Bulgaria, 2000

First of all, on behalf

of the Bulgarian delegation, I take this opportunity to

congratulate you, Mr. President, and the other members

of the presidency on assuming the particularly

important task of presiding over this important

millennium session of the General Assembly and to

wish you every success in guiding it to a successful

conclusion.

Let me start by saying that the Republic of

Bulgaria, as an associated country, aligns itself with the

statement delivered on behalf of the European Union.

This past year has been marked by a series of

events, culminating in the Millennium Summit. From

this General Assembly session we expect consensus

decisions aimed at a strengthened and more efficient

United Nations, capable of bringing us closer to a

common vision for a better future, rid of the scourge of

conflict and war, poverty and disease, backwardness

and under-development, and based on peace and

security, sustainable development and prosperity in the

context of a dominating tendency towards a more

globalized and interdependent world. This truly is a

formidable task. It cannot be achieved by or for a

separate country or region. It requires a broad and

sustained effort to create a shared future, based upon

our common humanity in all its diversity, as rightly

pointed out in the Millennium Declaration.

On the verge of the new millennium, it would not

be an exaggeration to say that humanity has achieved a

lot. Nowadays we have at our disposal far better and

efficient means to produce more goods and services, to

fight diseases and live longer and better lives, to reap

the benefits of the new information technologies in all

spheres of life. But at the same time, we cannot but

recognize that humanity is still confronted by

tremendous challenges. Poverty and misery are still

dominant over large parts of the world. People in so

many places are still exposed to conflict and violence.

The world is still threatened by weapons of mass

destruction. New threats, such as terrorism,

international crime, illicit traffic in narcotics and small

arms, are coming to the fore. Also of particular concern

are the changes in the world climate and environment,

which are bringing disasters capable of destroying the

homes and livelihoods of millions.

To cope with these challenges we must act

together. This is the reason why we need a

strengthened and effective United Nations, which could

be achieved through the shared responsibility and the

good political will of all its Member States. The

Millennium Assembly is giving us the opportunity to

reaffirm our commitment to the purposes and the

founding principles of the United Nations, to go ahead

with reforms and to strengthen its role and

effectiveness, so as to make it serve us all better in

meeting the challenges we are confronted with at the

beginning of the new millennium.

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Bulgaria joins the other Member States in

supporting the proposals, contained in the Millennium

Report of the Secretary-General Kofi Annan

(A/54/2000) and aimed at the system-wide streamlining

and strengthening of the Organization and at making it

more efficient and responsive to new realities. Of

particular importance in this regard is the strengthening

and revitalization of the principal organs of the United

Nations, in particular the General Assembly, the

Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.

Regarding the reform and the enlargement of the

Security Council, we share the view that this process

should result in a more representative, effective and

legitimate Security Council, taking into consideration

both the increased number of the United Nations

membership and the enhanced role and political and

economic potential of certain States, like Germany and

Japan, for example, which could assume the

responsibilities of permanent members. In our view, a

reformed Council should be more transparent, open and

accessible to the interested non-member States. A fair

and balanced representation, including the Group of

Eastern European States, whose membership has

doubled in the last decade, should definitely be

secured. A decision on the enlargement of the Council

and on its working methods should be supported by the

broadest possible consensus, including all the

permanent members of the Security Council.

During the past year, the international community

continued to be engaged closely with the situation in

south-east Europe. As a country, suffering most

directly the impact of the developments in the region,

Bulgaria is particularly concerned with the situation in

Kosovo. We note that progress in implementing

resolution 1244 (1999) of the Security Council has

been achieved, particularly with regard to restoring

peace and stability in the province. At the same time, it

must be recognized that in terms of multi-ethnic

coexistence the situation is still far from satisfying.

Continuing ethnic violence is causing serious concern.

Particularly worrying are the attacks against members

of the international peacekeeping contingents and

United Nations personnel. The situation requires

resolute steps on behalf of all community leaders in

Kosovo to reject violence and to promote tolerance and

cooperation in compliance with the adopted

declarations. We see such an approach as a key

prerequisite for building up an atmosphere of

confidence and ethnic tolerance.

