Czech Republic, 1999

By way of introduction,

let me congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President

of the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly and

wish you every success in the execution of your important

functions. I would like to use this opportunity also to

express thanks to your predecessor, Mr. Didier Opertti of

Uruguay, for his responsible work and for the efforts he has

devoted to United Nations activities throughout the year.

The Czech Republic is very pleased that after five

years the Assembly again has an opportunity to welcome

new United Nations Members — Nauru, Kiribati and

Tonga. This further expansion of the United Nations family

is evidence of its increasingly universal nature, which the

Czech Republic unequivocally supports.

This year marks an important milestone for the Czech

Republic, which this past spring became a member of the

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), together with

Hungary and Poland. Recalling Article 1 of the Washington

Treaty, which refers to the United Nations Charter and

commits its members to address international conflicts by

peaceful means, we believe that this historic first

enlargement of the Alliance following the end of the cold

war will contribute to the enhancement of stability and

security, and do so not only in our region. We support

NATO’s continued enlargement through the inclusion of

other countries, and we are convinced that this first step

will also have a motivating and mobilizing character for

them.

NATO’s new strategic concept emphasizes its broad

approach to security issues; it envisages the necessity of

not only facing military risks but also of monitoring

economic, social, environmental and political issues that

may disrupt security and stability. NATO has

demonstrated that it has both the functional mechanisms

for crisis management and the capacities to manage

humanitarian crises. However, there is an obvious need

for the Alliance’s potential to be fully utilized by an

effective cooperation with the United Nations, which has

the ability to oversee the restoration of civil

administration and infrastructure. It is this close

cooperation that underlines the fact that our commitment

to peace is as strong as our will to challenge gross

violations of human rights by military means. And, of

course, the concept of regional security in Europe cannot

be imagined without NATO’s cooperating also with the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE), the Western European Union or the Council of

Europe.

Because development in Europe is profoundly

influenced by ever-deeper integration, the successful

completion of the long-term process of our country’s

entry into the European Union is currently the highest-

priority goal for Czech foreign policy. Having started

accession talks in the spring of last year, the Czech

Republic is promoting political dialogue with the

European Union member States and associated countries.

Through our active involvement in the Common Foreign

and Security Policy, we are assuming our share of

responsibility for development in Europe and the world,

obviously, to date, within the restrictive framework of our

status as an associated country. We attach major

importance to the social and environmental dimensions of

European integration. We are fully aware that the

importance of these dimensions will continue to increase

in order to keep up with the advancement of

globalization.

The disintegration of the bipolar world has brought

about a transition from confrontation to cooperation given

rise to efforts to create a new security architecture, and

led to integration processes, particularly on the European

continent. However, it has also brought about the

resurgence of dormant threats and the emergence of new

centres of instability. The Kosovo tragedy and other crises

have brought us closer to recognizing the importance of

the principle of the personal security of human beings and

its guarantees as a precondition of peace and security in

the world. The fact that the worst atrocities, which have

nothing in common with the civilized world, are still

46

being committed at the end of the twentieth century makes

this recognition all the more sad and alarming. In this

context, the Czech Republic would express its appreciation

and support for the work of the International Tribunal for

the Former Yugoslavia. The Czech Republic is convinced

that the international community’s efforts should result in

just punishment for all the atrocities committed.

The United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign

and Commonwealth Affairs, Robin Cook, correctly argued

here that we must counter the culture of impunity. All

criminals should be held to account. As Secretary- General

Kofi Annan said, massive and systematic violations of

human rights should not be allowed to stand, wherever they

may take place.

Kosovo will be the benchmark for the success

achieved by international institutions. Kosovo is now in a

period when it is necessary to defend peace, a period in

which to achieve political stability and democratization,

economic stabilization and a gradual development of the

region. The Czech Republic is interested in the region’s

stability in all respects. That is why it participated, in its

capacity as the currently presiding country of the Central

European Initiative, in the Stability Pact Summit meeting at

Sarajevo and why it will be working towards

democratization, economic reconstruction and security in

the region. We are, of course, fully aware that this is far

easier said than done. The obstacles on the road are

numerous and enormous.

