Sommaire: EU Presidency Statement - 2005 UN World Summit (4 October 2005: New York)
UK Statement on Behalf of the European Union, by H.E. Sir Emyr Jones Parry, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations, at the UN General Assembly, Discussion on the follow-up and the implementation of the 2005 World Summit Outcome, New York
EU STATEMENT AT THE DISCUSSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE FOLLOW-UP AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2005 WORLD SUMMIT OUTCOME
I have the honour of giving this statement on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey and Croatia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement.
Mr President
Three weeks ago, our Heads of Government reaffirmed the vital importance of an effective multilateral system with the United Nations at its centre. We committed ourselves to promoting and strengthening the effectiveness of the Organisation. Today we begin the next leg of our journey. Our goal is to implement the outcome of the 2005 World Summit.
Mr President
You have proposed a roadmap for our journey. We know that you have gone to great lengths to put this plan together, in consultation with many different delegations. On behalf of the EU, may I offer our full support and co-operation for your approach, including the order of priority you have given the issues, and the timetable you will hold us to.
Our debate today is one of the first steps that will lay the groundwork for implementation of the Summit Outcome. The EU believes that the core objective of our work during this session of the General Assembly should be implementing the decisions our leaders have taken, whether it be in Plenary as we are now, the Main Committees, or indeed in other formats that you may suggest.
Mr President, I want to make a few general comments about our work over the next few months.
In terms of approach, we agree with you on the need for a fully open, transparent and inclusive process. You have set the tone by formulating your letter on the basis of prior discussions with all the regional groups, and by calling this open debate. We have full confidence that you will continue in this vein. We attach great importance to the principle that you set out of ensuring that all voices, including those of NGOs, are heard.
The EU strongly believes that we should aim to make progress on the full range of issues that our Heads of State and Government agreed. But for this very reason, we should address each issue on its own merits. We should not hold issues hostage to each other, but rather advance as far as we can towards implementation in each case.
The EU also believes that achieving consensus on each issue is the preferred option. But we should not let consensus hold back ambition, where it has the support of nearly all member states.
Mr President let me now turn to the specific issues at hand:
- On development, Mr President, some action flowing from the Summit Outcome will need to take place in other fora - for example, within national governments, at the Montreal Climate Change Conference in November, in the ongoing WTO negotiations, within the BWIs. There is, however, still a role for us here in New York. We need to maintain momentum for implementation of the Summit agreements on development, and to closely follow progress, as it is achieved elsewhere. We have also a direct
input to provide on issues such as the fight against HIV/AIDS or migration. The GA and ECOSOC will have important roles in this respect. As a starting point, the EU welcomes your proposals for thematic debates. To the same end, we must follow up this year on the roles envisaged in the Outcome Document for ECOSOC.
- The EU agrees that finalising the details of the Peacebuilding Commission is one of our most urgent tasks. We have already made good progress and agreed on a lot of the Commission's modalities in the Summit Outcome. But if we are to make the Commission operational by the deadline of 31 December 2005, we need to complete work on the outstanding questions as soon as possible. We agree with the deadline of early November, as proposed in your letter. We cannot afford to hold this issue up:
the reality is that there are fragile post-conflict situations that need the support of the Peacebuilding Commission now. This is particularly important for regions that suffer from recurrent conflict.
- The EU also agrees that work must begin within the next few weeks on a standing Human Rights Council with a strong mandate. We should aim to finish our work by the end of the year in order to facilitate a smooth transition between the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council. Expectations of our public opinions are high in this regard. We should live up to the resolve of our Heads of States and Governments to further strengthen the UN human rights machinery. In our
further work, we might benefit by drawing on suggestions for the main elements of the new Council that evolved during the lengthy preparatory process leading to the Summit. The EU looks forward to working with partners to make the vision a reality as soon as possible. It is of utmost importance that the Human Rights Council has the appropriate tools to promote and protect all human rights. We have to achieve a genuinely effective and credible Council if we want to give substance to the
principle that human rights is at the very heart of the UN's work on peace, security and development. Our efforts should be placed in the broader context of strengthening the overall UN human rights machinery, including the Office of the High Commissioner.
- Our Heads of State and Government have signed up to a significant agenda of Secretariat and management reform. We must now see this through as a matter of high priority, with work starting this autumn. In the EU's view, we should recognise the cross-cutting nature of policy decisions on Secretariat and management reform. Those decisions should rightly be made by the GA Plenary. We hope that decisions can be made quickly, even by the end of this year, if possible in particular cases. We
urge the Secretary-General to submit to us, as soon as possible, proposals on issues such as a new ethics office, an independent oversight advisory committee, the reviews of mandates and regulations, a one-time staff buy-out and managerial flexibility.
- We also welcome your attention to the need for progress on system-wide coherence and further reforms of the development, humanitarian and environmental architectures. This includes the need to launch work to strengthen the management and coordination of UN operational activities and to explore the possibility of a more coherent framework to address the need for more efficient environmental activities. We must waste no time in improving the predictability of humanitarian response, to
give the UN the tools to do its job and to help save lives. We can help to achieve that this GA, by agreeing to improve and strengthen the CERF, the UN's Central Emergency Revolving Fund. This would allow the improved fund to become operational by January 2006.
- On terrorism, we welcome the fact that the 6th Committee will take up work on the Comprehensive Convention next week. We should aim to conclude the Convention by the end of the year. This will not be easy. But finalising the Convention is a key element of the follow-up to the Summit and vital for all member states. We should also work on the development of a counter-terrorism strategy, based on the 5 "Ds" elaborated six months ago by the Secretary-General. We look forward to your
suggestions in that regard.
- On Security Council reform, we want to see the progress envisaged in paragraph 153 of the Summit Outcome Document.
- Finally, the EU reiterates its profound regret that we could not find substantive agreement on non-proliferation and disarmament. The EU believes that substantial progress has to be made on what is considered one of the main threats and challenges facing us all. We will fully co-operate with you in finding avenues for such progress.
Mr President
In concluding, let me once again offer you the EU's full support. There is still a long road ahead but you have made our journey easier by providing us with the map. In the meantime, we should reflect on what we have already accomplished - some have called it modest - but if we implement all that we have agreed, our modesty will surprise. It will mean real change for the good, not only here at the UN, but also for people in our countries on a whole range of issues. All member states have a
responsibility to faithfully implement what our leaders have signed up to, and an outcome that is good for the UN and therefore for all member states. This is now our calling and we should get to work!
* Croatia continues to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.
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