Mr. President,
Allow me first of
all to warmly congratulate you as President of the Sixty-second Session of the
General Assembly. I am pleased to see you
as a high ranking official from the rather under-represented Eastern European
Group assuming this prestigious post of the UN. In fulfilling your challenging tasks during
this session, you may be assured of the support and cooperation of the
delegation of Hungary.
I would also like to pay tribute to your
predecessor, H.E. Sheikha Haya
Rashed Al Khalifa.
During the 61st
session, Member States worked hard to come to agreement on the proposals made
by the 2005 Summit
meeting but we still need to do more to ensure that the United Nations system
is managed coherently and effectively. I
believe that the world needs, more than ever before, effective multilateralism,
which is still a key word for the future. We should make progress on management reform,
mandate review and disarmament, and define further concrete steps towards a
renewed Security Council.
Hungary would have
preferred if the issue of Security Council reform had seen more progress during
the 61st session of the General Assembly. The impasse was certainly not due to the lack
of efforts on the part of the President of the General Assembly, neither to a
shortage in creative ideas. We believe
that the best solution would still be a balanced increase of seats to better
reflect the political realities of today. The enlargement process should be combined
with tangible improvement of the Council’s working methods.
We welcome the adoption of the new resolution on the revitalization of
the General Assembly. It is up to each Member State
to make the work of the Assembly meaningful, to ensure that the Assembly takes
up issues of genuine concern and takes decisions that have a real impact on the
political process.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
Let me now turn our eyes
towards Geneva
where important reforms have taken place as well. The Human Rights Council has finally started
its work among high expectations. The
consensus over the Universal Periodic Review mechanism sends a clear message
that all countries will have their human rights records examined at regular
intervals, thus no country will be immune from global scrutiny. However, in order to make the UPR truly
meaningful we have to build a credible and robust mechanism: contributions from
treaty bodies, special procedures and non-governmental organizations to the
review will prove to be essential in this regard.
In order to better protect human
rights and fundamental freedoms the system of special procedures, a unique web
of protection, has continued to provide effective action for the benefit of
victims of human rights abuses. Special rapporteurs and independent experts have carried on with
their task, giving voice to the voiceless, even at times when the Council was
mainly focusing on its institution-building task.
We are firmly convinced that
both thematic and country specific mandates remain valid in the face of the
numerous human rights violations still occurring on a daily basis. In this
regard, we concur with the Secretary-General who emphasized the need to
consider all situations of possible human rights violations on an equal
footing. Not having a special rapporteur assigned to a particular country does not
absolve that country from its obligations under the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights or other human rights instruments.
I should devote some thoughts
to an issue dear to my country. We welcome with great satisfaction the recent
decision of the Human Rights Council to establish a forum on minority issues. I
am confident that this forum will provide a useful platform for dialogue and
exchange of views between minorities, governments and other stakeholders on
issues related to national or ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Allow me to put a special
emphasis on women’s empowerment. We firmly
believe in the need for effective involvement of women in the decision-making
processes at both national and international levels. In this respect Hungary supports the ongoing debate
on the future of the strengthened gender equality architecture and welcomes the
steps towards an effective gender mainstreaming throughout the entire UN
system.
On 30 March we witnessed the
signature ceremony of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities. This new international
instrument will improve the living conditions of almost 650 million persons
with disabilities all over the world, ensuring equal opportunities for them in
all aspects of life. Being the second
ratifying State Party to this Convention and its Protocol, we hope that they will
enter into force soon.
Mr. President,
Seven years ago our
governments made a remarkable promise to the world: they signed the Millennium
Declaration. There have certainly been some improvements in the accomplishment
of its objectives, however, if we do not strengthen our efforts there will be
regions on our planet where the Millennium Development Goals will not be met by
2015. In the meantime, we must also emphasize
the central role of national policies and development strategies in achieving
these goals. Sustainability of development depends heavily on national
ownership and leadership. At the global level, the United Nations has a
comparative advantage to provide technical assistance for preparing and
implementing national development plans. We fully support the recommendations
of the System-wide Coherence Panel to improve the operational effectiveness and
interagency cooperation, predictability and accountability of the UN system.
The Millennium Development
Goals represent the global commitment to fundamental rights which must be
guaranteed if we genuinely seek to strengthen our democracies. Democracy should also mean creating the
conditions for sustainable economic development that provides people access –
through decent jobs – to conditions for their fullest personal
development.
