YouSaid · the spoken record

Jacques Poos

lines on the record: 88
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 1998-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“I am confident that the United Nations will remain capable of steadfastly pursuing the attainment of the great objectives it has set itself: to serve men and women, ensure respect for their rights, preserve them from the scourge of war and lead them towards development and fulfilment. Luxembourg?s support will certainly not be lacking.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The end of the culture of impunity represents a decisive turning point in international relations at the end of this century. But this turning point will be convincing only if the Members of our Organization display a commitment to provide the new Court with the necessary credibility. In this commemorative year, we must ensure that our achievements are assessed in depth and that we avoid complacency in the field of human rights. Only in this way will it be possible to expand the base on which we can build the values that the international community has so often said it is prepared to ensure for humankind as a whole.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“This progress leads us to believe that human rights will find the central and permanent home at the heart of international life that they deserve. We also note that the Criminal Tribunals established by the United Nations to bring to trial those accused of crimes committed during recent wars in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda have recently been able to strengthen their authority and the scope of their action. This affirmation of their importance played a considerable role in the preparation of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. I sincerely welcome the positive conclusion of the work of the recent Rome Conference. At the same time, I should like to emphasize the fact that the entire international community has given that new institution strong and constant support.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Fifty years ago our Organization adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For the first 22 time, a universal organization declared its determination to place respect for human rights at the heart of international relations. Since then, we have made considerable progress towards ensuring recognition for the universal value of such rights and their effective enjoyment. Several international instruments have been added to the Universal Declaration so as to focus more precisely on what human rights represent and to ensure that the citizens of all countries of the world effectively enjoy these rights. Our Organization has established the post of High Commissioner for Human Rights, and concern for human rights now underlies all of its activities.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In that way we can come closer to democratic civic education based on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and on the participation of young people in civil society. Luxembourg has undertaken a long-term effort to make its own contribution to providing funds for development. Our efforts are aimed at attaining the target set by the United Nations of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance before the end of the millennium. Our efforts occupy an important place in the struggle against poverty, which is one of the main obstacles to development. At present our contribution is 0.56 per cent of gross national product and is equivalent to official development assistance of $195 per capita. According to those criteria, Luxembourg is fifth among donor countries in the Development Assistance Committee.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In the context of the Biodiversity Convention, we also plan to establish a national network of protected areas covering 10 per cent of our national territory. The goal of managing the world?s material resources as a good parent would reflect an atavistic concern, that of guaranteeing security through careful preparation for the future, in particular through suitable education. The recent Lisbon Conference devoted to the problems faced by young people rightly emphasized the need to provide training that is suited to the job market so as to prevent unemployment and marginalization. Such training must include education about responsibility. We therefore welcome the fact that the Lisbon Declaration commits Governments to ensuring the participation of young people in programmes that concern them.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Undeniable progress has been made in recent years: the entry into force of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification. But it must be acknowledged that the world environment has continued to deteriorate. Accordingly, it is essential to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 21, the programme of action adopted in Rio de Janeiro. Luxembourg intends to shoulder its share of this responsibility. Accordingly, we have undertaken, in the context of the commitments made by the European Union at the Kyoto Conference, to reduce our emissions of six greenhouse gases to 28 per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2012.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Another area in which the interdependence of our objectives is particularly visible and tangible is that of the management of the world?s natural resources. It is clear that we need to be ambitious when it comes to the long-term management of our environment. Last year we met here in special session to undertake an initial evaluation of the implementation of the commitments undertaken at the Conference on Environment and Development a little over six years ago. At Rio de Janeiro and during last year?s evaluation session we defined the concept of a world partnership for sustainable development, a partnership respecting the fact that the protection of the environment cannot be dissociated from the economic and social development process.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In his work Civilisation matérielle, économie et capitalisme, Fernand Braudel pointed out the profound source of this crisis: “the emergence of a savage capitalism, as distinct from what we consider to be a market economy”. A market economy, and particularly a social market economy, cannot do without a stable State capable of regulating competition and protecting the weak. The strengthening or restoration of a democratic, working State in the countries in crisis seems to me to be an absolute priority. The international community cannot shirk the obligation to shoulder its responsibilities and lend a strong hand. It will do this not only because of its duty of solidarity, but because the interests of one and all are linked.