YouSaid · the spoken record

Fathulla JAMEEL

lines on the record: 149
first: 1996-09-24
most recent: 2004-09-24
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“My delegation is convinced that without a firm and sound financial footing, even our reform efforts will be totally meaningless.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“They were created to remedy these imbalances among States and to contribute to justice, equality and peace. They were established to build and consolidate a climate of cooperation, to help each other on the basis of moral and ethical obligations and not merely of charity. They were erected to help the poor — not just some of them, while neglecting others; to help children — not just some of them, while neglecting others; to consolidate human rights — not just some aspects of it, while neglecting others; and to further peace and prosperity for all mankind — not just for certain segments of humanity. If we want the United Nations to perform the duties that we have entrusted to it, then we should ensure that we honour our financial obligations to it.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Conflicts within States have crossed national boundaries and ignited conflicts of international proportions. Unless the United Nations is equipped to act swiftly on such symptoms of rupture, large numbers of people will remain in the shadow of conflicts. We should redouble our efforts to deliver on the promise of peace, human rights, fundamental freedoms and economic prosperity contained in the Charter of this Organization. The United Nations should not be solely a political forum. It was meant to cover the wide spectrum of all human activities with institutions for social as well as economic matters. The disparities vividly observed around the world, a half century after the creation of the United Nations, prove that none of the institutions has diminished in importance.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In the field of disarmament and arms control, the international community has achieved considerable success. The indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the entry into force of the Chemical Weapons Convention are testimony to this. The Maldives attaches utmost importance to the efforts of global and regional disarmament and arms control, and vehemently supports them. It was in this spirit that we signed the CTBT two days ago. Contrary to our expectations, the era of peace and economic prosperity of the post-cold-war era has so far proved elusive. Outbreaks of violence and ethnic strife in several parts of the world have precipitated unbelievable levels of human suffering.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“While my delegation fully shares the view that continued negotiations in good faith between the two parties is essential for a permanent solution to the conflict, we strongly believe that the United Nations also has an important and crucial role to play in the peace process. The decisions of the General Assembly and the Security Council must be respected and fully implemented without any preconditions. We call on both parties to respect the agreements reached so far and to exercise maximum restraint in resorting to activities that may undermine the peace process. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina may have faded a little from the headlines of the international press, but we must realize that our job will not be complete unless and until the perpetrators of genocide and other brutal crimes in that country are brought to justice.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The present Israeli Government’s arrogance towards and utter disregard for United Nations resolutions and the agreements that they themselves reached with the Palestinians under the Oslo accords have shattered the little hope that the people of Israel, Palestine and the international community at large had for a lasting solution to this age-old conflict. Recent events have drastically diminished the confidence that is so essential for the success of the process, leaving us to wonder if peace will ever come to this region. The General Assembly met twice in emergency session this year to consider the issue. At those sessions, the international community almost unanimously rallied behind the Middle East peace process and demonstrated its genuine and unwavering support.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We have joined hands to accelerate our efforts to achieve trade liberalization and establish a free-trade area by the year 2001. We have also, for the first time, decided to begin informal political consultations in order to enhance and foster good- neighbourly relations, relieve tension and build trust and confidence between and among Member States. The alarming level of tension that exists on the international political scene is of utmost concern to us. In the recent past, we have witnessed in various regions of 13 the world the reigniting of old conflicts the emergence of new and serious ones that possess the intensity to stretch the United Nations to its limits. The dangerous developments unfolding in the region of the Middle East have brought into question once again the credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I cannot overemphasize the important role that the regional organizations are playing in international relations: fostering mutual trust and understanding and opening up greater prospects for the promotion of peace, stability and socio-economic cooperation within the region. The activities of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), to which my country proudly belongs, are no exception. In fact, I am happy to state that the ninth SAARC summit, held in the Maldives in May this year, has adopted far-reaching and bold initiatives that will bring the countries of South Asia closer to each other and enhance further cooperation between them in the economic and technical fields. Among other important decisions, we have pledged to eradicate poverty from our region as early as possible, preferably by the year 2002.