The United Nations plays an irreplaceable role in

providing for international peace and security. The peaceful

resolution of disputes will undoubtedly continue to be one

of the main priorities of the United Nations. The Czech

Republic therefore attaches great importance to the use of

peacekeeping operations in dealing with crisis situations and

supports the efforts directed towards their greater efficiency,

particularly as regards their rapid deployment. Speed

appears to be the key aspect in many cases. However, the

United Nations must also have adequate funding to carry

out this demanding role effectively; unfortunately, its

financial resources are considerably limited at present

because of the fact that some Member States fail to honour

their financial obligations. The United Nations Interim

Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has been

marked by these problems: the Mission was not financially

secured to the degree which would have corresponded with

the security situation at hand and with the very difficult

task of restoring the civil administration in Kosovo. On the

other hand, it was probably the most rapidly deployed

mission in the history of the United Nations.

The importance of UNMIK is shown by the fact

that, as the highest civilian authority in Kosovo, it

coordinates activities of international regional

governmental and non-governmental organizations. The

Czech Republic greatly appreciates the positive

cooperation between UNMIK and KFOR, although it is

evident that the international security forces cannot in the

long term replace civilian administration and police

forces.

A major degree of responsibility lies on the

shoulders of the United Nations, and especially on those

of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Mr.

Bernard Kouchner, in Kosovo. I had an opportunity to get

to know his difficult task at first hand during my visit to

Pristina a few days ago. The Secretary-General’s Special

Representative needs the full support of the international

community in his efforts, including the transformation of

the UCK into a non-military Kosovo protection corps.

The Czech Republic obviously supports all steps and

measures which may bring about the establishment of a

democratic and multi-ethnic society in Kosovo as

stipulated by the Washington North Atlantic Treaty

Organization (NATO) Summit. Unfortunately, during my

stay in Kosovo I did not come across any convincing

evidence that that vision could really be implemented in

any foreseeable future — just the contrary. The

diminishing number of Serbs in Kosovo, the continuous

threats of murder — even to very old Serbian ladies —

the rising influence of a mafia, which Mr. Kouchner told

me about, the ever-present spirit of revenge, the lack of

trained police forces, the absence of local civil

administration, the disease of corruption and rivalry

between different sectors of the Kosovo Albanians are

just some of the obstacles which have to be dealt with

decisively in order to prevent the vision of the future

from becoming nothing but a never-fulfilled dream.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Secretary-General’s

unequivocal statement that commitment to humanitarian

action must be universal if it is to be legitimate. This

means not only that our commitment to peace and

stability cannot end with the cessation of hostilities but

that we have to be seen to be objective and even-handed

towards all ethnic groups, as well as towards all regions.

I am glad to note that the recent argument that “East

Timor is not Kosovo” was quietly dropped. The

Secretary-General has said that humanity, after all, is

indivisible; we have to wholeheartedly agree with him.

The Czech Republic intends to continue its

involvement in peace operations under the leadership of

47

both the United Nations and regional organizations, as

borne out by, among other actions, the operation of Czech

units under NATO command in Bosnia and Herzegovina as

well as in Kosovo. The first Czech policemen should arrive

in Kosovo to join the UNMIK police force within the next

five days. The number of police necessary to maintain civil

order in Kosovo is now more than double the figure

originally estimated, Mr. Kouchner told me. Police officials,

not the military, are trained to investigate murders or, even

more importantly, to take measures to prevent murders or

other grave challenges to law and order. The Czech

Republic is also prepared to consider sending military

observers to the United Nations peace missions in Sierra

Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, of

course, following a recent request we received from

Australia and the agreement on the Security Council

mandate, also to East Timor.

The Czech Republic is concerned about the

developments in East Timor. We welcome the fact that

after decades, the people of East Timor were given an

opportunity to implement their right to self-determination,

and we feel very shocked that the results of the referendum

led to bloodshed and indiscriminate killings. Indonesia’s

acceptance of the United Nations military peacekeeping

forces has made us confident that the United Nations will

succeed in ensuring peace in that area.

Peace and security in crisis-ridden areas are also

closely related to humanitarian relief, which is provided as

a rule to afflicted civilian populations. A radical

deterioration in the security situation may cause a

devastating humanitarian crisis, as we have seen in Kosovo.

