Kingdom of Denmark, 2002

On behalf of the

European Union, I am honoured to address the General

Assembly at its fifty-seventh session.

A year ago today, the world woke up to a terrible

new reality; but it was also a wake-up call for us to join

forces and present a solid front against the perpetrators

of terror, the enemies of freedom. Not so far from here,

at the heart of New York's pulsating business

community, the twin towers used to stand, representing

the pride of all New Yorkers in their city. But now, they

have been replaced by a gaping hole, a memento of that

fateful September day when terror reared its ugly head

and, for a while, the very pulse of this city seemed to

stop. For on that day, terror came to America, leaving

in its wake death and destruction and thousands upon

thousands of sorrowing mourners.

It was the moment which marked the division of

our world into civilized nations and those that use

terror as their weapon; but it was also the day which

saw us take a stand against evil. It was the day when

we decided to stand shoulder to shoulder in a

worldwide coalition against these men of terror and

their cowardly acts.

And, when the call for action came, it was here,

within these walls at the United Nations, that we met to

give each other renewed hope and confidence. It was as

natural as it was necessary, because the attack was

directed against the very foundation of this

Organization, planned by cowards in their lairs

conspiring against world peace and security, launched

by fanatics violating every basic law of humanity, and

supported by tyranny oppressing liberty and equality.

For make no mistake, these acts of terrorism have not

weakened us; they have only served to strengthen our

resolve to actively seek security and prosperity for all

consistent with the United Nations Charter and

international law. And, from the outset, the United

Nations has played a crucial role in the fight against

terrorism.

On our part in the European Union, there could

be no hesitation. Our way was and is clear. We fully

support the initiatives of the United Nations Counter-

Terrorism Committee because we will never allow

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terror and fear to obscure freedom and democracy. The

European Union therefore intends actively to assist

other nations in implementing Security Council

resolution 1373 (2001). The European Union remains

committed to finalizing and adopting the

comprehensive convention against terrorism and we

therefore strongly urge all Member States to join and

implement the 12 United Nations conventions on

terrorism.

The key role played by the United Nations in the

fight against terrorism is a reminder of the fact that the

United Nations itself was born out of hope founded on

the ashes of the Second World War — a war which

defeated tyranny and terror. With the adoption of the

Millennium Declaration, the United Nations has been

given renewed impetus to deal globally with conflict

prevention, crisis management, humanitarian

assistance, post-conflict rehabilitation and

development, and disarmament and arms control. In the

complicated area of peacemaking, the United Nations

and the European Union work tirelessly to find

solutions in the Middle East through the efforts of the

Quartet and in finding a permanent settlement on

Cyprus consistent with the relevant Security Council

resolutions. The European Union is a major partner in

the rebuilding of a new Afghanistan freed from terror.

In the Middle East, Iraq remains a major source

of concern with regard to weapons of mass destruction,

as President Bush emphasised in his important

statement this morning. Iraq must grant unconditional

and unimpeded access for the weapons inspectors to

Iraq and the required cooperation from its authorities to

the inspectors. Iraq is in breach of several resolutions

of the Security Council on its disarmament obligations.

These obligations must be complied with immediately.

The European Union is determined to support further

efforts of the United Nations to that end. We agree with

the United States that this matter should urgently be

dealt with by the Security Council and we agree with

the Secretary-General that, if Iraq's defiance continues,

the Security Council must face up to its

responsibilities.

The European Union, conscious of its obligations,

remains strongly engaged in United Nations-mandated

operations throughout the world, from holding in check

the civil war in Sierra Leone to building a secure,

prosperous and democratic Kosovo. We also strongly

support the initiatives to strengthen the United Nations

future peacekeeping capacity. We owe it to our armed

forces to ensure an efficient and robust framework for

future operations.

But we must not forget that at the heart of all

these conflicts are human beings, who are sometimes

struggling to achieve what we take for granted. For

human rights are fundamental to the lives and dignity

of all human beings. The primary, fundamental and

essential accomplishment of the United Nations will

one day be the full enjoyment of all human rights by

everyone everywhere: the right of each individual to

feel that life, body and property are hers or his alone

and to feel safe and secure; the right of each individual

to face authorities without fear of injustice or

harassment; and the right of each individual to learn

that people can speak up for themselves with

confidence and without having to fear the

consequences.

