Belarus, 1996

Allow me first of all to

congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the post of

President of the General Assembly at its fifty-first

session.

General debates over a number of years have already

clearly indicated that virtually all Member States consider

it of vital importance to transform the United Nations into

an Organization with enhanced potential in the service of

peace and security in the world.

Belarus advocates a pragmatic approach to the

reform of the United Nations based on a realistic

assessment of the Organization’s ability to enhance the

practical efficiency of the entire United Nations system

along the strategic lines of its activities. One of these is

peacemaking, which in the aftermath of the cold war

acquired new substance and quality.

The New Testament reads,

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be

called children of God.” (Matthew, 5:9)

Today’s efforts by the United Nations to maintain

peace are noble indeed. Belarus supports actions to

further perfect peacekeeping operations as an important

practical instrument at the disposal of the United Nations.

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A crystal-clear understanding of peacekeeping operations as

a specific means used in conflict settlement, aimed at

maintaining peace rather than imposing it and at preventing

highly explosive situations from emerging, is a sure

guarantee that such operations will be successfully

implemented.

We note with satisfaction a substantive breakthrough

in the peaceful settlement of the conflict in the former

Yugoslavia. Belarus emphasizes the key significance of

restoring close economic, scientific and cultural ties

between the States of the region for the normalization of

the situation in the Balkans. That is why we support the

idea of making the decision of lifting the economic and

trade embargo against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

a permanent one.

Belarus attaches great significance to the process of a

peaceful settlement in the Middle East, based on respect for

the right of all States of the region to live in peace within

internationally recognized borders.

As regards the ways and means to further perfect the

Security Council’s activities, Belarus would like to

emphasize the principle of balanced representation for all

regional groups of Member States, in particular the Eastern

European group, in a renewed and expanded Security

Council.

Given their particular significance, concerted

international efforts in the field of disarmament are required

in shaping the global security system that would befit the

twenty-first century. We consider it a great privilege and

honour that our practical actions and initiatives in this

domain have been recognized and supported through the

election of a representative of Belarus to the post of

Chairman of the First Committee at the current session.

This year has been marked by momentous events in

Belarus. Very shortly the last nuclear missile will leave the

territory of our Republic, thus making the entire territory of

Central Europe, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, a nuclear-

weapon-free zone. This brings into particular prominence

the initiative put forward by Alyaksandr Lukashenka,

President of Belarus, to establish a nuclear-weapon-free

zone in Central and Eastern Europe.

Efforts aimed at setting up and consolidating nuclear-

weapon-free zones in various regions of the world are

gaining momentum. Hence, we consider it illogical for

Europe to remain the only continent where no practical

steps have been taken in this direction. We strongly believe

that setting up a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central and

Eastern Europe would further enhance the spirit of trust,

mutual respect and partnership in that part of the

European continent and would serve as a solid

contribution by the European nations to nuclear non-

proliferation.

In the search for an efficient arms control regime,

the delegation of Belarus intends to initiate further

consideration at this session of the General Assembly of

the item on prohibition of the development and

manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction

and new systems of such weapons. Ecologically safe

destruction of weapons, conversion of military enterprises,

legal aspects of the transfer of sensitive advanced

technology and of their impact on the development of

science and technology stand high on the list of our

priorities.

From this lofty rostrum I am proud to say that,

despite the formidable economic, social and financial

constraints we have had to overcome, Belarus has

completely fulfilled all its obligations under the Treaty on

Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Equally significant

is the fact that Belarus submitted to the Secretary-General

of the United Nations in July 1996 its ratification

instruments on joining the Chemical Weapons

Convention.

Located in the geographical centre of Europe, my

country has set itself the goal of preventing dangerous

tensions from evolving in the region which, more often

than any other part of the planet, has been a seat of world

wars, in order to help prevent the emergence of new lines

of separation, curtains, walls and other constructions that

seemed gone for ever.

From that perspective, we must bring to the

Assembly’s attention the concern of the Belarusian people

regarding the eventual rapid expansion of North Atlantic

Treaty Organization (NATO) and the deployment of its

military infrastructure in close proximity to our borders.

It is worth noting that a considerable part of the

population of Belarus no longer considers NATO a hostile

organization. Yet, being realistic, we must admit that

much more time is needed to transform that attitude into

a sympathetic stance. It would be appropriate to expect

that such large and drastic transformations in the

European security system to evolve gradually.

In these new circumstances, the role of the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

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(OSCE) acquires new significance. In all confidence, we

pin our hopes on the forthcoming OSCE summit in Lisbon.

The results of the summit, I am convinced, will prove to be

a solid basis for enhancing coordination between the United

Nations and the OSCE, as well as for better distributing

between them the functions of ensuring regional security in

Europe in order to help create a comprehensive security

model for Europe in the twenty-first century and to further

the efforts towards concerted actions by European States

aimed at strengthening stability on the continent.

