UN GA DECIDES TO CONTINUE CONSIDERATION OF SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REPORT ON PREVENTING ARMED CONFLICT, AT UPCOMING SESSIONS

United Nations General Assembly
Sept 8 2006

Sixtieth General Assembly
Plenary
98th Meeting (PM)

Also Expresses Serious Concern About Damage Caused by Wide-Scale
Fires in Azerbaijan

In the wake of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s finding that there
is an "unacceptable gap" between rhetoric and reality at the United
Nations in the area of conflict prevention, the General Assembly today
decided to devote more time during its upcoming session to consider
his recommendations on how to better equip the Organization to fulfil
its core mandate.

With the adoption of a consensus resolution, the Assembly decided
to continue consideration, during its sixty-first session, of the
Secretary-General’s progress report on the prevention of armed conflict
(document A/60/891), in which he stresses that averting conflicts is
one of the United Nations chief obligations and urges Member States
to channel more money into preventive measures as the world body
strengthens its capabilities to detect and then mediate disputes.

Released five years after his first comprehensive report on the
issue, the 54-page survey notes that too often the international
community spent vast sums of money to fight fires that, in hindsight,
might more easily have been extinguished with timely preventive action
"before so many lives were lost or turned upside-down". The report also
report outlines a three-pronged approach to preventing armed conflict:
targeting the sources of tension within and between societies, States
and regions; reinforcing the norms and institutions for peace; and
strengthening the mechanisms that can resolve inter-State disputes.

Noting that conflict prevention is a "moral imperative" and a
"political necessity for the credibility of international cooperation,
in particular the United Nations," Assembly President Jan Eliasson
of Sweden, opening the 192-member body’s debate on the subject said:
"What a qualitative difference we could have in the United Nations
if we moved the focus from the late stages of conflict to the early
stages, if we were to spend more time on smoke detection rather than
taking care of a house that has already burned down."

In a statement read by Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown,
Mr. Annan noted that one of his consistent objectives has been to move
the United Nations from a culture of reaction to one of prevention. One
of the main findings of his latest report was that such a culture was
indeed beginning to take hold. But his report nevertheless revealed an
"an unacceptable gap remains between rhetoric and reality in the area
of conflict prevention".

In his own statement, Mr. Malloch Brown said that the most striking
recommendation of the report came in the last paragraph, which was
that, if 2 per cent of the peacekeeping budget was spent on prevention,
there was a possibility to prevent one or more wars a year. Everyone
agreed that prevention was better, but if prevention was so cheap,
why were people so reluctant to invest in it? The answer was that
the utility of any given prevention strategy was very difficult
to prove. The need for it could always be questioned, until it had
already failed. Wars that did not happen were not news.

However, there were some very persuasive examples of successful
conflict prevention, including the dispute between Cameroon and
Nigeria, diffusion of a political crisis in Ecuador, and overcoming of
tensions in Guyana. Sadly, however, it was much easier to cite cases
where conflict was not prevented but should have been. The disaster of
Côte d’Ivoire could have been avoided if previous Ivorian Governments
had received help and advice in integrating, rather than excluding,
the workers of foreign origin. Prevention still remained an area of
much promise but few answers, and the United Nations could play a
role in finding them.

When delegations took the floor, they all supported the thrust of
the report as well as the Secretary-General’s recommendation that
the Assembly continue to examine the matter closely in the coming year.

Many speakers highlighted ongoing conflicts and tensions in the Middle
East, as well as civil strife on the African continent. Also weighing
heavily on the mind of several speakers was the need for the Assembly
and the Security Council to address the situation on the Taiwan Strait,
which they considered a threat to peace and security in the East Asia
region. For his part, the representative of China reiterated that
there was only one China in the world and that the Taiwan question
was an internal matter that had no bearing on today’s discussion.

In other action today, the Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution
expressing serious concern about the damage caused by wide-scale fires
in the eastern part of Azerbaijan, taking note of the intention of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) — whose
Minsk Group is leading the negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia
to end the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh — to send a mission to the
region to assess the long- and short-term environmental impacts of the
fires in order to prepare for an environmental protection operation.

Also speaking were representatives of Finland (on behalf of the
European Union), Egypt, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Peru,
Guatemala, Gambia, Switzerland, Tuvalu, Germany, Solomon Islands,
Cambodia, Nigeria, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Japan and Benin.

The Permanent Observer of the Holy See also addressed the Assembly.

Representatives of the United States (on behalf of the Minsk Group),
Armenia, Ukraine (on behalf of GUAM ( Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan
and Republic of Moldova)), Pakistan and Turkey spoke on the issue of
the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s
representative introduced the draft resolution.

The General Assembly will meet again tomorrow, 8 September, at 3 p.m.

Background

The General Assembly met this afternoon to consider Secretary-General
Kofi Annan’s progress report on the prevention in armed conflict
(document A/60/891). Released five years after his first comprehensive
report on the issue, the 54-page survey responds to resolutions of the
Assembly, as well as those of the Security Council. In it, Mr. Annan
notes that "a culture of prevention is indeed beginning to take hold
at the United Nations", but adds that "an unacceptable gap remains
between rhetoric and reality in the area of conflict prevention".

