Romania, 2003

I wish

to add Romania's voice to the heartfelt congratulations

of others to His Excellency Mr. Julian Robert Hunte on

his election to the important position of President of

the General Assembly, wish him every success and

assure him of our delegation's full support.

The political debate of this session of the

Assembly is being held in an international setting that

requires us to take a long, hard look at the way the

United Nations can respond to the challenges facing us.

The recent terrorist attacks in Baghdad, which

took the lives of Ambassador Sergio Vieira de Mello

and other brave members of the United Nations

community, as well as of Iraqis who had committed

themselves to restoring stability in their country,

proved once more that the only language that fanatics

use is that of crime and terror. The best way to pay

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tribute to the memory of those victims of terror is to

carry out, with redoubled determination, the mission to

which they had dedicated their life.

Today, the United Nations is called upon to

continue to play a greater role in the service of good.

Over the course of the past decade, the

Organization has accomplished a great deal, despite the

seemingly insurmountable difficulties and certain

evident limitations. Those obstacles sometimes grew

out of a lack of shared perspectives regarding the

problems confronting us today. Yet, we have managed

to keep world security under control.

(spoke in English)

As always at the United Nations, we are faced

with a challenge brought about by differing views

towards common problems. There is nothing new here,

except for the magnitude of the consequences. We

cannot afford to do nothing simply because we do not

agree on everything. The United Nations is not about

agreeing on everything. It is about building consensus.

We can do just that if we concentrate on negotiation

not language, but substance.

Irrespective of how important the debate might

be, we should not be distracted today by talk of a

unipolar, multipolar or even bipolar world. Rather, we

should concentrate on how we can govern our world in

a way that benefits the individual, brings about

opportunity and pre-empts, deters and fights terrorism

and aggression. If we are true to the principle of an

international community dedicated to preserving peace

and increasing prosperity, we should discuss how to

achieve higher levels of international understanding,

rather than the relevance of the United Nations system

today, for we have to remember that true security is

shared security, and true prosperity is shared

prosperity.

To achieve this, we should also keep in mind that

legitimacy brings credibility that leads to predictability

and predictability, brings long-term commonality of

views that is the cornerstone of lasting coalitions.

This is why we share the assessment of the

Secretary-General, that The United Nations is not an

end in itself. Rather it is an instrument for achieving

common ends.' (A/58/1, para. 10)

Our belief that we, the Member States, must keep

the United Nations working with efficiency, with

purpose and with result prompted Romania to put

forward our candidature for membership in the

Security Council starting next January. We thank the

Eastern European Group and others for their support

for us. This is a responsibility that we do not

underestimate. Our mission will be to uphold the

validity of the United Nations as an essential

international actor in preventing and resolving

conflicts, eliminating poverty and promoting human

rights.

As befits a State that will soon be a member of

both the European Union and NATO, we believe in the

multilateral approach to tackling terrorism, the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, organized

crime and violations of human rights.

As a country that has struggled to rebuild a

democratic society based on the rule of law, a market

economy and respect for human rights, we understand

the complex challenges of transition that other

countries are also facing. It is not an easy process, but

in our view it is the only way to guarantee durable

economic prosperity and social cohesion for the

citizen. We want to see a strengthening of the central

role of the United Nations in coordinating worldwide

efforts to this end.

Romania's international profile is defined by our

location and our history and capability in Europe and

by our transition experience. We are determined to play

a responsible role in connecting the West and East of

our continent, and in reaching out to countries on the

Eastern shore of the Black Sea, the Caucasus and the

greater Middle East. We pledge to contribute to

spreading Euro-Atlantic values beyond NATO and the

European Union areas by consistently promoting the

culture of dialogue and regional cooperation.

Terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction, the rising number of failing States and

global disparities are some of the most worrying

hallmarks of our times. The speed and unevenness of

global processes intensify the complexity and

pervasive nature of these threats to our common

security and prosperity.

We already possess an important range of tools to

tackle threats like terrorism and weapons of mass

destruction. They should now be used in a more

responsible and effective manner. For example, the

Counter-Terrorism Committee should be given more

professional resources so it can act more effectively to

39

streamline national legislation on uprooting the

financial resources of terrorism and monitor its

implementation. International non-proliferation legal

regimes should be strengthened in order to prevent

determined proliferators from breaching their

international obligations. Countries of concern with

regard to proliferation could be subjected to diplomatic

and economic pressure, which is most effective when

applied multilaterally.

Challenges to the security and stability of our

world also emerge as globalization processes expand.

Sustainable development is increasingly related to

sustainable peace and security. Globalization is

inevitable. Provided that it is combined with good

governance, proper development assistance and

awareness of environmental issues, as well as with fair

trade through open markets, globalization is a force for

progress. But global disparities are not disappearing.

