Sweden, 1993

Let me express the Swedish

Government’s satisfaction at the election of Ambassador

Insanally of Guyana as President of this session of the

General Assembly. I should also like to pay a tribute to the

Secretary-General and to his endeavours to promote the

principles of the Charter and a stronger United Nations.

Furthermore, I welcome the six new Members of the

Organization.

The totalitarian ideologies of this century have been

defeated, but the struggle of ideas is not over. Totalitarian

ideas and ideologies can take on different shapes at different

times. In many places - and no country is immune - we still

witness expressions of racism, xenophobia and intolerance.

If these tendencies are not effectively countered today, the

world might have to face far uglier threats tomorrow.

As we welcome the progress towards peace and

freedom in Eastern Europe, in the Middle East and in South

Africa, we have to realize that these achievements will prove

elusive if they do not give people a better life. Peace and

democracy, freedom and reconciliation, must be cemented by

economic and social progress.

The individual’s endeavours to improve his own lot and

that of his family reflect a basic human desire, which

transcends all cultural differences. If that desire is

hampered, if hope turns into disillusion, a fertile ground is

created for the merchants of hatred and preachers of

violence.

The regions of the world where security and prosperity

have been relatively well secured now have opportunities to

help extend the zone of peace to areas that are struggling to

escape the vicious circle of poverty and violence. The main

instruments for such developments are freer global trade and

a more open exchange of ideas.

In Europe, the evolving European union, of which

Sweden soon hopes to become a member, has a special

responsibility for ensuring that the Iron Curtain is not

reinstalled in the form of persistent economic and social

divisions. The United States and Asia-Pacific countries are

meeting challenges of a similar nature in their regions. In

the Middle East and Africa, we all share a joint

responsibility.

In spite of all the challenges facing the world today -

regional conflicts, widespread poverty, environmental

damage and arms proliferation - I believe we have a

reasonable chance of extending the zone of peace and

prosperity as we stand at the threshold of the twenty-first

century. In this effort we must be able to rely on a strong

and efficient world Organization.

Today the United Nations is reaching middle age. In

two years it will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. The

end of the cold war brings new opportunities to utilize the

full potential of the United Nations Charter and the United

Nations system. At the same time, a thorough diagnosis and

some strong prescriptions are necessary if the Organization

is to serve as a vigorous instrument of the world community.

Former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold once

said:

"The United Nations is, and should be, a living,

evolving, experimental institution. If it should ever

cease to be so, it should be revolutionized or swept

aside for a new approach."

Those words are as challenging and valid today as they were

in the late 1950s.

Today, I do not intend to dwell on those areas in which

the Organization works well, or to commend praiseworthy

initiatives. Instead, I would like to concentrate on areas

where reforms and a special focus are indispensable. The

most important of these are the promotion of peace and

security, the role of the Organization in the economic and

social fields, and the promotion of human rights.

In responding to several crises in the aftermath of the

cold war, the Security Council has, de facto, considerably

broadened the concept of international peace and security.

The United Nations finds itself engaged on a regular basis

in wide-ranging and diversified operations in a variety of

complex conflict situations. Some of these are of an internal

nature and many of them involve humanitarian efforts. The

very concept of United Nations peace-keeping has undergone

dramatic change.

Unprecedented demands are being placed on the

Organization in the quest for global security and peace.

There has been an eight-fold increase in the number of

people serving in peace-keeping operations during the past

two years; the peace-keeping budget will more than double

in the course of a single year.

18 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

The implementation of a peace agreement in Bosnia

and Herzegovina will require additional and substantial

contributions from United Nations Member States. Again

the willingness and ability to provide personnel and

resources will be tested. I am pleased to announce that at

this very moment a Nordic battalion group is being deployed

in Bosnia.

As much as we welcome a peace settlement for Bosnia

and Herzegovina we must recognize that it is far from an

ideal solution to that long and bitter conflict. It might

constitute no more than the beginning of a complicated and

frustrating process towards peace where all efforts must be

used to counter the inherent dangers of continued aggression,

"ethnic cleansing" and the dismemberment of Bosnia and

Herzegovina.

As soon as a settlement has been signed by the parties,

we should concentrate on building a peace which can

provide safe and decent conditions for the suffering

population. First of all, we need a strong and efficient

peace-keeping operation in order to assist in implementing

the provisions of the agreement.

