Switzerland, 2003

In 2000, at the dawn of

the new millennium, the heads of State and

Government of the Member States met here to reaffirm

their shared goals. Three years later, that international

consensus has eroded. Member States perceive threats

differently, and they do not share the same priorities.

Some States emphasize the fight against terrorism and

the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In

other regions in the world, civil wars, small arms,

poverty, hunger and AIDS are the main dangers.

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Can the international community reach a

consensus on the objectives to be attained and the way

to achieve them? What importance should we give to

multilateral cooperation? Has the time not come to

review the system of collective security inherited from

the Second World War? Could it be that the United

Nations is due for far-reaching reform?

The fact that so many heads of State and

Government have responded to the Secretary-General's

invitation is a preliminary answer. It is an encouraging

sign. The Member States look to the United Nations to

seek solutions. We must seize the opportunity of this

debate to reaffirm our commitment to multilateral

cooperation and the goals of the United Nations.

Life in society demands a minimum of order,

rules and solidarity. That also applies to international

relations. Switzerland attaches great importance to

respect for international law, which explains its

commitment to humanitarian law or to the International

Criminal Court. Without international law, many

countries would feel themselves at the mercy of the law

of the mightiest. The great powers, like the smaller

ones, need a multilateral framework to resolve their

differences.

The time has come to rethink the role of the

United Nations. Almost 60 years after the foundation

of the Organization, the threats have changed, as have

the geopolitical realities. Terrorism and the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction have

taken on more threatening dimensions. Civil wars have

multiplied. AIDS has become the most deadly

epidemic in the history of humankind. Poverty is far

from being eradicated.

Security can no longer be addressed in purely

military terms. We need to review our vision of

security by focusing greater attention on individuals.

By broadening our approach to security and by placing

fresh emphasis on human security, we can overcome

some of the current differences between the North and

the South.

Together with other countries, Switzerland is

endeavouring to promote the idea of human security.

This year it will commit itself to the issues of the

proliferation of light weapons and anti-personnel

mines. We hope the General Assembly will establish a

working group to develop an instrument for marking

and tracing small arms. If the Members of the

Organization concur, Switzerland is ready to take the

chair.

The Swiss Government also takes an active

interest in the issue of migration. We are working with

other countries to establish a global commission on

international migration, which will be asked to make

recommendations.

In order to promote human security, we must also

keep the promises made in the field of development. In

the Millennium Declaration we have undertaken to

ensure that globalization becomes a positive force for

all humankind. To that end, we have adopted a series of

clear objectives, and deadlines to meet them have been

set. But merely proclaiming goals is not enough; we

must now fulfil them. If the rich countries and my

country is among them do not keep their promises,

they will end up causing poor countries to lose hope.

In Cancun, the members of the World Trade

Organization (WTO) tried to revive trade liberalization.

Although positions converged somewhat,

disagreements persist and there is a risk of lasting

failure. That would result in weakened growth at the

global level, to the detriment of all countries. We need

to give negotiations another chance and, above all,

avoid the lure of protectionism.

To affirm a belief in the multilateral system

should not blind us to its weak points. The United

Nations needs more thorough reform.

Switzerland considers that the role of the United

Nations in the economic and social fields must be

defined. We must better take account of the links

between international security and economic

development. Relations between the United Nations,

the Bretton Woods institutions and WTO should also be

reconsidered by a group of independent eminent

persons.

We must also focus our attention on the

functioning of the Organization itself. In the General

Assembly, resolutions that are adopted are too often

reduced to the lowest common denominator or to a

long, vague wish list, with no real impact. The

Assembly must be revitalized. There is a need to

reduce the number of agenda items, limit the length of

texts and avoid the proliferation of resolutions on

issues that overlap.

With regard to the Security Council, a consensus

already exists on the fact that its composition no longer

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sufficiently reflects contemporary geopolitical realities.

Switzerland supports the idea of enlarging the Council.

That could be done without harming its effectiveness as

long as the increase in the number of members remains

within reasonable bounds and takes into account the

various regional sensibilities.

In the last few years, countries not members of

the Council have been given more opportunities to

participate in the Council's work. Switzerland

welcomes those efforts. However, the crucial decisions

too often remain confined to the restricted circle of the

five permanent members. All members of the Security

Council should be permanently involved in the

decision-making process. It is also important to

institutionalize the modalities of participation for the

other Member States. For example, consultation

mechanisms with those States most directly affected by

conflict areas should be strengthened. It should be

necessary for non-permanent members of the Council

to feel a greater responsibility to represent the views of

those who elected them.

The right of veto is a privilege involving special

responsibilities. It should be used only in exceptional

circumstances. When a permanent member exercises its

right of veto, would it not be desirable for it then to

explain its action to the General Assembly? That way,

that member could make its position better understood

by the international community.

Another goal is to open the United Nations to

civil society. Switzerland welcomes the decision of the

Secretary-General to set up a panel of experts to

consider the possible ways to achieve that.

It is in this spirit of openness towards civil

society that preparations are being carried out for the

World Summit on the Information Society, due to take

place in Geneva in December. More than half of the

world's population does not have access to a telephone.

The use of Internet is even more limited. The goal of

the Summit, a part of the larger framework of the

Millennium Goals, is to discuss ways to narrow the

digital divide between the rich and poor countries. New

technologies must be placed at the service of

development, human rights and democracy.

I invite all Member States to participate actively

in the Summit. Many heads of State and Government

have announced their intention to attend, which gives

me great pleasure. I must address, above all, my

colleagues of the industrialized countries: we must

shoulder our responsibilities. I appeal to them not to

miss that important appointment. We need a North-

South dialogue at the highest level. As I have already

said, we must keep our promises.

In recent months, Iraq has made visible some

international tensions. We must now search together to

find solutions for the future. We all face the same

danger: that of Iraq falling prey to disorder and

instability. The United Nations must be given its place

in Iraq and must receive a clearer mandate from the

Security Council. At the same time, determined

progress must be made towards restoring Iraqi

sovereignty.

In its national history, Switzerland has a long

tradition of harmonious coexistence among its different

communities. We well understand that no single

political model fits all situations. Nevertheless,

Switzerland is ready to share its experience and to

provide support for the process of drawing up a new

constitution in Iraq.

Switzerland joined the United Nations as a

neutral country. That does not prevent it from

defending the universal values to which it is attached.

In this, Switzerland wishes to collaborate with the

other Member States, drawing on the strength of the

Organization. At this point, I would like to pay tribute

to the United Nations and all its staff, who have just

suffered a deadly attack in Baghdad. Every day,

throughout the world, the United Nations and its

specialized agencies do irreplaceable work.

The Secretary-General has spoken of peace as a

dream in suspense. I believe that this also applies to the

other ideals for which the United Nations stands:

justice, solidarity and respect for human dignity.

Dreams are an essential part of the vision of the United

Nations, but so are action, realism, courage and

perseverance.