France, 2004

I would

like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your

election. We are pleased that a man of your ability, a

Francophone representative of a friendly country, is

directing our proceedings.

I also wish to warmly applaud our Secretary-

General. We have heard his message on respect for the

rule of law. And through the Secretary-General, I wish to

commend the entire staff of this institution, here and

everywhere in the world: their courage and commitment

are a credit to our ideals and to the organizations they

serve — sadly, sometimes at the cost of their own

lives.

How are we to meet the challenges facing the

world? That is the question we all keep asking

ourselves, one after another, from this rostrum. And

how are we to meet the world’s expectations unless we

all mobilize? More than ever, the United Nations

remains the one irreplaceable, legitimate framework

for harnessing that mobilization and translating it into

collective action.

We have much to do: conflicts remain unresolved,

while others are breaking out; poverty is declining all too

slowly; people are destroyed by wars; refugees are torn

from their land; and the threat of terrorism is not

fading. Yes, we have much to do. Yes, we have a duty

to act, and an obligation never to give up.

The United Nations is acting — on all fronts, on

the front line. To resolve conflicts and prevent them

from flaring up again, it is present everywhere, on all

continents, in Haiti, Kosovo, the Democratic Republic

of the Congo, in Côte d’Ivoire, Afghanistan and many

other fronts, deploying over 50,000 Blue Helmets. It

provides assistance to 17 million people protected by

the High Commissioner for Refugees. Through the

World Food Programme, it feeds more than 100 million

individuals. And it helps, especially through the United

Nations Development Programme, 170 States or

territories to develop.

United Nations activities — our activities —

continue to expand. Thus, the Organization is called

upon to be at the centre of the counter-terrorism

measures that the international community is putting in

place. The threat of terrorism, now a global one,

calling for a global response. That is why France

committed itself here to the fight, and did so again

recently by supporting the strengthening of the

Counter-Terrorism Committee.

The tragedy of 11 September, which I refer to

with feeling here in New York City, was an attack on

us all. Since then, terrorism has continued to strike: in

Europe, in Madrid, six months ago; and in Asia, in Bali

and Jakarta. Cowardly attacks are mounted against the

weakest. How can we not be appalled at the tragedy of

the school in Beslan where children — the symbol of

innocence — were violently massacred?

We are waging a merciless fight against

terrorism. Let us at the same time address its roots.

That means putting an end to situations that terrorists

exploit; giving the world’s excluded hope again;

restoring dignity to those peoples deprived of it; and

ensuring that dialogue and cooperation among

civilizations, cultures and religions prevail, rather than

conflict and intolerance.

Global threats require a strong, and always

collective, response. The threat of proliferation, which

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could merge with that of terrorism, calls for resolute

and sustained action. The non-proliferation regime has

been seriously undermined by the combined action of

certain States and non-State actors. That is why

strengthening existing instruments is today essential.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons (NPT) Review Conference in 2005 will be an

opportunity to do so.

A safer and freer world is, first, a more just

world. That is why we must act relentlessly to resolve

conflicts. I am, of course, thinking, first and foremost,

of the Middle East, where — in the wake of the hopes

raised by Madrid, Oslo, Camp David and Taba — the

absence of any prospect is today breeding despair,

extremism and violence of every kind. This central

crisis can be resolved only through a negotiated

settlement based on international law, enabling all the

peoples — I repeat, all the peoples — of the region to

live in dignity and security.

The road map, which the parties have accepted

and which the Security Council has endorsed, must be

implemented in full and in good faith. France hopes

that the withdrawal from Gaza is a first step in that

direction. It will make every effort to get the peace

process under way again. It will continue to act vis-à-

vis all the leaders — the elected and legitimate

leaders — of that region.

Let us make no mistake: building peace in the

Middle East is a historic responsibility for our

generation. Europe — the European Union — in

partnership with the United States, Russia and the

United Nations, is determined to play a political role in

order to stimulate this process.

In Iraq, violence is exploding. It seems to us that

only when the Iraqis themselves take control of their

future, and when the political process provided for by

the Security Council is pursued, will the country be

able to escape the chaos that is destabilizing the entire

region. France, as everyone knows, did not approve of

the conditions in which the conflict was unleashed.

Neither today nor tomorrow will it commit itself

militarily in Iraq. However, it reaffirms its willingness,

with its European partners, to assist the Iraqi people in

rebuilding their country and in restoring their

institutions.

Who can fail to see that, in the Middle East,

everything is fragile and everything is interconnected?

Who can fail to understand that the only path —

everywhere — is sovereignty and justice for peoples?

Only then will they make progress towards peace and

the economic and political modernization to which

they are entitled.

Africa, too, is where we will win or lose the battle

for justice. Without justice, there will be no peace.

Without peace, there will be no lasting development. The

future of the African continent, and its stability and

development, are a vital objective for us all.

Today, with the impetus of the United Nations,

longstanding crises have been, or will be, settled —

Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Others,

however, have broken out, and together we must

prevent them from worsening or spreading: in Côte

d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic, and Darfur. The

Great Lakes region is slow to find the path to peace,

just as the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea is

slow to die, and the Somali question remains to be

resolved.

On that great continent, which is undergoing

profound change, facing real threats but also

considerable potential, political leaders are today

demonstrating a genuine determination to commit to

working to resolve conflicts and crises. That can be

seen from the implementation of the New Partnership

for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); the resolute

commitment of the African Union on the political front

and in the field; and the growing role of regional

organizations. We resolutely support that commitment.

For development, but also for peace-building, we wish

to bring about the conditions for an effective and

coherent partnership between North and South.

