Cambodia, 2001

I wish to join

other representatives in congratulating you, Sir, on

your unanimous election as President of the fifty-sixth

session of the General Assembly. We are confident that

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under your able guidance the work of this General

Assembly session will be another milestone on the new

international scene, particularly in confronting the new

challenges facing our world, especially after the

extremely tragic terrorist attacks of 11 September on

the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon

in Washington, D.C.

I believe that the world has completely changed

since the attacks against the United States of America,

the deadliest terrorist attacks ever committed, in which

so many innocent lives were lost. These acts of

terrorism shook the world as the images of destruction

were broadcast live. They were undoubtedly crimes

against humanity. We must strongly condemn these

terrorist acts. We cannot forget those who lost their

lives and the families of the victims. In this regard, I

wish to extend, on behalf of the people and the Royal

Government of Cambodia, our most sincere

condolences to the families of the innocent victims and

the Government of the United States of America.

Cambodia fully supports the United Nations

resolutions condemning the acts of terrorism against

the United States. Cambodia also fully endorses the

international efforts in combating terrorism in all its

forms and manifestations. Cambodia is disturbed,

however, over the loss of innocent civilian lives as a

result of the bombings in Afghanistan. We must do

everything possible to avoid civilian casualties and loss

of life.

In order to find solutions to the current problems

facing our world, I believe that we need to look into

not only the root causes of terrorism but also the other

contributing factors that are confronting the world

today. First, we need to look for a just and lasting

peace in the Middle East, in particular a solution to the

Palestine problem. We need to respect the fundamental

right of self-determination of the Palestinian people. In

this regard, Cambodia supports the creation of a

Palestinian State as early as possible. One may argue

that the present situation in the world may have opened

a window of opportunity for finding solutions to the

ongoing conflict in the Middle East. I believe that all

parties concerned should, and I hope that they will,

give peace in the region a chance, which is the way to

overcome the lingering conflict in the region.

Secondly, the increase in poverty in the world is

another crucial problem that must be addressed with

some sense of urgency and collective responsibility.

Poverty is unquestionably one of the major causes of

the problems in the world today. I think that all nations

must join hands to fight poverty throughout the world.

At the same time, we must work to reduce the

widening gap between the developed and developing

countries.

In this regard, it is important for us to recall last

year’s Millennium Declaration, whose main thrust was

a war on poverty in the most comprehensive and most

inclusive manner possible. For the developing

countries, one of the main challenges in the war on

poverty is managing the negative side of an irreversible

process of globalization. The key question is how to

best integrate ourselves into an ever-accelerating

process of globalization so that the developing

countries will not be left out or continue to be further

marginalized. The process of globalization is a reality

without precedent, and no country in this world is

immune to, or able to opt out of, the process.

At the same time, we should work collectively

towards minimizing the negative impact of

globalization, which would enable the developing

countries to pursue sustainable development and

poverty reduction and provide the necessary tools for

the people to improve their standards of living.

Moreover, we think that if there is no mechanism or

principle which is universally accepted in order to

manage globalization, the gap between the developed

and developing countries will further widen in the

future. This is a problem of human security, which the

international community must consider finding

appropriate ways and means of addressing.

Thirdly, another side effect of poverty is the

growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS worldwide, across

regions and continents, affecting mostly the poor and

the developing countries. Therefore, we believe that

the rich, developed countries should do more to help in

the fight against the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Fourthly, as a contributing factor for combating

terrorism, we should attempt to find practical solutions

to the growing threat of the proliferation of nuclear

weapons and the illegal trade of small arms and light

weapons around the globe. In this context, Cambodia

fully agrees with the Secretary-General’s statement at

the Millennium Summit that the issues of nuclear

weapons and illicit trade in small arms and light

weapons should be given the highest priority on the

United Nations agenda in the area of arms control and

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disarmament. In this context, Cambodia wishes to call

upon all countries to respect all the nuclear-weapons-

related treaties, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile

(ABM) Treaty. Cambodia strongly believes that the

international community should work towards a

gradual reduction of nuclear stockpiles to a minimal

level, and non-proliferation and non-production of such

weapons in the future, which should be the basis for

building and maintaining a peaceful, safe and nuclear-

free world.

