ROMANIA

Mr. President,

I am delighted to extend to H.E. Mr. Harri Holkeri, the new President of the 55^th session of the General Assembly, my sincere congratulations on his election. Given his personal skills along with the weight of the praiseworthy contributions of Finland to the work of the United Nations, I am confident that this challenging session will be a successful one.

Allow me, also, to thank the outgoing President, H.E. Mr. Theo‑Ben Guribab of Namibia for his able leadership throughout a difficult session.

I am glad to welcome Tuvalu, the latest newcomer to the United Nations family. I could not continue without expressing our sincere appreciation for our hardworking Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan, under whose leadership the wind of change never ceases to blow.

Mr. President,

I would like to welcome the results of the Millennium Summit. The views expressed by leaders from all over the world showed how crucial it is, at this point in history, to reshape our organization so as to respond adequately to the great challenges of our times. The comprehensive Declaration adopted on that occasion expresses a strong political will to that effect and offers the perspective of a future action plan.

From this rostrum and in other fora, political leaders endeavored to describe their perceptions, expectations and concerns on the all‑encompassing manifestations of globalization.

My predecessor, last year, stated that the United Nations was all about institutionalized solidarity. Bearing this idea in mind, our belief is that the United Nations should reshape its role in such a way as to manage globalization in the interest of all nations and to correct its excesses.

Globalization creates opportunities for commercial, economic and financial expansion. However, an improved technological competitiveness and wider economic freedom do not produce automatically more equity.

The contribution of globalization to the betterment Of the human condition will remain limited to a small number of individuals, social categories and countries, unless controlled and oriented towards the common good. This implies that, in the new context of the integration and participation to the globalization processes, good governance should intelligently and predictably combine economic reforms with social responsibility, adjust the system of education and training, initiate institutional reforms able to achieve, on a long term, internal stability and employment, individual security and social justice, the protection of the national economic interests, resources and the environment.

The process of globalization creates a new balance of power between states, non‑governmental organizations, and transnational. corporations. What is at stake is how to properly use their potential in order to influence the course of globalization for a better impact on people's lives.

This means bringing globalization closer to the people by promoting:

i/ human values, democratic principles and practices;

ii/ open, inclusive and pluralist political culture;

iii/ economies that sustain decent life for all citizens and prosperity for the societies as a whole;

iv/ institutions that protect both the individual, with all its human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the common good.

Nothing can be really in favor of the citizens of a country and, at the same time, against the standards of a democratic world.

We need to join our efforts in order to enlarge the sphere of values shared by the international ‑community. In this globalized and yet conflictual world manifestation of solidarity can provide a sound basis for progress and prosperity for individuals and nations. From this perspective, I am convinced that solidarity, related to the creation and allocation of the educational capital, is essential for the access of young people to opportunities for progress engendered by globalization. I strongly support a better access of young people to the new technologies based on information and communication systems through investments in the information system education, based on firm partnerships among governments, business communities, non‑govemmental organizations. In coping with the new information reality of globalization, good governance has to act with vision, responsibility and solidarity. Access to the information educational capital should not create new demarcation lines on the planet, but rather unite the world, primarily young people, through new opportunities for progress, self‑fulfillment and communication.

Access to digital education will mean, at the same time, civic emancipation, the confidence of citizens in the administration, more transparency, much less corruption.

Mr. President,

The first key word ‑ solidarity ‑ which I have tried to illustrate, should be accompanied by a second one, namely, responsibility. For the United Nations as a whole and for its Member States, responsibility is another way to react to the forces of globalization, both domestically and internationally. That is why Romania welcomes the set of priorities and recommendations formulated by the Secretary-General in its report to the Millennium Summit.

For the Member States, responsibility signifies that it is their duty to give the organization the political support and the concrete means necessary to successfully manage globalization and fulfil its mandate. This role is not an easy one. In an era of the most advanced technological capability, poverty continues to be a painful reality. While there is such an increasing acceptance of the universality of human rights, innocent people become victims of inter‑ethnic wars. While fighting the squads of terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime, states find that the perpetrators are almost as armed as their police forces. Lack of determination or promptness in preventing the degradation of the environment endangers life on our planet. It is incumbent to the United Nations to strive to give globalization a human face.

Within our own organization responsibility also signifies that we have to:

‑ strengthen the authority of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security;

‑ move ahead with the process of reforming the Security Council, once we agreed that an increase in its membership is justified;

‑ be more effective in assisting Member States to cope with their serious economic and social problems;

‑ enhance its capacity to timely mount and deploy peace missions.

In recent years, we have witnessed the increasing role of nongovernmental organizations and other non‑state actors, in particular the powerful transnational corporations. There is a need for an increased responsibility for them also. Non‑governmental organizations should be prepared to mobilize more effectively the resources of the civil society for action in service to the public well‑being.

As for the transnational corporations we are aware of their role in pushing the forces of globalization and also in reaping its fruit. It is just fair for them to assume responsibilities beyond the borders of their profit. There is a long way to go, so it is high time to start in this particular respect.

The "Global Compact” initiative launched by the Secretary‑General should be built upon. In Romania, we have already explored its potential, The results are promising. We do indeed believe that the business community can enhance support and enact a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, and environment protection. After all, profit is meaningless if it does not lead to the improvement of the human condition of all.

