Austria, 2010

The tragic

earthquake in Haiti, the devastating floods in Pakistan

and the financial crisis have reminded us that the

global challenges of the twenty-first century require

concerted action. The United Nations needs to be at the

centre of our activities. It is the forum of today’s

multilateral system that enjoys the highest degree of

legitimacy. Inclusiveness is its key comparative

advantage.

However, this moral authority must be matched

by mechanisms and resources to ensure its

effectiveness. Adherence to the rule of law is

fundamental. All multilateral efforts and activities need

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to operate on the basis of clear and predictable rules

that apply equally to all Member States. Member

States, as well as men and women around the globe,

must be able to trust in the United Nations capacity to

turn the promises of the Charter into reality.

Cooperation with other international actors is

indispensable to the United Nations efforts to deal with

the complex challenges of today. Austria and the

European Union (EU) stand ready as reliable partners

for the United Nations in areas ranging from

development cooperation and humanitarian aid to the

maintenance of international peace and security and to

promoting the respect for the rule of law and human

rights. In this context, we hope that our initiative to

obtain modalities for the EU’s participation in the

General Assembly, reflecting the changes provided for

in the Treaty of Lisbon, will soon be adopted. This

would greatly help to reinforce the productive

partnership of the United Nations with an organization

that is fully committed to the principles and objectives

enshrined in the Charter. Austria is proud to contribute

to the work of the United Nations by hosting the

United Nations Office at Vienna. We will continue to

offer Vienna as a platform for dialogue and

cooperation.

In our view, good governance is an inherent

element of global governance. The Vienna-based

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is central to

the United Nations efforts to combat corruption and

organized crime by supporting Member States in

implementing international standards, including the

United Nations Convention against Corruption.

Corruption presents one of the major challenges with

dire consequences for the international community’s

efforts to reduce poverty. The recent founding of the

International Anti-Corruption Academy in Austria is an

important step towards addressing this challenge. That

institution aims to provide a tool for research,

education and training for professionals from all fields,

including law enforcement officials, judges and

prosecutors.

The fight against climate change is one of the

central issues of the twenty-first century. Climate

change has a far-reaching impact on the economic and

social development of the entire international

community. We need global consensus now if we want

to achieve the goal to limit global warming to 2°C and

to reverse the trend of rising greenhouse gas emissions

by 2020. Nobody should underestimate the difficulty of

this task. However, the fight against climate change is

also an opportunity. We have the chance to create a

framework for sustainable, qualitative growth at the

global level. Austria is committed to contributing to

this endeavour.

This week, leaders agreed on concrete actions to

get the Millennium Development Goals back on track

in the fight against world poverty. We now need to

mobilize all our efforts to live up to this renewed

commitment, particularly in addressing the special

needs of Africa in this regard. The Governments of

developing and developed countries, as well as the

private sector and civil society, need to work together

to achieve our ambitious goals by 2015.

Let me now turn to one of the most urgent threats

to peace and security. These days, our attention is

focused on the recently initiated direct talks between

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. We

welcome the leadership and commitment of President

Obama, who made this development possible. These

talks offer the first concrete prospects for a sustainable

peace in the Middle East in many years. An agreement

between Israel and Palestine would not only radically

improve the lives of the peoples concerned, but would

also provide the key to a more stable region and a more

peaceful world. We hope that both sides are aware of

their enormous responsibilities.

The process is still fragile. We believe that the

extension of the settlement moratorium is fundamental

to keeping the talks on track and creating an

environment in which the core issues can be tackled

successfully. It is equally important that the efforts of

the Palestinian authorities to build up functioning

institutions for a future Palestinian State move forward

dynamically. It is ultimately up to the parties to bring

the peace process to a positive conclusion. However,

international actors, in particular the members of the

Quartet, have an important role to play. As a member

of the European Union, Austria is ready to fully play

its part.

In order to ensure that the United Nations

continues to play a central role in global governance,

we must continue with our efforts towards internal

reform of the United Nations, including the reform of

the Security Council. Both an enlargement of the

Security Council that reflects today’s political,

economic and social realities and a reform of the

Council’s working methods will enhance the Council’s

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legitimacy and the acceptance of its decisions. As an

elected member of the Security Council, we participate

in its work with great commitment and are doing our

best to promote effectiveness and transparency.

Significant efforts are under way to ensure and

sustain United Nations peacekeeping as an essential

tool for achieving the goals of the United Nations.

Confronted with limited financial and human resources

and the increasing complexity of peacekeeping

operations, the United Nations has started a review of

the whole United Nations peacekeeping system with a

view to adjusting it to the needs of the twenty-first

century. It is of vital importance for the Council to

effectively monitor and oversee the implementation of

peacekeeping mandates, in close cooperation with

troop and police contributors, the Secretariat and

United Nations missions. Austria fully supports the

ongoing peacekeeping reform and stands ready to play

its part in a renewed global peacekeeping partnership.

We also have to work on making peace

consolidation irreversible. The United Nations

Peacebuilding Commission, together with integrated

peacebuilding support offices, has a key role in

fostering sustainable peace. If we use the

peacebuilding architecture optimally, lasting peace can

be achieved with determination and the political will of

the country concerned, as well as the support of the

international community. Since peacekeeping and

peacebuilding must be approached in an integrated

manner, we strongly support the enhanced interaction

of the Security Council with the Peacebuilding

Commission throughout the conflict cycle, as was

affirmed at the Security Council summit this week.