Globalization of the world economy made it possible

for the States to considerably expand their markets, as well

as the flow of goods, services, finance and technologies, to

adjust economic relations and to improve the economic and

social well-being of their populations. At the same time, the

removal of trade and other economic barriers exposed the

vulnerability of countries with less-developed economies.

Many of those countries find it difficult to keep pace with

the rapid transformations now under way and to break the

vicious circle of backward development.

That is why the countries with economies in transition,

Belarus included, have every reason to expect that special

measures will be taken by the United Nations in order to

facilitate their integration into the world economic and trade

systems and to help them join existing and emerging

multilateral economic institutions and mechanisms.

We reiterate our intention to host an international

conference on the sustainable development of countries with

economies in transition, to be convened in Minsk in May

1997. I am convinced that the results of the conference will

prove a valuable contribution to the five-year review of the

implementation of Agenda 21, at the special session of the

General Assembly next June.

The activities of the United Nations in the social and

environmental fields have a particular significance for

Belarus. The problems in these areas are extremely acute

due to the negative impact of a number of factors that

emerged in the course of complex economic

transformations. The leadership of Belarus is undertaking

considerable efforts to improve the quality of life of its

citizens. At the same time, we are not always able to

resolve acute social problems by our own means alone.

Decisions adopted at six world summits, held in Rio de

Janeiro, Vienna, Copenhagen, Beijing, Cairo and Istanbul,

have prompted the needed and long-overdue adoption of a

global programme of assistance to the countries that have

embarked on the road of market reforms.

The problem of refugees, displaced persons and

repatriates is also very acute today. Our Republic

welcomes the results of the Geneva regional conference

on refugees, displaced persons, other forms of forced

movements and repatriates in the Commonwealth of

Independent States (CIS). I believe that the establishment,

under the aegis of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees, of a permanent regional centre on migratory

problems and refugees for the countries of Eastern Europe

could make a considerable contribution to the process of

complete and effective implementation of those decisions.

We propose that such a centre be headquartered in Minsk.

Taking urgent measures to combat terrorism, illicit

drug trafficking and organized crime is yet another

demand of the moment. Proceeding from this premise, we

welcome the initiative announced from this rostrum by

Poland to introduce a draft United Nations framework

convention against organized crime.

Our Republic does not possess nuclear energy, but

more than any other State in the world it is interested in

the implementation of effective preventive measures in

the field of nuclear safety that would make it impossible

for new Chernobyls to occur in the future. Belarus is in

favour of the comprehensive strengthening of the nuclear-

safety regime, including development and adoption of the

appropriate international convention with concrete and

strong commitments under international control. The

initiative to establish a global fund for environmental

protection deserves most serious consideration. My

country is grateful to the United Nations for its valuable

efforts in coordinating, initiating and discussing

Chernobyl-related issues. This is extremely important to

us. At the same time Belarus is deeply concerned over the

fact that, alongside the ongoing discussion related to the

closure of the Chernobyl reactor, the problem of

mitigating the medical and environmental after-effects of

the Chernobyl catastrophe — the main burden of which

has been borne by our young State — are being pushed

aside.

We are deeply concerned over the financial situation

of the Organization. Admitting that Belarus now finds

itself among the States with the biggest debts to the

United Nations, we cannot but underscore that this

situation has emerged as a result of objective financial

and economic difficulties experienced by Belarus at this

complex stage of its development, as well as of the unjust

distribution of United Nations expenses among the

Member States. Excessive rates of assessment for the

United Nations regular budget and for peacekeeping

20

operations has now resulted in one of the founding States

of the United Nations being unable, for objective reasons,

to fulfil its financial obligations to the Organization. In

view of this, we support all-round measures aimed at

reforming the entire financial system of the United Nations

and the search for fair forms of financial cooperation

between the Organization and the Member States, in

particular those whose arrears have accumulated due to a

number of reasons beyond their control.

Finally, the wide-scale reforming of the United

Nations system coincides with the democratic

transformations taking place in a number of States, Belarus

being one of them. Given that the reforms now under way

are of immediate concern to each and every citizen of our

country, we are fully aware of their significance at this

crucial juncture in the development of international

relations. Comprehension of the importance of that factor

enabled Belarus to secure public law and order, stability

and peace in its territory. Yet sometimes it is not so easy

for the major political actors to achieve a coordinated

approach to tackling the intricate problems facing Belarus

at this transitional juncture in its history. Thus, it has

become of vital importance today to find an efficient

balance between the legislative, the executive and the

judicial branches of power and to ensure their stable

interaction. This is precisely the purpose of the upcoming

popular referendum in Belarus, which is being held at the

initiative of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations has also

breathed new life into its ideals and strengthened our belief

that the United Nations is a unique and genuinely integral

part of international life. I am convinced that the fifty-first

session of the General Assembly can and must become a

starting point for effectively reforming the United Nations,

which will be possible only through the joint efforts of all

Member States of the Organization.