Ukraine, 1998

On behalf of my delegation,

I extend to you, Sir, our sincere congratulations on your

election to the high post of President of the General

Assembly at its fifty-third session. We wish you every

success in discharging your very responsible mission.

I would also like to express my profound

acknowledgement to the President of the General Assembly

at its previous session, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, who also

happens to be my predecessor as Ukraine?s Foreign

Minister, for his efficient and fruitful work here. I believe

that the results of the fifty-second session deserve our

positive evaluation, for they gave a strong impetus to the

process of a wide-scale reshaping and strengthening of the

United Nations. The last session will undoubtedly enter

history as the session of reform. I am very pleased to note

that many previous speakers have attributed those

achievements to a large extent to the skilful and fair

presidency of the Ukrainian representative. This provides

undeniable evidence that our nation is not only a consistent

supporter of, but also an active participant in, the process

aimed at reforming the Organization.

May I also applaud Secretary-General Kofi Annan,

whose tireless efforts to initiate and promote this

challenging goal deserve not only words of praise but,

first and foremost, our active support.

The efficiency of the future functioning of the

United Nations will be determined by its ability to

respond adequately to the challenges confronting

humanity at the start of the twenty-first century. The

promotion of an interrelated and integral world, the search

for universal human harmony, the protection and further

development of the values of our civilization, and free

access to them — these are the main priorities on which

the United Nations should concentrate its authority and

attention.

It is widely acknowledged that the main feature of

the present development of the world community is the

globalization of political, social, economic and

humanitarian life. The advanced development of

information and communication technologies and the

interdependence of the economic progress of countries,

with their closely interwoven market of goods, capital and

labour, bring together local processes, separate events,

States and international institutions into a worldwide

network. A great advantage of globalization is the

possibility of resolving problems of individual regions and

countries by using the world?s experiences and the

approaches that have proved to be most efficient.

On the other hand, recent years have been marked

by some of the adverse effects of globalization. The

financial crisis in Asia and Russia, whose repercussions

have been acutely felt all over the world, has become a

subject of special preoccupation in almost every country.

In this regard, Ukraine fully shares the view that the

social and economic impact of globalization should

become a top priority on the agenda of the world

community today.

The United Nations, which bears responsibility for

international stability and sustainable economic

development, has to find the means and tools that could

help overcome the negative impact of globalization. In

this respect, I wish to recall and reiterate the initiative of

the President of Ukraine, officially announced in this Hall

in 1995, to establish a new United Nations economic

security council. In the meantime, Member States could

also entrust the Security Council with additional

assignments and the responsibility to deal with economic

and social challenges that have direct repercussions for

international peace and security.

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Furthermore, there are other issues which cause

discord and division among nations. These are the problems

of national minorities, deported peoples, refugees, the

spread of terrorism and organized crime, illicit drug-

trafficking and money-laundering.

These challenges require greater responsibility on the

part of individual countries and their leaders for their own

policies, as well as concerted efforts by the world

community to counteract them. All that means that the

United Nations, as never before, faces the urgent task of

harmonizing all human and national interests and creating

a world order whereby a national idea is not opposed to

global solutions. Hence, Member States should care more

for regional and universal security in order to maintain

peace and stability without prejudice to their national

interests.

Events of last summer once again highlighted the issue

of nuclear non-proliferation as pivotal for the world

community. This issue remains a cornerstone and

fundamental principle of preserving the world from a global

conflict. Nuclear tests conducted by two nations in

confrontation testify to the increasing urgency of expediting

the entry into force of international agreements in the field

of nuclear disarmament, as well as the need to ban other

types of weapons of mass destruction.

The issue of nuclear disarmament and non-

proliferation has a special meaning for Ukraine as a nation

which inherited the world?s third largest nuclear arsenal and

voluntarily renounced it and which suffered from the largest

technogenic disaster of this century in Chernobyl. Ukraine

has made an unprecedented and exemplary decision to

initiate the process of practical nuclear disarmament, and it

strictly honours its obligations undertaken in this field. That

is why we believe that we have the moral right to urge

other countries, first and foremost nuclear ones, to pursue

further reductions and, in the long run, to destroy totally

their nuclear potentials. We also call upon the so-called

threshold nations to abandon their nuclear ambitions.

