The success of the Loya Jirga, with broad and unprecedented participation of women, was a significant milestone in the recent history of Afghanistan, and a major step forward in the process of peace, stability and nation building….

We have formed a Constitutional Commission to undertake the historic task of drafting the country's new Constitution. We have already established a Judicial Commission; to rebuild the Afghan justice system, as well as a Civil Service Commission to reform the entire administration and impose a merit based system, and a Human Rights Commission, to protect human rights, women’s rights and civil liberties. We have adopted a series of laws and decrees to promote and attract domestic and international investments, safeguard property rights and others pillars of the free market economy; combat narcotics, and protect forest and the environment.

Women, it would appear, were most disappointed with the Conference. The Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Noeleen Heyzer, declared "you cannot talk about halving poverty without looking at the feminization of poverty." Heyzer was critical of the conference working with "static poverty statistics." One of her assistants, Maria Floro, pointed out that new ways of financing development had to consider protecting domestic industries while preparing women to take advantage of new opportunities. Heyzer stated that the meeting should have considered institutional and legal barriers to women's advancement like banking systems that did not lend to women, and customary laws, which prevented female ownership of land.

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In my function as President of the Human Security Network I have also taken the initiative in the framework of the group of female foreign ministers to raise the issue of Amina Lawal in a common letter to the Foreign Minister of Nigeria in order to remind Nigeria of her obligations under international human rights law.

Taking firm and confident steps, the Kingdom of Bahrain affirms its engagement in the development and modernization process under the leadership of His Majesty Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom Bahrain. The country has been proclaimed a constitutional monarchy following the plebiscite on the National Action Charter, designed to promote democratic and constitutional life in the country. The municipal elections in May 2002, in which women participated both as voters and as candidates, were a success, and preparations are now underway for parliamentary elections to take place in October.

Concerted official and popular efforts are being made to ensure success in the democratic and developmental process, as provided for in the Kingdom's constitution, and in its policies and programmes in all fields. In this regard, the Kingdom has, for example, acceded to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Civic activities have been enhanced and the number of nongovernmental societies has risen. These have been promoted so that all Bahrainis may participate in expanding national efforts to ensure the well being of the people and respect f6r human rights in all civic, political, economic, social and cultural areas.

We have dedicated ourselves whole-heartedly to improving the quality of life of our people, and to their development. Our policies were grounded in certain values dear to our hearts. We acted in the firm belief that development is only possible against a matrix of democracy, human rights and rule of law; that structures and institutions in society must be inclusive, participatory and accountable; and that growth must be pro-poor, pro-environment, pro-equity and pro-women. In our view tolerance between religions and appreciation of differing opinions must be imbedded in the social psyche. Our rich intellectual heritage and cultural tradition were the source of home-grown innovative ideas such as micro-credit and special educational projects that enabled us to initiate a quiet revolution in our society that has led to the process of a huge societal transformation.

As a result, we were able to achieve many successes that have been widely acclaimed. Despite our being a traditional society, through effective family-planning programmes we were able to cut population growth - rate by 50% over the last two decades. In agriculture, we now produce sufficient food-grains to feed our entire people. We have invested heavily in human-resources development and provided massive budgetary allocations to primary and secondary education. Schooling up to twelfth Grade is free for girl students, and all are awarded stipends. Gender mainstreaming is a major policy-thrust. Women’s empowerment in Bangladesh receives the highest priority. This is mainly achieved through initiatives such as special provisions for education for girl children, employment of women in garment industry and micro-credit generating self-employment for women. Global recognition to these endeavours were manifest in our recent election to CEDAW.

Un autre défi que nous voulons relever et réussir, c'est l'égalité absolue entre les hommes et les femmes. Cette exigence est un critère définitivement incontournable d'une civilisation de progrès et d'une conception achevée de la démocratie et de l'humanisme.

[unofficial translation]

Another obstacle we would like to approach and successfully tackle is absolute equality between men and women. This is essential criteria of a civilization of progress and a concept integral to democracy and humanism.

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."

The elections held on June 30 led to the establishment of a new Parliament, where diversity imposed itself without violence or dramatic ruptures, within the framework of democratic and political maturity, whose main effect was to begin dismantling the wall of exclusions, based on the acknowledgment of others, as well as tolerance and respect for the different visions of the world that others hold.

For the first time in our history an essential part of the Bolivian population, the "Quechuas", "Aymaras" and "Guaranies" are represented in a fair proportion. A pluralistic legislative branch as far as the ethnic, economic, political and social aspects are concerned, constitutes an auspicious scenario for courageous dialogue to address our most serious problems. Our unequivocal will is to actually maintain this enriching dialogue, because that is where we must seek the political and social reconciliation needed to address the crisis, and work in earnest to do away with the secular social exclusion of our indigenous population as well as the discrimination of women, children and old people.