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“When we see that generations of young people can hope for no future but unemployment or a frustrating inactivity, there exists a flagrant and unjust imbalance which will be a source of conflict. 21 When we see social categories permanently deprived of education and health care, that, too, is an imbalance to which we cannot be indifferent. The economic, financial and social crisis currently besetting South-East Asia, Latin America and Russia has exacerbated this trend. Rationally, the international community must acknowledge that the means of intervention traditionally, and almost mechanically, employed to overcome economic crises have proved ineffective this time.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Our proposed reforms will be consolidated only when all Member States have agreed fully to meet their obligations under the Charter by paying their arrears to the United Nations, and by paying on time and unconditionally the full amount of their obligatory contributions, both to the Organization?s regular budget and to the peacekeeping budget. The maintenance of security and peace in the world cannot be dissociated from the international community?s efforts on behalf of development. When we see entire regions, even subcontinents, experiencing poverty and malnutrition, there is a shocking imbalance which will soon pose a threat to the security of the States concerned and to respect for the fundamental rights of the human individual.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We welcome the fact that some progress was made during the fifty-second session. But reform cannot be an isolated event; it must become a process that underlies all of our action. We pledge to continue actively supporting the efforts of the Secretary- General, and to add our efforts to his, with a view to giving the United Nations the capacity to respond in a flexible and evolving way to the challenges of the twenty- first century. Any in-depth reform of the system will remain fragile so long as the Organization lacks sound and reliable financial resources. The grave financial crisis which the Organization has experienced for a number of years must be considered as a threat to the effectiveness of the whole.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“While the future of Africa depends first of all on the efforts of Africans themselves, the international community must be actively involved in order to ensure respect for international law, and in order to carry out its duty of solidarity. Recent events, with the terrible bombings perpetrated in Africa and Northern Ireland, remind us once again of the intolerable nature of terrorism. It is up to the international community to acquire an effective means of combating this scourge on an international level, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such acts answer for their crimes before the competent courts. We owe it to ourselves to put a definitive end to the culture of impunity in connection with terrorism. Another priority for our General Assembly is reform of the Organization.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In no case should the political leaders involved in the different flashpoints feel that their only choice is between submitting to events and shirking their responsibilities. The struggles for influence and the war in and around the Democratic Republic of the Congo are on the verge of degenerating into a regional conflict and bringing about a humanitarian catastrophe there too. The causes of conflicts and the promotion of peace and sustainable development in Africa call for a united response. The debate at ministerial level that the Security Council has just held on these topics was very helpful. The General Assembly will have occasion to consider this question over the course of its fifty-third session, with a view to a discussion on possible measures.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The archaic and paralysing philosophy of refusal has unfortunately returned to the foreground; it is reflected in many initiatives which only increase tension, thus nullifying the efforts of those who advocate peace. The political leaders involved must reverse this trend so as to return to the good faith implementation of all the provisions of the Oslo agreements. Our action, in that region and in others, must focus on convincing the parties involved that there is no alternative to peace. It is regrettable that this central concept is also being called into question in a number of African regions. Tribal rivalries and resentments continue to supplant clearsightedness and the desire for good governance.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is up to the international community to consolidate this trend, as it still appears to be fragile, and to ensure, in particular, the return of refugees and displaced persons. This latter question is particularly acute in Croatia and Albania. Another key element for opening the way to a brighter future is a firm, unequivocal commitment by the regional parties and the international community. I refer to the peace process in the Middle East. Five years after the Oslo agreements, we must note the stagnation of the peace process, whose logic — the principle of land for peace — the current Israeli Government never really accepted.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Firm cohesion between Europe, the United States and the Russian Federation should enable those in the region, as was the case previously, to address their future in a more rational and orderly way. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the extremist tendencies are on the decline. This political progress was rapidly reflected in concrete results achieved in the field, and today this war-torn country is engaged in reconstruction. It is comforting to note that a growing number of individuals charged with war crimes have been sent to the Tribunal at The Hague. The establishment and the 20 functioning of the structures decided on in the context of the peace process are today becoming a reality. The recent elections have confirmed this new realism.