Belgium, 1993

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of the European

Community and its member States.

Allow me, first of all, Mr. President, to pay a tribute to

your predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, who conducted the

General Assembly’s proceedings during its forty-seventh

session.

The Assembly has unanimously decided to entrust to

you, Sir, the conduct of this the forty-eighth session. We

welcome that decision as we are familiar with your personal

qualities and your professional experience. We also see this

as a well-earned tribute to your country, the Republic of

Guyana, and to the contribution made by the Caribbean

region to the activities of our Organization. The European

Community and its member States, which continue to enjoy

fruitful relations with the countries of the Caribbean, within

10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

the dynamic framework of the Lomé Convention, assure you

of their fullest cooperation.

We welcome also the admission to our Organization of

the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Eritrea, the

Principality of Monaco, the Former Yugoslav Republic of

Macedonia and the Principality of Andorra.

In his address to the Assembly last year, my British

colleague, Mr. Douglas Hurd, made the point that, after a

brief interlude of optimism, the world had entered a period

of instability and of challenges to law and order. This trend

has increased over the past 12 months. We now have to

cope with new crisis situations, while - speaking only about

Europe - a just and lasting solution to such a long-standing

problem as that of Cyprus has yet to be found, despite the

continued efforts of our Organization.

Long restrained by the so-called balance of terror, latent

antagonisms have resurfaced in the Balkans, the Caucasus

and Central Asia. The collapse of the old institutional

frameworks has led to the emergence of forms of rapidly

competing nationalisms. The personal ambitions of certain

rulers and the propaganda machines they control have

plunged clans or whole peoples into conflicts marked by the

blind use of violence. In that process, the basic rights of the

individual and the elementary rules of international

humanitarian law have been constantly flouted.

In other countries, the economic and social crisis has

continued to provide fertile ground for religious

fundamentalism, enabling it to increase the number both of

its followers and of its victims. Elsewhere, the existence of

a large immigrant population has served as a pretext for

reactions of racial intolerance, which have even led to

deliberate criminal acts. All these forms of fanaticism

designate human beings as the enemy to be destroyed. They

must be fought not only through political declarations and

laws but also through a more sincere and committed

engagement in favour of the human values which should

unite us all across continents and cultures.

The proliferation of these situations has gone hand in

hand with a growing desire to possess weapons of mass

destruction. In this connection, we are concerned by the

actions of Member States of our Organization which have

ample resources, bear regional responsibilities and claim to

be lovers of peace. The proliferation of these weapons

represents a grave threat to both global and regional security

and stability. It is of the utmost importance that the Non-

Proliferation Treaty should be unconditionally extended in

1995 for an indefinite period.

Economic underdevelopment and the unacceptable

living conditions of hundreds of millions of inhabitants of

the planet constitute another major concern for the European

Community and its member States.

The outcome of three decades of development

cooperation cannot be regarded as positive. This means that

all of us, countries of the South and of the North, must take

serious stock of the situation. We know that it is pointless

to speak of peace in the world if we do not at the same time

work towards global economic and social development. The

forthcoming world conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen and

Beijing will be important landmarks in this process.

Our concerns have not blinded us to the important

efforts undertaken in all regions of the world towards

democratization and economic recovery.

The Republics which made up the former Soviet Union

have pursued the immense task of creating a political,

economic and social framework designed to strengthen their

sense of identity as individual nations. We must help these

countries find ways of achieving deep-rooted national

reconciliation while fully respecting each other’s territorial

integrity. The European Community and its member States

will continue to support them substantially through technical

assistance and partnership agreements. They will also

maintain their trade with the countries of Central and Eastern

Europe, in particular through new or strengthened association

agreements.

The European Community and its member States

support President Yeltsin in his efforts to promote economic

and political reform as well as to strengthen democracy in

his country.

It is in Africa that the gap between objectives and

realities remains most discouraging. Two hundred million

people across that continent live in abject poverty. However,

in spite of armed conflicts and acute economic problems,

there are undeniable signs of the dawn of a new political era.

It is of course up to the African people to determine the

pace and practical form of their democratic development.

Some dictators, however, are still clinging to the power they

have long exercised for their own exclusive benefit. Their

armies, for whose services they somehow manage to pay, are

like a weapon permanently aimed at their own people.

Despite appearances, they are now no more than an

anachronistic element of underdevelopment.

South Africa is approaching the historic moment when

the democratic majority of its people will accede to power.

