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ADDRESS
BY
THE MOST HONOURABLE P. J. PATTERSON, ON, PC, QC, MP
PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA
TO THE
59TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
NEW YORK
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2003
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REBUILDING MULTILATERALISM:
THE KEY FOR GLOBAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT
Mr. President
Your own election to the Presidency of this 58th Session of the UNGA is a source
of great pride and satisfaction to Jamaica and the entire Caribbean.
We regard it as a tangible acknowledgement of the region's active engagement
on the global stage.
I am confident that your combination of long political experience, outstanding
diplomatic skills and commitment to global comity will enable all of us to benefit
from your guiding hand at a time when the United Nations, the very cornerstone
for global security and economic cooperation, faces its most severe test and the
Charter itself is exposed to its greatest challenge.
We wish to commend the Secretary-General for his work during a very difficult
year and in trying circumstances for the United Nations.
Excellencies,
It may eventually prove to be a fortunate quirk of history, that by virtue of the
rotation system, a distinguished representative of the Caribbean now occupies
the chair.
For by virtue of our history, location and size, we who fashioned the Caribbean
Community thirty years ago, recognised that we would never be able to acquire
the economic power or military might to stand alone.
Multilateralism affords us the only source of protection.
So therefore, from its very inception, our Community has remained resolute in
upholding the sovereign equality of states and the maintenance of an
international order which protects the weak and powerless from domination.
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THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION
Mr. President, the international situation today is filled with uncertainty and fear.
There is a prevailing climate of distrust and insecurity.
Mankind faces the danger of terrorism, nuclear proliferation and weapons of
mass destruction.
We witness outbreaks of war and violence and a worrying escalation of
confrontation and conflict.
There are new doctrines and policies which threaten peace everywhere.
The pillars of international law and respect for sovereign rights are being steadily
eroded.
Injustice and abuses of human rights still remain manifest.
These are real concerns which underscore the need to strengthen
multilateralism, to restore confidence in the United Nations system, to buttress
its centrality in decisions which affect us all, and enhance its capacity to enforce.
MULTILATERALISM
The multilateral process will collapse unless the international community asserts
a strong collective will to review the structures, mandates and procedures in the
global system.
In relation to efforts to strengthen multilateralism, I emphasize four
requirements:
First, multilateralism must be equitable. This is critical for its credibility. It should
promote policies, which provide full opportunity for all States to benefit from the
global system and which take into account the needs, aspirations and welfare of
the global community. It should be non-discriminatory and proceed from the
principle that the lives of human beings cannot be differentiated on the basis of
race, nationality or religion.
Second, multilateralism must be democratic. This is critical for its acceptability.
Its decision-making should be based on a fully inclusive process, in which all
States have a voice: where dialogue and equal participation are encouraged and
promoted.
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Third, multilateralism must be principled. This is critical for its legitimacy. It
must be based on common rules and standards, devised and enforced by the
international community, without selective application or double standards.
Fourth, multilateralism must be effective. This is critical for its efficiency.
Decisions taken should be implemented.
Member States must exercise the political will to guarantee that agreed policies
and decisions taken are supported and upheld.
Adequate resources must be provided where necessary.
In order to promote the interests of all States, the United Nations and the
Multilateral Institutions must facilitate the creation of new opportunities for
economic development through the expansion of trade and investment flows as
well as technical co-operation assistance.
UN REFORM
To strengthen multilateralism, we need reform and rebuilding to improve the
work of the United Nations in areas such as development co-operation,
humanitarian affairs and disarmament.
No one dares to dispute, not even the five Permanent Members, the compelling
urgency to alter the design and function of the Security Council, if it is to fulfil
the mandate conferred by the Charter of 1945, but in the realities of the world
today. The case for expansion of membership is irrefutable. So also is the need
to redesign decision-making to correspond with the principle of the sovereign
equality of states.
Let me make it clear: The reform must extend beyond composition and
geographical balance. We are certain to fall into a dangerous abyss, unless and
until the Security Council is so constituted as to remove the absence of even a
pretence at democracy in the global state and to deter arrogant deviation from
the most basic elements of the rule of international law.
The time has come to cut the talk and walk the walk.
In 2001, from this podium, I called for a United Nation's renaissance. Unless we
undertake it now, only those who believe in a resurrection will be hanging
around. We could not claim then that we were not responsible for its demise
nor exonerate ourselves from the condemnation of history.
