New York, 15 September 2000

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Mr. President,

Allow me at the outset to congratulate your election to the Presidency of the General Assembly, and assure you of the full cooperation of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the discharge of your important responsibility. I wish also to register our appreciation for the efforts of your distinguished predecessor. My thanks and appreciations also go to our esteemed Secretary-General for his tireless and constructive endeavors on behalf of the organization.

Time of Rapid Global Change:

The world is currently undergoing the most radical changes ever experienced by mankind. In such rapidly changing environment, the main challenge facing the United Nations is to keep up with the pace of events and try to play a leading role in directing the course of events in a way more compatible with the interests of overwhelming majority of the world population. The just concluded Millennium Summit provided a unique opportunity for global leaders to chart a collective agenda for addressing this historic challenge.

United Nations as the Instrument of Democratic Global Change:

As the sole universal body, the United Nations is uniquely positioned to be the instrument of democratic global change. It can help ensure that the process of change and transformation in the global system is participatory and fair. The focus of our attention at the global level in the past fifty-five years has been on the preservation of international peace, security and stability. Despite tremendous economic and technological progress that has been achieved, justice and universal participation in decision-making as well as in benefiting from peace and progress have attracted less global attention and resources.

As the Secretary-General has pointed out in his Millennium Report, the benefits and costs of globalization have not been evenly distributed. While, since 1950, world trade has increased more than ten-fold, over half of the world population continues to live with less than $2 a day, and three quarters of the world population earn less than 20% of total global income. According to the ILO, 60 million young people - more than 80% of whom in developing countries -- cannot find employment.

The common destiny of humanity in the age of globalization dictates that we set aside the illusion of building islands of affluence, prosperity and stability in a turbulent sea of war, poverty, disease, ignorance and insecurity.

Managing Globalization:

Globalization is an economic, social, and cultural reality. It should not just be allowed to happen: it is a reality, which we can and we should collectively manage.

One of the key tasks is to ensure that the benefits of globalization are more evenly distributed. The Millennium Report of the Secretary-General has set out a number of realistic and quantifiable targets. Necessary resources need to be committed and those who have been mostly on the receiving end of the benefits of globalization have an added responsibility. The United Nations Machinery should direct and coordinate bilateral and multilateral efforts in this regard.

Globalization has also further complicated global menaces of terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking, necessitating adoption of common and rule-based strategies to fight and eradicate them.

Terrorism afflicts the entire international community, and thus must be combated in its entirety regardless of its victims or culprits. In a globalized world, nothing can justify harboring or providing safe havens to terrorists or condoning their activities. No nation can fight terrorism unilaterally. We need universal, nondiscriminatory and comprehensive mechanisms to fight terrorism wherever it occurs, and deprive terrorists of their means of recruitment, operation and funding. The role of the United Nations in this regard is indispensable. In this context, particular attention needs to be placed on cooperation in the field of trans-national organized crime and drug trafficking, which in additions to their own afflictions for humanity, increasingly provide income for terrorist organizations. We are prepared to participate actively in any such endeavor.

The menace of drug abuse and trafficking continues to take a heavy social, economic and political toll. It particularly afflicts the youth, who form the future. Combating drug trafficking is a costly exercise, and requires international political will and serious burden sharing. Provision of meaningful financial resources and modern equipment by target countries can enable transit countries, such as ours, to combat the problem at a fraction of the cost. The Islamic Republic of Iran has done more than its share in preventing transit, seizing more than 70% of narcotics seized globally. The costs in terms of financial burden and more importantly human sacrifice are unbearable. More than 2900 Iranian drug enforcement personnel have been martyred in the fight against drug traffickers. We appreciate the cooperation and support extended to Iran by UNDCP in this regard, although its limited resources cannot cover the programs it wants and needs to implement. It is important to underline that in the absence of meaningful bi-lateral and multi-lateral assistance, the Islamic Republic of Iran will have to allocate most resources to combating domestic consumption and will not be able to sustain its fight against drug trafficking with the same vigor and energy.

Transforming Globalization into Globality

As underlined by President Khatami here last week, emergence of a World Culture is another reality. But, it ought not overlook native local cultures with the aim of imposing itself upon them. National cultures have gradually evolved in a process ensuring coherence in spite of the plurality and diversity that is found in many of them. This process creates a sense of belonging.

We need the same harmony and sense of belonging for the emerging World Culture. The answer is participation and not assimilation and imposition. Last year, I proposed recognition of the right of nations and peoples to preserve and flourish their culture and cultural identity. The General Assembly adopted resolution 54/160 in this regard. We continue to believe that in the process of globalization, it is essential to recognize and respect cultural rights of individuals and communities.

We should transform globalization, particularly in the area of culture into a democratic, participatory and natural process of globality. The United Nations can facilitate this process by promoting dialogue for exchange of knowledge, experience and understanding in diverse areas of culture and civilization. Promotion of global participation in the process will prevent a sense of alienation and "cultural homelessness" in major parts of the world.