Due to the changing nature of conflict and an

increase in the activities of non-State actors, the

protection of civilians in armed conflict constitutes a

core task of a large number of United Nations

peacekeeping missions. The effective protection of

those affected by hostilities and violence has become a

yardstick for the success and credibility of United

Nations missions in the field and the United Nations at

large. Security Council resolution 1894 (2009),

unanimously adopted in November last year, was a

major step forward in the Council’s efforts to better

protect civilians from physical violence, displacement

and violations of their rights.

However, resolution 1894 (2009) has not yet had

its full impact on the ground. Violations of

international humanitarian and human rights law and

impunity for such crimes continue to pose a major

threat to the rule of law and lasting peace in post-

conflict situations.

Austria acknowledges the primary responsibility

of States to ensure the protection of civilians, including

the credible prosecution of those responsible for war

crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity or other

serious violations of international law. We support the

use and promotion of mechanisms such as the

International Criminal Court, commissions of inquiry

or panels of experts. Such tools should be seen as a

viable complement and reinforcement of steps taken at

the national level to ensure accountability. The

Security Council has a central role in this endeavour.

Ensuring the implementation of resolution 1894 (2009)

will be one of the key priorities of Austria during the

remainder of its term on the Council.

Austria also attaches utmost importance to

enhancing the role of women in conflict and post-

conflict situations. Even 10 years after the adoption of

Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), on women

and peace and security, we can still witness major gaps.

Women continue to be largely absent from peace

processes and conflict-resolution efforts, and crimes

against them all too often remain unpunished. The

latest, shocking mass rapes in the Eastern Democratic

Republic of the Congo demonstrate more than ever that

there is urgent need for action. We cannot afford to

ignore those gaps. The occasion of the tenth

anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1325 (2000)

will therefore provide a crucial opportunity to work

towards more consistent implementation in promoting

women’s issues in all aspects of international peace

efforts. Those efforts are fully supported by our

development cooperation.

Austria warmly welcomes the milestone decision

of the General Assembly to establish UN Women,

which will make the United Nations a stronger and

more effective partner in the advancement of women

worldwide. We look forward to working with Michelle

Bachelet towards our common goals.

Children in armed conflict deserve special

protection. I am very satisfied that the United Nations

system has made concrete progress in combating

serious child rights violations and in fighting the

recruitment and enlisting of child soldiers.

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Austria reiterates the pivotal role of the United

Nations at the centre of our counter-terrorism efforts.

Respect for human rights and the rule of law is a

fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism. As

Chair of the Security Council Committee established

pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-

Qaida and the Taliban, Austria is committed to

enhancing due process in the Council’s sanctions

regimes. We therefore welcome the substantial

improvements of the listing and de-listing procedures

and the recent appointment of Ms. Kimberly Prost as

Ombudsperson.

The Austrian candidature for the Human Rights

Council for the period 2011-2014 is a logical

continuation of our long-term work and engagement in

ensuring the respect for human rights, including in the

Security Council. Dialogue and partnerships are crucial

for turning the promises of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights into a reality for all people around

the globe. Austria has consistently worked with all

actors towards narrowing the gap between standards

and their implementation at the national and

international levels.

To end on a positive note, this past year saw the

most positive developments towards nuclear

disarmament in a decade. Security Council resolution

1887 (2009), adopted just a year ago, provided a

powerful impetus. Although many issues are still

unresolved and require our close attention, the Review

Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in May

produced an outcome that restored confidence in the

Treaty. For the first time, a comprehensive action plan

dealing with all three pillars of the Treaty was agreed.

Let me stress here that Austria is honoured to have

contributed to that success. For the first time, a world

without nuclear weapons was accepted as the goal of

all parties, who pledged to ultimately eliminate all

types of nuclear weapons. For the first time, the

catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of

such weapons were recognized — an important step

towards the eventual legal ban of nuclear weapons by

means of a nuclear weapons convention or framework

of legal instruments.

Although the results of the Conference are

positive, much remains to be done. The action plan

needs to be implemented. The nuclear-weapon

States — which promised to engage among themselves

on a number of vital issues and report by 2014 — must

lead by example. The international disarmament

structures must be reformed. I am grateful for

Secretary-General Ban’s initiative in this respect.

Finally, we must learn from successful

disarmament initiatives. Let me underline that Austria

is delighted that the Convention on Cluster Munitions

entered into force last month. The Convention is a

positive example of how committed Governments,

international organizations and civil society can work

together to achieve real progress. In order to promote

interaction in this respect in the nuclear field as well,

Austria supports the establishment of a competence

centre for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in

Vienna early next year. Conceived as a platform for

open discussion and independent expertise, monitoring

and advocacy, the centre shall facilitate understanding

and cooperation among all entities involved. I hope

that it will contribute to further progress in nuclear

disarmament and non-proliferation.

We, the United Nations, have shared

responsibility to move forward jointly in order to reach

our common goal of international peace, security and

development for all.