| Statement by New York, 30 June 2005 Mr. President, The delegation of Indonesia is pleased to participate in these continuing consultations designed to produce a comprehensive outcome document for consideration by the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly in September. We welcome this approach as a reflection of transparency and inclusiveness in the multilateral process. Before I continue, Indonesia wishes to associate itself with other statements already made by Malaysia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and by Jamaica on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Values and principles: The vision to which we are responding in these consultations is the one captured by the Millennium Declaration, which represents a blueprint to fulfill the aspirations of the international community for a new century. It is a vision that gives equal weight to the concepts of development, security and human rights. In the interest of realism and progress, these concepts must all be addressed in a balanced and even manner. This will be accomplished if, in keeping with the timeless principles of the UN Charter, multilateralism, respect for the sovereignty and integrity of all States, and non-interference in their internal affairs are honored. These values and principles shape Indonesia’s view and practice of international relations. Indonesia also subscribes to the principle of collective security for the protection of human civilization in all of its rich diversity. But a necessary condition for collective security is the right of every State to survive and thrive. This means development for all, which promotes participation and is governed by transparency and accountability. Mr. President, Development: Indonesia fully agrees that developing countries have primary responsibility for their own development. They must voluntarily institute systems for good governance and accountability. But at the same time, the international community should make good on their commitments, namely to build a conducive environment and extend support to the efforts to strengthen the capacity of developing countries to meet their challenges. This cooperation must, however, be based on mutual respect and yield mutual benefits. That being said, Indonesia agrees with the importance the draft outcome document attaches to implementation of the Monterrey Consensus. Hence, we welcome the commitment by some developed countries to set timetables to fulfill their ODA commitment and urge others to do so. Development will indeed requires a predictability of resources, in order to allow for planning and timely allocation. Furthermore, the international community should also put in place, or agree on, a mechanism to ensure the effectiveness of development aid. Such a mechanism should allow the developing countries a significant role in the decision-making process, leading to realize a scheme of demand-driven assistance while reducing transaction costs. In supplementing ODA, Indonesia supports the creation of innovative financing mechanisms, including the launching of the International Finance Facility in 2005. At the same time, ODA and innovative financing mechanisms should complement national pro-poor policies, particularly micro-finance and micro credit. The outcome document should make reference to these issues. Mr. President, Indonesia welcomes the decision by the G-8 to write off the unsustainable debts of some HIPCs and hopes for its early extension to other countries in need of such assistance. There is also an urgent need for a development "partnership-based debt relief" initiative in which developing middle income countries will be able to commit themselves fully. But to free developing countries from the strangleholds of unsustainable debt and aid dependency, they should be able to operate in an enabling international economic environment based on the principle of fair, open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial systems. In practical terms, this would require removal of protectionist barriers and subsidies; stabilization of commodity prices; and completion as well as the full realization of the development dimension of the Doha Development Round. In dealing with development issues, the outcome document should spotlight the growing importance of South-South cooperation as a way of enriching its contents. In the last decade or so, the developing world has profited considerably from intra-regional and inter-regional trade and investment. As a means of boosting South-South cooperation, Indonesia has revived Asia-Africa cooperation now embodied in a New Asia-Africa Strategic Partnership. The point must be made that South-South, despite its current robustness, serves to complement North-South cooperation. As can be appreciated, all of these matters are closely connected to sustainable development which, accurately described, combines economic, social and environmental issues. The draft document appears to confine sustainable development to environmental protection. They are not synonymous. We propose that the sub-heading “environmental issues” be replaced by “sustainable development”, in keeping with the outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. It is also necessary that the means to achieve sustainable development, among others through the framework of the Bali Strategic Plan on Technology Support and Capacity Building for developing countries and countries with economies in transition, should be elaborated and emphasized in the final document.