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With regard to the General Assembly, what is needed is a resuscitation and use
of the powers of the General Assembly and the assertion of its role as the
principal organ of the United Nations.
The Assembly is a forum of equals. Its pronouncements and policy decisions
must carry the stamp of legitimacy as the voice of the international community.
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But while we emphasize the importance of institutional reform, there should be
equal focus on the responsibilities of membership. There is need for
revitalisation in commitment and political will among member states to support
the multilateral system and to provide it with adequate resources. Irrespective
of whatever institutional arrangements we may devise, in the final analysis, it is
the membership alone that can make the system work. We cannot afford to
fail.
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ISSUES
The critical problems facing us concerning war and peace are compounded by
the proliferation of weapons of all kinds. Military expenditure globally now
amounts to over US$800 billion annually. Experience has shown however, that
military power and massive investment in weapons do not bring security and
lasting peace.
Lasting Peace cannot be imposed by the force of arms. Instead, it breeds a
climate of insecurity and feeds violence, war and terrorism with increasing
destructive capacity.
At the same time, the arms industry fuels a rapidly growing underworld of
transnational organised crime, which jeopardizes law and order as well as
impedes economic growth and social stability within our national boundaries.
MIDDLE EAST
It is tragic and painful to witness the continued cycle of violence, carnage and
the massive destruction of property in the Middle East. No solution can result
from the continued military subjugation of the Palestinians or violence against
the Israelis. A political settlement has to be found to provide security for the
Israeli people, to establish an independent state for the Palestinians and to make
suitable arrangements for the security of all states in the region.
We cannot begin to speak on the situation in Iraq without noting the atmosphere
of fear, disorder and insecurity, which now prevails in that country.
We deplore the recent bombings of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad and the
United Nations Office, which resulted in the death of UN officials, including that
of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq, as well as the
bombing of the Shiite Mosque.
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We must all learn from what has happened in Iraq over the last year. The
immediate question is how to formulate interim arrangements for the recovery
and reconstruction of the country and the restoration of its sovereignty and
independence under a government chosen by the Iraqi people. Efforts to reengage
the UN must ensure that it assumes a meaningful role in the peacebuilding
process and transition to democracy.
AFRICA
Mr. President, the situation in Africa has not been given the level of attention,
which is needed, particularly from the Security Council. The continued turmoil
within parts of the continent shows the need for stabilisation through conciliation
and dialogue between contending parties to end further fighting and bloodshed.
We commend the role being played by regional organisations like ECOWAS and
by African statesmen to mediate and bring peace to those areas of current
concern. But more should be done.
Additional resources are needed to assist in ensuring that societies disrupted by
conflict can be re-established and stabilised.
The obstacles to eliminating poverty and disease can be overcome by providing
material assistance, as we are convinced that Africa has the indigenous
resources, the human potential and the leadership to prevail over adversity.
THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY
Mr. President, within the global economy, the pattern continues of a widening
gap between developed and developing countries.
Wealth is increasing but poverty is also growing in critical areas of the world.
Although we continue to raise our voices constantly to warn of the dangers of
this global trend, our partners in the developed world have given little indication
of a change in policies to reverse it. We are continually told that prosperity will
come with policies of liberalisation, a minimalist state and deregulation.
In turn these will unleash free enterprise to take advantage of economic
opportunities leading to development and growth. But it has become obvious
that this model does not succeed everywhere, particularly in the developing
world.
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Mr. President,
As you know so well, the countries of CARICOM have been for a long time, a
region where democracy flourishes and the rule of law prevails. The
strengthening of civil and political rights in our countries has been our passion
since we gained our freedom.
We know that no country is above improvement in any of these areas, but there
is a fashion in the industrial world - including countries, new converts to these
values - to imply that their adoption is the solution to all the problems of
development. Were that so, Mr. President, Jamaica and all our countries of the
Caribbean would have been havens of prosperity long ago.
What much of the developing world needs must go beyond sermons about the
precepts of democracy, obeying the rule of law and securing respect for human
rights.
The help we need is in preserving these rights from erosion by the instabilities
that derive from under-development and from the steady deterioration in the
global political environment.
In the international community, these same values are being systematically
discarded and destroyed - as if our world society deserves less than our own
national communities.