We are particularly pleased
that Hungary may share its
transitional experiences both as a member of the Advisory Board of the UN
Democracy Fund, and through the International Centre for Democratic Transition
that operates in Budapest
and has a Partnership Agreement with the UN Democracy Fund. The UN has a
special responsibility to address challenges related to institution-building
and to promote democracy. As Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize
winning economist used to say: “Countries need not to be fit for democracy:
they need to become fit through democracy.”
Hungary, as an emerging
donor, is determined to meet the obligations set out in the United Nations
Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals. We are ready to
increase our official development assistance and to carry out our efforts in
line with the European Consensus on Development and the Paris Declaration on
Aid Effectiveness. However, we are convinced that scaling up the
volume of aid in itself does not necessarily lead to reaching the Millennium
Development Goals. It is also important
to emphasize the need for better complementarity,
coordination and coherence in development cooperation.
We
are committed to undertaking a qualitative change in the outreach of the
Hungarian foreign policy after having been fully integrated into the EU and
NATO structure. We want to make our policy and our presence more visible in all
parts of the world; an active development co-operation and assistance policy coupled
by a reinforced presence in UN bodies. We
are resolved to attach special attention to creating a more balanced
geographical span of our co-operation policy, including African, Asian and
Latin American countries as well. Stepping
up outreach efforts and developing not only assistance activities but also economic
ties with Africa marks the beginning of a new
era in our relationship with this continent. We are also ready to undertake more
responsibilities in different international fora. Our
ambitions are best embodied in our application for a non-permanent seat in the
Security Council for the period of 2012-2013. We perceive our desired membership as an
opportunity for engaging with all our partners in a constructive co-operation
for attaining our common objectives, on the basis of shared interests and
values.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me now focus on some of
the most urgent foreign policy issues of our days.
Peace and stability in the
Balkan region is of paramount importance to my country and to Europe
as a whole. While the question of the
future status of Kosovo compels international attention, we are aware that the issue of
Kosovo is a challenge that needs to be tackled primarily by Europe.
Nevertheless, the United Nations has played a pivotal role in the process so
far, and our hope is that this will remain so, until a proper solution is
found.
No doubt that there is a significant
role for the EU in facilitating a satisfactory solution. Among all uncertainties one thing is sure: the status quo is
not a solution. The region needs, more
than ever, stability, economic development and interethnic reconciliation. The
European Union has invested much in the region, in terms of material, political
and military assistance. It has also offered
these countries the perspective of joining the European Union. We are convinced that in the case of Serbia
reinforcing the perspective of a future EU membership may facilitate the
solution of the question of Kosovo. Hungary is therefore looking
forward to a successful outcome of the new round of negotiations facilitated by
the EU-US-Russia Troika that the parties should approach in a constructive and
frank manner. We hope that the
encouraging signs of trust and constructivity will
prevail in the course of the whole process and the parties will be able to come
to an agreement endorsed by the UN Security Council.
We follow with great attention
the work of the teams set up recently by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas to negotiate core issues of a permanent
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We welcome the initiative made by the President of the United States to convene an
international conference in November.
Hungary is strongly
committed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan:
as a member state of the North Atlantic Alliance we have been involved in the
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since 2003, and we took
over the leadership of the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Baghlan
Province on 1 October
2006. I am proud of the work carried out
by the Hungarian military contingent and teams of aid workers in a successful
way. Moreover, I can confirm our future
commitment in Afghanistan
which enjoys a broad political consensus among all the parties represented in
the Hungarian Parliament. Nevertheless,
we must not forget that the primary responsibility for the stabilization and
development of Afghanistan
lies with the Afghan people themselves.
We are concerned about the security situation and the attacks carried
out by Taliban and anti-government forces, and we firmly condemn all hostage
taking actions. Drug production and
trafficking continue to be a major source of instability, and we note the
increase in opium production with great concern. We encourage the Afghan government, in close
cooperation with the international community and in particular its regional
partners to take effective measures to stabilize the whole region.
The stabilization of Iraq is one of the major challenges in the Middle East. We
appreciate the results that have been achieved so far in the course of the country’s
democratic transformation. However, the
Iraqi political class needs to overcome the present state of deep division, and
start walking down the road of reconciliation and cooperation in order to bring
peace and stability to the country. As a precondition for long lasting settlement
of the conflict the international community must enable the Iraqi leaders to
assume ownership and govern their country in an independent way.
