Nicaragua, 2000

I

begin by congratulating you, Sir, on your well deserved

election to the presidency of the General Assembly at

its first session of the millennium. Your proven skill

and vast experience guarantee that you will ably guide

the work of this session. I wish also to express our

great friendship for and gratitude to Finland, the

country you so honourably represent, whose close

friendship with Nicaragua has earned our sincere

affection. Let me also thank your predecessor,

Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab, for the dedicated way in which

he guided our work at the fifty-fourth session.

I wish next to express very special thanks for the

contribution made by the Secretary-General, His

Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, who has prepared a

valuable report (A/54/2000) on the role of the

Organization in the twenty-first century; the report was

central in stimulating the discussions conducted by our

heads of State or Government at the Millennium

Summit — an unprecedented event that laid the

groundwork for giving fresh momentum to the United

Nations.

The process of renewing the Organization

requires the strengthening of its organs and institutions

so as to enhance the effectiveness of its endeavours in

spheres such as the maintenance of international peace

24

and security, poverty eradication, the strengthening of

health and education programmes and the struggle

against the destruction of the environment. Without a

doubt, that depends on us, the States Members of the

United Nations; we must guarantee the Organization the

resources and other means it needs to fulfil its mandate

and fully to play its role as a centre for exchange of

views and for coordinating the efforts of the world's

peoples.

In that connection, let me reaffirm the need to

reform the Security Council, an organ that is of vital

importance to peace and security. Such reform should

include democratic, equitable geographical

representation and a better balance between developed

and developing countries so that the Council will be

able to respond fully and effectively to the present

needs of our peoples and to future challenges facing

them in the new millennium. Here, we see the veto as

another element of this sensitive issue that should be

addressed seriously with a view to limiting its

application to very specific situations and to possibly

eliminating it. For those reasons, we believe it to be of

paramount importance to reach consensus on all the

issues that are inherent in the very structure of the new

international order.

We wish also to stress the importance of speedily

beginning a process of international discussions aimed

at attaining greater consensus and effectiveness in

resolving humanitarian emergencies. In another vein,

we believe that we must reaffirm our commitment to

maintain and strengthen the universal mission of the

United Nations to ensure that all the world's peoples

without exception enjoy fair representation. This brings

me to reaffirm before the Assembly how important it is

to give consideration to the longing of one people to

participate with legitimate representation as a full

Member of the Organization: I refer here to the

Republic of China.

Another important matter that the Organization

should continue in the new century to address with

greater determination is the war against drug

trafficking, organized crime and terrorism. Indeed, the

flow of drugs is rapidly increasing in our countries, and

in but a few years has become one of the most serious

of problems, one that directly affects our economic,

political and social life. To address that critical

situation, we must give priority to strengthening the

national institutions that are mandated to combat this

scourge, to enacting and updating national legislation,

and to increasing international cooperation and

coordination in this sphere. Here, let me observe that

Nicaragua has strict laws to punish drug traffickers,

and has established a national drug-control plan under

which institutions work together in a coordinated

manner to attain the stated objectives. We are also

working constantly towards greater international

cooperation.

At the outset of the new millennium, we see an

urgent need to deepen and accelerate progress on ways

and means to achieve world disarmament, especially

with respect to weapons whose great destructive

powers actually threaten life on our planet. We

therefore welcomed the outcome of the 2000 Review

Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-

Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which reaffirmed the

conviction that full and effective implementation of the

Treaty and of the non-proliferation regime in all its

aspects plays a vital role in the promotion of

international peace and security.

Similarly, we focus special attention on the

problem of conventional weapons and on the existence

of anti-personnel landmines, which also pose a threat

to human safety and security. We therefore believe it is

a priority to meet the obligations taken on by each

State under international and regional conventions on

these subjects. In Nicaragua, one of the gravest

consequences of the armed conflict that was,

fortunately, overcome in the 1990s is undoubtedly the

presence of a vast number of anti-personnel landmines

throughout our territory, a situation that even today

claims numerous innocent victims. Accordingly, my

country, with the support of the international

community, is making an enormous effort to resolve

the problem permanently. Along with mine-clearance

activities, we have begun the process of destroying

mine stockpiles, and have thus far destroyed more than

40,000 mines, in strict compliance with the Ottawa

Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling,

Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and

on Their Destruction. Nicaragua reaffirms its

determination to spare no effort in the preparations for

the third meeting of States parties to the Ottawa

Convention, to be held in Nicaragua in September

2001.

We also believe it to be of the utmost importance

to reaffirm our commitment to tolerance and respect for

diversity. In that connection, we support the

preparatory work for the World Conference against

25

Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and

Related Intolerance.

It is essential for the future of the Organization

and for that of our peoples that we make a greater

effort always to comply with the purposes that half a

century ago were laid down in the San Francisco

Charter, especially with respect to the maintenance of

international peace and security. This can happen only

with a firm commitment to non-violence and to the

principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes through

the procedures established by international law. That is

the key element in preventing future conflicts with

grave and enduring consequences for mankind.

For us, it is a source of satisfaction that one of the

last vestiges of the cold war is on the way to a peaceful

resolution. Here I refer to the dialogue between the two

Koreas, which has been launched at the highest level

and which will without doubt mark the beginning of

promising prospects for the Korean peninsula.

