UNITED
NATIONS 
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
STATEMENT
BY
THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED NATIONS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
H.E. MR. JULIAN R. HUNTE
AT
THE
CLOSING OF THE FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF
THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
UNITED
NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
13 SEPTEMBER 2004
Mr.
Secretary-General, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I
took up the Presidency of the Fifty-eighth Session of
the United Nations General Assembly one year ago, under
no illusion about the enormity of the responsibility
of this Office and the task that was before me. At that
time, the mood of this Assembly was somber. The military
action in Iraq and its aftermath, and the resultant
crisis of confidence that threatened to engulf the United
Nations, weighed heavily on the Assembly, and indeed,
on the organization as a whole.
Moreover,
the situation in Iraq, though critical, was not the
only issue with which the General Assembly was preoccupied.
The Assembly was poised to review progress in meeting
commitments made on financing for development, and in
combating the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic. Assessments
in these areas, and on the progress made in advancing
the United Nations development agenda generally, including
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), were less than
encouraging. A clear message was being sent by Member
States - the General Assembly had to do more to implement
its Charter mandates, and targeted revitalization initiatives
were essential to this process. There was general disquiet
that a decade had gone by, and the initiative to reform
the Security Council had yet to yield comprehensive
results.
As
President of the Assembly, I shared the determination
of Member States that we ought not be deterred by these
disturbing developments. My strong conviction was that
the Fifty-eighth Session of the General Assembly should
be an action-oriented one, and that Member States could
work together with me for this purpose. I so stated
in my opening address. I knew that realism, pragmatism
and decisive action, together with optimism, was required,
and looked beyond the challenges we faced to the significant
opportunities they presented for the Assembly to assist
the United Nations in living up to the ideals of the
Charter. I declared the effective management of the
Assembly as an unequivocal commitment, as an essential
element of undertaking to help our United Nations meet
its goals and objectives.
I think it fair to say that today the Assembly's outlook
is decidedly more positive and rightly so. Member States
can clearly identify, within the priorities set for
my Presidency - development, revitalization and reform
and peace and security - the issues they deemed to be
of critical concern to the Assembly. I am honoured that
Member States have given their full support to my Presidency
and St Lucia's leadership, supported by the Governments
of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in guiding the
work of this General Assembly. Due in large measure
to the cooperation and activism of the membership, the
Fifty-eighth Session has noteworthy accomplishments
to its credit.
Multilateralism beyond doubt underpinned my Presidency,
and was the basis on which decisions were made on the
wide range of issues on the agenda of the Assembly.
This was how it ought to be, since pressing global challenges,
including poverty and hunger, debt, fair trade, sustainable
development, deadly disease such as HIV/AIDS, nuclear
proliferation, terrorism and organized crime are not
North or South, developed or developing countries issues.
They are global challenges, requiring multilateral cooperation
for their solution. In the Fifty-eighth session, therefore,
we gave the negotiating table a central role in our
management of the Assembly's affairs.
We
thought it important that Member States should have
an overview of the discussions on pertinent issues to
enable the Assembly to take guidance from Heads of State
and Government and other high-level participants, and
to identify points of convergence to inform the outcomes
of critical aspects of its work. I therefore took the
initiative to summarize the deliberations of the General
Debate, setting out cogently the positions governments
took on the broad spectrum of issues, from the MDGs
to globalization and trade liberalization; from revitalization
of the General Assembly to reform of the Security Council;
from Iraq to the situation in the Middle East.
Mr.
Secretary-General, I am appreciative of the support
you gave to me and to this Assembly in carrying out
the important work we do on behalf of the world's people.
Your Report on the Work of the Organization helps set
the foundation for the work of the session. I therefore
presented a summary of this report, as well as the report
of the Security Council to the Assembly. The Assembly
had earlier decided that the Security Council's report
should be summed up to determine if there were issues
the Assembly wished to bring to the attention of the
Council. I was pleased that mine was the Presidency
which took the initiative to implement this decision
of the Assembly. We did in fact make summing up debates,
formal and informal, a practice during my Presidency,
a practice Member States indicated that they highly
valued.
