Croatia, 2010

At the outset, I would like

to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President

of the General Assembly, and to stress that you can

count on the full support of the Croatian delegation in

the coming year. At the same time, I would like to

thank Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki for his successful

work as President of the General Assembly over the

past year and for the results achieved under his

leadership.

The consequences of the serious threats facing

the modern world — from terrorism and the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to

humanitarian crises and climate change, to mention

just a few — reach far beyond the original framework

within which they began. Without exception, they are

acquiring global proportions. In the same way,

contemporary social and economic relationships have

grown far beyond narrow national frameworks and,

through the flow of people, goods, services and capital,

are creating a global network of mutual relations and

influence. Does the recent eruption of the volcano on

Iceland not testify to this in as vivid a manner as the

25 10-55128

joint humanitarian actions undertaken in response to

recent terrifying natural disasters?

This accelerated development of the

contemporary world, and especially the challenges and

threats to which it is exposed, call on all of us to take

swift action, shoulder joint responsibility and foment

new solidarity. There is no alternative to working

together in today’s world.

In that vein, the theme you have chosen, Sir, for

the opening of the sixty-fifth session of the General

Assembly reminds us, in focusing on the concept of

global governance, of the role of the Assembly in

formulating the global response to the challenges we

face in today’s world. At the same time, your proposal

calls for an examination of our own contribution to the

formulation of responses to these challenges.

During its membership of the Security Council,

Croatia promoted the ideas that are the backbone of all

civilized governance and therefore also of global

governance: the importance of the rule of law and the

protection and promotion of international law,

especially human rights and minority rights,

international humanitarian law and transparency in the

work of the main bodies of the United Nations.

Within the rich legal heritage of the United

Nations, the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2)

has particular significance. That document confirms

the global strategy of the United Nations in areas

crucial to the life and well-being of a large proportion

of humankind, and unites the activities of the relevant

institutions in this sphere. For Croatia, implementing

the Millennium Development Goals is of additional

importance because of their strong link with the

priorities related to the process of our accession to the

European Union, which has entered its final phase.

Croatia has decided to confirm its readiness to

participate in the international activities aimed at

achieving these goals by increasing its financial

contribution to the programmes and activities of the

United Nations. In that context, allow me to mention

the Republic of Croatia’s successful shift from

recipient to provider of international aid. Croatia has

aimed its support at the neighbouring region of South-

East Europe, where our knowledge and experience may

be most useful to the recipient countries.

Along with its contribution of peacekeeping

troops, police and military experts to 14 international

missions led by the United Nations, NATO and the

European Union, Croatia is also ready to share its

experience with States emerging from armed conflict

by offering expert advice and other services in the field

of security and defence sector reform and in

reintegrating demobilized persons into civilian society.

I would particularly like to emphasize that

peacebuilding support for countries emerging from

armed conflict is one of the most important and

complex challenges confronting the United Nations. In

that light, Croatia strongly supports the work of the

Peacebuilding Commission and the report (A/64/868,

annex) drawn up by the co-facilitators of the process of

reviewing the United Nations peacebuilding

architecture and the work of the Commission. Croatia

was a founding member of the Peacebuilding

Commission, and, wishing to continue contributing to

the significant efforts being made in this area, has

announced that it will be a candidate for membership

of the Commission for the period 2012-2013.

However important our joint action at the global

level may be to finding responses to the many

challenges that confront us, it is imperative when it

comes to attempting to find a deterrent to the use of

nuclear weapons. In recent years, we have witnessed a

renewed desire within the international community for

a world without nuclear weapons, which Croatia also

recognized in the historic Security Council summit of

September last year on the prevention of the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, with

President Barack Obama presiding (see S/PV.6191).

Making its own contribution to the significant

efforts aimed at preventing the proliferation of nuclear

weapons, in June the Republic of Croatia successfully

organized a regional workshop on the implementation

of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). Of course,

in Croatia we are aware that mere words and adopted

documents are not enough, especially to preventing the

direct threat posed by the possibility of terrorists

getting hold of weapons of mass destruction. We

therefore welcome the concrete steps being taken by

the nuclear States to reduce their nuclear capacities and

to increase the transparency and security of nuclear

reserves.

At the same time, we must not forget that, in

parallel with the existence of a nuclear threat, the

illegal trade in small arms and light weapons has taken

many human lives. Croatia most strongly condemns

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terrorism and is wholly dedicated to preventing this

threat in all its various forms at the national, regional

and global levels. In an attempt to make a contribution

to these efforts, during its time as a member of the

Security Council Croatia chaired the Counter-

Terrorism Committee for two years. During its

presidency of the Security Council in December 2008,

Croatia organized a debate on the subject of threats to

international peace and security caused by terrorist acts

(see S/PV.6034). The Council then adopted a

presidential statement (S/PRST/2008/45) calling on all

Members of the United Nations to show the same level

of solidarity they displayed immediately after the

tragic events of 11 September 2001.

As a member of NATO and a future member of

the European Union, Croatia is strongly engaged in

securing peace and stability in South-East Europe. This

is also precisely the reason why we advocate a clear

Euro-Atlantic perspective for all the States in the

region. To realize that perspective, it is first necessary

to accept and fully apply the principles on which

European integration was initiated 60 years ago:

cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect.

In that spirit, Croatia and Slovenia last year

agreed on a solution to their long-running border

dispute through international arbitration. By my

agreement with Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor,

a new page was turned in Croatian-Slovenian relations,

and at the same time a way was opened for all the other

countries of South-East Europe to realize their right to

a European future through dialogue and cooperation.

In that sense, I would like here to welcome the

decision by the General Assembly to adopt by

consensus a resolution on Kosovo (64/298) sponsored

by Serbia and the European Union. In this way, a

completely new European paradigm of cooperation,

peace and progress is being created in South-East

Europe. Croatia will lead the way in supporting and

promoting these values throughout the region, and

especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which also has

the right to a Euro-Atlantic perspective as a united

State of three constitutive and equal peoples. There is

no real alternative to the Euro-Atlantic future, and any

attempt to go back to the old and failed ways of the

past would be extremely harmful. This is the only

sphere of peace and security ensuring prosperity in the

Euro-Atlantic zone whose doors will be open to the

countries of South-East Europe that meet the

conditions for membership of NATO and the European

Union.

With this in mind, the Republic of Croatia

advocates the accepted concept of responsibility for the

protection of civilians against genocide, ethnic

cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. We

welcome, support and follow with special attention the

work of the International Criminal Court. In the same

vein, allow me to point out here that the Republic of

Croatia supports the work of the International Criminal

Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and welcomes the

Tribunal’s exit strategy.

Finally, this is an opportunity for me to say that

the Republic of Croatia, in line with its focus to date

on human rights, will continue its activities to protect

and promote them. I especially welcome the

establishment of UN Women as an important and

welcome new body within the Organization, aimed at

supporting gender equality and strengthening the

position of women.

In closing, allow me to end this address by

asserting that lasting and civilized governance,

especially insofar as it includes the United Nations,

must arise from the individual and return to the

individual. The protection of the dignity of human life,

and the dignity and identity of each nation, is the firm

foundation on which the United Nations can fulfil its

task to promote peace and security in today’s

globalized world.