Here, too, there is a need to look at the possibilities of

simplifying the United Nations decision-making

mechanisms. It is disturbing that, for example, the Office of

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees did

not have sufficient resources and capacities to tackle the

humanitarian crisis in that region, which was due mainly to

somewhat rigid procedures.

One of the most important tasks of the international

community is undoubtedly to prevent the proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction and to eliminate them

completely. Our aim is still a world without any nuclear

weapons. With regard to the forthcoming Review

Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to be held in

the year 2000, the Czech Republic calls for overcoming the

stagnation in negotiations on the relevant treaties supporting

the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and for developing

more positive attitudes, particularly on the part of nuclear

countries, which will create a more favourable atmosphere

in the disarmament process and lead to the adoption of

clear, practical and implementable nuclear disarmament

measures in the new millennium.

There is no question but that early ratification of the

START II Treaty between the United States and Russia

would help considerably to revive the disarmament

process. We consider the achievement of universal

applicability of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and of the Comprehensive

Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and their speedy

ratification a very urgent task. In this respect, we

particularly appreciate the CTBT ratification by France

and by the United Kingdom. The Czech Republic hopes

that the conference of CTBT countries, to be held at

Vienna in October this year, will help to accelerate

ratification in other countries.

We welcome efforts to improve the effectiveness of

the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical

Weapons, and we continue to express our support for

early negotiation of a verification protocol to the

Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,

Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological)

and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.

Regarding conventional arms, the Czech Republic

supports all measures that contribute to greater

transparency. It consistently fulfils its obligations to notify

the relevant registers and supports the efforts for an

expansion of their procedures which would cover

additional types of weapons. The Czech Republic also

fully shares the international community’s grave concern

over illegal transfers of hand-held and light weapons, and

supports all measures required to stop such activities. In

the context of the international efforts to limit and ban the

use of anti-personnel landmines, I can inform the

Assembly with satisfaction that, following last year’s

ratification of Protocol II to the Convention on

Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain

Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be

Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,

the Czech Republic has completed the process of ratifying

the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,

Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel

Mines and on Their Destruction and will soon deposit our

ratification instrument with the Secretary-General. We

support all efforts towards achieving universal

applicability of that Convention. We continue to be

involved in international activities focused on demining

and on providing help to landmine victims.

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The Czech Republic welcomed the enlargement of the

Conference on Disarmament by another five countries, to

which I extend warm congratulations. At the same time we

express our hope that the Conference on Disarmament will

succeed in overcoming the current stagnation and will start

talks not only on a treaty banning the production of fissile

materials for military purposes but also on other topical

problems of arms control and disarmament, including

nuclear disarmament, and on security guarantees for non-

nuclear countries.

There is no doubt that this year has been a real test for

the United Nations, as well as a critical test of transnational

decision-making during crises. This test, so crucial for the

future of the United Nations, has not yet been concluded

and properly evaluated. It is not only Kosovo that has

revealed that the United Nations in its present form does

not make full use of its potential to be an irreplaceable

vehicle for achieving the goals set out in the Charter. At the

threshold of the third millennium, the Organization

therefore looks for an answer to the question of how the

international community can become a truly responsible

community and what role the United Nations will play in

this process.

In our view, the United Nations must first of all

respond to the changed substance of conflicts in today’s

world. These are not classical conflicts between States but,

in most cases, internal conflicts rather similar to civil wars.

The United Nations and the international community in

general face the need to clearly define the relationship

between national sovereignty and the protection of human

rights and ultimately to engage in a discussion on how they

should support sensible civilian Governments that keep

armed forces under control. In this context, we should

clearly focus on the Secretary-General’s argument about

individual sovereignty and the right of every individual to

control his or her own destiny.

Secondly, the urgency of a radical acceleration of the

process of United Nations reform, particularly reform of the

Security Council, is becoming increasingly evident. The

Czech Republic fully supports the Secretary-General’s

reform efforts, and I would like to share the optimism

concerning early substantial progress in reform negotiations

which Mr. Annan expressed to me during our talks in

Prague last July. I have to admit that we consider the

results of this year’s negotiations, especially those on

Security Council reform, to be inadequate. This, of course,

corresponds to the role of the United Nations during the

initial stages of the Kosovo conflict. The composition of the

Security Council requires change. The Czech Republic

believes that the number of both permanent and non-

permanent members of the Security Council needs to be

increased, while representation of developing countries

has to be strengthened.

