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Final
Communique of the Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegation of the
Non-Aligned Movement, held in New York on 23 September 1999
We, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and
Heads of Delegation of the Non-Aligned countries met on 23 September 1999 in the context
of the 54th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, on the eve of the new
millennium, to coordinate our efforts and establish guidelines to enable the members of
the Movement to work in a collective manner on matters of common interest and concern.
We express our warm appreciation for the
Report of the Chairman on the activities of the Movement since the XII Summit Conference
of Heads of State or Government held in Durban in September 1998, which contributed to the
strengthening and the promotion of the unity and solidarity among the members of the
Movement.
We note with satisfaction the tasks
performed by the NAM Troika of Foreign Ministers to enhance the role of the Movement and
promote dialogue with the developed countries. In this regard, we emphasize the importance
of the participation of all members of the Movement through the NAM Coordinating Bureau,
in shaping the agenda of these meetings as well as the timely reporting of the outcome of
the meetings to the Coordinating Bureau.
We express our satisfaction with the message
conveyed by the Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries to the Chairman of the
Summit of the G-8 held in Cologne, in keeping with the mandate of the XII Summit. It is
important for the Movement to continue its consultations with the G-8 with a view to
promoting a meaningful and productive dialogue so as to reach better understanding and to
respond more positively to the development aspirations of the developing countries. We
welcome the acknowledgement by the G-8 Foreign Ministers on the need to have regular
informal consultations with the Movement. We urge the G-8 in their dialogue with NAM to
positively consider the NAM proposals so as to effectively contribute to the development
of developing countries.
We reiterate the Non-Aligned countries'
commitment to respect scrupulously the principles and objectives of non-alignment and
express our determination to make every effort to further strengthen the Non-Aligned
Movement's capacity for action and to develop concrete modalities to enhance the influence
and impact of its decisions on world affairs, and also reiterate the validity of the
decisions of the XII Summit. We must take up the challenge to fundamentally transform
international relations, so as to eradicate aggression, racism, the use of force,
unilateral coercive measures, unfair economic practices, foreign occupation and xenophobia
in order to achieve a world of peace, justice and dignity for all.
The new millennium draws near and it is
imperative for us to strengthen the United Nations to face the multitude of challenges
that the next millennium shall bring. In this context, we recall the decisions and
directives of the XII Summit with respect to the various reform proposals presented by the
Secretary General as outlined in his "Renewing the United Nations: A Program of
Reform".
We underscore the need to preserve and
promote the centrality and sanctity of the principles and purposes of the UN Charter and
General Assembly mandates together with the need to keep under close intergovernmental
oversight and review all proposals which are still to be implemented as well as a
continuous assessment of those which are being implemented.
We reaffirm the sanctity of the United
Nations Charter and reiterate our firm condemnation of all unilateral military actions or
threats of military actions against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and
independence of the members of the Movement which constitute acts of aggression and
blatant violations of the principle of non-intervention and non-interference. In this
context we strongly condemn the policies and practices of those who targeted some
Non-Aligned Movement members countries for unilateral military actions.
We recognize that Cold War era legacies such
as foreign occupation, foreign military bases, the use or threat of use of force,
pressure, interference in internal affairs and sanctions inconsistent with international
law still constitute a main disturbing factor in establishing fair and equitable
international relations conforming with the strong desire of the overwhelming majority of
governments and peoples and emphasize the need to continue with our consolidated efforts
for the removal of such legacies.
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Ultimately, the success of the reform of the
UN can only be judged in terms of the real improvements in its functioning and the
positive impact it has on the lives of the peoples of the developing countries. We stress
that any further efforts regarding UN reforms should focus on strengthening the role of
the Organization in promotion of development.
Furthermore, we pledge our firm support to
convene the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly in the year 2000 as "The
Millennium Assembly of the United Nations", with a Millennium Summit of the United
Nations as an integral part thereof as decided by the General Assembly resolution
53/202. The Non-Aligned countries will actively avail themselves of the opportunity
presented by the Summit to articulate the JCC's vision of prospects and challenges
for the new millennium, and concrete actions required by the international community to
effectively address them. We stress that the Millennium Summit and its preparatory process
must provide for effective participation by all member states, especially the members of
the Non-Aligned Movement. We endorse the proposal by the Joint Coordinating Committee of
the NAM and the G-77 and China that the overarching theme for the Millennium Summit
should be "Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century", and that within this
overarching theme, there should be two sub-topics: (i) Peace, Security and Disarmament,
and (ii) Development and Poverty Eradication.
We welcome with appreciation all decisions
which have been adopted and which are aimed at strengthening and revitalizing the role of
the General Assembly, as the highest deliberative and decision-making organ of the United
Nations in which all Member States equally participate, especially those related to the
consideration by the General Assembly of the reports of other main organs, in particular
the report of the Security Council and the report of the Secretary-General on the work of
the Organization as an important step towards a meaningful and sustained interaction
between the General Assembly and the Security Council.
We recall the position at the XII Durban
Summit with regard to the promotion of dialogue among civilizations, and recommit to
promoting this concept in the Year 2001 designated by the General Assembly as the United
Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations.
We underscore the intergovernmental
character of the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies. Efforts to strengthen the
contribution of NGOs to the work of the UN and its bodies should be through the
consultative arrangements of ECOSOC.
Discussions in the Open-Ended Working Group
on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the
Security Council, and other matters related to the Security Council, have shown that while
a convergence of views has emerged on a number of issues, important differences still
exist on many others. We welcome the adoption of UNGA Resolution 53/30 and the Report of
the Open-Ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase
in the Membership of the Security Council (A/53/47). We call on our Permanent
Representatives in New York to continue, in the ensuing negotiations in the Open-Ended
Working Group, to pursue directives which were adopted during the Durban Summit, as
outlined in paragraphs 65 to 74 of the Final Document, and contained in the Movement's
position papers adopted on 13 February 1995, 20 May 1996, the NAM negotiating paper dated
11 March 1997, the decisions of the Cartagena Summit, the Twelfth Ministerial Conference
in New Delhi,7-8 April 1997, the Ministerial Meeting in New York, on 25 September 1997,
and the Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau in Cartagena, 19-20 May 1998.
We observe that efforts should continue to
be made into account in the interests of all members of the Movement, to evolve a common
position on the elements of "An Agenda for Peace" and its Supplement. We
recognize that the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law are
applicable to the elements contained in An Agenda for Peace and its Supplement.
In this regard we recall the adoption of
resolution A/51/242 and underscore the need for immediate implementation of its decisions
as outlined in its annexes particularly in the area of UN-imposed sanctions.
We reaffirm that, without any prejudice to
the competence of the other principal organs of the United Nations’ respective roles
in Post-Conflict Peace-Building (PCPB) activities, the General Assembly must have a key
role in the formulation of PCPB activities. In this regard, we also recognize the
importance of the concerted actions of international agencies to support actively the
national programs for reconstruction and rehabilitation, including the promotion of a
culture of peace to pave the way for the achievement of economic and social development.
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We reiterate our concern over the increasing
occurrence of the term "preventive action" in a number of UN publications
without an agreed definition of this term nor clarification of its implications. We urge
that the General Assembly develop guidelines for the UN on this matter.
We reaffirm the guiding principles regarding
peacekeeping operations contained in the Final Document adopted by the XIth Ministerial
Conference in Cairo on 3 June 1994 and reiterate the Movement’s positions on
peacekeeping adopted by the XIIth Summit of Heads of State or Government held in Durban on
29 August to 3 September 1998.
We reiterate that the maintenance of
international peace and security is a primary responsibility of the United Nations and
that the role of regional arrangements, in that regard, should be in accordance with
Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, and should not in any way substitute the role
of the United Nations, or circumvent the full application of the guiding principles of
United Nations peacekeeping.
The UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping
Operations remains the competent forum with the mandate to comprehensively review the
whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. We fully endorse the
proposals of the NAM Working Group on Peacekeeping Operations subsequently adopted by the
Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations aimed at improving its working relationship
with the General Assembly in order to enable the work of the Special Committee to be more
efficient and allow for closer consultation with the Secretariat on peacekeeping issues.
We take note of the adoption by the United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) on Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
We demand full adherence to this resolution in the implementation process.
We express our concern over the
deteriorating financial situation of the Organization and reiterate that the primary cause
of the financial crisis continues to be failure on the part of certain developed
countries to discharge fully, without conditions and on time, their assessed
contribution to the Regular Budget and to peacekeeping operations. We urge all countries
in arrears to settle their outstanding dues without further delay and to pay their future
assessments in full, on time and without imposing preconditions.
Recalling the Secretary-General’s
proposals for procurement reform as outlined in A/52/534, we emphasize the critical
importance of timely, efficient, transparent and cost-effective procurement of goods and
services in support of peacekeeping operations. In this regard, we reiterate the need to
ensure greater UN procurement from developing countries, particularly Non-Aligned
countries.
We further underline that the United Nations
Suppliers Roster should be representative of the membership of the Organization. In
awarding procurement contracts, preference should be given to Member States that have
fulfilled their financial obligations to the United Nations.
We reiterate our concern over the delay in
reimbursement to the troop and contingent equipment providing countries, particularly to
the non-aligned and developing countries. We re-emphasize our concern at the continued
cross borrowing from the peacekeeping budgets to the regular budget, which also contribute
to the delay in reimbursement to the troop and C.O.E contributing countries. All Member
States are strongly urged to fulfill their obligations under the Charter to bring an end
to this extraordinary practice. We underscore the need for early reimbursement to troop
and COE providing countries.
The principle of capacity to pay as a
fundamental criterion in the apportionment of the expenses of the Organization is
important and should be maintained. The scale of assessments for the period 1998-2000 must
take into consideration the economic conditions of the developing countries. Any
unilateral attempt to modify the scale of assessments through conditionalities which are
contrary to the United Nations Charter is unacceptable. The reduction in the ceiling for
the scale of assessments in the regular budget would further distort the principle of
capacity to pay and is not acceptable.