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 11

The path leading to this has, alas, been littered with further

massacres and attacks. The European Community and its

member States reiterate their support for the negotiating

process pursued by President Frederik De Klerk and Mr.

Nelson Mandela and appeal to the international community

to assist South Africa in this crucial phase by helping to

organize elections and to rebuild and develop the country.

In Asia, the positive trend of the past few years has

been maintained. On the economic front, the Asian

countries of the Pacific Rim, particularly China, are

characterized by remarkable dynamism. The European

Community and its member States hope that this progress

will swiftly bear positive results for the living and working

conditions of their populations.

Latin America is a continent at peace, continuing its

economic recovery in accordance with the objectives of

democratically elected Governments. In several of these

countries, rapid population growth, social imbalances and

drug-trafficking are, however, still a considerable handicap

in the march towards progress.

More attention has been paid by the authorities to the

indigenous peoples, but certain tragic events have occurred

to remind us of the precarious conditions in which those

peoples live.

The European Community and its member States

welcome the substantially improved prospects for peace and

stability in the Middle East. They hope that following the

recent Israeli-Palestinian agreements new decisive steps will

be taken by Israel and the Arab countries directly concerned

in the Middle East peace process. The recent

Israeli-Jordanian declaration of principles is a positive move

in this direction. We call upon this Assembly to take

account of these major developments when considering the

situation in the Middle East.

The European Community and its member States, in

keeping with their long-standing position, stand ready to

assume, in close coordination with the competent

international institutions, an important part in the general

coordination of the assistance offered by the international

community to the Palestinian people in the occupied

territories. In this connection donor countries will, above all,

have to be guided by criteria of efficiency and speed.

During this difficult period the United Nations has not

been merely a passive onlooker.

The World Conference on Human Rights made it

possible to adopt a Final Declaration which reaffirms and

enriches the universal consensus on the essential respect due

in all circumstances to the human person. The Vienna

Programme of Action provides for a large number of

measures to ensure greater respect for, and promotion of,

such rights throughout the world. The European Community

and its member States will endeavour, from the present

session, to achieve application of these measures, in

particular as regards increased resources for the Centre for

Human Rights and the appointment of a United Nations high

commissioner for human rights.

Active preparations have continued for other world

conferences, on population, social development and the

promotion of women. The follow-up to Rio was ensured by

the first meeting of the Commission on Sustainable

Development, which, from the outset, established a relation

of partnership, which we consider to be highly promising.

The "Agenda for Peace" has been discussed in various

bodies. The warm welcome it has received has been

followed by various practical measures of implementation.

We would, however, like our Assembly to show more

willingness to abandon its reservations regarding certain

types of preventive action which have already been adopted

in practice by the Security Council and the

Secretary-General.

The Organization itself has embarked on and made

progress with a series of restructuring measures. The most

complex is probably the restructuring of the Security

Council, but it is encouraging that this topic is now the

subject of open dialogue.

Pending a reform which would not compromise its

efficiency, the Council has kept up the pace of its activities.

It has given a larger place in practice to the concepts of

preventive diplomacy and cooperation with regional

organizations. The Secretary-General has resolutely backed

this trend both through his numerous visits on the ground or

those of his personal representatives and through the

adjustments he has made within the Secretariat. These have

focused particularly on strengthening the departments

responsible for managing peace-keeping operations. The

indispensable extension of these services has not yet been

completed and will require further assistance from the

Member States. Indeed, there has been an overwhelming

increase in the United Nations operations in this area over

the last few years. They have not simply multiplied: their

objectives have also diversified. In several cases, the

traditional task of peace-keeping has had to be supplemented

12 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

or, initially, replaced by the much more delicate task of

restoring peace.

The Organization has, in the eyes of some, met with

failure in the very difficult situations with which it has had

to cope in the former Yugoslavia and Somalia. The

duplicity of some warlords constitutes a permanent threat of

destabilization.

But, in no circumstances has the international

community chosen to combine humanitarian-aid missions

with peace-restoring missions. The use of force has been

seen only as a last resort in order to come to the help of

people held hostage by self-proclaimed leaders. Our

Organization has consequently been constrained to use,

under certain circumstances, means corresponding to the

provocations it has had to face. We must, however, draw

lessons from the experience acquired through these various

operations.

The breadth and complexity of humanitarian crises

throughout the world also require greater coordination of

humanitarian assistance both during strategic planning of

operations and during their implementation on the ground.

