France, 2000

I have

the honour of speaking this year on behalf of the

European Union, which France is presiding over until

the end of December.

In this capacity, it is a great pleasure for me to

congratulate the President on his election. It

symbolizes the respect the international community has

both for his country and for himself.

I would also like to thank your predecessor, Mr.

Theo-Ben Gurirab, for his skill in guiding the

proceedings of the fifty-fourth session of the General

Assembly, Mr. Sam Nujoma and Ms. Tarja Halonen for

their work with you, Mr. President, as Co-Chairpersons

of the Millennium Summit.

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I would like to commend the Secretary-General

of the Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan. His international

action, his independence and his vision have made a

decisive contribution to asserting the key role the

United Nations plays and must continue to play. The

European Union wishes to assure him of its support for

his work and for the Organization and its

representatives.

The Millennium Summit, an unprecedented

gathering of 155 heads of State and Government,

allowed us to address the main challenges facing the

world community and the role of the United Nations in

the twenty-first century, which will begin on 1 January

2001.

The Union notes with great satisfaction that the

Summit produced a political document setting forth a

road-map for the Organization for the years to come.

These guidelines are based on ideas outlined in the

Secretary-General's report. It is now up to the General

Assembly to implement them. The Union will

contribute actively to this.

Peacekeeping, strengthening international

security and defending human rights are the central

principles underpinning the European Union's foreign

policy. Recent crises on Europe's very doorstep have

convinced us that we cannot remain idle when these

fundamental principles are violated. In this regard, the

European Union approves of the priority given to

peacekeeping during last week's meetings. Mr.

Brahimi's report offers an in-depth analysis on this

subject. It presents useful recommendations for the

mandates of peacekeeping operations, operational

planning in New York and deployment. It presents a

unique opportunity to strengthen the United Nations

capacity for peace operations. The European Union

will actively participate in considering these

recommendations.

The Union has decided to equip itself to be a

major political actor and to play its full role on the

international stage. To this end, and within a very short

time-frame, it has undertaken decisive measures. New

decision-making, action-oriented political and military

bodies have been set up: a political and security

committee, a military committee, a European Union

military staff, a situation centre and a committee for

civilian crisis management. These bodies will enable

the European Union to intervene quickly and credibly

in the management of international crises.

The European Union has also announced its

intention to establish by 2003 a force of 60,000 troops

for international missions involving the whole range of

conflict-prevention and crisis-management operations,

with the requisite air and naval support for deployment

within 60 days for a period of at least one year. This

autumn there will be a conference for the commitment

of capability at which each Member State shall pledge

its contribution to this joint endeavour.

The Union has also set ambitious and realistic

targets for developing collective capabilities. In

addition to its military resources, it will develop

civilian intervention capabilities, including a corps of

civilian police, whose contribution to peacekeeping is

invaluable. In this connection, Member States have set

themselves the goal of being able, by 2003, to provide

up to 5,000 police officers, 1,000 of whom will be

deployment-ready within 30 days.

These decisions now enable the European Union

to complement its already sizeable economic and

humanitarian programmes with the full range of

resources required for crisis management. Of course,

these activities are designed in full respect for the

principles of the United Nations Charter. Now more

than ever, it is vital to establish working ties with the

United Nations. To initiate this cooperation, the

European Union troika will discuss this issue for the

first time with the Secretary-General. On behalf of the

European Union, I hereby invite Mr. Kofi Annan to go

to Brussels for a working meeting with the organs of

the Union.

The European Union hails the considerable

efforts and determination shown by the President of the

Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Prime Minister

during recent negotiations to reach a final agreement

between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. We

welcome in particular the renewed vigour with which

very sensitive issues have been addressed at this time.

We commend President Clinton and the Secretary

of State for their unflagging efforts to facilitate

negotiations. Circumstances favourable to reconciling

positions continue to exist. We urge the parties to seize

this historic opportunity, show courage in decisive

choices, take fully into account human realities and the

recognized rights of all, and thereby achieve a final

agreement.

The European Union welcomes Israel's

withdrawal from the zone it occupied in southern

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Lebanon. It welcomes the redeployment of the United

Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the presence of a

joint security force, sent to the area by the Lebanese

Government. It urges all parties to fulfil their

responsibilities in order to defuse tensions. The

European Union believes that only a comprehensive

settlement encompassing every track of the peace

process, including the Israeli-Syrian track, is likely to

guarantee lasting stability in the region. It will continue

to support the efforts of the parties to this end and

contribute to the implementation of any agreements

that may be reached.

