Croatia, 2003

Seldom has the world's

attention been so focused on the United Nations;

seldom has so much been expected of this

Organization. The question now being asked

throughout the world is: Is the United Nations

experiencing the deepest crisis in its history, and does

it still play a fundamental role in international

relations?'

Today, at the beginning of the twenty-first

century, the main reason for the existence of our

Organization is the same as it was 60 years ago: to

maintain world peace, reached at the cost of millions of

lives; and to contribute, in an ongoing manner, to the

well-being of humankind all over the world.

We live in a world where no one can go it alone,

without the help of others, however big and powerful

they may be. Global solutions require the concerted

and united efforts of all countries and of all the

inhabitants of our planet.

Our Organization is a joint effort by the world

community that is persistently searching for solutions

to the ever-growing problems of our time. I emphasize

the phrase our Organization', for sometimes it seems

that we expect the United Nations administration alone

to solve our problems. We tend to forget that the

27

United Nations is not some abstract institution with a

will of its own one that we depend on but that the

United Nations is the will of each and every one of its

191 Member States. We alone are responsible for the

will, the decisions, the work and the activities of the

United Nations.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the United

Nations needs to be reformed. In this connection,

Croatia welcomes and fully supports the Secretary-

General's September report on the implementation of

the Millennium Declaration. When discussing our

Organization's reform, especially reform of the

Security Council, but also that of the General

Assembly, we must be aware that this is a matter of our

own political will and readiness to accept change.

Unfortunately, and this should be openly stated,

so far there has not been enough political will to move

from debates on the subject to actual reform. Croatia is

convinced that reform of the Security Council is

necessary and should no longer be put off. In fact, we

ourselves decided in the Millennium Declaration that

we would intensify joint efforts to achieve

comprehensive reforms of the Security Council in all

its aspects. We have an opportunity to do this at this

session of the General Assembly.

Croatia has never been a member of the Security

Council. However, in the 1990s Croatia acquired

considerable experience in the work of that organ and

learned about its good points and its shortcomings, its

importance and its true scope. Therefore, unless it

adapts to the new realities in international relations, the

Council will not be able to maintain its credibility and

authority in all parts of the world. What is required is

adherence to the principle of equitable representation

of all United Nations Members in the Security Council.

Croatia is prepared further to intensify its

activities as an active promoter of regional and world

peace. With this in mind, Croatia has presented its

candidacy for membership in the Security Council for

the 2008-2009 mandate. Croatia's membership in the

Security Council would represent a great tribute to my

country and a recognition of all that has been achieved

in bringing peace to South-eastern Europe, which has

found the strength, after many years of war, to embrace

the path of good-neighbourly relations.

The fight against international terrorism is high

on Croatia's list of priorities. Two years after the 11

September terrorist attacks on the United States, we

stand firmly by our American allies and all those who

refuse to accept terror, fanaticism and killing as a

means of resolving problems between peoples and

countries. Our collective duty to maintain international

peace and security, which stems from the Charter of the

United Nations, provides an international framework

for a decisive response to terrorism in the twenty-first

century.

Croatia's forces are participating in bringing

peace and stability to Afghanistan. Croatia is aware of

the fact that concerted action by all democratic

countries is the best response to terrorism. The fight

against terrorism requires not only action by the

democratic coalition at a global level, but also that of

each of its members at the national and regional levels.

It is equally important that we intensify our activities

to assist countries lagging behind in economic

development and other areas. Inequality, injustice and

ignorance are fertile breeding grounds for the seeds of

terrorism.

Croatia is still dealing with the consequences of

the war imposed on it and does not have the economic

resources to participate as a donor in the action for the

reconstruction of Iraq. However, Croatia stands ready

to offer its wealth of experience in post-war

reconstruction, especially in construction work, as well

as the knowledge and operative capacities required for

dealing with post-war confidence-building,

strengthening the country's stability, normalizing life,

and mending the tears left by the war in the fabric of

civil society. I am thinking in particular of the

knowledge and experience acquired in civil police

training and activities.

Events in the Middle East confirm that greater

courage is required to reach a compromise and ensure

coexistence than to wage battles; Croatia knows this all

too well. We are also aware of the importance of timely

resolutions of the Security Council and General

Assembly, which must be fine-tuned to meet the

challenges and needs of the peace process, keeping

abreast of realities in the field and encouraging a

greatly needed agreement. We hope that in its

forthcoming work the General Assembly will take this

into account when adopting new resolutions on the

Middle East.

The importance of United Nations peacekeeping

operations has been recognized on many occasions.

The mandate and character of peacekeeping operations

28

have been significantly transformed, from operations

aimed primarily at disengaging warring parties into

complex missions for building democratic systems,

protecting and promoting human rights, strengthening

civil society and establishing the groundwork for the

sustainable development of independent States.

