United Nations A/63/PV.5 General Assembly Official Records Sixty-third session 5th plenary meeting Tuesday, 23 September 2008, 9 a.m. New York President: Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann ..................... (Nicaragua) The meeting was called to order at 9.10 a.m. centres of power and leadership in Asia, Latin America and across the newly developed world. The problems Agenda item 100 we face have grown much more complex. In that new world, our challenges are increasingly those of Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the collaboration, rather than confrontation. Nations can no Organization (A/63/1) longer protect their interests or advance the well-being The President (spoke in Spanish): In accordance of their peoples without the partnership of other with the decision taken at its 2nd plenary meeting, on nations. 19 September 2008, the General Assembly will hear a Yet, I worry. There is, today, a danger of losing presentation by the Secretary-General of his annual sight of that new reality. I see a danger of nations report on the work of the Organization (A/63/1), under looking more inward, rather than towards a shared agenda item 100. I give the floor to the Secretary- future. I see a danger of retreating from the progress General. we have made, particularly in the realm of The Secretary-General: I welcome all participants development and a more equitably sharing of the fruits to the opening of the general debate of the sixty-third of global growth. That is tragic, for at this time one session of the General Assembly. It is customary for the thing is clear: we must do more, not less. We must do Secretary-General, on this occasion, to assess the state of more to help our fellow human beings weather the the world and to present our vision for the coming year. gathering storm. Yes, global growth has raised billions of people out of poverty. However, if you are among We all recognize the perils of our current moment the world’s poor, you have never felt poverty so time. We face a global financial crisis, a global energy sharply. Yes, international law and justice have never crisis and a global food crisis. Trade talks have been so widely embraced as on this sixtieth collapsed yet again. We have seen new outbreaks of anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human war and violence and a new rhetoric of confrontation. Rights. Clearly, climate change threatens our planet ever more. We often say that global problems demand global However, those living in nations where human solutions. And yet, today we also face a crisis of a rights are abused have never been so vulnerable. Yes, different sort. Like those others, it knows no borders. It most of us live in peace and security. However, we see affects all nations. It complicates all other problems. I deepening violence in many nations that can least refer, here, to the challenge of global leadership. afford it: Afghanistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq and Sudan, to name but a few. We are on the eve of a great transition. Our world We can do something about it, and with strong global has changed more than we may realize. We see new leadership, we will. This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum. 08-51570 (E) *0851570* A/63/PV.5 (spoke in French) hurricanes. We did so in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis; there, the challenge now is to push for political I would like to speak to you, members of the progress, including credible steps on human rights and Assembly, about the three pillars of development: democracy. We did so in South-East Asia, affected by human rights, peace and security. I say this candidly: severe flooding, and in the Horn of Africa, afflicted by the situation in the area of development is serious. In drought, where 17 million need emergency help. the course of last year, we watched, with the greatest concern, the skyrocketing of fuel prices, foodstuffs and Since taking office, I have called for more commodities. The rich countries fear a recession, while strenuous action in Somalia. Must we wait and see the poorest ones no longer have anything to eat. That is more children die in the sand? We at the United why in two days, we shall hold a high-level event on Nations are leaders. We at the United Nations are duty- the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We must bound to do what compassion and human decency raise awareness throughout the world and harness demand of us. global action, with a particular focus on Africa. As you The global food crisis has not gone away. It may know, progress has been uneven. Not all promises have have faded from the daily headlines, but note this fact: been kept, but we have made enough progress to know last year, at this time, rice cost $330 a ton. Today, the that achieving the MDGs is within our reach. price is $730. In a single year, the food staple that At the high-level event, I shall bring together a new feeds half the world’s population has more than coalition, made up of Governments, non-governmental doubled in price. People who used to buy rice by the organizations, and leaders of the private sector and bag now do so by the handful. Those who ate two religious and philanthropic groups. meals a day now get by on one. The United Nations has led the world’s response. Our United Nations High- We know that this is an effective formula. It has Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis already worked for malaria, a scourge which kills one set forth solutions. We focused on getting seeds and child every 30 seconds. Last year, I set up a new type fertilizer into the hands of small farmers. We aim to of public-private partnership, which operates on the create a new green revolution in Africa. But the truth is basis of a scientific strategy, marshals funds and is that we lack new resources. The international managed centrally at the global level. On Thursday, I community has not matched words with deeds. will announce the results of new research which show that this partnership is a resounding success. The (spoke in French) moment is drawing near when we can declare that We know that peace and security are under attack malaria, one of the last scourges besetting humanity, from all quarters. In countries such as Burundi, Sierra has been eliminated. Leone, Liberia and Timor-Leste, members of At the present time, we are going to apply this peacekeeping operations, who number more than new global partnership model to other MDGs. I will 100,000, are helping the local population overcome ask you, the members of the Assembly, to be both conflicts and restore peace. We cannot underestimate ambitious and specific. I will ask you to indicate what what the United Nations can accomplish thanks to its you intend to do and how you will do it to help us good offices, especially in the area of preventive achieve our goals by 2015. And I propose that we hold, diplomacy. The results are clear in Nepal and in Kenya, in 2010, a summit meeting on the Millennium as well as, I hope, in Zimbabwe. In Cyprus, an island Development Goals in order to review the follow-up on which has been long divided, the chances for these new commitments. We have to take things in reunification are genuine. In Georgia, the United hand, starting today. We have to respond to this appeal, Nations can help to defuse tension related to the recent wherever we may be. We owe it to the poor of the conflict. In Côte d’Ivoire, we will help organize Earth. elections before the end of the year; these will represent an enormous step towards the renewal of (spoke in English) democracy. The United Nations is the champion of the most In Darfur, it remains difficult to meet deployment vulnerable. When disaster strikes, we act. We did so timelines. Crucial equipment and personnel are still not this year in Haiti and other Caribbean nations hit by in place. I would be failing in my obligations if I did 2 08-51570 A/63/PV.5 not stress how dangerous it is to act as if the United unpunished. We have the means to combat impunity Nations can settle all of the complex problems of our and must therefore do so. time without enjoying the full support of its Member Finally, I am thinking about the crucial problem States. Without the necessary resources, mandates are of our time: climate change. Last December, in Bali, meaningless. world leaders agreed on a road map for the period up to (spoke in English) 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol will cease to guide us. We must regain our momentum. The first test will be in The global financial crisis endangers all our three months, in Poznan, in Poland. By then, we must work: in financing for development, social spending in arrive at a common idea of the form that a new global rich nations and poor, the Millennium Development agreement on climate change might take.