Hungary is very much concerned about the acts of violence perpetrated by the
security forces of the Burma/Myanmar government. Being committed to respecting
human rights and democracy, we strongly condemn the brutal physical attacks
against peaceful demonstrators. I reiterate our previous call on the government
of Burma/Myanmar to fully respect human rights and the norms of democracy, in
particular the rights to peaceful assembly and free expression of opinions.
Due to one of the most
worrisome conflicts on the African continent raging in Darfur, the situation in
Sudan
and the nearby countries is still unpredictable and explosive. Hungary
welcomes the renewed momentum of the efforts to resolve the Darfur
conflict, in particular the agreement on the deployment of the AU-UN hybrid
force (UNAMID), and the subsequent adoption of Security Council resolution
1769. We consider
it essential that the hybrid operation is launched and the troops are deployed
in full number as soon as possible.
I would like to commend
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on having made
resolving the Darfur conflict a priority and on his visit in Sudan. It is in this context that I reaffirm our
support for the peace-building and peace-keeping efforts of the United Nations.
Hungary welcomes that the
Peace-building Commission has started its work and met in a country-specific
format to consider the cases of Burundi
and Sierra Leone.
We are looking forward to the 1st report on its work. We consider the Commission as an important
instrument enhancing UN capabilities to support countries emerging from
conflict.
We are fully aware of the need
to strengthen the capacity of the UN to mount and sustain complex and
multidimensional peacekeeping operations.
Hungary
commends the efforts made by the Secretary General to achieve this purpose and
welcomes the General Assembly’s decision to establish the Department of Field
Support. My country’s track record in
the field of peacekeeping demonstrates that we are willing to actively support
the Security Council’s decisions. Hungarian
military and police personnel is present in many of the United Nations’
peacekeeping missions, namely in Cyprus,
Georgia, Kosovo,
Lebanon and Western Sahara.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
My
recent participation at the 51st General Conference of the
International Atomic Energy Agency and my talks with Director General Mohamed ElBaradei reaffirmed my conviction that questions relating
to nuclear safety and non-proliferation should remain high on our agenda.
Hungary shares the
concerns of the international community over Iran’s
nuclear program and deplores Iran’s
failure to take the steps required by the IAEA Board of Governors and the
Security Council resolutions necessary for re-establishing international
confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. We welcomed
the adoption of Security Council resolutions 1737 and 1747, and we fully comply
with the obligations set forth therein.
We hope that Iran
will soon realize that a diplomatic, negotiated solution is possible and that
compliance has many benefits.
Hungary continues to support the
process aimed at achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
in a peaceful manner, and welcomes the first promising results of the Six-Party
Talks. The developments related to the North
Korean nuclear issue have underscored the importance of the early entry into
force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Hungary supports all
multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts that contribute in an effective
manner to our common goal of disarmament and of curbing the spread of weapons
of mass destruction. Such efforts must also aim
at upholding and strengthening the key international treaties and export
control regimes. In this context one
of the most important challenges is assuring compliance with the Nuclear
Non-proliferation Treaty. Moreover, Hungary welcomes the entry into force of the
International Convention on the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism which we
ratified back in April.
In the field of counter-terrorism,
the full and earliest implementation of the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy is an
urgent issue. Here the main
responsibility lies with the Member States who should all actively participate
in the upcoming review of the implementation as well. The conclusion of the
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism remains another high
priority for Hungary.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
15 years after the Rio Summit
it is evident that our efforts carried out at the present pace will not be
sufficient to halt the emerging global hazards, in particular that of the
climate change. The European Union has a
clear position and it has proposed to speed up the elaboration
of a new global compact. As a member of
the EU Hungary fully agrees with the urgency of the matter and hopes that the
ongoing deliberations on the future of the Climate Change Convention and the
Kyoto Protocol will lead to concrete results within the upcoming two years. I am taking the opportunity to welcome the
efforts made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for
raising awareness in the international community regarding climate change.
Mr. President, Excellencies,
On behalf of my country I
would like to reiterate Hungary’s
commitment to upholding the rule of international law, to giving priority to
effective multilateralism, to spreading the culture of co-operation and
peaceful settlement of international disputes, and to making every effort to
preserve a sustainable environment for the future generations.
In conclusion, Mr. President, Hungary is strongly committed to work with you
during the Sixty-second Session of the General Assembly in attaining the
objectives set out in the Outcome Document of the 2005 Summit.
Thank you, Mr.
President.