Bulgaria, 2005

I

congratulate you, Mr. President, most warmly on the

occasion of your election to this important post. The

tireless support of Bulgaria for your mission will be

among the most active, and I would like to express the

profound gratitude of my country to your predecessor,

Mr. Jean Ping, for his remarkable work and his real

courage.

Following the best traditions in Bulgarian foreign

policy, the new Bulgarian Government is deeply

attached to the principle of multilateralism in

international relations, and thus believes in the central

nature of the United Nations as the only

intergovernmental organization that is completely

universal and extremely representative of the peoples

of the world. Bulgaria is participating in the sixtieth

session of the General Assembly as a country that has

signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Union

and acts with the status of active observer in the bodies

and institutions of the European Union. My country

has unreservedly supported the positions of the

European Union during the preparatory work for the

summit that has just taken place, and we fully support

the analysis of the outcome document made by the

United Kingdom presidency.

The main purpose of this debate is to implement

the decisions of the summit. I hope that each Member

State will help to push forward reform in the United

Nations, as set out in the outcome document

(resolution 60/1). Substantial progress has been made

in many key areas, and this is a good basis for the work

of the sixtieth session. However, we are obliged to note

with regret that some of the ambitious and innovative

ideas in the report of the Secretary-General, “In larger

freedom” (A/59/2005), welcomed and endorsed by

Bulgaria, could not be adopted. We need to redouble

our efforts so that these ideas can come to pass.

Bulgaria supports the efforts of Secretary-General Kofi

Annan in this respect and expresses the hope that his

valuable contribution will continue.

In parallel with the sixtieth anniversary of the

creation of the United Nations, my country is also

celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its membership

in the United Nations family. Over the last 50 years,

the challenges facing humanity have increased in

complexity and diversity, and the threats facing us tend

to interweave and compound each other in a manner

never seen before. However, just as 50 years ago, it is

the human being who is at the centre of our attention as

the supreme value, the human being with his individual

security and his right to a life of dignity and happiness.

The summit that has just concluded in New York

has revived hope that the struggle to eradicate poverty,

hunger and epidemics and to protect the environment

can be won. The condition is that we need to mobilize

the maximum amount of efforts and the maximum

resources so that we can implement a real global

partnership between the developed and developing

countries. We support the European Union’s position of

increasing official development assistance.

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As a candidate for membership in the Economic

and Social Council for 2007 to 2009, Bulgaria has

decided to make its contribution to activities of the

United Nations in the social and economic areas.

The summit outcome document defines

HIV/AIDS as being one of the greatest threats to

humanity. Efforts of the entire international community

are required in order to counter it. Children and young

people are the most affected. The case of the Libyan

children, contaminated with the HIV/AIDS virus in a

hospital, is a tragedy deserving our compassion and our

support. Bulgaria welcomes the adoption of

appropriate measures to avoid such tragedies in the

future. It will participate actively in the European

Union’s plan of action, which it has just published,

aimed at limiting the consequences of the epidemic of

HIV/AIDS in Libya.

My country supports the emergence of a new

consensus in the United Nations relating to the chief

threats to international peace and security and

collective action against such threats. Bulgaria

categorically condemns terrorism in all of its forms and

manifestations. No cause can justify violence against

innocent people. The United Nations has a leading and

irreplaceable role in creating a global environment of

intolerance and rejection of terrorism.

For that reason, my delegation will support

unconditionally the adoption during the sixtieth session

of an anti-terrorist strategy. It is in the context of this

strategy that we should seek lasting and long-term

solutions to the political, economic and social causes

fuelling this phenomenon. Bulgaria also insists that a

common definition of terrorism be developed, making

it possible to adopt a convention on international

terrorism. It is clear that in order to combat terrorism

effectively we need to neutralize all ideologies

advocating terrorism. In that respect, we actively

support initiatives that facilitate coexistence and

dialogue between different civilizations, religions,

ethnic groups and cultures.

Bulgaria profoundly regrets that the problem of

the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

was not included in the summit outcome document,

and we associate ourselves with the Secretary-

General’s appeal to continue efforts in this priority area

for our collective security.

Bulgaria has wholeheartedly supported the idea

of creating a Peacebuilding Commission since its

inception. The creation of this body is one of the most

important decisions of the summit. Allowing the

Commission to begin its work as soon as possible will

greatly increase the ability of the United Nations to

consolidate the positive effects of peacekeeping

operations. In each specific case, the Peacebuilding

Commission cannot but benefit from the contribution

from neighbouring countries and also from interested

regional organizations.