Given the magnitude of the goals and needs of

the continent, I firmly believe in the importance of

pooling the efforts of the Europeans with those of our

African partners, under United Nations auspices,

whenever necessary. I am convinced that our

experience of European integration — without

attempting to teach any lessons — can simply be useful

to that continent, and that is the sense of the statement

made on our behalf by the representative of the

presidency of the European Union, Bernard Bot, before

the Assembly the day before yesterday.

France has long been involved in strengthening

African peacekeeping capacities. Today, the European

Union intends to make a commitment immediately and

with determination. Operation Artemis, in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, is proof of that

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commitment. The creation of the European Peace

Facility now provides major support to African

organizations. We are willing, if the African Union so

wishes, to assist it in its action for peace, as in the

Sudan.

Mr. Olhaye (Djibouti), Vice-President, took the

Chair.

Justice and conflict prevention cannot be

dissociated from collective action to promote

development. The Millennium Goals — to which the

developing countries, donor States and multilateral

institutions are committed — are an overriding obligation

for us all, especially the wealthiest countries.

More than $50 billion a year is still needed to

achieve those objectives — a fact of which we all are

aware. On Monday, 100-odd countries endorsed the

New York Declaration on Action Against Hunger and

Poverty. Together they ask that additional resources be

provided for development, including through

innovative mechanisms. This is a powerful movement,

launched in this very forum of the United Nations,

aimed at generating the necessary resources for justice

and for development. It is an important milestone. My

country is proud to have contributed to it, through the

voice of the President of the Republic, and it will

continue to do so.

But France is also fighting for a more controlled,

and therefore most just, globalization that would give

everyone a chance. We advocate the establishment of a

political body, in which the United Nations must have

its due place — to improve coordination of multilateral

action in the economic, social and environmental fields

and to provide the necessary impetus. This is one of the

major issues that we must consider in coming months,

especially on the basis of the proposals that the Panel

on reform is expected to make.

Again, a more just world is a world that respects

human dignity and freedom. Fundamental human rights

are universal. Each man, woman and child has these

inherent rights, and it is up to us to see that they thrive

and are respected.

It is also up to us to fight firmly and

uncompromisingly against all manifestations of violence

and discrimination based on race, origin, gender or

religion. Our resolve in the area of human rights, as

elsewhere, must remain absolute and constant. I mean

that we need a genuine dialogue with the civil society

and with all non-governmental organizations. The time

has come, it seems to us, to conclude the negotiation of

a conventional instrument on forced disappearances, to

recognize the rights of indigenous peoples and to

mobilize against all forms of modern slavery.

Let us not rule out the use of force, in certain

cases and on the appeal of victims, to prevent massive

human rights violations and acts of violence against

civilians. The Security Council has the honour of

assuming this responsibility, in accordance with the

United Nations Charter.

Let us also continue putting in place mechanisms

to combat impunity, often the prerequisite for durable

peace and lasting reconciliation. The establishment of

the International Criminal Court specifically meets this

objective. We welcome the major milestone reached

with the entry into force of the Rome Statute.

The dignity of humankind and peoples also

requires due respect for cultures in their diversity. The

sense of loss of identity contributes to the frustrations

that breed a good many conflicts. The unity of the

international community, it goes without saying, cannot

be synonymous with uniformity.

The negotiation of a convention on cultural

diversity, which has just started at the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is,

therefore, in our view, a key objective. It must produce

a concrete result, as planned, before the 2005 general

conference.

Our planet is dangerous; it is also in danger. The

earth is showing signs of strain; we are not maintaining

it; in fact, we are plundering it; the climate is

deteriorating. And yet, we should remember, scarcity

of resources has at all times been a factor in conflict.

For the future of our children, we must act while there

is still time.

Is there among us, for that matter, one single issue

that more obviously ignores borders than ecology and

ecological security and requires coordinated action —

that is, multilateral action? International governance in

environmental matters is, it seems to us, inadequate

today. We must simplify and strengthen the existing

international regime on environmental issues, develop

monitoring, and early warning expertise, and increase

financing, especially for developing countries.

Let us be clear-sighted. For the environment, as

for so many other issues, prevention costs less than

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cure. In this regard, we hope the establishment of a

United Nations organization for the environment will

be considered, based on the achievements of the United

Nations Environment Programme. We propose that this

great undertaking, which is one of the Millennium Goals,

be on the agenda of the September 2005 summit.

In a world — our world — where 800 million

people do not have enough to eat, where more financial

resources are devoted to weapons than to development,

where millions of men, women and children are forced

to leave their land to escape destitution or massacres, the

international community has a duty to act and to show

imagination. It is here at the United Nations where we

can meet to take initiatives, to fight misfortune and to

apportion the tasks, all of them urgent.

The United Nations system, which is unique and

more indispensable than ever, also has an obligation to

reform itself to meet new needs and new threats, and to

make the most of new technologies merely in order to

live in our times. The Secretary-General got down to

this problem at the start of his first mandate.

Considerable work has already been done. The

proposals of the high-level panel will be the basis for

the next, still more ambitious, stages. France has made

proposals on many issues, such as peacekeeping

operations, human rights and development financing.

We have also indicated, with Germany, how the

representativity and legitimacy of Security Council

action might be improved. We advocate enlargement in

both categories of members, permanent and non-

permanent; and we have expressed support for the

aspirations of Germany, Japan, Brazil and India, which

should be accompanied by a country from Africa.

In a complex and unpredictable world, it is our

joint responsibility to maintain and strengthen the one

institution where all nations can work together, where

they can unite to shape and control their common

destiny. Through its legitimacy and ever-increasing

effectiveness, the United Nations must be the

instrument of universal conscience for which it remains

the crucible.