New Zealand, 2001

May I first express my

condolences to the families and friends of those who

died in this morning's air crash. This was a tragedy in a

city that has already seen more than its share of tragedy

in recent times.

We meet in New York at this session of the

General Assembly under the shadow of terrorist attacks

on this city just two months ago. We mourn the lives of

nearly 5,000 people from 79 countries who, having

done nothing to deserve that fate, died in the attack.

The scale, premeditation, coordination and indifference

to mass murder that characterize this attack represent a

new age of terrorism. It is a terrorism that appears to

set no limit to its consequences. Those responsible for

it foreshadow a willingness to use biological, chemical

and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The

potentially catastrophic effects if they are able to carry

out that threat demand an urgent and comprehensive

response to pre-empt any such action.

We cannot allow the rule of terror to replace the

rule of law. We cannot tolerate the damage that

terrorism has already done to the global economy. We

cannot allow terror to threaten basic human rights to

life and security.

New Zealand welcomes the lead by the United

Nations in coordinating an effective and enduring

response to terrorism. Security Council resolution 1373

(2001), adopted unanimously, sets out a blueprint for

action which every Member State has an obligation to

implement. Its emphasis is on measures to close off

financial support and the provision of refuge for

terrorist groups in every country of the world.

International cooperation in imposing these measures

and bringing the terrorists to justice will, in the longer

term, lie at the heart of the campaign to defeat

terrorism.

Removing the immediate threat posed by

terrorists such as those in Al Qaeda and those who

harbour them will, however, require more than

resolutions. Time and again over the past three years,

the Security Council has called on the Taliban to

prevent the use of Afghanistan by terrorists to launch

strikes against other countries. Those resolutions and

the sanctions that accompanied them have been ignored

by the Taliban. Where groups operate beyond the rule

of law and countries put themselves outside of

international codes of behaviour, the use of force

becomes a necessary part of our response.

Multilateral action and cooperation on a wider

front are also necessary if we are to be successful in

removing the threat of terrorism on an ongoing and

lasting basis. Comprehensive action is needed to

minimize the threat of chemical, biological or nuclear

weapons falling into the hands of extremist groups. No

State should develop, test and hold weapons of this

nature. Such weapons are a threat to humanity. Their

use by States would destroy and otherwise harm

innocent human beings as certainly as did the actions

of the terrorist group that attacked New York.

Nations yet to sign and ratify the United Nations

Conventions on Chemical and Biological Weapons and

treaties to ban mines and inhumane weapons must do

so. Nations must equally commit themselves to the

elimination of nuclear weapons, the early entry into

force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty,

and an immediate start to negotiations on a fissile

material cut-off treaty.

The attack of 11 September should also

encourage all nations to ratify the Rome Statute to

bring into effect the International Criminal Court as a

forum for pursuing action against those responsible for

crimes against humanity.

Suppression of terrorism must also involve action

to deal with its causes. States must consider whether

the suppression of dissident or minority groups rather

than allowing legitimate channels to voice dissent

leaves resort to force as the only option.

The events of 11 September should encourage all

countries and organizations, particularly those directly

involved, to renew efforts to find a just and peaceful

solution to the Middle East crisis. To achieve a

peaceful solution between Palestinians and Israelis

requires good will and flexibility on both sides. There

can be no double standards in how the principles of

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human rights, freedom and social and economic

opportunity are applied to all peoples.

One consequence of the campaign against

terrorism has been to bring the world's attention to the

situation in Afghanistan. Afghanistan reminds us that

where a vacuum is created by the absence of legitimate

government and the rule of law, it will be filled by

extremist elements, criminal groups dealing in drug

trafficking and terrorist organizations, all of which can

operate with impunity.

The international community has for too long

been indifferent to the situation in Afghanistan and to

the long-standing refugee crisis that has resulted from

22 years of war, from famine and from Taliban

oppression. Pakistan and Iran have carried the burden

of 3.6 million refugees, while much of the world

showed concern only when a handful of those refugees

in desperation sought to enter other countries illegally.

Too little concern has been shown internationally to the

300,000 Afghan children who have died annually from

preventable causes. One in three children in refugee

camps die before they reach the age of five. The groups

now protesting against military intervention were silent

while this human catastrophe was unfolding over the

last few years.

