Switzerland, 2007

At the

outset, Sir, I should like to congratulate you on your

election as President of the General Assembly, and to

assure you of my country’s full support during the

sixty-second session.

All of us here share the hope for a more peaceful

and harmonious world. At a time when civilian

populations are the targets of suicide attacks and

sophisticated weapons, when children are forced to

become soldiers, and climate change poses a threat to

the survival of our planet, how are we meeting our

responsibilities? Where does the responsibility lie

when millions of men and women are suffering from

malnutrition and their most basic needs are not being

met, when injustice is everywhere, and when the

environment is being destroyed? How can we

overcome those scourges assailing human beings

throughout the world? How can we translate our

responsibilities into action?

In attempting to answer those questions, we have

to acknowledge two facts. The first is that respect for

human rights, the rule of law and good governance are

the prerequisites both to achieving lasting peace and

security and to protecting the environment. We know

now that systematic violations of human rights and

flagrant deficiencies in the rule of law are often the

source of conflicts. The second concerns the nature of

conflicts. On the ground, battle lines are being blurred.

State forces are confronting non-State armed groups.

Warlords, terrorists and criminal gangs dictate the

rules. Civilians rather than soldiers are the primary

targets.

It is no longer possible to limit security policy to

the traditional State framework. The focus now must be

first and foremost on the security of the individual.

Accordingly, Governments and non-State armed groups

alike are called on to respect certain basic rules

common to all.

If we are to achieve results, confrontation must

give way to dialogue and efforts to find solutions.

Negotiation, dialogue and diplomacy are the tools for

achieving success. We must overcome the barriers that

exist between different sectors and disciplines in the

field of international relations. We must develop

alliances based on shared values. That approach should

enable us to find solutions by cutting across regional,

ideological and cultural boundaries. The recent past

has shown what can be achieved. The International

Criminal Court, the Human Rights Council and the

Anti-personnel Landmines Convention were all the

result of broad-based coalitions of countries in all

regions of the world.

However, dialogue alone will not be enough.

Experience has shown that, without concrete

objectives, debates between players with very different

views of the world can sometimes serve to accentuate

differences. In contrast, efforts to devise and

implement actions that are concrete and practical make

for cohabitation between different communities. It is

for that reason that Switzerland supports such

initiatives as the Alliance of Civilizations, along with

the implementation plan proposed by the secretariat of

the Alliance.

Coherent overall solutions to the crises that are

currently affecting the international order cannot be

implemented unless we take into account the interests

of all the communities concerned. Switzerland does all

it can to promote dialogue with all parties. That is

particularly the case in Lebanon, where we are offering

the political forces a forum in which to seek a way out

of the current political crisis in the interest of long-

term stability.

Recent developments in the occupied Palestinian

territories have reminded us once again, with tragic

intensity, of the need to respect those principles. In that

regard as well, the involvement of all parties is

necessary if there is to be a lasting solution.

The same can be said for the situation in Darfur.

My country hopes that resolution 1769 (2007), which

for the first time envisages close cooperation between

the United Nations and the African Union, will provide

the inhabitants of that region with an opportunity to

live in peace and to achieve reconciliation after so

many years of suffering.

The situation in Myanmar is alarming.

Switzerland calls on the Government of Myanmar to

renounce all forms of violence against demonstrators

and civilians. Switzerland favours dialogue among all

the parties concerned, under the aegis of the Special

Adviser of the Secretary-General.

Lastly, there can be no peace or security without

international justice. Switzerland supports in particular

the work of the International Criminal Court. Its

permanent nature and the possibility of the Security

Council referring situations to the Court as it did in

the case of Darfur gives that institution a preventive

effect. For that effect to be achieved, the Court must

have the full support of the international community,

which must ensure that all States cooperate fully with

the Court.

Human security policy also applies to

environmental threats. The actions of humankind have

changed the climate of the planet. Those changes are

taking place on a global scale and are resulting in

rising temperatures, radical changes in precipitation

patterns, rising sea levels and a disruption to the

balance of nature. Taken as a whole, those phenomena

pose a major threat to millions of people and the places

where people live, their cultures and their living

conditions. The risks to security, health and

development are discussed in the Fourth Assessment

Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change.

