Please Check Againt Delivery Statement by New York, 8 January 2007
At the outset, on behalf of my delegation, I would like to extend our appreciation to you and your delegation for convening this open meeting, which touches on a very timely theme, namely “Threats to international peace and security.” This is also a pertinent moment for the Council’s members to reflect on what the Council has been achieving thus far, and to envisage what the future will hold and how it will affect the Council and its work in the maintenance of international peace and security. My delegation would also like to welcome H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the new UN Secretary-General with whom we look forward to working closely in enhancing the role of the UN in the promotion of peace. We wish to reaffirm our full support and cooperation to him. Let me also use this opportunity to
pay tribute to the outstanding service of H.E. Kofi Annan, whose ten-year
term of office as the UN Secretary-General has just concluded. We
valued his determination and contribution in the incessant struggle
of humankind for “freedom from want, freedom from fear, and
freedom to live in dignity” and in giving the world community
a way of firmly grasping the fundamental challenges of our time: the
challenge of security, the challenge of underdevelopment and the challenge
of human rights and the rule of law. As we journey into a new year, we are carrying with us both contentment and dissatisfaction. We are gratified with the cessation of some conflicts, yet we are also downhearted by the continuing presence of deadly conflicts and other threats to international peace and security. The transformation of Sierra Leone from a conflict-affected country to one that is steadily rebuilding and reconstructing is a commendable instance of what the international community has accomplished. The UN’s role in that “graduation” is exceptional and the Security Council has been determined and decisive in that regard. The Sierra Leone’s experience reaffirms the critical importance of peacekeeping operations as an innovation in the fulfillment of the Council’s primary responsibility in saving humankind from the scourge of war. We believe that the continuing importance of peacekeeping missions should be duly recognized. On our part, peacekeeping is an essential instrument of the Indonesian foreign policy. It has become an Indonesian tradition to contribute troops to the UN peacekeeping forces since UNEF I in 1957 until now within UNIFIL. Successful missions as exemplified in Sierra Leone could be ensured only if the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as the consent of the parties, impartiality and the non-use of force except in self-defence and in the defence of a mandate authorized by the Security Council, are strictly observed. Peacekeeping alone, however, is not sufficient if our goal is to achieve sustainable peace. We cannot afford seeing Afghanistan slide right back into conflict. We cannot allow conflicts therein to reoccur. Durable peace requires not only the cessation of hostilities but also the strengthening of political and socio-economic foundations through post conflict peacebuilding (PCPB) activities. In my delegation’s view, PCPB is vital in helping war-torn societies make the transition towards durable peace. The role of Peacebuilding Commission is of paramount importance in that regard and we look forward to its constructive contribution to peace consolidation efforts. We congratulate Nepal on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in November 2006. The Agreement sets a road map for the emergence of abiding peace and genuine democracy in the country. We welcome the contribution of the UN in enhancing Nepalese capacity in implementing the Agreement as well as the planned elections for a Nepalese Constituent Assembly in mid-2007. Mr. President, Democracy is a universal value and history proves that it serves as a pivotal foundation for the creation of peaceful societies based on human dignity. Indonesia has been steadily embracing democracy, presently moving from electoral democracy towards a more substantive form of it. Considering that there are various manifestations of democracy, our fervor in encouraging others to follow the path of democracy should be proportionate and well-placed. One should never dictate one’s kind of democracy over the others’. At the UN forum, there are organs warranted primarily to address the issue of democracy and other related issues, including human rights. Their works are notable and not exhausted yet. The mandate of the Security Council is crystal-clear. As provided by in Article 24 of the UN Charter, our primary task is to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security. The Council’s work should be guided by this direction. We should concentrate on conflicts that really constitute a threat to international peace and security, and refrain from meddling in issues which are best addressed by other UN organs. In response to the need for viable
alternative of peace and security management, we cannot but recommit
ourselves to preventive diplomacy. The successful experience of the
UN in Macedonia is a classic proof that supports the significance
of preventive measures. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure. The end of conflict in Sierra Leone does not close the chapters of the book of war in Africa and other regions. On the contrary, we have witnessed the emergence of a new complexity in current conflicts. For example, in the case of Sudan/Chad, the presence of pouring cross-border flow of combatants as well as civilians has impeded the existing peace efforts and exacerbated humanitarian condition in the sub-region. Some conflicts have allured the involvement of foreign elements. This potentially leads to the blatant violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country concerned. We strongly believe that in the absence of consent from the parties of country in conflict, one state has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of that country. Aggression and intervention into, and occupation of a sovereign state by another state or states, are unacceptable and in contradiction not only of the UN Charter but also international law. The Charter of the United Nations affirms the need for respect for the principles of sovereign equality, national sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States as well as the principles of refraining from the threat or use of force. Sanctions should be used as the last resort with clear, transparent, and measurable time-table. They should be well-targeted and avoid larger repercussions in the country affected and its surrounding. The principles of peaceful settlement of disputes, inclusive dialogue, and constructive collaboration remain pertinent. We reaffirm our commitment to those principles, and the Bandung Principles that have guided Indonesia in the past during the Cold War era, and at present time, where the nature of challenges to the international peace and security has changed. We must ensure that the approach of