This complexity, and the frequent overlapping of

mandates, requires a high degree of expertise in

various areas: from holding democratic elections and

developing judicial systems to establishing police and

military forces that meet international standards and

basic international legal regulations.

The United Nations is the only global institution

that can respond to the challenges of simultaneously

establishing regional stability, introducing post-war

reconstruction and building a democratic society.

The United Nations has paid a high price in its

peace efforts. I would like to take this occasion to once

again express Croatia's condolences to the families of

the victims of the recent barbaric attacks on United

Nations headquarters in Baghdad, and to re-emphasize

that such attacks strengthen our belief that the

development of collective security systems and global

solidarity must continue.

Croatia is currently participating in five United

Nations peacekeeping missions in Ethiopia and

Eritrea, India and Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste

and Western Sahara.

We are determined to further intensify our

participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions,

in line with our physical and financial capabilities

regarding the composition and number of troops

deployed, as well as theatres of operation. Croatia feels

that as a country that received United Nations

peacekeeping forces at a time when its sovereignty and

territorial integrity were attacked, and as a country

which hosted one of the United Nations most extensive

operations, it now has a moral obligation to contribute

this experience to securing peace and prosperity in

other parts of the world.

I would particularly like to stress the importance

of closer cooperation between the Security Council and

troop contributing countries. We welcome the positive

changes that have so far occurred in this respect. It is

also important to ensure the necessary exchange of

views between the Security Council and the countries

on whose territory the peacekeeping operations are

being conducted. This is not only a question of due

respect of those countries' sovereignty, but it is also a

way of acquiring full insight into its needs and

priorities.

I also believe that there is the need for the

establishment of closer links and better coordination in

the work of the United Nations main bodies, especially

between the Economic and Social Council and the

Security Council. The Economic and Social Council

and its commissions possess exceptional knowledge

and experience important for the building of post-

conflict societies, something we were able to see for

ourselves last year when Croatia presided over this

body. The establishment of working groups for Guinea-

Bissau and for Burundi were steps in the right

direction, and we hope that this experience will be used

to further the involvement of the Economic and Social

Council in processes of maintaining and building

peace.

The Millennium Declaration, this joint vision of

all United Nations members for a more just and better

world, is a beacon we must follow. Not only must we

follow it, we must ensure that its goals are fully

implemented. In this context, Croatia would like to see

the Economic and Social Council play a greater role in

the general implementation of the Millennium

Declaration. Therefore, Croatia supports the idea of a

high-level dialogue on the achievement of the Goals set

out in the Millennium Declaration taking place at the

next General Assembly session.

As a member of the United Nations Commission

on Human Rights, Croatia supports the universal

ratification of international instruments in the field of

human rights. The Commission should continue

unhindered in its activities while carrying out its

mandate. In an effort to promote and protect the human

rights of all people, Croatia is devoting special

attention to the human rights of women, children,

refugees and disabled persons, and to the human rights

of members of national minorities.

Although much has been done in the past period

to improve the position of women in society and

promote principles of gender equality, the international

community still has an obligation to intensify efforts to

prevent all forms of violence against women, and must

try to include women in decision-making processes,

ensuring empowerment of women at all levels. Against

this background I am proud to say that Croatia has

29

provided the first woman participant in the United

Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.

Apart from terrorism, one of the biggest security

threats in the world is the proliferation of nuclear and

other weapons of mass destruction. The

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is, we

believe, particularly important in ensuring that the goal

of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament is

attained. We are concerned by the fact that although the

Treaty was opened for signature and ratification seven

years ago, it still has not entered into force. The

universal character of this Treaty is of great

significance and we call on all States that have not

acceded to the Treaty to do so as soon as possible.

Croatia welcomes the efforts of the Secretary-

General and the United Nations to raise the level of

awareness throughout the world of the importance of

the rule of law and of acceding to international

instruments in this area. As a member State of the

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,

Croatia has actively participated in the pioneering

endeavour of setting up a new international order

symbolized by the International Criminal Court, which

has rightly been termed the embodiment of our

collective conscience.

Croatia is firmly set on the path of accession to

the European Union. Croatia, whose strategic national

goal is to join the European Union, remains dedicated

to the continual promotion of friendly relations with all

its neighbours and to the policy of open borders,

allowing the flow of people, goods and services, but

also to that of keeping its borders firmly closed to all

forms of transnational crime and illegal migration.

Croatia will continue to actively participate in

regional, European and worldwide initiatives and

organizations, respecting all its international

obligations. For us, the United Nations remains a

central point for resolving problems in international

relations and for promoting the interests of mankind. I

am certain that this year's General Assembly session

will reconfirm the importance of the United Nations

and open a new chapter in our organization's activities

in building peace and security.