The ratio of per capita incomes of the richest and

poorest countries now stands at more than seventy to

one. So it is especially disappointing that the World

Trade Organization talks in Cancun ended in deadlock.

We call on all parties to redouble their efforts in

December to resume dialogue and close the gap. The

success we need is not just that of freer and more open

markets, but also that of equitable trade, creating added

value to regions, nations and communities.

Sustainable development demands first that we

manage globalization responsibly so that it benefits all.

It is time to focus on implementing the concrete goals

of eradicating poverty and accelerating development.

The challenge will be to prioritize our work. Our focus

at the High-level Dialogue on Financing for

Development at the end of next month should remain

squarely on achieving results.

We also must redouble our efforts to put an end to

conflicts, and we must find a way to rebuild those

countries that have survived conflict but are struggling

to survive peace. Africa is a particularly worrying

example of how dangerous it can be to ignore the

consequences of conflicts. The grave humanitarian

crises on that continent are foreboding a bleak future

for many countries and fomenting despair and far-

reaching frustrations.

The international community has to be more

engaged in addressing poverty, intolerance and ethnic

hatred. We would like to see the United Nations

enhance its peace operation capabilities and emphasize

in particular the reconstruction and rehabilitation

processes. We have done this in Afghanistan, yet it

remains a test of our ability and willingness to secure a

successful democracy offensive in the fight against

terrorism. I think we have enough at stake to stand by

that commitment.

In the Middle East, the new wave of violence is

preventing the full implementation of the agreed road

map. Romania strongly condemns suicide bombings

that are carried out by the enemies of peace and

security in the area. We urge the new Palestinian

Government to act effectively against further terrorist

attacks targeting Israel and its citizens, but it is equally

important that the Israeli Government stand by its

commitments in the framework of pursuing a political

solution to this bitter conflict. We fully support the

actions of the Quartet that are meant to contribute to

overcoming this dangerous situation. We shall follow

with utmost interest the ministerial meeting that is

scheduled for this week.

In Iraq, we believe it is time for the international

community to work together to stabilize and

reconstruct that tragic country, whose people have

suffered so much under tyranny for so long. The

successful conclusion of negotiations on the new

resolution concerning Iraq is not a mere option it is

a must.

We need now to concentrate on what matters

most: the steps that must be taken next by the

international community to empower the Iraqi people

and to ensure the democratic functioning of institutions

in that country and stability, not only in Iraq, but also

in the greater Middle East as a whole. As a

participating country in the Coalition Provisional

Authority, Romania is already engaged and ready to

continue to contribute to achieving these goals. We are

looking forward to participating in the coming

ministerial conference on assistance for the Iraqi

people in Madrid this October.

Many conflicts in the world stem from the

breakdown of nation-States. Porous borders, weak

national institutions and the development of alternative

allegiances based on religious, economic and other

factors often lead to the collapse of State structures.

The principal feature of such States is the absence of

political legitimacy, coupled with an uncontrolled or

unaccountable security sector and contempt for the rule

of law. That leads to violent conflict over control of

40

resources or between different ethnic groups and to

violation of human rights and humanitarian law. Illegal

arms become readily accessible, organized crime and

violence flourish and economic prospects die.

A good example of where the international

community has been successful in preventing the

relapse of a post-conflict situation is South-East

Europe. The past year has seen real progress in this

region, due principally to the increased efforts of the

countries themselves, in partnership with the regional

community and with support from international

organizations and partners. But certain problems

persist. It is vital to press ahead with full commitment

to meeting the responsibilities and timelines that have

already been accepted and to creating truly democratic

and multi-ethnic societies. Combating organized crime

and illegal trafficking, including the most degrading

kind that turns human beings into commodities, is a

priority in our regional approach.

We need to look at all these challenges with a

new determination to tackle them, making full and

effective use of the tools available to us within the

United Nations system. There has been much

discussion of the ability of the United Nations to

respond to crises. The disadvantages of the present

working methods of its structures and mechanisms,

which were conceived more than half a century ago,

call for radical reform. The real debate is about

effectiveness, adaptation and evolution. It is about our

common will, as responsible members of the

international community, to act together. Everything

else especially the badly needed strategies will

simply follow, and this will make it possible to

approach the new and old threats alike.

The United Nations must increasingly serve as a

catalyst for collective action. This requires close

cooperation among its Member States, dialogue and

partnership with the vibrant constellation of new non-

State actors: civil society, non-governmental

organizations, the business community and academia.

Finally, the Organization must become more effective,

efficient and accessible to the world's people.

We must weigh up our differences, gauge our

ability for joint intervention and act in coordination.

Just as the nature of current problems affects people in

everything they do, so too must we put people at the

centre of everything we do.