Today environmental problems are a threat to

security. At the political level, they require that we act

responsibly as human beings. They also require the

forming of alliances to protect our natural resources.

Although we have established institutions and

international mechanisms to combat underdevelopment

and promote peace and respect for human rights, we

have not done enough with regard to the environment.

It is true that we have a series of international

conventions and national programmes and legislation.

But environmental governance is fragmented and lacks

clear objectives. We therefore need to join together to

identify and implement commitments in order to better

manage resources and efforts and to protect the

biosphere. We also need to mobilize the United Nations

system in order to respond to climate change

effectively and coherently.

Switzerland therefore hopes that we will set

ambitious goals for ourselves in the second phase of

the Kyoto Protocol. We are ready to make a substantial

contribution to that collective effort, in which the

entire international community must join. Switzerland

believes that, in order to have legitimacy, any future

international regime to address climate change will

require the participation of all countries. In our view,

the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Changes and the Kyoto Protocol provide the most

appropriate starting points for all deliberations and

negotiations on climate change.

Addressing the economic, social and

environmental aspects of development based on respect

for human rights is both a challenge and a goal for all

of us as we seek to build a world that is both freer and

more secure. The international community has adopted

many development goals in recent decades. However,

additional efforts must still be made to ensure greater

coherence in the operational system of the United

Nations. With its funds, programmes and specialized

agencies, the system has at its disposal an excellent

network through which to ensure its presence on the

ground. It also has great moral and technical legitimacy

and substantial operational capacity.

Unfortunately the system remains fragmented and

its transaction costs are very high costs which are to

a great extent borne by beneficiary countries

themselves. Major adjustments some of which are

described in the report entitled “Delivering as One”

need to be carried out promptly in the field so that

United Nations operational bodies can meet the needs

of partner countries more effectively. Negotiations on

the triennial comprehensive policy review of

operational activities for development of the United

Nations system, which are due to begin in a few weeks,

will provide the appropriate framework to determine

what measures are needed especially on the basis of

the experiences of pilot countries that are applying the

concept of “One United Nations”.

We stand today at the midpoint of the timetable

for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Although there is no denying that progress has been

made at various levels, there is still much to be done.

All of us - Governments, multilateral institutions,

non-governmental organizations and the private

sector must combine our efforts across a wide front

that encompasses the national, regional and

international spheres. Given the upcoming high-level

dialogue on financing for development, I shall limit

myself merely to recalling that all of us have a

common interest in improving the efficiency and the

impact of development assistance and in increasing the

volume of resources made available for it through

official channels. We already know that results in this

area can only be achieved through very considerable

joint efforts by all partners concerned.

The Organization has begun a process of reform

in order to better respond to global challenges. So as to

strengthen the credibility and efficiency of the efforts

of the United Nations, we must demonstrate our

determination to fully carry out those reforms. There

was real progress in the past year, including the

beginning of the work of the Peacebuilding

Commission and the Human Rights Council. That

illustrates the ability of the United Nations to carry out

ambitious reforms in order to respond to the challenges

of the twenty-first century.

Switzerland is advocating for an overall

improvement in the working methods of the Security

Council. My country will continue its efforts to

improve transparency in sanctions committees and to

ensure that the addition and removal of names of

persons and entities on sanctions lists are in conformity

with the principles of the rule of law and human rights.

Efficient management and a better targeted use of

available resources continue to pose a serious

challenge for the Organization. Switzerland welcomes

the determination of the Secretary-General to make the

efficiency of the United Nations system one of his

priorities. Given the progress made this year, but

especially because of the challenges that remain,

Switzerland believes that it is essential to continue the

process of reform already under way. My country will

therefore continue to support the efforts of Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon aimed at strengthening the

United Nations and making the Organization more

efficient.

If we want to move ahead, if we are determined

to overcome the varied and interdependent challenges

facing the globalized world of today, and if we want to

free individual human beings from fear and want, we

must focus on concrete objectives. To that end, let us

resolve to work tirelessly to overcome our differences

in the interest of the nations and peoples we represent.