the Council and its decisions remain under the guidance of those internationally
recognized principles. In the Middle East, peace remains far from a reality. The situation in the Middle-East will remain grim and protracted if the Israel-Palestine conflict is not resolved in a just and peaceful way. My delegation is deeply concerned at the continuing incursion and raid by the Israeli Defence Forces into several West Bank cities and towns in the last few days. The raids have caused deplorable civilian casualties and injuries in Ramallah. This maneuver is indeed against the spirit of the agreement between the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Security Council should intensify its efforts to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region. In the absence of willingness of the Council to take up the issue in a serious manner, conflicts in the region will remain protracted, and humanitarian concerns of the Palestinian people will persist. Resolving this conflict should be guided by the vision of two sovereign and independent states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in a harmonious and peaceful way. The Road Map, which was endorsed by the Council in its resolution 1515 (2003), is still a key document serving as the basis for rejuvenating efforts towards a lasting peace in the region. The Quartet needs to strengthen its commitment to the implementation of the Road Map. As far as Iraq is concerned, my delegation deplores the current situation in the country, which according to the previous Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his latest report stood on the brink of civil war and chaos. The Security Council cannot stand idle while the country is under the prolonging scourge of war. It is the Council’s primary responsibility to save any nation from the devastation of conflict. Peace in Iraq is peace for its people, its neighbours and the rest of the world. As a victim of terrorist attacks, and bearing in mind the enduring presence of terrorist threat, my delegation is convinced that the Council should remain vigilant, and act in accordance with the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. Our cause and practice in combating terrorism should be based on respect for human rights and human dignity. I hold the view that the problem of
terrorism is best addressed in a holistic approach. In this manner,
we are not only countering potential terrorist acts, but also addressing
the underlying causes that potentially could become the pretext for
doing those heinous acts. Considering the level of complexity and magnitude of the challenges that humankind is dealing with in the present day, partnership is the key word that guides us in responding to these challenges. My delegation concurs with the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the significance of “collective wisdom and collective efforts.” We cannot go alone. The Council cannot stand on its own in fulfilling its responsibility. Conceptually, peace may require a master-architect, but in execution, it needs the labour of many. While it is obvious that the Council has the primary responsibility in the maintenance of international peace and security, we need to recognize the contribution of the General Assembly and ECOSOC, in enhancing the role of the UN in the promotion of peace. Serving as the main deliberative organ of the UN, the General Assembly, as provided for by the Charter, has made important recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for maintaining international peace and security, including on disarmament issues. It has been instrumental in norm-setting processes, including in the field of security. The role of ECOSOC is crucial in giving political and technical directions for the UN’s post-conflict reconstruction activities. Under the spirit of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, robust partnership with regional cooperation should be strengthened. Financial and other difficulties often restrict the UN to respond quickly to emerging crises. Regional partners could support the Council in difficult situations by providing troops to supervise truce or to perform more complex operations. In spite of known limitations, the value of these evolving partnerships is clearly demonstrated in Africa where the Security Council has enlisted the support of ECOWAS and the African Union to help resolve some disputes. The African Union is playing a key role, for instance, in mediating in the crisis in Darfur, Sudan. In order to address future challenges, the Security Council reform process should be sustained. Moment of recess since the 2005 World Summit cannot be interpreted as the diminishing significance of the reform process. The aspects of the Council’s membership as well as its Working Methods are in need of a substantive revision. Both are equally important, but when discussion of the Council’s membership is lacking of progress, this should not prevent deliberation on the Working Methods. We view the comprehensive reform of the Security Council as an integral feature of the overall reform process of the UN. In conclusion, Mr. President, we support the draft PRST prepared by your delegation under the theme of this open meeting, and look forward to its adoption. I also wish to reiterate the commitment of my delegation to the successful work of the Council under your Presidency. I thank you.
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