Myanmar, 2005

I wish first of all to

congratulate Mr. Jan Eliasson on his election as

President of the General Assembly at its sixtieth

session. We are convinced that, given his extensive

experience in international relations, this session will

have a fruitful outcome. My delegation pledges its

support and full cooperation in his endeavours for the

success of this historic session. I should like also to

convey to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, deep

appreciation for his efforts in promoting the noble

ideals and causes of our Organization.

The strength of our Organization lies in its

universality and legitimacy, anchored in the Charter of

the United Nations and in the fundamental principles

of international law. Among these cardinal principles

are respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and

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equality of States, non-interference in their internal

affairs and the non-use or threat of use of force.

International issues today are of such a scale and

complexity that they can be resolved only through

multilateralism and by collective action founded on the

values of solidarity and universality, as embodied in

the United Nations. Only by working together can we

hope to discharge our responsibilities. We must at the

same time ensure the Organization’s credibility by

adapting it to the global realities of the twenty-first

century.

The High-level Plenary Meeting provided a

useful impetus towards meeting the goals and

challenges of the twenty-first century. The outcome

document of the 2005 world summit included measures

to strengthen the United Nations. My delegation wishes

to underscore the need to preserve and promote the

centrality of the General Assembly as the highest

deliberative and decision-making organ of the United

Nations. Myanmar also agrees that the Security

Council should be reformed to reflect world realities so

as to be more effective. Since the Council has primary

responsibility for world peace and security, the process

of its expansion should be managed with the utmost

seriousness. Any decision in that respect should be

arrived on the basis of the broadest possible agreement

of the membership.

In the context of the reform process, we must

avoid the introduction of new concepts that have no

basis either in the Charter or in international law.

Acceptance of such concepts would go against the

principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-

interference, which form the very basis of the system

of international relations.

I am happy to see that the outcome document

contains elements that we hold dear. The document

underscores in particular the obligation of all Member

States to refrain from the threat or use of force in any

manner inconsistent with the Charter of the United

Nations. Charter provisions provide the necessary

principles for the use of force as a last resort. We have

always strongly held the view that Article 51 of the

Charter, which deals with the right of individual or

collective self-defence, should not be rewritten or

reinterpreted.

We believe, however, that there some areas

remain that should be further revisited in order to

address our concerns.

Regarding the establishment of the Peacebuilding

Commission as an intergovernmental advisory body,

we feel strongly that there must be adequate

representation by developing countries in the

Organizational Committee. Developing countries have

a strong case, since they are major contributors of

military personnel and civilian police to United

Nations missions.

In strengthening human rights mechanisms, we

must address the root causes of problems, namely, the

use of selectivity, double standards and politicization.

It must be borne in mind that the Charter places human

rights in the context of international cooperation.

During this session, we will be considering the

mandate, modalities, function, size, composition,

membership, working methods and procedures of the

envisaged Human Rights Council. Given the

importance that we all place on human rights,

developing countries must play an active role in the

negotiation process. We would like to see the initiation

of open, transparent and inclusive negotiations at an

early date.

The threats we face today do not respect national

boundaries; they are interconnected and complex.

Terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, transnational

organized crime, weapons of mass destruction, poverty

and hunger, and the alarming spread of highly

infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis

and malaria are some of the threats we can ignore only

at our peril. Efforts and strategies to tackle

transnational issues need to be coordinated at all levels

and carried out with the necessary respect for the

sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.

My country is a State party to the United Nations

Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and

its supplementary Protocols to Prevent, Suppress and

Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and

Children, and against the Smuggling of Migrants by

Land, Sea and Air. It has enacted legislation to control

money laundering and to render mutual legal assistance

to combat transnational crime. It is a State party to

almost all of the United Nations conventions on

terrorism. It has also actively participated in regional

and international efforts against international crime.

Myanmar is against all forms and manifestations

of terrorism. Myanmar is of the view that terrorism

should be combated in accordance with international

law and obligations. The issue should not be used as a

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pretext for intervention in the internal affairs of other

States.

Sixty years after the Second World War, the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,

particularly of nuclear weapons, remains a formidable

challenge. Nuclear proliferation is on the increase, and

there is also considerable concern that non-State actors

could gain access to such materials and technologies.

All States must take action in a multilateral framework

to make substantive progress towards disarmament,

including nuclear disarmament, and nuclear-weapon

States should reaffirm their commitment to negative

security assurances vis-à-vis non-nuclear States. The

outcome document, however, failed to address the

important issue of disarmament and non-proliferation.

This is an issue of great importance, and we should

make every effort to ensure that this vital issue is not

sidelined in international forums.

At the twentieth special session of the General

Assembly, on narcotic drugs, it was emphasized that no

single State can combat the scourge of narcotic drugs

on its own. In my country, the problem of narcotic

drugs is a bitter colonial legacy. We have therefore

made the elimination of narcotic drugs a national

responsibility and have formulated strategies and

tactics to end the problem of opium poppy cultivation

through a 15-year comprehensive plan and the

supplementary New Destiny Project. These efforts

have resulted in a drastic reduction in opium poppy

production. As a result, the United Nations Office on

Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported a 73 per cent

decline between 1996 and 2004. Myanmar’s efforts to

eradicate poppy cultivation, opium and heroin

production and drug trafficking and abuse complement

the objectives set forth by the United Nations.

Myanmar is also taking urgent measures with its

neighbouring countries to exercise control over

illegally trafficked precursor chemicals used in the

production of synthetic drugs. We have developed

bilateral, trilateral and multilateral cooperation in the

subregional, regional and international contexts.

World leaders pledged in the Millennium

Declaration that the world of 2015 would be better than

the one in which we live today. They made a solemn

commitment to implement the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs). To achieve the MDGs,

both the developed and the developing countries must

act in a cooperative manner. The developed countries,

in particular, must fulfil their commitments and meet

the internationally agreed official development

assistance target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national

product. Debt relief must also be provided to

developing countries, including grant-based financing

and 100 per cent debt cancellation.

In Myanmar, we are making satisfactory progress

towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals

by 2015. In our drive to eradicate poverty we have

achieved significant results through the designation of

24 special development zones in the states and

divisions of the country, in order to achieve equitable

and balanced development throughout the country.

Myanmar is endeavouring to achieve development

mainly relying on its own resources without assistance,

particularly from international financial institutions.

With external financial assistance, however, our

development efforts can be accelerated.

Myanmar is a multi-ethnic nation comprising

over 100 races. Immediately after independence, the

country had to face the scourge of insurgency. This has

posed a serious impediment to our national

development endeavours. Based on the bitter lessons of

the past, we have today embarked on a programme to

make law, order and national stability prevail. As we

are able to build peace and stability, we have been able

to focus our attention on economic development,

giving priority to human resource development. While

endeavouring to achieve comprehensive development

of the country, we are at the same time implementing a

seven-step political programme for a smooth transition

to a democratic State.

In this regard, understanding and support from

the international community would enable us to

achieve our cherished goal more expeditiously.

Unwarranted pressures will, however, delay our

progress. We, for our part, are resolute in our

determination to achieve our goal of establishing a

modern democratic State.

Myanmar is poised on the threshold of a new era.

We are at a point when all our attention must be

devoted to crossing the threshold and entering a new

era.