Lithuania, 1998

First, let me congratulate you,

Sir, on your election to the presidency of this important

session. I am certain that this session will provide us with

the opportunity to discuss the role that the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights has played during the last

50 years and has yet to play.

I should also like to take this opportunity to convey

my respects to the Secretary-General, who, by his

decisive steps in critical moments this year, has

repeatedly demonstrated the importance of the United

Nations in contemporary world affairs.

Throughout the last 50 years the United Nations has

changed no less dynamically than the rest of the

surrounding world. Reviewing the successes and failures

of the Organization, we have to acknowledge its complex

and important role in building a more peaceful world. The

United Nations at present is living through a complicated

period of internal reform designed to reinforce the values

and principles which half a century ago encouraged the

States of the world to sign the Charter establishing the

United Nations, which guides us today into the twenty-

first century. I speak of peace, democracy and the

environment and of ensuring and promoting the

development of freedom of the individual.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the

adoption by the General Assembly of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights. This crucial instrument

declares the will of the people of the world to establish a

universal understanding of individual freedom, equality and

dignity, which are indivisible and must not be undermined.

Today we should be particularly concerned to what extent

the principles declared by the United Nations throughout

the last 50 years have become the bedrock of our everyday

life. It would be most appropriate to ask whether the United

Nations has become an Organization of world nations rather

than States.

In the contemporary world of advanced

communications, the exchange of values and ideas takes

place at a particularly high speed. It is therefore not

surprising that freedom, justice and well-being carry the

same meaning in Europe and Asia, Africa and America. I

believe we are approaching a common denominator for

democracy so that democracy will no longer be identified

only with the West and rapid economic development only

with certain regions of the world. Above all, we hope that

the realization of human rights throughout the world is

consistent with the spirit of the Declaration of Human

Rights signed 50 years ago.

In the cold-war world of divided ideologies, the

United Nations was one of the very few forums embodying

the common human interest: the concern for peace. Today

the United Nations can contribute considerably to the

creation and education of free individuals and active

citizens of the world.

History has proved that democratic and prosperous

States provide the most favourable environment for human

activities. The United Nations should therefore continue its

efforts to promote democratization and sustainable

development. The ongoing institutional reform of the

Organization may serve this end. However, I should like

also to underscore the need to pay even greater attention to

the promotion and protection of human rights.

Willingly and freely we have empowered the Security

Council to make binding decisions to which we are then

committed. We therefore want the decisions to be of high

quality, effective and acceptable. Two highly qualified

industrialized countries could become permanent members

of the Security Council; their membership would strengthen

the Council and ensure democratic decisions. A broader

representation of developing nations on the Council would

also reinforce its legitimacy and enhance respect for it.

These nations deserve additional seats, both permanent and

non-permanent. Equitable representation in the Council

should be expanded through a more just representation of

regions, Central and Eastern Europe in particular.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights, Mary Robinson, has noted that todayâs human

rights violations are the causes of tomorrowâs conflicts.

War-ravaged Bosnia and conflict-inflamed Kosovo today

are painful illustrations of these words. Lithuania

welcomes the initiative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan

to integrate human rights protection into the broad range

of the Organizationâs activities. We likewise welcome the

ongoing institutional reforms of human rights protection

and propose to employ with greater effectiveness the

experience and intellectual potential of such regional

bodies as the Council of Europe and the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe.

One of the most laudable recent achievements of the

worldâs nations is the adoption of the Statute of the

International Criminal Court. By taking this decision, the

international community demonstrated its readiness for a

qualitative leap in international relations based on an

effective system of international justice — an instrument

designed to complement national legal systems and to

encourage their continuous development.

It is gratifying that the Court has been granted the

right to charge persons with criminal responsibility for the

gravest crimes of all: genocide, war crimes and crimes

against humanity. This step demonstrates our resolution

to fight against the horrors for which there are no — and

cannot be any — political or ideological boundaries.

“Crime of aggression” in the Statute is a pending issue

requiring the political will of States and a more precise

legal definition. The bitter facts of modern history remind

us that aggression too often leads to genocide, war crimes

and crimes against humanity.

I would like to note that Lithuania, which actively

participated in the work of the Preparatory Committee and

the Rome Conference, will in the near future sign the

Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Today we all face the challenges of our

contemporary world which have been caused by rapidly

developing technologies and negligent human activities.

These challenges, although not as evident as open military

conflicts, are no less threatening. A devastated and

deteriorating environment may cause conflicts on a scale

unknown before. The struggle for fresh water, rich soil

and natural resources can turn man against man and

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nation against nation. Neither democratic political processes

nor economic development will matter then.

