Brunei, 2004

I

would like to extend my warmest congratulations to

you, Sir, on your election as the President of the

General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session. My

delegation wishes to assure you of its full support and

cooperation during your tenure of office. I also express

my appreciation to your predecessor, Mr. Julian Hunte,

for his leadership and tireless work over the past year.

I also extend my appreciation to Mr. Kofi Annan

and his staff for their continuous hard work and

commitment. The Secretary-General’s personal

dedication and leadership in the work of the United

Nations, especially his efforts for global peace and

stability, are an inspiration to us all. Those efforts are

all the more necessary in the light of what many of us

here have described as disturbing world developments.

On behalf of the Government of Brunei

Darussalam, I wish to extend our sympathy and

condolences to the Governments and the peoples of the

United States and the Caribbean countries for the

devastation caused by the recent hurricanes.

Since its establishment 59 years ago, the United

Nations has achieved much, especially in ensuring

international peace and security and creating a stable

and prosperous world. There has not been a world war

since its inception, and it has had a positive impact in

many fields, such as peacekeeping, the eradication of

various diseases and socio-economic development. We

highly commend those efforts and value the sacrifices

of those involved.

However, the achievements of the United Nations

have been undermined by increasingly complex

international developments. In his annual report on the

work of the Organization (A/59/1), the Secretary-

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General stated that the United Nations has been

through an extraordinarily challenging year. It was the

year in which the Iraq war brought the debate on the

United Nations role into sharper focus.

Moreover, our Organization is still preoccupied

with many unresolved issues. Among others, the

Palestinian conflict remains a grave concern. Terrorism

and weapons of mass destruction continue to pose

serious threats. At the same time, poverty,

environmental degradation and the spread of disease

cause further misery and hardship for millions. Those

issues demand our effective response, which will

ultimately define the relevance of our Organization.

We therefore need more than ever a strong and

effective United Nations, one that is able to promote

world peace and development. It must also give hope

and purpose to the people who increasingly look to it

to improve their lives.

However, the United Nations cannot do all that

on its own. For it to carry out its responsibilities

effectively, Member States need to work together,

contribute resources and honour their commitments. As

we work collectively to meet today’s complex

challenges, we must continue to adhere to the

principles enshrined in the Charter. All the various

conventions and treaties, from nuclear non-

proliferation to environmental conservation, are

manifestations of how we and the United Nations aim

to protect our people and ensure that they can live to

their fullest potential. In that regard, I wish to

congratulate the Secretary-General for his address to

the General Assembly, in which he emphasized the

importance of those issues. It is through our

reaffirmation of the Charter’s principles that we can

effectively uphold human ideals, enhance security and

stability and promote sustainable development.

Without doubt, the United Nations is the most

universal international body for providing a

multilateral response. We need to reform the United

Nations urgently so that it can be better equipped. In

that regard, Brunei Darussalam fully supports the

Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen and revitalize

the United Nations. In particular, we welcome the work

of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and

Change, which he has set up to address this.

We believe that United Nations reform should be

comprehensive and include an expanded and more

representative Security Council, a revitalized role for

the General Assembly and better coordination among

United Nations agencies. The interest a number of

countries have shown in serving as permanent

members of the Security Council is a clear indication

of the desire for change.

Next year, the Assembly will consider the report

of the High-level Panel and the recommendations of

the Secretary-General. I realize how difficult it is to

find a solution that is acceptable to all, but it is

incumbent upon Member States to make a difference

by implementing the much-needed reforms. Thus, a

willingness to find a balanced set of proposals will be

necessary. We look forward to the report, which,

hopefully, will make the necessary bold and realistic

proposals in order to end the decade-long debate on

this issue.

Next year will be a critical time for us as we

review implementation of the Millennium

Development Goals. To ensure that the commitments

set forth in the Millennium Declaration are

implemented on schedule, we must act without delay.

As for Brunei Darussalam, we are doing our part to

achieve those goals.

As we begin to look into our agenda for this

session, we must remain focused on the issues

affecting many innocent lives in Palestine. Recent

developments, such as the illegal construction of the

wall in the occupied Palestinian territories, must be

stopped and reversed. The advisory opinion of the

International Court of Justice and the subsequent

General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 reflect the

international community’s overwhelming support for

ending injustice in the occupied territories.

The concerned parties must do all they can to

prevent the situation from deteriorating. They must

make serious efforts to honour their obligations as

outlined in the road map. It is critical that progress

should be made so that we can find a comprehensive,

just and durable solution to that longstanding conflict.

The situation in other parts of the Middle East,

such as Iraq, has created enormous anxiety. We

acknowledge the central role of the United Nations and

the efforts of other countries and parties in addressing

the political and humanitarian dimensions of the

problems.

In our region, we recognize that the nuclear issue

on the Korean peninsula has a serious impact on the

peace, stability and security of the Asian-Pacific

region. We appreciate the role of China, the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, the

Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States in

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seeking a solution through dialogue in the six-party

talks. It is important that all parties concerned continue

their efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the issue.

We are deeply saddened by the horrifying scenes

of harm inflicted upon innocent people by terrorist

acts. Brunei Darussalam would like to convey its great

sympathy to the Governments and the peoples of the

countries in Asia, the Middle East and Europe that

have been targeted by terrorist attacks in the past year.

We strongly condemn those atrocious acts.

Terrorism affects all of us — women and men,

adults and children, developed and developing

countries. It knows no boundaries. It has no ethnic,

racial or religious affinities. Despite concerted efforts,

devastating incidents this year have heightened the

threats and challenges posed by terrorism. Those acts

are becoming more complex, and our fight against

them is far from over. It is therefore important to

address this problem in a comprehensive manner. In

doing so, we need to identify this problem’s real source

and root causes. This is what we have to bear in mind

if we are to achieve a long-term solution. At the same

time, we must not allow terrorists to divide us and

undermine our determination to fight this menace

collectively.

The challenges that we face require us to move

forward to ensure that the United Nations continues to

play its pivotal role. I am confident, Mr. President, that

under your able leadership, the General Assembly will

achieve success and make the decisions necessary to

fulfil the hopes and expectations of the peoples it

represents. Our tasks are great, but so also are our

capabilities when we all work together.