STATEMENT BY THE
HONOURABLE JOHN BRICENO DEPUTY PRIME MINSITER, MINISTER OF NATURAL
RESOURCES, THE ENVIRONMENT, TRADE AND INDUSTRY OF BELIZE TO THE
FIFTY-SEVENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
17
SEPTEMBER 2002
Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
On the twenty-first of September 1981 Belize joined the
community of nations as an independent country and we the people of Belize
enthusiastically embraced our role as a partner in the community of
nations.
The United Nations played a pivotal role in securing Belize's
right to self-determination and as we commemorate our independence, we express
our appreciation and continued support for the work of the
Organization.
Since its inception in 1945 our United Nations has, like
all of us, been grappling with the constant changes in our world. In its
imperfection it has endured the problems of infancy, puberty and adolescence.
Each adjustment provided occasions for learning and opportunities for growth.
No, we have not always grown for the better; and we have suffered the cost of
our mistakes.
Still the United Nations endured, for the principles of the
Charter will reverberate as loudly tomorrow as they do today and did yesterday.
Our right to live peaceful and dignified lives holds true today as it did in
1945.
Two years ago world leaders assembled here in New York in an effort
to rejuvenate the United Nations. This resulted in the Millennium Declaration
and brought forth the Millennium Development Goals.
In these instruments
we acknowledged the growing abyss between the few with plenty and the many with
nothing. We made new commitments and reaffirmed old ones. We renewed yet again
our ultimate goal of the improvement of humanity; a goal which we undoubtedly
hold as sacred.
Since then we have held many meetings and conferences
where we have merely recycled ideas and visions. Now we must aim for higher
standards and make the case that as a global community we are obligated to
account for how we have chosen to implement the many commitments we
made.
For us implementation is a function of resources, good governance,
both locally and globally, shared responsibility and partnerships. The
implementation of the Millennium Declaration can only be effective through the
participation and cooperation of all relevant stakeholders.
In order to
ensure that the process of implementation is democratized, inclusive,
transparent and accountable, we must act with shared responsibility and in
partnerships of mutual respect and equality.
As we follow the road map
for the implementation of the Millennium Declaration our deliberations and even
more so our commitment to the Monterrey Consensus and to the Plan of
Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development should resonate
for meaningful change that will improve the lives of our poorest
people.
On the fifth of February 2002, Belize hosted the first ever
CARICOM/SICA/Dominican Republic Summit. In the joint declaration issued at the
conclusion of the summit, the Caribbean and Central American leaders agreed to
strengthen the cooperation and to coordinate actions in areas such as education,
health, poverty elimination, environment, trade and investment. Shortly our
Foreign Ministers shall conclude a Plan of Action to implement the goals set out
in the Declaration.
The present development paradigm requires dynamic
partnerships. Belize intends to play its part in encouraging closer
collaboration and cooperation between Central America and the
Caribbean.
A major hindrance to development is conflict; it is costly and
causes unnecessary pain and suffering, often to innocent victims. My delegation
is concerned about any notion that would proffer violence as a solution to
conflict. History has taught us that lasting peace can never be constructed in a
climate of vengeance.
In this regard we express our grave concern over
the continuing deterioration of relations in the Middle East, especially with
respect to the Palestinian people. The escalation of violence in the region
demonstrates the urgent need for the parties to resume peace
negotiations.
The universally endorsed vision of two states, Israel and
Palestine, living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, as
called for by the Security Council in resolution 1397 (2002), should be realized
as soon as possible.
We encourage the efforts of the United Nations in
facilitating a peaceful resolution on the question of Western Sahara, and
support the Settlement Plan as a viable political solution to the
dispute.
Conflict in its many manifestations finds its breeding ground in
human desperation, frailty, and ignorance. If we can address the needs of the
disaffected and the vulnerable, then we can stamp out the embers of conflict and
increase the potential for international peace and security. Yes, we must
address these conditions according to our national capacity, but we cannot go it
alone. A multilateral approach is imperative.
Belize continues to look
toward the United Nations for the global enforcement of human rights standards.
On 1 July 2002 the international community witnessed the entry into force of the
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
As a State Party to the
Statute, my government shall abide by its legal obligations there under and
uphold the integrity of the Court. It is our hope that all peace-loving and
law-abiding nations of the world shall become parties to the Rome Statute so
that the universal jurisdiction of the Court can be realized.
The Court
presents the hope that there shall be an end to impunity for perpetrators of
genocide, other crimes against humanity and war crimes. We see this as the start
of a new system of international justice.
At this General Assembly we
will be witnessing the expansion of the representative character of the United
Nations. We recognize the tremendous contribution that the Swiss Confederation
has played in International Relations, particularly with respect to Human Rights
and humanitarian issues. Their decision to become full members of the U N will
greatly enhance our work.
Likewise we are pleased to welcome the Republic
of Timor Liste to our family of nations. Their struggle has been long and
arduous and their admission is testament to the indispensable role of the United
Nations.
It is our wish that the United Nations be the forum for the
representation of all peoples of the world including the 23 million people of
the Republic of China on Taiwan. We must give true meaning to the principle of
universality set forth in the Charter and more specifically to the affirmation
therein of our faith "in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of
the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and
small."
With the support of the United Nations, Belize became an
independent nation. Before and after that time, we made every effort to resolve
the territorial dispute that we had inherited from colonial times.
All
previous attempts had proved futile, but in March 2000, at the start of this
millennium, Guatemala and Belize agreed to initiate a unique process to resolve
the dispute. We each appointed a Facilitator and asked the Secretary General of
the Organisation of American States to be Honour Witness to the
Process.
I am happy to be able to announce that just yesterday, at the
OAS headquarters, the Facilitators presented their Proposals for a peaceful and
definitive resolution of the territorial differendum.
The Proposals must
be submitted by referenda to the peoples of both countries, and only if accepted
by both will they be translated into Treaties of Settlement that will bring this
age-old dispute to an end and create better conditions for the harmonious
cooperation between the two countries, something that both our peoples yearn
for. We fervently hope that this will indeed come to pass.
An essential
aspect of the Proposals involves a Development Trust Fund, and we wish to thank
all those countries who will so generously contribute to enabling the peaceful
settlement of a territorial dispute that has adversely affected relations
between not only the countries involved, but also between the two sub-regions to
which Belize belongs, the Caribbean and Central America.
Four days from
today, our people will assemble and reenact the events of our Independence Day.
It will also be a time to renew our commitment to the principles of justice and
liberty; the right of a people to self-determination, the right to development
and our continued commitment to live in peace with our neighbors.
This is
the legacy of the United Nations, this is our just objective.