The Charter of the United Nations gave the organization
a key role in improving the standard of life of the
world's people. In keeping with this ideal, Member States
gave clear indication that development should be brought
back to center stage on the Assembly's agenda. Taking
into account the numerous challenges developing countries
face, particularly in critical areas such as aid, trade
and debt, sustainable development commanded significant
focus this session.
I am pleased with the gains the Assembly made in its
development initiatives. Some sixteen Heads of State
and Government participated in the High-level Plenary
on HIV/AIDS, convened less than one week into the session.
Their presence underscored, at the highest level, the
determination of the membership to halt and reverse
this most serious of threats to humanity, and to the
development goals of states, particularly in the developing
world.
The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development,
also convened early in the session, gave considerable
impetus to sustainable development initiatives. Although
the news from the Dialogue was not good, nevertheless
the Dialogue did play an invaluable role in efforts
to put financing for development issues back on track.
In the context of the High-level Dialogue, we placed
issues such as commodities, international cooperation
in tax matters and the role of the business and private
sector in sustainable development under close scrutiny
in interactive discussions. The findings are available
to inform policy choices at the national, regional and
international levels. They also help to determine the
partnerships required to implement the commitments made
at the 2002 International Conference on Financing for
Development, and in other development efforts.
The
Presidency continued to take this more inclusive and
interactive approach to the Assembly's examination of
sustainable development issues, using primarily consultations,
briefings and panel discussions, including within the
framework of the Assembly's General Committee. Many
developing countries are facing some of the greatest
challenges to their development, particularly in respect
of globalization and trade liberalization. We were therefore
judicious in consultations and briefing meetings convened
under the auspices of the Presidency, to select topics
of particular concern to these countries, and to carry
forward key initiatives, such as the High-level Plenary
to be convened in 2005, to follow-up implementation
of the outcomes of a decade of summits and conferences
in the economic and social fields.
We were honoured, in that regard, that Uganda's President
Museveni accepted our invitation to address the commodities
issue; Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics, Joseph Stiglitz,
to address the issue of trade and development; and UNCTAD's
Secretary-General, Rubens Ricupero to address issues
pertaining to the convening of UNCTAD XI. In the General
Committee, Under-Secretary-General Gambari brought us
up-to-date on initiatives to advance the New Economic
Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD). The general
feedback on this, and all our interactive briefings,
including on the topics for discussion, was very positive.
My Presidency was one that ensured that the General
Assembly broke free of convention in challenging times
that demand new ideas, vision and innovation. It was
my considered view that an event as pivotal as the commemoration
of the genocide in Rwanda should be one for innovation
across principle organs of the United Nations - the
General Assembly and the Security Council. I was pleased
that the Permanent Representative of Germany (then serving
as the Council's President) accepted my invitation,
in his personal capacity, to co-chair the Commemoration
with me. Perhaps in the future cooperation on another
significant event will find favour with the Council.
Informal
briefings on matters of peace and security are not usually
convened by the General Assembly. My Presidency did
not regard this as a bar to holding such a briefing
on the situation in Haiti. We were encouraged by the
positive response to the informal briefing, and are
appreciative to Under-Secretary-General Prendergast
for his lucid and cogent presentation on that occasion.
Also
in the area of peace and Security, the General Assembly
four times played the role envisaged for it in the "Uniting
for Peace" resolution, reconvening in Emergency
Special Session on Palestine when a veto by a permanent
member of the Security Council did not permit action
to be taken by the Security Council.
My
Presidency perceived, in the serious concern repeatedly
expressed that the "oxygen had been sucked out
of the General Assembly" in the wake of military
action in Iraq and the focus of world attention on the
Security Council, a genuine readiness in Member States
to act in respect of revitalization of the General Assembly.
This gave impetus to our initiative to take specific
and tangible steps to advance the process of revitalization.
This matter was far more complicated than it appeared
on the face of it.
My
Presidency has been commended widely for its accomplishments
in revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.