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The principles and guidelines for the
apportionment of the expenses of peacekeeping operations approved by the General Assembly
in its resolutions 1874 (S-IV) of 27 June 1963 and 3101 (XXVIII) of 11 December 1973 must
be adopted on a permanent basis. In this regard, account must also be taken of the special
responsibility of the five Permanent Members of the Security Council in the financing of
such operations. Furthermore, we reiterate the position adopted at the XII Summit in which
it is stressed that member countries of the NAM and other developing countries shall be
classified in a category that is no higher than group C.
We reiterate that all the mandated programs
and activities of the United Nations should be carried out by international civil servants
in accordance with Articles 100 and 101 of the UN Charter. The Gratis Personnel should be
completely phased out in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 51/243 and 52/234.
We are deeply concerned over the level of
resources proposed for the regular budget for the biennium 2000-2001 which is less than
the budget outline for the biennium approved by the General Assembly by its resolution
53/206. The consensus decision on the budget outline shall be fully respected to avoid any
adverse impact on the implementation of mandated programmes and activities.
In this regard, we emphasize the need of
ensuring all adequate resources for the full implementation of all mandated programs and
activities and that no budget ceiling should guide this exercise. In this context, we
regret the negative experience during the last bienniums due to the lack of resources and
stress that it should not be repeated. Any consideration to the budget proposals should be
done taking into account the legislative mandates approved for the biennium.
We support the establishment of the
development account and regret that a comprehensive conclusion on this matter has not been
reached. We look forward to concluding this exercise, on the understanding that the
transfer of resources associated with productivity gains into the development account is
not a budget reduction exercise, will not result in involuntary separation of staff and
will not affect the full implementation of all mandated programmes and activities, as
emphasized by the General Assembly resolutions approved under this item. Moreover, the
operation of the Development Account should be strictly in accordance with the regulations
and rules of the Organization and the established budgetary procedures.
The fundamental right of all peoples to
self-determination, the exercise of which, in the case of peoples under colonial or alien
domination and foreign occupation, is essential to ensure the eradication of all these
situations and to guarantee universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,
continues to be valid. We strongly condemn ongoing brutal suppression of the legitimate
aspirations to self-determination of peoples under colonial or alien domination and
foreign occupation in various regions of the world.
We welcome the emergence into sovereign
statehood and independence of peoples once under colonial or alien domination and foreign
occupation. We reaffirm the inalienable right of peoples of non-self-governing territories
to self-determination and independence in accordance with UNGA Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14
December 1960 regardless of the territory's size, geographical location, population and
limited natural resources. We renew our commitment to hasten the complete elimination of
colonialism and support the effective implementation of the Plan of Action of the Decade
for the Eradication of Colonialism. In this respect, the principle of self-determination
with respect to the remaining territories within the framework of the Programme of Action
should be implemented in accordance with the wishes of the people consistent with UNGA
resolutions and the Charter of the United Nations.
In the above context, any attempt aimed at
the partial or total disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of a
country is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations.
We affirm the rights of all people that have
been subjected to colonialism to receive fair compensation for the human and material
losses they suffered as a result of colonialism.
We reaffirm the positions on disarmament and
international security taken by the Twelfth Summit in Durban.
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We are deeply concerned at the updating of
strategic defence doctrines that set out new rationales for the use of nuclear weapons. In
this regard also, we are deeply concerned over the new "Alliance Strategic
Concept" adopted by NATO in April 1999, which not only maintain unjustifiable
concepts on international security based on promoting and developing military alliances
and policies of nuclear deterrence, but also includes new elements aimed to open even more
the scope for possible use or threat of use of force by NATO.
We are furthermore concerned over the
negative implications of the development and deployment of anti-ballistic missile defence
systems and the pursuit of advanced military technologies capable of deployment in outer
space which have, inter alia, contributed to the further erosion of an international
climate conducive to the promotion of disarmament and the strengthening of international
security. In this connection, we call upon the states parties to the ABM Treaty to fully
comply with its provisions.
We express deep concern over the lack of
consensus on the deliberations held by the United Nations Disarmament Commission in 1999
on the agenda and objectives of the Fourth Special Session of the General Assembly devoted
to disarmament. We direct the Coordinating Bureau to entrust the NAM Working Group on
Disarmament with the task of continuing to press for further steps leading to the
convening of the Fourth Special Session with the participation of all Member States of the
United Nations as well as the need for SSOD-IV to review and assess the implementation of
SSOD-I
We reaffirm the importance of the Conference
on Disarmament as the sole multilateral negotiating body in disarmament. In this context,
we regret that the inflexible postures of the Nuclear Weapons States prevented the
Conference on Disarmament for establishing in 1999 an Ad Hoc Committee on nuclear
disarmament to start negotiations on a phased programme for the complete elimination of
nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time, including a Nuclear Weapon Convention.
In this regard, we reiterate our call on the Conference on Disarmament to establish, as
the highest priority, an Ad Hoc Committee on Nuclear Disarmament.
We reiterate our conviction that efforts for
the conclusion of a universal, unconditional and legally binding instrument on security
assurances to Non-Nuclear-Weapon States should be pursued as a matter of priority by the
members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
We consider the establishment of
nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZs) as a positive step towards attaining the objective of
global nuclear disarmament. We urge States to conclude agreements with a view to creating
nuclear-weapon-free zones in regions where they do not exist, in accordance with the
provisions of the Final Document of the Special Session of the General Assembly devoted to
disarmament (SSOD-I). In this context, we welcome the adoption by the United Nations
Disarmament Commission in its 1999 session of a text entitled "Establishment of
nuclear-weapon-free zones on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States
of the region concerned."
We reiterate the support for the
establishment in the Middle East of a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction. To
this end, we reaffirm the need for the speedy establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zone in
the Middle East in accordance with Security Council resolutions 487 (1981) and 687 (1991)
and the relevant General Assembly resolutions adopted by consensus. We also call upon all
parties concerned to take urgent and practical steps towards the establishment of such a
zone and, pending its establishment, we call on Israel, the only country in the region
that has not joined the NPT nor declared its intention to do so, to renounce possession of
nuclear weapons, to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
without delay, and to place promptly all its nuclear facilities under IAEA full-scope
safeguards.
We, the Ministers of the States parties to
the NPT, reiterate our call and the firm commitment by all States parties to the Treaty
for the full implementation at the 2000 NPT Review Conference, of the package agreed at
the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference which comprises of the decision on
"Strengthening the review process for the Treaty", the decision on
"Principles and objectives for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament", the
decision on "Extension of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons", and the "Resolution on the Middle East".
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- We are deeply concerned over the illicit transfer,
manufacture and circulation of small arms and light weapons and their excessive
accumulation and proliferation in many countries, with destabilizing effects. We express
our support to the convening of the international conference on illicit arms trade in all
its aspects to be held not later than 2001. To this end, we endorse the establishment of
the Preparatory Committee at the 54th Session of the General Assembly as well
as the candidature of a representative from the Movement to chair the Prepcom. We believe
that the venues for the Prepcom sessions and the international conference should ensure
the broadest participation of all Member States of the United Nations, in particular
countries with limited representation.
- We deplore the use, in contravention of international
humanitarian law, of anti-personnel mines in conflict situations aimed at terrorizing
civilians, denying them access to farmland, causing famine and forcing them to flee their
homes eventually leading to depopulation and preventing the return of civilians to their
place of original residence. In this regard, we call upon the international community to
provide the necessary assistance to landmine clearance operations as well as to the
rehabilitation of victims and their social and economic reintegration in the landmine
affected countries. We further call for international assistance to ensure full access of
affected countries to material equipment, technology and financial resources for mine
clearance. We also call for continued humanitarian assistance for victims of landmines.
- We commend the work carried out by the NAM Working Group on
Disarmament and entrust it with the task of favourably considering the presentation during
the 54th Session of the General Assembly of draft resolutions on
"Implementation of the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace",
"Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements
on disarmament and arms control", "Relationship between disarmament and
development", "Convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly
devoted to disarmament", "United Nations regional centres for peace and
disarmament", "Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the
Strengthening of International Security", and on any other issues of common concern
to the Movement.
- We call for an international conference, at the earliest
possible date, with the objective of arriving at an agreement on a phased programme for
the complete elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time to
eliminate all nuclear weapons, to prohibit their development, production, acquisition,
testing, stockpiling, transfer, use of threat of use, and to provide for their
destruction.
- We are greatly concerned over acts of terrorism which, under
various pretexts and disguises, result in the most flagrant violation of human rights and
seek to destabilize the prevailing constitutional order and political unity of sovereign
States. We declare that terrorism also affect the stability of nations and the very basis
of societies especially pluralistic societies. We condemn all acts, methods and practices
of terrorism as unjustifiable whatever the considerations or factors that may be invoked
to justify them.
- We reaffirm that criminal acts intended or calculated to
provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons
for whatever purposes are, in any circumstance, unjustifiable, whatever the considerations
or factors that may be invoked to justify them.
- In the light of all these considerations and previous
initiatives adopted by the NAM, we reiterate the call for an international summit
conference to be held under the auspices of the UN in order to formulate a joint response
of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as well as
for the urgent conclusion and effective implementation of a comprehensive convention on
terrorism. We further call upon all States to support these initiatives as reflected in UN
Resolution 53/108 on Measures to Eliminate Terrorism.
- We reaffirm the Movement's principled position under the
international law on the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien
domination and foreign occupation for national liberation and self-determination which
does not constitute terrorism and call once again for the definition of terrorism to
differentiate it from the legitimate struggle of peoples under colonial or alien
domination and foreign occupation, for self-determination and national liberation.
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- We further urge all States to cooperate to enhance
international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, wherever by whoever against
whomsoever it occurs, at the national, regional and international levels, and to observe
and implement the relevant international and bilateral instruments, taking into account
the Final Document of the UN Conference on the Prevention of Crime and Criminal Justice
held in Cairo in 1995.
- We emphasize that international cooperation to combat
terrorism should be conducted in conformity with the principles of the United Nations
Charter, international law and relevant international conventions, and express our
opposition to selective and unilateral actions in violation of principles and purposes of
the United Nations Charter. In this context, we call upon the competent United Nations
Organs to promote ways and means to strengthen cooperation, including the international
legal regime for combating international terrorism.
