STATEMENT

BY

AMBASSADOR CLAUDE MOREL

PERMAN ENT REPRESENTATIVE

TO THE UNITED NATIONS

7 SEPTEMBER 2000

Mr. President,

My delegation congratulates the Co-Chairpersons for their dynamic stewardship of this auspicious and historic Summit Meeting of the United Nations.

Mr. President,

Revitalizing the United Nations would require providing it with the effective instruments to pursue its noble objectives. This entails ensuring that it is endowed with the required resources to carry out its mandates, in particular those of promoting economic and social progress.

It entails reinforcing the present mechanisms in place for the maintenance of international peace, security and disarmament, including the UN's role in peacemaking and peacekeeping activities.

It also entails strengthening its vocation as an indispensable instrument for a more peaceful, prosperous and just world.

Mr. President,

The reform process would be inadequate if the transformation of the Security Council into a democratic and representative organ, reflecting both its universal character and present day realities, were not achieved. After seven years of debate, it is of imperious necessity to bridge positions and make progress.

Equally important for my delegation is that the reform process should encompass the enhancement of the General Assembly as the supreme policy-making organ of the United Nations. It is only through the reinforcement of its role and mandate that the international community can successfully tackle some of the most pressing issues facing humanity, not least the process of Globalization.

Mr. President,

Globalization has provided many countries, especially the strong economies of the North, with the unprecedented opportunities and benefits. However, it has also accentuated the North-South divide, and has exposed the smaller and most vulnerable economies to marginalization.

My delegation believes that the key to redressing the unequal impact of globalization is to strengthen multilateral action and reinforce the UN system in its commitment to international cooperation for development.

In this regard, my delegation holds the view that there should be even more closer collaboration and coordination between the United Nations system, the Bretton Woods institutions, and the World Trade Organization in addressing the crucial question of Development. Next year's UN International Conference on Financing and Development will be a test-case of international solidarity. It is my delegation's hope that the conference will result in a new, genuine, and meaningful global partnership for development.

This partnership should be extended in the area of international trade, since in the long term we, developing countries, can only finance our development needs by gaining greater market access and better prices for our exports.

Of critical importance to us is the need for the extension of trade preferences for a longer period of time, in order to facilitate our integration into the international trading system, and ensure that we can also be the beneficiaries of globalization, not its victims.

Mr. President,

The post-Cold war period has not delivered the promised "peace dividend". The hopes and expectations of the developing world, as raised by the UN Global Conferences of the past decade, have not been met. Instead, we have witnessed a weakening of commitment of countries of the North in support of development.

More than ever before, we are today living in an interdependent world. The developed nations have therefore a responsibility to engage with us to deal with the major global economic, social and environmental challenges of our time, on the basis of understanding and genuine partnership, among equals.

This responsibility should include, inter alia:

• Accepting the vulnerabilities and special needs of small island developing states, and fully implementing the Barbados Programme of Action and the decisions of the 22nd special session of the UNGA.
• Accepting that the GDP per capita income of SIDS should not be the major criterion in assessing their development needs.
• Accepting that climate change is a direct consequence of unsustainable development policies of the North.
• Accepting that the debt and debt-servicing burden of countries of the South is a principal cause of economic stagnation and underdevelopment.
• Accepting that there is a need to elaborate a comprehensive strategy to promote increased access to science and technology by developing nations.
• Accepting that it is unjust for a small percentage of humanity to consume an overwhelming share of the world's resources.

Mr. President,

The evolution in international relations has brought about new realities in the global order. The Millennium Summit is therefore a timely occasion for the whole UN membership to reflect upon the articulation of our vision and aspirations of the United Nations in the 21st century, and to elaborate fresh approaches to deal with the challenges of our time. The United Nations is not a perfect institution. But it is the only institution that represents the collective conscience of humanity.

It remains our greatest hope for justice, peace, security and development. It remains, Mr. President, our only hope for a more compassionate world.

I thank you.