The world community should take effective measures

to create reliable mechanisms for the non-proliferation of

weapons of mass destruction and control over the

implementation of relevant international agreements. The

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)

is in fact the only internationally binding document that

consolidates the world community around the concept of

global security. Hence, we have to substantially revitalize

the efforts of the United Nations and the International

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its support.

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), signed

by most United Nations Member States, is also of

exceptional significance. Ukraine, as one of its first

signatories, calls upon the States which hesitate to accede

to it to make this document effective as soon as possible.

As a positive example, it is worthwhile to note the recent

signing of the CTBT by Brazil and Spain. We welcome

this important decision by these two friendly countries.

For many years, the Conference on Disarmament has

been playing an important role as a catalyst in freeing

humanity from the burden of armaments, first and

foremost, the nuclear ones. Ukraine, which a few years

ago joined that body as a full member, continues to

contribute to the success of its activity. I am glad to

mention that it was under the presidency of Ukraine?s

representative at the Conference that the elaboration of

the treaty of the prohibition of fissile material reached its

final stage. As other priorities for the Conference, we are

considering elaboration of a programme of global nuclear

disarmament and of a multilateral agreement on granting

security guarantees to non-nuclear nations by the nuclear

Powers.

The contemporary age which has replaced the period

of global confrontation has set new challenges before the

United Nations in the field of international security. These

include the growing numbers of local, mostly inter-ethnic

conflicts inside countries, which cause civil wars and

involve other nations. Moreover, these conflicts spread

across regions or even turn into major international

conflicts and become the source of global instability. We

are deeply convinced that the international community

must not be reconciled to the age of “cold war” being

replaced by the age of “hot peace”. Finding an adequate

remedy to these dangerous phenomena is one of the main

issues that the United Nations should address today.

Ukraine, with a population of over 50 million

comprising 100 nationalities, has always pursued the

policy of maintaining stability and social accord in its

society. For seven years of its independent existence, our

country, contrary to pessimistic predictions, has succeeded

in avoiding ethnic tensions, regional division or

fragmentation of the society. This has been possible

thanks to the persistent efforts of all branches of State

power aimed at the comprehensive development of

democratic institutions and legal protection of national

minorities. This policy is enshrined in the Constitution of

Ukraine that was adopted two years ago.

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Conflict prevention remains one of the biggest

challenges for the United Nations, especially the Security

Council. It requires constant attention to potential sources

of tension and immediate and adequate measures to prevent

these tension points from growing into bigger conflicts. In

this context, I would like to underscore the pressing need

for strengthening the mechanism of United Nations global

monitoring and early warning of threats to international

peace and security in order to facilitate the Security

Council?s readiness for a timely and efficient response.

An important role in this respect is played by

international sanctions which make it possible to exert

pressure without resorting to force. We believe, however,

that the mechanism of introducing sanctions requires

serious improvement. First of all, there is urgent need to

work out an efficient tool for compensation for losses

incurred by third countries observing the sanctions.

Regrettably, all previous resolutions adopted by the General

Assembly to assist such countries so far remain

unimplemented, leaving some countries of Central and

Eastern Europe, in particular, to cope on their own with

their uncompensated economic losses.

It is a recognized fact that peace and stability on the

European continent are an inseparable part of the global

security system. Ukraine views the future architecture of

European security as one based on the principles of

comprehensiveness, indivisibility and partnership. This

fundamental position determines our country?s active

cooperation with European and Euro-Atlantic security

structures, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

and the Western European Union. Ukraine also actively

advocates the further strengthening of the role of the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE) as an important all-European tool for safeguarding

stability on the continent by means of political mediation,

protection of human and minorities? rights, strengthening of

democracy and humanitarian activity. Closer cooperation

and coordination of efforts between the United Nations and

the OSCE should be established by making it a good

practice to organize regular meetings between senior

officials of the two organizations.