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It proves that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia continues to follow paths which cannot but compromise progress in its integration into international and European structures. Armed action conducted by Albanian groups in Kosovo must also end. The scorn for human suffering displayed by the Serbian leaders and the extremists in Kosovo is incomprehensible. A new status for Kosovo must emerge. It is inconceivable that such a status can emerge under the sway of threat or, even worse, cold-hearted implacable violence, which would merely drive the wedge deeper to the point where the very idea of understanding would be absurd. As Security Council resolution 1199 (1998) requires, a political solution must be negotiated between the parties under the aegis of the international community.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We welcome the fact that in 1998 the Council once again authorized two peacekeeping operations, one in Sierra Leone and the other in the Central African Republic. The Ottowa conference on the prohibition of anti- personnel mines was undeniably an invigorating success in an area which constantly creates innocent victims. This treaty, which has just entered into force, will make it possible to save many human lives. The news that anti- personnel mines are again being sown in Angola and along the borders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is terrifying. Such action, if confirmed, must be condemned vigorously. In Kosovo, the violence directed against the civilian population must end.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is the Security Council?s responsibility to take the necessary steps to ensure that its decisions in this area are fully respected. Our Organization is pursuing conflict prevention and peacekeeping. At the recent meeting between the United Nations and the representatives of regional organizations, the proposal for development of a culture of prevention was put forward. Progress has been made in the concept of mutually supportive institutions and on support for the initiatives taken at the regional and subregional level. While it is desirable to support such initiatives and efforts, we must remember that the Charter confers principle responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security on the Security Council and that the Council must fully play its role.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We noted with satisfaction that the representatives of India and Pakistan have just announced from this rostrum that their countries are prepared to join the international community by acceding to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We invite them to proceed in that direction as quickly as possible. Will these efforts appear absurd, given the endless pursuit of the tragic discussion about the disarmament of Iraq? This spring the Security Council endorsed the memorandum of understanding submitted to it following the Secretary-General?s visit to Baghdad. Since then, such cooperation has been called into question. Such abrupt changes generate concern and discouragement and call into question the credibility of our Organization.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“We are aware of the complexity and the magnitude of the situations we face, and that these impose limits on our action. Therefore we must focus our operations and provide an appropriate framework for them. It is also our duty to acquire the means to act effectively whenever our ineffectiveness or slow response would seem to negatively affect the weakest among us. Luxembourg supports the efforts under way to provide our Organization with permanent structures and to make available to it forces prepared for rapid and effective intervention whenever the Security Council, guarantor of the preservation of peace and security, deems it necessary. Our common efforts to make our world safer suffered a serious setback following the nuclear tests recently carried out by two major countries in South Asia.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Last Tuesday, members heard the statement of Mr. Schüssel, President of the Council of the European Union. He spoke on behalf of all of the countries of the European Union, and Luxembourg fully supports the views expressed. 19 The presence of representatives of 185 States in this Hall reflects our common concern to ensure balance and security among nations, but also within our societies. Our concern is to ensure the permanence of values to which we are all committed in an ever-evolving world. In the context of its mandate to preserve international peace and security, our Organization regularly asks whether it has the means to ensure that the general interest, as perceived by our citizens, prevails. Surely, we must not be overly ambitious.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As previous speakers have done, I would like to convey to the President my sincerest congratulations on his election to the presidency at the fifty-third session of the General Assembly. I am convinced that our Assembly will benefit greatly from his sense of authority and leadership. I also wish to express my gratitude to his predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, for his commitment and perseverance in conducting our work during the fifty-second session. The Secretary-General of our Organization is devoting tireless energy to opening up new avenues for our common efforts. He has emphasized the crucial importance of good communications to ensure that the United Nations will be a catalyst both for those directly involved in international life and for our peoples. We share that belief with him and encourage him in that respect.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“They relate to measures to speed up the payment of arrears, to tighten up the system for paying contributions, to monitor United Nations spending more closely and to reform the scale of assessment so as to better reflect the principle of ability to pay. It is important that together, at this fifty-second session of the General Assembly, we find a constructive and viable solution to these questions, which are fundamental if we wish to ensure that our Organization has the capacity to fulfil its mandate at the dawn of the twenty- first century.