Liechtenstein, 2000

Allow me to begin my

remarks by congratulating you, Mr. President, on your

election to the presidency of the fifty-fifth session of

the General Assembly. I wish you much success in

guiding the Assembly to a fruitful outcome and I

pledge to you the full support of the Liechtenstein

delegation. I would also like to congratulate the newest

Member, Tuvalu, on its admission to the United

Nations and in particular, to welcome Tuvalu into the

group of small countries.

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I have had the honour of participating in the

general debate before, but this year is very special. It

marks the tenth anniversary of Liechtenstein's

membership in the United Nations. I would therefore

like to include in my remarks some of the issues to

which Liechtenstein attaches particular importance in

its United Nations engagement. For Liechtenstein, as

for many other countries, the United Nations stands for

the protection of human rights and human dignity and

for the promotion of common values.

The United Nations has been particularly

challenged during the last 12 months in playing its

rightful role in the pursuit of peace and security.

Although remarkable efforts have been made, some

conflict situations still do not allow for effective

peacekeeping to take place. When the Secretary-

General called last year for a culture of prevention, my

delegation fully supported his ideas and we still believe

that the prevention of conflicts must be the key concept

in the maintenance of peace. We all know that

preventing conflicts can save hundreds of thousands of

lives. Political energy and enormous financial

resources can be used for other purposes. The term

`culture of prevention' entails a comprehensive

approach to different kinds of problems. However,

preventive approaches can be perceived as a threat to

the sovereignty of a State. The classic notion of the

term obviously no longer enables us to cope with the

changed realities of the world. The sovereignty of

States remains a cornerstone of the United Nations.

Creating a culture of prevention is therefore a process

that requires a concerted effort by the United Nations

membership as a whole. Addressing the root causes of

so many of today's internal conflicts will constitute a

further step in meeting this humanitarian, political and

economic necessity. Liechtenstein has for several years

promoted ideas and suggestions on a preventive

approach with regard to problems arising from the

application of the right of self-determination. It is time

to free ourselves of biased and obsolete thinking and to

recognize that the effective application and exercise of

the right of self-determination is the basis for

preventing internal conflicts and the violent

disintegration of States.

The adoption of the Rome Statute of the

International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998 was an

historic step. The conclusion of the work on the

elements of crimes and the rules of procedure by the

Preparatory Commission this summer was a further

step forward, and the ratification process is promising.

We hope to be able to contribute to the entry into force

of the Statute soon. It is of crucial importance that the

integrity of the Rome Statute be maintained throughout

the remaining work to be done by the Preparatory

Commission. The qualities of the ICC have often been

praised. The ICC's potential for prevention is certainly

one of its outstanding characteristics. An effective

criminal court will make an important contribution to

terminating the practice of impunity which has

prevailed for so long without being seriously

challenged.

Liechtenstein has always supported enhanced

United Nations cooperation with regional

organizations, inter alia, the Organization for Security

and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as well as the

Council of Europe, in particular in the areas of human

rights, conflict prevention and post-conflict

rehabilitation.

The promotion and protection of human rights

can also contribute to the prevention of conflicts. This

is more than a legitimate concern for all of us it is

our duty. Ever since Liechtenstein became a Member of

the United Nations 10 years ago, this issue has been a

top priority. In recent years, human rights have become

more important in foreign policy and in the world

economy. There is increased awareness that human

rights issues cannot be considered in an isolated

manner, since there is a clear connection between

human rights and economic prosperity, social welfare,

and peace and security.

The full enjoyment of human rights and

fundamental freedoms by women must be the basis for

full equality in a stable society and we must continue

to take further action in order to achieve the full

advancement and empowerment of women. Together

with 12 women Foreign Ministers, I last night signed a

letter addressed to the Secretary-General in which we

noted the special needs of women in HIV/AIDS

prevention, care and treatment, and called upon the

United Nations membership to take into account the

need for an enhanced availability of education, testing,

counselling, care and treatment designed to address the

specific needs of women and girls.

Liechtenstein fully supports the fight against

transnational organized crime, in particular trafficking

in persons, and offences against children as well as the

fight against money laundering. Financial crime is

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increasingly a key concern in today's open and global

financial world, which is characterized by the high

mobility of funds and the rapid development of new

payment tools. In our view, international cooperation in

the global fight against money laundering can only be

enhanced if all international financial services centres

work towards full implementation of internationally

agreed standards, and my Government therefore fully

supports the objectives of the United Nations Global

Programme against Money Laundering (GPML)

Forum. The approach must, however, be transparent,

inclusive and non-discriminatory, and the positive

action already taken or being taken by individual

countries must be properly recognized. Any punitive

approach, including the establishment of lists and the

imposition of sanctions on individual jurisdictions, as

well as the failure to distinguish between the fight

against money laundering and tax issues, runs counter

to the spirit of international cooperation. We therefore

regret, in particular, recent proceedings by some

international and regional bodies directed against

certain financial centres, including Liechtenstein. The

lack of transparency and the manner in which this was

done are not in conformity with the established

principles and procedures of international cooperation.

These established principles and procedures must

guide the cooperation between States and the resolution

of difficulties they may have. International cooperation

must be handled in the same way when large States are

dealing with small States and when small States are

dealing with large States. No organization should be

allowed to depart from established practice in

international relations. Cooperation by small States

must never be interpreted as capitulation; cooperation

implies consideration of the rights and interests of all.