The successful preparation and holding of

municipal elections with the participation of all ethnic

minorities, including refugees and displaced persons, is

particularly important for speeding up the political

process in Kosovo and for securing lasting peace and

stability.

Since the very beginning of the Kosovo crisis,

Bulgaria has been actively engaged in the overall

efforts of the international community to settle the

conflict and ensure lasting peace and stability in the

region. As is well known, Bulgaria participates in the

international peacekeeping forces in Kosovo and

renders logistical support to the peacekeeping Mission

in the province. Furthermore, my country has been

mobilizing significant resources, in accordance with

our potential, to increase its contribution to

international peace activities.

In response to the appeal to increase the size of

the United Nations civilian police force in Kosovo,

Bulgaria has increased its contingent to 60 police

officers, and is now considering the possibility of

increasing that number to 100. Bulgaria has sent an

engineering platoon to join the international presence

in the field. Bulgarian companies are engaged in the

construction and assembling of houses to shelter

displaced persons and refugees in Kosovo. Last, but

not least, Bulgaria has been supplying low-cost

electricity to Kosovo. The overall cost of these

endeavours has so far reached $6 million.

We deem particularly important the involvement

of all the countries of the region in the process of

seeking settlement of the outstanding issues through

the process of multilateral and bilateral negotiations. In

this context, the informal meetings held at the level of

prime ministers and the meetings of the foreign and

defence ministers of the countries neighbouring the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that are devoted to

different aspects of cooperation are useful.

Of particular importance to the post-conflict

reconstruction of conflict-stricken areas is the

elaboration and the implementation of a long-term

strategy for the economic reconstruction and

development of the countries of the region through

their integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic

structures. The speedy implementation of the different

projects within the framework of the Stability Pact for

South-Eastern Europe could contribute significantly to

the economic development and stability of the region.

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We deem infrastructure projects as being particularly

important in that regard. Such projects will contribute

to enhancing the transportation and communications

links of the region and connecting them with the rest of

Europe. Attracting investments and developing trade

and the participation of companies from the region in

the reconstruction process are important as well.

We highly appreciate the progress achieved in

strengthening cooperation between the countries of the

region in such fields as fighting organized crime and

corruption, the illicit traffic in narcotics, curbing the

uncontrolled possession of small arms, and so on. An

important achievement of that cooperation is the

creation of a multinational peace force in south-eastern

Europe, with joint headquarters in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

We are confident that the establishment of this force

will strengthen the spirit of confidence and cooperation

in the region of south-eastern Europe.

An issue of special relevance to Bulgaria and

also, I believe, for other countries of the region, is the

negative impact on the national economy of the strict

implementation of the economic sanctions imposed

until recently by the Security Council on the Federal

Republic of Yugoslavia. As is well known, Bulgaria

strictly abided by the decisions of the United Nations

Security Council, and as a result suffered economic

losses commensurate with the country's foreign debt.

Those losses still affect our economic development.

Given the continued relevance and importance of this

issue under the present international setting, Bulgaria

supports the view that, since the provisions of the

Charter have equal importance, the issue of assisting

third States affected by sanctions has to be taken into

consideration together with the imposition of sanctions.

The elaboration of a concrete mechanism for that

purpose is therefore important for the United Nations,

which must find ways and means of alleviating their

negative effects, in particular on third States. The

international community as a whole should take care of

this. In our view, it is necessary that there be closer and

more direct participation in the whole process by all

third States that could potentially be adversely affected

by the imposition of sanctions. We are confident that

the discussions on this issue at the present session,

based on the decisions already adopted and on the

report of the Secretary-General under resolution

54/107, will result in more concrete decisions to that

end.

Bulgaria not only supports international efforts to

overcome the crisis in south-eastern Europe, but it also

fully supports the efforts aimed at resolving conflict

situations in Cyprus, the Middle East, the Caucuses,

Africa and elsewhere in the world. Bulgaria notes with

satisfaction the positive progress in the relations

between South and North Korea.