For Ukraine, a country of Central and Eastern Europe,

establishment of friendly and partnership relations with its

neighbours is of great importance. In line with this policy,

last June Kiev hosted the first round of expert consultations

among a number of Black Sea States to work out joint

confidence-building and security measures in the naval

military field in the Black Sea region. Thus, actively

shaping a favourable security environment, Ukraine is

asserting itself as a natural strategic link between various

regions, for the North and South, East and West. That is

why it was not accidental that the initiative of Ukraine?s

President Leonid Kuchma to convene in September 1999

in Yalta an international summit conference entitled “The

Baltic-Black Sea Cooperation: towards an integrated

Europe of the twenty-first century without dividing lines”

has received broad support.

Contributing to the solution of vital global issues by

fostering internal harmony in society, projecting stability

on its environment through its active participation in non-

proliferation and peacekeeping, by shaping a vast network

of regional cooperation, Ukraine, as one of the United

Nations founding members, gives top priority to

strengthening international peace and security and aspires

to be elected next year as a non-permanent member of the

Security Council for the period 2000-2001.

This year the world community is marking the

fiftieth anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping

activities. Over past decades, peacekeeping operations

have grown into an effective instrument of preventing the

escalation of armed conflicts. While it is true that not all

of the United Nations peacekeeping missions have been

equally successful, the overall evaluation of United

Nations activities in this field should be considered

positive. Despite enduring hardship conditions, and often

at risk to their health and even their lives, the “Blue

Helmets” courageously perform a noble mission of

bringing peace to peoples in the planet?s trouble spots. In

this regard, I have the honour to propose that the

Assembly adopt at the special commemorative meeting to

be held on 6 October a declaration in commemoration of

those who served in United Nations peacekeeping

operations, an idea initiated by Ukraine.

The recent practice of peacekeeping in various

regions of the world demands the development of a

comprehensive basic document comprising the conceptual

principles of a new generation of peacekeeping

operations. These principles should have an integrated

block of military, civil, humanitarian, political, legal and

other aspects of such operations. We are convinced that

strengthening the United Nations peacekeeping potential

should become an integral component of the process of

United Nations reform.

In this context, I should like to reiterate the need to

reinforce the United Nations rapid reaction capabilities by

perfecting the United Nations standby arrangements and

making energetic efforts to set up the rapidly deployable

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mission headquarters. Ukraine has made a practical

contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations, in

particular in the former Yugoslavia and in some of the

Commonwealth of Independent States countries. We are

ready to continue our active participation in peacekeeping

and to commit additional resources to United Nations

standby arrangements.

Our country supports all measures necessary to

enhance the security of United Nations peacekeepers and

missions. In this regard, we call upon those States which

have not done so to accede to the Convention on the Safety

of United Nations and Associated Personnel in order to

facilitate its entry into force as soon as possible.

While globalization has become a driving force at the

international level, and liberalization and economic reforms

a dominating tendency within nations, international

economic cooperation based on the principles of non-

discrimination, fair competition, partnership and mutual

benefit has become increasingly relevant. The United

Nations should continue to play a leading role in creating

effective mechanisms for such cooperation.

We believe that the Organization?s social and

economic activities should focus more on countries with

economies in transition to accelerate their integration into

the world economy. International assistance will be helpful

for a smoother conduct of economic reforms in such

countries and for overcoming the inevitable difficulties in

transforming national economies. Subsequently, these

nations will achieve a level of economic development and

thus be able to help other countries. The experience of

some countries of Central and Eastern Europe proves that

such a prospect is quite possible.

Based on this knowledge, Ukraine?s course towards

the complete and comprehensive integration of its national

economy into the European and global economic systems

remains unchanged.