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The European Union has often stated that the crisis cannot be resolved until all Member States have agreed to meet their obligations under the United Nations Charter in full by settling their arrears and by paying on time and without conditions the full amount of their 14 mandatory contributions to the Organization’s regular budget and to the budget of peacekeeping operations. The States members of the European Union, whose contributions represent 35 per cent of the regular budget and 38 per cent of the peacekeeping budget, have always honoured their financial obligations promptly, fully and unconditionally. The European Union has put forward a package of coherent proposals designed to put the Organization on a sound and predictable financial footing.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Over the coming weeks the European Union intends to play an active part in the Assembly’s work. Our task is to reach general agreement on a feasible, constructive and coherent response to the Secretary-General’s proposals, one that respects his responsibilities and his authority. Necessary as it is, the reform exercise on which we have embarked will not bear fruit until the United Nations has the financial resources it needs to fulfil its mandates. For several years now, the United Nations has been embroiled in a financial crisis, which began as a cash- flow problem, but which has now become structural. That crisis is undermining the necessary sense of partnership between Member States and compromising implementation of the Organization’s programmes in many areas.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The European Union is well aware that the proposals before us necessarily represent a compromise between the sometimes divergent interests of Member States, and that they cannot, therefore, fully reflect either its own views or those of other schools of thought within the General Assembly. Because we believe that the programme of reforms, taken as a whole, represents significant progress for our Organization, the Union does not intend to press for the fine points of its own positions to be taken into account with regard to each of the proposals or recommendations before us. It is our hope that other delegations will approach this exercise in a similar spirit and that they can agree to put the general positive thrust of the package of proposals before the satisfaction of their individual demands.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We therefore consider that, if we want to achieve the renewal of the United Nations, it is of overriding importance that the Secretary-General’s proposals be examined by the General Assembly in an integrated manner and as a package. It is also important to abide, so far as possible, by the timetable that the Secretary- General has suggested, so that the reform measures can start to be implemented at the beginning of 1998. The reform programme before us affords us a unique opportunity to reform the Organization from top to bottom. It is for us, the Member States, to demonstrate the necessary ambition, courage and clarity of vision to show that we are equal to this challenge.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Only a reformed and revitalized United Nations can create the foundation for a global partnership between developing countries, developed countries and multilateral organizations, with the prime objective of achieving sustained and sustainable development. The European Union believes that, taken as a whole, the programme of reforms proposed by the Secretary- General represents a balanced package. It attempts to take into account the various interests in play and, once implemented, will enable the Organization to fulfil its mandate more adequately and to carry out its tasks in the service of the international community more effectively.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Here, too, the European Union believes that the method used and the choices made by the Secretary-General should open the way to effective and far-reaching reform of the United Nations. This applies particularly to the promotion of economic and social development, which must remain one of the priority objectives of our Organization. In this sector, the reform should improve the Organization’s capacity for action at the intergovernmental as well as the structural and managerial levels. In the view of the European Union, the reform of the United Nations, as an instrument in the service of development, cannot be conceived as a cost-cutting exercise; on the contrary, it must be designed to strengthen and revitalize the Organization so that it can respond to the challenges of the future in the most effective way possible.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is designed to rationalize the operations of Secretariat services and United Nations agencies and to improve their coordination. The proposals are intended to mould those services into a more coherent structure. There is a need to establish a community of ideas, a coherence of effort and greater flexibility in implementing action. We urge the Secretary-General to implement those proposals as quickly as possible. The European Union considers that modalities could be worked out to see that the savings realized are reinvested in the field of development. The second part of the programme deals with improving the operation of the United Nations system and strengthening its intergovernmental machinery. It requires the approval of Member States.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Finally, we need an Organization that integrates in all its activities the fundamental concept of respect for human rights, which is an integral part of the quest for peace and security, economic prosperity and social justice. To attain those objectives, our Organization must be able to rely not only on the commitment of the Secretary- General and the cooperation of Member States, but on the support of every sector of international society, and in particular on the non-governmental organizations, whose efforts inspire and complement our own. 13 The programme of reforms put forward by the Secretary-General has two parts. The first concerns the responsibility of the Secretary-General himself. It supplements the series of proposals he put forward in March this year.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We need United Nations funds and programmes that can translate the objectives of the Organization in the field of sustainable development. They must offer the countries and the peoples of the world both material support and a frame of reference that will enable them to generate their own development in the most efficient manner and in a way suited to their specific needs. We need a United Nations system that provides a credible response to the complex problems of humanitarian assistance and emergency situations, problems which include conflict prevention, peacekeeping, rehabilitation and transition towards development.