Norway, 2003

The brutal attacks on the

United Nations Mission in Baghdad are beyond

comprehension. I condemn them in the strongest

possible terms. The perpetrators of such crimes must be

brought to justice. We must renew our efforts to bolster

respect for humanitarian principles. It is unacceptable

that United Nations personnel are unable to conduct

humanitarian relief operations without risking their

lives. It is unacceptable that United Nations personnel

are denied access to people in distress.

On behalf of the people of Norway, I wish to

express my respect and admiration to all United

Nations workers who are doing what they can to help

in Iraq and other zones of conflict and danger.

Unless the security needs in Iraq are met,

valuable time on the road to political stability,

democracy and economic and social development will

be lost. Without a safe and secure environment, the

United Nations is unable to help Iraq along that road. I

deplore the political assassinations of religious and

political leaders in Iraq.

Now we must focus our attention on what is

needed to rebuild Iraq. Norway is participating in

international efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraq for the

benefit of the Iraqi people. Our aim is to help the

people of Iraq regain control of their own destiny, to

help them build a future of freedom and justice and a

life in peace with their neighbours.

The United Nations should play a key role in

setting the benchmarks and guiding the political

process towards the early restoration of Iraq’s

sovereignty and the transfer of power to an Iraqi

government. A carefully considered timeframe must be

drawn up. We must also make sure that the tasks that

we decide for the United Nations in Iraq are realistic

and achievable.

Terrorism is a dark force, which targets the very

values and norms upon which the United Nations

Charter is based. An overwhelming majority of

Member States have joined forces to fight it, and we

have taken some important steps together. We need to

strengthen the role of the United Nations in multilateral

disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. We

need to agree on strong and effective regimes that can

provide reliable protection against weapons of mass

destruction.

A week ago, world leaders and the Secretary-

General sat down in New York at the invitation of

Norway to discuss ways to fight terrorism and the roots

of evil. They voiced their dedication to the fight

against terrorism, and their determination to place

humanity at the centre of that fight.

We want a United Nations that reaches out and

responds to the concerns of all Member States. It must

reach out and respond to the concerns of all

individuals, to the needs of men and women alike. We

need a world of equal opportunities, where all the

world’s human resources — and not only half of

them — are fully put to use. We have a vision of a

humane world where people can live in security and

dignity, free from poverty and despair. To live up to the

ideals enshrined in the Charter, the United Nations

must continue to give priority to human rights and

fundamental aspects of governance.

A culture of impunity for mass atrocities is

incompatible with human dignity and undermines long-

term security. The establishment of the International

Criminal Court is a historic turning point.

Fighting terrorism, strengthening human security,

working for development and preventing conflict are

challenges that are closely related. In the Millennium

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Development Goals, we have pledged to halve the

proportion of people living in extreme poverty and to

reduce child mortality by two-thirds. We have pledged

to halve the proportion of people without access to safe

drinking water and basic sanitation.

Norway currently holds the chairmanship of the

Commission on Sustainable Development, and we are

committed to achieving real progress. It is crucial that

developing and developed countries and the private

sector all contribute. Development must be built on a

global partnership and on shared responsibilities.

Norway remains committed to the Doha Development

Agenda. We are confident that strengthening and

making full use of this multilateral framework is the

way to go. We will work hard to get the negotiations

back on track.

More often than not, the United Nations only

becomes engaged in earnest after armed conflict has

broken out. The reasons are many, but they are no

excuse for the loss of lives, the human misery and the

setbacks in development that are too often the high

price of collective inaction. Too often the main legacy

of a civil war is another civil war. Yet there are many

things we can do to prevent this from happening.

We can act to prevent economic conflict drivers

such as diamonds and other natural resources, from

fuelling and prolonging conflicts, and we can act to

curb the illegal trade in small arms. By fighting

poverty and promoting peace and development, we are

making the soundest investment possible in Africa. We

will assist the African Union and the New Partnership

for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in their endeavours

towards economic and social development and political

stability in Africa.

Norway will continue working for peace and

stability in the Horn of Africa. The peace process

between Ethiopia and Eritrea is entering a crucial

phase. We urge both parties to stand by their

commitments and not hesitate now that they stand at

the threshold of lasting peace.

In the Sudan, important progress has just been

made. We urge the parties to step up their efforts and

reach a final settlement.