- We welcome the adoption of the Convention of the
Organisation of African Unity on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism by the Heads of
State and Government of the OAU at the Algiers Summit in July 1999, as a positive step in
developing a comprehensive legal framework for regional cooperation in combating terrorism
and welcome the entry into force of the Arab Convention to Combat Terrorism on 7 May 1999.
- Furthermore, all States are under the obligation pursuant to
the purposes and principles and other provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and
other relevant international instruments codes of conduct and other rules of international
law to refrain from organizing, assisting or participating in terrorist acts in the
territories of other States or acquiescing in or encouraging activities within their
territories directed towards the commission of such acts, including allowing the use of
national territories and territories under their jurisdiction for planning and training
for that purpose. We solemnly reaffirm our unequivocal condemnation of any political,
diplomatic, moral or material support for terrorism.
- We reiterate our belief that mercenarism, in all its forms,
constitutes an obstacle to peace and the exercise of sovereignty by Non-Aligned Countries
and endangers the national security of States, especially small States as well as the
safety and stability of multi-ethnic States. We urge all States to take the necessary
steps and to exercise the utmost vigilance against the menace posed by the activities of
mercenaries and to take appropriate legislative measures to ensure that their territories
and other territories under their control are not used for recruitment, assembly,
financing, training and transit of mercenaries for the planning of activities designed to
destabilize or overthrow the Government or threaten the territorial integrity and
political unity of sovereign States.
- We express our satisfaction with the revitalization of the
Non-Aligned Working Group on legal issues at the Headquarters in New York, chaired by
Zimbabwe, which should continue contributing to upgrade the work and level of coordination
of the Non-Aligned delegations on these issues.
- We stress our serious concern on the intention of a group of
States to unilaterally re-interpret or re-draft the existing legal instruments in
accordance with their own views and interests. We emphasize that the integrity of legal
instruments adopted by Member States must be maintained.
- Further progress is necessary to achieve full respect for
international law and the International Court of Justice and, inter alia, for promoting
the peaceful settlement of disputes and a system of international criminal justice with
respect to crimes against humanity as well as other international offenses. The Charter
refers to the International Court of Justice as the Organizations' principal judicial
organ. The Security Council should make greater use of the World Court as a source of
advisory opinions, and in controversial instances, use the World Court as a source of
interpreting relevant international law and consider decisions to review by the World
Court.
We take note of the ongoing discussions in
the Preparatory Commission for International Criminal Court. We emphasize the need to take
the necessary measures to ensure the coming into operation of the International Criminal
Court.
We stress the need to ensure during the work
of the Preparatory Commission, that the Court is impartial and independent of political
organs of the United Nations which should not direct or hinder the functions of the Court
nor assume a parallel or superior role to the Court.
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We emphasize the need for a renewal of
commitment by the international community to uphold and defend the principles of the UN
Charter and international law as well as the means envisaged in the UN Charter for the
pacific settlement of disputes. The role of the Movement in promoting a just international
order would largely depend on its inner strength, unity and cohesion. It is therefore
incumbent on all Member States to work earnestly towards promoting the solidarity and
unity of the Movement.
We also note the importance of safeguarding
the integrity of the Statute of the Court during the work of the Preparatory Commission
and call on all States to work together to ensure the timely completion of the mandate of
the Preparatory Commission in particular with regard to the Rules of Procedure and
Evidence and the Elements of Crimes and welcome the establishment of a new Working Group
regarding the definition of the Crime of Aggression.
We reiterate the emphasis placed by the
Durban Summit on the need for a renewal of commitment by the international community to
uphold and defend the principles of the UN Charter and international law as well as the
means envisaged in the UN Charter for the pacific settlement of disputes.
We remain firmly opposed to evaluations,
certifications and other coercive unilateral measures as a means of exerting pressure on
Non-Aligned Countries and other developing countries. Coercive unilateral measures and
legislation are contrary to international law, the United Nations Charter and the norms
and principles governing peaceful relations among states and thus are to be further
decried by the international community. We reject the increasing trend in this direction.
We strongly object to the extra-territorial nature of those measures which, in
addition, threaten the sovereignty of States and we call on States applying unilateral
coercive measures to put an immediate end to those measures.
We condemn the continued application by
certain countries of extra-territorial measures and legislation, and their imposition of
unilateral coercive economic measures against certain developing countries, with the view
to preventing these countries from the exercise of their right to determine, with their
total free will, their own political, economic and social system. We call on all states
not to recognize the unilateral, extra-territorial laws enacted by certain countries which
impose sanctions on companies and individuals belonging to other countries, since these
measures and legislation threaten the sovereignty of states, adversely affect their social
and economic development, and are contrary to international law, the principles and
purposes of UN Charter, the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among
states, and agreed principles of multilateral trading system.
We recall the decisions of the Cartagena
Summit and Durban Summit mandating the Coordinating Bureau to study further the question
of mechanism for peaceful settlement of disputes between Member States, including
proposals made and positions expressed at the Summits and to report to the Committee on
Methodology. We note that this study has yet to be submitted.
We welcome the adoption by the General
Assembly of the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Culture of Peace. We call
upon states, governments, organizations and peoples to promote a culture of peace based on
respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs of
states, the principles of international relations established in the Charter of the UN,
full realization of the right to development, democracy, tolerance, economic and social
development, human rights, elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia,
foreign occupation, allowing free flow of information, greater gender mainstreaming,
prevention of violence and promotion of non-violence for the creation of an environment of
peace and for its consolidation. In this context, we welcome again the proclamation of the
year 2000 as the international year for the culture of peace and the period 2001 to 2010
as the international decade for the culture of peace and non-violence for the children of
the world.
We reaffirm the positions taken by the XII
Summit in Durban on the Question of Palestine and the Situation in the Middle East. We
unequivocally support the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the
right return to their homeland and to have their own independent State with Jerusalem as
its capital, and we reiterate our demand for the withdrawal of Israel, the
occupying Power, from all of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem, and the other Arab territories occupied since 1967. We call for the
implementation of all United Nations resolutions on the question of Palestine, and
reaffirm the permanent responsibility of the United Nations toward the question of
Palestine until it is effectively solved in all its aspects.
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We reaffirm the Movement’s position on
Occupied East Jerusalem, the illegal Israeli settlements and the applicability of
the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to all the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem. We demand that Israel, the occupying Power, implement Security Council
resolutions in this regard and abide by its legal obligations. We welcome the convening of
the conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention on Measures
to Enforce the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem on 15
July 1999, as recommended by the resolutions of the 10th Emergency Special
Session of the General Assembly. We further welcome the important statement adopted by the
Conference, which reaffirms the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and we reiterate support for the
reconvening of the Conference should the need arise. We reiterate that Israeli
representation in the work of the General Assembly must be in conformity with
international law, thus ensuring that Israeli credentials do not cover the territories
occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem. Furthermore, we reaffirm our support for the
Bethlehem 2000 Project in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem and express confidence that
the increased assistance and engagement of the international community will ensure the
successful commemoration of the event.
We reaffirm our support for the Middle East
Peace Process based on Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425 and the principle of
land for peace. We further reiterate the need for compliance with and implementation of
the agreements reached between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel as well as
the fulfillment of the commitments and pledges made in accordance with the terms of
reference of the Madrid Conference and the ensuing negotiations. We express grave concern
over the ongoing total cessation of the Peace Process on the Syrian-Israeli and the
Lebanese-Israeli tracks due to the Israeli maneuvers and rejection to start the talks from
the point they stopped at.
We reaffirm that measures and actions taken,
or to be taken by Israel, the occupying power, such as its illegal decision of 14 December
1981 that purports to alter the legal, physical and demographic status of the occupied
Syrian Golan and its institutional structure, as well as the Israeli measures to apply its
jurisdiction and administration there, are null and void. We also reaffirm that all such
measures and actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, international
conventions, the Charter and decisions of the United Nations, particularly Security
Council resolution 497 (1981), the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 on the
protection of civilians in time of war, and the defiance of will of the international
community. We demand that Israel comply with Security Council resolution 497 (1981) and
withdraw fully from the occupied Syrian Golan, to the lines of 4 June 1967, in
implementation of Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
We reaffirm our unwavering support and
solidarity with the Syrian just demand and right to fully restore the occupied Syrian
Golan on the basis of the terms of reference of the Madrid peace process, the decisions of
the international legitimacy, as well as the formula of land for peace. We urge that all
commitments and pledges made during the peace talks between Syria and Israel be respected
and that these talks be resumed from the point at which they stopped.
While expressing our deep concern over the
continued Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the ensuing illegal detention of Lebanese
nationals, loss of innocent civilian lives and extensive destruction of property, we call
on Israel to withdraw immediately, completely and unconditionally from South Lebanon and
the Western Bekaa to the internationally recognized boundaries in compliance with Security
Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) and to fully and strictly respect the
territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon. We also maintain
that any conditions put forward by Israel for the implementation of resolution 425 (1978)
would alter its legal and political structure and are hence unacceptable.
We reaffirm all previous positions and
declarations of the Non-Aligned Movement on the question of Cyprus and proceeding from the
position that the present status quo in Cyprus, established through the use of force and
sustained by military strength, is unacceptable, we are deeply concerned over the lack of
progress in the search for a just and viable solution to this long-standing question,
primarily due to Turkish intransigence. Efforts towards finding a just and viable solution
to the Cyprus problem based on the implementation of all United Nations resolutions on
Cyprus and NAM's decisions in accordance with the principles and positions of the United
Nations Charter and the rules of international law must be intensified and consider any
attempt for a change of the basis of the intercommunal dialogue under the mandate of the
Secretary General is unacceptable. In this regard, the Movement endorses the request of
the Security Council to the Secretary General to invite the leaders of the two sides in
accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions to comprehensive negotiations
in the autumn of 1999 and urges both sides to participate constructively and without
preconditions.
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On developments in the Mediterranean region,
we reiterate our determination to intensify the process of dialogue and consultations in
the promotion of comprehensive and equitable cooperation in the region towards resolving
the problems existing in the Mediterranean region, in the elimination of the causes of
tension and the consequent threat to peace and security. Respect for the right to self-
determination, elimination of foreign occupation and foreign bases, non-interference in
the internal affairs and respect for the sovereignty of States are prerequisites for the
establishment of peace and stability in the Mediterranean region.