Thirdly, conflict-prevention mechanisms need to be

created, and attention should be devoted to questions such

as discrimination, poverty, access to raw materials and the

arms trade. The arms trade does not include only

extensive, elaborate weapons systems. It is the excessive

accumulation of hand-held and other small arms which

above all requires our tough response, because these

personal weapons play a key role in most conflicts. I

would like to express my full support for the call by the

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, to halt

the illegal trade in small arms. Cooperation with regional

organizations such as the Organization for Security and

Cooperation in Europe and the Organization of African

Unity, which may be more successful in dealing with

conflicts, should also play a role in preventing conflicts.

I very much welcome the Secretary-General’s emphasis

here on moving from a culture of reaction to a culture of

prevention.

Fourthly, the role of the United Nations in the area

of human rights and as part of a broader concept of

human security should be considerably intensified. We

welcomed the Secretary-General’s personal statement in

his address at this year’s session of the Commission on

Human Rights, in which he said, “I have made human

rights a priority in every United Nations programme”.

This, it seems to me, accurately reflects the importance

which the United Nations should give human rights issues

in the future. The United Nations should ensure that the

universal nature of human rights is accepted and projected

as a leading principle for the conduct of the international

community. By our joint efforts we should guarantee a

dignified and complete life for every individual in the

next millennium. It is unacceptable at the threshold of the

new millennium to claim that human rights are relative

and that their violation by sovereign States on their own

territory is solely their internal affair and as such may not

be a subject of interest to other members of the

international community. If the United Nations were

unable publicly to defend the existence of human rights,

it would be unable to defend its own existence.

At the same time, let us not forget the Secretary-

General’s warning about the need to ensure universal

legitimacy, which he issued in connection with the

bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. Incidentally, the

new Czech Government has adopted a foreign policy

49

concept which regards human rights as one of its main

pillars and which at the same time stresses the desirability

of United Nations mandates for peace-enforcing operations.

Fifthly, it is in the vital interest of the United Nations

for the world to step into the twenty-first century under the

rule of law in international relations. The situation in the

former Yugoslavia, including developments in Kosovo,

clearly shows the extremely important role already played

today by international judicial bodies in enhancing the

prestige of international law and its gradual integration into

the political decision-making processes. The implementation

of international law by the United Nations international

judicial bodies has considerable positive influence on how

global public opinion perceives the United Nations itself.

Let me now touch briefly on one more serious

problem. Recent earthquakes in Turkey, Greece and Taiwan

have underlined the need for the world to be prepared to

provide coordinated help to an area hit by a massive natural

disaster. This experience should, in our view, lead to the

further strengthening and deepening of the idea already

presented some time ago, namely, the idea of the “White

Helmets”. The challenge is to extend “White Helmets“ into

regular international rescue forces under United Nations

leadership, capable of coordinated action on the spot —

naturally, with the consent of the countries receiving such

assistance. The ultimate goal could be the formation of rapid-

response international forces, formed of national

contingents and permanently available, well-equipped expert

groups which could be dispatched to the stricken area in a

matter of minutes or hours.

In conclusion, let us remind ourselves once again that

the future of the United Nations is primarily a matter of the

political will of its Member States. Finding answers to the

questions which have been raised at this year’s session of

the General Assembly is therefore not only up to the United

Nations, but up to the entire international community. The

Millennium Assembly should give us a major opportunity

for finding answers to these questions. I also hope that the

Millennium Assembly will contribute decisively to the

acceleration of work on the United Nations reforms, the

need for which was so clearly highlighted by the Kosovo

crisis. I am sure that the recovery of the commitment to

multilateralism and to the leading United Nations role in the

struggle to uphold basic Charter values, such as democracy,

human rights and the rule of law, is now in sight.

My traditionally cautious optimism was, I admit,

slightly strengthened in this respect by listening here to

some politicians representing countries with far more

resources than the Czech Republic has at its disposal. Our

resources are, unfortunately, fairly limited. Nevertheless,

we will continue to support the United Nations and, as I

have said, to participate in its missions to pour millions

of dollars into humanitarian and development aid, and so

on. The point I wish to make clear in this speech, even so

late in the evening, is that we will always be ready to

help.