South Korea, 2006

Let me

begin by congratulating the presidency on the success

of the High-level Meeting on the least developed

countries, earlier in the week. I had the honour of

participating in the Meeting, which heralded a very

productive year for the Assembly under the astute

leadership of Her Excellency Ms. Haya Rashed

Al-Khalifa, President of the General Assembly, and her

Bureau.

I would like to express my deepest thanks and

admiration to His Excellency Secretary-General Kofi

Annan for his unparalleled dedication and contribution

to world peace and prosperity through his dedicated

service to our global Organization.

The United Nations was created, first and

foremost, to forestall another world war. Not only has

it achieved that cardinal goal despite four decades of

cold war, but it has also offered States multiple means

of resolving their differences, short of war. However,

we cannot be sanguine about future trends. If the

primary task of the United Nations in the twentieth

century was to curb inter-State conflict, its core

mandate in the new century must be to strengthen

States and to preserve the inter-State system in the face

of new challenges.

Some assert that the United Nations is poorly

equipped to deal with new threats, such as those posed

by non-State actors seeking to undermine the

international order. The Charter was crafted to give

Member States ample flexibility in adapting the United

Nations machinery to respond to novel threats in a

changing world. But our tools need sharpening.

Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001,

the United Nations has played an increasingly

25 06-53005

indispensable role in the international community’s

counter-terrorism efforts. Still, agreement on a

comprehensive convention on international terrorism

remains elusive. But we must continue to try. In the

meantime, the United Nations Global Counter-

Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288), adopted at the

end of the sixtieth session of the Assembly, will guide

our collective efforts to free the world from the scourge

of terrorism.

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

poses an equally urgent and unacceptable threat to the

peace and security of the world. We cannot permit the

credibility of the international nuclear non-

proliferation regime, built around the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to be

undermined by evasion and concealment concerning

safeguards obligations. We should redouble our efforts

to get more countries to sign and ratify International

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) additional protocols.

An early start of negotiations on a fissile material cut-

off treaty and an early entry into force of the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)

should also be supported.

Meanwhile, we must seek peaceful solutions to

the outstanding challenges to the system, including the

Iranian nuclear issue that is before the Security

Council. It is not too late to work towards a negotiated

solution on that issue with its far-reaching

implications. I would call for creative, constructive

thinking on the part of all parties concerned, so as to

resolve the issue within the framework of the NPT

regime.

As for the situation on the Korean peninsula, the

nuclear and missile programmes of the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea constitute a serious

challenge to the non-proliferation regime, as well as to

regional security. My Government fully supports

Security Council resolution 1695 (2006). We urge the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to refrain from

any action that might aggravate the situation, and to

return to the Six-Party Talks without preconditions, for

a diplomatic resolution of the matter.

In that regard, during the summit meeting held

last week in Washington, D.C., President Roh

Moo-hyun and President Bush agreed to work with

other nations of the Six-Party Talks to develop a

common and comprehensive approach to energize the

stalled talks. I strongly hope that those efforts will bear

fruit and that we can work to realize the

denuclearization of the Korean peninsula as envisaged

in the Joint Statement adopted on 19 September 2005.

Although not mentioned in the Charter,

peacekeeping has become a defining feature of the

post-cold-war era, as well as the largest, most

expensive and most visible operational activity of the

United Nations. The surge in calls for the services of

the Blue Helmets attests to the Organization’s

continuing, even growing, relevance.

The expanded United Nations Interim Force in

Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon is a

challenging case in point. To succeed, UNIFIL must

have the active support of all Member States, backed

by timely humanitarian and economic assistance. To

that end, my Government has been providing

substantial humanitarian assistance to the afflicted

population.

The undiminished human suffering in Palestine

remains another source of deep concern. We urge the

early revival of the stalled peace process.

The violence and the loss of innocent lives in Iraq

concern us enormously as well. We trust that Iraq will

become a stable and prosperous democracy under the

leadership of its new Government. As a friend of Iraq,

my Government supports its efforts at national

reconstruction and welcomes the recent launch of the

International Compact with Iraq to speed the process.

In Africa, stability and democracy are gaining

ground, step by step, in Sierra Leone, Liberia and the

Democratic Republic of the Congo. The security and

humanitarian crisis in Darfur, however, remains acute.

The Secretary-General’s strong personal engagement

has been critical in sustaining international attention

and the flow of assistance to the beleaguered people of

Darfur. Now, the smooth transition of the African

Union Mission in the Sudan to the United Nations

Mission in the Sudan must be accomplished in

accordance with Security Council resolution 1706

(2006).

The performance of the United Nations cannot be

measured by the creation of new machinery, any more

than by the adoption of resolutions. As the Secretary-

General has wisely reminded us, what matters is

whether and how the United Nations makes a

difference in the lives of people and in the conduct of

States and non-State actors over time.

