Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2009

It is a great

honour for me to address the General Assembly today

in my capacity as the Chairman of the Presidency of

Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the very outset, allow me

to congratulate the President of the Assembly at its

sixty-fourth session and the other members of the

Bureau on their election, and to express our full

support to their future work. Furthermore, I would like

to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Miguel d’Escoto

Brockmann, whom I met on several occasions, on the

results achieved during his presidency of the sixty-

third session of the General Assembly at a time when

this body and the international community in general

were facing an array of challenges related to pressing

global issues.

Sessions of the General Assembly have always

served as opportunities for leaders of States to gather

and exchange their opinions about the situation in the

world with the aim of finding the most suitable

solutions for current global issues. The United Nations,

like other organizations, depends upon the collective

strength of its Members; that strength needs to be

based on consensus among Member States. One of the

most pressing issues that has marked the past year is

the global economic and financial crisis, which has

become the biggest threat to global peace and stability.

If we miss the opportunity to tackle its negative effects

immediately, it could produce unimaginable

consequences throughout the world.

Even though there are indicators which show that

recession in developed countries is slowly abating, it is

evident that recovery will be slow and time-consuming.

With regard to the developing and less developed

countries, we can only imagine the harmful

consequences that this crisis could produce in the times

ahead. It is more than obvious that countries cannot

combat these crises on their own, regardless of the

efficiency of their Governments. Global crisis requires

global solutions.

Ms. Koirala (Nepal), Vice-President, took the

Chair.

We welcome the adoption of the outcome

document of the recent high-level Conference on the

World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on

Development (resolution 63/303, annex). The

Conference confirmed once again that the role of the

United Nations — and especially of the General

7 09-52320

Assembly, as one of the most democratic of forums —

is to lead this process and find new modalities for

improvement of cooperation with the aim of

establishing effective mechanisms for preventing crises

and alleviating and eliminating their consequences, as

well as for eradicating poverty and establishing social

justice in the world.

It is accurate to say that the present global

economic crisis — the severest since the establishment

of the United Nations — has heavily compromised and

even jeopardized the attainment of the Millennium

Development Goals, one of the noblest tasks set by the

Organization since its foundation. This applies in

particular to the poorest countries, and especially to

sub-Saharan African countries that had failed to

achieve positive results even before the onset of the

crisis. I stress that besides the responsibility borne by

those countries pertaining to their activities in

establishing good governance and the rule of law,

which are prerequisites for achieving the

aforementioned development goals, a huge

responsibility lies with the developed countries.

It is exactly the developed countries that are

expected to do everything in their power in order to

overcome the global economic crisis. We think that

during the crisis it is necessary to reform the global

financial system and make it more transparent, to

develop mechanisms for market monitoring and thus to

avoid the mistakes that occurred in the period prior to

the current decrease in the global GDP.

State institutions in my country — Bosnia and

Herzegovina — have made systematic efforts to

accomplish the Millennium Development Goals, and

we believe that other than the difficulties caused by

global economic volatility, there possibly will be no

other obstacles in the context of finalizing the defined

tasks by 2015. At the moment, Bosnia and Herzegovina

is preparing a development strategy and a social

inclusion strategy. The anti-poverty strategy was

drafted earlier and has been implemented. Such

projects have been carried out in cooperation with

relevant United Nations agencies in Bosnia and

Herzegovina, and I wish to take this opportunity to

express my gratitude for that intensive cooperation.

Climate change is one of the key issues that

require an urgent response from the international

community. Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to end the

year 2009 with successful completion of international

negotiations on climate change. Furthermore, we hope

that the Copenhagen summit will produce an

agreement that outpaces the Kyoto Protocol and that it

will gain the support of the United Nations Member

States.

However, it is not only island countries that are

affected by this problem. It is a universal challenge and

threat. Humanitarian catastrophes caused by weather

conditions that have affected parts of our planet over

recent years should serve as a warning to all of us.

Neither economic nor political interests must be

allowed to obstruct the achievement of a global

consensus as the true beginning of a global struggle to

prevent the loss of the natural balance of our planet.

All of us gathered here today agree that

consensus and comprehensive reform of the United

Nations system is necessary and that it ought to be

carried out in a careful, prudent manner that ensures

the broadest consensus of the Member States. United

Nations reform should result in efficient and

coordinated functioning of all bodies of the system.

However, a widely accepted perspective is that the

reform of the Security Council is of key importance for

substantive reform of the entire system of the world

organization.

I am convinced that the majority agree with me

that Security Council reform ought primarily to result

in better transparency of that body and its activities and

should provide for a considerably larger spectrum of

non-member States to participate in its work. That

applies in particular to countries that are most on the

Council’s agenda, countries that are directly affected

by a particular crisis, as well as countries that could

use their expertise or experience gained in similar

situations that contribute to following the best and

most acceptable solutions.

We all have to be aware that any further delay in

Security Council reform will undermine the credibility

of that body, whereas the willingness to reach a

compromise must be an imperative. Dialogue and

compromise are the only way to ensure the broadest

possible support for reforms.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is of the opinion that

Security Council reform should urgently commence. In

any case, we believe that in the future reformed

Council, the group of Eastern European countries must

have another non-permanent seat, considering that the

09-52320 8

number of countries in that group has more than

doubled in the last two decades.