Mr. President, I will now turn to some of the other issues, beginning with those concerning peace and collective security. In general, in this area, we are pleased with the draft outcome document so far. Sanctions My delegation believes that sanctions are an important tool in the effort to maintain international peace and security. The use of sanctions, however, must be well-targeted and monitored, with a clear time-frame, in order to mitigate the adverse consequences on the civilian population. In this regard, the international community should agree on the need for the General Assembly to provide necessary guidelines, which would further strengthen the legitimacy of any sanctions imposed by the Security Council. In addition, it is important that decisions on sanctions are made on the basis of consensus, since the success of a regime of sanctions depends on cooperation from all member states. We emphasize that sanctions be considered under the UN Charter only when there is an act of aggression, or a threat to international peace and security. Allow me then, also to reiterate Indonesia’s support of the call on the Security Council to ensure that fair and transparent procedures exist for placing and removing individuals and entities from the Consolidated List. Use of force In maintaining international peace and security, The Charter makes adequate provisions regarding the use of force. It is justifiable only as a last resort, and only after all peaceful means have been exhausted. As a result, we are concerned about the increasing resort by the Security Council to the provisions of Chapter VII to respond to issues that do not necessarily pose a threat to international peace and security. Indonesia supports the promotion of the principles of non-use of force, and the resolution of conflict by peaceful means, as provided for in The Charter. In our view, this should always be the first option. In this connection, let me reiterate that Article 51 is sufficiently clear about rights of individuals or collective self-defence in the event of armed attack. It does not, therefore, need to be re-written or reinterpreted. Peacebuilding Commission Indonesia supports the proposal to establish a Peacebuilding Commission to provide sustained international attention and support to countries in transition from post-conflict to recovery and long-term development. In this regard, this Commission must be implemented with the consciousness of the need to guarantee local/national ownership and build on the domestic capacity of the country concerned. It must be remembered that peace, security and stability must be nurtured internally through strategies that are in tune with domestic realities, not imposed from outside. Disarmament and non-proliferation We reiterate our belief that multilateralism is the only sustainable method of addressing disarmament and non-proliferation issues. With this in mind, Indonesia regrets the failure of the 2005 NPT Review Conference to produce a substantive outcome, given that all States recognize the serious nature of the new challenges and threats before us all. Having said that, and although Indonesia acknowledges the partial reduction of nuclear weapons that has been made by the nuclear-weapon-states, we are concerned about the continued existence of nuclear stockpiles and development of new weapons. We therefore urge nuclear-weapon-states to fully implement their obligations and commitments under the Non Proliferation Treaty, including the 13 practical steps, with a view to achieving the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Pending the achievement of this objective, we call upon them to respect their commitment with regard to security assurances to non-nuclear weapon-states. Furthermore, we would like to underscore the importance of the multilateral process in commencing the fissile material cut-off treaty negotiation, maintaining indefinite nuclear test moratorium within the framework of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and of taking steps to prevent non-state actors gaining access to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. While supporting efforts for universal accession to the International Atomic Energy Agency comprehensive safeguards agreement and its additional protocol, we are of the view that the inalienable rights of States to peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the NPT should be fully respected, including with regard to uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing. We would also like to express our dissatisfaction about the inability of Member States to agree to a legally binding instrument for identifying and tracing illicit Small And Light Weapons (SALW). However, we look forward to further deliberations on other aspects of SALW at the forthcoming Review Conference within the framework of the UN Program of Action in SALW next year. Terrorism As a nation that has suffered from terrorist attacks, Indonesia condemns terrorism in all forms and manifestations. Indonesia has consistently been of the view that we need global cooperation, with the United Nations involved and at its center, to effectively combat international terrorism. We welcome a comprehensive strategy for combating terrorism. We believe, however, that it is the essential role of the General Assembly to craft such a strategy, since the full participation of all UN Member States is a prerequisite for ensuring successful implementation. In order to be effective, the strategy should address the root causes, such as political and economic injustice. Mr. President, Let me turn now, to some items under Cluster III. Human rights and the rule of law Indonesia is of the belief that respect for human rights, the rule of law and democracy together constitute core values and principles of the United Nations. Indonesia supports strengthening the UN human rights system to give equal emphasis to civil and political rights, on the one hand; and economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development, on the other. Indonesia also supports efforts to improve the effectiveness of the human rights treaty bodies, in particular through improved and integrated reporting procedures. The strengthening of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should focus on its capacity in the areas of technical assistance and capacity building. The Office needs to be reformed to improve its professionalism, transparency and impartiality, thereby enabling it give more attention to the mainstreaming of human rights in UN bodies, agencies and programmes. ‘Responsibility