The spirit of perseverance, in compliance with the

Charter and human rights, is more necessary than ever. It

enabled Cambodia to implement the Paris Agreements in

conditions which proved to be very difficult - as indeed they

had promised to be. This represents a great victory for the

Cambodian people as well as a remarkable success for the

United Nations, and was achieved through unprecedented

effort: by numerous Governments, by thousands of officials

and volunteers, and also by large numbers of soldiers,

dozens of whom sacrificed their lives. The European

Community and its member States pay tribute to the "Blue

Helmets" who, frequently killed in cold blood, have been

victims of their duty throughout the world. Their safety, as

well as that of all United Nations staff, must be improved

and the pursuit of their aggressors must be organized more

effectively.

The European Community and its member States are

also convinced of the need to react to the consequences of

the presence of mines resulting from armed conflicts. These

devices claim numerous victims every year amongst the

civilian population and jeopardize the rehabilitation of vast

areas of territory ravaged by war. We ask this Assembly to

consider the draft resolution which we have submitted on

this subject with a view to a more systematic and effective

organization of assistance in mine-clearing. We also

welcome the French initiative of asking the United Nations

Secretary-General to convene a conference to review the

1981 Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use

of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed

to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate

Effects.

Thus, the overall picture of activities by the United

Nations and its Members during the last 12 months is far

from disappointing, and I could have listed many other

positive developments. However, when we consider the

difficulties facing us, it is hard to claim categorically that,

whatever happens, the United Nations will be able to meet

the challenges of the future effectively.

The Secretariat’s capacities are being used to the full;

they are no longer sufficient to deal with Member States’

wishes in every case. The Organization’s coffers are empty

or virtually so. The development of new activities is

hampered more and more often by disagreements about the

allocation of costs. Most of the major contributors, who are

seriously affected in their own countries by an unfavourable

economic situation, regard strict budgetary restraint as more

important than ever. The cost of peace-keeping operations

alone will be $3.6 billion for 1993.

In addition to the immediate cash-flow problems, there

is an increasing structural deficit in the balance between the

ability to take multilateral action and ever-increasing requests

for intervention. What can we do to ensure that the United

Nations does not fall victim to its own success? We feel

that finding a solution entails three areas of action.

First, of course, all Member States must pay their

contributions fully and in a timely manner. That is a

fundamental obligation with which the European Community

and its member States never fail to comply. The effort this

requires is neither more nor less than that demanded of other

contributors, be they "big" or "small", for each Member

State is required to make a contribution in line with its

ability to pay. Failure to pay represents a serious breach of

the commitments entered into, and it is all the more

regrettable that certain defaulting countries at the same time

lay claim to a privileged role in the Organization’s debates

and decisions.

Secondly, the various reforms undertaken in order to

improve the operational efficiency of the Organization have

to be pursued with a maximum of determination. We have

in mind in particular the management of the Secretariat, the

control of its expenditures and the forthcoming restructuring

in the economic and social sector. It is unacceptable that the

objectives set could not be met owing to interminable

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 13

negotiations or power struggles between senior

administrators.

Thirdly, although the United Nations remains an

intergovernmental body, it is called upon more and more

frequently to fulfil a central government task, with

responsibility for solving each and every problem that may

arise.

In order to cope with this growing tide of demands, the

Secretary-General in his "Agenda for Peace" has quite

rightly stressed the need for cooperation with regional

organizations and arrangements.

But are they ready? Do they exist everywhere? Does

the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations

and regional organizations offer real prospects if the latter do

not become effective centres of decision and action? We

feel that, without the capacity for swift and ongoing

intervention on a regional scale, preventive diplomacy by our

Organization is a resource which is undoubtedly

indispensable but of limited scope. It will indeed facilitate

successes here and there, but will be insufficient to come to

grips with the most deep-rooted and most threatening

antagonisms. If nothing changes, the danger of entire

countries imploding is real. The situation will channel

multilateral resources more and more into makeshift rescue

and rehabilitation operations, to the detriment of collective

sustainable development objectives.

In this connection the positive effects of an area of

stability such as the European Community no longer need to

be demonstrated. The European Community was inspired at

the start by a profound desire for peacemaking and

reconstruction. The same needs and aspirations are to be

found elsewhere in the world but have not been matched by

a comparable response.

