Address to the UN General Assembly 1999

The tragedy in East Timor shows us again that when war and violence erupts, the world community turns to the United Nations for the resolution of conflicts and the preservation of peace. We welcome the Security Council's action to establish the multinational force that is now moving in to bring security and aid to the people of East Timor. Norway will contribute with personnel and financing.

We look to the United Nations for hope and solutions, for the protection of human dignity and shared values in a world of injustice and conflict.

This is why the United Nations is indispensable.

And this is why we, the member states, must make use of the United Nations, for peace and development, whether it be in East Timor, Kosovo or Congo.

In preparing for the Millennium Assembly, let us together address the global challenges in a new spirit, with a new sense of purpose.

Mr. President, I would like to congratulate you upon your election to President of the General Assembly. Norway looks forward to working with you. I also warmly welcome the three new members of the United Nations: the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Nauru, and the Kingdom of Tonga.

At the end of this century, globalisation presents us with political and moral dilemmas.

There has been remarkable progress – in technological innovation and in economic and democratic development.

But at the same time, while the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer.

Poverty and pollution, violent conflict and violations of human rights continue to haunt far too many people around the world.

Combating poverty, preventing conflicts, promoting human rights – these are the main challenges at the top of our common global agenda for the next century.

We must ensure that globalisation benefits all, not the few. And we must protect the environment.

To achieve this, we need to strengthen the multilateral system. We must support the United Nations and its work for global peace, security and sustainable development.

We must put the UN first.

Mr President,

Together, we possess the knowledge and the resources needed to eradicate poverty. But still, one billion three hundred million people live in extreme poverty. This is unacceptable – morally and politically. It is an injustice and an obstacle to economic and democratic progress. For all member states, in the North and South alike, changing this situation must be our priority.

And the UN must be the primary instrument. There is no alternative.

Let us build a global partnership aimed at eradicating poverty. Let us start by mobilising the political will and the financial resources needed to realise the target of cutting global poverty in half by the year 2015. It is a matter of political will. It can be done. Now.

National governments have the primary responsibility for sustainable development and for meeting social needs. They must promote and protect the rule of law, human rights and democracy. They must fight corruption and pursue sound economic policies. There is no doubt that development assistance is most effective in countries where government is based on the principles of good governance.

The international community must also do more to create economic opportunities for the developing world. The following steps would have a major impact:

First, we need to increase the transfer of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the North to the South. Norway has been well above the UN target for two decades. We intend to increase our development assistance further, up to one per cent (1%) of GDP.

Second, we need partnerships that enable national governments to lead the way and determine their own priorities. The private sector and business interests must be brought into the development process, as the Secretary-General has underlined.

Third, development assistance and debt relief must go hand in hand. Creditor nations must now give the poorest members of the world community a new start. Norway's national Debt Relief Strategy is particularly designed for this purpose. We also support the momentum created by the Group of Seven (G7) states to give highly indebted poor countries substantial debt relief.

Fourth, the entry of developing countries into the global market must be facilitated, not obstructed. This must be focused on during the new round of multilateral trade negotiations in the World Trade Organisation.

Mr. President,

In recent years, we have seen an increase in civil wars, often with an additional element of foreign involvement. The root causes can often be linked to ethnic tension as well as inequity in the distribution of resources – economic, social, natural and political.

During the 1990s, the activities of the United Nations have been more extensive than ever before – in the conduct of preventive diplomacy, in the deployment of peacekeeping forces, and in the provision of humanitarian aid to the victims of war.

But at the same time, there are critics who claim that the United Nations has failed.

Of course, many things could have been done better.

But we must not forget the many successes.

And we must not forget that it is we, the member states, who are responsible for giving the UN the mandates to act and the money and the means to succeed.

Let us not make the UN a scapegoat for our own shortcomings.

Instead, we must make sure that the Security Council can fulfil its primary function in international peace and security. We must act in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law.

We must put the UN first.

This means enhancing the capacity of the UN for conflict prevention, crisis management, and long-term development.

All members must meet their financial obligations to our world organisation and its peace operations. Creating common security is not cost-free. In particular, it is the duty of the most powerful members of the UN to set an example for others.

The UN must develop further its co-operation with regional organisations. As Chairman-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Norway has been working to build closer relations with the UN system. We need constructive interaction between all international, governmental and non-governmental organisations involved in peacekeeping and post-conflict work – in Europe and elsewhere.