This latest report says averting conflicts is one of the Organization’s
chief obligations and urges Member States to channel more money into
preventive measures as the world body strengthens its capabilities
to detect and then mediate disputes. "Too often the international
community spends vast sums of money to fight fires that, in hindsight,
we might more easily have extinguished with timely prevention
action before so many lives were lost or turned upside down", the
Secretary-General says.

"Over the past five years, we have spent over $18 billion on United
Nations peacekeeping that was necessary partly because of inadequate
preventive measures. A fraction of that investment in prevention
action would surely have saved both lives and money", he continues.

The report outlines a three-pronged approach to preventing
armed conflict: targeting the sources of tension within and
between societies, States and regions; reinforcing the norms and
institutions for peace; and strengthening the mechanisms that can
resolve inter-State disputes.

As a way to mitigate sources of tension, the report details the
concept of so-called "systemic prevention", or cooperative efforts.

These global initiatives would help deal with a wide range of issues —
from the illicit flow of small arms to environmental degradation to
the spread of HIV/AIDS — that are fuelling tensions around the globe.

Mr. Annan also suggests that sanctions could be used more creatively
as a tool to tackle conflict. The Security Council, for example,
could use the reports of expert groups to then take action to help
curb the exploitation of natural resources and the use of revenues
by armed groups.

Among other recommendations, the report calls for strengthening
the United Nations Department of Political Affairs; more support for
development assistance through the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP); and support to the United Nations Democracy Fund.

"If we are serious about conflict prevention, we have to better equip
the Organization to fulfil its core mandate", the report concludes.

Opening Statement of General Assembly President

JAN ELIASSON, President of the General Assembly, broadly outlining
the themes included in the Secretary-General’s Progress Report on
the Prevention of Armed Conflict (document A/60/891), stressed the
moral imperative of preventing conflict, saying that it was a human
necessity to save lives and protect civilian populations. "It is a
political necessity for the credibility of the international community
and the United Nations in particular", he said, adding that it was
also an economic necessity both for the countries involved and the
world community because of the enormous costs of war and post-conflict
recovery and reconstruction.

Early action should be the natural reaction to early warning,
he said, declaring that prevention must be a moral, political and
economic priority of the United Nations and its Member States. He
said that the Secretary-General’s personal commitment to early
action and preventive diplomacy had been pivotal in integrating a
culture of prevention throughout the Organization, and that his first
comprehensive report on the subject — released in 2001 — had been one
of the United Nations cornerstones in the field. The Organization had
an essential role to play in preventing armed conflicts — by virtue
of its mandate, legitimacy, universal membership and broad-ranging
activities and competence.

He went on to say that one of its main tasks under the Charter was
the maintenance of peace and security, in other words, the prevention
of war. Indeed, preventive diplomacy must engage all parts of the
United Nations system, including specialized agencies, funds and
programmes, regional and field offices and the international financial
institutions. From the review annexed to the report, it was evident
that many of the activities of the United Nations had directly, or
indirectly, a conflict prevention dimension. "This is most welcome",
he said, noting that he believed that Article 33 of the Charter,
calling for peaceful settlement of disputes, was "diplomatic poetry",
though sadly, little used.

He also said that he agreed with the Secretary-General’s recommendation
that Member States make more effective use of the tools for pacific
settlement of disputes, such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation
and judicial settlement. But such preventive actions should be
proportional to the conflict. The gist of the Secretary-General’s
report was the importance of using the full capacity of the United
Nations. With the Department of Political Affairs as focal point, with
the Secretary-General’s good offices, effective system-wide coherence
was vital, bringing in actors in human rights and political, economic,
environmental and social development.

"To promote democracy, respect for human rights, protection of refugees
and sustainable development worldwide must be part of a comprehensive
preventive strategy," he said, adding: "We need to work both with
the more short-term measures described as operational prevention
and the long-term, so-called structural prevention, addressing
sources of tension and root-causes of conflict." He said that the
Secretary-General was also pointing out some crucial issues that the
international community needed to address, such as natural resources,
proliferation of small arms, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation and
migration. The Assembly President then went on to draw the link to
the United Nations reform agenda, including the establishment this
year of the Peacebuilding Commission and Human Rights Council.

