terrorist bomb attacks on the American embassies in the capitals of Kenya and Tanzania that caused the death of nearly 200 people and the wounding of thousands. We reiterate our condemnation of all acts and forms of terrorism wherever they may occur and whoever perpetrates them.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament is essential for providing new 23 political momentum that would enable and encourage the Governments and peoples of the world to move towards disarmament, including the elimination of nuclear weapons. It is therefore imperative that we take further concrete steps leading to the convening of the fourth special session. While disarmament marks time, discord is rampant in the form of armed conflicts, disputes and tensions between and within States in many parts of the globe. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a source of continuing concern for Indonesia. Hence, we reaffirm our steadfast support for the full, impartial and effective implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Still, we must persevere and prepare ourselves for the next NPT Review Conference and focus on the inequities and imbalances inherent in the Treaty. At the same time, we urge the nuclear-weapon States to implement faithfully both the letter and spirit of agreements relating to non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. We call on all States to refrain from developing these weapons so that we may the sooner attain our ultimate objective of their total elimination. The slow pace of progress towards non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament compels us to work even harder to achieve global disarmament objectives.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“If the cause of disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, has not made substantive progress in recent years, it is largely because there are States that believe they have much to gain by their exclusive possession of nuclear arms. The unjustifiable privileges conferred on the nuclear-weapon States have given rise to a regime of discrimination and hypocrisy as well as a situation where non-nuclear countries wishing to enjoy the same privileges seek to become nuclear States themselves. Thus, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has not fully met its objectives, and the imbalances and discrimination inherent to it have persisted. Regrettably, too, the second Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Review Conference failed to agree on substantive issues.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This anomaly has to be redressed by an increase in the representation of the developing world in the permanent as well as in the non-permanent membership of the Council. The legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of the Councilâs work depend on its representative character. Indonesia views the task of Security Council reform as a matter of urgency, but we must not be rushed into any hasty or ill-advised decisions that would be detrimental to the long-term interests of Member States. In this context, there is a need to continue and accelerate the work of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is therefore of the greatest importance that it be provided with the resources with which to carry on its work instead of being strapped for funds as it is now. The legal obligation of every Member State in that regard must therefore be strictly met. It is also essential that the ongoing process of reform of the United Nations be intensified, particularly with regard to the Security Council, taking into account the desire of all States from all regions to participate in its work, as well as present political, economic and demographic realities. For indeed, developing countries are grossly under-represented on the Council especially at a time when its work is focused on conflict situations in the developing world.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Through its instrumentality, it is still possible for us to tame the dogs of war and to exorcise the spectre of poverty. Through its processes of consultation and debate, we can still attain a broadness of mind that matches the global sweep of our actions. Through the habits of cooperation and trust that it engenders among its Members and among the countless individuals and institutions that participate in its dialogues, we might yet realize our shared vision of a global civil society. But first it must be reformed, further democratized and fully empowered. The United Nations, as the central mechanism and catalyst for multilateral cooperation, must be enabled to play its mandated role in the achievement and maintenance of peace, security and development.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“That is why the imbalances and inequities in international relations persist: we can never get rid of them until we attain that essential balance within ourselves, between the scope of our actions and that of our intentions. Yet I do not despair. Against the backdrop of a century of conflict, one human achievement shines: the founding of the United Nations. It is admittedly a flawed achievement, for after five decades it has not yet brought us the global peace that we envisaged to be its greatest promise. But it has spared us from the horrors of another world war and possibly from a nuclear holocaust. That this flawed jewel of human reason should remain to serve us in a more effective way in the next century is an imperative.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Today, I fear that the awesome force of globalization, itself propelled by science and technology, is also being squandered: instead of serving to unify humankind in a decisive assault against the persistent systemic problems of our time, it is being used to press the advantage of the strong over the weak, thereby widening the gap between the developed and developing world. Herein lies the tragedy of the human race: that our vast capacity to alter the planet on which we live has been matched to a parochial vision. Large and complex actions are motivated by narrow self-interest. And in the narrowness of our perspective we inflict great harm on one another.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“One of the great ironies of our time is that at the end of a century in which the amazing advances of science and technology could have been harnessed to effectively address the problem of poverty, scores of millions more people have slipped below the poverty line. At the same time, there has been a massive application of science and technology to increase humankindâs capacity to deal out death and destruction. Even in the best of times, humankindâs use of economic resources has not been marked by any deep sense of responsibility but rather by 22 mindless consumption that has often led to the degradation of our environment. Unfortunately squandering resources is an old habit of the human race.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It gives me great pleasure, Sir, to extend to you my congratulations and those of the Indonesian delegation on your election to the presidency of the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. I should like to assure you of our full cooperation in the discharge of your duties. To your distinguished predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, I wish to convey our felicitations for having so ably guided the fifty-second session to a successful conclusion. Let me also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, for his dedication to the reform and restructuring of the Organization, as well as for his determined efforts to seek a peaceful solution to conflict situations in various parts of the world.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“With developed and developing nations working together within the framework of a revitalized United Nations, we can indeed before too long achieve the final conquest of the most formidable and tenacious enemy of humankind, poverty. 11”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Without this fine balance, neither rights nor responsibilities can meaningfully exist. Allow me to take this opportunity to express the gratitude of my Government to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the singular honour it recently bestowed on Indonesia by formally citing His Excellency President Soeharto and the people of Indonesia for “outstanding accomplishments and commitments to the significant reduction and continued eradication of poverty in Indonesia and for making poverty eradication an overriding theme of national development efforts.” This is an honour that Indonesia holds in trust for all developing countries endeavouring, in spite of their constraints and adversities, to attain a better life for their peoples while still contributing to the making of a better world.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this context, we note with interest the 19-point Universal Declaration on Human Responsibilities proposed by the InterAction Council. We agree with former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, the InterAction Council Chairman, that, if adopted by the international community, the Declaration on Human Responsibilities, together with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, could serve as twin pillars providing an ethical base for a just world. Indeed, freedom without acceptance of responsibility can destroy freedom itself, whereas when rights and responsibilities are balanced, freedom is enhanced. We have always held that although the individual should not be sacrificed in the name of society, neither should society be allowed to disintegrate to accommodate the individual.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We look forward to the convening of a special session of the General Assembly in 1998 to assess the situation and to develop further ways and means of combating these international social evils. In the area of human rights, the United Nations should continue to strengthen its role as the architect of a common plan based on a holistic approach toward the promotion of, and respect for, the inherent dignity of the human being. At all levels, we must work with all interested parties, maintain constructive relationships and foster dialogue and cooperation as the most effective means of advancing human rights. In this regard, Indonesia stands ready to cooperate with the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We also support all initiatives promoting a more balanced approach to human rights.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)