Austria, 2009

This has been a truly

remarkable week, remarkable for the leadership shown

by the Secretary-General on climate change, the new

policies of President Obama, which he so eloquently

set out before us, the constructive responses to those

initiatives from many parts of the world and the

historic meeting of the Security Council, which

committed itself to a world without nuclear weapons.

We have all witnessed something new and different: a

genuine opportunity for a real renaissance of

multilateralism.

There is a real chance to turn the United Nations

once again into what was originally envisaged in the

Charter: not just a forum for discussion, but a place for

action, the central focal point of the efforts of the

international community to find common solutions to

common challenges. It will depend on each and every

Member of the Organization to make sure that this

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historic opportunity is seized. Cooperation is not a

mere option, but an indispensable necessity, if we want

to succeed.

Together, we must build a world based on

predictable and equitable rules applicable to every

Member, big or small, strong or weak. Adherence to

the rule of law and the principles of the Charter is

critical to conflict prevention, stability and sustainable

long-term development.

A year ago, Member States entrusted my country

with a seat on the Security Council for the years 2009-

2010. We take that responsibility very seriously.

One important focus of our work in the Council is

to improve the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Despite significant progress, armed conflicts continue

to darken the lives of men, women and children in

many parts of the world.

Austria has been working actively with others on

expanding the monitoring and reporting of serious

violations of children’s rights. Austria fully supports

Security Council resolution 1820 (2008) and the

follow-up resolution to be adopted next week as a

decisive response by the international community to

sexual violence in conflict situations. At the same time,

Austria attaches great importance to the participation

of women in the promotion of peace and security.

Women must have a voice in every peace process

throughout the world.

But many challenges remain. How can we

improve the protection of civilians on the ground, in

particular in situations in which the Council has

provided peacekeeping operations with a clear

protection mandate? How can we ensure better

compliance by parties to conflict with their obligations

under international humanitarian law — for instance,

to allow full access for humanitarian assistance? We

will therefore use our Security Council presidency in

November to identify concrete measures to improve the

protection of civilians. In order to do so, I invite all

partners to join me in an open debate on 13 November.

I am pleased that the Secretary-General has agreed to

participate.

In recent years, several peacekeeping missions —

such as the United Nations Organization Mission in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo — have been

mandated by the Council to ensure the physical

protection of the civilian population.

Its role of providing protection to refugees and

internally displaced persons was a strong factor in

Austria’s decision to contribute troops to the European

Union and United Nations Missions in Chad and the

Central African Republic. Austria has also contributed

to the United Nations study analysing experience in the

implementation of such protection mandates in peace

operations. We thus hope to contribute to the overall

efforts to reform United Nations peacekeeping. Our

aim must be to have more effective and better-

resourced peacekeeping missions that are in a position

to implement their mandates in a credible and

consistent manner.

To achieve sustainable peace, security and

development, peacekeeping must be complemented by

the rebuilding of functioning institutions, particularly

in the judiciary and the security sector. In that context,

we commend the efforts of the United Nations Office

on Drugs and Crime in combating corruption,

organized crime and drug trafficking.

The Peacebuilding Commission is a new form of

partnership between countries emerging from conflict,

donors and main providers of personnel to United

Nations missions to ensure that support is tailored to

specific local needs. Austria is committed to the work

of the Peacebuilding Commission, and has recently

joined the country-specific configuration for Sierra

Leone, a model case for successful peacebuilding.

Sustainable peace can be achieved only when a

society also addresses its past. The establishment of

effective justice and reconciliation mechanisms at the

national level is crucial to end impunity and to ensure

the rights of victims. Such efforts can be

complemented by international criminal justice

mechanisms, such as the ad hoc tribunals and the

International Criminal Court.

Peace, security and stability are preconditions for

sustainable development. Eradicating extreme poverty

and hunger continues to be one of the main challenges

facing the international community. Achieving the

Millennium Development Goals by 2015 is far from

assured. In view of the global financial crisis,

increased efforts by the international community are

urgently needed. Austria will contribute its share to

that global endeavour.