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Furthermore, the smallness of our countries has also made us vulnerable to the activities of drug-trafficking, money-laundering, terrorism and other forms of organized crime carried out by criminals who are looking for new territories to operate from. We therefore need to remain close to our development partners in a relationship of trust, which is far beyond kindness and charity. Therefore, my delegation would like to stress the importance of developing and applying a vulnerability index for the small island developing States as a basic and meaningful criterion for determining the status of least developed countries, recalling the content and the spirit of resolution 51/183.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“However, if one were to consider these few achievements against the background of an extremely fragile economy deprived of natural resources, and a high dependency on tourism and fisheries — both of which are susceptible to global economic change and environmental and other external factors — the whole scenario could easily change from a happy and promising one to an obscure and insecure one. The vulnerability of our economy compels us to continue to depend on external resources, to build infrastructures that we cannot build on our own and to develop our own needed human resources for further development.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We were able to improve the per capita income, raise the standard of living of the people and provide basic services to the community and individuals at higher levels than many others in the least developed country category. This success was in large measure due to the stable political climate that we enjoyed, which in turn provided us the opportunity to implement carefully planned, action- oriented policies and strategies. At the same time, we could not have achieved these happy results without the support we received from friendly countries and multilateral organizations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Unless the developed countries fulfil their commitment to reach the United Nations accepted target of dedicating 0.7 per cent of gross national product to official development assistance and intensify their efforts to reverse the present downward trend, hopes for the least developed countries will remain as grim as ever. The Committee for Development Planning, at its thirty-first session, held in May this year, proposed in its report that the Maldives be graduated from the least developed countries list at the time of the next review in the year 2000, if we continue to prosper at the present rate. We are overwhelmed to see our development efforts being rewarded with a decision of expulsion. Over the years, my country has successfully cleared numerous hurdles in the path of socio-economic development, despite its limited resources.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“While liberalization of the world economy may have boosted the prospects for some of the developing 12 countries to successfully integrate themselves into the new international trading arrangements, those with little access to the world market, capital and new technologies find themselves becoming marginalized, away from the mainstream of the world economy. The gap between the rich and the poor is continuing to grow unabated. Several developing countries, and particularly the least developed of them, still continue to suffer from endemic poverty, which is compounded by the severe debt burden and leads to political and economic dislocation. The overall decline in official development assistance over the years has aggravated the conditions of the least developed countries.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We also look to the United Nations to develop policies and take effective measures to protect us from threats, whether economic or political, and alleviate our sufferings from environmental calamities. The fact is that we cannot on our own face the odds and that our economies are more vulnerable than those of larger and more prosperous States. Protection of the weaker should not be seen as a burden, but rather as a shared responsibility of all, recognizing the realities of our diversified membership in this Organization.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Last month the Maldives hosted the thirteenth session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change, which was regarded not only as a very important meeting on the subject, but also a very timely one, as the world is looking forward eagerly and with great optimism to the forthcoming third session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto. My country and many other small States in the developing world, especially those among the least developed countries, have placed our trust in the United Nations to help us face and overcome the inherent constraints we have as we continue our quest towards progress and prosperity.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this connection, we call upon the industrialized countries to follow the examples set by the United Kingdom and the European Union during the nineteenth special session of the General Assembly and to commit themselves to legally binding and meaningful targets to reduce their greenhouse-gas emission levels. For the Maldives, a country that will be affected severely, if not fatally, by climate change, it is hard to accept a target below the 20 per cent reduction level by the year 2005, as contained in the AOSIS protocol, as a meaningful reduction.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The Declaration, which reflected the common position of our region on global environmental issues, was presented to this Assembly by President Gayoom at its nineteenth special session. Another important meeting of SAARC environment ministers is scheduled to be held this month in the Maldives. At the international level, we are working closely with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) to pursue our cause. We attach the utmost importance to the swift and steady implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, and once again we call upon the developed countries to fulfil their commitments and pledges of support.