Turning to Europe, the situation in the western

Balkans is a matter of serious concern to the entire

international community. Ten years of conflict have

ravaged the region, leading to severe human suffering

and to politically unstable and therefore dangerous

situations. But beyond accumulated hardships and the

lagging economic and social development of many of

those countries, all of the peoples and nearly all of the

leaders of the region have realized that it does have a

future, and that future is Europe. Today, all Europeans

now share the belief that these countries are bound one

day to join the European Union.

This is why the European Council has reiterated

that its goal is to firmly attach the countries of the

region to Europe. This means the greatest possible

integration into the political, economic and social

currents of Europe through the stabilization and

association process, political dialogue, trade

liberalization, the harmonization of their laws with

those of the European Union, and cooperation in justice

and domestic affairs.

The assistance provided by the European Union

to countries of the region over the last 10 years —

nearly 8 billion euros — is considerable. The European

Union will continue to sustain this stabilization and

association process by providing the western Balkan

countries with massive technical, economic and

financial assistance and by granting them asymmetrical

trade advantages in farming and industry very soon,

which will pave the way for the creation of a free trade

zone with the European Union. In the context of

elections concerning almost the entire region, we will

encourage them to develop regional cooperation and to

continue to make determined efforts for political,

economic and social reform in order to consolidate

democracy and human rights, to build the rule of law

and lay the groundwork for sustainable development.

In this context, the European Union has reaffirmed its

determination to continue to be the driving force in the

Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe, which

represents a new vision of cooperation between the

countries of the region and the international

community.

The summit to be held shortly in Croatia of the

European Union and the Western Balkan countries —

on the basis of a French proposal — will signal our

common resolve to overcome the divisions of the past.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will not be

able to participate in the conference, as the nature of its

present regime does not allow it to do so. But the Serbs

know that they have their place in the European family

and that the European Union is looking forward to the

day when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is in a

position to participate fully in the stabilization and

association process and to recover its rightful place in

Europe. The elections to be held on 24 September

could be decisive in this respect.

In Kosovo the international community, acting on

the basis of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999),

has achieved praiseworthy results. Thanks must be

given to all those who have made this possible in spite

of enormous difficulties, especially the Special

Representative of the Secretary-General, the United

Nations staff and the Kosovo Force soldiers, the many

international organizations there on the ground and the

non-governmental organizations. The first democratic

municipal elections in Kosovo, to be held in a few

weeks' time, will constitute a major step in the

implementation of resolution 1244 (1999). I would

forcefully reiterate that the international community

will not allow unacceptable acts of violence, whatever

their motivation, to cause the democratic electoral

process under way to fail. We will not let extremists

from whatever faction sabotage the work accomplished

over the past year under the auspices of the United

Nations.

The European Union considers the status quo in

Cyprus unacceptable, and it supports the efforts of the

Secretary-General to reach a negotiated,

comprehensive, fair and lasting settlement consistent

with relevant Security Council resolutions. It reiterates

its commitment to stability and prosperity throughout

the Mediterranean region. With talks beginning right

here under the auspices of the Secretary-General, it

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invites the parties concerned to enter into substantive

talks.

The European Union is equally determined in its

support for efforts to prevent and settle conflicts in

Africa, in close cooperation with the United Nations,

the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and other

subregional organizations and in accordance with the

objectives agreed at the Africa-Europe Summit, held

last April in Cairo under the Portuguese presidency of

the European Union. It will lend its backing to the

measures taken jointly by the OAU and the United

Nations to implement the peace settlement between

Ethiopia and Eritrea. In supporting the deployment of

international observers, the European Union is also

willing to lend its support to the establishment and

demarcation of borders, to demining and to assistance

to refugees and displaced persons. It is endeavouring to

provide assistance to the war-stricken populations of

both countries, whose immense suffering has been

compounded by drought.

The European Union is deeply concerned by the

developments in the Democratic Republic of the

Congo. It calls on all parties to the Lusaka Agreement

to implement their commitments, including those made

at Kampala. This will allow for progress with respect

to the military and political provisions, all of which are

under threat due to the continued fighting and the

deadlock in preparing for a national dialogue. It also

urges them to abide by the relevant Security Council

resolutions, in particular resolution 1304 (2000), which

calls for an orderly withdrawal of foreign forces from

Congolese territory and for the cooperation of all

parties in the deployment of the United Nations

Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of

the Congo (MONUC) through the lifting of restrictions

on the freedom of movement of MONUC personnel

and by ensuring their security.

