Belarus, 2010

The

nature of the discussions and decisions taken at the

High-level Plenary Meeting has clearly demonstrated

that the various problems, challenges and threats we

face, however difficult and dangerous they may be, can

only be overcome if we work together. The world has

changed significantly over the past 10 years, and our

capacity to make peoples’ lives in all continents better

and safer has been broadened. We have seen the change

in international relations. There has been an

enhancement of constructive, mutually respectful

dialogue between States, and a new global partnership

is forming. All the preconditions exist so that at this

session we can establish a road map of international

cooperation on all strategic issues referred to in the

Outcome Document of the Summit. Particular attention

should be given to the financial economic sphere,

because it is directly linked to achieving the

Millennium Development Goals. We can achieve those

Goals, even in the current situation, if the necessary

financial resources, skills and technologies are used to

support development. What has been done so far is

insufficient. If we analyse the current situation in an

objective way, we see that the largest developed

countries have spent trillions of dollars on supporting

their economies. This has given some results, but the

backdrop of this is that it has become clear that

providing resources for official development assistance

and international technical assistance continues to be

below the real needs of developing countries and

countries in transition. Developed countries have

adopted protectionist measures. There has been price

pressure on small and medium countries for many

sensitive categories of goods. In such a context,

progress towards the Millennium Development Goals

cannot be smooth.

In general terms, Belarus supports the work of the

Group of 20 (G-20) and the Group of Eight (G-8) to

overcome the world economic crisis, but we must

assume that the major countries in these clubs will first

and foremost promote their own interests. The General

Assembly must take the necessary measures to improve

the economic toolbox of the entire United Nations

system. Otherwise our Organization will not be able to

play an important role in global economic management

and small and medium-sized countries will have no

leverage on these processes.

First of all, we must continue the process of

updating the work and enhancing the potential of the

Bretton Woods institutions and increase the role of

developing countries and countries with transitional

economies in decision-making in their governing

bodies. The General Assembly, although it might not

be able directly to influence this process, must raise its

voice on this issue. We refer here to those bodies where

all countries, without exception, can put forward their

positions and submit appropriate proposals.

In 2005 and 2006, significant efforts were made

to improve the work of the Economic and Social

Council, converting it from a body that coordinates the

work of thematic commissions and committees in the

economic and social spheres to a body that adopts

political decisions and recommendations in those areas.

Some progress has been achieved here, of course; but it

is insufficient if we want to reach by 2015 good

indicators with regard to implementing the strategic

tasks under the Millennium Development Goals. The

Economic and Social Council is still the same: it has

not become a full-fledged economic organ of the

United Nations. We suggest in the remaining five years

that the Council should give special attention to each

of the Millennium Development Goals and make

appropriate recommendations to the General Assembly

and to Member States.

Belarus, which has submitted its candidature for

membership of the Economic and Social Council in

2011, is ready to work actively in this regard.

We cannot attain the Millennium Development

Goals unless we establish a genuine, strong structure of

United Nations operational activities. Here, we

welcome the increased intergovernmental dialogue on

enhancing coherence in the operations of United

Nations agencies and the measures that have been

taken to reform the United Nations gender architecture.

Besides enhancing the institutions, the financing of

bodies that undertake operational activities needs to be

improved. In this Hall, we have heard many addresses

with regard to the work of the G-8 and the G-20 and their

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initiative to find innovative approaches to financing. We

have heard of the intention of the European Union to

monitor the Union’s respect for its commitments with

regard to official development assistance. We hope that

those measures will indeed be implemented.

Belarus, like many other delegations in this room,

is concerned at the status of the Doha multilateral trade

talks, particularly given the recent trends towards a

tougher position by developed countries. Developing

countries in particular suffer from this, as do medium-

income countries. For more than 10 years, talks have

been under way on membership of the World Trade

Organization (WTO) of about 30 States. Is this a

normal situation if we are talking about the need to

ensure that States move forward on achieving the

Millennium Development Goals and a genuinely

multilateral trade system? This is genuine

discrimination against certain States. Therefore we

believe that the rules for WTO membership by these

countries should be reviewed and simplified.

If we are now serious about United Nations

management of global processes, then General

Assembly resolutions on the role of international trade

in stimulating development should be more targeted

towards achieving long-term results. What is most

important is to make recommendations on urgent

collective measures to establish a multilateral trading

system that meets the needs of today’s world.

