Sri Lanka, 2009

I

take great pleasure in congratulating Mr. Ali

Abdussalam Treki on his assumption of the presidency

of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session.

Sri Lanka extends its fullest cooperation to him so that

we can effectively conclude the work before us.

Significant developments have taken place in

Sri Lanka since my President, Mahinda Rajapaksa,

addressed the sixty-third session of the General

Assembly last year (see A/63/PV.7). This year I take

the floor with renewed hope and optimism for my

country.

In May 2009, Sri Lanka was successful in

defeating the scourge of brutal terrorism after almost

three decades of conflict inflicted on us by the

Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), one of the

most ruthless terrorist organizations known to the

international community. Our recent anti-terrorist

operations cost us only $2.8 billion in all, compared

with other anti-terrorist operations elsewhere which are

costing much more than that.

In an age when the international community has

collectively acknowledged that terrorism threatens the

very foundations of global and national security, our

success in defeating terrorism will benefit, not only the

people of Sri Lanka, but all our peace-loving partners

in the international community.

Today, we have entered a forward-looking, post-

conflict phase, recognizing at the same time the urgent

need to deal with the scars and unresolved challenges

of the past. In our unique victory in defeating

terrorism, we are grateful for the assistance,

encouragement and cooperation extended to us by

friendly countries and we seek similar understanding in

making a steady and stable transition from ending

conflict to ensuring lasting peace and security.

We have shared our hopes and concerns with the

United Nations. At the end of the conflict and at the

invitation of my President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa,

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was the first high-

level dignitary to visit Sri Lanka.

With the defeat of the terrorists in May this year,

approximately 290,000 civilians in the Vanni region

were liberated from their decades-long subjugation.

One of our highest priorities thereafter has been to

meet the immediate humanitarian needs of these

displaced civilians and to ensure their long-term, safe,

voluntary and dignified return to their homes.

At present, the welfare of our people in

temporary transit sites must keep up with standards

that meet our own high expectations as well as

accepted international norms. This task has been

facilitated by the assistance we receive from United

Nations agencies, international and local civil society

partners and donors. More than 54 agencies are

actively engaged with us in these welfare villages. In

addition to providing food and transitional shelter, the

welfare villages are equipped with facilities, such as

schools, banks, post offices, and health-care centres, to

meet the needs of the displaced civilians. In fact,

children whose education had been denied them by the

terrorists are now for the first time learning to read and

write at these sites.

The Government reiterates its firm resolve to

resettle the internally displaced persons expeditiously,

in cooperation with our international partners. In that

regard, we have learned valuable lessons from our own

past experiences. In both the post-tsunami context and

the successful resettlement programmes in the east of

the country completed in the past two years, we

realized that the pace of resettlement must not be

forced, if it is to be truly safe and sustainable in the

long term. For example, against all established

humanitarian norms, the terrorist insurgents had

indiscriminately scattered landmines and other

explosives in every area of civilian habitation in the

North. The time-consuming and meticulous process of

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demining is now under way. From another perspective,

the stability and security that we have restored at great

human cost cannot, and must not, be compromised,

particularly when a large number of self-confessed

ex-terrorist cadres continue to mix with internally

displaced persons.

In the aftermath of conflict, peace cannot last

without reconciliation. We have put in place a broad

and comprehensive foundation for long-term peace and

security encompassing reconstruction, development,

political empowerment and reconciliation. Sri Lanka is

committed to complying with its international

obligations in the field of human rights and

humanitarian standards, and will undertake further

domestic measures aimed at reconciliation in the light

of lessons learned. In less than three months since the

conflict in August, we have made significant progress.

For the first time in more than a decade, local-

government elections were held in the north

completely free of any violence and intimidation. In

every area where the terrorists had suppressed all

dissent in the past, democracy will be restored and

electoral processes will be re-established, encouraging

a local leadership to emerge.

We must enable those scarred by the conflict to

lead productive lives and resume their roles as

neighbours and productive citizens. Children were

forced into combat by the terrorists’ abhorrent practice

of using them as fighting cadres. President Mahinda

Rajapaksa has personally launched a national campaign

entitled “Bring Back the Child”, and an extensive

rehabilitation programme is under way to provide new

beginnings for former child combatants. In cooperation

with United Nations agencies and donors, we have put

in place a national framework for the reintegration of

ex-combatants.