He also stressed that the full realization of the Millennium
Development Goals and a committed approach to poverty reduction
and sustainable development was a prerequisite for the maintenance
of peace and security. He said that the World Summit Outcome had
welcomed the establishment of the Democracy Fund, and he was pleased
to see that that mechanism had now decided on financing its first
projects. He drew particular attention to the Outcome’s commitment to
the "responsibility to protect", which had been a major achievement on
which the international community must build. The most important part
of that concept was the responsibility to prevent ethnic cleansing,
mass killing and genocide and to supply States with the capacity to
protect their own populations. Finally, he said that he hoped the
Assembly would continue to play an active role in preventing armed
conflicts, as set out in the Charter. "I sincerely hope that we can
begin to spend more time on smoke detection rather than spending so
much time on the house that has already burned down", he added.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General MARK MALLOCH BROWN read out a
message by the Secretary-General in which he said that, in the first
year of his tenure, the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly
conflict had inspired all. Since then, the Secretariat had sought
to build on the Commission’s work. Reports on the subject had been
submitted in 2001 and 2003. The current report’s main finding was
that "a culture of prevention was indeed beginning to take hold at
the United Nations". He hoped that, with the help of Member States,
his successor would be able to strengthen that vital aspect of the
Organization’s work.

In his own statement, Mr. Malloch Brown said that the most striking
recommendation of the report came in the last paragraph, which was
that, if 2 per cent of the peacekeeping budget was spent on prevention,
there was a possibility to prevent one or more wars a year. Everyone
agreed that prevention was better, but if prevention was so cheap,
why were people so reluctant to invest in it? The answer was that
the utility of any given prevention strategy was very difficult
to prove. The need for it could always be questioned, until it had
already failed. Wars that did not happen were not news.

However, there were some very persuasive examples of successful
conflict prevention, including the dispute between Cameroon and
Nigeria, diffusion of a political crisis in Ecuador, and overcoming of
tensions in Guyana. Sadly, however, it was much easier to cite cases
where conflict was not prevented but should have been. Too often, vast
sums of money had been spent to fight fires that, in hindsight, could
have been easily been extinguished with timely preventive action. The
disaster of Côte d’Ivoire could have been avoided if previous Ivorian
Governments had received help and advice in integrating, rather than
excluding, the workers of foreign origin.

Prevention still remained an area of much promise but few answers,
and the United Nations could play a role in finding them.

Statements

KIRSTI LINTONEN ( Finland), speaking on behalf of the European Union
and associated States, said a clear message of the Secretary-General’s
report was the progress the United Nations had made towards a
culture of prevention. In order to further promote prevention of
armed conflicts, Member States should focus resources to strengthen
the preventive mechanisms of the Organization.

Understanding the root causes of armed conflicts was the basis of
conflict prevention. Sources of tension at the global level included
the spread of small arms and light weapons, illegal narcotics,
illicit trade in natural resources, lack of human rights, inequality
and poverty. The link between security and development should be
understood. Poverty was a root cause for insecurity and might lead
to instability and conflict.

She said that, although international normative and institutional
frameworks played a key role in prevention, establishing such
instruments was not enough. They should be fully and effectively
understood and implemented. The European Union strongly supported
the work of the International Criminal Court and underlined the
importance of ending impunity. Regional efforts to prevent conflicts
should be emphasized, as regional organizations usually possessed
strong interests in the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Each State had the responsibility to protect its population from
genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Bad governance, corruption and lack of rule of law were problems
that could lead to instability and conflict. External actors could
assist the States to mitigate those potentially destabilizing factors
by conflict-sensitive development assistance and promotion of good
governance and human rights. Government should find ways to cooperate
with non-governmental organizations, academics, religious leaders and
other representatives of civil society to thoroughly understand and
tackle injustices. The United Nations organs should further explore
ways to engage with civil society groups to facilitate conflict
prevention and settlement.

In conclusion, she said preventing conflicts more effectively required
better and more thorough understanding of the origins of conflict
and addressing the root causes of tension. The challenge was to
ensure that due importance, including in resource terms, was given to
long-term conflict prevention activity rather than short-term crisis
response. Cooperation and coherence of actions at all levels should
be enhanced, from the global level to enhancing national capacities
for peaceful resolution of conflicts and engaging civil society actors
in order to promote conflict prevention and support peace.

MAGED ABDELAZIZ (Egypt) said there was no doubt that the prevention
of armed conflict was one of the Organization’s most important duties
and that it should receive due attention by the Secretary-General,
as well as the General Assembly, within the boundaries set out in
the Charter. To carry out this important duty, it was necessary to
have broad agreement in the Assembly in order to characterize the
Organization’s preventive role, particularly by using preventive
diplomacy.

The United Nations should also in this regard work to ensure respect
for international law and ending foreign occupation. He was concerned
that, while the report mentioned the illegal flow of small arms and
exploitation of environmental resources, among others, it did not
directly address foreign occupation. It was clear that the main reason
behind conflicts in the Middle East had been the Israeli occupation
of the Palestinian territories, Shebaa Farms and the Syrian Golan
Heights. That continued occupation had ultimately been behind the
launching of the Arab League’s initiative calling for a political
track to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict within the United Nations,
aiming to bring about a lasting peace in the shortest possible time.

He said the report addressed the absence of a clear strategy to prevent
the use of nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological weapons;
and the failure of the 2005 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT) review Conference, which needed further study and work,
not only to minimize the chances of armed conflict but also to keep
the NPT regime from collapsing. He also noted that the report did not
highlight the role of the Assembly in dealing with disarmament issues.

