YouSaid · the spoken record

Algirdas Saudargas

lines on the record: 31
first: 1997-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
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

“Ideals advocated by Woodrow Wilson at the beginning of this century are celebrating their second birth at the very end of the century. I am convinced that after many ups and downs, the evolution of humankind is finally taking the straight and right course.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This year will also be the twentieth year since the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). It is symbolic and crucial that this Convention has been strengthened by the optional protocol. Lithuania supports the proposal by Austria, after its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, to have this new human rights instrument opened for signature on 10 December, which marks Human Rights Day 1999. States have to give women the chance to address their grievances to the CEDAW Committee as soon as possible, perhaps even at the special session of the General Assembly on “Women 2000: gender, equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century” to be held in June in the year 2000.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Conflicts are but one challenge for us. There are so many inhabitants on Earth who need our help yet sometimes cannot even ask for it. Children deserve our strongest love, and yet they are helplessly suffering in many parts of the world. They do not realize that the adult world will soon celebrate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified or acceded to by 191 countries — more than the number of United Nations Member States. It is the most universal human rights treaty, the violation of which must be inconceivable and punishable. The newly adopted Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour should also become universal and support compliance.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We believe in collective security and have made membership in effective alliances of democratic and peace- loving nations — the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — our priority. The collective security that we have chosen is the most efficient means of meeting our legitimate needs. Lithuania works actively in the Baltic region to create security and stability based on cooperation and good- neighbourly relations. The Baltic Sea region is becoming one of the most stable and dynamic, developing and promising regions in this part of the world. Nine days ago, Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke from this very podium about a progressing supremacy of collective needs over individual needs. In fact, his speech was a testimony of brave and modern thought. It deserves a place in textbooks for politicians and diplomats.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The European security charter, the concepts for which are now being discussed in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), will further build on the ideals of democracy, peace and unity set out in the Charter of Paris for a New Europe on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act. The implementation of OSCE principles, including a country's right to choose its own security arrangements, is fundamental to ensuring peace and security. Finally, regional, subregional and bilateral practical cooperative efforts do enhance broader European endeavours and processes, including complementing — not undercutting — the work of other Euro-Atlantic institutions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I see no other way to build a safer world than by reducing, eliminating and very strictly prohibiting weapons of mass destruction and the means for delivering them. Conventional arms and weapons are also weapons of mass destruction of life: half a million lives in Rwanda were wiped out with clubs and machetes that can only be considered weapons. Lives are lost to firearms and landmines all over the world, even in places that can hardly qualify as battlegrounds. The elimination of landmines is under way. Nowhere else but in this Hall can we begin effective conventional disarmament to be carried out under the responsibility of all States. Europe happens to be blessed with good regional security instruments, the best of which was nevertheless inspired by the deaths of millions in senseless wars.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The establishment of the International Criminal Court is one of the fruits of the new developments in international relations. We are committed to the early entry into force of the Rome Statute and to an effective International Criminal Court. 32 Weaponry and armaments can be reduced through common actions, regardless of borders. There is literally a consensus among nations that weapons of mass destruction must be eliminated, but in reality the process of nuclear disarmament is unacceptably precarious. We see reductions in numbers of warheads in some places and the development of nuclear weapons in others. Also, the biological and chemical weapons which States have reduced have become available to non-State terrorist entities that feel almost no qualms about using them.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The quick recovery of many economies shows that democracies with free market economies have the strongest immunity against macroeconomic illnesses. Markets and democracy allow for the fairest distribution of resources within societies which would otherwise be feeling the pain of economic injustice. Similarly, concerns about the potential and actual violence which more often occurs within than between States are almost always well-founded in places with poor human rights records. No one today is surprised by news of violence sparked by various rebel groups that feel marginalized in the States where they live. Many instruments must still be designed to uphold the principle that those responsible for gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity — who still expect impunity — must be held accountable.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In this connection, Lithuania signed a standby agreement as early as the beginning of 1998 and provided a detailed description of its contribution. A substantial part of our contribution is comprised of well- trained civilian policemen who are now doing their duty by serving in Kosovo. A comprehensive set of political measures will have to be elaborated before and adopted at the millennium summit, which should be a breath of fresh air for the Organization. We take this seriously and are ready to assist in designing a meaningful future for the United Nations. Situations that deteriorate into conflicts are ignited by a variety of causes, usually a combination of them. The wave of economic crashes that swept through Asia, Latin America and some European countries has had a global impact.