Argentina, 2001

Allow

me at the outset to congratulate you, Sir, on your

election as President of the General Assembly. We are

especially pleased that the designation went to a

personality with such a remarkable career, a

representative of the Republic of Korea, a country that

maintains a friendly relationship and intense

cooperation with Argentina. I also wish to

acknowledge the excellent way in which the Foreign

Minister of Finland, Mr. Harri Holkeri, presided over

the Assembly at its fifty-fifth session.

I would also like to express our satisfaction at the

re-election of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan,

for a second term. This reflects the unanimous support

of the international community for the way in which he

has decisively confronted the great challenges of peace,

the rule of law and development at this very difficult

stage of international life. The support given to him by

the Member States reflects the widespread high opinion

of his efforts and the work of the Organization, which

was confirmed by the Nobel Peace Prize, a distinction

that brings honour to those who work in the service of

the United Nations and to its clear-sighted Secretary-

General.

This distinction also comes at a moment when the

full relevance of the United Nations has become

dramatically urgent as a result of the criminal attacks

against the United States of 11 September. In the face

of those events, I wish to reiterate our solidarity and

commitment with its Government and people. It was an

attack against us all, against all humankind.

Those events have shown that terrorism can strike

at any State and that no country can fight it in isolation.

It is an international threat, and the only existing

institution with the global reach, the United Nations,

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must confront that threat within the political and legal

framework established by the Organization.

The Millennium Declaration had already set as

one of its objectives the adoption of concerted

measures against international terrorism and the need

for all States to accede as soon as possible to all the

relevant international conventions. The adoption of

Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) and 1373

(2001) and of General Assembly resolution 56/1 shows

that the United Nations has been equal to the

circumstances, with the goal of using every means

available to counter the threat to peace and security

represented by terrorism.

The global effort against terrorism is an

imperative for the international community, one

blessed by the United Nations. Within the guidelines

approved by the Organization, all States, groups of

States or regional organizations must contribute to this

common struggle.

Argentina expresses its full commitment to the

fight against terrorism. Our nation has twice suffered

attacks of this nature, in 1992 and 1994. The memory

of those events helps us to understand the grief for

innocent victims and to say that this fight is also our

fight.

The recent Security Council and General

Assembly resolutions have been supplemented by other

instruments that reflect the will of the majority of

States to define any terrorist act, without exception, as

criminal and unjustifiable, no matter what the intended

purposes. Existing resolutions and conventions have

outlined a series of specific measures and rules to

foster judicial and police cooperation and have

criminalized many acts of terrorism, enshrining the

principle that all States have an obligation to prosecute

and punish the perpetrators.

Argentina is a party to the majority of the

international treaties in effect and is making progress

on ratifying the remainder, among them the

International Convention for the Suppression of

Terrorist Bombings, of 1997, and the International

Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of

Terrorism, of 1999. We support the conclusion of the

conventions currently under consideration that should

be finalized before the end of this year, such as the

convention on nuclear terrorism. I hope that the

negotiations on a convention of a general nature will be

successfully concluded. The existence of political

differences or different interpretations related to other

situations should not distract us from the urgent need to

develop an instrument that would encompass all

aspects of this threat.

At the level of the hemisphere, we have put into

practice the regional system of legitimate defence and

collective security established in the Inter-American

Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. At the same time, we

have fostered the full operation of the Inter-American

Committee on Terrorism and the drafting of an inter-

American convention, that complements existing

universal conventions, as well as the convening of a

special conference on hemispheric security.

At the regional level, the countries of the

Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) are

promoting measures to enhance technical and

operational coordination, cooperation and assistance

among the various agencies entrusted with the fight

against terrorism in the field.

