France, 2005

Speaking for the first time from this rostrum, I wish to

reaffirm here the importance France attaches to the

multilateral system. Our common future cannot be

envisaged without strengthening it.

The declaration adopted the day before yesterday

is a milestone in that direction, even if it does not meet

all our expectations. Indeed, the text makes some

significant advances. I am thinking in particular of

innovative financing for development. I am also

thinking of the decision to establish a peacebuilding

commission within the Security Council. Finally, I am

thinking of the establishment of a Human Rights

Council and the endorsement of the principle of the

responsibility to protect. Now it is up to us to put those

new concepts into practice.

In that connection, I wish to pay tribute here to

the remarkable work that has been done under the

stewardship of Mr. Jean Ping.

But let us not underestimate the extent of the task

that still remains to be accomplished, be it in the areas

of counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, Security

Council reform or development assistance.

The United Nations is founded on the rule of law

and the promotion of universal standards. Those reflect

our common values and our conviction that there can

be no security and development without scrupulous

respect for human rights. This is not a moral question

but one of respect for the identity of every individual.

It is not a matter of passing judgement but of enabling

all people to live in greater freedom and in dignity.

Let us reject the impressment of children in

armed conflicts, the systematic use of sexual violence

against women and girls as a weapon of war, the

recourse to threats, arbitrary detention and torture of

opponents, journalists, labour leaders and defenders of

human rights. And, let us conclude the negotiations on

a convention against forced disappearances. To that

end, let us strengthen the Office of the United Nations

High Commissioner for Human Rights and promptly

establish the Human Rights Council.

France particularly welcomes the fact that the

international community now has the necessary

legitimacy to exercise effectively its responsibility to

protect populations threatened by ethnic cleansing,

crimes against humanity and genocide. France also

welcomes the progress of the international criminal

justice system, in particular through the action of the

Security Council. Those who believe they can count on

the international community not to act when they

commit their crimes should make no mistake: they will

be held accountable.

Sixty years after the founding of the United

Nations, terrorism is now at the top of the list of human

rights violations. Nothing — no cause, religion or

moral order — can justify attacks on the lives of

innocents, the lives of civilians. We must define acts of

terrorism once and for all so that we can better combat

that barbaric practice which sets humankind back.

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The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

constitutes another major threat for the planet, against

which we must remain united and determined.

France, together with its British and German

partners, has proposed to Iran a constructive approach

paving the way for a new relationship between that

great country and the international community. That

relationship is currently compromised by concerns over

Iran’s nuclear programme. We ask Iran to build trust by

providing objective guarantees on the exclusively

peaceful nature of its programme. Iran’s statements

from this rostrum compel the international community

to meet its responsibilities, as referral of the matter to

the Security Council is on the agenda in order to

strengthen the authority of the International Atomic

Energy Agency. The very integrity of the non-

proliferation regime is at stake.

But let us also work to reduce the proliferation of

small arms and light weapons, which fuel so many very

deadly conflicts.

To better serve peace and ensure the security of

populations, the Security Council has expanded its

field of action to the trafficking that finances conflicts

and the impunity that protects traffickers, using, in

particular, sanctions and embargoes. The United

Nations is resolutely engaged on the ground, at the

very heart of conflicts. More than 70,000 blue

helmeted soldiers and police officers are now serving

in 18 peacekeeping operations, and thousands of others

are operating under Security Council mandates.

The results can be seen, for example, in Timor-

Leste, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi,

Liberia and Sierra Leone. But as countries emerge from

crisis, it is essential that they continue to benefit from

our full attention and support. The United Nations has

the duty to take a central role in the transition phase

through the Peacebuilding Commission.

Other situations demand great vigilance and a

high level of mobilization. Thus, in Haiti, the presence

of strong contingents of United Nations soldiers and

police must lead to the strengthening of the political

process by involving all peaceful forces without

exception. Preparations for elections must be

accelerated. Like all peoples, the Haitian people, who

have suffered for too long, are entitled to respect and

freedom.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the presence of the United

Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire and the

appointment of a High Representative of the Secretary-

General for the elections should also help strengthen

implementation of the process set out at Marcoussis

and Pretoria.

But in Côte d’Ivoire, as in Haiti, the determined

action of the united international community will not

produce results unless all parties cooperate in good

faith and demonstrate their sense of responsibility. In

Abidjan as in Bouaké, all must respect their pledged

commitments so that free and transparent elections can

be held throughout the country. No other solution is

possible. That is why it is essential to resolutely

support the electoral process that has begun, as well as

the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration

programmes. All Ivorian parties must understand that

they will not block the peace efforts with impunity if

they take an obstructive stance, make hate speeches or

challenge democratic rules. The Security Council will

meet its responsibilities.

The situation in Lebanon demonstrates what can

be accomplished by a determined international

mobilization, supported by the courageous will of the

people. Most Syrian forces have now left Lebanon.

Elections have been held. A representative Government

has been formed. Our Organization must continue to

support the Lebanese Government’s efforts to recover

full sovereignty and exercise its authority over the

whole of its territory. At the same time, we must

continue to support the work of the commission of

inquiry into the assassination of Rafik Hariri. We are

determined to see justice done.

Also with respect to the Middle East, a dynamic

of hope, which could touch all States of the region, is

emerging following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

France, together with its European partners, stands

with the Palestinians to rebuild and develop that

territory so that its inhabitants can move around freely

and have access to jobs and, quite simply, to decent

living conditions.