International organizations, particularly the United

Nations, must embark on a comprehensive reconstruction

and rehabilitation programme. Special attention should be

paid to the situation of refugees and displaced persons, and

to their return, and to the plight of women and children.

Experience gained from the conflict in former

Yugoslavia and from the successful United Nations

Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) shows the

need for an integrated approach to international peace and

security. This must be one of the guiding principles for

reforming and restructuring the Organization to enable it to

deal more effectively with today’s conflicts. The

Secretary-General’s report "An Agenda for Peace" indicates

ways to improve the medium-term and long-term handling

of peace-keeping. An interaction between preventive

diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and post-conflict

peace-building is indispensable.

The need for reform in the peace-keeping area is

undisputed. Ongoing efforts in this regard are commendable

and should be further promoted. The Nordic countries

intend to present proposals on this issue during the current

General Assembly session. At this early stage I would like

to stress the following points.

First, we should be able to react flexibly to dynamic

situations in peace-keeping operations, and that requires

better provisions for planning and operations staff.

Command and control need to be clearly defined. The

operative command of operations in the field would, of

course, remain in the hands of the respective force

commanders.

Secondly, close consultations between the troop

contributors, the Security Council and the Secretary-General

are of special importance in complex peace-keeping

operations. A forum for coordination and exchange of

information to improve contacts between the Council and the

troop contributors would be desirable. I propose that such

a forum be set up for each major operation.

Thirdly, we urge Member States to respond positively

to the Secretary-General’s request, and provide troops, other

personnel and equipment on a stand-by basis for use at short

notice for peace-keeping purposes. The members of the

Security Council hold a special responsibility to ensure that

adequate resources are provided when it decides on new

operations.

Fourthly, peace-keeping operations and humanitarian

relief efforts are increasingly interrelated, and this requires

improved coordination. In many cases the humanitarian

efforts are vital for the successful pursuance of

peace-keeping operations.

Fifthly, the great number of peace-keeping operations

and their diversity require special emphasis on training. To

address the need for appropriate training of United Nations

peace-keepers, United Nations training colleges should be

established. The United Nations has an important role to

play in coordinating and promoting peace-keeping training

for all categories of personnel. Member States with

long-standing traditions in this field bear a special

responsibility. Sweden, for its part, is prepared to contribute

to improving the skills of peace-keepers. This could include

training for civilian and humanitarian-relief personnel, and

also for police and military staff.

Finally, and most important, present and increasing

demands on United Nations peace-keeping cannot be met if

Member States do not pay their dues. We must create the

necessary resources for the rapid implementation of Security

Council decisions. If not, we run the risk of undermining

the credibility and the prestige of the United Nations and the

Security Council.

New threats to regional security are emerging.

Cooperation between the United Nations and regional

arrangements is vital to meet these threats of global

Forty-eighth session - 28 September l993 19

importance. Regional action is indispensable to strengthen

the global community of values and to secure the efficient

use of scarce resources. In this spirit, the Conference on

Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) is applying for

Observer status in the General Assembly.

As Chairman of the CSCE Council, I signed in May a

framework document with the Secretary-General. This

framework aims at improving coordination and cooperation

between the United Nations and the CSCE in conflict

resolution in the CSCE area. The implementation of that

framework is essential for realizing the goals of Chapter VIII

of the Charter. Regular consultations, mutual exchange of

information and coordination of activities between the United

Nations and the CSCE have started. CSCE missions are

supervising the implementation of United Nations sanctions

against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and

Montenegro). Concrete action in the field is also taking

place in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and in

unfortunate Georgia.

As Chairman of the CSCE I deplore the recent

developments in Georgia. The very survival of Georgia as

a member of the international community is now at stake.

The CSCE lends its full support to President Shevardnadze’s

efforts to prevent the dismemberment of his country. All

participating States must now exert their influence to that

end. The disintegration of Georgia is in no one’s interest.

The Security Council bears primary responsibility for

the maintenance of international peace and security, and

must be the driving force behind reforms in this area,

reflecting the aspirations of the States Members of the

Organization. In this context, we welcome the statement by

the Council that progress in disarmament, arms control and

non-proliferation can make a crucial contribution to the

maintenance of peace and security. An early agreement on

a comprehensive test ban would enhance that concept.

The considerable increase in the number of Members of

the United Nations makes an enlargement of the Security

Council a matter for urgent consideration. The effectiveness,

efficiency and legitimacy of the Council must be the

overriding goals. A reform must ensure that the Council

continues to be relevant in a changing world and that it

retains its capacity to act decisively and promptly.