The illegal exploitation of the natural resources of

the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a violation of

the country's sovereignty, is also unacceptable. The

European Union therefore commends the establishment

by the Secretary-General on 15 August last of a group

of experts in charge of analysing ties between the

illegal exploitation of those riches and the continuation

of the conflict.

We are pleased to note greater awareness about

the illicit trade in diamonds and other minerals, which

directly fuels conflicts. This is the case in particular

with the illicit trade in diamonds in Angola, whereby

UNITA has been funding its war effort. We underscore

the importance of complying with Security Council

resolutions on this matter. We welcome the decision to

place this important question on the General

Assembly's agenda. The discussion should be based on

the Kimberley process. It should reflect the work of the

preparatory conference co-chaired by the United

Kingdom and Russia. Lastly, it should examine the

proposal made at Miyazaki to establish a standing

group of independent experts to formulate ways of

preventing illicit trade.

The European Union reiterates its support for

resolution 1306 (2000) on Sierra Leone, which

tightened existing arms sanctions and established an

embargo on raw diamonds illegally exported from

Sierra Leone. The European Union calls on all the

parties to the conflict to comply with the principles and

objectives of the Lomé Agreement and to be fully

involved in the re-establishment of peace and stability

and compliance with human rights in Sierra Leone.

The European Union and its member States will

continue to contribute to African capacity and means of

action in conflict prevention and resolution, in

particular through support for the OAU and

subregional organizations and initiatives.

The European Union is deeply concerned at the

situation in Myanmar. It asks the Myanmar authorities

to immediately restore Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's

freedom of speech, movement and communication with

the outside. It is urgent for dialogue to begin between

the Myanmar authorities and the democratic

opposition, including the National League for

Democracy and national minorities. The Union

supports the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for

Burma, Mr. Razali, in his efforts to find a solution.

The European Union expresses its solidarity with

the people of East Timor and commends the work done

by the United Nations Transitional Administration in

East Timor (UNTAET) in close cooperation with the

political authorities of East Timor. It is in favour of

accelerating reconstruction assistance in order to

guarantee a successful transition and avoid any delay in

the timetable leading to independence.

We are extremely concerned by the instability

caused by the militias in both East and West Timor.

The new outbreaks of violence by them have taken the

lives of two “blue beret” peacekeepers and, more

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recently, of three personnel of the Office of the United

Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The European Union calls on the Indonesian authorities

to adopt effective measures to control the militias

without delay.

The European Union also calls for the termination

of terrorist activity in Kashmir, the implementation of

confidence- and security-building measures and strict

respect for the line of control in order to restore a

peaceful local climate and enable the dialogue between

Pakistan and India to resume in the spirit of the Lahore

Declaration. The European Union will be looking

closely for such signs from the parties involved and

will encourage initiatives likely to resolve all the

disputes between the two countries.

It is important for the specific measures laid

down in Security Council resolution 1172 (1998) to be

implemented and for Pakistan and India to subscribe to

the international non-proliferation regime and sign the

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Having advocated direct dialogue between the

two Koreas for many years, the European Union

welcomes the historic inter-Korean Summit that took

place in Pyongyang from 13-15 June this year. This is

an important step on the road to reconciliation between

the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's

Republic of Korea, opening bright prospects for

strengthening the stability of the region. We invite the

two countries, who have been members of the United

Nations since 1991, to continue this process in order to

help the Korean people heal the wounds of the past.

On the subject of Haiti, the European Union

recalls that full respect for the constitutional provisions

concerning the elections and electoral legislation

currently in force is the basis of democracy and the rule

of law.

The threat of proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction and their delivery systems is a crucial issue

that the European Union — which shares the concern

for international peace and security that ought to

inspire the nations represented here — is resolved to

combat relentlessly. To this end, international

cooperation must be stressed, along with the

development of multilateral standards for non-

proliferation, arms control and disarmament.

This is particularly true of chemical and

biological weapons, which have now been banned. The

Union is working towards the early conclusion of a

protocol containing reliable and effective verification

measures to strengthen the 1972 Convention on the

Prohibition of the Development, Production and

Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin

Weapons and on their Destruction. We are equally

determined to ensure nuclear non-proliferation and

disarmament, where so much progress has been made

since the signing of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation

of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to which 187 States are

now parties.