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“A broader representation of developing nations on the Council would also reinforce its legitimacy and enhance respect for it: they deserve additional seats, both permanent and non- permanent. In recent years we have seen the development of the United Nations response away from peacekeeping to more active conflict prevention and crises management of civilian. Internal crises often lead to the complete destruction of societies and their structures: repair and rehabilitation of collapsed countries by the international community are needed. The United Nations needs both the means and cooperation from all if it is to fulfil its mandate in terms of its primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“A number of administrative measures have been taken, especially those within the power of the Secretary-General. One of the most urgent measures which must be taken is reform of the Security Council. The Council has too often been accused of failures in the maintenance of international peace and security in the specific cases I mentioned. The efficiency of the Security Council's actions can be enhanced by improving its representativeness, legitimacy and credibility, thus generating wider acceptance of its decisions. This would be possible primarily through an enlargement of the Council's membership. The two most qualified industrialized countries could become permanent members of the Security Council: their membership would strengthen the Council and ensure democratic decisions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Just this last year, Angola and Kosovo, Sierra Leone and East Timor have posed new challenges to the United Nations and made us re-evaluate our actions in conflict prevention; the role of the United Nations Security Council and its interactions with regional organizations; the Council's credibility with regard to speed of deployment; the role of civilian police and civilian administration; and the problem of impunity. When evidence of the murder of helpless people percolates through international borders, the dilemma emerging before the international community becomes a moral one of the sanctity of human life and strict international standards. It is precisely towards this end that the United Nations system is undergoing changes.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It may be just a simple turn of our calendar pages or we can make it a stepping-stone to a better world with less violence, more food for the hungry, less deliberately caused suffering and death, more care for the helpless and more shelter for the homeless. This century has taught us many lessons. Yet, even if we have avoided another world war, we have witnessed too many wars. The nature of crises has changed. Member States should be able to find common ground in upholding the principles of the Charter and acting in defence of humanity. We should devise ways and means to prevent humanitarian catastrophes and alleviate profound human suffering.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is a special pleasure for me to see Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab guiding the General Assembly this session over the junction of two centuries and millenniums. We will lend all possible support to his endeavours, including through the Permanent Representative of Lithuania, who is also one of his Vice- Chairmen. Another landmark of this session is the fact that we have grown. We welcome the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru and the Kingdom of Tonga to this house of nations where all, large or small, are equal. We are glad to see nations from the Pacific enrich the organization. On behalf of the Lithuanian Government I 31 pay our deep respects to the Secretary-General, who has always been a brilliant servant of peace around the globe. Speakers before me have referred to the symbolic meaning of this session of the General Assembly.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Only in a spirit of unity, community, friendship and good- neighbourly relations, as well as mutual understanding, will we be able to build the future of our continent." Here at the United Nations, I am tempted to quote this sentence, but with the last word, "continent," in the plural.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The international Vilnius conference entitled, “Coexistence of Nations and Good Neighbourhood Relations — A Guarantee of Security and Stability in Europe”, for which Lithuanian and Polish Presidents Algirdas Brazauskas and Aleksander Kwasniewski acted as hosts in September of this year and which was attended by 12 Heads of State and Government, received joint greetings from the Presidents of Germany and France, Roman Herzog and Jacques Chirac. They wrote: "It is time to foster a culture of cooperation and dialogue all over Europe and to harness the political energies of our peoples to bring about reconciliation and understanding ...”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Along with other measures towards a more consolidated peace, good-neighbourly relations have become vital for regional security and stability. We have done our utmost to establish and maintain friendly relations with our neighbours, while simultaneously taking practical steps towards integration into the European Union and NATO. The accession of Lithuania to European and transatlantic institutions will have a significant impact on lasting security and stability. Yesterday the Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Primakov, proposed a different security model of our region. However, creating a substitute for transatlantic integration is not in line with our vision.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Lithuania urges the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States that have not yet done so to accede to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol and to further strengthen national institutions responsible for the management of migration flows. We believe in a regional approach to regional issues. We praise the United Nations reliance on regional organizations. The Organization for Cooperation and Security in Europe is a good example of what a regional institution with a limited budget can do rather than placing the burden on the United Nations. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is another good example. The record of the two organizations in the former Yugoslavia is much better than what could have been achieved had the United Nations alone dealt with the war.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Mary Robinson as the High Commissioner for Human Rights and express our support for the structural reforms of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Centre for Human Rights. Internal restructuring of the United Nations human rights organs should go hand in hand with close cooperation in human rights issues between the United Nations and such regional arrangements as the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others. Illegal migration and trafficking in migrants threaten stability in Central and Eastern Europe. We believe that treaties on readmission between the States of the region could be a key instrument against these threats.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The next occasion to demonstrate the seriousness of our intentions to protect the environment and to agree on specific targets for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, which were not realized at the special session, will be the third session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Kyoto, Japan, this December. The fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will afford a great occasion to see what has been done and what can be done about the protection of and respect for basic international human rights. We welcome the appointment of Mrs.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“For its part, the Government of Lithuania is determined to enhance regional structures combating transnational organized crime as well as fully to implement bilateral, regional and multilateral agreements in this area. We also look forward to the special session of the General Assembly in 1998, which should enable the international community to develop new and improved strategies to address the problem of illicit narcotic drugs. Although the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly was not a milestone of success and ended with few commitments, we strongly believe that the political will demonstrated by the presence of so many Heads of State and Government will be translated into action.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Later today, I shall submit to the Secretary-General a detailed description of our permanently available contribution, including well-trained police officers. Nations around the world are being challenged by certain phenomena which know no boundaries and which can be tackled only by joint action. Fighting international crime, drug trafficking and terrorism and ensuring environmental protection and humanitarian aid are among such challenges. 