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Today I am happy to state that at the national level we are continuing successfully to create environmental awareness by involving non-governmental organizations and the private sector. We have also successfully implemented a few projects to protect and preserve the environment. For instance, under the two-million-tree national programme the people of the Maldives have planted eight trees per person in the last two years. I wonder what a spectacular impact we could have on our planet if we could plant eight trees per person in the entire world over the next two years. At the regional level, the Delhi Declaration of the Environment Ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) stands as testimony to our regional efforts.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“For the Maldives and other small island developing States, which are most affected by the degradation of the world’s environment, the lack of progress in international action is most lamentable. We are not only fearful of an impending danger, we are also anxious that unless the world acts now and swiftly, it may be too late for us to avoid environmental catastrophe. If we care to halt and reverse this lurking threat, we need the unwavering commitment and cooperation of the entire international community. And there is nothing we can do on our own. Ever since my President, Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, apprised this Assembly in 1987 of the impending environmental disaster that rising sea levels posed to our country, the Maldives has been warning vigorously, at national, regional and international levels, of this problem.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Yet without the genuine and sincere will of the international community to honour their commitments, the action plans, which bear enormous price tags, cannot be implemented effectively. 11 This stark truth dominated the special session of the General Assembly in June this year, when we noted the lack of progress in the international action called for in the historic Agenda 21 of the 1992 Earth Summit. The emission of greenhouse gases is continuing unabated, polluting the environment and warming the global atmosphere more and more. If the latest predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on greenhouse-gas emissions and global warming were to come true, then by the year 2100 almost 80 per cent of the low-lying island countries, including my own, would be submerged in the sea.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“The proposals that he submitted to the Assembly on 16 July 1997 deserve our careful consideration, as they contain far-reaching and constructive arrangements which will at least help the United Nations emerge from its present difficulties. The enthusiasm which followed the end of the cold war also provided us the opportunity to meet in several international conferences to deal with some of the issues of true concern to all of us. These issues include the environment, social development, population, women, human settlements and food security. At those meetings we adopted ambitious action plans, reaching the conclusion that sustainable development should be the core of the achievement of our objectives.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Secondly, amend paragraph 2 of Article 23 of the Charter to enable the non-permanent member States to be re-elected for any number of consecutive terms, so that those who seek to occupy a seat in this important body on a continuing basis can do so as long as they enjoy the confidence and support of the Member States. Thirdly, encourage the permanent members of the Security Council to agree among themselves on an accord which will remove or at least minimize the common apprehension arising from the fear of their misusing the veto power. My delegation applauds the efforts of the Secretary- General to bring much needed reforms to the administrative and financial functioning of the Organization.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“But at this point we should remind ourselves that in our approach to reform we should be covering the whole spectrum of political, social, economic and legal activities of the United Nations and its specialized agencies. It is rather disappointing that the focus is at present mainly on the restructuring of the Security Council. Furthermore, the proposals made so far on this issue are sadly inadequate, and many suggest the creation of a new form of idiosyncrasy. In the absence of a formula which is comprehensive and just, we may as well suggest the following. First, increase the number of non-permanent members in the Council to an appropriate level, reflecting the growth of the membership and its present diversity.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We have no doubt that his long experience as an international civil servant and his vast knowledge of the United Nations system will give him all the insights he requires for carrying out his responsibilities fairly and firmly. He deserves every assistance and support from all Member States of the Organization. With great enthusiasm for capitalizing on the opportunities created by the end of the cold war, we embarked on a journey to revitalize the United Nations and to reform the way it functions, making it more effective and capable of playing the central role it is entitled to in maintaining the world order, and perhaps shaping a new world order for the future. However, as the discussions continue, the views remain far from consensus, even on the single issue of restructuring the Security Council, which I agree is important and pivotal.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“First of all, Sir, let me congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. Your election is a reflection of the confidence and the hope that this body has in your abilities to guide this session to a successful conclusion. