Hungary, 2009

Allow me at the outset to

congratulate the President on his assumption of the

high post of the presidency of the General Assembly at

its sixty-fourth session. In fulfilling his challenging

tasks during this session, he may rest assured of the

support and cooperation of the delegation of the

Republic of Hungary.

The current session of the General Assembly

begins its work against the backdrop of an

extraordinary downturn of the world economy.

Hungary was among those countries which were

especially hard hit by the storm of the current financial

and economic crisis. In order to cope with its

consequences, the Hungarian Government has adopted

and implemented a series of stabilization measures. As

a result of this policy, the first positive trends have

already emerged. Today we can claim that the

Hungarian economy is well on its way towards

recovery and that the foundations of a more sustainable

development have been laid. If implemented

vigorously, the strict fiscal policy of my Government

will put the country back into the ranks of the

financially stable economies.

At the same time, Hungary cannot and does not

want to turn a blind eye to the plight of millions

worldwide, especially the most vulnerable ones in the

developing world, particularly in Africa, who have

been thrown into poverty as a consequence of the

global economic crisis. The present crisis should not

undermine our common efforts to achieve the

Millennium Development Goals. Hungary continues to

take its share of responsibility by implementing its

donor programmes in Afghanistan, Viet Nam and the

neighbouring middle-income countries of the Western

Balkans.

Global crises require that we all think and act

together in the spirit of shared responsibility. It is right

that climate change is high on the United Nations

agenda, as it threatens the very foundations of our life.

Yet for too long we failed to respond adequately.

Hungary is willing to accept its share of responsibility

and is fully committed to achieving important results at

the United Nations Climate Change Conference in

Copenhagen. In this regard, the summit on climate

change recently convened by the Secretary-General

was a useful forum in identifying the necessary steps

towards a successful outcome.

Preventing conflicts and managing crises remain

high on our agenda. The United Nations, in

cooperation with regional organizations, continues to

play a key role in this respect. Full integration of the

Western Balkans into European and Euro-Atlantic

structures is a means to promote the stability and

prosperity of that region, a goal that Hungary supports

actively. Interaction among countries of the region to

fulfil the conditions of European integration is an

essential tool. International efforts in Kosovo represent

a good example of effective cooperation among various

stakeholders, such as the European Union and NATO.

In Georgia, the situation on the ground remains

fragile. We firmly believe that a peaceful and lasting

solution to the conflict must be based on full respect

for the independence, sovereignty and territorial

integrity of that country within its internationally

recognized borders. We deplore the decision that led to

the termination of the monitoring activities of the

United Nations and the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe in the breakaway parts of

Georgia/Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The resumption

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of the international presence in these regions is

necessary.

The stakes in Afghanistan are high. The success

of international stabilization and reconstruction efforts

will have a major impact both on our security and on

the defence of the values our societies stand for.

Failure is not an option. Hungary will remain

committed to supporting, politically and by

contributing troops and civilian and development

assistance, the creation of a stable Afghanistan

governed by the rule of law. We welcome the joint

initiative of the United Kingdom, Germany and France

to hold an international conference at the ministerial

level, co-chaired by the United Nations and the Afghan

Government.

In the Middle East, Hungary warmly welcomes

the commitment of the United States to vigorously

pursue a two-State solution and a comprehensive

peace. It is now up to the parties themselves to engage

in a meaningful process of negotiation. It is our

responsibility to assist them in carrying the process

forward.

The nuclear programme of Iran continues to be a

matter of most serious concern. We deeply regret that

Iran’s leadership has refused to abide by the relevant

Security Council resolutions. In flagrant violation of its

international obligations, Iran has even increased its

uranium-enrichment capacities. Recent revelations

about the existence of a second enrichment facility

underscore the legitimacy of our previous concerns. We

urge Iran to engage in substantive negotiations on its

nuclear programme without further delay. The news of

recent missile tests only reinforces our sense of

urgency.

The idea of a world without nuclear weapons has

long been cherished. We welcome the affirmations of

commitment to this goal made at the recent summit-

level meeting of the Security Council (see S/PV.6191),

along with the adoption of a comprehensive set of

measures to strengthen the global non-proliferation

regime. Hungary hopes that the momentum created by

that meeting will also have a positive impact on the

2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on

the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The global economic and financial crisis has

affected the political landscape in many countries and

has led to the re-emergence of extreme nationalist,

racist and xenophobic ideologies and political

movements. Like many other countries, Hungary is not

immune from this phenomenon. We cannot allow those

alarming trends to prevail or to roll back the advance

of democratic values and human rights. The

Government of Hungary condemns, in the most

resolute terms, all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and

xenophobia and fights any manifestation of them not

only in words, but also in deeds.

The promotion and protection of human rights,

including the rights of national minorities and the

preservation of their cultural and linguistic identities,

have traditionally been high on the agenda of the

Hungarian Government. The presence of flourishing

minority communities does not weaken a State, but

rather makes it stronger. Trust between the majority

and minorities within a country can be built only on

that basis. The Republic of Hungary attaches great

importance to the work of the United Nations Forum

on Minority Issues and is determined to contribute

actively to the Forum’s second meeting, to be held this

November in Geneva. We are witnessing alarming

tendencies that have a detrimental effect on the

political participation, cultural life and educational

opportunities of minorities. The international

community should pay special attention to respect for

minority rights.

At this point, I would also like to confirm the

commitment of Hungary, as a newly elected member of

the Human Rights Council, to play an active role in the

most important human rights body of the United

Nations. We strongly believe that there is a clear and

urgent need for further institution-building in the field

of the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. For

that reason, this year Hungary prepared a feasibility

study on the establishment of the Budapest Centre for

the International Prevention of Genocide and Mass

Atrocities. It is envisaged that the Centre will work in

close cooperation with the United Nations, including

the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of

Genocide and Mass Atrocities and the Office of the

High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The ongoing changes in international politics and

the world economy have created a new situation for the

United Nations. We welcome and strongly support the

efforts aimed at strengthening the ability of the

Organization to adapt to the new realities, but we

cannot be satisfied with the pace of the transformation.

The present challenges should lend additional impetus

to moving forward more vigorously on such issues as

45 09-52598

Security Council reform, peacekeeping activities,

system-wide coherence, budgeting of the Organization,

management reform and reform of the environmental

governance system of the United Nations. With a view

to actively promoting those goals, Hungary presented

its candidacies for the Security Council for the term

2012-2013 and for the Economic and Social Council

for the term 2011-2013.

Once again the United Nations stands at a

crossroads. It needs to adapt to the changing

international environment. This change will require

sacrifices, but it also offers new opportunities as it

paves the way for new consensus on the future of the

United Nations.