The United Nations has a unique mandate to promote

economic, social and environmental progress and

development. Increased attention should be given to these

areas to overcome long-term threats to international peace

and security. Today, the challenge for the United Nations is

to fulfil its important role in supporting international

cooperation and governments’ efforts to master the

increasingly complex problems of development. Sweden is

looking forward to contributing to the deliberations on the

report of the Secretary-General on an agenda for

development.

Along with other countries, we have witnessed with

increasing concern what seems to be a fragmentation and

marginalization of the United Nations in development

assistance, not least in long-term development. It is obvious

that extensive reform is needed if the United Nations is to be

able to respond to the new challenges.

A more efficient governance structure and a broader,

more stable and predictable funding of operational activities

are in the interest both of recipient and of donor countries.

We must sharpen our instruments, both in terms of policy

formulation and development action, to avoid having interest,

commitment and funding from Sweden and other Member

States diverted to other organizations, to the detriment of

those most in need of what the United Nations could offer.

As a long-standing, major donor, with a firm belief in

the importance of the United Nations in the economic and

social fields, Sweden will continue to work for much-needed

reforms. Against this background, we hope that the recent

decision to continue negotiations on the role, size and

functioning of the executive boards of the development

programmes will lead to a result that ensures an effective

conduct of work in the development field. The executive

boards must be efficient instruments, capable of firmly

guiding the work of their respective organizations.

The promotion of human rights is a United Nations

priority objective, as set out in the Charter. Thus, the

protection and promotion of human rights should underpin

the whole spectrum of United Nations activities.

Flagrant abuse of human rights and humanitarian law

is still a tragic reality for millions of people in many parts

of the world. At the World Conference on Human Rights,

all States reaffirmed their solemn commitment to promote

respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental

freedoms, the universal nature of which is beyond question.

Such commitments are, however, of no avail if they are not

put into action. All States have a duty to adhere to the

international conventions in this field.

We must also make sure that the United Nations human

rights programme is allocated the means and support

necessary to fulfil its role. We should, as a matter of

20 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session

urgency, take steps to increase the resources and improve the

function of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights.

The establishment of a high commissioner for human

rights would enhance the capacity of the international system

to deal more directly with emergencies and grave violations.

It would help to improve coordination and integration of

human rights within the United Nations system as a whole.

The commissioner would personify the priority given to the

protection of human rights, and this issue should be a matter

for prompt consideration by this General Assembly.

Sweden welcomes the fact that the General Assembly

recently proceeded to select the judges for the Tribunal

established for prosecuting war crimes committed in former

Yugoslavia. This means that the Tribunal can shortly

commence its important work.

Let me revert to the United Nations financial crisis. It

is deeply disturbing that 90 per cent of the assessed

contributions are paid late or not at all. There is no

justification for the failure of permanent members of the

Security Council to live up to their obligations in this

respect.

The time has come to address the issue of incentives

and penalties to enhance the principle of meeting financial

obligations on time and in full. The recommendations of the

Independent Advisory Group on United Nations Financing

in this respect must receive immediate attention. In this

connection, let us not forget the letter and the spirit of

Article 19 of the Charter, with its implications for the right

to vote.

An adjustment of the scale of assessments must ensure

a fairer and more up-to-date application of the principle of

capacity to pay.

At a time of resource constraints, it is also imperative

for Member States to face the questions of priorities and

efficient management. Strict budgetary discipline is

required, and scarce resources should not be wasted on

activities lacking well-defined goals: the means entrusted to

the Organization must be used in the most cost-effective and

prudent manner. We welcome the recent measures taken by

the Secretary-General in this regard.

We now have a unique opportunity to strengthen

international cooperation. This window of opportunity is

greater than at any time since 1945. The judgement of

history will be harsh if we fail to grasp this moment.

Therefore, it is up to us, as politicians and statesmen of the

present generation, to make sure that international

cooperation takes a decisive step forward.

The United Nations has a central role in this process.

If the United Nations concentrates on the essential tasks

entrusted to it in the Charter, and manages to generate the

necessary support and cooperation, this can be achieved.

There is broad consensus among the Member States about

the need to strengthen the United Nations. If this consensus

can be transformed into rapid action, we will have made

considerable progress in making the world Organization

fulfil the high expectations attached to it today.