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my delegation’s profound gratitude and appreciation to your predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail, for the exemplary manner in which he carried out his responsibilities and steered the work of the General Assembly during his term as President. It is also my privilege to take this opportunity to extend, on behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, a very warm welcome to the new Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“It is also our conviction that the dedication and collective endeavours of the international community, which have enabled the United Nations to survive the past 50 years, will inspire us all to greater heights of unity and cooperation so as to preserve and maintain the principles of the Charter, promote its objectives, and strengthen the Organization, thereby enabling it to better serve and enhance the well-being of the peoples of the world. 9”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The Dayton Agreement has finally paved the way to creating a lasting peace in Bosnia. The fulfilment of the commitments of the international community is, however, critical to the achievement and consolidation of full peace. We also believe that it is important and necessary to bring those responsible for the atrocities and the crimes of genocide to justice and to punish them. My delegation remains convinced that the United Nations is the most viable and dependable universal institution today. It is the responsibility of all of us to allow this universal Organization to play a more central and active role in shaping and harnessing international cooperation for economic growth and development.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The important and critical role played by the proponents of the peace process, especially the United States, deserves the appreciation and praise of the international community and should not be forgotten. My delegation is convinced that their positive role will continue to be instrumental to the success of the peace process. At the same time, we also feel that the United Nations should continue to play its important role in providing means to the Palestinian people in their just struggle for the restoration of their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and to the establishment of a sovereign State which could coexist with its neighbours in peace and harmony. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is encouraging, but we need to remain alert.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Similarly, my delegation would like to call for the strongest possible international action against drug traffickers, who are not only poisoning the fabric of human life but also draining the potential for productivity and prosperity of nations by exploiting the vulnerable elements in our societies. Though deeply concerned over the recent violence in Palestine and in the occupied lands, which resulted in the death or injury of hundreds of men, women and children, my delegation is happy to observe that despite the numerous difficulties that exist, the Middle East peace process is continuing to move forward. We fervently hope that the agreements reached so far will be implemented fully and without further delay.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Internal strife generated and fanned by ethnic, religious and other factors is a recent trend, which is causing large conflagrations in some parts of the world. While our Organization gropes for effective mechanisms to respond to such exigencies, we should not ignore the serious threats posed by drug traffickers, terrorists and mercenaries, particularly to small States. Terrorist incidents have increased alarmingly over the last few years. My delegation is fully convinced that the international community should intensify its efforts to combat terrorism. The early entry into force of the Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries will be a step forward in addressing these threats. We urge all States which have not yet done so to ratify the Convention as early as possible.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We also would like to praise the role played by the United Nations in demining and mine clearance, and to congratulate those involved in this dangerous activity for their bravery and dedication. Anti-personnel landmines have caused enormous human suffering and continue to maim and incapacitate countless innocent men, women and children. We look forward to a worldwide ban on this horrible and inhuman instrument of killing. My delegation is firmly committed to the concept of the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones and zones of peace and would like to take this opportunity to call upon all regions, especially the countries in the region of South Asia, to which we belong, to make every effort to bring about the proposed nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia without any further delay.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“We believe that, with the treaties and bilateral agreements concluded, and the ongoing negotiations among the nuclear-weapon States, and also with the indefinite extension of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons last year, the international community is now reaffirming its commitment to global disarmament and renewing the hopes for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. My delegation is pleased about the positive approaches taken by the nuclear-weapon States towards the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, despite the lack of consensus. We are particularly happy that the Treaty has now been opened for signature.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Though the land area we have is so limited, I am happy to mention that in the Maldives we initiated a programme in January this year for planting one million trees in three years; I presume that if all countries represented here would initiate similar programmes at a rate of four trees per capita, the world would be greener and cleaner in 10 years. 8 The importance of disarmament for the preservation and maintenance of world peace and security cannot be overemphasized.