Portugal, 1997

Allow me first to

congratulate my colleague from Ukraine, Minister Hennadiy

Udovenko, on his election to the presidency of the General

Assembly, and to convey to him our appreciation and the

confidence we place in his personal qualities and experience

to steer the work of the current session. In his election, I

see also the recognition of the role played on the

international stage by Ukraine, a European nation with

which we have friendly ties. I am pleased to recall the

occasion on the margins of the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization (NATO) meeting in Portugal last May when

he initialled a “letter on the special partnership between

NATO and Ukraine”.

I would also like to pay tribute to the outgoing

President, Ambassador Razali Ismail, for the dedicated and

competent manner in which he presided over the work of

the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, and notably

for his promotion of United Nations reform, which we

consider to be essential.

I wish to express my appreciation to the Secretary-

General for the new dynamism he has brought to the

Organization and for the proposals he has made for its

modernization.

My colleague from Luxembourg has already addressed

the Assembly on behalf of the 15 member States of the

European Union. However, I would like to reflect on a

number of questions of particular importance to my

country.

The main question on our agenda is undoubtedly the

reform of the United Nations. Despite its achievements and

increasing importance on the international stage, the United

Nations today needs a profound transformation to enable it

to face the challenges of the next millennium.

Portugal expresses its appreciation for the programme

of reforms presented by the Secretary-General and reaffirms

its readiness to participate in the further development of

this initiative, taking up the challenge to build up a more

effective Organization, with a better capacity to respond

and a more rational utilization of its resources. The

Portuguese Government supports in general terms the

proposals contained in that programme.

Among the instrumental measures proposed, Portugal

sees merit in the creation of the post of Deputy Secretary-

General. We also welcome the proposal to rationalize the

debates of the General Assembly so that it may focus on

specific themes.

With regard to the area of peace and security, the

primary focus of the action of the United Nations, we

support the strengthening of its institutional capacity in

the field of preventive diplomacy and of post-conflict

peace-building. The creation of a rapidly deployable

mission headquarters and the initiative of some Member

States to constitute a high-readiness brigade are

instruments that will permit the United Nations to

strengthen its capacity to react to emerging crises. I am

pleased to note that Portugal is ranked twenty-sixth

among nations contributing troops for United Nations

peacekeeping operations.

We also believe that cooperation between the United

Nations and regional organizations should continue to be

encouraged, particularly as concerns the African

continent.

With regard to the defence and promotion of human

rights, I would like to commend the emphasis given by

the Secretary-General to its cross-sectoral nature, which

must be taken into due account in all the activities and

programmes of the United Nations.

In this context, we are also particularly pleased to

see the proposal to fuse the Centre for Human Rights

with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human

Rights. The process of reform in this area will be carried

out by the new High Commissioner, Mrs. Mary Robinson,

whom I congratulate on her recent appointment.

The effectiveness of intervention by the United

Nations in humanitarian assistance is of special concern

to us, including within the framework of the Security

Council. Therefore, Portugal welcomes the proposal of the

Secretary-General to restructure this sector by

strengthening the role of the Emergency Relief

Coordinator, as well as the suggestion for the

establishment of an Economic and Social Council

segment for humanitarian affairs.

The promotion of social and economic progress is a

fundamental goal of the United Nations. As the Secretary-

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General rightly reminded us in an Agenda for Development,

development cannot be attained in the absence of peace and

security or in absence of respect for all human rights and

fundamental freedoms.

Portugal notes with satisfaction the process of

readjustment proposed by the Secretary-General to

strengthen the macroeconomic coordinating mechanisms of

the activities of the United Nations and its specialized

agencies.

In the area of assistance for development, we see with

equal satisfaction the focus on guaranteeing an integrated,

coherent and coordinated activity of all funds, programmes

and agencies involved. As we see it, however, such efforts

must not jeopardize their respective autonomy and

specificity.

We understand the goals of the challenge launched by

the Secretary-General to replenish the levels of financing

for development activities of the United Nations. For our

part, we pledge to continue our efforts, within the limits of

our capabilities. We also believe that the persuasion and

mobilization of the private sector may turn out to be very

useful at a time of acute budgetary restrictions.

In this context, and in the light of the increasing

disparity between developed and developing countries, the

proposal of the Secretary-General to channel savings

resulting from reforms towards development activities is

particularly welcome to us. The promotion of sustainable,

equitable and socially just development has increasingly

become a top priority for the United Nations. The guarantee

of a balance between economic growth, the conservation of

the environment and the protection of natural resources is

essential for the future of our planet. Portugal therefore

supports the proposals of the Secretary-General aimed at

strengthening the United Nations Environment Programme

as the core environmental agency of the United Nations.

Finally, we cannot fail to underline that the goal of the

reforms, particularly in the economic and social sector,

should not be exclusively to reduce costs but to rationalize

structures and consequently to improve the capacity of the

Organization.