On the situation in Africa, we commend the
United Nations Secretary General for his report on "The Causes of Conflict and the
Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa" proposing
guidelines on conflict prevention, management and resolution and also emphasize the need
for the Security Council to establish a follow-up mechanism to implement the
recommendations in this report. We note with concern that the working group on the
follow-up of the Secretary-General’s report called for in UNGA resolution 53/92(1998)
is yet to be established, and we call for its establishment as soon as possible. We also
recommend that the General Assembly, the United Nations system, Bretton Woods institutions
and other appropriate bodies consider the Secretary General's report and follow up on the
recommendations contained therein.
We reaffirm the existence of an intrinsic
link between peace and development which requires an integrated approach to conflict
prevention, resolution and management. In this regard we commend the efforts undertaken by
African countries towards the resolution of incipient and persistent conflicts in the
continent and call on the United Nations and the international community to support these
efforts as well as social and economic development.
We remain deeply concerned over the lack of
a lasting solution to the political crisis in Somalia. The finding of an all-inclusive
political settlement of the conflict in Somalia is of paramount importance and we
therefore urge all Somali faction leaders to cooperate in the search for such a settlement
by adhering to the various agreements reached over the past years. We similarly urge the
United Nations, and in particular the Security Council and the Secretary General, to help
promote a peaceful settlement of the situation in Somalia.
On the Lockerbie question, we recall the
positions of the Movement as outlined in the Final Document of the XII Summit held in
Durban in September 1998, and express our satisfaction over the courageous decision of the
authorities of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to encourage the two Libyan suspects to stand
trial before the Scottish Court sitting in the Netherlands and over its positive response,
and support the Jamahiriya’s demand for adequate guarantees and conditions to ensure
a just and fair trial for the two suspects.
We take note the prompt and unanimous
response of the Security Council to steps taken by Libya to bring this matter to a close.
In taking these steps, Libya has now fulfilled all its obligations in terms of Security
Council Resolutions 731 (1992), 748 (1992), 883 (1993) and 1192 (1998) as well as the
requirements of Resolution 731 (1992). We therefore urge the Security Council to adopt a
resolution lifting completely the sanctions against Libya. We also call for the immediate
lifting of all unilateral sanctions imposed against Libya outside of the United Nations
regime.
We express the view, now that the legal
process has gone before the Scottish Court as agreed by all the parties concerned, that
the politicization, in any form and by any party whatever, of this legal dispute would be
unacceptable and that, inasmuch as the matter is sub-judice, all the parties must
comply with whatever verdict is reached by the Scottish Court convened in the Netherlands.
We note with grave concern that the
deteriorating situation in Angola. We deeply regret the actions of UNITA which perpetuate
a war situation in Angola as well as their continued and deliberate violation of Security
Council Resolutions and defiance of the views of the International Community in general.
As a consequence of these UNITA actions, we are of the firm view that Mr. Jonas Savimbi
has excluded himself from the democratic process in Angola and should be treated as a war
criminal by the international community. We therefore urge the Security Council to take
further necessary action, including adopting additional sanctions to consider means of
strengthening the existing sanctions regime against UNITA. We also call on the
international community to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of Angola.
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We firmly support the mediation efforts
being undertaken by the OAU and appealed to Ethiopia and Eritrea to continue to continue
to cooperate fully in the search for a peaceful, fair and lasting solution to the dispute.
We welcome the signing of the peace
agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front of
Sierra Leone in Lome on 7th July, 1999 which provides the Sierra Leonean people an
opportunity to bring an end to the conflict in that country. We commend the Military
Observer Group of ECOWAS (ECOMOG) for the outstanding contribution which it has made and
continues to make to the restoration of security and stability in Sierra Leone. We
therefore urge Member States and the international community to continue to provide
technical, logistical and financial support to ECOMOG in order to ensure the full
implementation of the Peace Agreement.
Whilst noting the latest progress in the
implementation of the settlement process in Western Sahara, we reiterate the support of
the Movement to the efforts of the United Nations to organize and supervise in 2000, an
impartial, free and fair referendum, in accordance with the Settlement Plan, the Houston
agreements and with relevant Security Council and United Nations resolutions.
Regarding the situation between Iraq and
Kuwait, we emphasize that all Member Countries in the Movement are committed to respect
the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of both Kuwait and Iraq.
We also emphasize that the full implementation of all relevant Security Council
resolutions constitutes the means of establishing peace, security and stability in the
region. In this respect, we stress the importance of Iraq to its completion of
implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions.
In this respect, we stress the need to
resolve expeditiously the fate of all prisoners/detainees and missing persons of Kuwait
and third country nationals by means of serious and sincere co-operation with the
International Committee of the Red Cross to reach a solution of this particular issue and
to return the properties of the Government of Kuwait including official documents removed
from national archives seized by Iraq.
We deplore the imposition and continued
military enforcement of "No-Fly Zones" on Iraq by individual countries without
any authorization from the United Nations Security Council or General Assembly.
We strongly condemn the repeated actions of
Turkish armed forces violating the territorial integrity of Iraq under the pretext of
fighting guerrilla elements hiding inside Iraqi territory. These actions of Turkish armed
forces constitute stark illegal violations of the international boundaries mutually
recognized between the two countries and a threat to regional and international peace and
security. We also reject the so-called "hot-pursuit" measures adopted by Turkey
to justify such actions that are abhorrent to international law and to the norms of
practice amongst States.
We note with deep concern the continuing
deterioration of the humanitarian conditions of Iraqi population due to sanctions. Based
upon the principles and decision of the Movement, we urge Member Countries of the Movement
to deploy their efforts to halt this tragedy and help in lifting the sanctions as soon as
possible in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions.
We stress the need to work diligently
towards resolving the fate of more than 1000 Iraqi civilians and military personnel who
went missing after the military actions of 1991, and whose individual files have been
submitted to ICRC. We also urge that help be extended to Iraq through UNESCO and other
competent bodies for the restoration of all objects of art and antiquity stolen or
smuggled out of Iraq during past years.
We are deeply concerned over the fact that
the Korean Peninsula still remains divided in spite of the desires and aspirations of the
Korean people for reunification, and reaffirm the support to the Korean people to reunify
their homeland in accordance with the three principles set forth in the North-South Joint
Statement on July 4, 1972 and through dialogue and negotiations on the basis of the
Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-Aggression, and Cooperation and Exchange between the
North and South concluded in February 1992.
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Recalling paragraphs 245–251 of the
Final Document adopted by the XIIth NAM Summit at Durban, the UNGA resolution 53/203, UNSC
resolution 1214 dated 8 December 1998 and the press statement by the President of the
Security Council on 5 August 1999, and while reiterating our commitment to the
sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, we
call upon all States concerned to immediately end the supply of arms, ammunition, military
equipment, training or other military support to all parties to the conflict in
Afghanistan, including the presence and involvement of all foreign military personnel. We
express serious concern over the recent military offensives immediately after the Tashkent
meeting of " six plus two" group and in defiance of appeals by the international
community, and express deep concern over the displacement of civilians in Afghanistan. We
are convinced, as the recent developments in the battlefield clearly demonstrated, that
there is no military solution to the Afghan conflict and call upon all Afghan parties to
cease immediately all armed hostilities, to renounce the use of force and to engage,
without preconditions, in a genuine and serious political dialogue aimed at achieving a
lasting political settlement acceptable to all Afghans. We reaffirm the need for creating
a broad based, multi-ethnic and fully representative government by the Afghans themselves
which would protect the rights of all Afghans and observe the international obligations of
Afghanistan. We express concern over actions undermining the security of state frontiers,
including the growing illicit traffic in arms and drugs by criminal elements and groups
from certain areas of Afghanistan and over the use of Afghan territory for the training
and harbouring of terrorists, which create a threat to peace and stability in the entire
region, including Afghanistan. We condemn the murder of Iranian diplomats and a journalist
in the Consular General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mazar-e-Sharif by Taliban
forces and note with disappointment the delay by the Taliban to fulfil its obligation,
investigate, and help to bring those responsible for this tragedy and for the killing of
UN officials to justice. We express the hope that the Afghan parties would move towards
national reconciliation and in this connection underline the significance of relevant
Security Council Resolutions calling for an immediate and durable political solution to
the conflict in Afghanistan and urge all parties to implement it.
We recognize the role of Association of the
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the
region and in enhancing cooperation in the wider Asia-Pacific region. We also recognize
the role of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in promoting political security dialogue and
mutual confidence among its participants. We welcome the progress of ASEAN’s
continuing efforts to realize the objective of establishing a Zone of Peace, Freedom and
Neutrality in Southeast Asia (ZOPFAN) and the convening, for the first time of the
Commission of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ). We encourage
all nuclear-weapon States to extend their support and cooperation to the SEANWFZ Treaty by
acceding to its Protocol. We consider the recent admission of Cambodia in ASEAN as a
significant milestone in ASEAN’s fulfillment of its vision and making all the
countries of the Southeast Asian region as part of a single community.
We reiterate our call to solve all
sovereignty and territorial disputes in the South China Sea by peaceful means without
resorting to force and/or threat to use force, and urge all parties to exercise restraint
with a view to creating a positive climate for the eventual resolution of all contentious
issues. We express concern over recent developments that may lead to a deterioration of
peace and stability in the region. In this context, we express support for the principles
contained in the 1992 ASEAN Declaration on the South China Sea, and stress the need for
the full implementation of such principles by all concerned. We express the hope that all
concerned will refrain from further actions that may undermine peace, stability, trust and
confidence in the region, including possibly undermining freedom of navigation and
aviation in affected areas. We urge all claimants to address the issue in various
bilateral and multilateral fora and in this regard reiterate the significance of promoting
all types of confidence building measures among all parties. To this end, we recognize the
positive contribution of the on-going bilateral and multilateral consultations among the
parties concerned at the intergovernmental level, the extensive consultations at the
ASEAN-China Dialogue and the regular exchange of views in the ARF, and the on-going
informal Workshops on Managing Potential Conflicts in the South China Sea and encourage
their continuance.