The General Assembly must send an unequivocal

political signal to parties to the upcoming Cancún talks

on developing a new post-Kyoto international

agreement on limiting emissions of greenhouse gases.

This year we have seen that the measures that have

been taken have been inadequate. The virtual absence

of targeted collective measures by the international

community could lead to irreversible consequences. If

States are ready to demonstrate genuine partnership in

order to avoid the worst-case scenario, then the

General Assembly must adopt a resolution on the

problem of climate change and offer relevant

recommendations and proposals before the

29 November opening of the sixteenth Conference of

Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention

on Climate Change.

It is time to end competing ambitions with regard

to climate change. Belarus has direct experience of the

low level of cooperation between countries and the

level of their respect for each other’s interests. This has

meant that our attempts to adopt the most stringent

voluntary quantitative limits under the Kyoto Protocol,

and thus to make our contribution to the common goal

of protecting the climate, have so far been

unsuccessful. Belarus’s amendment to Annex B of the

Kyoto Protocol has not yet entered into force.

Closely related to protection of the climate is the

issue of a reliable system of global energy security and

the development of so-called green economies. Many

States already have considerable experience in

establishing sustainable, low-carbon economies. Many

States still do not have clean technology, and this puts

a brake on their development. Of course, neither the

United Nations system nor any other international

organization can immediately resolve this problem on

its own. Establishing a promising international

mechanism of cooperation in order to enhance access

to cutting-edge energy technologies, including

technology for new and renewable energy sources, is

possible only on the basis of a genuine partnership,

with leadership from the United Nations and from

States that have been most successful in developing

green economies.

Belarus has already made a significant

contribution to establishing such partnerships. We have

established an international laboratory for renewable

sources of energy based at the Energy Institute at the

National Academy of Sciences. This is first and

foremost a platform for exchanging experiences with

regard to renewable energy. This is no less important

than addressing the climatic conditions in our

countries; it will provide an experimental basis for

developing and testing effective uses of green

technologies. Without any doubt this will make a

significant contribution to developing global renewable

energy. We can only imagine how much progress the

international community would make if each State in

the world would, within its means, contribute resources

to the development of renewable energy, aimed not

only at its own domestic needs but also at exchanging

experiences with foreign colleagues.

The MDG Summit confirmed the need for the

international community to find longer-term solutions

to problems. By following such an approach, States

Members of the United Nations will, as the Secretary-

General has said, be able to provide a better future for

all. Achieving this was the aim of the declaration by

the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus on

establishing a partnership with young people to protect

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them from social decline; the theme of this partnership

is helping future generations prosper. The theme of

young people is not new in itself, and it has often been

discussed in various forums. But implementing this

idea would enable us to take a qualitative step forward

in establishing a reliable basis for sustainable human

development. We are convinced that Member States

will support the Belarus initiative to convene a

thematic General Assembly debate on supporting

talented young people and protecting the coming

generation from social decline.

In April next year we will mark the twenty-fifth

anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. In the varied

spectrum of contemporary challenges and threats the

issue of Chernobyl has unfortunately become a low

priority. But the objective situation is that the

consequences of that massive man-made disaster are

still being felt, which means that implementing the

United Nations 10-year plan for recovery and long-

term development of the affected regions is still an

urgent task. That is not just of concern to Belarus,

Russia and Ukraine; the successful mitigation of the

consequences of Chernobyl is in the interests of the

entire international community.

Given that situation, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine

intend to prepare a draft resolution on enhancing

international cooperation and coordination of efforts in

order to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences

of the Chernobyl disaster. That is intended to further

intensify measures to implement a plan of action and

draw the attention of the international community to

the memorial events planned for 2011 in the capitals of

the States most affected by the Chernobyl disaster. We

call for support for that draft resolution on Chernobyl

in the General Assembly and for the traditional

solidarity with the most affected countries.

This year the Republic of Belarus for the first

time became a participant in and donor to United Nations

peacekeeping operations. That again demonstrates that

Belarus not only shares the purposes and principles of

the United Nations Charter but is making a tangible

contribution to strengthening international peace and

security.

In conclusion, allow me to assure the Assembly

that our country will continue to play its part in

enhancing the authority and increasing the institutional

capacity of the United Nations. Given its universal

nature, the United Nations should guard and enhance

its paramount role in the global management of peace

processes, improve people’s lives and protect them

from the threats and challenges of our unstable times.