Slovakia, 1996

I would like to express my

sincere congratulations, Sir, on your election to the

presidency, and my best wishes for success in the fifty-first

session of the General Assembly.

I wish also to thank your predecessor, Mr. Diogo

Freitas do Amaral, for his leadership and his personal

contribution to the positive achievements of last year’s

session.

Last year we commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of

the United Nations. That was a good opportunity not only

for historical reflection and drawing lessons from the past,

but also for setting out new priorities and tasks for the

years to come. It is obvious that the United Nations, if it is

to meet expectations, has to adapt itself to meet new

challenges. Slovakia supports all efforts that will contribute

to the enhancement of democracy, transparency and

efficiency in the work of the United Nations.

The need for the reform of the United Nations is also

confirmed by its current difficult financial situation. This

state of affairs can be resolved only if all Member States

meet their financial obligations in a timely manner and

pay their arrears, and if a new formula for determining a

more adequate scale of assessments based on a country’s

capacity to pay is adopted. In this context, Slovakia

appreciates the European Union proposal for the financial

reform of the United Nations and welcomes an open and

pragmatic discussion in this regard.

Let me stress that Slovakia, which has paid its

contributions to the United Nations regular budget in full

and on time, is also ready to bear its fair share of

responsibilities in financing United Nations peace-keeping

operations. Now, more than three years after our

admission to United Nations membership, it is high time

Slovakia was fairly allocated to an appropriate group for

the financing of United Nations peace-keeping. Bearing

in mind the available economic data and comparing them

with those of several other countries of the Central

European region, we are fully convinced that Slovakia

should be allocated to Group C, and we see no

compelling reason for further postponing this decision. Of

course, such a decision would be without prejudice to a

comprehensive review process of the method to be

applied for the apportionment of the expenses of United

Nations peace-keeping operations. But the contributions

of any Member State for 1993-1997 should be assessed

only on the basis of the scheme applicable in that period.

In the context of United Nations institutional reform,

great attention is focused on the Security Council.

Slovakia supports Security Council reform and is of the

opinion that the expansion of its membership should

reflect the principle of equitable geographical

representation. The membership of the Group of Eastern

European States has recently more than doubled, and this

fact should be duly taken into account in the Security

Council reform process. Countries able to bear global

responsibility should be granted the status they deserve in

the Security Council. On the other hand, expansion of the

membership should hamper neither the efficiency nor the

decision-making process of the Security Council, so the

increase should be a rather limited one.

Several inspiring proposals have been submitted to the

United Nations. Slovakia is of the opinion that we should

look for the positive elements contained in those proposals

and make maximum efforts aimed at reaching a generally

acceptable solution. Practice has shown that an increased

role for small and medium-sized countries in the Security

Council can contribute favourably to the effective

implementation of its decisions, thus improving the

authority and the democratic character of that body.

Slovakia actively supports the United Nations efforts

to maintain and strengthen international peace and security.

After three years of difficult negotiations, the Slovak

Republic has finally become a full-fledged member of the

Conference on Disarmament, thus filling the vacancy

caused by the dissolution of the former Czechoslovakia.

Slovakia, as a country using nuclear power solely for

peaceful purposes, unequivocally supports all steps which

prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and create

conditions for their eventual elimination. Therefore, we

welcomed last year’s decision of the fifth Review

Conference to extend indefinitely the Treaty on the Non-

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This September we voted

for the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban

Treaty. Last Monday I had the honour to sign it on behalf

of the Slovak Republic. We hope that it will soon enter into

force and become law in international relations, thus

making the world safer.

The world community is also paying close attention to

another important disarmament agreement — namely, the

Chemical Weapons Convention. Slovakia has already

ratified this important instrument and supports a speedy

resumption of the ratification process so that it can enter

into force.

We consider the problem posed by anti-personnel

landmines a serious one. We therefore welcome initiatives

aimed at a ban on the use, stockpiling, production and

transfer of this kind of weapon. For our part, we have

already unilaterally declared a moratorium on the export

of these devices, which cause casualties mostly among the

innocent civilian population.

Peace-keeping operations continue to be a major part

of United Nations activities. Slovakia sees their further

development through the enhancement of elements of

preventive diplomacy, with a significant strengthening of

their humanitarian dimension and a broader incorporation

of civilian components at all stages. Practical evidence of

Slovakia’s efforts to implement the basic United Nations

goals is our participation in the United Nations

Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja

and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) and the United Nations

Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III).

Slovakia, as a troop-contributing country,

understands the significance of appropriate protection for

United Nations personnel. Therefore, we have already

ratified the Convention on the Safety of United Nations

and Associated Personnel. The brave men and women in

blue helmets deserve stronger protection. We call upon all

other States which have not yet become parties to the

Convention to ratify it as soon as possible.

The European continent was the theatre of two world

wars in the past. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to

pay great attention to the issues of security and peace in

this part of the world. Underestimating the gravity of the

situation caused an immense human tragedy for millions

of innocent people in the territory of the former

Yugoslavia. The Dayton Agreements, and above all their

successful implementation, represent a turning point

towards a peaceful settlement of this traumatic conflict,

not only for its direct participants but also in a global

context. The international community also plays an

irreplaceable role in this process through United Nations

mechanisms. Slovakia is ready to get fully involved in the

reconstruction of the destroyed economies of the countries

of the region. We welcome Security Council resolution

1074 (1996), adopted just two days ago.

Maintaining peace and security in other parts of the

world is of no lesser importance. Preserving the

continuity of the peace process in the Middle East is an

important part of that. We must not allow the peace

process to end and the results achieved so far to be

destroyed.

We observe with concern the growth of instability

and the spread of conflicts on the African continent.

Slovakia supports all efforts by the United Nations, the

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Organization of African Unity and other organizations

involved in the search for peaceful solutions for eliminating

crises and violence.