Any loss of innocent life in conflict is tragic, and

extraordinary measures must be taken to avoid it. But a

failure to remove the Taliban regime and a failure to

assist the Afghan people to put in place a broad-based,

moderate and stable Government to replace the Taliban

will mean the ongoing loss of hundreds of thousands of

lives and the continued suffering of the Afghan people.

Renewed efforts are needed through United

Nations agencies to provide emergency relief to people

within Afghanistan and in the refugee camps to avoid

unnecessary loss of life through the winter and in the

months to come. The United Nations must stand ready

to assist Afghanistan to rebuild itself once the conflict

is over, working with as broad a coalition of Afghan

groups as is possible to create a viable political,

economic and social infrastructure.

Resolving the problems that have forced so many

millions of people from their homes is fundamental to

solving the growing refugee crisis. In Afghanistan and

elsewhere, people flee their homelands through fear of

death or persecution, or because of poverty and lack of

opportunity.

In a world made smaller by advances in

communication and transport, no State can ignore the

plight in other countries or expect not to face

consequences from unacceptable discrepancies in

wealth, opportunity and human rights standards.

Suppression of criminal organizations responsible

for people trafficking is a challenge which demands

increased international cooperation. Those who profit

from people's desperation and who, once paid, are

careless as to whether or not their human cargo

survives must be stamped out. However, removing the

causes of people fleeing from their countries remains

fundamental.

New Zealand's own region of the Pacific has not

been immune from violence and instability. In recent

years, we have seen conflict in East Timor, violence

between Government and separatist movements within

Indonesia and in Bougainville, ethnic conflict in the

Solomon Islands and a coup that overthrew a legitimate

Government in Fiji.

Problems remain in the region, but there have

been notable areas of improvement. A peace settlement

has been signed in Bougainville. Fiji has held

democratic elections. Indonesia is seeking to resolve

separatist conflict by offering greater autonomy. In

East Timor, there have been free elections, and that

country will gain independence as the first new nation

of the twenty-first century in May 2002. International

cooperation and a capable transitional administration

by the United Nations have achieved a remarkable

transformation in a poor and devastated country. I

congratulate the Security Council on its endorsement of

the Secretary-General's concept for a post-

independence United Nations presence in East Timor to

consolidate what has been achieved.

In acknowledging the role of United Nations

personnel, I would also stress the need to ensure their

proper protection in situations which are often

dangerous. The murder of United Nations relief

workers in Atambua, West Timor, and the failure to

bring to account those fully responsible are a reminder

that more must be done to protect our United Nations

personnel. We endorse the Secretary-General's

recommendations on extending the legal protection for

United Nations and other personnel involved in

humanitarian operations.

It is timely at this General Assembly to stress the

importance of the role of the United Nations. The

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critical wars of the twenty-first century will not be won

by single nations, however powerful, or even by

coalitions. It is the United Nations acting collectively

which will win the wars against terrorism, poverty and

disease; threats to the environment; and the threats

posed by conflict and weapons of mass destruction.

The commitments made by heads of State and

Government in the United Nations Millennium

Declaration last year take on even greater relevance

following the events of 11 September.

However, for the United Nations to achieve its

potential, it must undergo reform. To prevent the

General Assembly and the Secretariat from becoming

overwhelmed by so many tasks that they fail to be

effective in tackling any of them, we need to prioritize

our agenda and to be more selective.

The Security Council needs reform. Its

membership should be expanded to reflect

contemporary realities, but without maintaining or

extending the veto. Countries contributing to

peacekeeping operations should be afforded greater

involvement in the Council's decision-making with

respect to those operations. Peacekeeping operations

must be sufficiently resourced.

The capacity of the United Nations for rapid

reaction must be strengthened. New Zealand is ready to

enter into discussions on a memorandum of

understanding with the United Nations on its

participation in the standby arrangements system. This

is consistent with New Zealand's long-standing

readiness to contribute to peacekeeping operations and

its current involvement in more than 12 such

operations, including its commitment since 1999 of a

battalion to help ensure the success of the United

Nations operation in East Timor.

The United Nations was founded after the Second

World War to build a world free from poverty, violence

and the violation of human rights. Nations committed

themselves to a collective response to problems that

could not be solved by countries individually.

Countries agreed on rules of international behaviour.

No one would claim that the United Nations has

an unblemished record of success. But without it, the

world would be a much less secure place, much less

able to confront the difficulties which we face. Let this

fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly reaffirm

our commitment to work collectively to defeat

terrorism, conflict, poverty and disease, and set the

agenda for peace, development and respect for human

rights for all.