In the context of the new challenges in the field

of international peace and security, United Nations

peacekeeping operations continue to be a crucial

element in the activities of the United Nations. My

country supports the efforts of the international

community aimed at ensuring the necessary tools and

resources required to promote conflict prevention, the

peaceful resolution of disputes, and post-conflict

peace-building and reconstruction. We are convinced

that the new generation of peacekeeping operations

should include in their mandates a proportionate

combination of political, military, humanitarian,

reconstruction and other relevant activities.

In this regard, we believe that there are still

unexploited opportunities to strengthen the cooperation

of the United Nations and to make its cooperation with

regional organizations in the field of preventive

diplomacy, crisis management and peacekeeping more

effective on the basis of on their competitive

advantages. We share the concern of other Member

States over ensuring the United Nations ability to

deliver on its mounting array of peacekeeping

commitments, and we are committed to work together

to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations in this

vital area.

We fully support the need to reform the United

Nations peacekeeping scale of assessments. I would

like to point out, as a clear demonstration of this fact,

that the Government of Bulgaria has decided to assume

an additional financial commitment by increasing its

contribution to peacekeeping operations.

An issue closely linked to the maintenance of

international peace and security is the fight against

terrorism and international crime. Bulgaria attaches

paramount importance to the efforts of the world

community in the fight against terrorism. We condemn

all terrorist acts and lament the loss of life and the

destruction inflicted by such acts. We share the view

that the threat of terrorism is assuming a magnitude

that requires a decisive and joint response by the whole

international community. Bulgaria supports the

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activities of the United Nations aimed at setting norms

and standards for the fight against terrorism and

international crime through the negotiation of various

legal instruments and by creating appropriate

institutions for that purpose.

We consider that the establishment of the

International Criminal Court is a significant

achievement in that regard. I would like to reiterate my

country's strong commitment to the fight against the

most serious kinds of international crime in all their

forms. That commitment is a consistent part of

Bulgarian policy. We are confident that the

establishment of the International Criminal Court will

be an efficient step by the international community

towards deterring the potential perpetrators from

committing such acts.

Together with peacemaking and the building of a

more secure world, the broadening of the human aspect

of development through democracy and participation

has been widely accepted and has become one of the

priorities of the activities of the United Nations. The

principle of the indivisibility of the universally

recognized civil, political, economic, social and

cultural rights continues to be a key element of today's

system of promotion and protection of human rights

and freedoms. Bulgaria is confident that the activities

of international forums in the field of human rights

should be aimed at ensuring the effective and universal

enjoyment of those rights on a global scale.

The principle of the indivisibility of universally

recognized civil, political, economic, social and

cultural rights continues to be a key element in today's

system of promotion and protection of human rights

and freedoms. Bulgaria is convinced that the activities

of international forums in the field of human rights

should be aimed at ensuring the effective and universal

enjoyment of those rights on a global scale. In this

respect, the monitoring and effective control of the

implementation of human rights and fundamental

freedoms remain of crucial importance. Guided by this

understanding, Bulgaria is now party to all universal

human rights instruments that have established specific

monitoring bodies and has recognized their competence

to consider communications from individuals.

In our view, the relevant experiences of some

regional organizations with competence in the human

rights field also could be taken into consideration. We

share the view that a more effective coordination and

exchange of information and even joint efforts are

needed between the United Nations and regional

organizations such as the Council of Europe and the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE).

A better implementation of international

standards could be achieved by improving existing

mechanisms and by constructive and open dialogue on

the most sensitive issues, including those related to

human rights in individual States. Accordingly, the

Bulgarian Government attaches great importance to the

enjoyment of all human rights by Bulgarians living

abroad and considers respect for their rights as an

essential element in the enhancement of relations.

Enhanced socio-economic development is another

important factor for securing stability and peace in the

world. The achievements registered in this field should

be recognized and encouraged. The review process,

based on the relevant ideas contained in the millennium

report of the Secretary-General, must result in the

strengthening of the coordinating role of the Economic

and Social Council and of the entire machinery of this

Organization. Of particular relevance in this regard are

the steps aimed at the practical realization of the

follow-up measures to the major international

conferences.

Bulgaria attaches major importance to the role of

the United Nations in the field of sustainable

development and is following closely the United

Nations dialogue and the activities of the respective

United Nations bodies and agencies on issues related to

demographics, social development, women, the fight

against diseases and drugs, and so on.