We welcome with satisfaction the peace
agreements reached by the governments of Peru and Ecuador, in October 1998, which
constitutes an important contribution to the international peace and stability and
represents a clear decision to work jointly towards achieving social and economic
development.
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We call upon the Government of the United
States of America to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo against
Cuba which, in addition to being unilateral and contrary to the UN Charter and
International Law, and to the principle of neighbourliness, cause huge material losses and
economic damage to the people of Cuba. We request once again strict compliance with the
resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4 of the United Nations General
Assembly. We express deep concern over the widening of the extra-territorial nature of the
embargo against Cuba and over continuous new legislative measure geared to intensifying
it. We also urge the US Government to return the territory now occupied by the Guantanamo
Naval Base to Cuban sovereignty and to put an end to aggressive radio and TV transmission
against Cuba.
The global economy continues to be
characterized by rapid growth in flows of trade, finance, information and technology,
which has led to increased interdependence among countries. Countries interact with the
global economy from vastly different levels of development and, accordingly, the impact of
globalization and liberalization is highly uneven. While the current trend was expected to
lead to increasing economic opportunity for some developing economies, it is evident that
a large number of member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement continue to be marginalized
and thus unable to share the benefits of these processes. We are deeply concerned that
most developing countries continue to face problems of access to markets, capital and
technology and many grapple with the structural transformation necessary for meaningful
integration into the world economy. While the ability to exploit new opportunities depends
on the economic, technological and institutional capacities to enter the global markets,
globalization is deepening the technological, financial and productive gap between the
developed and developing countries. Hence, we strongly believe that the central focus of
international development efforts should be in the creation of an enabling environment
where developing countries will be able to acquire the requisite capacities to
successfully enter, compete and benefit from globalization.
We are deeply concerned over the fact that
developing countries are shouldering a disproportionate share of the adjustment burden,
taking into consideration the rapid changes and transformations of the world economy. We
are equally concerned that the gap between rich and poor countries continues to widen.
There is also a need for equity in international economic relations to reverse the
growing disparities between rich and poor, both among and within countries through inter
alia, the eradication of poverty, expansion of productive employment and
enhancement of social integration.
We note that the high growth in some
developing countries is contributing significantly to the locomotive forces of world
economic growth and thus the process of global integration of developing countries is
paying dividends to the industrialized countries as well. However, we regret that the
voice of developing countries in decision-making still does not realistically reflect
their emergence as important echoes in the world economy. We therefore urge developed
countries to give this cumulative contribution and role meaningful and commensurate
recognition. The participation of developing countries in global economic decision-making,
particularly in the international financial institutions, as well as in trade and other
economic areas, should thus be enhanced. We reaffirm the need for such democratization and
transparency in international economic and financial decision-making in all fora and at
all levels, with the full participation of developing countries so as to ensure that their
development interests would be finally taken into account.
We welcome the inter-governmental
preparatory process for the high-level, international, intergovernmental consideration of
financing for development, as mandated by United Nations General Assembly resolution
52/179. We underscore the importance of convening a High Level Intergovernmental
Conference on Financing for Development by no later than 2001 to address, inter-alia
national, international and systemic issues relating to financing for development in a
holistic manner in the context of globalization and interdependence.
We also note with interest the outcome of
the deliberations of the Ad-hoc Open-Ended Working Group of the General Assembly on
Finance for Development which made recommendations regarding the scope of the
forthcoming International Intergovernmental High Level Conference on Financing for
Development and invite all relevant stakeholders, including the Bretton Woods institutions
as well as the private sector to participate in the preparatory process.
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The role of the United Nations in promoting
international cooperation for economic development must be strengthened and we therefore
reiterate our support to UN bodies, programs, funds and specialized agencies, which serve
the developmental objectives of developing countries. There is a need, in this context, to
preserve and reinforce the distinctive and separate role and identity of the operational
Funds and Programs. We are gravely concerned at the continuing decline in the availability
of core resources to them and urge donor countries to substantially increase their
voluntary contributions. We also urge the Funds and Programs to utilize the available
resources, through greater emphasis on technical assistance, for the essential priorities
of developing countries, which remain the eradication of poverty and sustained economic
growth and sustainable development.
The reactivation and strengthening of
international cooperation for development is necessary in order to facilitate an increased
participation by developing countries in the world economy. In this context, we call for a
greater improvement of international policy coordination among specialized international
institutions and the United Nations system. There is also a need for more effective and
enhanced participation in the world economy by developing countries, notably in the
international and economic decisions and rule-making. In this regard, the accession of
developing countries applying for membership to the WTO should be facilitated without
linking it to any political considerations with a view to ensuring WTO’s universality
as well as its non-discriminatory character.
We support the decisions of the Ministerial
Meeting of the Group of 77 and China, held in September 1999, in Morocco, in preparation
for UNCTAD X to be held in 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand. In this regard, we look forward to
UNCTAD X as a means towards strengthening the mandate and role of UNCTAD on trade and
development and providing important policy directions to advance global partnership for
economic cooperation for the next millennium. We also expect UNCTAD to chart long term and
far-reaching developmental strategies for the first half of the next century, to promote
participation of all nations in the global economic system and to make globalization an
effective tool for the development of all countries. We recognize that the timing of
UNCTAD, to be held in Thailand in the year 2000, calls for all member countries to
transmit a bold message of resolve to the world, the impact of which should be with all
for many decades to come.
We are seriously concerned over the
disturbing tendencies of developed countries to link further liberalization in agreed upon
areas with concessions to liberalize areas of interest to them. We are also concerned that
trading opportunities for developing countries were neutralized by the use of
protectionist measures by the developed countries, including those taken unilaterally and
in the guise of technical standards, environmental, social or human rights related
concerns. We unequivocally reaffirm that non-trade issues, such as social issues, should
not be introduced in the agenda of the WTO.
We also look forward to the Third
Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Seattle, USA in November - December, 1999. In this
regard, the WTO Third Ministerial Conference must give consideration to the adoption of
the Program of Action to:
- facilitate the integration of developing countries
particularly small economies and Least Developed Countries into the trading system and
provide assistance in capacity building to developing countries;
- ensure urgent implementation of Uruguay Round Agreements;
especially in areas of export interest to developing countries, including the agricultural
textile and clothing sectors, and decisions taken in favor of LDC’s, as provided for
in the Marrakesh Ministerial Declaration.
- Ensure preservation, for a transitional period of existing
preferential trade arrangements with developed countries from which a significant number
of developing and least developing countries benefit;
- Ensure that the preferences granted by developed countries
under their GSP schemes will be based on the principles of non-discrimination and
non-reciprocity and be continually expanded to cover products that correspond to the
actual and potential export supply capabilities of developing countries.
We reiterate that low wages and
environmental standards in developing countries are not responsible for the loss of jobs
in developed countries which should address their unemployment through the implementation
of appropriate macro-economic and structural policies. We reiterate that there is no
linkage between trade and labor standards and reject all attempts to establish such a
linkage as well as the use of labor standards as a pretext for unilateral action in the
field of trade. While we remain committed to promoting all relevant labour standards, we
firmly reject its use for protectionist purposes.
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We emphasize that the achievement of the
objectives of poverty eradication, economic and social progress, sustained economic growth
and sustainable development, depends on a more favourable and dynamic international
economic environment and revitalized international development cooperation supportive of
developing countries' efforts. While subscribing to the values of environmental
protection, labour standards, intellectual property protection, sound macro-economic
management and promotion and protection of all human rights, we totally reject all
attempts to use these issues as conditionalities and pretexts for restricting market
access or aid and technology flows to developing countries.
We underline the need for strong political
commitment by the international community for the successful implementation of the Agenda
for Development. It is also important to mobilize adequate resources for its
implementation so that it can contribute effectively to diminish existing imbalances and
guarantee accelerated and sustained economic growth in the developing countries. To ensure
the effective implementation of the Agenda, we urge that the follow-up and assessment
mechanism of the Agenda be seriously undertaken by the General Assembly.
We also emphasize the importance of dialogue
on strengthening international cooperation for development through partnership based on
the mutuality of interests and benefits, shared responsibilities and genuine
interdependence. In this regard, we express satisfaction on the holding of the first
High-Level Dialogue in September 1998. We strongly believe that the dialogue would serve
as a useful forum to discuss emerging global issues to strengthen international
cooperation for development through genuine partnership. We underscore the need for
active participation of the members of the Movement in the process leading to the next
dialogue to be held in the year 2000.
Recognizing that trade, investment and
technology continue to be the key elements for economic development, we also call for
further liberalization and increased access for the products and services where developing
countries have a comparative advantage, and access to transfer of technology on
preferential and concessional terms. We invite UNCTAD to continue its substantive
work in this area and elaborate on issues of importance to developing countries.
We condemn the present trend geared at
strengthening coercive economic measures on developing countries and reaffirm that no
state may use or encourage the use of economic, political or any other type of measures to
coerce another state, including non-extension of MFN status. We also reject the expansion
of such trends, and call upon states applying unilateral coercive measures to put an
immediate end to those measures. The developing countries stand collectively in
rejecting categorically all attempts to put a curb on cooperation and transfer of
technology by taking issue with the political and economic system, environment protection
and labor standards, adjustment of macro-economy and human rights protection. We
especially reject the use of food as an instrument of economic or political pressure.
In the wake of recent financial and economic
crises involving a number of developing countries, we again underline the need for
specific regulatory framework for the financial and exchange markets. Whilst reiterating
the call for an increase in FDI into developing countries, it is essential to ensure the
transparency of the capital flows of private sectors with a view to strengthening the
early warning system and improving crisis management to mitigate the possible adverse
impact of such financial crises in the future. We call upon the developed countries to
increase their financial contribution to the international financial institutions and to
approve the increase in SDRs in the IMF, in order to improve the international liquidity.
The increasing level of international financial flows calls for a financial architecture
which can support these higher levels.
We express our concern over the large and
increasing number of people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition. We emphasize the need
to take urgent action to meet the commitments for achieving food security for present and
future generations.
