CANADA
STATEMENT BY
THE HONOURABLE BILL GRAHAM
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF CANADA
TO THE FIFTY-SEVENTH
SESSION OF
THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK, 12 SEPTEMBER 2002
Thank you Mr. President.
I would like to congratulate you
on your election as President of the General Assembly and assure you of my delegation's
cooperation as you undertake your important responsibilities.
Yesterday, people the world over paused to remember the victims of the tragic
events of one year ago. I had the opportunity of attending the interfaith service
yesterday, where you and the Secretary-General spoke movingly about how the
commemoration of this event must reinforce this institution's vocation as the
forum dedicated to achieving world peace. Canadians entirely subscribe to the
sentiments that you expressed. The attacks of last September were a cruel and
devastating blow to the United States and, indeed, to us all. I am proud to
say that Canadians stood in solidarity with our closest ally at that terrible
moment. When the terrorists struck that day, they were also attacking the very
principles of international law, security and humanitarianism that are embodied
in the UN Charter. We believe that our ultimate response to the challenge of
September 11 is thus to rededicate ourselves to our beliefs and to the principles
upon which the United Nations was founded.
Now, more than ever, the main challenge for each of our countries, and for the
United Nations, is to manage our interdependence. Environmental degradation
and endemic poverty, the proliferation of disease and epidemics, the increasing
threat of terrorism and organized crime: these are serious, complex issues that
no one nation can confront alone. To succeed, our countries must work together,
while also drawing on the expertise of civil society. Such cooperation is a
formidable challenge, and one that the UN is best suited to meet.
Recognition of our interdependence in no way threatens our respective sovereignty.
In fact, it gives each of us even more tangible means to act, and to succeed,
through the sharing of our information, resources and initiatives.
The principles of multilateralism are best articulated in the Millennium Declaration,
which assigns a decisive role to the United Nations Charter-and rightly so,
for it is much more than our constitution. Indeed, it is our heart and soul.
It reconciles national interests with the highest moral and ethical standards;
standards that must govern the actions of each state. For us, the Charter is
the key to unlock the door to the world of peace, security and justice that
we hope to build.
The terrorist threat leads us to work together and, tragically, illustrates
the extent of our interdependence. It demonstrates the urgency of finding solutions
that are equal to the task at hand, and whose effectiveness hinges on new partnerships
among our countries.
Our reaction to terrorism must be steadfast, to be sure, and we must make no
concession to the agents of terror. But if we want our reaction to be truly
effective, it must enhance both national security and individual human security.
In fact, democratic governance, as well as security, find their most solid foundation
in societies in which rights and freedoms are respected and where, as a result,
dissidence more often than not takes constructive, rather than violent, forms.
What's more, the fight against terrorism challenges us to find ways to open
our hearts and minds to the diversity of our world, its cultures and its religions.
Now more than ever, we must promote dialogue and understanding, and encourage
people to be tolerant of other people. In this way, we will help to eradicate
at its source much of the pain in the world today, which all too often translates
into rising hatred, extremism and fanaticism of all sorts.
Multilateralism has definitely proven its worth over the past year. For example,
dozens of countries have offered their resources and experience to Afghanistan's
new leaders, as members of the coalition against terrorism or of the Afghanistan
Support Group. They have also contributed to the various UN programs seeking
to establish political stability and representative government.
The G8 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass
Destruction, concluded at Kananaskis in June, is another concrete example of
our joint commitment to battle terrorism and other threats to peace. Canada,
as Chair of the G8, was a strong advocate of this major effort designed to strengthen
international security and strategic stability. Canada will continue to work
to make this initiative a success.
At all times, Canada is ready to offer its support wherever it is needed, and
we encourage the international community to continue to do likewise. We also
believe that the multilateral approach is useful in addressing the obvious challenges
posed by sustainable development. In this regard, the consensus that emerged
from the Monterrey Conference calls on all countries to work hand-in-hand to
forge broader partnerships between developed and developing countries.
The situation in Africa cries out for action. For too long now, inaction has
taken a heavy toll in terms of human suffering. However, hope is beginning to
shine through. The New Partnership for Africa's Development, devised by African
leaders determined to meet the challenges of self-development and endorsed-at
Canada's urging-during the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, seeks to provide the people
of Africa with conditions founded on good governance and democracy, while ending
their marginalization and offering them the chance to achieve prosperity.