06-53005 26

Two new intergovernmental bodies, the Human

Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission,

seek to make just such a difference. Their success,

however, is far from assured. A great deal is at stake.

Will the new Human Rights Council usher in an era of

renewed cooperation and solidarity in the work of the

United Nations on human rights? Will the universal

periodic review succeed in offering all States a candid

and constructive assessment of ways to enhance their

human rights practices?

Together, we can make the Council the pre-

eminent global forum for the advancement of human

rights around the world. Divided, we will lose a

historic opportunity. The protection of human rights is

not a matter of choice. It is the solemn duty of all

responsible members of the international community.

Without respect for human rights — in particular for

the most vulnerable members of society — peace and

development have little meaning.

The successful conclusion of the negotiations on

a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

speaks to the essential humanity of the United Nations,

which is its most precious asset. The Republic of Korea

is fully committed to the principle of all human rights

for all. We deeply empathize with the suffering in those

areas of the world where human rights are given little

more than lip service.

In particular, we fully share the international

community’s concern over the situation of human

rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

We call upon the Democratic People’s Republic of

Korea to heed those concerns and to meet the call for

dialogue on human rights.

The United Nations greeted the twenty-first

century with a solemn promise to achieve the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Progress has been made, but it has been far too uneven

from country to country and from region to region.

Those countries in Africa that lack the minimum

resources for development require the focused attention

and assistance of the international community. Key

goals, such as the eradication of extreme poverty and

curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases,

are in danger of slipping out of reach if we do not act

quickly and decisively.

Meeting the MDGs by 2015 is a tall order, but we

should never forget that, for the neediest members of

humankind, the United Nations may be the only beacon

of hope for a better life. The credibility of the United

Nations largely depends upon its ability to accomplish

its mission as regards the MDGs. While developing

countries should take primary responsibility and

ownership for their own development, we must honour

our commitments and redouble our efforts to realize

effective global partnerships for development.

The target established at the 2005 World Summit

of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for

development assistance forms the cornerstone of our

strong commitment to achieving the MDGs. Innovative

sources of financing, such as the air-ticket solidarity

fund, need to be further explored. New sources of

financing should not, however, be a substitute for

existing official development assistance (ODA). As

part of its commitment to doubling overall ODA by

2009, this year my Government launched Korea’s

Initiative for Africa’s Development. Under that

initiative, we will substantially increase our

development assistance to Africa.

The key lessons to be drawn from the Korean

experience over the decades are that education is key to

development, and that women and girls are the most

effective agents for change and social progress. Gender

mainstreaming must be made a central pillar of policy

strategy, in particular with regard to attaining the

MDGs in such areas as eliminating poverty and

combating HIV/AIDS. Lasting social change cannot be

realized until women are fully incorporated into the

process.

The urgency, complexity and scope of the three

pillars of the work of the United Nations — peace and

security, development and human rights — demand the

highest standards of efficient, effective and

accountable management. The highly decentralized

nature of the United Nations system puts a premium on

coherence and coordination. We must streamline the

United Nations machinery, reorganize priorities and

minimize redundancy. The High-level Panel on United

Nations System-wide Coherence may offer some fresh

ideas in that regard.

A number of valuable ideas for reforming United

Nations management practices were contained in the

Secretary-General’s report (A/60/692) entitled

“Investing in the United Nations”. Some of those

proposals have already been adopted by the General

Assembly, while others await further consideration

during this session.

27 06-53005

The Secretary-General’s comments on the

evolving nature of the human resource needs of the

United Nations were especially apt in the light of the

accelerating demands for field staff. The General

Assembly should give positive consideration to steps to

make the Secretariat more mobile, integrated and

multi-skilled. The United Nations needs to be able to

deploy the best people where they are needed and when

they are needed, to ensure that managers have the

requisite expertise and experience to oversee highly

dynamic and professional operations under often trying

conditions.

Improving the accountability and oversight of the

Secretariat while building upon the measures already

taken over the past year remains a priority. The early

launch of an independent audit advisory committee that

is genuinely independent and professional, along with

steps to ensure management accountability, would be

instrumental in that regard.

The United Nations procurement system requires

strengthened internal controls and transparent

management to match the growing dimensions of its

work.

As Member States and stakeholders in this vital

Organization, we should address mandate review as a

historic opportunity to streamline, focus and strengthen

our collective efforts.

This unique world body was forged by men and

women of conscience, courage and determination.

Their genius was to understand that we need the United

Nations not because we always agree but because

frequently we do not. The United Nations remains no

more and no less than what we make of it. The United

Nations journey is never easy, but it is always well

worth taking. We have come a very long way, but the

road still stretches out endlessly before us. I have every

confidence that, with the founding principles and

purposes as our guideposts, and empowered by

renewed faith and commitment, we can together go

very far and fast in the challenging and exciting times

to come.