|
Statement by
New York, 14 November 2001
My delegation and I are pleased to see you preside over our meeting. May I express our appreciation to South Africa for providing us with able and dedicated leadership since our Movement held its Twelfth Summit in Durban. We commend the Chairperson of the Coordinating Bureau of the NAM for the report on the activities of the Movement since the Ministerial Meeting held in Cartagena in April 2000. Let me also convey to you the assurances of the new Government of Indonesia under President Megawati Soekarnoputri that it is firmly committed to an independent and active foreign policy. To us Indonesians, this is the essence of non-alignment. As Foreign Minister of that Government, I am pleased to affirm that we will continue to strongly support and actively participate in the work of the Movement. We meet today in a city that has just barely begun to recover from the trauma of a terrorist attack that killed thousands of innocent civilians. Our shock and condemnation at the brutality of the terrorist attacks perpetrated on 11 September 2001 in the United States are beyond words. Together with the entire civilized world we must now unite to eradicate this scourge of humanity. Indonesia in its part is committed to fully implement its obligation and responsibilities under Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). Just as we were shocked by the carnage that took place in New York and Washington DC, we are today anguished by the humanitarian tragedy in Afghanistan as a result of retaliatory military action in that country, even though we do support all efforts to bring the terrorists to justice. The rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan gives fresh impetus for all concerned parties to end the strife and violence. We therefore call for a humanitarian pause so that humanitarian aid can be safely delivered. This is also crucial to facilitate the pivotal role of the United Nations to make interim arrangements while promoting a broad based government representative of all Afghan people. In this context, we extend our support to the Secretary General and his Special Representative for Afghanistan in the challenging tasks ahead. In a global crisis such as this, the place of our Movement has always been at the vanguard of the struggle. Hence, there is something sorely lacking in the struggle against international terrorism if the voice of the Nam is not heard on this universal concern. The Nam must speak out and take an active part in the building and operation of a global coalition involving all civilizations, all religions, all cultures and all political systems. Only an organization of more than 120 member states, such as our Movement, working within the United Nations, can feasibly build such a coalition. Then our Movement can make sure that the fight against terrorism is carried out as a collective action in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and widely accepted international norms and practices. The United Nations itself must now assume a leading role in that collective action against terrorism in accordance with its mandate and responsibility. That is why it is so important that the General Assembly be enabled to play its Charter-mandated role by virtue of its universal composition. The Security Council should now respond to the voice of the UN majority. The enlargement of its membership, long overdue, should be thoroughly rationalized. The Secretary-General must now even more closely coordinate the policies and operations of the different organs and agencies of the United Nations. Meanwhile, let us not forget old threats that are just as dangerous. Hence, we welcome the Programme of Action adopted by the recently concluded International Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons as a satisfactory political compromise. It calls on governments to require manufacturers to place distinct identifying marks on every small arm or light weapon they produce. Governments are also to control the transfer of such weapons and to keep a record of illegally traded ones so that these can be traced. This is a step forward in the cause of peace. I am proud that by presenting a common position and strategy, Nam members contributed greatly to the adoption of this Programme of Action. As to nuclear weapons, we note with concern that recent developments in ballistic missile technology have jeopardized the 1972 ABM Treaty, long considered an essential instrument of strategic arms control. The integrity of the Treaty must be preserved so that further nuclear disarmament measures remain possible. On peace-keeping operations, we observe that most peace-keepers in UN missions come from Non-aligned countries. Our Movement should therefore be concerned at issues like the need for consultations among the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop contributing countries; the restructuring of the UN Department of Peace-keeping, the security management system; and administrative matters like reimbursement and procurement. One intractable issue that our Movement cares deeply about is the question of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable right of self-determination. We must never be daunted in our support for the just struggle of the Palestinians-particularly their quest for an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. I take pride in the active and constructive participation of our Movement in the recent World Conference against Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related intolerance in Durban, South Africa. Now we must work together to design and carry out ways of dealing with this persistent problem. We must also contend with the downside of globalization. Although the victims of this blind force are in the developing world, we cannot take any effective action to tame it without the involvement and cooperation of the developed countries. Many of the core issues of development can only be addressed with any success through multilateral action. Hence, it is imperative that the North-South dialogue be revitalized on the basis of partnership and equitable sharing of responsibilities. In the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference on Financing for Development, let us work for measures to increase the international flow of financial resources for development in the form of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and private investment. Let us also propose measures to ensure the stability of the international financial system so that our economies will be spared from financial crises, such as the one that devastated East Asia a few years ago. And in the forthcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, let us see to it that the Conference focus on issues pertaining to the Uruguay Round Agreements and Decisions, and on compliance with special provisions that defer to the needs of the developing countries. The challenges that we face are many and formidable. That is why it is with great concern that Indonesia brings up an extremely important undertaking of our Movement, the Thirteenth Nam Summit. We regard with sympathy and understanding the economic difficulties that have constrained the Republic of Bangladesh to withdraw from hosting the Summit scheduled for April 2002. However, at this critical time when the fate of humanity hangs in the balance in a struggle against international terrorism, no less than a Nam Summit is needed to get ourselves fully coordinated and braced to deal with this crisis. My delegation therefore earnestly proposes that our meeting take up this urgent matter so that we may be able to take a wise and appropriate course of action. Thank you, Madame Chairman.
|