I accept this gracious commendation on behalf of all
who worked tirelessly for the consensus adoption of
two resolutions - 58/126 and 58/316- recognized as the
most far-reaching actions the Assembly has taken in
more than a decade. The guiding principle of these resolutions
is straightforward - the General Assembly's authority
and role should be enhanced, and its working methods
should be improved.
Already
the results of the initiative are evident, in the transition
office provided to the President-elect of the Fifty-ninth
Session of the General Assembly, and in the staff provided
to his Office. Scope has been given to the President
to propose issues on which pronouncements might be made
in the General Debate, as well as to initiate more interactive
debates, an important opportunity to provide leadership
on topical issues on the Assembly's agenda.
The
President of the Security Council now briefs the President
of the General Assembly on the Council's work, although
greater effort will have to be made to institutionalize
this process. Two meetings have already taken place
between the Presidents of the General Assembly, the
Security Council and the Economic and Social Council.
The continued development of this mechanism, which has
value as a means of increasing cooperation, coordination
and complementarity in the work of the three bodies,
will make a substantive contribution to efforts within
the United Nations for greater coherence.
In
advancing the revitalization initiative we have not
shied away from the tough issues - the Assembly's more
than three hundred and thirty-three item agenda; the
extensive volume of its documentation; and the significant
number of resolutions it adopts. Action has already
been taken to make the agenda more accessible, and comprehensible,
by organizing it around broad themes, based on the United
Nations medium-term plan. Further rationalization of
the agenda has also been initiated, particularly in
respect of the agenda of the Plenary. The revitalization
resolutions also point the way forward in respect of
documentation as well as resolutions, which the Assembly
has determined should be more concise and focused.
Our
revitalization efforts have permitted the Assembly to
put other United Nations mechanisms, including the General
Committee, to good use. Reform of the General Committee
is called for as part of the revitalization exercise.
There can be no doubt that this process is well under
way - the General Committee, meeting in informal sessions,
was the forum for discussion of most of the revitalization
reports, and its conclusions were incorporated in revitalization
resolutions. As Member States continue to consider the
reform of the General Committee, I do hope that its
scope for providing greater support to the work of the
Assembly will be explored.
My
Presidency has been diligent in designing an effective
framework to sustain the drive to revitalize the General
Assembly. The proposal to convene the General Assembly
over two substantive periods of the session is one of
the issues that has been set aside for discussion in
this framework during the Fifty-ninth session of the
General Assembly. Throughout, we have kept our proposals
and expectations pragmatic and realistic. It is clear,
however, that if we are to continue on a meaningful
revitalization path - and we must - greater confidence
would be needed on all sides so that issues of importance
to some countries would not be sidelined at the expense
of issues of interest to more powerful and influential
countries, all in the name of revitalization. Work must
also continue to be done to ensure that the General
Assembly can better react to immediate events, for example,
the situations in Iraq and Haiti.
Notwithstanding
skepticism, complexities and ambiguities surrounding
Security Council reform, my Presidency reacted to the
genuine, if cautious, willingness we perceived among
most member states to proceed. Our firmly held view
was that other means for generating meaningful discussion
on Council reform were worth exploring, to bring this
matter out of its ten-year paralysis. As a result, the
Open-ended Working Group on Reform of the Security Council
held frank and open discussions on our initiatives to
address separately six important topics relating to
Security Council reform, including the use of the veto.
But can our discussions, insightful as they have been,
lead to policy decisions on reform of the Security Council?
Can more be done to reform the Council, to ensure that
when it sounds alarm bells, the organization immediately
rises to the challenge to bring peace and security to
a country or region troubled by conflict and war? There
is considerable optimism that the Security Council reform
efforts of the Open-ended Working Group will receive
a boost from the Secretary-General's High-level Panel
on Threats, Challenges and Change, when it reports in
December 2004.
Given the collective expertise and experience of the
Panel, its report will no doubt be a good one. What
is realistic and feasible, however, is defined not by
reports, but by what Member States do with reports.
This Assembly must either act on the recommendations
of the report, or take its own decisions on the matter
of Security Council reform, or reform will continue
to evade us. I stand firm in my opinion that the Security
Council can be reformed, but that compromises are critical.
