in FrenchBACK
Mr. Erdős (Hungary) (spoke in French): Hungary welcomes the interest shown in the process on new or restored democracies and the follow-up activities engaged in since the Third International Conference on this question. We would like to thank the Government of Romania for its pre-eminent role in coordinating these activities.
Over the last decade, important events have occurred in the world which have considerably strengthened the global process of democratization. This march of democracy continues today, and it has enlarged the family of democratic nations through its new additions, where the ideals of democracy have triumphed. Perhaps one day, in order to reflect this evolution, we will see the United Nations Charter fill a rather peculiar gap by including the term "democracy" .
With regard to the Euro-Atlantic area, the region of Central and Eastern Europe, where my country is located, played a crucial role, without any exaggeration, in the upheavals of 10 years ago and in the fundamental change of the world's political landscape for democracy. It is worth pointing out that it is precisely in this part of Europe that the old continent - I daresay, the entire world - was divided in two 50 years ago under dramatic circumstances. Here we saw the iron curtain descend on Europe, that line of separation which subsequently hung for several decades and embodied multi-faceted confrontation - ideological, political, military and economic confrontation - between totalitarian and democratic systems.
In the spring of 1989, just 10 years ago, Hungary dismantled the barbed-wire fences along its frontiers with Austria and, a few months later, opened up the border, thus enabling the free and unimpeded departure to the West of tens of thousands of citizens from the German Democratic Republic, who earlier had sought refuge in Hungary. For ail those who lived through or followed these mind-boggling, heady times, that was the beginning of the spectacular end of an era overtaken by history. It heralded the victory of the democratic model over a fossilized system. Shortly afterward, these events were followed by the fall of the Berlin wall, the most warped physical symbol of the cold war.
The last decade has led to radical transformations on the world scene, and particularly in Eastern Europe. Free democratic elections are regularly held in most countries of this region; democratic change of government is becoming a reality; and institutions function according to their constitutional roles. In short, today the state of law is becoming an intrinsic part of these countries, and it is irresistibly gaining ground there.
As we stressed when speaking on this agenda item last year, we must say that in addition to the global dynamic of democratization, in some places the phenomenon of the police state or the authoritarian regime, oppression, or overt or more covert attempts to mar democracy still persists. As the Secretary-General pointed out in his latest report on the work of the Organization, more than 60 per cent of the countries in the world today have some form of democratic government. This means - let us add this point - that a certain number of them do not yet have it. Hence, the need to continue efforts to promote democratic governance and to respect the political conditions of each country so that popular participation in public management finally will extend to all countries of the world.
The experience through which Hungary and many other countries lived during these last 10 years has not been easy, either economically or socially. We have gone through an unprecedented transition which has no equal in international relations. Why? one might ask. Because, in an incredibly short space of time, we had to change a single-party system and a centralized economy which were firmly entrenched to a system of parliamentary democracy and market economy based on ideals of social justice, a change of scenario for which no script existed.
In addition, in the case of certain countries, this change involved a transformation in an unfavourable international situation, when their immediate neighbours were suffering the effects of wars, nationalist demagogy, material devastation and economic sanctions. Furthermore, the countries in transition are confronting new challenges, including crime, corruption and various manifestations of intolerance, which are hardly conducive to a problem-free evolution.
In this respect, Hungary has gained much from international experience, more specifically from the negotiations to join the European Union, which, in fact, are a long series of in-depth studies about the situation of each of the countries that want to be admitted to this European body, studies which cover a huge range of questions, from human rights, the environment, education and employment to social affairs and the campaign against corruption and drugs. We learned rather quickly that the design for society called "democracy" is not a perfect structure in which things all fit together with perfect ease. This design is far from being paternalistic, and it requires that every man and woman show a spirit of enterprise and participation at all levels of society. Nevertheless, as a country that has had to confront all of these challenges and difficulties, we wish to proclaim from this rostrum that the benefits of and the prospects offered by this transition are defínitely worth the effort, because of the solidity of our democratic system, social stability, rapid economic development and constructive cooperation with our democratic neighbours.
Hungary is pleased again this year to co-sponsor draft resolutions A/54/L.23 and A/54/L.33, which have just been introduced by the Secretary of State from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, because these drafts translate the universal message of the importance of democratic governance, signalling the end of a bi-polar world during this period of dizzying globalization at the threshold of a new millennium.
We are confident that following the subsequent consultations, we will all be able to find common ground concerning the Code of Democratic Conduct. We welcome the decision of the Government of Benin to organize the Fourth International Conference of New or Restored Democracies next year in Cotonou. We are confident of success in the work awaiting us - after Asia, America and Europe - this time in Africa, that great continent which now is truly committed to the great march towards democracy.