Bulgaria is cooperating actively with the United

Nations system of specialized agencies and

programmes. We are interested in further developing

this cooperation. We are looking forward to more

dynamic and streamlined activities, especially through

the use of the potential of United Nations Development

Programme for capacity-building and assistance in the

development and implementation of joint projects. In

this regard, the system of resident coordinators and the

efforts to make that system more operational will

undoubtedly play an important role.

Bulgaria shares the concern of the international

community regarding the spread of diseases, in

particular the AIDS virus. We support the activities of

the United Nations in this field, and we join our efforts

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to those of Governments, non-governmental

organizations, and academic and research institutions

in the fight against this dangerous disease.

Development and economic growth are

impossible without full participation in global

economic and financial exchanges. In our opinion, the

United Nations and its institutions could play a more

active role with regard to the specific problems related

to economic transition and reforms.

Disarmament issues continue to play an important

role in overall efforts to secure a better world for future

generations. The Bulgarian Government attaches high

priority to international efforts to strengthen the

nuclear non-proliferation regime. We call for an early

entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-

Ban Treaty as an important step in that direction and

support the decision of the Conference on

Disarmament to establish an ad hoc committee to

conduct negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty.

We favour the strengthening of the Biological and

Toxin Weapons Convention and believe that a further

acceleration of the negotiations and an early conclusion

of the protocol to the Convention is required.

As a State party to the Chemical Weapons

Convention, Bulgaria would like to contribute to

increasing the number of accessions to the Convention

in order to achieve recognition of the prohibition of

chemical weapons as a universal norm of international

law. As a concrete effort to this end, we are hosting a

regional seminar of the Organization for the

Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in Sofia from 28 to

30 September of this year.

With regard to conventional arms, anti-personnel

landmines are widely recognized as a terrible weapon,

which kills and maims hundreds of thousands of people

worldwide. Convinced of the need for a total

prohibition of anti-personnel mines, on 29 July 1999

the Bulgarian Parliament ratified the Ottawa

Convention, thus contributing to its early entry into

force.

We are also ready to contribute to the efforts of

the international community to reduce conventional

weapons, including small arms, especially their

excessive and destabilizing accumulation in areas of

conflict. We regard universal participation in the

United Nations Register of Conventional Arms as an

important step towards effective transparency, on both

a regional and a global scale.

For Bulgaria this past year has been a period of

continued intensive efforts by the Government to build

on the economic stabilization that has been achieved

and to move forward with structural reforms,

modernizing State administration, enforcing the rule of

law in civil society and creating favourable conditions

for sustainable economic growth. The steps and

initiatives that have been undertaken in compliance

with the Government programme 'Bulgaria 2001'

are directed at moving ahead with the integration of

Bulgaria into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Being an integral part of Europe, Bulgaria regards

accelerated accession to the European Union and full

membership in North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO) as an expression of our sovereign political

choice based on broad public support. Since Bulgaria is

endeavouring to promote and enhance the values of

democracy, we are sincerely interested in seeing these

values become widely accepted throughout South-

eastern Europe. The Republic of Bulgaria welcomes its

inclusion in the process of enlargement of the European

Union, together with other associated countries from

Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Cyprus. The

Bulgarian Government is fully aware that our accession

endeavours are contingent on the success of domestic

economic and legislative reforms.

The Bulgarian Government has developed a

clear-cut national strategy to meet the criteria for

NATO membership, based on a comprehensive national

programme of preparation, which is being updated and

optimized. Bulgaria has the political will and is

undertaking concrete steps to translate and fulfil in

regional terms the objectives of the Euro-Atlantic

Partnership Council and the enhanced Partnership for

Peace. Our positive attitude is reflected in the ongoing

regional political dialogue and the practical follow-up

measures to enhance regional security and defence

cooperation in South-eastern Europe.

In conclusion, I would like once again to declare

my country's readiness to cooperate actively with all

Member States for the successful implementation of

the lofty goals which we have before us at the present

session of the General Assembly. We are confident that

discussions on important agenda items will be

translated into practical measures.