Human rights are also fundamental to human

prosperity and development. The European Union

therefore strongly supports the efforts of the Secretary-

General to integrate human rights into all United

Nations activities.

Sadly, cruelty toward the defenceless, violence,

maltreatment and torture remain widespread. The

European Union strongly supports the adoption of the

draft optional protocol to the United Nations

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman

and Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The European Union also advocates universal

abolition of the death penalty. No State should grant

itself the right to take life. Where the death penalty still

exists, we call for its use to be progressively restricted.

We would like to see all nations introduce a

moratorium on this form of punishment and,

eventually, to end it altogether, so that it will become a

thing of the past.

Until women are in possession of all human

rights and are able to take charge of their lives and to

achieve their full potential, sustainable development

will remain but a dream. The European Union remains

committed to fighting all forms of discrimination and

violence against women, including murder and

mutilation through a misguided sense of honour. By the

same token, we vigorously pursue the global fight

against racism, discrimination and intolerance. These

deplorable attitudes and actions are regrettably still

part of everyday life throughout the world. They do not

belong here at the doorstep of the new millennium.

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People do not need revenge; they want justice.

They do not wish for impunity; they want

accountability. That is what the International Criminal

Court (ICC) is about. We now have a permanent

international court that can bring those accused of war

crimes and other perpetrators of the most serious

crimes of international concern to trial. The European

Union supports the ICC as an important historic

milestone. It reflects a new level of international

cooperation. We are confident that the ICC will

contribute to strengthening respect for international

humanitarian law and human rights. The European

Union expresses its strong hope that countries that at

present have reservations about the Statute will join as

soon as possible. We believe that the Court will prove

to be an effective, competent and fair legal instrument.

Ridding the world of persistent poverty remains

the greatest global challenge of all. We have achieved

significant results in the fight against poverty and

misery, but the world community still has far to go if

we are to meet the goals of the Millennium

Declaration.

For many countries, the United Nations is first

and foremost about combating poverty. How can we

assure everyone access to the essentials of life? The

next meal, medicine and health care to survive and

access to basic education: these are the promises

contained in the Millennium Declaration, and we must

not let the world down.

Aid alone will not eliminate poverty. We know

that. Developing countries can take their cue from

African leaders, who have taken an impressive lead

with the New Partnership for Africa's Development

(NEPAD). This year has seen many decisive steps

taken within the fields of trade and development,

finance and sustainable development. At Doha,

Monterrey and Johannesburg, we reached consensus on

what needs to be done. But knowing what has to be

done is not enough. As world leaders, we must see that

it is done.

The European Union played a key role in

reaching this consensus and is therefore committed to

this new agenda. We have decided to further open our

markets to exports from the least developed countries.

We hope that others will follow the same path.

Translating policies on poverty eradication into

sustainable development requires strong political will

and true partnership in development. A major challenge

now will be to turn the Monterrey Consensus and the

outcome of Johannesburg into reality. The European

Union proposes that the United Nations system monitor

implementation of the Johannesburg targets and

agenda. These and other important United Nations

policy issues are spelled out in the European Union

position paper.

On behalf of the European Union, I am happy to

welcome the decisions of Switzerland and East Timor

to join the United Nations. Two nations — one old and

one new, one in the North and one in the South: they

reflect the multitude and the diversity of the United

Nations.

At the special session of the General Assembly

on children, young people from all over the world

illustrated their dream of a world of peace and unity

using all the colours of the flags of the Members of the

United Nations.

But we should not content ourselves with a

dream. From the war against international terrorism,

through the quest for justice, to the relentless fight

against poverty, we need a strong and efficient United

Nations. The Declaration on the Rights of the Child

says that “mankind owes to the child the best it has to

give” (resolution 1386 (XIV), preamble). What better

gift can we give children than unity among our

nations?

Let us seize the moment and take another step

towards a true United Nations, united in word and in

deed.