to protect’ The concept of ‘responsibility to protect’ lacks justification in The Charter and in international law, and raises such important political and legal questions as legitimacy, universal applicability and non-discrimination. Beyond this, we are confident that the existing mechanisms are sufficient for responding to situations where the protection of civilian populations is desired. While there are some moral justifications for the recommendation put forward by the Secretary-General on this subject, some political and legal questions, such as its legitimacy, universal applicability and its ability to be applied on a non-discriminatory basis, must be considered. We agree, however, to continue the consideration of this matter within the General Assembly, on the basis of the existing mechanism provided for by the Charter. Democracy We are of the firm view that democracy is a universal value, but without a single “correct” model. We support international cooperation to promote and strengthen democracy in UN member states. We equally support the democratization of the decision making process at international level, including within international organizations. Culture of peace Indonesia supports the promotion of a Culture of Peace at national, regional and international levels, and the establishment of an implementation mechanism in the Secretariat. We strongly believe that dialogue among civilization and interfaith dialog could contribute significantly to the attainment of durable peace. Strengthening the United Nations Mr. President, Indonesia fully supports the UN reform process leading to a more efficient and effective Organization in which the central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative body is reaffirmed. There is a strong need to restore and enhance its role, including in the maintenance of international peace and security, as provided for in The Charter, by strengthening its relationship and coordination with other organs, particularly the Security Council. My delegation believes that the reform of the Security Council, as a part of the overall reform of the United Nations, must be structurally comprehensive, fully cognizant of today’s geopolitical realities, and include a review of the working methods of the Council. Indeed, the Security Council that emerges as a result of this reform must be characterized by transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and effectiveness, a Council that strengthens the multilateral process. In our view, the enlargement of the Council should be approached on the basis of consensus, and without artificial deadlines. Our concern for reform, however, goes beyond the Security Council. We strongly advise that social and economic concerns not be ignored, as the process of change must be comprehensive and relevant. The UN’s role in the economic and social fields, clearly outlined in the Charter, must suffer no further erosion. We believe the UN must be properly equipped to handle global macro-economic management, finance and monetary issues along with trade and trade-related matters as part of its mandate. In effect, the current reform process must secure the UN’s role in the economic and social domains. We believe the ECOSOC must retain its status as the central pillar of international coordination and cooperation in these domains. Towards this end, contact between the ECOSOC, the BWIs and the WTO must be deepened and strengthened. On the subject of replacing the Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council, my delegation feels that this proposal does not address the problems that beset the Commission, including over-politicization, selectivity and double standards. We must be wary of the temptation to establish a new body that holds no guarantees that it can resolve existing problems. In this regard, we remain skeptical of the practical merit of the peer review function as the key feature of the reformed human rights machinery. Also, the proposed focus on country human rights situations may significantly reduce the ability of this human rights body to devise strategy and promote international cooperation for the realization of recognized rights contained in various human rights instruments. It may weaken its capacity in promoting regional human rights cooperation and also overlook the need for interstate cooperation on trans-boundary human rights issues such as the rights of migrant workers and trafficking in persons particularly women and children. This might make it difficult to assess the realization of certain human rights at the global level. In terms of methods of work, we believe that the thematic approach is the most relevant for the work of the reformed human rights machinery. This machinery can take up country human rights situations only when there is a need for action in response to an emergency. My delegation could also go along with the confidential procedure to examine country-specific situations, such as under ECOSOC Resolution 1503, which is less politicized, and may address the needs of the affected countries in enhancing their human rights national capacity. As a result of these concerns, we recommend appropriate reform and revitalization of the Commission, including relocating the body within the context of the organizational structure of the United Nations. In carrying out the reform of the Secretariat to meet 21st century challenges, Indonesia supports the Secretary-General’s efforts to achieve the highest levels of credibility and competence possible. This means that accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness must be the hallmarks of its operation. In particular, the General Assembly, as the principal oversight intergovernmental mechanism of the Organization, must be strengthened to review the mandates of critical programmes. For a truly modern Secretariat to become operational, Indonesia supports a just gender balance in its human resources with the clear understanding that developing countries should be the main beneficiaries of such adjustments. Linked to this, we back the Secretary-General’s policy to eliminate sexual exploitation and abuse in all UN activities. However, we believe that the Secretary-General’s one-time staff buy-out proposal needs further clarification with regard to its scope and financial implications. Finally, we hope that throughout the Secretariat and the agencies of the United Nations, greater attention will be paid to the call by the developing nations for greater representation. Thank you, Mr. President.
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