Finland, 1993

I wish to begin by

congratulating Ambassador Insanally on his election to the

high office of the presidency of the General Assembly. He

can rest assured that the delegation of Finland will render

him its full support in his challenging task.

On behalf of my Government, I also wish to

congratulate and extend a warm welcome to the new

Members among us. Their participation in the work of the

United Nations will further strengthen the Organization.

Just a few years ago, in a promisingly changing

political environment, high hopes were placed in the United

Nations. Some of these hopes were fulfilled, others were

not. Namibia’s independence process is a fine example of

nation-building in which the United Nations played a crucial

role. Eritrea is another. Let these be examples of wise and

patient conciliation and conflict management. Yet another

example is South Africa, where today we see irrevocable

changes taking place, leading towards a non-racial and

democratic society. I wish to express my Government’s

admiration for the achievements of the parties in South

Africa in their work for peace, cooperation and mutual

respect. Finland has actively supported the shaping of a new

South Africa and will continue to do so.

We have in recent days witnessed yet another example

of brave and visionary leadership which can overcome

seemingly insuperable obstacles and lead peoples from a

state of war and hatred towards reconciliation. I am

referring to the peace accord between Israel and the

Palestine Liberation Organization. In this context I wish to

pay a tribute to the Government of Norway for its role in

bringing the two parties together. The United Nations must

now stand ready to play its part in this important endeavour

for peace. Finland, together with the other Nordic countries,

was among the first to initiate an international support

programme for this historic process.

The United Nations also has to its credit other

achievements in recent years. Among the most important

have been the rebuttal of the aggression against Kuwait and

the restoration of democracy in Cambodia. However,

numerous other conflicts have proved very difficult to solve.

War is raging in the former Yugoslavia and in Somalia,

Angola, Abkhazia and Nagorny-Karabakh. Conflicts persist

in Western Sahara and Cyprus. All these conflicts constitute

formidable challenges to the international community and to

the United Nations.

From that balance sheet of success and failure an

important question emerges: how can our Organization be

best adapted, reformed and revitalized to face effectively not

only the challenges of today but also those of tomorrow?

Undoubtedly the United Nations is today a more viable

institution than ever before. Nevertheless the many unsolved

conflicts illustrate that the United Nations still has serious

shortcomings. These stem primarily from the nature of the

problems and challenges of the increasingly interdependent

global society in which we live.

It is now our responsibility to launch a process of

reform of the United Nations. It must cover all of the

Organization’s agencies, programmes and funds, in both the

political and the development fields. It must be undertaken

in an integrated manner, with a view to better adapting our

instruments of cooperation to the needs of a profoundly

changing world.

Many crises seem political in nature but have their

roots in social injustices and a lack of economic

opportunities. The fulfilment of social needs and the

promotion of economic development are necessary elements

of sustained political stability. Some significant

improvements have been made in this field, too, but their

scope and importance are clearly dwarfed by the immensity

of the challenges. Human development, human rights and

the environment are cases in point.

Thanks to the dynamic initiatives of our

Secretary-General, a process of reform of the United Nations

is under way. In addition, several Member States have

introduced important proposals for reforming and

restructuring our Organization. My own country, together

with other Nordic countries, has actively participated in this

process, particularly as regards peace-keeping and reform of

the United Nations work in the economic and social sector

and in the area of humanitarian assistance.

World events have forced the United Nations and its

Member States to re-examine closely the Organization’s

capacity to maintain international peace and security. The

Charter provisions as well as the structures and machinery

created for this purpose reflect a world that was very

different from the one we live in today. That is, of course,

the reason for the great attention that has been accorded over

the past year or two to what traditionally has been called

peace-keeping. The concept of peace-keeping is, as a result

of increasingly complex operations, going through a period

of evolution. Related activities such as preventive

diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-building are the new

tools for maintaining international peace and security.

Forty-eighth session - 30 September l993 27

The United Nations and its Member States must adjust

to the rapid growth in and new approaches to peace- keeping

operations. The President of the Security Council in his

statement of May this year outlined the operational principles

in accordance with which such operations should be

conducted. My Government fully subscribes to these

principles.

The great increase in requests for peace-keeping troops,

military observers and monitors makes it necessary, in my

Government’s view, for the United Nations to adopt stricter

and clearer criteria and procedures before launching such

operations. The United Nations must not overextend itself;

it cannot be present everywhere.

Mandates for peace-keeping operations must be precise

and clear. The necessary funding must be secured, and

before launching any operations the Security Council must

see to it that the required contingents are available. Recent

experiences also prove that command structures must be

clearly spelled out and subsequently fully adhered too. It is

not sufficient for the Security Council to agree on

resolutions setting up new operations; all the conditions for

their implementation must also be at hand.

We also face new challenges in disarmament and arms

control. The nuclear arms race has stopped, but nuclear

proliferation still constitutes a serious potential threat to

international security and stability. It is vital to ensure that

the Non-Proliferation Treaty regime works efficiently. In

general, disarmament and arms regulation should be

integrated into the broader agenda of international peace and

security. This should be reflected both in the United Nations

disarmament machinery and in the Geneva Conference on

Disarmament. The review of the composition of the

Conference on Disarmament would enhance this objective.

We regret that no agreement on this issue has been reached

so far.