I am proud to say, we have come a long way, from those devastating times when we needed comfort because children. women. innocent civilians were being killed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Jamais nous n'avons réuni autant de sommets sur ces enjeux majeurs. Pourtant, force est de reconnaître et de constater que nous avons rarement répondu aux attentes des millions de femmes, d'enfants et d'hommes dont la grande majorité continue à vivre dans la précarité, et de plus en plus dans la peur du devenir de notre planète terre.

[unofficial translation]

Never before have we met at as many summits on major issues. Its important to recognize and state that we rarely respond to the needs of women, children and men, the great majority of whom live in precariousness, and are more and more scared of the future of planet earth.

Il y a deux ans, 189 Etats Membres se sont réunis ici même ; ils se sont fixé des objectifs de développement pour le Millénaire parmi lesquels la réduction de l'extrême pauvreté, l'assurance de l'Education Primaire pour tous ;

- la promotion de l'égalité des sexes et l'autonomisation des femmes ;

- la réduction de la mortalité infantile ;

- l'amélioration de la santé maternelle ;

- le combat contre le V.I.H./SIDA et autres maladies dont le paludisme et la tuberculose ;

- la préservation d'un environnement durable ;

- la mise en place d'un partenariat mondial pour le Développement.

[unofficial translation]

It has been 2 years since 189 states fixed the objectives of development for the Millenium, including… the promotion of equality of the sexes and autonomy of women…

The changes that we have undergone in recent years have created new challenges and responsibilities for the world, which we must assume and confront as a global society. Indeed, risks have now become global and know no frontiers. Both States and ordinary men and women in every part of the world now exist in a new environment of uncertainty.

… As the multilateral system continues to develop culturally, socially and politically, Chile will continue to promote the mainstreaming of the gender perspective into the various activities of the international system and its sub-systems. We also support the creation of opportunities for participation in the organizations of civil society.

This more developed, more equitable and safer world to which we aspire also requires that we establish international standards for the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups.

The Czech Republic is conscious of the UN contribution in promoting the respect and protection of human rights. We advocate a consistent approach to the fulfillment of the accepted obligations, in particular in relation to the advancement of women and protection of rights of child including in situation of armed conflicts. We advocate prevention and gradual elimination of all forms of racism and discrimination, including that against members of ethnic or religious minorities, persons with disabilities or older persons, and the ban on torture and the death penalty. We are also paying paramount attention to the draft Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Czech Republic will actively promote its approval by this session of the General Assembly.

Until women are in possession of all human rights, able to take charge of their lives and to achieve their full potential, sustainable development will remain but a dream. The European Union remains committed to fighting all forms of discrimination and violence against women, including murder and mutilation through a misguided sense of honour.

Any discussion about the United Nations, its achievements and its future will be incomplete without recalling the tangible contributions of the Organization towards focusing attention on the major issues of our times and elaborating an international consensus on some of them. This contribution was realized through a series of conferences that were convened during the last decade of the twentieth century and the beginning years of this century on the environment, human rights, population, social development, women, financing for development and sustainable development.

Another important issue, which deserves to be touched upon here, is human trafficking, and in particular, the trafficking in women.

Recently, the Estonian Government acceded three additional protocols to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime, among them the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking of People, Especially Women and Children. In June 2001, at the WoMen and Democracy conference in Lithuania, the Nordic and Baltic ministers of gender equality (and later also the ministers of justice), decided to launch a joint Nordic-Baltic information campaign against the trafficking in women.

The aim of the campaign that will continue at least until the beginning of 2003, is to turn the general public's attention to the problems of prostitution and trafficking in people, and to initiate public discussion about the problems surrounding the issue of trafficking in women. The joint campaign is being carried out simultaneously in the eight Nordic and Baltic countries, with all relevant institutions concentrating, throughout this year, on the matter of how best to combat this problem. We hope that we will soon to have some concrete proposals for drafting amendments to appropriate national legislation.

But the problem of trafficking in women is a part of the broader issues related to women -such as women's position in society, their participation in the decision-making process, and so on. To discuss all these topics in depth, and to highlight women's role in democratic societies, Estonia is hosting a major international conference, WoMen and Democracy, in February 2003. I sincerely hope that this conference will help to further the cause of women's rights.

The recently held Ministerial Meeting of LDCs in Cotonou was indeed timely and we call on the rest of the International Community to lend their full support to the LDCs so that we implement fully the decisions taken. We cannot however, discuss the issue of poverty alleviation without mentioning the problem of women and children. With regard to our women folk, we need to focus more on the 12 critical areas of concern laid out in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, including gender inequalities. As for the issues concerning children, we hope that the follow-up summit held here in New York recently will strengthen us in our resolve to achieve the noble goals that we have set for ourselves to give our children a brighter future.