The persistence of under-development - the denial of people's full rights as
human beings - is the major challenge that poor countries face. We make this
clear, because it has become all too easy for rich countries to excuse themselves
from any meaningful effort towards poverty alleviation and economic
development by asserting that salvation lies simply in securing civil and political
rights. That is exactly what they did at Cancun to the poorest countries in the
world - to those who live in abject poverty - by denying their plaintive petition
for a better deal in cotton.
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Mr. President,
As current Chairman of the Caribbean Community, I assert that for us in the
Caribbean, the future of our democracies lies in the strengthening of our
economies; in a more favourable trading environment for our products; in more
rapid and effective debt relief; in the protection of legitimate areas of economic
progress like our financial services industry; in tailoring globalisation and the
dogma of liberalisation to the needs of small economies. Our future lies, in
short, in escaping the trap of poverty. That some are poorer does not make us
less poor than we are; that some are less developed than we are does not alter
our state of under-development.
COOPERATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
Trade and competitiveness are not everything. In developing countries there are
weaknesses in production capacity and deficiencies at the micro-level, which can
be helped through programmes of development cooperation. Regrettably, in
recent years, donor resources for such co-operation have been shrinking. Where
commitments have been given, there have just been too many broken promises.
But we still remain hopeful that the pledges of Monterrey and the targets of
Johannesburg will be taken seriously as commitments to be implemented. The
achievements of the Millennium Development Goals critically depend on the
functioning of partnerships within Goal 8 of the Programme - Partnerships for
Development.
Partnership should not be used as a vehicle for the imposition of conditionalities
to promote bilateral political objectives.
In our view, true partnership must respect the concept of ownership by
recipients and the national priorities as determined by them. This makes it
extremely important that the whole issue of development policies and
development co-operation be monitored closely within the international system.
Decisions affecting development are being taken in different arenas, forums and
agencies. Increasingly, there is the need to ensure coherence in policies and
programmes.
The international system currently does not have an effective mechanism for
conducting such an exercise. We reiterate our belief that one of the urgent tasks
of the moment is to create a mechanism within the international architecture,
which will focus on trade, finance, technology and development policy in an
integrated manner.
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THE BARBADOS PROGRAMME OF ACTION
Of particular importance to CARICOM states is the need for special attention for
the problems of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the issue of
vulnerability and its effect on development prospects. We insist that in ensuring
that in all international economic arrangements, special provision be made to
accommodate the interests of the SIDS. We call on the donor community to
support this effort when the International Conference to review the Barbados
Programme of Action meets in 2004.
TRADE DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBALISATION
We in Jamaica and CARICOM fully recognize that globalisation has the potential
to advance human development throughout the world. But this is not automatic.
For globalisation has also increased our vulnerability, insecurity and the
possibility of marginalisation.
Small developing countries, like Jamaica and CARICOM, cannot and should not
be expected to follow the same policy prescriptions applied to larger, more
advanced countries. Special and differential treatment of a meaningful kind is
important, as we require policy space for our productive sectors. It cannot be
expected that countries such as ours will abandon local production in agriculture
and manufacturing, although we fully recognize the growing importance and
potential of the service sector in the regional and global economy.
In the aftermath of Cancun, we in the global community need to accept that:
• Trade rules must be asymmetrical in recognition of the diversity in levels
of development and size of economies;
• Trade rules must also recognize the right of all countries to protect their
development priorities and vulnerable groups, especially their small
farmers;
• Development issues as they relate to the WTO agenda must be defined by
developing countries themselves and not by others for us.
The world community must recognize these principles to ensure that the global
trade architecture brings meaningful benefits for all.
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DIVERSITY, RESPECT AND MUTUALITY OF INTEREST
Globalisation may bring a more integrated world but there will always remain
significant variations in national systems, cultures and national priorities. There
is no single sustainable model for political development or economic success.
We live in a diverse world where different ideas, cultural norms and standards
exist. These should be respected within the framework of agreed principles
within the United Nations. In a world of such diversity and pluralism there
should be tolerance, understanding, non-discrimination, self-determination and
respect for equal rights for all.
These for us are transcendental values to which we in Jamaica and throughout
the Caribbean fully subscribe.
The United Nations should continue to promote respect for diversity while
promoting the common principles and ideals, which form the foundation for
international law and order and international co-operation. This provides the
only key for the pursuit of enduring peace and real development in the global
village to which we all belong.
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