(spoke in French)

As a country that has suffered considerably from

the proliferation of small arms, Cambodia welcomes

the adoption of the Programme of Action at the

conclusion of the United Nations Conference on the

Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All

Its Aspects. In this regard, I congratulate the United

Nations on taking bold steps in addressing this vitally

important issue. Since 1998, the Royal Government of

Cambodia has carried out a nationwide campaign to

address the problems regarding such arms. So far more

that 120,000 small arms and light weapons have been

confiscated, and more than 50 percent of them have

been destroyed in the framework of an operation

named “Flames for Peace.”

Fifthly, for the United Nations to play a greater

role in addressing the increasing number of complex

problems that are now arising, the Kingdom of

Cambodia is of the view that the General Assembly

and the Security Council must be reformed so that they

become more effective and more efficient. As we may

recall, one of the most important pledges contained in

last year’s Millennium Declaration was the

revitalization of the General Assembly. While progress

in the structural and procedural aspects of the General

Assembly are vitally important, we must not lose sight

of the primary objective of this exercise, which is to

return to the General Assembly its original function as

the chief deliberative and representative body of the

United Nations. In other words, the international

community, especially the United Nations as a whole,

must play a constructive and proactive role, without

exclusivity, including in the struggle against terrorism.

I also believe that the current global situation

justifies a call for a constructive and timely reform of

the Security Council, which must reflect the realities

and needs of the world today. The Security Council

must be reformed to be made more representative,

more democratic and more effective in its decision-

making processes. Its membership and structure,

passed down since 1945, are inarguably outdated and

no longer reflect the political, economic, social and

demographic realities of our time or, apparently, the

growing issues of human security.

As the United Nations Charter mandates the

Security Council’s responsibility in the maintenance of

international peace and security, it is important for us

to ensure that the interests of all nations are sufficiently

reflected in the Council’s composition and voting

procedures. It is unacceptable, however, that the two

thirds of the world’s population residing in the

developing countries are not equitably represented in

the Council. Such practices could jeopardize the

Council’s credibility in the maintenance of

international peace and security. In this regard,

Cambodia supports the decision of the non-aligned

countries in favour of an additional increase in the

number of permanent and non-permanent members and

in particular reiterates its strong support for Japan,

Germany and India as candidates for permanent

membership of the Security Council.

In conclusion, it is clear that we are living in a

fast-changing world in which the rapid pace of

globalization and growing interdependence are the

order of the day. Peace, stability and prosperity are

interrelated and affect all nations and peoples on this

planet, especially following the extremely tragic

terrorist attacks in September. It is therefore essential

that we work together to build a genuine community of

nations in which the gap between the developed and

the developing countries is reduced; in which the threat

of terrorism and nuclear annihilation are eliminated; in

which the danger of a global HIV/AIDS epidemic is

mitigated; and in which poverty is alleviated. This can

come about only through the development of a more

genuine cooperation, the fostering of enhanced mutual

respect, the cultivation of greater tolerance, the

promotion of better understanding and the emergence

of a broader spirit of true union among nations in a

world that works on behalf of all.

I strongly believe that we can achieve all this

through collective will and actions that will help us to

usher in a new and brighter future for our world — a

world free of terrorism, a world of stability, peace,

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security, development and prosperity for all peoples in

the twenty-first century.

Finally, I am pleased to express, on behalf of the

Royal Government of Cambodia, our very warm

congratulations to Mr. Kofi Annan on his re-election to

a second term in the noble post of Secretary-General. I

do believe that, with his dedication and long-standing

experience in dealing with the many challenges faced

by the United Nations, the Secretary-General will

certainly achieve more success for the sake of peace

and stability for all nations Members of the United

Nations.