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Statement by New York, 8 October 2007
1. At the outset, my delegation would like to thank the Secretary General for his first Report on the work of the Organisation. We very much value his overview of what was accomplished in the last year, and his highlighting of the various factors that need to be addressed in the future. This is an extremely important Report for my delegation, as Indonesia has always stood for a robust UN that plays a central role in international affairs. 2. The Report comes at a critical juncture in the history of the United Nations, not least of all due to the change at its helm. It will not be wrong to say that the world is going through a period of turbulence and uncertainty. Climate change, geo-political upheavals, uneven progress in the economic and social fields, and large pockets of persistent poverty globally are some of the crucial challenges confronting peoples of the world. 3. We will only tackle these issues effectively if the international community reaffirms its commitment to the multilateral approach. And if it does so from the most credible world platform available to the community, the United Nations. 4. But merely highlighting the stature of this Organisation will not suffice. All Member States must show, through their actions, they recognize the primacy of the UN in solving global challenges and fully support its organizational requirements and its aims. Mr. President, 5. While we instinctively associate the UN with world peace and security, we would do just as well to associate it with development. Development is, to a large extent, a prerequisite for peace and security. That is why we must not subordinate the UN’s development role to any other it has to play on the world stage. This means that the UN’s development agenda, in particular achievement of the MDGs, must be prioritized and carefully attended to in order to win and keep the peace. 6. It is 2007 and so we stand at the half way point to the attainment of the MDGs. Yet the results have been less than spectacular overall. Those who most desperately need to achieve the MDGs find themselves still unable to do so. In contrast to the bright spots of Asia, the situation remains dire in sub-Saharan Africa. There, several countries are not on track to achieve a single MDG. In many developing countries, particularly in their rural regions, people weather the vicissitudes of poverty every day. 7. Their plight is being worsened by the impact of climate change. The Secretary General has not minced his words on this matter. “The MDGs, and the other Internationally agreed development goals cannot be achieved, if we do not tackle climate change.” In response to this, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono addressing this august body recently echoed that sentiment. He said, “On global warming, we are much more interdependent than we thought, all in terms of the causes, symptoms, and solutions. There is the need for urgency, which means, the need for action, and the need to think out of the box”. 8. As a high-risk nation and the venue for the 13th COP of the UNFCCC and 3rd MOP of the Kyoto Protocol, Indonesia attaches great importance to this issue. We expect that the Bali Conference in December will set the stage for the establishment of a global partnership to address climate change. Out of it should come concrete actions and rationalized targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Mr. President, 9. But even as developing countries build the capacity to deal with climate change, they must not ignore other aspects of capacity building crucial for their development. Enlightened self-interest must cause them to practise good governance as well as respect for the rule of law and human rights. In all of this, national efforts must be reinforced by international support, especially from the donor community. Global partnerships are required. 10. The success of these global partnerships will hinge on the necessary political will. In concrete terms, they must lead to the fulfillment of international commitments. Instead of falling as it did last year, ODA should increase. So too should FDI, which has so far shown itself partial to only a few select emerging economies. And the time has now come for the Doha Development Round to live up to the expectations of the developing world. Distorting subsidies, limited market access and the need for “special and differentiated treatment” must be tackled urgently. 11. To make effective interventions to resolve these matters, the UN must be strengthened through comprehensive reform. It must become the fulcrum to realize a just and equitable world order. While we note meaningful progress on some fronts, the UN’s capacity must be further enhanced to address the 21st century global challenges before it. The reform process must impact all organs of the Organization in order to maintain the proper balance among them in accordance with the vision of the Charter. Mr. President, 12. My delegation has long believed that the General Assembly, as the highest deliberative and decision-making organ of the UN, should embody the fullness of the UN’s capability. The GA must exercise the full authority granted to it under the UN Charter. And the Security Council must be adapted to reflect current geo-political realities. 13. In this context, no opportunity should be lost to move the global agenda forward on disarmament and non-proliferation. As highlighted in the Report, “the quest for a more peaceful and secure world is one of the main pillars of the work of the Organisation.” The absence of consensus for action on these two challenges should be a cause for deep concern by all. An important first step would be to free the Conference on Disarmament from its paralysis. Likewise, the restructuring of the secretariat in the disarmament field is very important. We are confident that under the direct supervision of the Secretary General, the disarmament office could be made more effective in achieving its mandate. 14. Until there is the total elimination of nuclear weapons, Indonesia remains firmly convinced that non-nuclear weapons States should be assured that such weapons would not be used in any situation of conflict. While the Secretary General has reflected on the three issues to be negotiated with the framework of the Conference on Disarmament, the issue of “negative security assurances” has not attracted much attention. This matter should not be overlooked, however. Mr. President, 15. In fighting terrorism, our view is that this international scourge would be best tackled from the roots up. More than the UN Global Strategy on Combating Terrorism, adopted last year, will be needed to decisively overcome this problem. We must redouble efforts to settle outstanding issues linked to the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. This is long overdue. 16. The Secretary-General’s Report also puts the spotlight on various conflicts in the world deserving of international attention. We welcome the greater use of the office of the SG in the resolution of such disputes. We expect that the standing team of mediation specialists would effectively supplement the work of the SG in this area. We hope that, with the involvement of all parties concerned, further action will be taken to find concrete solutions to festering global conflicts, particularly those in the Middle East and Africa. Certainly, the engagement and the costs required to diffuse potential hostilities before war actually erupts would be much less than after war occurs. 17. In the face of protracted conflicts, we find there is an ever increasing demand for UN peacekeepers. This surge in peacekeeping demands is unprecedented, with this trend likely to continue for some time. In terms of UN peacekeeping, Indonesia has had a proud tradition of participation going back to 1957. We will in fact be contributing a police unit for the Hybrid Operation in Darfur. Last year, in response to the conflict in South Lebanon, we were one of the first countries that offered to reinforce UNIFIL. The capacity of the DPKO in the field and at headquarters therefore needs to be enhanced, with the strongest possible support for peacekeeping missions. 18. In handling this mandate, we are convinced that the agreed basic principles of peacekeeping: consent of parties, impartiality, non-use of force except in self defence and in the defence of the authorized mandate, are essential to both the safety and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations. 19. As a member of the PBC, we are particularly pleased that it quickly came of age during the first year of its operation by considering two country cases. The task before us is to translate the Commission’s commitment into tangible measures on the ground. 20. In the sphere of the promotion of basic human rights, we are pleased to learn of the Human Rights Council’s establishment of the Universal Peer Review Mechanism. This is an innovative mechanism which my delegation believes will contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights on an equal basis. This will serve to minimize politicization of human rights and the use of double standards in evaluations, as we experience now. We look forward to the early operation of this Mechanism after its adoption next year. This will be a significant milestone for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 21. However we should be duly cautious when dealing with the Report’s support for the concept of “responsibility to protect” which we decided in the 2005 World Summit. We continue to believe that this practice will contravene the principle of equality of states in international relations. We firmly believe no pretext should be created for interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. 22. In conclusion, Mr President, Indonesia reiterates its full support for and willingness to cooperate with all those who endeavor to promote multilateralism. We view multilateralism as our shield against injustice and disrespect in international relations and our most valuable tool to build a better world. Thank you.
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