| Statement by New York, 2 October 2006
Once again we have assembled here to review the work of the United Nations over the past year in furtherance of the objectives of the Charter and decisions of world leaders. Before I continue, I want to express the appreciation of my delegation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan not only for providing us with the indepth examination on the work of the Organization before us, but also for his exemplary service to the United Nations in his 10 years in charge of the Secretariat. Madam President, It is unrealistic, indeed almost impossible, to undertake a review of the Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization contained in document AI61/1 without corresponding attention to the strides of the United Nations in the past 10 years. This is because the history of the United Nations in the past year exists only within the context of the past decade. During this period, under Mr. Annan, this Organization has been experiencing some of the most fundamental and far-reaching work since the adoption of The Charter. Among them, we began a most comprehensive reform process that was designed to ensure that the United Nations is able to respond to the challenges before us, and to meet the expectation of the whole membership. It would be recalled that in December 1998, the General Assembly designated its 55th session “The Millennium Assembly of the United Nations.” In 2000, this led to the most important single gathering of Member States since the inception of the United Nations: the Millennium Assembly, the follow-up of which was held here just one year ago. In the Millennium Declaration, 189 Heads of States and Governments made the historic commitment to free their fellow citizens from poverty by 2015, nine years from now. Last year’s World Summit, which examined progress in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration Goals (MDGs) and recent United Nations conferences, reiterated this commitment. In view of the increased upheavals in global geo-politics, and an uneven progress in the international economic and social fields, the question of UN’s effectiveness looms large. My delegation believes that it is within this context and the efforts of Mr. Annan in the past year and throughout his years in office, that we must look at the United Nations and the future. The report before us is a further reminder of what the important issues are, and how far we have gone in addressing them. Madam President, We share the view of the Secretary-General in this report that the one issue that has dominate the past 10 years surely is globalization. Economically, globalization is an opportunity that promises improved living conditions for peoples everywhere. Regrettably, it has yet to fulfill this promise. Indeed, it seems to have continued to favor the developed economies and to echo the disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Regrettably, the World Summit not only revealed stunning differences the world over in the implementation of the MDGs, but also sober indications that some parts of the world, notably Africa, might not come close to full implementation by the 2015 target date. Indeed, while the Report of the Secretary-General observes some positive signs in the reduction of global poverty, it sums up the situation for the majority by noting that the ongoing levels of human deprivation remain staggering. My delegation is appreciative of the Secretary General’s proposal to introduce a new set of targets in the following-up of Millennium Declaration, and shares his concerns in this regard. However, we are of the view that having more goals per se does not necessarily lead to development. The key is that the agreed commitments and actions are honoured by all relevant entities. We agree with the Secretary General that the year 2006, following the World Summit, must be judged on its implementation. We hope that the resolution on the follow-up to the development outcome of the World Summit and the other Internationally Agreed Development Goals will be acted upon without delay. My delegation also looks forward to an action-oriented resolution on the ECOSOC reform that will make the Council robust as well as truly central in its policy coordination and dialogue roles with all relevant international actors, particularly The Bretton Woods Institutions and the World Trade Organization. Indonesia supports the holding of the Development Cooperation Forum and the Annual Ministerial Reviews, in this connection. Ultimately the commitment to development can only be translated into action if the developing countries have requisite funds, and possess sufficient capacities. Fundamentally, the international financial commitments remain inadequate in terms of timing, volume, and quality for achieving the Internationally Agreed Development Goals including the MDGs. ODA, along with debt relief, are important. However, foreign direct investment can greatly help to spur private sector formation. There is a need for higher investment flows to the developing countries. Indonesia agrees with the report’s conclusion about good governance and accountability, and fully shares the view that that should be both at the national and international levels. Madam President, Globalization has also contributed to the redefinition of our political and economic realities in terms of the critical issues of security, development and human rights, and the links between them. Unfortunately, various conflicts continue to simmer in different parts of the globe, hampering the path to a stable and prosperous world. It is a travesty that on one side we face paucity in financing for development, and on the other side the total budget of UN peacekeeping is just 0.5 percent of international military spending. The role of the UN needs to be strengthened, including with effective mediation capacities, to find peaceful ways out of conflict situations. We share the concern of the Secretary-General over a series of setbacks in multilateral disarmament in recent years. The lack of progress in pursuing disarmament and non-proliferation objectives is a cause of great distress to all those who aspire to a peaceful and stable world. We believe that it is high time now for renewed efforts to break the impasse in multilateral negotiations and bring disarmament back into the limelight of the international agenda. Indonesia, being a member of the Peacebuilding Commission, seeks to work actively with others in trying to fill the lacuna in the international peace building system. We need to undertake cohesive and integrated peacebuilding strategies with maximum possible local ownership that lead to the resolution of conflicts in their entirety. We look forward to the fill functioning of the newly established Human Rights Council. We are of the firm belief that the principles agreed upon and contained in the founding resolution should govern every aspect of the Council’s work. This is utmost important for the Human Rights Council to be an effective forum for the promotion and protection of human rights which give benefits to all the members of the UN. My delegation is hopeful that our recent agreement on the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy provides an effective operational framework for international cooperation to combat terrorism. We urge Member States to intensify their efforts towards finalizing the Convention on Terrorism. Our efforts against the scourge of international terrorism need to be comprehensive, taking care of the need to address root causes, and in full compliance with international laws and the principles of respect for human rights. We also attach great importance to
the role of the regional organizations in their contribution to many
issues, including development, peacemaking and peacekeeping. We hope
that the UN will make greater and timely utilization of these valuable
resources in its various programmes and strategies. In conclusion, Madam President, Indonesia
reiterates its full support and commitment to all those who endeavour
to take concrete steps in promoting multilateralism, in line with
the principles and objectives of the UN Charter and international
law. There is no greater challenge today than to realise a democratic
and strengthened United Nations for all of our peoples.
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