As we meet today, the Israeli-Palestinian crisis remains at an all too familiar
impasse, despite the fact everyone knows what is needed to restore peace. We
all know that the targeting of civilians must stop. That the security of Israel
must be assured. That settlement-building must end. That the humanitarian needs
of the Palestinians must be met. That the Palestinian Authority must reform
itself democratically. That the peace negotiations must resume. We all know,
in sum, that a road to a peaceful future must be built, a future in which two
independent, viable, secure and democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live
side by side in peace and security.
Canada calls on the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel to start
back on the road to peace. The people and Government of Canada will accompany
you and support you every step of the way.
We also meet here today in an atmosphere of deepening tensions caused by Iraq's
continued flouting the will of the international community and the differing
opinions that prevail around us on how to address this situation and bring this
crisis to an end. Let there be no doubt, at the origin of today's tensions is
the persistent refusal of the Iraqi government to comply with its obligations
to us all under United Nations Security Council resolutions. For the past 11
years, Iraq has refused to demonstrate that it has abandoned its chemical, biological
and nuclear weapon research and development programs, and even today it remains
unwilling to do so. But let there also be-no doubt: bringing Iraq into conformity
with its international obligations must be the work of us all-together.
We believe that our ability to find a solution to this challenge-one that is
consistent with and, indeed, that reinforces the international framework that
we have so painstakingly constructed since the last devastating world war-will
define this generation and create precedents that may determine the future direction
of our world. It is with this in mind that Canada welcomes the powerful messages
delivered here today by President Bush affirming his country's commitment to
work with the Security Council of the United Nations in resolving this serious
threat to our collective peace and security.
We therefore urge Iraq to seize this opportunity without delay, and to grant
immediate and unconditional access to UN weapons inspection teams in compliance
with its UN Security Council obligations. The onus is clearly on the Government
of Iraq to take this step now. The onus is equally on us to ensure that our
international institutions emerge from this crisis reinforced and strengthened.
Such institutions may be new-as in the case of the International Criminal Court,
a body that has the potential of ensuring the integrity of our international
legal system, upon which so much depends for the peaceful resolution of our
differences. I had the privilege of attending the inaugural meeting of the Assembly
of States Parties here in New York this week, and was encouraged by the depth
of international political and public support that exists for this important
new body.
The people of the world want an end to impunity. They insist that their leaders
no longer turn a blind eye to gross violations of international humanitarian
law, such as those we witnessed in the past century. Immunity from the law is
simply not acceptable. The state parties to the ICC Statute are more than willing
to put into action the proposition that we can best enforce rules of law that
we have arrived at by our common accord and that we are willing to have invoked
against us. For the 79 states parties that attended the Assembly of States Parties,
and the many observer states close to ratifying the Rome Statute, our objective
remains to work resolutely and cooperatively to make this Court a reality.
The International Criminal Court represents a major change in the way the world
works. The times we live in demand many such innovative approaches. For example,
in response to a call from the Secretary-General, Canada, along with others,
launched the independent International Commission on Intervention and State
Sovereignty. Its landmark report, The Responsibility to Protect, has shifted
the parameters of the debate from divisions over intervention toward agreement
on the responsibility to protect people. The report holds that sovereignty entails
responsibilities as well as rights, that sovereignty is responsibility. When
states are unable or unwilling to afford protection to their own people, the
international community has a responsibility to step in temporarily and provide
that protection. This report represents an opportunity for us to reinforce the
UN in its collective security mission. It is also an occasion to affirm the
UN's fundamental norm-building role, and to find better ways to prevent and,
where necessary, alleviate human suffering.
Part of our shared responsibility to raise the credibility of multilateral institutions
is to address their shortcomings, including the United Nations itself. We are
greatly encouraged that the Secretary-General and his Deputy Louise Frechette
are proposing far-reaching organizational reforms. They can count on Canada's
support. We also support reform in other areas, notably the near moribund disarmament
commission and its glacial progress of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament,
where recent gains such as the UN Program of Action on Small Arms and Light
Weapons and the negotiations on an International Code of Conduct on missiles
are being overshadowed by myriad compliance problems.
Certainly, there are problems with multilateralism and the institutions we have
created, but that should not cause us to doubt the desirability of an effective
rules-based system. Our objective should be to address these shortcomings, where
we see them, reform what we must, and in the process answer the criticisms of
those suspicious of an interdependent world. We will only persuade the skeptics
by building better institutions to implement the international rule of law,
and to find solutions to our common problems.
Let us embrace cooperation, not division. Let us expand our sovereignty by pooling
it. Let us be partners in the larger enterprise of building peace and freedom.
No one country can meet all the challenges of our times on its own. Let us have
confidence in our common humanity. Let us make the United Nations our principal
instrument for peace.
I pledge to you today that Canada will spare no effort in doing so.
Thank you.