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We are concerned over the evident lack of
political will on the part of developed countries to revitalize international cooperation
for development. We are convinced that ODA continues to constitute an important source of
financial flows for many developing countries, particularly LDCs. In this context, we are
deeply concerned over the continued decline of the official development assistance and
call on the developed countries and to ensure the fulfillment of their commitment to meet
the United Nations target of 0.7% of their GNP as official development assistance for the
developing countries.
We urge developed countries to undertake
necessary structural adjustments in their economies and refrain from protectionist
tendencies against competitive imports from developing countries especially in the
textile, clothing and agricultural sectors and against FDI outflows to them, in the
interest of new growth opportunities. In addition, we call for the increased technical
assistance from developed countries for those countries that have been affected by the
financial and economic crisis.
The socio-economic situation in Africa
remains precarious despite many efforts made by African countries, individually and
collectively, to lay a solid foundation for Africa's development. In the context of
globalization and liberalization, we are concerned that the decline in ODA flows to Africa
will increase the marginalization of the continent in the global economy. We are also
deeply concerned that FDI flows to Africa account for a mere 2% of the total FDI flows to
developing countries. In this respect, we continue to call for the reversal of this
negative trend. Furthermore, the FDI can only complement concessional finance and not
replace it.
We lend our unequivocal support to the
efforts of African countries to realize the objectives of Africa's Renaissance which are
underpinned by collective self-reliance, agrarian reform, industrialization, human
resources development, social development, diversification of African economies and
increase in both employment and income levels. We further welcome the growing trend in
Africa towards regional and sub-regional economic and political cooperation and
integration.
While recognizing the advancements made on
measures towards the relief of external debt of developing countries, we underscore the
need to strengthen these measures. Developed countries must provide the necessary
financial contributions for debt relief, including the necessary resources to finance the
Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility. We also urge creditor countries to facilitate the
implementation of the HIPC for debt reduction, by broadening the number of eligible
countries and making the established conditions more flexible. In this context, There is
also a need to take decisive steps aimed at substantially reducing official bilateral
debts through their cancellation or writing off. We call for the immediate elimination of
all political measures prohibiting some developing countries to the resources of the
international financial institutions by certain developed countries.
We welcome the G-8 Cologne Debt Initiative
on HIPC as a movement in the right direction. However, we are concerned over the proposed
gold sales by the IMF and its adverse impact on gold producing developing countries. We
therefore urge the IMF to explore new sources or mechanisms for funding debt relief
measures.
We also emphasize the need for a durable
solution of the indebtedness of developing countries including middle income countries
which is seriously crippling their sustained economic growth and sustainable development.
While a number of measures and policies adopted in the past including rescheduling have
been helpful in alleviating the immediate situation, they have not achieved a durable
solution. Thus, in any such discussion on debt of developing countries including middle
income countries, the "once and for all" debt reduction policy arrangements
should be seriously considered so as to speed up the release of financial
resources for development particularly for the countries which are honoring their debt
repayment commitments in the face of acute economic difficulties. The solutions would also
require new initiatives to facilitate their development. We urge the intensification of
measures on the write-off of debt to promote development investments in accordance with
the priorities and needs of developing countries.
We are deeply concerned over the continuing
declining rate of economic growth of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) as a group, with
no sign of change in this trend, in spite of the broad structural and economic reform
measures undertaken by them. The growth of LDCs is hindered by the problems of the
shrinking aid levels, the continuing decline in ODA, and Foreign Direct Investment, the
heavy debt burden, lack of market access, supply side constraints and a decline in
commodity prices. We note that whilst the debt burden for the LDCs continues to increase
considerably, the flow of Foreign Direct Investment remains insignificant.
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In view of the negative impact on the
economic growth of the LDCs resulting from the fall in ODA, we call upon all donor
countries to live up to their commitments to achieve the internationally agreed ODA target
of 0.15% of their GNP to the LDCs as soon as possible. Given the overwhelming dependence
of the LDCs on external assistance for their capacity building, establishment of basic
institutional infrastructure and strengthening of potential to attract foreign direct
investment, the uninterrupted and promised level of flow of ODA is essential to economic
growth.
We welcome the adoption of UNGA resolution
53/180 on the Secretary-General’s Report on environment and human settlements and we
stress the need for UNEP and UNCHS to increase their cooperation and coordination among
their activities, within the framework of their respective mandates and separate
programmatic and organizational identities, as well as their separate Executive Directors.
We look forward to receiving at the 54th General Assembly from the Secretary
General, terms of reference and appropriate criteria for membership of the Environmental
Management Group (EMG). We stress that capacity building and technical assistance must
remain important components of the work programmes of both UNEP and UNCHS and must be
enhanced.
We reiterate our full support to UNEP and
call for its strengthening as a unique international organization entrusted with the
mandate to coordinate the activities dealing with environmental issues and make integrated
analysis of the environmental problems in order to fulfil the goal of reaching
international consensus concerning the new environmental challenge.
We recognize the ongoing efforts of
developing countries to integrate environmental, economic and social objectives into their
decision-making by elaborating policies and strategies for achieving sustainable
development. At the same time we continue to be deeply concerned about the lack of
fulfillment of the international commitments undertaken by the developed countries at the
Rio Earth Summit. We call for urgent fulfillment of commitments for the provision of
financial resources and transfer of environmentally sound technology, including time bound
commitments, as appropriate, to developing countries. In this context, we are disappointed
at the non-fulfillment of commitments, as agreed at the Special Session of the General
Assembly in 1997 and look forward to the establishment of a preparatory process for the
review of Rio + 10 at this session of the General Assembly.
We reaffirm that economic and social
development constitutes a priority and a fundamental right of countries. Sustainable
development, therefore, must be considered within the wider context of sustained economic
growth. States have the sovereign right to exploit resources in accordance with their own
environmental and development policies.
We stress that the new and additional
financial resources to developing countries have not been provided, the transfer of
environmentally sound technologies of favorable, concessional and preferential terms has
not been realized, and that the developed countries have not assumed and performed
practical commitment to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
We once again call for the democratization
of the GEF, for transparency in its decision-making processes and for coordination between
the implementing agencies of the GEF to be strengthened. We commit ourselves to continue
reinforcing the developing countries’ joint participation in the GEF to safeguard
their common interests, both in the orientation of its policies as well as in the
financial allocation of resources.
We recognize the specific problems and needs
of the Land-Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Transit Developing Countries (TDCs),
as reflected in conclusions and recommendations of the Meeting of Experts from Landlocked
and Transit Developing countries and Representatives of the Donor Countries and Financial
and Development Institutions held in New York from 23 to 26 August 1999. In this regard,
we call upon the international community to give special attention and lend support to
this group of countries, particularly through technical cooperation and financial
assistance in their efforts together with their transit developing neighbors to improve
the transit transport system. In this context, emphasis should continue to be placed on
the launching of programs to improve physical infrastructure and remove non-physical
barriers.
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We reaffirm our full support for the
system-wide Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States. We recognize the efforts by Small Island Developing States
to implement the Programme of Action and in this regard we recognize the efforts by small
island developing states to implement the commitments of the Programme of Action for
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and in this regard note with
concern that the support of the international community has been affected by financial and
other resource constraints and by global economic and environmental factors. We reaffirm
the need for the provision of adequate, predictable, new and additional financial
resources, transfer of environmentally sound technologies on concessional and preferential
terms, and the promotion of non-discriminatory trading arrangements.
We welcome the Special Session of the
General Assembly which will be held on 27 and 28 September 1999 to review and appraise the
implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island
Developing States and we call on all countries to participate actively and constructively
in the Special Session.
We are concerned over the lack of
implementation of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits, due
mainly to the failure of the developed countries to fulfil their commitments for new and
additional resources, the transfer of technology to developing countries as well as
enhanced access to the markets of the developed countries. We call upon countries to renew
their efforts to implement their commitments undertaken and to make tangible progress
towards the achievement of the targets, goals and objectives set by the UN conferences and
summits.
We welcome the progress made at the
Cartagena meeting held on February 1999, on the negotiations of a Biosafety Protocol. We
urge the Extraordinary Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to
conclude their negotiations on the Biosafety Protocol before the fifth COP.
We welcome the Kyoto Protocol on legally
binding commitments for the parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change to
reduce their emission of Greenhouse Gases as contained in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol.
We call on the developed countries to undertake necessary and immediate steps to implement
these commitments through particularly domestic action. Emission trading for
implementation of such commitments can only commence after issues relating to the
principles, modalities etc, of such trading, including initial allocations of emission
entitlement on an equitable basis to all countries has been agreed upon by the Parties to
the Framework Convention on Climate Change. We categorically reject all attempts by some
developed countries to link their ratification of the Kyoto Protocol with the question of
participation by developing countries in the reduction of GHD emissions. We also call for
immediate measures to provide the developing countries with necessary financial resources
and clean technology to enable them to meet their existing commitments under Framework
Convention on Climate Change, including inter alia, inventorisation of national emissions
and dissemination of knowledge of climate change.
We urge developed countries to implement
effective measures, to cope with their commitments in terms of the reduction of emission
of greenhouse gases in their territories and highlight the need to avoid the so-called
"flexibility mechanisms" of the Kyoto Protocol enabling those countries to elude
the fulfillment of their commitments. In this connection, the launching of the Clean
Development Mechanism, established in terms of the Kyoto Protocol, could bring about risk
and opportunities for the sustainable development of developing countries that must be
adequately addressed.
We acknowledge that the depletion of the
ozone layer poses a serious threat to the whole world. We urge Parties to the Protocol to
comply with its requirements and to phase out the production and consumption of regulated
ozone depleting substances (ODS's) in accordance with the phase out schedules agreed to by
countries in terms of the Protocol. We also urge Parties to the Protocol to comply with
its requirements, including those relating to phasing out of the consumption of regulated
ozone depleting substances, and assistance to affected producers in developing countries.
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We are committed to further strengthening
South-South cooperation, which is an essential mechanism for promoting accelerated
economic growth and development and self-reliance, giving a greater dynamism to the world
economy, and promoting the restructuring of the international economic relations.