We believe that there is no alternative to the

establishment of such areas in every continent. The resolute

pursuit of regional economic integration is a decisive and

indispensable step in that direction. The benefits of

economies of scale and the free movement of persons and

goods then contribute as much to consolidating peace as to

sharing prosperity. By uniting to form centres of stability

and progress, the participating countries gradually free

themselves of the mounting problems and crises which, at

this time of tremendous change, tend to be more than they

can cope with on their own.

In addition to these areas of stability, it is also

necessary to create or strengthen broader regional

mechanisms, making it possible for a number of subregions

to develop principles of peaceful and prosperous coexistence.

Here, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe

can serve, if not as a universal model, at least as a source of

inspiration. Even if its ability to intervene directly is

limited, it constitutes an indispensable platform for dialogue.

When internal or bilateral crises occur, it encourages the

neighbouring countries to show moderation and thus

contributes to limiting the conflict. As respect for common

rules grows, more concrete collective actions can be

envisaged.

These are the essential tools for achieving the threefold

objective which the Secretary-General recommends in his

latest report on the activities of the Organization: peace,

development and democracy.

Already 32 years ago, a young Egyptian jurist declared

at the Academy of International Law:

"To encourage assemblies of States in a world that

is becoming more and more Balkanized, to play

the role of bringing peoples together and to offer

massive and constant aid to underdeveloped

countries: these should be the primary objectives

of the international organization." (Recueil des

cours, Académie de Droit International, La Haye,

1960, II, pp. 69-70)

This jurist is today at the head of our Organization.

To be sure, in all continents regional bodies have

already embarked on this course of action: in the past year

they have contributed, in cooperation with the United

Nations, to crucial mediation and peace-keeping ventures -

but always after the conflict had flared up. Areas of genuine

stability and more reliable regional mechanisms would make

it possible to forestall major crises by reducing their causes.

Regional integration indeed can only help contain the

collective frustrations and anxieties that fuel nationalist

movements. It also provides a formidable incentive for

economic growth and therefore a strategic element in

combating poverty. Finally, regional economic integration,

as it is progressively being built, simply eliminates the

option of war from the thinking of the Governments and

peoples involved.

The disintegration of the former Yugoslavia and its

tragic consequences make it all too clear that the comments

we have just made relate to a course of action that will

prove long and demanding rather than a miracle cure.

14 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

Neither the European Community nor the Conference on

Security and Cooperation in Europe has been able to prevent

the outbreak of the conflict and the subsequent series of

disasters. Like the United Nations and the United States of

America, the European Community and its member States

have consequently been accused of lacking strategy and of

indifference. For the European Community and its

members, one of the lessons to be learned from this

catastrophe is that the deepening of its own internal relations

- more Europe rather than less Europe - would strengthen

the role it must play as an instrument for promoting stability

and peace in Europe and neighbouring areas.

No one can dispute, however, the fact that the European

Community and its member States have endeavoured to

mediate from the earliest days of the conflict. It was the

members of the European Community who, going against

the current, managed to persuade the whole Security Council

to react to the worsening situation. Without compromising

their positions of principle, and despite numerous

disappointments, the member States of the Community have

at no point wearied of their thankless task.

The efforts deployed at the London and Geneva

Conferences bear witness to this. As you are aware, the

European Community and its member States have played a

fundamental role on the ground, particularly through the

activities of their monitors, in the implementation of

sanctions and through their contribution to the United

Nations Protection Force and to measures to help the victims

of the civil war.

The European Community and its member States also

reiterate their readiness to participate in the implementation

of a peace plan accepted by all the parties.

The Treaty of Maastricht on the European Union should

provide us with the means of strengthening the Union’s

ability to act in the world, in particular by implementing the

common foreign and security policy. Once it has entered

into force - which should happen in the next few days - that

Treaty will enable the European Union to play an enhanced

role in all areas of international policy and security and will

establish close working relations between the European

Union and the Western European Union. Moreover, the

imminent enlargement of the European Union to include new

members will simply increase its ability to exercise a

stabilizing influence over adjacent countries.

The enlargement of the European Union and its

readiness to conclude association and cooperation agreements

of ever wider scope with virtually all regions and countries

of the globe are proof of our sincere desire to forge ahead

with the building of Europe while at the same time opening

Europe to the world. This is the kind of Europe that is

proving increasingly able to serve the objectives of the

Charter. It provides encouragement to other countries and

regions to unite, to join together, as Europe has done, in the

common task of achieving greater peace in tomorrow’s

world.