With the end of conflict, and for the first time in

many decades, Sri Lanka is poised to harness the full

human, political and economic potential of the country

for the betterment of our people. Donors, international

organizations and financial institutions have expressed

their confidence in our reconstruction and development

plans by making important contributions. After a lapse

of many years, the Eastern province has already begun

to contribute to the national economy under the Eastern

Re-awakening Programme. The Waddakin Wasantham

Programme was initiated by President Rajapaksa this

year to establish a strong and modern economy in the

Northern province. Civilian lives are being normalized

with the restoration of former livelihoods, such as

farming and fisheries. Already people and produce

from the north and east of the country are being

transported via previously inaccessible road and rail

networks, facilitating people-to-people contact and

integrating the economy of the north with that of the

rest of the country. Police stations, courts, schools and

infrastructure are being re-established.

The end of conflict provides us with a historic

opportunity to address the grievances and aspirations

of all communities in expediting a long-term political

solution. Under the All-Party Representative

Committee process, the Government looks forward

with a high degree of confidence to obtaining a

consensus among all sections of the political spectrum

on the proposals envisaged in this regard. The solution

that evolves through this process, which we will offer

to all communities, must be a home-grown product.

Complementary to the long-term political solution

envisaged through the All-Party Representative

Committee process, an All-Party Committee of

Development and Reconciliation has been initiated by

President Rajapaksa. That forum reflects the

Government’s commitment to a pluralistic and

inclusive approach to addressing post-conflict

challenges.

The theme of this year’s debate is “Effective

responses to global crises — strengthening

multilateralism and dialogue among civilizations for

international peace, security and development”. The

multilateral architecture of the United Nations was

created 64 years ago to provide a collective response to

global issues in order to achieve peace, security and

development. As a result of a multitude of factors,

including the accelerated globalization of recent

decades, the challenges we are confronted with today

are complex and intertwined, and require a holistic,

concerted and collective approach.

An individual State alone cannot meet these

challenges. Thus multilateralism must be strengthened

to meet contemporary global crises such as terrorism,

the global financial crisis, the adverse consequences of

climate change, food and energy security as well as the

achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

We need to take necessary measures to ensure that the

impact of globalization is fair, inclusive and

sustainable. Multilateralism is not about the United

Nations agenda responding only to the demands of a

minority of powerful States, but also about defending

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the interests of the powerless majority. And it is

imperative that the principle reflected in Article 2,

paragraph 7, of the Charter — that the Organization

should not interfere in the internal affairs of States —

be respected. The Charter must be our guiding norm,

for it is the Charter that keeps us together.

Non-interference in the internal affairs of States must

be respected at all times.

In our own region, the South Asian Association

for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which Sri Lanka

chairs at present, has lent its voice to several issues of

global importance affecting our region. Among these,

terrorism, the impact of the global economic crisis and

climate change, as well as food security, are of prime

concern to the one fifth of humanity who live in

SAARC nations. We in the SAARC region will

continue to work in every international forum,

including the United Nations, to find regional as well

as global solutions that can deal with these issues in an

equitable manner.

A global problem such as terrorism, with its

transnational linkages, requires an effective and

compelling global response. As our experience in Sri

Lanka has shown, the transnational character of

criminal activities of terrorist groups such as the LTTE

required that counter-terrorism operations meticulously

carried out on the battlefield be supported by concerted

and well-coordinated measures of international

cooperation directed against the multifaceted criminal

networks of the terrorist organizations.

Mrs. Aitimova (Kazakhstan), Vice-President, took

the Chair.

We are aware that much of the financial

sustenance for the destruction caused in Sri Lanka by

the LTTE came from sources overseas, particularly

deep-rooted networks in developed countries. The

so-called overseas representatives of the LTTE and

their front organizations procured funds and arms

through a complex range of criminal activities: terrorist

financing, money-laundering, arms procurement, illicit

trade and other organized criminal activities, such as

drug trafficking and human trafficking, all of which are

interrelated.

The remnants of the fast-diminishing LTTE

networks overseas continue those efforts to date.

Although we have been successful in defeating

terrorism in Sri Lanka, we continue to urge our friends

and partners in the international community to be

vigilant and to continue taking action against illegal

acts of the LTTE on their soil.

We are well aware that some of the front

organizations exploit noble humanitarian sentiments,

and masquerade in the guise of humanitarian

non-governmental organizations or even infiltrate

them. We thank our partners in the international

community that have taken action to expose those

organizations.

The threat posed to maritime security through the

transportation of large consignments of sophisticated

equipment and lethal cargo to provide logistical

support to terrorist groups requires our urgent

attention. In recent years, Sri Lanka has experienced

the most unprecedented and dangerous forms of

maritime terrorism. Our navy has successfully

confronted and interdicted the movement of virtual

floating warehouses of arms and ammunition, which

posed a grave threat to the security and stability of our

nation and our region.