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In examining these proposals, at its fifty-second session, the General Assembly is embarking on a period of debate and decision-making that promises to be one of the most significant in the history of the United Nations. We need an Organization that fulfils its mandate to preserve peace and international security more rapidly and effectively by building better capacities for action in the fields of preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacemaking, and by having more effective capacities for action in the areas of recovery and reconstruction after a conflict. We need an Organization that responds better to one of its fundamental objectives, which consists of promoting economic and social progress, eradicating poverty and ensuring the widest possible participation in an expanding world economy.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is vital that the ideals upon which our Organization is founded — human rights, good governance and democracy — come to be reflected more and more in the behaviour of public authorities and in people’s everyday lives. The primacy of the rule of law must be reaffirmed. We realize that if our Organization is to respond adequately to the profound changes in its external environment it must adapt its structures to the new realities of the modern world. Last July we heard the Secretary-General’s ambitious proposals, and we welcomed them. It is not, of course, a question of rewriting the mandates of the United Nations, to which we remain deeply committed, but of transforming the Organization into a productive and efficient instrument at the service of all the peoples of the world.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We have proposed clear objectives for the reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, and we hope that other States will very soon be making their own detailed proposals in order to speed up the progress that is vitally needed if the Kyoto session of the Conference is to be a success. Two years ago the Heads of State and Government meeting in this Hall on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations observed that, in a rapidly changing world, the objectives set out in the Charter had lost none of their relevance. In many regions of the planet, we still have to face up to serious threats to international peace and security. More than ever, we need to promote economic and social development.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“She will have our full support. We wish to underline the importance of her mission, not least in the context of the fiftieth anniversary. Regarding the environment and development, the General Assembly will be asked to endorse at this session the results of the special session on the follow-up to Agenda 21 and of the Rio Conference. The European Union considers it essential that the implementation of Agenda 21 receive fresh political impetus. We believe it is imperative that we come to a substantial conclusion of the negotiations on climate change to be held in Kyoto in December. We urge all States to work towards that end.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“That Declaration, adopted on 10 December 1948, and the two international pacts and other legal instruments on the subject that were subsequently adopted, are still fully relevant today. We reaffirm our deep commitment to the universality of human rights and to their protection and promotion. The year 1988 will provide an opportunity for all members of 12 the international community to step up their actions to ensure better implementation of the universal principles of the Declaration through the instruments and machinery of the United Nations. The year 1998 will also be an opportunity to review the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna in 1993. We welcome the appointment of Mrs Mary Robinson as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In October 1996 the Union, for its part, adopted a decision on joint action on anti-personnel landmines in which it expresses its determination to achieve the aim of totally eliminating such mines and of actively working towards the earliest possible conclusion of an effective international agreement on a worldwide ban on these weapons. We welcome the work done at the recent Oslo Diplomatic Conference, which resulted in the adoption of an international Convention. We shall also be pursuing the achievement of our aims at the Conference on Disarmament. Next 10 December will see the start of celebrations on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The European Union also continues to be concerned by the situation in Cambodia, which is likely to jeopardize the whole democratization process and the major efforts by the international community in support of that country’s reconstruction. We renew our support for the mediation efforts by the Association of South-East Asian Nations and welcome the constructive constitutional role played by His Majesty King Sihanouk in the search for a solution to this crisis. We appeal for an immediate end to all violence in Cambodia and reiterate the importance we attach to the holding of free pluralist elections in 1998. I would like now to take up several thematic questions. The tragic consequences of the indiscriminate spread and use of anti-personnel landmines have aroused genuine emotion in world public opinion in recent years.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We urge all the parties involved to cease hostilities and to work together to achieve national reconciliation and restore a peaceful society. We reiterate the Union’s full support for the mediation efforts undertaken by President Bongo of Gabon. The European Union condemns all violence in Burundi. It encourages the authorities of that country to accelerate the dismantling of the reassembly camps. We earnestly appeal to all parties in Burundi to embark definitively on the road towards negotiation and national reconciliation. The European Union is also concerned by the worsening insecurity in Rwanda’s north-western provinces, which affects all populations, without exception. The European Union welcomes the success of the monitoring mission in the Central African Republic, established under the Bangui Agreements.