In that regard, he called for a clearer understanding of the mandates
of the Organization’s major organs in the field of conflict prevention,
particularly to end the Security Council’s encroachment on the
Assembly’s mandate. That task would require differentiating between
"prevention", "peaceful settlement", and the "enforcement measures" at
the Council’s disposal when all other measures were exhausted. It also
required studying the value of the Council’s debates on issues such
as "women and armed conflict" or "children in armed conflict" when,
at the same time, that body seemed incapable of reaching a decision
to end hostile acts in Lebanon. Indeed, as a fully democratic organ,
the Assembly should be able to deal with situations or conflicts when
the Council failed to address them, for whatever reason. He added
that certain responsibilities in this regard could also be assigned
to the Secretary-General during the preventive diplomacy stage.

Among other things, he called on the Assembly to stop attempts to
"mix up" the global initiative against terrorism and the peaceful
settlement of disputes. He also called for the establishment of a
new commission, similar to the new Peacebuilding Commission, called
a "Commission on the Prevention of Armed Conflict". That panel
would have a new mandate and should focus on coordinating with the
Secretary-General on relevant issues and on enhancing the Assembly’s
powers to deal with differences before they escalated into conflict.

MARGARET HUGHES FERRARI ( Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) stressed
the Charter’s call for the pacific settlement of disputes and drew the
Assembly’s attention to what her delegation considered a "simmering
dispute" between China and Taiwan. She highlighted a Chinese law,
which she said threatened the peace and security of the 23 million
peace-loving people of Taiwan. Indeed, China’s "bellicose threats" and
posturing bore watching. China was a permanent member of the Security
Council and that country had a duty not to act in contravention of
the spirit of the Organization and the tenets of the Charter.

She said that it was incumbent upon the membership of the United
Nations to use creative thinking so that the Taiwan situation could
be resolved in a peaceful way. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had
the utmost respect for Chinese society, and it was her delegation’s
fervent hope that the situation could be brought to a conclusion
quickly and peacefully to the lasting benefit of both parties, which
would ensure peace and security in that region.

CARLOS OBANDO ( Peru) said the use of a systemic approach was a
reflection of the reality, in a context of growing globalization,
that emphasized the influence of the international dimension in armed
conflicts. Themes such as inequity, climate change, food security,
migration, and terrorism implied high transnationality. Social and
economic issues were often the main cause of conflicts, and those
factors should get more attention. Those countries that had the lowest
levels of human development were the ones most exposed to conflict.

He said that, together with peacekeeping operations, attention should
be paid to reconstruction, elections and economic sustainability. The
establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission had been a step in the
right direction, but it was not enough. More aggressive mechanisms
should be established that addressed such issues as external debt,
trade tariffs, foreign investments, technology transfer and improvement
of basic public services and infrastructure.

Strengthening political institutions and addressing the trade in
small weapons should also be considered.

The mechanisms of political dialogue, development of a strategy for
education for peace, promotion of respect for law and human rights
and reform of the security sector must be more efficient, he said.

Also, early warning systems could guide the United Nations to a more
farsighted and integral approach. It was imperative that a system of
early warning caused an immediate response in the Organization in
order to implement the scope of measures referred to in Chapter VI
of the Charter. He proposed a United Nations database through which
the United Nations, regional organizations, States, local governments
and civil society could share with the international community their
successful experiences in conflict prevention.

JORGE SKINNER-KLEE ( Guatemala) said his country, as a post-conflict
country, was mindful of the importance of promoting a culture of
peace. The reduction of risk and preventive attention were the best
way of mitigating, if not avoiding, irreparable and irreversible
damages. Ten years after the Peace Accords, Guatemalan society was
still not completely reconciled. There was still a need for a more
participatory and equitable society, for development opportunities for
all, and for rebuilding the social fabric. To that end, the country had
embarked on a complex process of acknowledging the responsibilities
of all the parties, initiating reparation and retribution systems,
and allowing for the elucidation of the truth of past occurrences.

He said the subject of conflict prevention must be approached from the
perspective of fully safeguarding the rule of law, human rights and
human responsibilities. In that regard, he underlined the importance
of establishing dialogue mechanisms with all stakeholders, including
civil society, religions and the private sector.

Guatemala’s experience with holding open dialogues had already resulted
in rewards, such as the National Agreement for a Policy of Rural
Development. Selection of a theme for those dialogues was essential.

He encouraged the Bureau for the Prevention of Crisis and Recovery
of UNDP to continue its valuable work and stressed the importance
of cooperation among the different components of the United Nations
system. Guatemala and other countries had greatly benefited from a
joint programme of the UNDP and the Department of Political Affairs
entitled "Building National Capacity for Conflict Prevention".