At the global level, this phenomenon calls for a

revision of existing laws pertaining to boarding and

searching vessels on the high seas. We need a

comprehensive legal framework to address all aspects

of the safety and security of maritime navigation, going

beyond the current concerns about weapons of mass

destruction. That would make a distinct contribution to

securing global peace and security.

The comprehensive range of terrorist activities

and their disastrous impact on the security and stability

of States should awaken all States to consider, very

seriously and as a matter of urgency, the importance of

forging a global consensus on a comprehensive

normative framework for international cooperation and

solidarity in combating terrorism, within the

parameters of international law.

In this context, I wish to emphasize the urgent

need to finalize the ongoing negotiations on the draft

comprehensive convention on terrorism. The time has

come to reach finality on the outstanding issues and,

through the exertion of the necessary political will, to

adopt the Convention without further delay.

Sri Lanka, as Chairman of the United Nations Ad

Hoc Committee on International Terrorism, remains

committed to doing its utmost to reach consensus on

the draft comprehensive convention, and looks forward

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to the fullest support of all Member States in this

important task.

Today we face the greatest challenge to the world

economy in modern times. The global financial and

economic crisis, which had its roots in the developed

countries, will have a long-term impact on human lives

in developing countries. Through the pursuit of prudent

policies, Sri Lanka has been able to minimize the

impact of the crisis on the domestic financial system

and maintain an overall positive rate of growth in the

midst of the crisis.

Recovery from the crisis should go well beyond

restoring the stability of the economies of the

developed countries, and must address the deeper

development crisis which ensued in developing

countries. The plan of action adopted at the United

Nations Conference on the World Financial and

Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development

urgently needs to be implemented with the support of

the international financial institutions and advanced

economies. The global financial and economic crisis

also highlights the need for transparent multilateral

regulatory structures at the helm of the world economy.

The Millennium Declaration set 2015 as the

target date for achieving the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs), and we are already nearing the target

date. Long before the MDGs were articulated globally,

Sri Lanka was well on track to reach the related targets

in several areas.

Development as it is understood today, and as

embodied in the internationally agreed development

goals and MDGs, encompasses objectives related to

human well-being, including freedom, empowerment,

distribution patterns and environmental sustainability.

This broad dimension is aligned with Sri Lanka’s

pluralistic democratic traditions. Sri Lanka was early

among developing countries to understand the

importance of investing in human resources, of gender

equality and of social development. We are determined

to make further progress. We welcome the high-level

meeting to be convened by the Secretary-General next

year.

As a developing island State, Sri Lanka is highly

vulnerable to the adverse impact of climate change

caused by unsustainable production and consumption

patterns of industrialized countries. The carbon debt

owed to us by the developed countries must be used to

finance the financial and technological assistance that

we need in order to adapt our industries to a

sustainable path. As the people of a developing

country, our population naturally aspires to achieve

progress and higher living standards. We hope that we

can reach an agreed outcome at the Copenhagen

Conference, in accordance with the principle of

common, but differentiated, responsibilities.

Reform of the United Nations and the Security

Council must be a high priority. My delegation

believes that the objectives of the reform process

should be to strengthen multilateralism and to promote

greater democracy, transparency, effectiveness and

accountability within a more democratic United

Nations system. And, in tandem, we need to take

measures to pursue the four pillars that are

fundamental to our future, as enunciated by President

Obama.

My delegation believes that the United Nations —

particularly the Assembly — has primary responsibility,

as set out in the Charter, for the maintenance of

international peace and security. In this context, the

numerous unresolved conflicts around the world

continue to be a matter of concern.

We are disappointed that little progress has been

made in the implementation of General Assembly

resolutions regarding the inalienable rights of the

Palestinian people to statehood and the realization of

the two-State solution, whereby Israel and Palestine

could live side-by-side in peace and harmony. A just

and lasting peace in the Middle East, including through

practical recognition of the inalienable rights of the

Palestinian people, has been strongly advocated by

President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In this regard, we are

encouraged by the words spoken by President Obama

in his address to the Assembly.

Mr. Treki is presiding over the work of the

Assembly at a critical time. As Member States, we

must mobilize the political will to shed our differences

and work in a spirit of cooperation to respond

effectively and swiftly to the challenges that confront

us. I reiterate my delegation’s confidence in President

Treki’s leadership in this endeavour.