Kosovo is a tragic example of the complex conflicts that we have seen in recent years. Building lasting peace there will require the concerted efforts of all actors involved – the United Nations, NATO, the OSCE, the European Union and others. Our immediate concern is to secure a safe environment for all the people of Kosovo, through a credible international presence.

We must promote integration between all the peoples and nations of South Eastern Europe. We must include everyone, and isolate no one.

This summer, at the Sarajevo Summit, we pledged to make the Stability Pact a key element of our efforts to ensure that democracy, peace, and prosperity become firmly rooted all over South Eastern Europe.

At the same time, our efforts to build peace in the Balkans must not be made at the expense of the poorest people elsewhere in the world. They should not pay the bill.

The UN and its agencies play a central role in providing emergency aid to victims of war everywhere. Humanitarian assistance should be complemented by efforts to promote reconciliation, democratic development and respect for human rights.

Compliance with international instruments are needed to protect civilians in armed conflict. We welcome the Secretary-General's report and the Security Council resolution last week. At the forthcoming Red Cross Conference in Geneva, we must generate the momentum needed to secure the protection aspects of international humanitarian law. The early entry into force of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court will be a vital contribution to the rule of law.

We must focus on human security, taking individuals and their communities as our point of departure. Combating poverty is crucial to human security.

The proliferation of anti-personnel mines and small arms and the use of child soldiers pose a threat to human security. They inflict deep wounds on society and individuals. Recently, in Russia, we have seen how terrorism strikes the innocent indiscriminately. We strongly condemn such terrorist acts, for which there can be no excuse. International efforts to deal with these serious issues must be intensified.

We must vigorously pursue nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The principles and objectives set out in the NPT process must be honoured. The early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and ratification of the START II Treaty are crucial priorities. So are START III negotiations to lower nuclear arsenals, and a "cut-off" treaty. These are all crucial elements in a global agenda for sustainable human development.

Mr. President,

When natural disasters strike, the poor are the most vulnerable. The recent tragedies in Turkey and Greece affected us deeply.

Increasingly, man's pressure on the environment seems to be a contributing factor to natural disasters, which often cause extensive destruction in developing countries.

We must step up our efforts to assist developing nations so that they become less vulnerable. In this regard, Norway attaches great importance to the Special Session of the General Assembly next week on the Barbados Programme of Action for Sustainable Development of Small Island States.

Conflict prevention, humanitarian aid and development efforts must go hand in hand. We must deal with the underlying causes of poverty and need, not just the symptoms. Political and economic reform should run in parallel with humanitarian aid. We must close the gap between relief and long-term development. This calls for closer co-ordination and involvement of the whole UN family, also the Bretton Woods institutions.

The Secretary-General's report on Africa clearly demonstrates that poverty, underdevelopment, and violent conflicts are closely linked. We cannot address one without addressing the others.

The Secretary-General has pointed to the need for a comprehensive approach and better co-ordination of conflict prevention and post-conflict peace-building in the UN system. The Secretariat is already embarked on the process of implementation and follow-up.

Norway fully supports the Secretary-General's initiative and is ready to provide practical and financial support to this imortant endeavour. We will set aside 3 million US dollars for use by the Secretariat for this purpose.

The situation in Africa gives rise to concern. Armed conflicts hamper development in many countries. The AIDS pandemic is also taking a devastating toll.

There are positive signs as well. We witness the growth of democracy, the transfer to civilian rule, free elections, and economic and political reforms in many African countries. But poverty remains a major challenge.

Norway remains firmly committed to peace and development in Africa. We will work with our African partners for conflict management and development co-operation. We will work with the United Nations, the Organisation of African Unity, sub-regional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community, the ECOWAS, and others, to achieve our common aims.

Mr. President,

The Middle East peace process is at a critical juncture. The vision that the parties had in 1993, when the Oslo Accords were signed, is still valid. The fact that Israel and the Palestinians have now embarked on final status talks is a very positive sign. Strong support for the peace process must remain a high priority for the international community. We must work together with the parties to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that will guarantee prosperity and security for all involved.

Mr. President,

The world needs an effective multilateral machinery to cope with common challenges.

For the next century, this is what we must do:

One: build a stronger United Nations in the fields of global security and economic and social progress.

Two: use the UN as the primary instrument for peace and development, democracy and human rights.

Three: tackle poverty and conflict prevention as the main challenges at the top of our agenda.

It is up to us, the member states, to make this possible.

Together, we must make it happen.

Thank you Mr. President.