The Security Council is vested with the primary

responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and

security. In carrying out its duties, the Council acts on

behalf of the entire membership of the United Nations.

Trust and confidence in the Council by all Member States is

therefore a crucial factor, affecting its ability to engage in

conflict resolution. It is only natural that a review be

undertaken of the composition of the Security Council in

order to make the Council better reflect today’s membership

as well as the prevailing political realities.

My Government has an open mind on this question.

We are ready to accept a limited increase in the membership

of the Council, provided that such a change will not affect

negatively the capacity of the Council to perform its tasks.

Moreover, there would seem to be a need to review the

Council’s organization and methods of work. The aim

should be to increase transparency and to provide

non-members better opportunities to be heard when matters

of immediate concern to them are considered by the Council.

It would seem desirable - especially in negotiating the

mandates and the financing of peace-keeping operations - to

involve to a greater extent non-members of the Council also,

as provided for by the Charter. Such involvement would be

particularly called for in the case of those States that are

potential contributors of troops and logistical support.

Work on revitalizing the General Assembly and

rationalizing its activities is also under way. Certain

improvements have already been introduced. However,

further efforts have to be made to ensure a more meaningful

and responsible role for the Assembly. To enhance the

Assembly’s standing and add weight to its resolutions it is,

in our view, necessary to establish clear priorities. It is

important to focus the work in the Assembly on these

priorities and to reduce the number of items on its agenda.

Indeed, time has come to consider even some radical

methods to enhance the effectiveness of the Assembly. One

might ask whether a full-fledged General Assembly session

every year is really necessary and productive. Alternatively,

a high-level political debate and meetings of the Main

Committees might be held every other year. Moreover, the

President and the Bureau of a session of the General

Assembly could perhaps be designated well before the end

of the preceding session. That would permit the officers of

the General Assembly and the Secretariat better to prepare

the work of the General Assembly. These and other ideas

merit further consideration.

The economic and social sectors of the United Nations,

including the Economic and Social Council itself, are other

areas where reforms are being actively discussed. The

Nordic countries initiated a reform of the operational

activities for development. Although there is virtual

agreement on a number of reform issues, there are still

details to be settled concerning the governance and financing

of the development agencies of the United Nations. I hope

that these much needed reforms can be agreed upon by the

end of November so that the new structures can be put in

place as early as 1994.

During the discussions on the ongoing reforms it has

become obvious that the extraordinary extent and rapidity of

28 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

economic and social change, as well as the challenges of the

global environment, necessitate reforms that are even much

more profound. We must now devote our efforts to a

reorientation of the United Nations system in this new and

daunting environment. We should, in particular, clarify our

thinking about the institutional and structural linkages

between work on peace and security and work on sustainable

development. Likewise, we should establish the true

priorities in the economic and social sectors as well as in the

United Nations system’s relations with other international

organizations. Such rethinking and reform cannot be carried

out during one single session of the General Assembly. It

will take a sustained effort over several years, which, in turn,

presupposes a consensus on the basic outlines of a reform

programme.

The shaping of a consensus is our primary task. The

agenda for development which the Secretary-General will

present will no doubt have a catalytic effect in this respect,

as could the upcoming important conferences on population,

social development and gender issues. The fiftieth

anniversary of the United Nations will, in my view, provide

a suitable occasion for launching such an ambitious,

fundamental and visionary reform programme.

In order for the United Nations to function effectively

it must have a solid executive branch, a Secretariat that has

at its disposal sufficient human and financial resources. The

Secretary-General has taken several steps to streamline the

Secretariat and make it a more efficient tool for

implementing the decisions of the Member States. But more

needs to be done in order to permit the Secretariat to take

initiatives and pursue its intellectual leadership role.

At a time when resources are scarce and so many new

tasks have been entrusted to the United Nations, it is clear

that a pruning of activities and rationalization of working

methods must be done. The cutting of unnecessary and

obsolete programmes must continue. It is the task of the

Member States to give guidance to the Secretary-General,

but also to draw conclusions and take the necessary

decisions. The United Nations should apply the same policy

of austerity as national Governments in the prevailing

economic circumstances.

Perhaps the greatest concern for the United Nations

today is the unwillingness of the great majority of Member

States to pay their assessed contributions. My delegation has

said time and again, and I will repeat it now: Payment of

one’s dues is not an option. It is an obligation falling on

every Member, big or small. Let it be our collective

birthday present to the United Nations at the fiftieth

anniversary to see to it that by then there is full compliance

with the obligation concerning payment of contributions.

Member States, in fulfilling their financial obligations

towards the United Nations, have the right to expect full

accountability for the resources placed at the disposal of the

Organization. It is essential that the Organization exercise

prudent economic management and constantly improve the

internal control system. We therefore believe that ideas such

as the creation of the post of an independent inspector

general are well worth considering. The main objective

must now be to restore the confidence of the Member States

and the general public in our Organization. The United

Nations cannot afford to have its public image and integrity

tarnished by allegations of mismanagement.

As the United Nations approaches its fiftieth

anniversary, humanity is faced with formidable challenges.

Meeting them will not be easy. And yet, the United Nations

now has a better chance than ever to use its full potential

and show leadership for the sake of a better future. "We the

peoples of the United Nations, ... united for a better world"

has been chosen as the theme for the celebration of our

fiftieth anniversary. Let us all together join in making this

a reality.