Developing countries should accelerate the establishment of new South-South relations by
broadening and intensifying South-South cooperation. Drawing on the successes and
experiences make in the South-South cooperation so far, we should orchestrate the
strategies for South-South cooperation suited to a new situation and continue to initiate
new projects.
We reiterate that South-South cooperation is
an essential mechanism for promoting the sustainable economic self-support and in
bolstering a new South-South relations by broadening and intensifying economic cooperation
among developing countries.
We stress the need to intensify the process
of strengthening the various inter-regional dialogues and the exchange of experiences
among subregional and regional economic groupings for the purposes of expanding
South-South cooperation through integrating the modalities of economic and technical
cooperation among developing countries.
We stress that the eradication of
poverty through sustained and accelerated economic growth and sustainable development
continues to remain the overriding priority of developing countries. In this context we
stress the need for a supportive international economic and financial environment
must be established in order to address long-term problems of poverty and
underdevelopment.
In this regard, the South Summit that will
be held from 12-14 April 2000 in Havana, Cuba, provides the ideal opportunity to
strengthen South-South cooperation and to give a new impetus to North-South dialogue. We
call on all countries and organizations of the South to give their full support to the
South Summit, including its preparatory process, to ensure its successful outcome.
We pledge our support to the ongoing
intergovernmental mid-term review of the Beijing Conference, reaffirming our
commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. We also reiterate that
there is a need for the adoption of effective measures to integrate a gender perspective,
to removing the main obstacles to the achievement of equality and equity between men and
women, development and peace, and particularly eradicating poverty. We also
reiterate that there is a need for a holistic approach through the entire life cycle of
women including, the empowerment of women and economic independence of women and the
full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls. We pledge ourselves to combating
all forms of discrimination against women, and to supporting measures to prevent and
eliminate all forms of violence against girls and women. There is also a need to
strengthen the promotion of an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender
perspective at national and multilateral levels, including in the design, follow-up and
gender-based evaluation of all policies, as appropriate, in order to ensure
effective implementation of the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on
Women in particular and the advancement of women in general.
We reaffirm that today major changes in
social development patterns, including providing possibilities for active participation of
women, are considered among the top priorities for achieving sustainable development. In
this regard, the role of the family unit as an institution that provides the highest
degree of material and moral well-being, is extremely important. On this basis, macro and
micro programming or policies should be designed in order to establish a moral and logical
relation between the functions of the family and society as a whole as well as to
harmonize the individual and collective rights of the people.
We reiterate abhorrence at the increasing
victimization of women and the girl child, especially in situations of armed conflict, and
the systematic use of rape by the parties to conflicts, as an instrument of war, ethnic
cleansing and terrorism. They called on countries to take the necessary measures against
all such perpetrators of violence in order to put an end to such practices forthwith and
to ensure international law and domestic legislation, make provision for the protection of
women and girls in armed conflict. In this regard, we reaffirm Chapter IV of the Beijing
Platform for Action, i.e. Women and Armed Conflict.
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In the year of the 10th anniversary of the
adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General
Assembly Special Session, we are concerned that economic and social marginalization of
developing countries, especially the poorest nations is leading to a deleterious impact on
children. We are also concerned over the intolerable persistence of adverse
social and economic conditions faced by children on account of poverty, use of
children in armed conflict, including child mercenaries, child labor, the continued
exploitation of children for pornography, prostitution and drug trafficking as well as at
the suffering of refugee and displaced children. Urgent steps, in particular international
cooperation, must be undertaken to address these problems.
We express our commitment to the accelerated
implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Program of Action and in this
regard, look forward to the review of the implementation of the outcome of the Social
Summit in June 2000. The international community must maintain the momentum generated by
the Social Summit geared at the eradication of poverty and the attainment of broad social
development, while taking action to mitigate the negative impact of globalization.
We recognize the need to facilitate and
encourage the integration and consolidation by the international community to prevent and
combat transnational crime, but mutual assistance in criminal matters might be seen as a
means of improving the quality of justice and that cooperation is a way of achieving more
equitable and efficient justice at lesser social and individual costs. We also reaffirm
that international effort against transnational crime should be carried out with the
necessary respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.
We reiterate the call for enhanced
international cooperation for alternative development programs and for environmental
rehabilitation in the areas of illicit crop cultivation. We also call upon the United
Nations Drug Control Program and developed countries to fully support developing countries
in their fight against illicit drugs, through providing them with adequate financial and
technical assistance.
We reaffirm the determination to achieve
concrete results on all the action plans adopted by the 20th Special Session of
the United Nations General Assembly, on the basis of the principles of shared
responsibility for addressing the demand an supply-side of drug trafficking, in conformity
with principles and purposes enshrined in the UN Charter and other International
instruments, in particular respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and
non-interference in the internal affairs of States.
We reaffirm that all human rights are
universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated and that the international
community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing
and with the same emphasis, and that the significance of national and regional
particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be
respected. It is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural
systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all peoples,
in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and other international human rights instruments. Furthermore, we agree to work
towards the transformation and the continuing adaptation of human rights machinery to
current and future needs in the promotion and protection of human rights.
We stress that the human rights issues must
be addressed within the global context through a constructive, dialogue based approach,
with objectivity, respect for national sovereignty and territorial intergrity,
impartiality, non-selectivity and transparency as the guiding principles, taking into
account the political, historical, social, religious and cultural characteristics of each
country. Exploitation of human rights for political purposes, including selective
targeting of individual countries for extraneous considerations which is contrary to the
purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, should be excluded. We emphasize
that coordination of human rights activities must be carried out by United Nations organs,
bodies and specialized agencies, whose activities deal with human rights, so as to
cooperate in order to strengthen, rationalize and streamline those activities, taking into
account the need to avoid unnecessary duplication.
While stressing the indivisible nature of
all human rights, we emphasize on the importance of the right to development for all
peoples, as a universal and inalienable right and as an integral part of the fundamental
human rights. In this regard, we welcome the greater acceptance of the importance of the
implementation and realization of the right to development by the international community.
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We reiterate our view that every State
should provide an effective framework for the protection and promotion of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in accordance with the United Nations Charter, the Universal
Declaration on Human Rights, and other relevant international instruments on human rights,
as well as a framework of remedies to redress human rights grievances or violations. In
this context, we reaffirm the important and constructive role to be played by independent
national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights and stress that
every effort should be made for the impartiality and objectivity of national institutions.
Each national institution has the right to choose its framework in accordance with
national legislation.
We urge States to ensure that their
constitutional and legal systems, taking into account the respective country conditions,
provide effective guarantees for fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech,
association, thought, conscience, religion and belief to all without discrimination. We
condemn unequivocally all violent acts and activities which infringe upon human rights and
fundamental freedoms, democracy, tolerance and respect for diversity.
We reaffirm that democracy, development and
respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development,
are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Adoption, for any cause or consideration, of
coercive and unilateral measures, rules and policies against developing countries
constitute a flagrant violations of the basic rights of their populations. We also
reaffirm that poverty and social and economic exclusion constitute a violation of human
dignity and human rights. It is essential for states to promote efforts to combat extreme
poverty and foster participation by the poorest members of the society in decision making
process.
We also remain committed to the pledge
undertaken at the Eleventh Summit to strengthen international cooperation to eradicate the
growing and dangerous links between terrorist groups, drug traffickers and their
paramilitary gangs, and other armed criminal groups which have resorted to all
types of violence, thus undermining the democratic institutions of States and violating
basic human rights. Effective measures must be adopted to halt the smuggling of guns,
which is linked to the drug trade and which is generating unacceptable levels of crime and
violence affecting the national security and the economies of many States.
We express our deep concern over the lack of
progress in the negotiations in the Third Committee Working Group on the adaptation of the
UN human rights machinery mandated by paragraph 17 of the Vienna Declaration and Programme
of Action which we attribute to a lack of political will on the part of developed
countries. We are also concerned over the tendency of imposing a particular agenda and
monitoring approaches at the expense of the role of development and international
cooperation in the overall promotion and protection of human rights.
We remain determined to promote and protect
all human rights, including the right to development, as enunciated in the Declaration on
the Right to Development. In this regard, we call on all States to undertake necessary
policy formulation and institute measures required for the implementation of the right to
development as a fundamental human right. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights'
Open-Ended Working Group on the Right to Development should give consideration, inter
alia, to the question of the necessity for a Convention on the Right to Development. We
emphasize the need that the Special Rapporteur of the Open-Ended Working Group on the
Right to Development should be provided with the adequate and necessary resources in order
to fulfill his mandate.
We reiterate our opposition to all forms of
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerances and express deep
concern on the resurgence of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerances in various parts of the world. All forms of
racism and xenophobia constitute a serious violation of human rights, which should be
rejected through all political and legal means. We condemn all forms of racism and
discrimination spread through the new communications technology. We unequivocally
support the convening of a world conference against racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and other related forms of intolerance in 2001 in Geneva. We call on all States
to render the necessary support to the preparatory process geared at the holding of the
conference. In this regard, we welcome the report by the Working Group on the World
Conference on Racism that was adopted at the fifty-fifth Session of the UN Commission on
Human Rights regarding such an international conference.
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In the year of the fiftieth anniversary of
the Geneva Conventions, we express our concern over the continuous erosion in the respect
for international humanitarian and human rights law and principles, both in terms of
denial of safe and unimpeded access to people in need and through increasing violence
against all those protected by international humanitarian law. We therefore urge all
parties to conflicts to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, stress
the importance of the promotion and diffusion of these laws and call upon all parties to
take measures to ensure the safety and the security of international and local
humanitarian personnel.
We condemn the increasing attacks on the
safety and security of humanitarian personnel and urge all Member Countries to ensure
respect for the protection of the personnel of humanitarian organizations in conformity
with the relevant International Law. Humanitarian personnel and their agencies should
respect the laws of the countries they work in and the principles of neutrality and
non-interference, as well as cultural, religious and other values of the population in the
countries where they operate.
We reaffirm the distinction between
humanitarian action and UN peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations as well as
operational activities for development. In order to pursue the independence, neutrality
and the impartiality of humanitarian action, such action must be kept distinct from, and
independent of political or military action, in accordance with respective mandates while
ensuring the observance of international laws.