We support a reform and enlargement of the Security

Council that reflects the increase in the Members of the

United Nations, takes into account the new political and

economic realities and ensures fairer geographical

distribution. In this way, the Security Council will be more

democratic and therefore more effective in the

formulation and implementation of its decisions.

With regard to the composition of the Security

Council, we advocate an equitable increase in both

categories of membership, encompassing all regional

groups, in order to make it more representative.

As to the selection of new permanent members, we

believe that certain criteria should be applied, namely,

respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter,

full acceptance of the jurisdiction of the International

Court of Justice and the capacity and will to contribute to

the maintenance of international peace and security, as

well as global influence.

The Portuguese Government reaffirms its support for

the inclusion of Germany and Japan as permanent

members of the Security Council. But it would be

difficult to understand if the increase in the number of

permanent members did not also include States from the

regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In this context, among eligible countries, there is Brazil,

a founding Member of the United Nations, the largest

country in Latin America and a State that is committed to

the principles of the Charter.

Portugal believes particular emphasis should be

given to the review of the working methods of the

Security Council, not only in order to strengthen the

transparency of its decision-making process, but also to

create the conditions for an improved ability for

non-members to accompany the work of the Council. In

fact, this was one of the concerns of the Portuguese

candidature for the Security Council for 1997-1998 and

was one of the main priorities of the Portuguese

presidency of the Council last April. Within the Security

Council, we have advocated the holding of open Council

debates to allow non-members to participate in

discussions of matters of direct interest to them.

We have also encouraged the involvement of the

Security Council in debating themes which have particular

relevance to its work, such as the promotion of human

rights, the protection of refugees, humanitarian assistance

and the impact of sanctions, aiming at providing a more

coherent framework for the Council to act in the future.

One of the most pressing concerns requiring an

urgent response is resolution of the Organization’s serious

financial crisis. We believe that the solution lies in the

full and timely fulfilment of obligations, the unconditional

12

payment of arrears to the Organization, review of the scales

of assessment so as to reflect the real capacity to pay of

Member States, and applying financial rigour and

rationalizing the use of existing resources. These proposals

seek to guarantee a sound financial base for the United

Nations.

Portugal, a member of the troika of observer countries

of the peace process in Angola, and a member of the

Security Council, continues to pay particular attention to

developments in that African country. We were particularly

encouraged to witness the positive events of March this

year: the formation of a Government of Unity and National

Reconciliation including members of UNITA, as well as the

return to the National Assembly of that movement’s

parliamentary group. These important fulfilments of the

1994 Lusaka Protocol, which is the framework for the

entire process, were undoubtedly an important step forward

in the eyes of all those, foremost among them the Angolan

people themselves, who yearn to see this great African

country enter fully into a future of peace, national

reconciliation and economic and social development. We

are therefore understandably concerned about the new

difficulties affecting the peace process, which have already

resulted in the timely, and we hope decisive, intervention

by the Security Council through its resolution 1127 (1997),

adopted last month. As we stated on the occasion of its

adoption, we consider the terms of the resolution — the

ability to impose sanctions — to be a stimulus for UNITA

to fulfil its obligations under the Lusaka Protocol, which it

accepted freely. This is not an attempt to condemn UNITA

to isolation or to exclude it from the peace process, of

which it is, and should continue to be, an integral part.

Peace in Angola is possible and necessary. But, as we

have stated before, in the final analysis it depends on the

political will of the Lusaka Protocol signatories. They must

not, however, ignore the human, financial and material

investments the international community has already made

in Angola in defence of the peace process. Should the

current impasse in the Angolan peace process continue, the

international community will undoubtedly adopt the

measures required under the circumstances. We therefore

reiterate our appeal to the parties, and in particular to

UNITA, to show the international community, by taking

concrete steps, that they have decidedly opted for the road

to peace, once and for all relegating to the past the spectre

of a fratricidal war.

Finally, I could not end this reference to Angola

without saluting the Special Representative of the Secretary-

General for Angola, Maitre Alioune Blondin Beye, who has

been tireless in his mission to defend the peace process.

We would also like to place on record our sincere

appreciation to all those who, working with either great

commitment with the United Nations Angola Verification

Mission (UNAVEM III) or the United Nations Observer

Mission in Angola (MONUA), embody the international

community’s hope that a brighter future awaits the

Angolan people.

Year after year Portugal has brought to the attention

of this Assembly the question of East Timor. Some may

have thought that time would consign this question to

oblivion. But the events of this last year have confirmed

that the problem of East Timor is more alive than ever

before in the conscience of the international community.

I recall the award of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 to

Monsignor Ximenes Belo and José Ramos-Horta, two

East Timorese who, in different fields, have greatly

distinguished themselves in taking up the rights and the

identity of the people of East Timor. The award of that

Prize also demonstrates the respect and solidarity of world

public opinion for the struggle of a people for freedom

and for their inalienable right to self-determination, which

all Members of the United Nations are duty-bound to

respect.