Nicaragua also shares the concern of the

international community at the persistence of certain

conflicts, particularly on the African continent; these

have caused devastating damage to property and the

loss of countless lives in countries such as Angola, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone,

Burundi and the Sudan. It is therefore gratifying that in

some of those countries steps have been taken to find a

solution to their conflicts. These include the 18 June

signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement by

Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the implementation of the

Djibouti peace initiative for Sierra Leone. We also hail

Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in accordance with

Security Council resolutions, and the stepped-up

efforts, since the Camp David summit organized by

President Clinton, to find a peaceful settlement

between Israel and Palestine.

In the same vein, my country is convinced of the

importance of the principle of the self-determination of

peoples; we note the urgent need to hold the pending

referendum in Western Sahara as soon as possible. To

that end, all obstacles to that process must be

overcome. Similarly, my country, convinced of the

importance of the principle of the self-determination of

peoples, makes an appeal regarding the pressing need

to hold, as soon as possible, the referendum pending on

Western Sahara. To that end, all obstacles to the

process must be overcome.

Much progress has been made in this century.

Some of the most important achievements have been in

the field of the technology revolution. Consequently

today we have the great responsibility and duty to

begin this new millennium by pooling our efforts to

achieve adequate levels of technology transfer to

developing countries in order to prevent globalization

from becoming a negative phenomenon that

exacerbates the marginalization of the poorest

countries.

The advantages and the disadvantages entailed by

globalization require the developing countries to work

together in order to increase their opportunities to

successfully confront this phenomenon. An example of

this is the decision of the Presidents of Guatemala,

Nicaragua and El Salvador to sign a tri-national

agreement aimed at giving fresh impetus to the Central

American integration process by providing an

appropriate political framework for the establishment

of a regional customs union, a process launched by El

Salvador and Guatemala and which Nicaragua and

Honduras have recently joined.

Apart from integration initiatives, continued

efforts to achieve solidarity through cooperation for

development are vitally important. Nonetheless, we

feel it must be emphasized that cooperation activities

must be accompanied by appropriate management that

offers favourable conditions for small economies to

have access to large international markets, obtaining

fair prices for their exports of raw materials and

manufactured goods. In this respect, we warmly

welcome the decision to convene the high-level

intergovernmental event on financing for development

in 2001. That event is of paramount importance to the

efforts being made to achieve the objectives established

by the Millennium Summit.

The strengthening of the multilateral trade system

is also of great importance, which includes, among

other things, the prompt and urgent convening of a

round of trade negotiations within the framework of the

World Trade Organization (WTO) in which problems

are addressed in a comprehensive and integral manner,

to lead to an effective reduction of tariff and non-tariff

barriers. Free trade and the rules governing it should be

implemented within the WTO framework so that they

benefit all, particularly the poor countries.

It is also essential that the most heavily indebted

poor countries be able to aspire to break the vicious

26

circle of poverty. In this regard, as stated by Mr.

Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo, President of Nicaragua,

during the Millennium Summit,

“the unbearable weight of an immense external

debt [represents] an insurmountable barrier to

overcoming poverty and unemployment. In this

respect, we are pleased to note the interest

recently shown by the developed countries and

multilateral financial institutions in seeking

alternatives that would substantially relieve the

situation of the heavily indebted poor countries.

We hope that this interest will soon be reflected

in specific and meaningful actions, so that

countries such as Nicaragua can break this

vicious circle of poverty and look towards a

future with greater opportunities and expectations

for sustainability and progress.” (A/55/PV.3)

Another important challenge to which we must

devote great effort is the conservation of natural

resources and the global environment; this is vitally

important for the future of humanity, as well as for the

prevention of and response to natural disasters.

Nicaragua has been cruelly punished by natural

phenomena; the effects of hurricane Mitch, which

lashed the Central American region in 1998, and of

strong telluric movement shook the eastern part of our

country, causing loss of human life and considerable

material damage are still fresh. Given that reality,

Nicaragua, with the valuable assistance of the United

Nations Development Programme, became the third

Latin American country to adopt a modern law to take

the necessary measures to establish an integrated

system for disaster prevention and response. Moreover,

despite its limited resources, Nicaragua has channelled

great energy into the search for a model of sustainable

development and of conservation of its natural

resources. In that regard, the Government of Nicaragua

has established the National Council on Sustainable

Development, a pluralistic body in which all the main

sectors of civil society participate, in order to promote

actively, in accordance with Agenda 21, the

implementation of this model of sustainable

development.

Our leaders have had the historic opportunity to

undertake decisive commitments for the future of

humanity. Nicaragua fully shares and reaffirms its

commitment to the basic values contained in the

Millennium Declaration: freedom and equality, so that

we may all live decently, without poverty or violence,

but rather in good health and with education; equity

and solidarity, since all peoples of the world have the

duty to share and to exchange knowledge and

experience that tomorrow will be decisive for human

development; tolerance and non-violence, since we can

forge ahead only if people respect each other and if

States are always prepared to understand each other

and resolve their differences through peaceful means;

and respect for nature, in order to be able to leave to

our children a future in which they will feel proud and

optimistic, in which they will walk with their heads

high, confident that they are on the right path.

Today is the time to sow, so that tomorrow we

will be able to harvest. Today is when we must be

aware that we have a shared responsibility, collective

and individual, to strengthen the United Nations in

order to be able to build a more just, secure and

equitable international system for all.