I should like to place special emphasis on Ukraine?s

strategy of integration into the European Union, endorsed

by the President of our country. This strategy provides for

the harmonization of national legislation and the intensive

development of trade and economic relations with European

Union members based on the partnership and cooperation

agreement that entered into force last March. I avail myself

of this opportunity to commend the countries of the

European Union for their support, so clearly expressed by

the Austrian Presidency.

We attach great importance to the regional

component of international economic cooperation. Ukraine

was one of the initiators of the regional economic process

within the framework of the Black Sea Economic

Cooperation (BSEC) and of the BSEC?s establishment as

a fully fledged international organization. We think that

today the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization

has full grounds for claiming observer status in the

General Assembly.

This year we are also marking another event of

historic significance: the fiftieth anniversary of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has

become a milestone in the quest of the individual to find

his or her own identity in society. This Declaration

provided a powerful impetus to the development of the

international system of protection of human rights, the

creation of the relevant branch of international law, and

the introduction of a ramified system of control over the

fulfilment by States of their commitments in the field of

human rights.

The Declaration remains a crucial element of all

human rights activities within the United Nations and a

model for constitutional practice in many parts of the

world. For instance, the Constitution of Ukraine, which

provides that safeguarding human rights and freedoms

make up the essence of national policy, is based on the

humanistic ideas of the Declaration.

An entire series of events dedicated to the fiftieth

anniversary of this Universal Declaration is under way in

Ukraine. The most important of them was the

International Conference organized early this month in

Yalta by our Government together with the United

Nations Development Programme, which was attended by

representatives from 27 countries and a number of

international organizations; a booklet on that Conference

has been circulated to members. A new Yalta spirit

associated with the observance of human rights and

freedoms was proclaimed at the Conference. This spirit is

best protected in the context of the growing role of

international law.

I believe that it is a matter of honour for all States

Members of this Organization to strictly abide by their

commitments to the United Nations Charter and the

fundamental principles of international law, in particular

as regards respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,

the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the strengthening

of the role of preventive diplomacy.

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Ukraine supports the proposals to strengthen the

International Court of Justice, which reflects the increasing

tendency to resolve international disputes by means of law.

The Security Council and other United Nations bodies

should consider making better use of the International

Court?s potential when dealing with international disputes.

Equally important is the setting up of the International

Criminal Court, which should be considered in the context

of the global changes that have taken shape after the end of

the cold war. The importance of this international judicial

institution is supported by the fact that its jurisdiction

covers the most serious crimes committed against

humankind.

Following the recognized principle of pacta sunt

servanda, Ukraine rigorously adheres to its commitments

under international instruments and to the standards and

rules of its national legislation, which are applied in

accordance with the norms of international law.

The decisions on United Nations reform adopted at the

fifty-second session of the General Assembly represent only

an initial stage of the Organization?s sweeping

transformation. Painstaking work is needed to translate

them into practice so that the United Nations can enter the

new millennium renewed and able efficiently to address the

persisting challenges of the present time.

It is therefore necessary to continue with wide-scale

structural adjustments and the reorganization of United

Nations programme activities to make them more results-

oriented, businesslike and tailored to the needs of the

Member States.

The key issue in renewing the United Nations is the

reform of the Security Council. Unfortunately, prompt

resolution of this fundamental question does not appear to

be forthcoming, as the issue has obviously stagnated. It is

in the interest of the international community as a whole to

make every effort to achieve a consensus decision on the

reform of this important United Nations body. It is

impossible to imagine a reformed United Nations without

this crucial issue having been resolved.

To make decisive progress in shaping a more reliable

and predictable world and promoting economic prosperity,

social justice and ecological safety, we must demonstrate

perseverance, courage and political will. Near-universal

membership, a far-reaching mandate, a broad spectrum of

activities and the institutionalized presence of the United

Nations at many levels can and should bring it to the

centre of these efforts.

The authority and efficiency of this world

Organization depend entirely on the membership. If we

wish to see the United Nations truly reformed and

revitalized, we must prove it by our practical deeds. We

must prove that people can continue to rely on the United

Nations and that our Organization is prepared to respond

to new challenges and withstand any tests.