As a country in South-Eastern Europe, Bulgaria

has been working tirelessly over the last few decades

for the transformation of the potential for conflict in

the Western Balkans into good-neighbourliness,

cooperation and development. We are convinced that

stability and prosperity in this region are ultimately

indissolubly linked with the European perspective for

the Western Balkans. The risks of military

confrontation are decreasing, and what we have seen

recently is the emergence of new forms of cooperation

between States with the consolidation of democratic

institutions, civil societies and rule of law in the

common fight against organized crime and corruption.

For my country such forms of cooperation are a

priority also as regards the States of the region of the

Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia.

The international community is on the threshold

of a crucial decision for the future of Kosovo. The

situation there is an example of a long and sometimes

painful post-conflict settlement with the leadership of

the United Nations, and in partnership with the

European Union, NATO and the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe. Reaching a just

and lasting solution cannot ignore European norms and

values. It must guarantee the rights of all of the

inhabitants of the region without distinction as to their

ethnic origin, their religious beliefs and language. This

solution must be based on a respect of the territorial

integrity of neighbouring countries and must contribute

to regional security and stability. For Bulgaria the

future of Kosovo lies in a unified Europe, and this can

be achieved solely through the implementation of

standards established by the Security Council.

Bulgaria supports the efforts of the Government

and the people of Iraq on the difficult road to peace,

security and economic recovery. The conclusion of the

constitutional process provided for by Security Council

resolution 1546 (2004) is the sole means of achieving

this. We have no doubt that the adoption of the new

Iraqi constitution will make it possible to overcome

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existing divisions and will be a cornerstone for

constructing an Iraqi State that is unified, democratic

and guarantees the rule of law. For its part, Bulgaria

will continue to give its support to the Iraqi people in

their efforts to build a democratic, completely

independent future.

Mr. Zarif (Islamic Republic of Iran), Vice-

President, took the Chair.

My country welcomes the positive trends that

have been emerging in the process of consolidating the

Afghan State, which the recent parliamentary elections

have strikingly confirmed. Bulgaria will continue its

contribution to the efforts of the international

community to stabilize Afghanistan. We are continuing

our assistance to the Afghan army.

We agree with those who highlight the need to

focus the attention of the international community on

Africa. There is no doubt that a priority for the United

Nations must be the settlement of regional and local

conflicts on this continent, combating poverty, and the

transition to sustainable development. The role of the

African Union here is irreplaceable.

For Bulgaria the protection and the promotion of

human rights are priorities of the United Nations, as

are the problems of development and security. We

welcome the decision taken by the summit to create a

Human Rights Council. In our view this Council

should sit permanently and be elected directly by the

General Assembly with a set majority. Its status should

be higher than that of the existing Commission on

Human Rights. The role of this new body would be to

develop and improve the current practices of the

Commission, particularly by regularly reviewing the

state of human rights in all countries of the world while

being ready to react in cases of grave and serious

violations of human rights. In this respect Bulgaria

repeats its support for the Democracy Fund, which

could encourage the democratic process in countries

that need it and that wish to be helped in this area. My

country is now evaluating its national contribution to

this Fund.

Over the last few days in this Hall we have had a

discussion on the protection of human rights

worldwide. In this respect I cannot but mention a case

that is of particular concern for Bulgarian public

opinion. This involves the destiny of the five Bulgarian

nurses and one Palestinian doctor condemned to death

by a Libyan court in Benghazi. The innocence of the

accused has been categorically confirmed by leading

scientists in the field of HIV/AIDS. Bulgaria still

insists that a just and fair decision be taken by the

Supreme Court of Libya on 15 November.

The consensus that has emerged on the concept of

the “responsibility to protect” during the negotiations

on the outcome document of the summit is a real

breakthrough. It makes possible joint action by all

Members of the United Nations in cases of genocide,

ethnic cleansing and other mass crimes against

humanity when national authorities refuse to act or are

unable to protect their citizens.

I am convinced that we are on the threshold of

the most important and boldest reforms of the United

Nations in its history. Only the collective will of all

Member States can open the way to real change. The

stakes are enormous: allow the United Nations to

establish its reputation as the universal world

Organization capable of proving once again its vitality

in the face of the challenges of globalization.