NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 6
YOUR EXCELLENCIES HEADS OF STATE AND HEADS OF GOVERNMENT,
I TAKE PLEASURE TO INFORM YOU, THAT RECENTLY A NEW DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT WAS INSTALLED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SURINAME, WHICH I HAVE THE HONOUR TO REPRESENT AT THIS UNIQUE OCCASION OF THE " MILLENNIUM SUMMIT" OF THE UNITED NATIONS, WHICH HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER THE LARGEST GATHERING OF GOVERNMENT LEADERS IN MODERN HISTORY.
AT THE OUTSET I WISH TO RECONFIRM, THAT THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF SURINAME REMAINS FULLY COMMITTED TO THE LOFTY GOALS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS AS THE CORNERSTONE OF FORGING CIVILIZED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BEHAVIOR WITHIN AND BETWEEN NATIONS IN ORDER TO GUARANTEE AND SAFEGUARD SUSTAINABLE PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL ON THIS PLANET.
MY GOVERNMENT WISHES TO PAY TRIBUTE TO BOTH CO-PRESIDENTS OF THE MILLENNIUM SUMMIT AND CONSIDERS THE SHARING OF THE GAVEL AS A SYMBOLIC REFLECTION OF THE EMERGING AWARENESS THAT, A SUCCESSFUL DELIBERATION OF THE MAIN THEME OF OUR SUMMIT, NAMELY THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY, WILL LARGELY DEPEND ON THE ABILITY OF BOTH THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH TO REACH A CONSENSUS IN DEFINING THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND IN AGREEING HOW TO MAKE THE UNITED NATIONS A MORE EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT IN THE HANDS OF THE WORLD'S PEOPLE AND MORE SPECIFICALLY IN THE INTEREST OF THE GLOBAL POOR.
MR. PRESIDENT,
AFFLUENCE AND PROSPERITY IN SOME PARTS OF OUR WORLD HAVE NOT SHIELDED THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD POPULATION FROM THE PERILS OF UNCERTAINTY AND DESPAIR AS A CONSEQUENCE OF WAR, GROSS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, CORRUPTION AND SQUANDERING OF NATURAL RESOURCES, ABJECT POVERTY AND LIVING CONDITIONS WHICH ARE AN AFFRONT TO THE DIGNITY OF HUMANITY.
WHILE WE HAVE SEEN UNPRECEDENTED TECHNOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC GAINS DURING THE PAST HALF-CENTURY, TODAY STILL 1.2 BILLION PEOPLE HAVE TO LIVE ON LESS THAN ONE DOLLAR A DAY. WE THEREFORE COMMEND SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN FOR HIS BOLD INITIATIVE TO CHALLENGE OUR THINKING AND FUTURE ACTIONS THROUGH THE LAUNCHING OF HIS MILLENNIUM REPORT ON 3 APRIL 2000 INCLUDING AN ACTION PLAN TO MAKE GLOBALIZATION WORK FOR ALL PEOPLE, IN BOTH THE DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING WORLD, ENTITLED "WE THE PEOPLES, THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE 2
IST CENTURY".IN RESPONSE TO THE SECRETARY-GENERALS PROPOSALS, I WISH TO INFORM YOU, THAT MY GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY DECIDED TO GIVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO ACHIEVE THE EDUCATION-PUBLIC-HEALTH- AND POVERTY REDUCTION TARGETS WITHIN THE TIMEFRAMEWORK AS ENVISAGED IN THE MILLENNIUM REPORT.
MR. PRESIDENT,
IT WAS SOME FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, AFTER WORLD WAR 11, THAT, HUMANITY STOOD UP AND, IN ITS QUEST FOR PEACE, STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT, CREATED THE UNITED NATIONS.
SINCE THEN THE UNITED NATIONS HAS GROWN FROM 50 TO OVER 180 MEMBER STATES. THE ORGANIZATION IS HOWEVER, BEING CONFRONTED WITH SERIOUS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, AFFECTING AMONGST OTHERS, THE FINANCING OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
WE THEREFORE CALL UPON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO REVERSE THIS NEGATIVE TREND AND TO ENSURE THAT THE UNITED NATIONS IS PROVIDED IN THE 21
ST CENTURY WITH THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS TO CARRY OUT ITS MANDATES AS AGREED UPON BY THE MEMBER STATES.IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STRENGTHENING OF THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE 2
21ST CENTURY MY GOVERNMENT WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSCORE THE CALL TO RESTORE THE CENTRAL POSITION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AS THE ONLY UNIVERSALLY REPRESENTATIVE BODY OF THE UNITED NATIONS, AS WELL AS THE REVITALIZATION OF THE ROLE OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL IN GLOBAL GOVERNANCE OF ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND SECURITY MATTERS AND TO THAT EFFECT TO ESTABLISH A CLOSER WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND WITH THE BRETTON WOODS INSTITUTIONS, THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION AND OTHER RELEVANT MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS.MR. PRESIDENT,
MY GOVERNMENT ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE LIGHT OF THE INCREASED MEMBERSHIP OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND TO ENHANCE TO COUNCIL'S LEGITIMACY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
WE REITERATE OUR CALL FOR A COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS AS PROMISED AT THE NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY 2000 REVIEW CONFERENCE, SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY MANMADE GLOBAL THREAT THAT HAS THE CAPACITY TO DESTROY ALL LIFE ON EARTH IN THE 21
ST CENTURY.MR. PRESIDENT,
WE ALSO WISH TO CALL UPON ALL MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ENHANCE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BARBADOS PROGRAMME OF ACTION AND TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT OF VULNERABILITY INDEX FOR THE SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES, NOT LIMITED TO ISLAND STATES.
MANY OF THESE STATES HAVE SET AN EXAMPLE IN EQUITY AND SOLIDARITY, IN TOLERANCE, IN NON-VIOLENCE, IN RESPECT FOR NATURE AND IN SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE INCLUDED IN THE QUEST FOR GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND A NEW SPIRIT IN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, BASED ON INCLUSIVENESS, EQUITY, TRANSPARENCY AND ABOVE ALL PARTICIPATION BY ALL, SO TO ENSURE A VOICE OF LARGE AND SMALL COUNTRIES IN MANAGING WORLD AFFAIRS.
MR. PRESIDENT,
AS A COMMITMENT TO CONSERVATION OF THE WORLD'S TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS, MY COUNTRY HAS DECLARED 15 PROTECTED AREAS AS A WIDE RANGE OF ECOSYSTEM
T EMS, FROM TROPICAL FORESTS IN THE SOUTH TO COASTAL FORMATIONS IN THE NORTH, MAKING SURINAME'S NATURE CONSERVATION SYSTEM ONE OF THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE IN SOUTH AMERICA.THIS IS AN EVIDENCE OF OUR STRONG TRADITION OF NATURE CONSERVATION AND OUGHT TO BE SEEN AS A CONTRIBUTION OF MY COUNTRY TO MANKIND IN THE 21st CENTURY.
IN CLOSING, MR. PRESIDENT,
I WISH TO REITERATE AND REAFFIRM OUR FAITH IN THE UNITED NATIONS AND ITS CHARTER AS INDISPENSABLE IN OUR UNIVERSAL QUEST FOR A MORE JUST, EQUITABLE AND PEACEFUL WORLD AND MY GOVERNMENT IS PLEASED TO ENDORSE THE "MILLENNIUM DECLARATION" AS A USEFUL INSTRUMENT TO STRENGTHEN OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN DIGNITY, EQUALITY AND EQUITY AND TO CREATE A SHARED FUTURE, BASED UPON OUR COMMON HUMANITY.
I THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
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