ADDRESS BY

H. E. COUNT CARLO MARULLO DI CONDOJANNI

Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

AT THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT

OF THE UNITED NATIONS

New York September 8, 2000

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UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION ‑ ORIGINAL FRENCH

Mr. President,

The Millennium Summit represents an opportunity to consider the actual evolutionary prospects with respects to the programmes presented by the International Community concerning the many problems faced by peoples in the world today, for most of which an adequate solution has not been found.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta congratulates the Secretary‑General on the high moral content of his report and wishes humbly to remind the Heads of State and Heads of Government convened here of some priorities, in the firm belief that when going home, as the Secretary‑General said, they will make their best efforts and use their powers in order to lessen differences and omissions, especially at this stage in the history of mankind in which the globalisation of markets, unless adequately governed, may lead to a deepening of the existing imbalances, thus making richer the already rich countries, and poorer the already poor ones.

Much will depend on the way in which the new bio‑technologies applied to agriculture will be exploited. These technologies must not become a new mine to be exploited by the few rich and powerful countries but must be placed at the service of mankind, while at the same time respecting the fundamental rules of nature, thus without unhinging ecosystems and addressing the same towards an harmonious and controlled development assuring the poorer countries an easier access to production systems. Therefore, this may improve, if not solve, an age‑long and chronic problem which cannot be tolerated any longer by all those who care about the future of mankind.

Therefore, if we look with great hope at the projects aimed at the alleviation of hunger in the world, at the enhancement of quality of life, through at least sufficient food and medicinal supplies, we must not neglect, in addition to the issues relating to survival, the spiritual development of man from an intellectual point of view, and therefore the right to education, from a social point of view, and therefore the end of any discrimination, from the point of view of the right to live with the necessary assurances, also with respect to justice in the largest meaning of this word.

On the other hand, this is one of the purposes for which the United Nations were established. Such purposes specifically include the enhancement of behaviours complying with the principles of justice.

In a world approaching the third millennium, also the so‑called civilised countries are unfortunately late in providing people with an effective justice. They openly declare a formal adherence to the charter of human rights, but then trample on such rights each time they do not assure fast trials and allow the use of unlimited pre‑trial detention in criminal cases (thus breaching the basic legal right of the presumption of innocence until the final conviction) and, which is even worse, without respecting the individual right to an effective defense vis‑a‑vis the often excessive power granted to the prosecution, thus breaching the primary rule which should govern criminal trials, i.e. the absolute equality of defence and prosecution before an actually impartial judge.

In this view, the Sovereign Military Order fo Malta firmly confirms its fullest response to the Secretary General's invitations to all nations to "sign and ratify the Rome Statutes of the International Criminal Court, so as to consolidate and enlarge the success achieved in delivering to justice those guilty of crimes against humanity".

Much more could be added on this subject, but this would require additional time. The hope remains that the Millennium Summit may, accepting the requests of the Secretary‑General, effectively stimulate better forms of international aggregations among the States, in order to face emergencies in the world, also in view of a legitimate universal control which is now called for by the global perspective in which the International Community has been operating for some years .

Thank you Mr. President and best wishes for the work we are all facing.