Slovakia supports the efforts of the Secretary-General

to achieve a durable solution to the question of Cyprus that

will guarantee respect for the sovereignty, independence,

territorial integrity and unity of the country, in compliance

with the relevant United Nations resolutions. My country is

prepared to continue its mission of good offices by

organizing meetings of the political party leaders of both

Cypriot communities.

As far as humanitarian assistance is concerned, we

emphasize the need for the efficient mutual cooperation of

all involved entities, together with a strengthening of the

coordinating role of the Department of Humanitarian

Affairs. Early warning as one element of preventive

diplomacy and the rapid reaction of the international

community in response to an emerging crisis situation are

factors which significantly affect overall results. The role of

the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in the

reconstruction of territories suffering from military

conflicts, including in demining, is important.

International conflicts and internal strife are not the

only threats to international security and the stability of

States. Increasingly, acts of terrorism and organized

transnational criminal activities undermine democratic

societies and become their joint enemies. We strongly

support international cooperation aimed at their suppression

and elimination. We will study with interest several timely

initiatives put forward during this General Assembly

session, such as the initiatives of Poland, the United

Kingdom and the United States. We are convinced that

granting observer status to INTERPOL in the General

Assembly will have a positive impact on the activities of

both organizations in this field and will enable closer

cooperation.

Human rights will undoubtedly continue to be high on

the United Nations agenda. Full respect for human rights is

a prerequisite for freedom, justice, stability and peace. We

commend the efforts to increase the efficiency of the

United Nations human rights programmes, the work of the

High Commissioner for Human Rights and his policy goal

of transforming the Centre for Human Rights into an

overall coordinator of human rights policy and action within

the United Nations system.

In less than four years of statehood, Slovakia has

established a system of democratic institutions. All

commitments under the relevant human rights instruments

have been incorporated into its legislation. Our country

respects the rule of law and guarantees all citizens within

its jurisdiction respect for human rights and fundamental

freedoms, including for the individual rights of persons

belonging to national or ethnic minorities.

We have established an inter-ministerial coordinating

committee for women’s issues as an advisory body to the

Slovak Government. It is designed to initiate and monitor

the implementation of the conclusions and

recommendations of the Fourth World Conference on

Women.

Family issues are very closely interlinked with the

rights of women and the rights of the child. In today’s

world, the family requires better protection and

promotion. A strong family is a basis for a sound society.

An international centre for family studies has been

established in the Slovak capital. We are interested in

signing a memorandum of understanding between the

Government of the Slovak Republic and the United

Nations on the promotion of family issues through the

Bratislava International Centre for Family Studies and the

United Nations.

Sustainable economic and social development is a

sine qua non for full enjoyment of human rights and the

decent life of mankind on all parts of the globe. We

welcome the new, integrated and comprehensive focus of

the United Nations on these issues, as reflected in the

series of United Nations conferences and summits held

during the term of office of the current Secretary-General.

He deserves his share of credit for their success. Now and

in the years to come, we have to concentrate on the

implementation and review of the recommendations,

conclusions and plans of actions adopted in Rio, Vienna,

Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing and Istanbul. We consider the

convening of a special session of the General Assembly

in 1997 to review the implementation of Agenda 21 a

timely course of action. As a new member of the

Commission on Sustainable Development we will pay

special attention to these activities.

The Economic and Social Council should play a key

role in fostering international activities for sustainable

economic and social development; its coordinating role is

needed. We support efforts to enhance the efficiency of

the Economic and Social Council and to streamline its

procedures. Its sessions should be more focused on

topical issues. The relationship with its functional

committees requires further reflection and improvements.

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Unnecessary duplication in the work of the General

Assembly and the Economic and Social Council should be

avoided. The consideration of economic issues in the

Second Committee and social ones in the Third Committee

seems nowadays an increasingly artificial separation. As

these issues are interlinked, it would only benefit us to find

a proper remedy for this artificial separation. This may

require a new redistribution of responsibilities among the

Main Committees.

A close interconnection between environmental issues

and economic development is reflected in the process of

economic transformation in Slovakia. Economic

development in Slovakia has reached a new level, and the

foundations for the transition to a market economy are now

firmly laid. This can be seen in the positive economic

results achieved in 1995, when Slovakia ranked second

among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with a

real annual gross domestic product growth of 7.4 per cent.

The Slovak economy is closely linked with the

development of regional and world economies. As a

founding country of the World Trade Organization,

Slovakia is actively participating in the ongoing integration

process and the formation of a new trade system on the

regional and multilateral levels. In this context, the

cooperation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement

countries may be an example worth following in the

integration of countries into the multilateral trade system

and global economy. We see the Central European Free

Trade Agreement not only as a vehicle to promote trade

between its partners, but also as a step on the road to full

integration into the European Union in the future, which is

one of our foreign-policy priorities, together with

membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO) and in the Organization for Economic Cooperation

and Development.

We welcome the positive results of the ninth session

of the United Nations Conference on Trade and

Development (UNCTAD), which stressed the need for the

improvement of cooperation with the WTO and the Bretton

Woods institutions. The reform of its intergovernmental

structure, the focus on a smaller number of priorities with

a view to integrating developing countries into the

international trade system, should lead to a renewal of the

status of UNCTAD in the global economy.

The forthcoming Ministerial Meeting of the WTO in

Singapore will be a good opportunity to further strengthen

the Organization’s regulatory role. Slovakia also places

particular importance on cooperation with other United

Nations agencies. We are interested in actively

contributing to the improvement of their functioning.

I am convinced that the United Nations will prove

its viability in the future, as it has so far, and confirm its

unique role in the community of nations. The Slovak

Republic is prepared to do its utmost for this goal.