We express concern over the lack of adequate
resources for responding to and addressing humanitarian emergencies and, more
specifically, the process of transition from relief to development and regret the
persistent trend of low and uneven funding for humanitarian assistance. We reiterate that
failure to provide adequate resources and balanced contributions, both geographically and
sectorally, undermines the Guiding Principles of Humanitarian Assistance, and weakens the
ability of humanitarian actors to respond in a coherent and timely manner to emergencies.
We therefore call upon donor countries to increase their contributions to humanitarian
appeals commensurate with the needs of affected populations, without being overly
influenced by levels of media interest. At the same time, contributions for humanitarian
assistance should not be at the expense of development assistance. Furthermore, we call on
the United Nations to fully utilize the capacities existing within developing countries,
which are available closer to the site of a disaster and often at lower cost.
We reiterate our deep concern over the
considerable rise in the number of refugees and note with concern the increasingly large
numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons being hosted by developing countries.
We also acknowledge the urgent need to further sensitize the international community,
particularly the donor community and the international financial institutions, to the
ever-increasing problems of refugee hosting developing countries and developing countries
in situations of post-conflict reconstruction of those with protracted and heavy refugee
caseloads. We stress the necessity of international burden-sharing and responsibility in
refugee situations. We reiterate the call for intensified financial and moral support to
developing countries, in adherence to the principles of neutrality, non-conditionality and
non-interference.
We consider it essential to maintain clear
distinction between humanitarian operations and other fields of activity of the United
Nations. In order to pursue the independence, neutrality and impartiality of humanitarian
action, such action must be kept distinct from humanitarian and independent of political
or military, in accordance with respective while ensuring the observance of international
humanitarian law. We reject the so-called "right of humanitarian intervention"
which has no legal basis in the UN Charter or in the general principles of international
law.
In this final year of International Decade
for Natural Disasters Reduction, we reaffirm that progress in economic development would
contribute to States' ability to build the infrastructure necessary for natural disaster
reduction and that concessional resources, together with technology transfer, are critical
to strengthen our efforts in this regard.
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We recommit ourselves to the implementation
of the outcome of the Cairo Program of Action, adopted by the World Conference on
Population and Development in 1994. We welcome the outcome of the five-year review and
appraisal of the implementation of the Program of Action, and we fully support the key
proposals for its further implementation, adopted by the 21st Special Session of the UN
General Assembly. We note the progress made by many developing countries in implementing
the Program of Action, whilst decrying conditionalities imposed by certain developed
countries in their support for population and development programs in the developing
countries. We note with grave concern that while five years after Cairo, developing
countries have proven their commitment to mobilizing domestic resources, developed
countries are not honoring their agreed financial commitments.
We underline that progress of developing
countries is dependent both on access to technology and on their endogenous capacity to
develop it. We express grave concern over measures aimed at blocking or impeding, for
political or other ends, particularly through coercive economic measures, the transfer of
technology to developing countries. The controls imposed by highly industrialized
countries on the export of dual use technology and other types of sensitive technology
should not be used to prevent the access of developing countries to technology for
peaceful, developmental purposes.
We welcome the continued implementation of
the expanded program of cooperation by the Centre for Science and Technology of
Non-Aligned Movement Countries and call upon all Non-Aligned and other developing
countries to subscribe to the Statute of the Centre and to strengthen the Centre
financially.
We urge member states to pay particular
attention to the implementation of decisions taken at the Third United Nations Conference
on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III), held in Vienna from 19
to 30 July 1999. Of special importance here is the establishment of a voluntary United
Nations fund for the purpose of implementing the recommendations of UNISPACE III.
Particular attention should also be paid to the equitable access by developing countries
to the new technologies and to the strengthening of their capabilities to use the
applications of space research for economic, social and cultural development.
We take note of the important and positive
coordination of work of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 and China through the
Joint Coordinating Committee(JCC) in the promotion and defense of the common interests of
the developing countries and agree that the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries should
jointly sponsor draft resolutions as appropriate to be presented by the Group of 77 and
China, based on past practice, at the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly.
We welcome with appreciation the offer made
by the Government of Colombia to host the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference of the
Non-Aligned Movement, to be held in Cartagena in the year 2000. We request the
Coordinating Bureau to undertake preparations and recommend an appropriate date for the
Conference. We ask the member countries of the Movement to actively participate in that
important event.
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CHILE
Unofficial translation
No. 208/99
The Permanent Mission of Chile to the
United Nations presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the
United Nations, in its capacity as Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned
Movement, and in reference to the Final Communiqué of the Ministerial Meeting and Heads
of Delegations of the Non-Aligned Movement, held on 23 September in New York, has the
honour to state the following:
The Government of Chile places on record
its reservations on all those paragraphs of the Final Communiqué which are incompatible
with the foreign and/or economic policies and/or juridical order of Chile.
The Permanent Mission of Chile should be
grateful to have the present Note Verbale attached to the Final Document to be published.
The Permanent Mission of Chile to the
United Nations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of
South Africa to the United Nations, in its capacity as Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau
of the Non-Aligned Movement, the assurances of its highest consideration.
New York, 28 September 1999
Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations
in its capacity as Chairman of the Co-ordinating Bureau
of the Non-Aligned Movement
New York
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GUATEMALA
G/5/1244
Unofficial translation
The Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the United Nations
presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations,
in its capacity as Chairman of the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, and
in reference to the Final Communiqué of the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and
Heads of Delegations of the Non-Aligned Movement, held on 23 September in New York, has
the honour to state that the Government of Guatemala places on record its reservations on
all the paragraphs of the Final Communiqué which are incompatible with the internal
juridical order of our country.
The Permanent Mission of Guatemala would be grateful to
have the present Note Verbale attached to the Final Document to be published. At the same
time, it avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of South
Africa to the United Nations, as the country presiding the Non-Aligned Movement, the
assurances of its highest consideration.
New York, 28 September 1999
Permanent Mission of South Africa
to the United Nations
New York
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INDIA
No. NY/PM/128/1/99
September 30, 1999
The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations,
in its capacity as the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, and has the honour to refer
to the Communiqué adopted by the NAM Ministerial meeting in New York on 23 September
1999.
As conveyed by the Indian delegation during the
finalisation of this Communiqué, including at the Ministerial meeting, it is India's view
that the Movement must concentrate on the common external challenges that continue to
mount, and which all developing countries, including members of the Movement, must face
unitedly. The Movement should, therefore, focus on causes that bind its members together,
and shun those that divide it. It should not waste its energies, or let its unity be
undermined, by pursuing agendas that are either divisive or controversial within the
Movement. In this context it is stressed that it is also absolutely necessary that the
Movement's decisions are taken by consensus, as has been the practice.
It is for these reasons that India opposes the proposal to
have a study conducted on a conflict resolution mechanism for the Movement, and wishes to
convey its formal reservation to paragraph 70 of the Communiqué adopted by the NAM
Ministerial meeting in New York on 23 September 1999.
The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations avails
itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of South Africa the
assurances of its highest consideration.
Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa
New York
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IRAN
In the Name of God, the Compassionate,
the Merciful
No. 1034
The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to
the United Nations presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of
South Africa to the United Nations, in its capacity as the Chair of Non-Aligned Movement,
and has the honour to refer to the latter’s Note No. NAM/374A/99 dated 7 October 1999
regarding Final Communique of the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement during
the 54th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and state that this
Mission would like to put on record its reservation with regard to Paragraph 74 of the
Final Communique concerning the Middle East Peace Process.
The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to
the United Nations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of
the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations the assurances of its highest
consideration.
New York, 11 October 1999
Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa
to the United Nations
New York
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KUWAIT
596/99
The Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the
United Nations presents his compliments to the Permanent Representative of South Africa to
the United Nations, in his capacity as Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau of the
Non-Aligned Movement, and with reference to the Final Communique of the Ministerial
Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement adopted during the 54th Session of the
United Nations General Assembly on 23 September 1999 in New York, wishes to register the
Government of Kuwait’s strong reservation on the following paragraphs:
Paragraph (92) of the Final Communique regarding the
"No-Fly Zone" which Kuwait strongly believes that the said paragraph contradicts
Security Council resolution 688(1991). The "No-Fly Zone" over Iraq has been
enforced to make possible the implementation of resolution 688.
Paragraph (95) of the Final Communique concerning missing
Iraqis after the military action of 1991. Kuwait strongly believes that the Iraqi
Government is responsible for the fate of those missing persons who were under its command
and control during this period.
Kuwait would like to see the above-mentioned reservations
reflected in the Final Communique of the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement
during the 54th Session of the General Assembly.
The Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the
United Nations avails himself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Representative
of South Africa to the United Nations the assurances of its highest consideration.
October 7, 1999
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PAKISTAN
Pakistan Mission to the United Nations
New York
07 October 1999
No. NAM-1/2/99
The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations
presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the United Nations,
Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, and has the honour to convey Government of
Pakistan's reservations on paragraphs 78 and 97, dealing with the issues of Cyprus and
Afghanistan, of the Final Communiqué of the Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and
Head of Delegations of the Non-Aligned Movement held in New York, 23 September 1999. It is
requested that the reservations be appropriately reflected in the Final Communiqué.
The Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations
avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the
United Nations, Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, the assurances of its highest
consideration.
Permanent Mission of South Africa
to the United Nations
New York
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SAUDI ARABIA
PERMANENT MISSION OF SAUDI ARABIA
TO THE UNITED NATIONS
UN/South Africa/NAM/786
The Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations
presents its compliments to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of South Africa to the
United Nations, and has the honour to refer to its previous note no. UN/South
Africa/NAM/786, dated 22 September 1999, conveying the Government of Saudi Arabia's
request to register its reservations on the two paragraphs of the Rev.2 (13.09) Draft
Communiqué of the Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegation of the
Non-Aligned Movement. Please be advised of these changes in the aforementioned note:
Paragraph (94) should be changed to Paragraph (92)
Paragraph (97) should be changed to Paragraph (95)
The Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations
avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of
South Africa to the United Nations the assurances of its highest consideration.
New York, 08 October 1999
The Permanent Mission of the Republic
of South Africa to the United Nations
New York.
   
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