CRISPIN GREY-JOHNSON ( Gambia) said his delegation supported the view
that it was the United Nations responsibility to intervene to prevent
the eruption of conflicts, regardless of whether they were within or
between States. In many parts of Africa, the conditions of poverty
and deprivation were so dire as to constitute obvious triggers of
violent civil unrest. Negligent, unresponsive Governments for whom the
development account was marginal on their scale of priorities should
be confronted in the same manner as those that openly threatened
their neighbours militarily. Indeed, development policies — or the
lack thereof — that had the potential to provoke violent upheavals
were as dangerous to global peace as were policies that amounted
to war-mongering.

He went on to stress the need for the United Nations to enhance its
capacity to engage Governments seen as unresponsive to the development
needs of their people, or whose policies led to impoverishment and
destitution. Among other things, he emphasized that creating employment
opportunities for Africa’s youth was a very urgent conflict prevention
requirement. Overall, he noted the tremendous monetary constraints
that were hampering the Secretariat from doing more in the field of
conflict prevention.

The Gambia, therefore, strongly supported the Secretary-General’s
recommendation that 2 per cent of the annual peacekeeping budget be
allotted to prevention activities, on a predictable and secure basis.

Finally, he drew the Assembly’s attention to the security situation
across the Taiwan Strait — a "very serious omission" in the report.

He strongly urged the Secretary-General to begin the process of
mediation between China and Taiwan and to report to the Assembly on
the matter during its upcoming session.

ANDREAS BAUM ( Switzerland) said it was encouraging to note the
improvement of United Nations expertise in the various areas of
conflict prevention. However, the review of the United Nations
system capacity for conflict prevention showed that the various
initiatives undertaken could be coordinated even better. A look at
all the ongoing conflicts also showed that international efforts
to prevent conflict, as well as the United Nations capacity in
that field, must be reinforced. Discussions to date had focused
too much on stopping hostilities and had placed too little emphasis
on the internal and external factors that caused the outbreak of a
conflict. Apart from the human suffering and the social, economic
and environmental consequences of conflicts, it was recognized that
investment in prevention was generally effective and beneficial.

He said it was important for the upcoming debate in the next
session that civil society would participate fully. The role and
responsibilities in the field of conflict prevention of social
representatives such as non-governmental organizations, the private
sector, academia and media, should not be underestimated.

ENELE S. SOPOAGA ( Tuvalu) said it must be acknowledged that, since its
founding, the United Nations had successfully prevented and resolved
several deadly conflicts in the world. Despite those achievements,
the current and looming tensions in East Asia, in particular fuelled
by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Korean
Peninsula and the threat of the use of force in the Taiwan Strait,
were a threat to the stability and security of the region and the
world as a whole. The swift action of the Security Council over the
ballistic missile tests in the Korean Peninsula must serve as an
example of how the international community should act in the advent
of threats to international peace and security.

Likewise, the United Nations must pay particular attention to the
ongoing dispute involving China and Taiwan, he said, drawing attention
to the deployment of 800 ballistic missiles in China aimed at Taiwan
and the enactment of the so-called "Anti-Secession Law".

Those acts of intimidation against Taiwan were against the provisions
of the United Nations Charter on dispute settlement. They also
contradicted international commitments on peace and security. The
United Nations must step in and ensure peaceful dialogue.

BEATRIX KANIA ( Germany) said the international community continued
to face numerous challenges, which made armed conflict prevention
more important than ever. This required a comprehensive approach,
and the United Nations must play a key role in developing that idea
further. Germany believed in addressing the root causes of conflict,
as well as in making violence a less reasonable option in situations
of tension. That responsibility lay first with all individual States,
which needed to strengthen their capacities for addressing structural
risk factors. National dialogue and consensus-building were important
in that regard. But States should not be alone in that endeavour;
external support, including from the United Nations, should be
made available in such areas as democracy-building, elections and
constitutional capacity-building.

She went on to say that implementing the Millennium Development Goals
would contribute to reducing overall tensions in many developing
countries that were vulnerable to conflict. Implementation of a
stronger international normative and institutional framework would
also help. She added that Germany had supported the 2005 international
conference on the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed
Conflict, which had brought together representatives of civil
society from more than 100 countries. Indeed, civil society had an
important role to play in conflict prevention, and Germany supported
the Secretary-General’s call for intensifying the international
community’s dialogue with civil society groups.

COLLIN BECK ( Solomon Islands) said the United Nations must strengthen
its resolve in the area of conflict prevention. To that end, the
international community must recognize that the world was divided into
"haves and have-nots" and that the primary causes of conflict were
development-related. Indeed, it was the countries on the periphery of
the international system, particularly the least developed countries,
that were most vulnerable to security threats.

Those countries continued to face obstacles that hampered their full
participation in the globalized world.

Indeed, good governance, adequate heath care and education all cost
money, and, while the primary responsibility rested with sovereign
States, such States could only help themselves if there was a
concerted global effort to create a fair, just economic system. Here,
he regretted the recent suspension of the Doha trade round, which
would only perpetuate the structural divide between the North and
South. He was also among the delegations that drew the Assembly’s
attention to the situation on the Taiwan Strait, which had increased
tensions in the East Asian region.