All those efforts will be in vain if we are unable

to protect our planet. Climate change is a fundamental

threat to humankind, aggravating poverty, hunger,

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environmental degradation and insecurity, and thus

seriously threatening the achievement of the

Millennium Development Goals. The United Nations

Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen

in December must decide on concrete actions to curb

climate change on the basis of mutual trust and strong

international cooperation.

Climate and energy measures can also be an

important part of our response to the current economic

crisis. Investments in green technologies and

sustainable, affordable and stable energy supplies will

benefit both the economy and the climate.

The Security Council summit on nuclear

non-proliferation and disarmament held earlier this

week issued a strong call for a world free of nuclear

weapons. For that vision to become reality, we need

progress on several fronts.

Austria, as Co-Chair, together with Costa Rica, of

the 2007 Conference on Facilitating the Entry into

Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

and co-leader of the process for the past two years, is

proud to have contributed to bringing the Treaty closer

to entering into force.

As current Chair of the Conference on

Disarmament in Geneva, Austria is working hard to

translate the recent positive momentum into substantial

progress, especially on a verifiable fissile material cut-

off treaty.

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must be

reinforced. The Review Conference of Parties to the

Treaty to be held next year will have to agree on a

package of measures and procedures that address the

key issues, but most of all it will need to build trust and

confidence.

Let me continue with three short remarks on

conventional disarmament.

First, I appeal to all States to make a success of

the Second Review Conference of the Ottawa

Landmines Ban Convention, to be held in Colombia in

December, and, in particular, to ensure improved

assistance to victims.

Secondly, I welcome the growing support for the

Convention on Cluster Munitions, which Austria

ratified in April. We appeal to all other States to sign

and ratify it as soon as possible.

Thirdly, we must counter the illegal proliferation

of small arms and light weapons. An arms trade treaty

would be an important step in that regard. Hoping to

contribute to speedy negotiations, Austria will host an

international conference in Vienna in February next

year.

With regard to the Iranian nuclear programme, it

is indispensable that Iran fully comply with all relevant

Security Council resolutions and closely cooperate

with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The

most recent announcement by the Government of Iran

concerning an additional enrichment facility is

discouraging and further increases our concern.

As an important regional actor, Iran has the

responsibility to contribute to peace and security in the

area. The time has now come for Iran to finally enter

into a constructive dialogue with the international

community. Iran should therefore grasp the hand

extended by its international partners and engage in

genuine and serious negotiations. The debates during

this week have clearly shown that the world will not

accept an Iran armed with nuclear weapons.

Let me also underline that Austria firmly rejects

the unacceptable remarks made by President

Ahmadinejad during his speech on Wednesday. We

reject any abuse of the United Nations General

Assembly as a platform for intolerance, anti-Semitism,

and racial hatred.

Mr. Grauls (Belgium), Vice-President took the

Chair.

Regarding the Middle East, we saw this week’s

summit between President Obama, Prime Minister

Netanyahu and President Abbas as a sign of hope. We

appeal to the parties to remove any remaining obstacles

to the early resumption of negotiations.

After decades of hostility and violence, time has

come to move decisively forward. Israel’s right to exist

in security and peace and the realization of the rights

of the Palestinian people to their own State are not

mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they are both

crucial elements of a comprehensive and just solution.

Austria will continue to help establish the

economic foundation and the institutional

infrastructure of a future Palestine State. It will also,

within the framework of the European Union,

contribute to the efforts to promote a dynamic and

results-oriented peace process.

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International cooperation and dialogue are the

basis for sustainable peace and development. Only by

closely working together will we be able to

successfully address the many challenges of today’s

globalized world. We therefore appreciate President

Treki’s initiative to make the need for dialogue a main

theme of this week’s debate. Situated in the heart of

Europe, and for most of its history at the crossroads of

different cultures, religions and political systems,

Austria has developed a practice of constructive

dialogue as the host country of one of the seats of the

United Nations for the past three decades.

I have made it one of my foreign policy priorities

to position Austria even more firmly as a platform for

peace and dialogue. We stand ready to host

international negotiations and provide our services, as

we did most recently for the informal talks on Western

Sahara. Austria can be counted on to be a partner in

translating the words, ideas and initiatives of this week

into concrete action.