I believe there was a glimmer of compromise in the Open-ended
Working Group - can that glimmer become the bright light
of Security Council reform? These matters are in the
hands of Member States.
Let
me now turn to cooperation with the United Nations Secretariat.
Our efforts for revitalization of the General Assembly
and reform of the Security Council have and continue
to be focused primarily within and between the inter-governmental
bodies. The experience of my Presidency is that it would
be important, at this juncture, to examine the relationship
between the Secretariat and the General Assembly, including
the Office of the President. I would encourage Member
States themselves, both inside and outside of the United
Nations, to examine the priority that should be accorded
to supporting the Office of the President.
The
limited attention the work of the General Assembly attracts
from the media, and limited public awareness of the
work of the Assembly generally is a continuing concern.
My Presidency has taken up advocacy for the General
Assembly, and indeed for the United Nations, as a special
undertaking. We have ensured, through the revitalization
initiative, that a strategy has been devised by the
Department of Public Information to publicize the Assembly's
work.
We
have also taken every opportunity to ourselves publicize
the work of the Assembly, and indeed the United Nations,
the world's premier multilateral organization. We have
done so on official visits to Member States and through
our participation in important international meetings
such as UNCTAD XI held in Brazil in June of this year,
and the Inter-regional Preparatory Meeting for the January
2005 International Meeting to Review the Implementation
of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States, held
in Nassau in January 2004. We have done so in meetings
of other intergovernmental organizations such as the
Organization of American States and the Commonwealth,
academic and other institutions, parliamentary forums
and in the helpful relationship we developed with civil
society, including Non-Governmental Organizations and
the business and private sector.
My
Presidency made a determined effort to involve the largest
number of Member States in the work of the Fifty-eighth
Session. Let me here recognize the Permanent Representatives
who graciously accepted my invitation to act as Facilitators
over a broad range of issues. Our initiatives on revitalization
of the General Assembly, reform of the Security Council,
humanitarian affairs, the forthcoming 2005 High-Level
Plenary, HIV/AIDS, Children and the conferring of United
Nations Observer Status, were all facilitated. I thank
the Facilitators, on your behalf and on my own behalf,
for their cooperation with the Presidency and the Assembly,
and for the exceptional service they rendered.
Let
me also take this opportunity to thank Under-Secretary-General
Chen and in particular the team in the Department of
General Assembly Affairs and Conference Management,
led by Mrs Peggy Kelly, for the excellent cooperation
we have received. This team has indeed been our partner
in our endeavours to provide leadership and efficiently
manage the General Assembly. I commend them for their
exemplary efforts.
With
the election of my successor, H.E. Mr. Jean Ping, Minister
of State, Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and La Francophonie
of the Gabonese Republic, the General Assembly has,
for the third time, elected a President three months
in advance of the session over which the President will
preside. It has been a priority for my Presidency to
ensure the smooth, seamless transition between Presidencies
that the General Assembly envisaged. President-elect
Ping and I have met for an exchange of views on the
Presidency. My Cabinet has extensively briefed the incoming
Cabinet. Together with the Department of General Assembly
Affairs and Conference Management, we have prepared
briefing documents that include the specific responsibilities
that would fall to the President of the Fifty-ninth
session by virtue of mandates emanating from the General
Assembly. Over the transition period, we have been available
to assist.
As
I prepare to bring this Fifty-eighth Session of the
General Assembly to a close, I am mindful that the accomplishments
of the Assembly are not measured by the successes of
one session. Keeping in step with the ideals of the
United Nations Charter requires continuous efforts.
I am heartened that I leave a General Assembly with
a more positive outlook - our accomplishments over the
course of the Fifty-eighth Session prove what we can
achieve when we work together, cooperatively, with a
clear sense of purpose underpinned by political will.
I
thank you, the Member States of this Assembly for the
confidence you placed in me. I thank your for your cooperation
and kindness. I commend you for your efforts and for
the noteworthy gains this Assembly has made. Most of
all, I thank you for your efforts on behalf of the world's
people. And now, having brought the ship to safe harbour,
I hand over to the new captain.
I
thank you.
