MILLENNIUM SUMMIT ADDRESS BY
HIS EXCELLENCY MR. MARIO FRICK
PRIME MINISTER OF THE
PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN
NEW YORK, 7 SEPTEMBER 2000
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,Today, we are at the beginning of a new century and a new millennium. Never before in history has humanity undergone such far-reaching political, economic and social changes at such a breathtaking pace - we usually refer to this process as globalization. Information and communications technology empowers and links people all over the world. Globalization has brought benefits and opportunities, but it also holds risks, especially for those who already are in a very perilous position. The challenges of globalization also make addressing issues such as the enhanced inclusion, participation and accountability of non-state actors a necessity. The United Nations is the only forum of a truly global range and thus offers the only opportunity for us to address these issues.
Mr. President,
Our highly interdependent world is ailing. Serious and mutually reinforcing threats to our future welfare assume numerous forms. We can confront many of these threats at the local or national level. However, a large number of problems - such as global warming, population growth, environmental degradation, the widening North-South gap, the illegal trade in narcotics and organized crime must be addressed primarily at the global level: The United Nations system offers the only obvious set of institutional mechanisms to address them. We in particular appreciate the principle of equality of nations in this approach. An international consensus is being elaborated. It is not the stronger telling the weaker where to go reason and agreement achieved after thorough discussion show us the way.
Mr. President,This Millennium Summit coincides with the 10
th Anniversary of Liechtenstein's membership in the United Nations. When we joined this Organization on 18 September 1990, at the end of the Cold War, many of the constraints that the United Nations had to face for 45 years were removed and there were great expectations that the Organization would finally be able to carry out its mandates. But the removal of the constraints did not make the solution of the problems easier, and the United Nations was not fully equipped to face the upcoming challenges.The call for the international community to act is usually addressed to the United Nations. Now, at the beginning of the new millennium, we the Member States must demonstrate that we are willing to empower the United Nations to act on our behalf. We must therefore put the necessary resources at the organization's disposal and we must be prepared to accept limitations when it comes to our own freedom to act.
Mr. President,
The respect for and the promotion of human rights and the rule of law have been a high priority of Liechtenstein's UN engagement throughout our 10 years of membership. Within the group of like-minded countries, Liechtenstein participated actively in the work to create the International Criminal Court, one of the outstanding achievements in the area of international law, and we hope that the Court will become operational soon. The ICC will lead to full accountability for the commission of the most serious crimes under international law and it has a strong potential to help prevent conflicts. In this context I would like to thank Secretary General Kofi Annan for his report "We the peoples the role of the United Nations in the 21 century". I agree with the Secretary-General when he says that prevention is, first and foremost, a challenge of political leadership and that we must have a clear understanding of the causes of conflicts in order to prevent them. We support the creation of a 'Culture of prevention" but this process will require a concerted effort by 'the membership of the United Nations and a change in our collective mindset which is immersed in a responsive approach to crisis-management.
Mr. President,
The future of the United Nations is important for millions of people. "We the peoples" owe it to ourselves and to future generations to work for a strengthened, effective and efficient United Nations that will help to make the 21" century a century of peace and prosperity for all.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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