Since the end of the cold war, effective

instruments for ending the arms race and achieving

disarmament have begun to see the light of day, with

the halt to testing, the treaty enshrining it, the first two

START agreements to reduce the largest nuclear

arsenals and a host of unilateral decisions following the

same trend. Our priority must be to consolidate this

mechanism. A start was made with the Review

Conferences of 1995 and 2000; the results, which we

welcome, must be fully implemented.

We must give full weight to strengthening the

safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA) through the widespread implementation of the

measures contained in the 1997 Model Protocol and to

remain alert to the issue of NPT compliance. We must

also revive the momentum of the multilateral

negotiations.

The entry into force of the Comprehensive Test

Ban Treaty, the completion of the operational readiness

of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization

(CTBTO) and the negotiation at the Disarmament

Conference of a fissile material cut-off treaty are all

necessary steps that are of concern and ought to

mobilize all States, be they parties to the NPT or not.

The start of this negotiation implies urgent negotiations

on a working programme in the Conference on

Disarmament. International standards in this field can

only be effective if they are universal. Arsenal

reductions, which are the prime responsibility of the

nuclear-weapon States, must also be continued. This

will enable us to move closer to our common

objectives — namely, the elimination of nuclear

weapons and general, comprehensive disarmament

under strict and effective international control.

The issue of small arms and light weapons is just

as sensitive in many regions of the world. It deserves

special attention. The 15 European Union members

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will contribute to the preparation of the United Nations

Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and

Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, which will take place

during the summer of 2001, with the objective of

obtaining a positive and enforceable plan of action to

combat the destabilizing accumulation and spread of

small arms and light weapons. At the same time, the

Union shall continue its drive for the implementation

of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,

Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel

Mines and on their Destruction. It will join in the

efforts to achieve the total elimination of anti-

personnel mines.

On the very important subject of human rights,

the European Union will continue to support the efforts

of the United Nations to reach the goal set by the

Secretary-General to put human rights at the heart of

every aspect of its work. The best guarantee of solid

progress in this area is each person's awareness of the

importance of human rights and democracy and the

emergence of groups who actively promote them in

every country. In this connection, the European Union

welcomes the designation, thanks to the support of

many countries, of the Special Representative of the

Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders, Ms.

Jilani; we welcome her appointment and assure her of

our full backing as she undertakes her duties.

This year the United Nations has once again

demonstrated that it is the main forum of progress in

setting standards for human rights, as witnessed by the

adoption of two optional protocols to the Convention

on the Rights of the Child on the sexual exploitation of

children and on children in armed conflicts. This

represents a major step forward in favour of the

protection of children. The European Union intends to

contribute actively to the special session of the United

Nations General Assembly for the follow-up to the

World Children's Summit, to be held next year, which

will give the international community yet another

opportunity to help this cause move forward.

Another important task, the World Conference

Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia

and Related Intolerance, lies ahead. At the European

Preparatory Conference, to be held in October under

the auspices of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg,

the European Union will demonstrate its commitment

to combat all expressions of racism, whatever form

they take. The Union, all of whose members have

abolished the death penalty, calls on States that have

not yet done so to adopt a moratorium as a first step

towards the eventual abolition of this punishment,

which is contrary to human dignity.

The European Union will endeavour to strengthen

international cooperation in the fight against terrorism

and will play an active role in the negotiations to be

held to that end. It earnestly hopes that this General

Assembly will adopt the Convention Against

Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols at the

Palermo Conference next December. Given that such

crime, that one of its most odious manifestations is the

trafficking in human beings, and that it poses an ever-

growing threat to our societies, it is vital for the

international community to develop the means to

cooperate and fight against it effectively.

Lastly, the European Union looks forward to the

early establishment of the International Criminal Court.

I would like to recall that ratification by 42 States is

still needed for this.

By way of conclusion, I would like to stress one

last point, and that is sustainable development. The

European Union's contribution to international

cooperation is substantial. With 30 per cent of the

global gross domestic product, the Union contributes

36 per cent of the United Nations regular budget and

39 per cent of the peacekeeping budget. As you know,

it also contributes the rather large amount of around 55

per cent of the world total of official development

assistance. We are pleased with everything that was

said last week on this extremely important matter, and

we will continue our exemplary work on sustainable

development. Indeed, we believe that development is

one of the key ways of resolving all of the problems

facing us throughout the world, as outlined in my

statement, and the European Union wishes to express

its strong, continuing commitment to that end.