Portugal, 2006

I would like

to begin, like previous speakers, by extending my

warmest congratulations to Ms. Haya Rasheed Al-

Khalifa, the first woman in nearly 40 years to take up

the position of President of the General Assembly. This

is good news for international politics. I wish her every

success in discharging the mandate on which she is

now beginning, in which she can be assured of

Portugal’s firm support. We are confident that she will

continue the excellent work carried out by her

predecessor, Minister Jan Eliasson, whom I am very

happy to remember here.

This session of the Assembly is also notable for

being the last during which Secretary-General Kofi

Annan will be in office. I therefore solemnly express

on behalf of the Portuguese people our heartfelt, deep

appreciation for the way in which he has carried out his

duties over the last 10 years, contributing concretely

and decisively to international peace and stability in a

world that we all wish were more just. It was on his

watch — and with his indispensable personal help —

that we saw the birth of the new State of Timor-Leste.

Portugal will not forget that this was one of the great

recent victories of the United Nations, in peoples’ fight

for self-determination, and in defence of the values in

the Charter.

This Organization has carried out a crucial task in

Timor-Leste, in maintaining peace, consolidating the

rule of law and, together with donor countries, creating

the foundations for a more prosperous economic and

social future for the Timorese people.

There is still a long way to go, it is true. But it is

important that the Timorese people be aware that they

can count on the United Nations. Unfortunately, the

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recent internal crisis raised a serious question about

security, and it is vital that this be resolved if the

country is to find stability.

We therefore applaud the new United Nations

peace mission, the United Nations Integrated Mission

in Timor-Leste, which represents a continuity of the

significant investment made by the international

community, to which Portugal belongs. We participate

actively in this Mission, consistent with our ongoing

commitment, going back over three decades, to the

political process of the new State of Timor-Leste.

In this regard, I would also like to pay due tribute

to the memory of Sergio Vieira de Mello, brutally

murdered three years ago in Baghdad in the service of

the United Nations. We will not forget all that he did

for the just cause of the Timorese people, and in

defence of the values that the United Nations

embodies.

This last decade has been one of great changes.

The United Nations has had undoubted successes, but

there have also been missed opportunities. Many

accuse the Organization of undue complexity, slowness

in its decision-making process and excessive

bureaucracy. It is true that diplomacy requires time, but

it does produce results. If there is something that we

have learned over these last years, it is that there is no

alternative to multilateralism; multilateralism is where

the United Nations plays a determinant role.

The United Nations is today one of the greatest

guarantors of our collective security. It is our duty to

preserve and strengthen it. It is an investment from

which we all stand to benefit. Each one of us is a

Member of this Organization not only to serve and

promote our own national interests, but also — and I

would go so far as to say above all — to fulfil the

hopes and dreams of the people of the whole world.

The world today, as we know, is full of risks and

threats that no country can face alone. If we do not

unite in our efforts, we are halfway down the road to

failure. Reality, particularly in recent years, has proved

this to us quite clearly.

I would therefore like to underline Portugal’s

commitment to multilateralism, because we firmly

believe that this is the path where one can best uphold

the essential values of peace and development.

A big part of this multilateral action rests on a

dialogue between cultures and civilizations. It is

through this dialogue that we assume a collective

responsibility to overcome obstacles, prejudices,

preconceived ideas and, principally, ignorance. Our

challenge here in this dialogue is not to limit ourselves

to mere declarations, but to take firm and concrete

steps towards greater interaction between peoples and

cultures.

Despite the huge uncertainties and

misunderstandings in the world today, we have a set of

principles — contained in our Charter — that can

inspire us and guide us. They are our best help.

The dialogue between cultures and civilizations

also imposes demanding domestic political agendas, in

the respect for differences and the inclusion of all

citizens in society — the inclusion of immigrants; the

inclusion of all, irrespective of their beliefs or

religions.

On the other hand, the dialogue between

civilizations also imposes steps forward on the

international scene, the strengthening of economic

bonds between North and South. The strengthening of

world trade mechanisms constitutes an investment in

our own security, and is an essential part of that

dialogue; hence the importance of overcoming the

obstacles of the Doha Round in the context of the

current negotiations in the World Trade Organization.

We all have to be prepared to give up something so that

at the end of the day everyone can win.

One of the biggest political challenges that we

face in this dialogue of cultures and civilizations is

undoubtedly the Middle East. The region remains one

of the main focal points of instability in the world. We

all have in our minds the painful images of the most

recent crisis in Lebanon, where we witnessed the

suffering of civilians on both sides of the conflict. This

reinforces all the more the need to actively pursue a

permanent and balanced solution, which may bring

about a dynamic of hope and peace in the region.

The Middle East is not a military issue. The

Middle East is, above all, one of the greatest political

and diplomatic challenges that today’s world faces. We

should not, therefore, miss the window of opportunity

offered to us by Security Council resolution 1701

(2006). It is a challenge where the United Nations and

the European Union assume shared responsibilities in

promoting peace and stability, through an effective

multilateral dialogue.

25 06-52988

Portugal fulfils its duty and supports the urgent

implementation of this resolution, and we are present

in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to help

implement it.

I would like to draw attention, once more, to

Africa. Portugal has given it great attention, and

invested great efforts there, and it is our duty to ensure

that the continent is not forgotten. There is progress in

Africa that we should encourage, and we also have a

historical responsibility on which the developed world

should not and cannot turn its back.

I am pleased to stress here today the

determination with which the European Union has been

reinforcing its partnership and its strategy with the

African continent. The current drafting of a Euro-

African joint strategy will lead to a script for our

relations with Africa in the fundamental areas of peace

and security, good governance and human rights,

regional trade and integration, and also aspects relating

to human development.

I stress the word “joint”. All of us share the

responsibility — Africans and Europeans alike. I trust

that the conditions will soon be right for this strategy

to be adopted. And I hope that it will be at the highest

level, when we hold in Lisbon the second European

Union-Africa summit.

In recent years, with the consolidation of the

African Union and various regional organizations and

initiatives, very significant progress has been made in

many fields on the African continent, and this has been

driven by the continent itself and its own institutions. It

is our duty to recognize these developments, support

them with renewed support and vigour, and develop

them further.

I would also like to recall that last July, in Bissau,

the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries

celebrated its tenth anniversary. This organization has

been consolidating itself and strengthening its

involvement within the United Nations system, where

it currently holds observer status, presenting itself as a

credible organization in the fostering of international

partnerships.

In Bissau, on the tenth anniversary, we pledged

our commitment to achieve the Millennium

Development Goals, by defining and implementing a

general cooperation strategy where the highest priority

is given to achieving these Goals. This is our priority

in our domestic policy in Portugal; at the top of our

priorities are the Millennium Development Goals. We

shall implement them with a bilateral and multilateral

cooperation strategy that will help to fight poverty,

alleviate the pressure on migratory flows and promote

sustainable development.

September in New York, above all else, should

not be some sort of annual pilgrimage to rediscover

this Organization. At the end of the day, the credibility

of the United Nations is in our hands.

We all face the same challenges. But, at the same

time, they give us the opportunity to live in accordance

with our ideals and put into practice the principles that

have guided us for more than six decades. The only

way out is for us to look for answers together. That is

why we need a stronger and more cohesive United

Nations. We owe this to ourselves. We owe it to our

children. But, above all, we owe it to future

generations.