The designation of the year 2001 as the UN Year of Dialogue among Civilizations is the first step. The unprecedented worldwide reception of this proposal indicates first and foremost a general need for dialogue. The Roundtable on Dialogue among Civilizations, which was held here in New York on the eve of the Millennium Summit, with the participation of a significant number of Heads of State, Foreign Ministers and prominent scholars and thinkers underlined that dialogue should become the new paradigm of international relations. This constituted a proper launching of the UN Year of Dialogue. It must be augmented by serious programs and commitment of all to make this a meaningful reality which should persist in human experience long after the UN year ends. In this context, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which is currently chaired by President Khatami, has recently adopted a "Draft Global Agenda on Dialogue Among Civilizations" to be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly at its 56`h session. We hope that in the course of the next several months, consultation between various delegations will lead to further enrichment and adoption of this draft at the next General Assembly.

Reforming Global Governance

The United Nations can naturally play a leading role in the democratic global change in the political scene. Crises in disparate parts of the world challenge the relevance of the United Nations, requiring it not to take the back seat.

The situation of Palestine represents a vivid illustration of the failure of the international community to provide justice to millions of people deprived of their homeland and the most fundamental human rights through state terrorism, aggression and foreign occupation. Of over 7.5 million Palestinians, 4 million live in diaspora, and much of the rest under foreign domination. This lies at the heart of the Palestinian question: Disregarding the joint processes of expulsion and occupation cannot provide the answer for restoration of peace and tranquility in this volatile region. In fact, Israel's persistent disregard for the rights of the Palestinian people, coupled with Zionist policies of aggression, state terrorism and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction continue to pose the greatest threat to regional peace, security and stability. Palestine belongs to all Palestinians irrespective of their creed, and peace can only return to the region through an end to occupation of all Arab and Muslim territories, including the Golan Heights, restoration of the rights of Palestinian people, including their right to return to their homeland, exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination through democratic means and establishment of their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The persistence of the tragic fratricide in Afghanistan, along with the dire humanitarian situation, violation of human rights, particularly those of women and girls, production and trafficking of narcotics, and harboring and training of terrorists have created a human catastrophe. Peace and national reconciliation can only be attained by abandoning the illusion of military solution and domination of one ethnic group. The United Nations, through the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the group of 6+2, continue to provide the most suitable mechanism to facilitate intra-Afghan dialogue aimed at a responsible broad-based, multi-ethnic and fully representative government. The Islamic Republic of Iran has played an active role in this process. Also, in his capacity as Chairman of the OIC, President Khatami has undertaken an initiative to bring the warring factions to negotiations. We are prepared to continue this exercise in close coordination with the United Nations.

There are other and emerging humanitarian challenges globally, requiring the United Nations to react. Failure to act may bring about arbitrary and selective - and naturally politically-motivated - responses from states and non-universal organizations. Articulation of the criteria for rule-based reaction coupled with allocation of necessary resources and capacity-building in the UN for timely reaction constitute two major tasks ahead. As the Secretary-General has pointed out, prevention through diplomacy and economic development is the most effective and least costly type of global engagement.

Good-governance at the international level requires provision of rational and comprehensive mechanisms to ensure security for all. Nuclear disarmament is the most fundamental priority in this regard. It is imperative to initiate multi-lateral negotiations for the elimination of all nuclear weapons, within a time-bound framework and through a comprehensive and universal convention. The proposal of the Secretary-General to convene an international conference on nuclear weapons is a valuable contribution, which could build upon our collective achievement during the NPT Review Conference. Furthermore, following the outcome of the NPT Review Conference, serious and comprehensive international pressure should come to bear on Israel to accede to the Treaty and put its installations under IAEA safeguards. This would pave the way for the establishment of a zone free from weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

Finally, in reforming global governance, the role and efficiency of the General Assembly, as the sole democratic, universal and transparent organ of the UN must be augmented. It should focus its deliberations on contemporary challenges rather than outdated debates, coupled with effective reaction to the reports of other organs of the United Nations particularly the Security Council.

Efforts to work out a special political role for the United Nations comes at a time when the Organization is in one of the worst periods of its existence from afinancial perspective. The tasks that the international community expects the UN to fulfill require more innovative ways of raising money for smooth functioning of the Organization. In this context, it may be merely instructive to remember that only a tiny percent of the military expenditures of the Member States, if allocated to the specific activities of the United Nations, will be much more efficiently utilized for creating a more secure global environment.

Mr. President,

Distinguished Colleagues,

The current session of the General Assembly follows the Millennium Summit, the IPU Summit, the global gathering of religious leaders and the UNESCO Roundtable on Dialogue among Civilizations. As such, it has a tremendous and historic opportunity to take advantage of the expressed political will in those unprecedented gatherings, operationalize their declarations and decisions and move the United Nations forward to an era of stability, justice and peace and good-governance through participation and the rule of law. Commensurate with such a historic opportunity, we are all accountable before our own people and the people of the world.

Thank You, Mr. President.