CHEM WIDHYA ( Cambodia) said that a general analysis of the sources
of conflicts, though not comprehensive in nature, provided better
insight concerning efforts by Member States to work more effectively
with relevant United Nations agencies in the field. As a country that
had emerged from a long period of conflict, Cambodia extended its
deep gratitude to the international community and the United Nations
organizations for their generous assistance.

He said there had been a gap between rhetoric and realities.

Admittedly, the United Nations’ performance had not been satisfactory
to Member States in averting armed conflicts.

AMINU B. WALI ( Nigeria) said the report showed clearly what must be
done at national, regional and international levels to address the
challenges of peace and security. At the national level, there was
now more than ever a need to embrace the principles of transparency
and inclusiveness in governance. The goal of eliminating poverty by
providing gainful employment to youth should remain the anchor of
national action. The scourge of pandemic diseases must be overcome,
and there was a need to bring an early end to the existing armed
conflicts that destabilized meaningful development.

He said the African Union and subregional organizations such as
the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had taken
various initiatives to resolve current conflicts and prevent the
outbreak of new ones, including through the African Peace and Security
Council and comparable subregional mechanisms. Poverty had generally
served as the canon fodder upon which most armed conflicts fed. The
international community must show commitment in addressing the wishes
of developing countries on the issue of trade imbalances and youth
unemployment. Infectious diseases had proved to be a serious threat
to the survival of most African economies. Sustained coordinated
effort between national Governments, the United Nations system and
civil society would be invaluable in that regard.

The proliferation of small arms and light weapons now represented a
veritable scourge in Africa, he continued. Past failures in reaching
decisions should not discourage the international community from
rising to the challenges posed by that threat. Also, as the example
of Nigeria and Cameroon had demonstrated, the resolution of border
disputes in an amicable manner could strengthen amity between nations
and create a conducive atmosphere for stability and development. The
success of the latest diplomatic shuttle of the Secretary-General to
the Middle East attested to the premium the Organization should put
on preventive measures.

ADIYATWIDI ADIWOSO ASMADY ( Indonesia) said, while the overall
trend in the number of armed conflicts worldwide might have receded,
global upheavals and uncertainty were on the rise. "It was the best
of times for some, but it is the worst of times for others", she
said. The recent tragedy of Lebanon, and the agonizing delay in the
Security Council on reaching agreement to end the hostilities — at
the expense of innocent civilians — once more reminded everyone that
it was imperative to strengthen global norms that could bring about
a real culture of respect for human life, mutual respect and equality.

She said that Indonesia believed that multilateralism should be at the
heart of all efforts to prevent armed conflicts at the intra-State
level. Mutually beneficial and international partnerships could
have a significant impact on the peaceful resolution of difficult
political and socio-economic problems. The Charter and the principles
of international law should be the guides in that regard.

Further, the United Nations should be the main forum for addressing
the issue. To that end, therefore, the role of the Organization’s
office needed to be strengthened, including with effective and
timely interventions to seek peaceful ways out of confrontational
situations. It was the primary responsibility of States to adopt
the plans and strategies they saw as most effective to ensure that
peace prevailed in their countries. The United Nations, along with
other international agencies, should support those efforts through
capacity-building.

EDUARDO J. SEVILLA SOMOZA ( Nicaragua) said the report filled an
important need in that it highlighted the importance of the Charter and
of the United Nations in the field of maintaining international peace
and security. It was incumbent upon the Organization, particularly
the Security Council, to prevent conflict and end simmering tensions,
particularly in Africa. The United Nations also had a duty to build
up institutions on the ground to address tensions and instil a
sense of security in conflict prone areas, as well as to promote an
international framework for peaceful coexistence among all States. He
also supported the recommendation to refer cases to the International
Court of Justice to address long-standing issues between States.

He noted that the report did not note the efforts made in the
Inter-American region, through the Organization of American States
and other regional entities to deal with a primary security concern —
illicit drug trafficking. The report also failed to highlight the role
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) in promoting the culture or peace. Finally, he drew the
Assembly’s attention to the situation on the Taiwan Strait, which
he noted was not on the Security Council’s agenda but which needed
to be addressed urgently. The international community must address
the fact that one of the countries in that region — a member of the
Security Council — had countless nuclear weapons trained on another.

TOSHIRO OZAWA ( Japan) said his Government had long advocated the
need for a comprehensive approach to prevent conflict, incorporating
political, economical, social and humanitarian measures. It considered
the concept of conflict prevention as an important measure to achieve
human security and had, therefore, adopted it as key element in
its foreign and official development assistance (ODA) policies. An
important element of his country’s approach was its commitment towards
the realization of the Millennium Development Goals. It had pledged
to double ODA to Africa over the next three years and would increase
the ODA volume in the next five years by $10 billion over the 2004
level. It had also provided assistance for consolidation of peace
and nation-building in the former Yugoslavia, Cambodia, Timor-Leste,
Afghanistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka and a number of African countries.