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“My delegation is confident that this review process will give the international community the opportunity to rededicate itself once again to the preservation of the global environment. Only concerted efforts on all fronts can produce encouraging results in this daunting challenge. For the Maldives, the environment is an important issue. We are conscious of the fragility of our islands and we hope to be able to protect them from the potential dangers arising from global warming and sea-level rise. We are also determined to keep our country environment-friendly, clean and unpolluted.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Poverty cannot be eliminated through charity, but only through cooperation. In this context, we welcome the proposal of the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to cut the number of people living in absolute poverty by half in the next two decades. We are fully committed to the efforts of the international community to safeguard the global environment, especially by building the capacity of the United Nations to promote sustainable development for all. We welcome the work carried out by the Commission on Sustainable Development in this regard, and are looking forward to the forthcoming United Nations Conference on Environment and Development review conference in 1997.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In this context, the development and use of a vulnerability index, along with other criteria, may be feasible in order to minimize these inadequacies. On the other hand, many of the poorest countries are still entangled in a web of external debt from which they are unlikely ever to be able to free themselves. My delegation believes that more steps should be taken to lift the debt burden from the poorest and most indebted countries by increasing the debt relief measures of bilateral creditors and by greater involvement of multilateral agencies in this responsibility. The developed countries can also help in eliminating the situation by demolishing the barriers they still maintain against imports from the less developed countries, in particular those which are suffering from the burdens of external debt.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The inherent obstacles facing small States, particularly small island States, and their vulnerability, deserve special attention. Small island States like my own require favoured treatment to prevent them from slipping back from their well-earned achievements. In this context, I also wish to express the need for an incisive examination of the criteria for least-developed- country status and related issues, including the graduation process, in order to do justice to the poorest among the poor countries when the criteria come up for review next year. The per capita index used to classify countries for assistance purposes is no longer adequate, particularly in the case of small States. It fails to capture the special problems faced by these countries and their vulnerability to external shocks.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“This unfavourable situation, if allowed to drag on, could be calamitous for countries, such as the Maldives, with severe resource constraints and fragile infrastructures. For this reason, my delegation can only appeal for priority action on various international development commitments, such as the Paris Declaration and Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries for the 1990s. These have been endorsed at various recent global conferences. Admittedly, liberalization of trade has resulted in greater trade. However, liberalization has also meant the loss of the only advantage that the least-developed countries had — their privileged status — and the consequent loss of their markets. Liberalization has therefore, in effect, contributed to the marginalization of many developing countries.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“While the globalization and liberalization of the world economy gave some developing countries the opportunity to assume a more prominent status in the world economy, the least-developed countries — a category to which my country unfortunately belongs — continued to be marginalized. The standard of living in least-developed countries has in effect declined over the years, and the poverty level has intensified in many of these countries due to indolent economic growth, which in turn was subject to outside factors. The overall decline in official development assistance over the years has further aggravated the conditions of the least-developed countries at a time when aid is most needed.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“The outcome of these conferences fostered a common concept of sustainable economic development for the betterment of mankind as a whole. However, despite all these positive developments on the international economic and social scene, my delegation is convinced that unless these ambitious programmes are backed by the necessary resources and political will, no change can be achieved. 7 We also feel that all activities of international economic and development cooperation, including those undertaken by the Bretton Woods institutions and the World Trade Organization, must be coordinated and closely linked with the development strategies and programmes of the United Nations system. After all, this Organization remains the most representative institution.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“In this regard, the efforts of the Secretary-General to achieve a more lean and effective Secretariat geared to take on the challenging tasks entrusted to it warrant recognition. We also welcome the recent measures towards eliminating redundancy, duplication and waste, for only a sound organization can ensure the success of its mission. The world has never offered a greater opportunity than today to address critical developmental problems and challenges. The international community has emphasized the importance of a revitalized and enhanced system of international cooperation for development. The sheer number of major international conferences held during the past few years and the collective resolve documented offer adequate testimony to this strong desire.