But we must not stop there. It is important to

restore political prospects for relaunching

implementation of the road map by, on the one hand,

encouraging the Palestinians to redouble their efforts

on security and, on the other, encouraging the Israelis

to take the measures necessary to stop settlement

activity and to comply with international law in their

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struggle for security. Peace can come only with the

existence of two peaceful and democratic States living

side by side in peace and security.

Finally, with respect to Iraq, France remains

engaged so that, with the assistance of the United

Nations in particular, the Iraqi people can acquire

democratic institutions with which all Iraqis can feel

identified. It is clear that a policy focused exclusively

on security leads to the retrenchment of a community,

thus jeopardizing the cohesion of Iraqi society and the

country’s unity. In Iraq, too, the political process must

not exclude any representative, peaceful force, and the

political process must offer Iraq the prospect of the

restoration of its complete sovereignty.

In all those crises, the Security Council has

gradually imposed the authority of the United Nations

in the service of international peace and security. Its

action is legitimate, and its authority will be further

strengthened when we reach agreement on an

enlargement of the Council that reflects the emergence

of new Powers and which gives an equitable place to

all continents.

At the same time, it is important to carry out the

thorough management reforms that our Organization

requires. In his report entitled “In larger freedom”

(A/59/2005), the Secretary-General proposed elements

of an action plan and initiated the first reforms. I pay

tribute to his resoluteness and reaffirm France’s

determination to support him in his approach.

We all know that security and development

cannot be separated. Five years after the Millennium

Summit, heads of State or Government have just issued

a troubling assessment of the implementation of the

Millennium Development Goals.

The outcome document they adopted (resolution

60/1) clearly sets out the priorities on which we must

take action. The first of those sadly remains food

security, because, as underlined by the Declaration on

Action Against Hunger and Poverty, adopted in 2004

on the initiative of President Lula and President

Chirac, hunger remains the worst weapon of mass

destruction. It continues to kill several hundred million

men, women and children around the planet. We can

see it happening right now in the Sahel and southern

Africa. That scourge belonging to another age can and

must be fought.

Of course, emergency humanitarian aid must be

provided to people in distress. That implies

strengthening the coordination of United Nations

interventions and, in particular, the establishment of an

international humanitarian force, as proposed on

several occasions by France.

But beyond that, it is important to provide all

areas at risk with the technical resources for prevention

and early warning. Above all, it is essential to create

the conditions for sustainable development to the

benefit of all. That is the aim of the Millennium

Development Goals, whose attainment requires

substantial long-term financing. Official development

assistance will continue to be primary for much time to

come. The summit’s outcome document recalls the

international commitments made in that regard, which

France and the European Union will respect. It is

urgent that the other developed countries make the

same commitments. But we know well that this will

not be sufficient. Additional long-term resources have

to be found through innovative financing mechanisms.

France endorses the establishment of

international solidarity contributions. Over 66

countries have given their support to the pilot project

to levy a tax on airline tickets, and we welcome this. In

February, France will host a ministerial conference on

this initiative so that it can be implemented specifically

and promptly.

By devoting three of the eight Goals to health, the

Millennium Declaration has put public health back at

the centre of sustainable development. In terms of its

scope and socio-economic impact, the HIV/AIDS

pandemic is of concern to us all. Only by working

together will we be able to deal with it, through an

approach that integrates prevention, treatment, care and

the medical and social vulnerability of infected

persons. France wants to carry out this integrated

approach with its European partners and with the

World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations

Program on HIV/AIDS and the Global Fund to Fight

AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We must do

everything possible to achieve universal access to

treatment by 2010, if need be promoting greater

flexibility of intellectual property rights as provided for

in the Doha international trade agreements.

The fight against AIDS requires us all to mobilize

our efforts. For its part, France has pledged to double

its contribution to the Global Fund, increasing the

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amount to 300 million euros by 2007. At the same

time, international cooperation must take into account

the particular challenges faced by certain categories of

individuals: victims of abject poverty who are

excluded, young women denied the right to sexual and

reproductive health, those with disabilities

marginalized by society.

From the Indian Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico,

from Japan to Antarctica, man is confronted today with

an unprecedented rise in environmental threats that he

himself has caused. Scientific proof of the reality of

climate change and its human origins are irrefutable.

All initiatives must be compatible with the Kyoto

Protocol; prospects must be charted for the future of

the multilateral climate regime after 2012. France

would hope to see more robust commitments,

especially regarding the transfer of technologies to

emerging countries. To respond to the threat and more

effectively mobilize energies and resources, France and

Europe have proposed the establishment of a

specialized agency, based on the United Nations

Environment Programme, for the purpose of

coordinating international action. This idea is

mentioned in the summit’s outcome document; it must

now be translated into reality.

The United Nations is commemorating its sixtieth

anniversary this year. The world has changed

profoundly since 1945. Millions of men and women

have gained freedom and have emerged from

underdevelopment. Technological progress has been

staggering and has radically changed the life of society

and relations among States. Challenges and threats

have changed; they are now worldwide and jeopardize

humanity itself.

Yet, we must remain optimistic. It is not too late,

given that we understand what is at stake and that we

mobilize collectively. The United Nations is

rediscovering the way charted for it by the founding

fathers: helping in the peaceful settlement of disputes,

building international cooperation for development and

promoting human rights.

We need the United Nations more than ever; it is

the sole framework for universal comprehensive action

which is legitimate and recognized as such by all

States. Let us give it our full support. France for its

part makes this commitment.