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The European Union emphasizes the need for the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to cooperate fully with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in order to ensure the safe return of refugees, particularly to Rwanda. We also urge the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to cooperate fully with the United Nations in order that the mission investigating the allegations of massacres and other human rights violations can take place without impediment or delay. The European Union remains seriously worried by the situation in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville) and is concerned that the parties to the conflict have so far failed to overcome their differences.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We support the introduction of the rule of law, which should put an end to the climate of impunity prevailing in the region and encourage its economic and social recovery. The accession of the new authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo signals a very important change for the Congo and the whole of Africa. The European Union is aware of the scale of requirements for reconstruction in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is willing to contribute its support for reconstruction. It confirms its readiness to resume cooperation with that Government on a gradual basis. The resumption of cooperation will depend, according to the conclusions of the European Council of Amsterdam, on the progress observed in the fields of human rights, democratization and the establishment of the rule of law.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In Africa, major developments have occurred in recent months, notably in the Great Lakes region, which continues to experience serious problems. The European Union fully supports the efforts undertaken there, as elsewhere, by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in close cooperation with the United Nations. It welcomes the action taken by both its special representative, 11 Mr. Ajello, and the Special Representative of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the OAU, Mr. Sahnoun. The international community must thus aim at establishing peace, at consolidating the process of national reconciliation in the countries concerned, at creating a climate conducive to the voluntary return of refugees and of facilitating the establishment of normal democratic life.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is not in the interests of peace to weaken the Palestinian economy, administration and leadership and to feed the feelings of frustration and humiliation of an entire people. In the opinion of the European Union, peace remains the only strategic choice and the only lasting guarantee for the security and prosperity of both sides. The European Union will continue, through the efforts of its Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, Ambassador Moratinos, as well as through its diplomatic relations, its economic commitment and its relations of friendship and trust with the various parties, to work with the parties concerned both within and outside the region, and especially with the United States, to relaunch the peace process.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We call on each side to show absolute determination in combating terrorism. We hope that cooperation in the field of security between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will be re-established and reinforced. To that end, we propose the setting up of a permanent security committee with the participation of the parties involved and, possibly, with that of the United States and the European Union. We urge both parties not to yield to blackmail by extremists bent on sabotaging the peace process. We ask that Israel discontinue certain measures taken with regard to the Palestinians which we consider to be counter- productive. In particular, we ask that Israel transfer all of the tax revenue owed to the Palestinian Authority.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The European Union recalled that Cypriot membership should benefit both communities and should help to bring about civil peace and reconciliation. In the Middle East, the peace process is at a worrisome standstill. The European Union calls on the peoples and Governments of the region to renew the spirit of mutual confidence which, at Madrid in 1991 and in Oslo in 1993, gave rise to the hope of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. We call upon the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to continue the negotiations to further the implementation of the Interim Agreement and the Hebron agreement, and to resume talks on permanent status. We ask them once more to abstain from any unilateral action which may prejudice the issues relating to permanent status. The European Union firmly condemns the recent terrorist attacks in Jerusalem.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We appeal to the parties to respect the results as certified by the OSCE. The European Union also remains concerned by the situation in Kosovo, in particular by the lack of respect for human rights and the principles of the rule of law. Concerning Cyprus, the European Union regrets that the intercommunal talks under the aegis of the United Nations have failed to register progress. We call on the leaders of both communities to resume the talks, as proposed by Mr. Cordovez. We urge them and all parties concerned to work constructively and in good faith to promote the success of these talks. We reject any link between the talks and the membership negotiations with Cyprus. The latter will be initiated in accordance with the decisions taken by the European Council and will contribute positively towards the search for a political solution.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Without minimizing the difficulties in the Muslim Croat Federation, the European Union observes with concern the political crisis which has erupted in the Republika Srpska. It calls on all parties to respect the constitutional functioning of that entity and to take vigorous action to reform the police and to establish freedom of the press. We believe the holding of legislative elections under the supervision of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) constitutes the appropriate and democratic means for resolving the present political deadlock. The European Union welcomes the recent holding of municipal elections, on 13 and 14 September, with the participation of all the parties. These elections mark an important step in the process of democratization in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)