He said the United Nations, as the only truly universal international
organization, played a crucially important role by enacting operational
measures for preventing the escalation of conflict.

However, the mediation capacity of the Organization needed to
be strengthened through establishment of the Mediation Support
Unit. The United Nations and relevant regional organizations should
act in a complementary manner, of which the negotiation of the Darfur
Peace Agreement had been a good example. The Security Council could
complement regional efforts through the dispatch of Council missions,
the imposition of sanctions and other measures.

About half of all armed conflicts relapsed into violent conflict
within five years of a peace agreement, he said. More must be
done to prevent the recurrence of conflict. The establishment of
the Peacebuilding Commission provided some hope in that regard. It
could benefit from first-hand knowledge provided by field missions,
regional organizations, donor communities and non-governmental
organizations. That information on what was happening on the ground,
together with national plans based on ownership, would form the basis
for identifying the appropriate measures for achieving the sustainable
consolidation of peace.

JEAN-FRANCIS R. ZINSOU ( Benin) said the culture of prevention was
an inherent part of the United Nations. The Secretary-General’s
report offered a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention,
and the preventive measures were based on a systemic, structural
and operational approach. The analysis had also proposed a series of
measures to develop synergies to mobilize commitments. Initiatives
taken to enhance the social responsibility of companies in reducing
the risks of conflicts had provided good responses, among other things
regarding the illicit exploitation of resources.

He said the establishment of an office to centralize knowledge achieved
in the prevention of conflict and lessons learned was an excellent
idea. It should become operational as soon as possible, as it had a
crucial role to play in designing integrated strategies in prevention
of conflicts. Enhancing the functions of the Secretary-General in
implementing preventive measures required increasing the Secretariat’s
capacity for analysis. One should also capitalize on the regional
and subregional early warning mechanisms, which meant strengthening
United Nations regional offices.

It was important to create a more regular framework for the promotion
of dialogue on prevention, he said. The Group of Friends on Conflict
Prevention should be made official. Dialogue should be extended to
all actors involved in United Nations system. Sufficient financial
resources were also crucial. He fully supported the proposal to
earmark 2 per cent of the peacekeeping budget of prevention.

LI JUNHUA (China) said that his delegation welcomed the
Secretary-General’s report on the prevention of armed conflict but
agreed with the Assembly President that Member States needed more
time to study the report, and urged the Assembly to further consider
the question of the prevention of armed conflict at its next session.

Unfortunately, a small number of States had seen fit to draw attention
to the situation on the Taiwan Strait.

China wondered if those delegations had done so at the instigation
of others, or for other reasons, he said. China would reiterate
nevertheless that there was only one China in the world and that
the Taiwan question was an internal matter that had no bearing on
today’s discussion. To those who would mention certain Articles of
the Charter, China would draw attention to the overriding Charter
obligation to respect the sovereignty and integrity of States.

Raising the question of the Taiwan Strait today was, therefore,
inappropriate and unjustified.

CELESTINO MIGLIORE, Observer for the Holy See, commended the report’s
recognition of a third sphere of prevention, namely "systematic
prevention", which would allow for the adoption of measures to
address cases of conflict which transcended particular States. He
also welcomed the recognition of the important role of faith-based
organizations, and of religious leaders in particular, as agents of
change and peaceful coexistence. The Holy See would reiterate that its
institutions throughout the world were constantly promoting a culture
of peace and understanding, as well as fostering post-conflict healing
and reconciliation.

Action

Without a vote, the Assembly adopted the draft resolution on conflict
prevention contained in document A/60/L.61.

Situation in Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan

YASHAR ALIYEV ( Azerbaijan) introduced a draft resolution contained
in document A/60/L.60/Rev.2. He said that, early in June, Azerbaijan
had registered massive fires in the eastern part of the occupied
territories, particularly in the mountainous and plain areas of the
districts of Aghdam and Khojavend. Satellite imagery fully confirmed
initial observations and estimates. At the time, the fire-affected
areas had reached more than 130 square kilometres. In July, the fires
had spread to the districts of Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Terter.

He said the Government had officially requested the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to send a fact-finding
mission to assess the damage inflicted upon the environment. The
mission had stressed the lack of proper fire-fighting equipment on
both sides and insufficiency of water supply, as well as the need
for international assistance. Meanwhile, the situation on the ground
had been deteriorating severely. In August, the fire had damaged more
than 600 square kilometres. The fires had been taking place in those
territories where the Azerbaijani population should eventually return.

What was urgently needed now was to take comprehensive measures to
suppress the fires, eliminate the impact of that environmental
disaster and rehabilitate the fire-affected territories of
Azerbaijan. His Government had demonstrated a constructive and
flexible approach by drastically revising the original text focusing
on purely humanitarian and environmental aspects. For the past few
days, intensive consultations had been conducted. In the spirit of
compromise, the delegation of Azerbaijan had accommodated every concern
in an agreed consensual text as contained in document A/60/L.60/Rev.2.