I wish to emphasize that I expect the Council to

engage more strongly in preventive diplomacy. We

believe that taking that new course of action would

mean that many issues and crises could be solved

before they become aggravated, thus increasing the

Council’s efficiency. Ensuring timely and efficient

conflict prevention, rather than reacting once a crisis

has already escalated, is a more efficient and less

expensive method for preserving peace and security.

Unfortunately, armed conflicts remain the reality

of our world, and those most in danger are the poorest

peoples and nations, who are left to fend for

themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to foster

additional United Nations early warning mechanisms

and establish multiple sources of information in order

to create a true picture of the situation and at the same

time strengthen countries’ abilities to resist enticements

that lead to genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and

crimes against humanity.

Bosnia and Herzegovina remains committed to

full cooperation with the International Criminal

Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, since those

indicted for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia must

be prosecuted. Meanwhile, a legal framework has been

set up in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Court of

Bosnia and Herzegovina has begun to prosecute war

crimes. That is one of the requirements for building

mutual confidence and reconciliation in post-conflict

Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The number of refugees has been growing daily

around the globe, but less effort and fewer means are

devoted to finding a concrete solution to this global

issue. We in Bosnia and Herzegovina are well

acquainted with the destiny, pain and suffering of

refugees, and thus we urge maximum effort to

systematically resolve the global refugee crises. We

support the joint and continued endeavours of all

United Nations agencies and the non-governmental

sector that directly deal with this problem. We are

willing to offer cooperation in every aspect.

With regard to United Nations peacekeeping

missions, we believe that, with foresight and

considering the best practices, each crisis has to be

carefully examined, taking into consideration all its

causes, if we are to find a sustainable and justifiable

solution. We believe that there are no universal

solutions applicable to every crisis, to the requirements

of each particular case.

Various cultures and traditions have coexisted in

the Balkans for centuries. We are willing to share both

our positive and negative experiences in the post-

conflict peacebuilding aspect.

The foreign policy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is

aimed at preserving and improving long-lasting peace,

security and stability, democratic and comprehensive

social development and contributions to international

peace and stability.

The presence, participation and actions of small

countries in the decision-making process of the

Security Council are of great importance in

maintaining balance within the Council. However,

apart from the views of the permanent members and

world Powers, the Council needs to encourage smaller

countries to present their views and participate in the

decision-making process of that body, which in some

ways represents global government. That is one of the

reasons why we decided, after careful consideration

and for the first time in our history, to run for a

non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the

period 2010-2011. Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has

been the main topic of numerous debates of the

international community, today wants to have the

capacity to actively participate in and contribute to the

work of the Security Council.

As a small but multi-ethnic, multinational and

multireligious country with a rich historic heritage,

Bosnia and Herzegovina is conversant with a plethora

of sociopolitical systems and cultural and historical

contexts. Bosnia and Herzegovina is willing to share its

experience in peacebuilding in a post-conflict situation,

particularly in the area of confidence-building among

multicultural communities, and thus actively contribute

to better understanding and long-term reconciliation in

such regions.

Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina actively

participates in the work of international organizations,

especially the work of the United Nations. It has been a

member of the Human Rights Council since June 2007,

and within the Council’s framework it has been

working on promoting and protecting human rights

throughout the world. Since 2000, members of the

armed forces and police forces from Bosnia and

Herzegovina have been equal participants in United

Nations international military and police missions in

9 09-52320

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia,

Eritrea, Liberia, Sudan, East Timor, Cyprus and Haiti,

thus contributing to the preservation of international

peace and stability. Furthermore, it supports

international efforts to stabilize the situations in Iraq

and Afghanistan.

Finding a solution to the Middle East crisis

remains one of the priorities of the world Organization.

We believe that positive momentum ought to be used in

the best possible manner to establish equitable and

comprehensive peace in this region. After so many

years of suffering, bloodshed, tension, mutual

misunderstanding and conflict, we must support the

latest activities of the Quartet members, as well as

regional initiatives aimed at taking the crucial step

forward leading to sustainable peace, which implies

creation of a sovereign, independent and self-

sustaining Palestinian State.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has been closely

following the situation in Africa. We expect that

despite the hard-hitting global economic crisis, the

world’s most developed countries will continue to

increase the percentage of their gross domestic product

that they contribute to official development assistance

and to contribute the other expertise necessary for

strengthening the capacities of poor African countries.

We therefore welcome the efforts by the United

Nations through the New Partnership for Africa’s

Development intended to lead Africa to stable and

sustainable development and to fulfil the Millennium

Development Goals.

This particularly relates to sub-Saharan countries.

We support the efforts of the African Union, African

Governments, the United Nations, the United Nations

Office for West Africa and other regional initiatives

designed to improve the rule of law and democracy and

to strengthen capacities of civil society and

institutions, and thus to upgrade all aspects of social

life. We underline the importance of the continued

provision of material aid for Africa, as well as

improved use of these resources towards sustainable

development.

Nowadays, when political and social processes

are more dynamic than ever and we are facing

challenges quite opposite from those of several decades

ago, it has become more obvious that only a strong,

multilateral approach can provide the right answers.

The United Nations has faced numerous challenges, yet

it remains the only path leading to a better future and

the only Organization able to offer adequate solutions

to the array of global issues we are facing. If we work

together to implement the conclusions reached here at

this high-level event, we will undoubtedly live in better

and more equitable conditions than is the case today.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is willing to fully

contribute to the work of the United Nations. I would

like to express my gratitude to all Member States who

supported Bosnia and Herzegovina and who are willing

to elect my country as a non-permanent member of the

Security Council for the period 2010-2011.