As a man with a long-standing commitment to

environmental protection, I invite you to make use of the

international capabilities of the United Nations and to pay

more attention to ecological issues. If we are genuine in our

attempt to place this institution at the vanguard of human

rights protection, environmental issues should be given

priority on our agenda. Lithuania will support every

initiative to preserve and conserve natural resources. As one

such step, I yesterday signed the Kyoto Protocol,

reaffirming our commitment to tackling global warming by

reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. Now we look

forward to decisive action on climate change in Buenos

Aires later this year.

Every individual has the incontestable right to live in

a healthy and clean environment. I am certain that the

United Nations can play a significant role in promoting

respect for the environment among people and States of the

world. With its long experience in international cooperation

and its prominent international standing, this Organization

can contribute notably to the environmental education of the

global community. It can also serve as a promoter of inter-

State cooperation through the timely exchange of

information on disasters — past, present and future. The

Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Convention on trade in

hazardous chemicals and pesticides, which was signed in

Rotterdam a couple of days ago, is a remarkable example

of prospective activities of the United Nations system.

The growing problems of international crime and

terrorism affecting us are no less important than

environmental issues. Terrorist bombings and illicit

trafficking in arms, narcotic substances and human beings,

as well as money laundering, infringe the vital interests of

people and States to live in a secure and predictable world.

The solution to these problems demands collective efforts

as well as resolute and immediate action. It is gratifying

that the heads of State and Government, as well as interior

ministers, confirmed their commitment to constructive

cooperation at the twentieth special session of the United

Nations General Assembly, on drugs. The approved drug-

demand reduction and prevention programme, along with

the guidelines for international cooperation, should facilitate

the resolution of these problems.

Children and young people — our future — should be

the focus of the fight against drug-trafficking. Timely

adoption and launching of preventive measures and

educational programmes, as well as the building of a drug-

free environment, must be our immediate first steps. It is

delightful that Secretary-General Kofi Annan has shown

particular attention to this problem.

Control of the arms trade, which is becoming

increasingly complex, is another painful reality facing us

at the end of this century. Smugglers arm not only

terrorists, but also nations or States at war. Without any

further delay we should forestall illicit arms circulation

by, first and foremost, restricting the sale of small arms

and light weapons in conflict zones. We should persist in

our efforts to find an effective solution to the issue of

general and complete disarmament.

The nuclear arms race, which emerged in South Asia

this year, has revealed the survival of the cold war

ideology of the balance of powers in the political thinking

of certain States. Such reasoning is short on

constructiveness since it does not enhance international

security, and it diverts human resources and creative

powers into erroneous directions, undermining the

aspirations of the individual to a safer and wealthier life.

Lithuania is neither a zone of potential conflict nor

a place for the manufacturing or circulation of

conventional weapons or weapons of mass destruction.

Nevertheless, Lithuania endeavours to participate actively

in different agreements on disarmament and arms control

through which it helps itself and others. My country has

ratified the conventions prohibiting biological, chemical

and certain conventional weapons. Ratification of the

convention prohibiting anti-personnel mines is our long-

term goal.

It is my belief that the right of the individual to a

secure life and future — a right still missing from the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights — fully

corresponds to the spirit of the Declaration and should be

realized through our political initiatives. The security of

the individual will be best ensured if the State he lives in

is secure. Good neighbourly relations and close regional

cooperation are prerequisites for the peaceful coexistence

of nations, and all humankind aspires to this. Lithuania is

guided by those principles and maintains friendly,

constructive relations with all its neighbours, Russia

among them.

The United Nations today acts not only in a multi-

polar but also multi-problem environment. By itself it is

not capable of addressing and resolving all the problems

which we often tend to call “hot” issues and which

demand immediate solutions. Therefore, the Organization

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should interact with greater vigour in its endeavours with

regional organizations that, in many cases, succeed in the

areas where global forums fail. Europe has already provided

us with an example of such productive interaction through

concrete cooperation of the United Nations with the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Europe, however, has other, smaller organizations

which can also considerably contribute to the goals of the

United Nations and to the implementation of their spirit.

The Council of the Baltic Sea States, of which Lithuania

has recently assumed the chairmanship, is one of them.

This Council unites geographical neighbours who also enjoy

many, more binding links: the promotion of mutual

confidence, trade, culture and environmental protection.

During the term of its chairmanship, Lithuania will strive

for a more active and effective contribution of this regional

cooperation body to the implementation of the goals of the

United Nations.

The fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights is a reminder of the indivisibility of the

values of human life, dignity and welfare. Political activities

at both the international and national levels should be

directed to promoting and protecting these values. More and

more threats to human rights and freedoms arise today from

sources beyond the control of national Governments. Never

before have the issues of coordination and enhanced

cooperation been as crucial as they are today. The United

Nations possesses all the potential necessary to perform the

role of active international coordinator and peace promoter.

But the realization of this potential requires determination

from us, the representatives of nations and members of the

international community.