Estonia, 1998

Please allow me to extend to

you, Sir, my delegation?s sincere congratulations on your

election to preside over the fifty-third session of the

General Assembly. I wish you all the best in carrying out

your duties. Let me also express my appreciation for his

excellent work to Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, the President of

the General Assembly at its fifty-second session.

As of today 462 days remain until the end of this

century — a century which has recorded many phases in

the development of the world. There have been times of

confrontation and times of partnership, times of

protectiveness and times of openness.

Seven years ago the walls of separation between the

nations of East and West were torn down, creating

opportunities for closer cooperation and economic

integration. This also opened doors for nations to promote

general welfare, mutual understanding and respect and the

building of trust and confidence in one another.

As has been said about this moment in history, it is

not so much that the borders between States are now open

and can be freely crossed, but that they can be transcended.

Distances and borders now have limited significance; the

globe has become a universal village in its own right.

Today, the world economy appears to be sliding into

a deep crisis. The countries that are suffering the most are

the poorest. While I realize that globalization entails risks

and challenges for economies and societies, I am convinced

that there is no alternative. The only credible formula for a

viable global economy is the promotion of freer trade

through the abolition of trade barriers and the pursuit of

sustained economic and democratic reform. Once starting

on this path of reform, as difficult as it may be, there can

be no stepping aside for shortsighted political consideration.

Estonia?s success is living proof of this.

Along with many other States, Estonia began its

transition from a Communist regime to democracy and

from a State-controlled economy to a free market in 1991.

By 1997, Estonia had the highest economic growth rate in

Europe, and preliminary figures for 1998 indicate that

growth continues to be strong. Estonia?s inclusion among

the six countries to begin accession negotiations with the

European Union is a recognition of its achievements in

building a civil society and a well-functioning market

economy.

In my country, we are proud of the European Union

invitation. We regard the European integration process as

among the most challenging yet most rewarding

endeavours for our continent, today and in the distant

future. European integration is not simply an effort to

provide our citizens with the tools for success in a

globalizing world; it is also a catalyst for greater openness

throughout the continent. We are convinced that pursuing

membership is in itself a strong guarantee for stable

development, as it provides all applicants with a viable

road map to reform.

Estonia greatly appreciates the help provided by the

United Nations, other international organizations and a

number of bilateral donors during the difficult early years

of transition. Now that Estonia has entered into the post-

transitional stage of its development, we believe it is time

to start paying back. During the last eight years our

Government and people have accumulated a wealth of

experience and know-how on transition to a market

democracy. We want to share this knowledge with

countries at an early stage of their reforms, starting from

building up a well-functioning border guard and finishing

with successful monetary reform. Learning how to teach

and provide support is the final lesson before graduation,

and this should be the goal of every reform country.

At any one time, there are 15 or 16 armed conflicts

from around the world on the Security Council?s agenda.

Conflicts between and within States spread from Europe

to Africa, from the Middle East to Asia. These conflicts

are often driven by poor socio-economic conditions or

ethnic nationalism. Estonia, recognizing the primary role

of the United Nations in the maintenance of international

peace and security, supports efforts to maintain and

strengthen the Organization?s capacity to organize and

effectively conduct its peacekeeping operations. In

addition, we trust that the phasing out of gratis personnel,

as mandated by the General Assembly, if handled

properly, will not adversely affect the functioning of the

Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

As a contributor of personnel, Estonia is committed

to continuous participation in United Nations

peacekeeping operations. We are preparing to dispatch the

joint Estonian- Latvian-Lithuanian battalion known as

BALTBAT for its inaugural tour of duty in the near

future. I would like to extend our thanks to all nations

which have supported the establishment and formation of

BALTBAT.

Estonia also intends to continue its involvement in

Bosnia and Herzegovina within the United Nations

International Police Task Force (IPTF). As a conflict

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prevention measure, it welcomes and supports the enhanced

cooperation of the United Nations with regional

organizations or arrangements. In particular, deeper

cooperation with the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of

African Unity (OAU) has great potential.

This year has already provided the international

community with a number of landmark events. Among

notable achievements were the twentieth special session,

on the reduction and prevention of the illicit production,

sale and demand of narcotic substances, and the adoption

of the Statute of the International Criminal Court. Estonia

trusts that this fifty-third session of the General Assembly

will reinforce the momentum captured in June and July in

both New York and Rome, respectively.

On the other hand, the world community has

witnessed a number of vicious terrorist attacks. It is time

for everybody to understand a basic fact: terrorism is not

politics; it is not religion — it is murder. Estonia deplores

all terrorist activities wherever they occur, whatever the

form or manifestation. We sympathize with all nations

that have suffered these acts and call for even stronger

solidarity to fight against such attacks.

We also must acknowledge that even on the eve of

the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, one of the major

accomplishments of our Organization, the world is still

home to gross violations of human rights on all six

continents. We therefore call for a sustained effort of the

General Assembly, in close cooperation with regional

organizations, to address this issue and to find the most

effective mechanisms for early warning to identify and

stop these violations.

Finally, a few words concerning the United Nations

reform. We support reform based on the proposals by the

Secretary-General. Estonia strongly believes that the aim

of this reform must be to come to grips with a changing

world as well as the principle of cost-effectiveness.