Mr. President,

We believe that all Member States, including Romania, can assume a share of the collective responsibility. Indeed, my country is doing its best to bring its own contribution to the goals and purposes of the United Nations.

i/ Romania is party to the majority of the key multilateral treaties and conventions identified as such by the Secretary General in the context of the Millennium Summit;

ii/ we presented a valuable resolution entitled "Promoting and Consolidating Democracy" which was adopted by the Commission on Human Rights on 25 April 2000. Encouraged by its success we will invite the General Assembly to adopt this resolution during the current session. We are convinced that all Members of the General Assembly are prepared to reiterate their recognition of the values, principles and practices that give meaning to a democratic society;

iii/ Romania is a strong supporter of the United Nations role in peace‑keeping. Our peacekeepers have served in various places where we did not have any specific national interest other than maintaining peace for the world and for the innocent people who are the most affected victims of conflicts and disputes. We worked hard to diversify our contribution to peace‑keeping. Romania is also proud to be part of the first multinational stand‑by high‑readiness brigade (SHIRBRIG). That is a clear way of expressing support to enhance the UN capacity to deploy peacekeepers rapidly and effectively. In the same context we welcome the work of the panel on UN peacekeeping operations which is a convincing outline for an important reform of this particular function;

iv/ we also believe that time has come for us to try to review the peace‑keeping scale of assessment. As a concrete contribution to this effort, I take this opportunity to announce that Romania is willing to gradually move from "Group C" to "Group B" of the assessment mechanism for peacekeeping. We appeal all member countries to work together for putting an end to the current financial crisis;

v/ on the same vein, let me emphasize that Romania increased its voluntary contribution to the UNDP work in Romania. It is a manner to reiterate our support to, and interest in the operational activities of the United Nations.

We have always supported creative and efficient ways of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. I am pleased to announce this august audience that Romania prepares for taking over the high responsibility of the Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2001. We will work hard to make OSCE a more instrumental organization, based upon a specific commitment to improve the life of citizens of its Participating States. At the same time, we will use to its best the potential for dialogue and cooperation between OSCE and the United Nations in conflict prevention and crisis management, in strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law, in fighting corruption and in other realms of common interest.

Mr. President,

Having said this, I would make a plea to Member States to integrate the two essential ingredients for effective action, namely solidarity and responsibility, into the concept of total diplomacy. This means the systematic use of a firm and efficient diplomacy, whose effect should come before any dangerous tensions burst into conflict. It also means that we should give absolute priority to diplomacy, prevention, and containment, and in all circumstances use them extensively and comprehensively for the pacific settlements of disputes. All means provided for in Chapter VI of the Charter or others that might be construed by our collective effort of imagination should reinforce the organization's capacity to cope with the threats and conflicts, predictable or unpredictable.

The recent developments in longstanding conflicts and disputes confirm that at the end of any road paved with a heavy toll in human lives, material destruction, and distorted mentalities, one can find the negotiation table. Diplomacy used up to exhaustion can eventually be decisive, if all possibilities of statesmen, professional negotiators, public opinion and civil society are comprehensively mobilized.

Intense dialogue, diplomacy and flexibility from all parties are still needed in critical points of the world, such as Kosovo. Resolution 1244 of the Security Council is a remarkable innovation, which combines the specific capabilities of the United Nations and of some prominent regional organizations such as NATO, OSCE and the Council of Europe. Let us work together to observe it and to turn the diplomatic and material potential of these organizations into a full positive impact on all the inhabitants of this province, irrespective of ethnic background or religion.

I address the same appeal to responsibility to the parties involved in the Transdnister conflict, with the hope that the commitments assumed during the OSCE Summit in Istanbul will be respected, so that next year we can see concrete measures in the withdrawal of military troupes and arsenal from this part of the Republic of Moldova.

We are aware that there are many complex and unsolved situations for which energetic enforcement is necessary. We are ready to participate in a profound and responsible debate over the humanitarian intervention. We would join other delegations in having a fresh look at the use of sanctions, to see how effective they are with respect to the target and which are the consequences on the innocent civilian population or third countries. Among the possible consequences it is worth mentioning the irrational reactions of retort from the countries in question.

A case in point is the perpetuation of the Danube blocking, which makes all the riparian countries suffer. The procrastination against the lifting of the blockade on the Danube, under various pretexts defies the international legality and ignores the economic interests in the region. Every day, shipping companies accumulate huge losses, which add to the already heavy burden on the third countries in the area, during the years of the Yugoslav crisis.

Speaking of the situation in the Balkans in general, we have to say that we are far from having reached complete stability. We are still witnessing the confrontation between the forces of integration and those of dissolution.

Time has come to get rid of the ghosts of intolerance and hatred and open the door to the fresh air of the European spirit of integration.

The results of the actions by the inflexible regime of Belgrade can be clearly seen today: unfortunately, our neighbours are forced to cope with a destroyed and isolated economy, an unpredictable political situation, in a Yugoslav state, once viable and respected, yet finding itself, today, in a process of dismantling. Politics should be judged according to its results, and not to its intentions. We are ready to support Yugoslavia's return to the European and international dialogue, once it is back to the values of democracy, tolerance, and freedom of expression.