9 Lithuania wholeheartedly supports the Secretary- General’s reform effort to strengthen, through the United Nations entities in Vienna, the Organization’s capacity coherently and systematically to address threats to the stability and development of society created by transnational crime in all its manifestations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In recent years we have witnessed an increase in the role and functions of international civilian police in peacekeeping operations. The civilian police forces can play a major role, through assistance to local police forces, in rebuilding national police and judicial systems, in restoring civil order, in supporting the rule of law and in facilitating national reconciliation. The need for assistance from international civilian police is likely to increase. It can be met by properly functioning United Nations standby arrangements, which are designed to expand the rapid-deployment capacity of the Organization. Lithuania has decided to join the United Nations system of standby arrangements for peacekeeping operations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Europe has set out on the path of toughening the requirements for the stationing of conventional forces, through the adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. We support this process and believe that it can be a model for other regions. Even though the total number of peacekeeping operations and their average size have been reduced in recent years, peacekeeping is still the key instrument available to the United Nations in discharging its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Together with Estonia and Latvia, and with Poland, Lithuania is developing joint peacekeeping units. Apart from its genuine objective of contributing to United Nations goals, this exercise is, in itself, a testimony to full understanding and cooperation among the neighbouring countries of our region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Fortunately, today there are more tools to control the spread of the most deadly weapons. Last year we adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty — a major breakthrough in nuclear disarmament, which is feasible when pursued in consecutive steps. The next step should be to ban the spread of fissile material for nuclear warheads. The world’s attention has been captured by the negotiations in Oslo on the agreement to ban one of the most inhumane weapons: anti-personnel landmines. We support these efforts, which require profound rethinking of national defence strategies in many countries, including Lithuania. Confidence-building measures and security cooperation will help humanitarian concerns reign over military purposes. We have faith in regional and bilateral efforts to disarm.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“And there are more States whose contributions to the goals of the United Nations point to the need for greater appreciation and better accommodation of their interests. We want a comprehensive reform of the Council whereby the number of non-permanent seats increases as well. The Group of Eastern European States, whose number has more than doubled over the past few years, deserves at least one additional seat. Our position on this is very firm. We also need a more transparent and democratic Security Council. But, most important, the reform should continue to progress. This year’s discussions have been productive, thanks to the efforts of the former President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Razali. I hope the process will retain its vigour. In the post-confrontation era, there are far too many weapons around the world.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The scheme of limits has to be removed from the new scale of assessments that is to be negotiated this autumn. Lithuania continues to support the package of comprehensive proposals put forward by the European Union designed to put the Organization on a sound and predictable financial footing. Although the reform of the Security Council started as a separate process, it is now part of the entire package of United Nations reform. It was inspired by the general acknowledgement that the time had come for the Council to reflect new realities in world politics. Today we have more nations able and willing to serve permanently on the Security Council than in the days of its inception. Two such States are Germany and Japan. Asia, Africa and Latin America, too, legitimately aspire to have new permanent seats.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Lithuania is ready to play an active part in achieving agreement on a United Nations structure that will reflect the nature of the United Nations mandate and its core functions: maintenance of peace and security, sustainable development and 8 promotion of human rights, humanitarian assistance, and social and economic progress. They should be placed within a strict time-frame. Otherwise, lack of dynamics in the negotiation process will cause a loss of direction. What is of special concern to us is that the financial difficulties of the Organization are affecting its performance and endanger the progress of reforms. Lithuania will fulfil its financial obligations to the United Nations and urges other States to do so. At the same time, United Nations financing must reflect a State’s capacity to pay.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Lithuania’s Government supports the Secretary-General’s reform initiative, which is expected to spur most fundamental changes. We are confident that the Secretary-General will successfully implement that part of his programme which falls within his own responsibility. It is unlikely that everyone will be happy about every part of the proposed reforms. We, the Member States, have to see the Secretary-General’s proposals in their entirety, and, rising above narrow national interests, find a compromise on every step that brings us closer to a more focused, more efficient, more transparent and more democratic United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Today, our democracy and market economy are inextricably linked with the new security and economic framework of a united Europe. Our reform experience demonstrates that the courage to grasp the moment — to respond rapidly if and when the changing situation requires — a key for success. We have this key in our hands, and we need the determination to use it. With the end of the cold war, the fall of the bipolar system and the failure of power politics have given us a new chance to look deeper into the core of the United Nations and to reshape it in line with the needs and expectations of its Member States and for the benefit of all. The picture of the road ahead is visible. We want this session of the General Assembly to be dominated by the programme of reforms.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Allow me to begin by congratulating you, Sir, on your election to your honourable post. You may count on our full support and dedication to your goals. You, Sir, have inherited the legacy of the outgoing President, Ambassador Razali Ismail, which we can build on: friendly atmosphere, lively debates, productive spirit, strong desire for change and reform, and, last but not least, brilliant management of the Assembly’s work. My Government congratulates Ambassador Razali on his outstanding performance. I come from a country that is in the midst of comprehensive reforms. Top-to-bottom institutional changes have reshaped our society from its very roots, establishing a commonly accepted democratic way of life. Radical changes involved in introducing a market economy have borne fruit.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)