Brunei, 2008

Please accept my expression of sincere appreciation to

our outgoing President, His Excellency Mr. Srgjan

Kerim, and my warmest congratulations to Mr. Miguel

d’Escoto Brockmann on his election as President of the

General Assembly at its sixty-third session. Brunei

Darussalam wishes him every success in the coming

year and we offer him our full support.

My congratulations also go to the Government

and people of Nicaragua. I offer them my very best

wishes for peace, happiness and prosperity. That is a

wish, of course, that we also offer all our fellow

members. We very much enjoy working with them,

sharing experiences, voicing concerns and hearing each

other’s thoughts and ideas. I say that because the

coming year is a very special one for Brunei

Darussalam. In September of next year, we celebrate

the twenty-fifth anniversary of our membership in the

United Nations. We thank the Organization and fellow

members for giving us the opportunity to play a part in

a world we all share.

The global challenges we now face demand that

every nation, big and small, work together. That is why

we will offer whatever we can to support this world

Organization. We will also support all its efforts to

address political, economic and social concerns. We

will help with recovery from natural disasters. We will

join fellow Members in protecting not only the

environment but also the cultures of small societies

like our own. We will respect the values of the various

faiths held by the people this Organization represents.

In more specific terms, that is why Brunei

Darussalam strongly supports the role of the United

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Nations in the Quartet working to establish a just and

lasting peace in the Middle East. It is why we ask the

World Trade Organization to recognize the impact its

work has on the stability of small, fragile societies. We

ask its strong and influential members not to give up

the search for a fair formula for an equitable world

trading system acceptable to all nations.

That is also why we acknowledge the work of the

Secretary-General with the Association of Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN) to help our neighbour

Myanmar recover from the terrible effects of Cyclone

Nargis this year. It is the reason behind our work with

our neighbours in Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve

the priceless heritage of the Borneo rainforests by

placing over half our territory under environmental

protection in the heart of Borneo projects. It is why we

affirm the right of all small nations and fragile

societies, with all the values they uphold, to continue

their way of life with security today and hope for the

future. It is why we have supported worldwide

dialogue between faiths to promote tolerance and

respect for each other’s deepest beliefs.

I offer this appreciation and support for a

particular reason. A new generation of international

leaders is slowly beginning to shape the future. It is my

privilege here to speak not only on behalf of all our

people, but especially on behalf of that new generation

in our country. The twentieth century is, indeed,

history. The twenty-first century is plainly here,

creating its new set of internal and external dynamics.

We clearly recognize that in my region. That is why

ASEAN’s leaders have signed a new charter. We and

our fellow members of the Organization of the Islamic

Conference (OIC) have acknowledged that fact by

amending the OIC charter and accepting the far-

reaching objectives of the Makkah programme of

action.

Underlying both those moves is the deep desire of

leaders who are passing the baton to their successors to

ensure that their people have hope and confidence in

the future by being given the chance to join the twenty-

first century. Our people must be able to participate to

the fullest. The new generation of leaders must have

the opportunity to help them do so. We have to provide

that confidence; by that I mean the confidence that

comes from education, modern training, health care

and the knowledge that their culture, values and faith

are safe.

If there is one broad lesson to be learned from the

security crises that have marked the start of the

century, it is that security is not an abstract concept,

nor is it simply the traditional tasks of upholding the

law and fighting crime. At its heart, it is a deeply felt

feeling of unfairness. What we are asking for is the

chance to address those causes at a very basic level.

In that task, we therefore turn to the United

Nations for help. We deeply acknowledge the work of

the United Nations agencies in the field and their

expert staff and selfless volunteers. In particular, we

thank the United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World

Health Organization (WHO). We see the success of

both of these organizations as essential to providing

our people with the confidence I have mentioned.

In Brunei Darussalam, we had the privilege of

hosting our first UNESCO science and technology

camp in 2006 and we have been deeply impressed by

the agencies’ relevance to the needs of ordinary people

trying to meet the challenges of the modern world. We

especially support the commitment of UNESCO to the

process of dialogue and negotiation as the only lasting

means of resolving confrontation, no matter how

painstaking the process may be at times. In similar

fashion, we have also long supported the invaluable

work of WHO. We and our neighbours have greatly

benefited from the exceptional international research,

advice and technical assistance that this organization

has constantly offered, and for which we are all most

grateful.

I have briefly outlined Brunei Darussalam’s

support for the United Nations and its current

objectives. Above all, we are committed to the work of

its agencies as they attempt to help us all achieve the

Millennium Development Goals. I have spoken of how

a new generation of leaders can offer their people the

hope that comes from confidence in the future. The

United Nations is the organization that gives us a fair

chance to deliver on this hope. That is all we ask,

because for us the twenty-first century presents a

difficult journey, and the United Nations is the

compass that directs us towards a hopeful future.