Here, I would like to praise the recent initiative of

the President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, in support

of the efforts of the Secretary-General, aimed at the

release of the East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao and

of all other East Timorese political prisoners.

Unfortunately, this increasing international attention

to the question of East Timor has not resulted in an

improvement of the situation in the territory, where the

systematic violation of the most basic human rights

persists and whose people continue to be denied the right

to express and affirm their identity, despite the

deliberations, year after year, of the Human Rights

Commission.

I would like to express our recognition of the new

impetus which, in accordance with the mandate given to

him by resolution 37/30, the Secretary-General has sought

to give to the search for a negotiated settlement to the

problem of East Timor by: appointing a Personal

Representative dedicated exclusively to this matter, in the

eminent person of Ambassador Jamsheed Marker;

providing a more operational and active impulse to the

tripartite negotiations under his auspices; and relaunching

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the all-inclusive East Timorese dialogue which involves the

active participation of the East Timorese in this process,

involvement that is essential to its success.

Only through negotiations will it be possible to find a

lasting solution to the problem of East Timor. Portugal is

contributing, with hope and commitment, to this new cycle

of negotiations aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive

and internationally acceptable solution for East Timor,

according to the terms of the Charter and the relevant

resolutions of the United Nations.

Portugal has sought to give fresh impetus to its

participation in international organizations, recognizing the

dynamism and increased importance of multilateral forums

in international life. Since the last General Assembly

session, Portugal has hosted two important international

meetings: the Summit Meeting of the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe and the spring

ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty

Organization (NATO). Portugal has also recently hosted

two rounds of negotiations on Western Sahara. We

welcome the positive results achieved on this question by

the special envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. James

Baker.

In 1998, Portugal will be hosting the eighth Ibero-

American Summit, and will organize, in close cooperation

with the United Nations, the first world conference of youth

ministers, which will take action on the United Nations

World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000

and Beyond.

I would like also to refer to the Community of

Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP). The promotion of

the Portuguese language, spoken today by more than 200

million people, the new modalities of institutional

cooperation which have been established and the

coordination of the diplomatic and political positions of the

founder countries in the many international forums

involved, have made this organization, despite its youth, an

attentive participant within the international community.

The problems associated with the many components of

the drug phenomenon are among the biggest challenges

faced by our societies today. The phenomenon particularly

affects our young people, and its global nature certainly

requires a concerted response on the part of the entire

international community. In this context, and given that

Portugal is presiding over the preparatory work for the

special session of the General Assembly on drugs, which

will take place in June 1998, I would like to underline the

importance we attribute to that event. We sincerely hope

that that session will produce a clear political commitment

on the part of Governments to combat the drug plague,

and that concrete steps will be taken in that direction.

With a view to achieving these objectives, I appeal to

Member States to be represented at the special session at

the highest political level.

With regard to sustainable development, Portugal has

closely followed the implementation of the principles

established by the Rio Summit. The nineteenth special

session of the General Assembly confirmed, however, that

we are still far from implementing fully the goals

established there. Allow me to underline the three

components to which Portugal attributes particular

importance: combating desertification, protecting the

forests and protecting the oceans. Portugal considers that

in the fight against desertification the United Nations

Convention is the fundamental legal instrument for the

implementation of new international actions on this

matter. With regard to the northern Mediterranean, we

will continue to promote the most extensive cooperation

with our partners, and we are open to closer association

with the countries of North Africa in a joint effort

involving the entire Mediterranean region.

In the area of the preservation of forests, we support

action undertaken, particularly in the context of the

United Nations, with a view to the conservation,

integrated development and sustainable management of

this important heritage of mankind. I would like to draw

attention to the holding in Lisbon in June 1998 of the

third Pan-European ministerial Meeting on the protection

of the forests, which we hope will contribute significantly

to protecting forest ecosystems that have deteriorated.

As regards the oceans and seas, Portugal will

continue to support efforts to preserve them, advocating

in particular the more effective protection of marine

biodiversity and the integrated management of coastal,

continental and insular zones.

Following the proclamation of 1998 as the

International Year of the Ocean, Portugal is proud to be

organizing in Lisbon the last universal exposition of this

century, Expo 98, which will be dedicated to the theme

“Oceans: a heritage for the future”.

Particularly relevant in this context will be the work

of the Independent World Commission on the Oceans,

chaired by the former President of the Portuguese

Republic, Mr. Mario Soares, the conclusions of which

14

will be presented to the General Assembly at its next

session.

I would like to end my statement with a word of hope

and optimism for the future of the Organization. We believe

in a revitalized and even stronger United Nations for the

twenty-first century. The Assembly can count on our efforts

to work towards that goal.