We must be aware that the approach to this

problem will be incomplete if we fail to recognize the

factors that nourish terrorism. In the framework of the

increasing interdependence that characterizes the

present stage of economic life, the benefits of

development reach only a few States, and the

increasing marginalization of countries and societies

that live in extreme poverty, the tragedy of neglected or

undernourished children, sickness and hunger become

more evident. This uneven economic distribution, made

even more tangible by modern communications, causes

frustration in wide sectors of the dispossessed and

creates the conditions for the outbreak of conflicts and

confrontations, on which fundamentalist movements of

various kinds are at work. This is why we need to

reaffirm here the fundamental statement made a few

years ago by Pope Paul VI: “the new name for peace is

development”.

This is a task for the international community as a

whole, in a joint effort and a spirit of solidarity. It is

wrong to minimize the importance of international

cooperation and to leave on their own those who have

problems surviving in the face of global economic

competition.

The launching of a new round of negotiations at

the World Trade Organization (WTO) could be an

important signal to control the increasingly

protectionist tendencies and to promote world

economic recovery in the short term and growth in the

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long term. It is a signal that will also bring additional

confidence to the financial markets. Through the

launching of a new round in Qatar, the 142 member

countries of the WTO could give impetus to a process

that lays the foundations for a more equitable and

peaceful world.

The persistence of conflicts such as the one in the

Middle East is a source of tension, with a wide range of

repercussions for the region, causing legitimate

concern for the international community. The

Argentine Republic wishes to renew its expression of

support for a stable and lasting peace in the Middle

East, based on respect for the inalienable right of the

Palestinian people to self-determination and to

establish an independent State, as well as recognition

of the right of the State of Israel to live in peace within

safe and internationally recognized borders.

Violence and terrorism in any form are absolutely

unacceptable and can only exacerbate the situation.

The parties should urgently agree on a ceasefire and

begin negotiations on a final settlement, which until

recently seemed reachable.

The Secretary-General has offered us a road map

for implementing the Millennium Declaration, which

provides a responsible programme for confronting our

current serious circumstances. The principal milestones

of that road map deserve our support as a sound way

towards peace-building and strengthening our security:

the rule of law to fight terrorism with determination;

conflict prevention and the strengthening of

peacekeeping operations; the reform of sanctions

regimes in order to avoid affecting civilian

populations; the eradication of poverty and the

promotion of development; respect for fundamental

human rights throughout the world and for political and

religious plurality; and the firm rejection of any

attempt to associate certain religious creeds or

nationalities with violence or terrorism.

We also share the Secretary-General’s view of the

importance of putting an end to the culture of impunity

by bringing to trial the perpetrators of extremely

serious international crimes. We underscore the

historical importance of the establishment of the

International Criminal Court and we reaffirm our

support for measures to promote its prompt launching.

The great majority of humankind desires a future

of peace and progress. The irrationality and violence of

a minority can be isolated and defeated on the basis of

cooperation among nations following these general

principles, which we endorsed in the Millennium

Declaration, and in regard to which we propose

concrete measures today. We trust that we shall be up

to that challenge.

I cannot conclude without recalling, as the

General Assembly already knows, that the Argentine

Republic is still engaged in a sovereignty dispute with

the United Kingdom over the Malvinas, South Georgias

and South Sandwich Islands and the surrounding

maritime areas. The recovery of the full exercise of

sovereignty over that part of our national territory,

respecting the interests of their inhabitants and

international law, is a precept enshrined in our

Constitution. This issue is on the agenda of this

Organization, which through repeated resolutions has

asked the Governments of Argentina and the United

Kingdom to resume negotiations on a just and lasting

solution to the sovereignty dispute and thus to put an

end to a colonial situation imposed by force in 1833.

Today, in response to that request, Argentina

again reiterates its full readiness to resume bilateral

negotiations with the United Kingdom in order to

resolve the issue, as well as its support for the mission

of good offices appropriately entrusted to the

Secretary-General by the General Assembly to assist

the parties in achieving that goal.

I conclude by calling for peace, justice and

solidarity, so widely sought by all peoples defending

life throughout the world.