Speech

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

Mr. Chairman,

I am happy to extend to you my sincere congratulations on your election as chairman of the Millennium Summit, and my sincere wishes for your success in your eminent functions.

I would also like to express our appreciation to Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, for the valuable recommendations he has made in his report, and for his considerable contribution to developing the work of the United Nations system.

Mr. Chairman,

The early signs of detente among states, which appeared in the late 1980's, aroused high hopes for mankind to fulfill its legitimate aspirations to peace, prosperity and greater development of international relations toward a more equitable sharing of burdens and responsibilities. That period, however,, was soon followed by tensions and conflicts with the attendant spread of epidemics and diseases, deterioration of the. environment, aggravation of poverty and indebtedness, disruption of financial markets and resumption of the arms race.

In the context of this universal crisis, it was incumbent upon the international community to formulate a set of joint initiatives and to codify its interventions within the framework of a partnership based on a series of effective programs and mechanisms to address the problems posed.

Though globalization has provided new economic opportunities, accompanied "'by amazing scientific and technological advances, this situation has not prevented the worsening of the gap among states as regards the pace of development, or the rooting and widening of disparities between rich and poor. This has indeed aroused fears and prompted most observers to call for the establishment of a joint area of prosperity which would ensure a balanced and sustainable development for all nations of the world, without any exclusion or marginalization.

We in Tunisia have followed a balanced strategic approach based on the principle of universality of human rights as well as on the values of democracy, pluralism and solidarity, and reconciling the requirements of economic promotion with those of social progress.

We have also chosen to be guided, in our development programs, by the decisions of the conferences held by the United Nations over the past decade in several fields.

Mr. Chairman,

The tragic living conditions of certain peoples, due to poverty and disease, have prompted us to call for the adoption of solidarity and cooperation among states as an absolute humanitarian and moral necessity.

. In this regard, we have proposed the conclusion of a partnership and development contract between developing and developed countries, and the recycling of debts for investment in developmental and environmental projects.

We had also proposed the creation of "a world fund for solidarity and poverty eradication" to serve as an instrument for. strengthening the mechanisms of humanitarian intervention, and as a meas to fight poverty in the most destitute parts of the world.

While this proposal stems from our firm belief that solidarity among states and peoples is a humanitarian duty and a moral obligation, it is essentially based on our conviction that human rights constitute an indivisible whole, and will only be complete by safeguarding human dignity and providing man wherever lie may be with the wherewithal to lead a decent life.

While expressing our appreciation for the positive response given to our initiative by many Heads of State and United Nations officials as well as by numerous international and regional organizations and conferences, we rely on your sense of humanitarian responsibility and your goodwill to work for an early realization of this proposal.

Mr. Chairman,

The African continent continues to this day and for many reasons, to suffer from conflicts, deprivation and indebtedness. This state of affairs requires the international community to take early action in the form of firm and expeditious initiatives' to alleviate the suffering of our continent, to strengthen peace efforts there and to help the continent overcome existing obstacles to its development process, and minimize the danger of the spread of epidemics especially AIDS among a large number of its population.

Mr. Chairman,

I would like on this occasion to touch on a vital issue which dominates the current debate at the United Nations on human rights, namely that these rights are being used nowadays as a pretext for interference in other countries' affairs.

Tunisia, which has ratified all relevant international treaties and covenants, is determined to participate in developing a more democratic conception of international relations within the framework of an integrated diplomacy and on the basis of the Charter of the United Nations and its express provisions including the duty to respect the principle of sovereignty, non- intervention in the internal affairs of other states and the serious, impartial and equitable treatment of all questions and issues under consideration.

We are today required to renew our adherence to the United Nations which constitutes an ideal framework incorporating all components of the international community, and a fundamental base for multilateral action.

To that end, we all are required to cooperate in renewing the structures of the organization and in developing its work methods while at the same time maintaining the permanent features and the foundations on which it is built.

Mr. Chairman,

It is our fervent hope that this historic summit will open for us, as we step into the third millennium, broad perspectives for using the great transformations and rapid technological progress that our world is' witnessing, for the benefit of all mankind.

This is a historic occasion which commands us to reaffirm our responsibilities to all peoples in the world, and particularly to the brotherly Palestinian people, so they can regain their legitimate rights and build their independent state on their national soil with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. These responsibilities also require us to renew our commitment to the United Nations and our adherence to its charter and the noble purposes and principles enshrined in it.

Thank you for your attention.