Over the last few years, the United Nations has

made considerable progress in peacekeeping. The

foundations for a new approach have been laid.

Notable results have been achieved in Kosovo, Sierra

Leone and Timor-Leste, as well as in reinforcing the

capabilities of the Department of Peacekeeping

Operations and strengthening the United Nations

Standby Arrangement System.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in

Afghanistan is facing a particularly challenging task.

Two years on, much has been achieved, but the

situation is still volatile. The safe and secure

environment needed for economic growth and full

implementation of the Bonn Agreement is not in place.

Many people are suffering from food shortages, and are

in need of assistance. Elections are due next year.

Women are not yet properly empowered. Unless we can

assure nation-wide security, the nation-building process

in Afghanistan will be at risk. A sustained international

presence will be necessary for the foreseeable future.

With NATO in command of the International

Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Norway as a NATO

member has an additional stake in the building of a

peaceful and prosperous future for the people of

Afghanistan. We have decided to make Afghanistan

one of our partner countries in development

cooperation.

In Sri Lanka the peace process has reached a

decisive juncture. We are hopeful that the parties will

soon be able to embark on negotiations towards an

interim administration for the North-East Province. It

is vital that the parties reach agreement and resume

direct peace negotiations within the timeframe

envisaged.

Development of the economic infrastructure is

equally important for all in Sri Lanka. In parallel with

dealing with the political process, the parties should

take care to proceed with the important task of

reconstruction and development.

Norway remains firmly committed to the role of

facilitator of the peace process between the

Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. We call on the

international community to engage in the efforts for

reconstruction and rehabilitation in Sri Lanka.

In Myanmar the Government has recently stated

its intention to invite the democratic opposition and the

ethnic minorities to take part in the building of a

national consensus. A good way to start would be to

release Aung San Suu Kyi immediately and without

conditions and thereby demonstrate the Government’s

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sincere intentions. This might mean the beginning of a

new political era in Myanmar. Norway stands ready to

support efforts to make democratization an irreversible

process. We strongly support the role of the United

Nations and believe that the active involvement of

countries in the region will be vital to reaching a

solution.

The year 2003 has been a tragic one for Israelis

and Palestinians. Their acceptance of the road map for

peace boded well, but again violence and not politics is

determining the course of development. A political

solution is needed, building on a parallel process where

Israel takes significant steps to end the occupation, and

where the Palestinian Authority takes determined steps

to fight terror. The ultimate goal, in which we will not

lose faith, is that of two States — Israel and

Palestine — living side by side in peace and security.

Norway urges Israel to do its utmost to ease the

living conditions of the Palestinians. In our capacity as

chairman of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for

assistance to the Palestinian people, Norway remains

committed to rebuilding the Palestinian areas.

Norway also believes that the parties should avail

themselves of the assistance of the international

community and individual countries through

appropriate monitoring mechanisms.

The past year has been a trying one for the United

Nations. Multilateralism has come under pressure from

those who continue to question the primacy of the

United Nations and therefore look elsewhere for

solutions.

The answer to this challenge is to make the

United Nations more effective and thus more relevant

in dealing with issues at the top of the international

agenda. By increasing the relevance of the United

Nations we can increase its authority and legitimacy.

Norway shares the Secretary-General’s view that

Member States need to take a hard look at today’s

United Nations institutions and ask whether they are

adequate for the tasks we have before us.

The time has come to advance the issue of reform

of the Security Council. It is also time to agree on a

more relevant agenda for the General Assembly, the

Economic and Social Council and the Commission on

Human Rights. Norway puts emphasis on reforming the

work of the First Committee. We therefore welcome

the Secretary-General’s decision to appoint a high-level

panel to recommend concrete ways in which to

strengthen the functioning of the major bodies of the

United Nations and the relationships between them.

Norway, together with the Nordic countries, has a long-

standing commitment to reform. We stand ready to

assist in bringing the initiatives of the Secretary-

General to fruition.

The aims and ideals of the United Nations are as

relevant as ever — to maintain peace and security, to

reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, to establish

conditions for justice and the international rule of law

and to promote economic and social development.

The world has changed since 1945, but the United

Nations has not changed with it. I urge Member States

to come together with a renewed sense of unity and

purpose, so that we can change our Organization in the

collective spirit that lies at the core of the Charter.