Switzerland, 2004

Two years

ago I had the great satisfaction of personally

witnessing, in this very Hall, Switzerland’s entry into

the United Nations. I will never forget the whole-

hearted welcome that Switzerland received on that

occasion.

Switzerland’s accession to the United Nations

took place at a time when the fight against terrorism

dominated international debate and divergences in

opinion on how to proceed with respect to Iraq were

widening. Dissension arose once again within the

Security Council. That experience showed that any

action taken in the absence of a mandate that is clearly

defined in a Security Council resolution is doomed to

failure. Such actions can only result in differences of

opinion that reduce the effectiveness of the

international community’s efforts and jeopardize

international security.

When all is said and done, however, the Iraq

crisis has made clear that the international community

remains committed to a multilateral system for

maintaining international peace and security, but that

the structures currently in place are no longer

appropriate.

There is now, therefore, a clear need for reform

and for strengthening the means of joint action. The

High-Level Panel appointed by the Secretary-General

to make recommendations for ensuring effective joint

action is a first step on the road to reform. Switzerland

actively supports that initiative.

Thus, this past spring, we invited a group of

experts to discuss the subject of the right of self-

defence, and in that context, the role of the Security

Council. Their conclusion was that it is neither

necessary nor desirable to extend or reinterpret the

right of individual self-defence set out in the Charter.

What we must do is strengthen joint action; that is the

issue on which we must focus.

In this context, prevention is essential. On the one

hand, we must ensure improved living conditions

throughout the world; on the other, multilateral

institutions must respond more rapidly to nascent

crises.

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A more rapid response does not necessarily mean

military intervention. Switzerland has always held the

view that force must remain an instrument of last

resort. Apart from situations of self-defence, force may

be used only with the approval of the Security Council

and when other methods of persuasion or pressure have

been exhausted.

A more rapid response also means that the

Security Council must fully exercise its primary

responsibility for maintaining international peace and

security, which is conferred upon it by the Charter.

This raises the issue of the legitimacy of action of the

Security Council and, in particular, the question of its

composition. After more than 10 years of deliberation

on that issue, it is time we found a solution. The

composition of the Security Council must better reflect

the changes that have taken place in the international

context since its creation, and developing countries

must have a greater role to play. Greater account must

be taken of the financial and material contributions of

specific Member States.

On the other hand, Switzerland is opposed to the

creation of new seats with the right of veto, because

the right of veto in its current form is undemocratic and

hampers the capacity of the Security Council to act. In

the interests of greater legitimacy, those countries that

are not members of the Security Council should have

more opportunity to participate in the decision-making

process. In particular, it is important to strengthen

mechanisms for consultation with countries directly

involved in situations of tension.

Reforming institutions may be an arduous and

unrewarding task, but it is indispensable for increasing

the efficiency of the United Nations and for promoting

peace. I would like to thank the Secretary-General for

the work that he has already done and encourage him

to continue along the same path.

Over and above institutional aspects, the

commitment of Member States is critical if the United

Nations is to be effective. First of all, if it is to remain

credible, the United Nations and its Member States

must be the unassailable guarantors of international

law and, in particular, international humanitarian law. I

would like to thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi

Annan, for having emphasized today the absolute

primacy of the rule of law — a source a strength for

the weak. Switzerland will continue to insist that

respect for the rule of law is the only practical way

forward. In the absence of a political solution to the

conflict in Darfur, for example, civilians have become

the victims of attacks that constitute a serious violation

of international humanitarian law — a violation which

must be punished by the appropriate national and, if

necessary, international, bodies.

For that reason, too, following the adoption of

resolution ES-10/15 on the advisory opinion of the

International Court of Justice — which found that the

construction of the separation barrier in the occupied

Palestinian territory by Israel is contrary to

international law — Switzerland accepts, in its

capacity as depositary of the Geneva Conventions, the

mandate to conduct consultations on ways and means

for the parties concerned to achieve greater respect for

international humanitarian law.

If it is to be strong, the United Nations must be

able to rely on those States with the necessary

resources to help it carry out its tasks. All of those

countries, including my own, are called upon to

provide the personnel and materials needed by

peacekeeping missions. The appalling attack on the

United Nations headquarters in Baghdad underscores

the need to give special consideration to the security of

the United Nations and its staff. Fortunately, additional

security measures are now in place. Other measures

must follow. It is our shared duty to ensure that the

Secretary-General has the necessary financial resources

at his disposal.

As I said earlier, prevention will depend on the

fight against poverty. In autumn next year, we plan to

gather together to undertake the first assessment of the

state of progress on the Millennium Development

Goals. We must already admit that our efforts have

been inadequate. Of course, every country has its

budgetary constraints. But we also have a duty to keep

the promises we made at the dawn of the millennium.

President Lula da Silva made this point earlier,

forcefully and with commitment. He recalled our

responsibility to history — which we endorse — to

eliminate poverty while we have the means to do so.

In that context, I welcome the fact that trade

liberalization within the framework of the Doha Round

regained some momentum this summer in Geneva.

Difficult negotiations still lie ahead of us —

negotiations that must seek to meet expectations that

are sometimes contradictory. Switzerland intends to

play a constructive role, and I call on all our partners to

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commit themselves to ensure the early success of the

development round.

Prevention will require us to both detect and

defuse today the problems of tomorrow. I believe that

our efforts to promote peace must be rapidly fleshed

out in two areas. The first of these is conflict that is

borne of religion. Killing is unacceptable, and it is

especially so if it is carried out for religious reasons.

Yet increasingly frequently, religion is becoming the

only frame of reference for analysing political and

social problems. Such an extreme simplification of

reality runs the risk of heightening tension. The

international community must find a solution, and the

United Nations is the ideal forum in which to do so.

The second area is environmental preservation.

The increasing scarcity of resources is sowing the

seeds of conflict over appropriation and distribution.

Sustainable development must not be allowed to

become an empty concept. Our actions to date within

the context of the United Nations have not been

sufficient to enable us to fulfil our responsibilities

towards future generations. Devoting more time to

seeking agreement on the Kyoto Protocol than the

founding fathers took to draft the Charter of the United

Nations is beneath our dignity.

The United Nations will be judged by its success

in meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century.

The institutional reforms now under way are a step in

the right direction. It is up to us, the Member States,

resolutely to commit ourselves to promote peace and to

make the United Nations the instrument for carrying

out that essential task.