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“It is ironic that the effects of this severe financial crisis have to be borne most adversely by the smaller and the poorer States of the Organization, which in many cases are obligated under the current scale of assessments to pay more than their fair share. In spite of its limited resources and the frequent economic difficulties it faces, I am pleased to say that my country continues to pay its share of contribution in full, as we are convinced that only resources and efforts can produce results. Meanwhile my delegation believes that the efforts of the international community to reform the administrative and budgetary functioning of the United Nations should aim at utilizing the scarce resources of the Organization more efficiently.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“Reforming the Organization alone will not serve the desired purposes unless the commitment of Member States to uphold and abide by the principles of the Charter and their obligations is fulfilled. We are concerned that the Organization is undergoing the worst financial crisis in its history. We are reminded that the main cause of the financial predicament is the failure of Member States to meet their financial obligations on time and in full. While my delegation has every sympathy towards those countries which have genuine difficulties, we note that by far the greater number of cases in arrears are those which have the capability to pay. We note with disappointment that the richest Member of this Organization is among those who fail or refuse to pay their dues.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“My delegation welcomes the reform and adjustment process that is now under way and sincerely hopes that the process will not compromise the principles of the Charter, which emphasize multilateralism, mutual respect and shared interests, including the interests of small States. In this context, my delegation feels that the proposal made by Italy in the Working Group on the reform and restructuring of the Security Council deserves our attention and careful consideration. There is no doubt that the more representative the United Nations is, the more democratic it will be; and that the more accountable the United Nations is, the more effective it will be, thus benefitting us all, small or large, weak or powerful, rich or poor.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“For us, the United Nations is extremely important in safeguarding our sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. For us, it is the protector of freedom and justice, particularly for the weak and the vulnerable. It is also the beacon of hope for hundreds of millions of people in the developing world for a better future free from hunger and disease. Therefore, we feel the need to steadily strengthen, revitalize and reform the Organization in order to make it more effective, more democratic, and ready to react and respond without bias to situations that threaten international peace and security. It was with this in mind that we joined in the initiative, way back in 1979, to include on the agenda an item on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“This truly global Organization has an immense capability to mobilize international efforts to deal with global problems relating to economic, social and environmental issues. It also possesses the potency to promote universal standards of human rights despite differences in the historical, cultural and religious backgrounds of nations and communities. Admittedly, the Organization has experienced rough times and has suffered several setbacks during the course of its existence. However, with the demise of the cold war that haunted the Organization for nearly four decades, a more favourable environment has emerged, enabling us to respond collectively to the challenges of the future. My country is among the smallest and the least developed countries of this Organization.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“My delegation feels that this is a unique opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the purposes and principles of the Charter with greater determination and commitment to strengthening the United Nations so that the menacing trends in human relations which caused so much misery and destruction in the past can be halted and reversed, and that existing inequalities among nations and peoples can be eliminated, creating a new atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect, and a new sense of shared responsibility for development and progress. 6 Over the past 50 years, the Organization has grown fourfold and has become the most representative — certainly the only universal — institution serving the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“While we realize the difficulties and the complexity of the challenges that lie ahead in the years to come, we remain confident in his wisdom and competence in steering this universal Organization towards the fulfilment of its responsibilities in accordance with the principles of the Charter. My delegation sincerely wishes him every success in his endeavours. Last year, we proudly celebrated 50 years of achievements. As we slowly begin the countdown to the centenary celebration of the United Nations, on behalf of the generations to come, we see ourselves coincidentally on the threshold of a new century as well.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)
“At the outset, allow me, Sir, to say how gratified we are to see you presiding over this Assembly. Your election to that high office is a well- deserved recognition of your personal qualities and experience, and also of Malaysia’s important role in this Organization and in the international arena. I have no doubt that you will lead the work of this Assembly to a fruitful conclusion. It is also my privilege to pay tribute to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Diogo Freitas do Amaral of Portugal, for the exemplary manner in which he discharged his onerous responsibilities. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his untiring efforts in the cause of peace and development.”
1996-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 51 (1996)