He said the draft welcomed the readiness of the parties to cooperate
in the environmental operation to be urgently conducted, with the
assistance of the international community, and considered such an
operation to be an important confidence-building measure. Azerbaijan
was ready to cooperate with Armenia on that matter, particularly in
creating proper conditions for the operation. Such action would enable
the operation to become a significant confidence-building measure.

ALEJANDRO D. WOLFF (United States) speaking on behalf of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk
Group Co-Chairs (Russian Federation, France and the United States),
said the Group remained committed to promoting a peaceful, negotiated
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and took seriously the
concerns raised by either side regarding threats to security and
stability in the region, as well as any developments that posed new
obstacles to the negotiation process.

After examining information regarding the fires, the Group noted that
such fires — both natural and manmade — occurred frequently in the
region. Whether the more extensive fires this year were a cause for
ecological concern requiring international attention was a question
that could only be answered through a technical examination of the
situation. Therefore, the Group Chairs would immediately lend their
assistance to the setting up of an OSCE mission, supported by the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to the area. In the
meantime, the Group commended the spirit of goodwill demonstrated by
both Armenia and Azerbaijan and expressed hope that the agreement
reached today reflected a new readiness by both sides to engage
in further measures to build confidence that would advance the
negotiations process.

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN (Armenia) said the draft resolution addressed an
issue that he had thought had been brought to a close, two weeks ago,
through discussions with the OSCE and the Minsk Group. A decision
had been taken to send a mission of experts under the OSCE to assess
the fires. The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh had already accepted
the proposal; Armenia was ready to facilitate such a mission; and
he understood that Azerbaijan had also agreed. It was a surprise to
see a draft resolution circulating at the United Nations on the same
issue. Such a step was clearly intended to pursue other political ends,
something which Armenia opposed.

However, as a result of consultations with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
agreement had been reached on a text that simply reiterated support for
the OSCE mission. Although his delegation supported the content of the
agreement, he continued to be opposed to the general idea of the agenda
item and a United Nations resolution under it. That was the reason
Armenia dissociated itself from the consensus on that resolution.

After the adoption of the text, VALERIY P. KUCHINSKY ( Ukraine),
speaking on behalf of the GUAM States ( Azerbaijan, Georgia,
Republic of Moldova and Ukraine), said his delegation was seriously
concerned with the massive fires in the eastern part of the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan. Those fires had already severely damaged
the environment and biodiversity in the region. In addition to the
immediate consequences, it was clear that the fires and their aftermath
would have long-term impact on the health of the population.

He said that the draft resolution placed special emphasis on the
humanitarian and ecological urgency of the operation to fight the
fires and to overcome their detrimental consequences, and the GUAM
considered it a matter of utmost priority to conduct an environmental
operation and welcomed the consensus adoption of the draft.

ASIM AHMAD ( Pakistan) said his Government’s position, expressed
through the position of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,
was well known. His delegation supported the thrust of the draft under
discussion, particularly its humanitarian aspects. Pakistan commended
the spirit of cooperation among the parties and would recommend the
consensus adoption of the text.

BAKI ÝLKIN ( Turkey) supported a just resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh situation on the basis of relevant Security Council
resolutions and the principle of good neighbourly relations. Turkey
also supported the efforts of the Minsk Group to bring about a peaceful
resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Ending that conflict would add to peace and security of the whole
region. To address the environmental impact of the wide-scale
fires, the parties would need the assistance of the United Nations,
particularly the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as
well as cooperation between the parties. Such cooperation between the
parties would go a long way to ensure peace and security in the region.

Action

Without a vote, the Assembly adopted the draft resolution as contained
in document A/60/L.60/Rev.2.

After adoption, Mr. ALIYEV ( Azerbaijan), expressing appreciation for
everyone’s support for the draft, said that, as a result of efforts
in New York and the capitals of both parties, the delegations of
Azerbaijan and Armenia had come up with an agreed text for the first
time. It was, therefore, astonishing that Armenia had dissociated
itself from the agreed text which had been negotiated in difficult
but ultimately productive consultations during the last 48 hours. At
a minimum, it was dishonest and unacceptable. The resolution opened
a unique opportunity to work on real confidence-building measures and
trust. It was for the sake of Armenia that it fulfilled its declared
readiness to actively participate in the environmental operation
and fulfilled all other obligations emanating from the just adopted
resolution.

Mr. MARTIROSYAN ( Armenia) also thanked all for supporting the
resolution. He said Armenia had been consistent in its policies
regarding the text. It had voted against inclusion of the item on the
agenda of the fifty-ninth session. It had withdrawn from consensus
on inclusion in the sixtieth session’s agenda. He emphasized that,
despite the fact that he supported the content, he had serious
problems with the title and remained opposed to the idea of bringing
any Nagorno-Karabakh issue to the United Nations. That was the reason
Armenia had dissociated itself from consensus. He thanked Azerbaijan’s
representative for his concern for the problems of Armenia.

For information media ~U not an official record

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