Women and children need our protection. It is for this specific reason that in Ghana we have created a Ministry for Women and Children's Affairs to enable us tackle issues that affect these two groups. We have embarked on a vibrant educational campaign and are pursuing policy initiatives that will create awareness and reduce the incidence of discrimination against women and help improve their livelihoods. We are also striving to banish child labour and enforce free and compulsory education for all children up to the Junior Secondary School level as enjoined by Ghana's national constitution.

The Secretary-General summarized the nature of the challenges to human development best, during the Millennium Summit. "As the new century dawns, there can be no task more urgent for the UN than that fixed by the Millennium Summit of rescuing one billion men, women and children from abject and dehumanizing poverty."

Guatemala is a country of marked contrasts between wealth and poverty. We labor under secular conditions of injustice. We have come to the Government to promote the reforms required for the well-being of the people, particularly the indigenous people, children, women, peasants and the victims of the internal armed conflict. The reforms are indispensable in order to uphold democracy.…

As regards gender equity, we have just barely managed to make some progress on the institutional plane and institute, in harmony with the women's movement, a public policy that tends to be in the nature of a policy of the State.

We promote an educational reform, literacy campaigns, extensive scholarships for girls in the rural areas and countrywide nutritional programs in schools. We have, in addition, set in motion several components of the strategy to reduce poverty.

[unofficial translation]

Los grandes desaflos del presente siglo exigen incrementar la presencia en el mundo del

Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo, del Programa Mundial de Alimentos, la Organfzaci6n Mundial de la Salud, la Organizaci6n de las Naciones Unidas para la Educacion, la Ciencia y la Cultura, el PNUMA y otros organismos y agencias de nuestro sistema que, con su trabajo, contribuyen eficazmente a crear las condiciones que aseguran a todos los nifios y niflas y hombres y mujeres de todas las edades, independientemente de su origen dtnico y color o credo religioso que tengan las condiciones necesarias para disfrutar plenamente de sus derechos.

[unofficial translation]

En virtud de to anterior, los pueblos del mundo demandan la accion concertada de nuestros Gobiernos para hacer de las Naciones Unidas la mas eficiente organizacion que exista para enfrentar los desaffos que significan los millones de hombres, mujeres y niflas infectados con el virus del VIH/SIDA, los otros que sufren el desempleo y han pasado a engrosar los estamentos mas pobres de la sociedad o los mas de cuarenta millones de niflas y niflas que deambulan por las calles o simplemente viven de ellas.

Allow me to dwell on human rights issues affecting women and children. Unfortunately, women's rights are sometimes viewed as a purely social issue rather than a human rights issue. Women are more often than not the prime victims of conflicts. Yet their right to participate on an equal footing in peace negotiations and decision-making processes is still not recognized. Security Council resolution 1325 is meant to change this and its provisions must be implemented and respected.

While progress has been made towards greater gender equality the situation in many countries is still dire. Trafficking in women has increased, not least in Europe. The resumption of ancient methods of punishment of women in some parts of the world is appalling. Lack of education, information and health care, as well as sexual exploitation, makes women particularly vulnerable to the growing malice of HIV/AIDS.

In countries that harbor terror women are discriminated against. Men are oppressed. Civil and human rights are violated. Poverty cannot escape its own poorness.

My delegation notes with concern that the reduction in funding to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by a major contributor will impact negatively on on-going programmes in many developing countries. The UNFPA continues to play a critical role in assisting the most vulnerable in society namely, women and adolescents. It is our hope that voluntary contributions to the Organization will be restored to the former level and further increased as a matter of urgency.

Latvia realizes that in this globalized world of the 21st century, no nation can be an island unto itself. Several other alarming threats besides international terrorism and arms proliferation present such serious challenges to the human race that they can only hope to be addressed through concerted and long-term international cooperation. These pressing global issues include organized crime and illegal trafficking, the abuse and exploitation of women and children, endemic poverty and unemployment, drug addiction and disease, and environmental pollution.

Dans la même lignée se situe l'action en faveur des femmes, qui se trouve placée sous le parapluie de la Convention internationale sur l'élimination de toutes les formes de discrimination à l'égard des femmes.

Le Luxembourg tient à affirmer son attachement à l'important travail accompli par les fonds et programmes de l'ONU dans ces domaines. Je voudrais mentionner en particulier l'UNICEF, le FNUAP, l'UNIFEM et le PNUD. L'action internationale pour la santé reproductive est au cceur de leurs programmes: elle reste aujourd'hui indispensable. Elle a besoin d'un appui ferme et de moyens budgétaires conséquents.

C'est pourquoi le Luxembourg appuie résolument les efforts du FNUAP. Réduire les moyens pour les femmes en détresse ne rend justice à personne et augmente malheureusement combien de souffrances personnelles.

Along the same lines relating to women, who find themselves under the umbrella of the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Luxembourg firmly holds our attachment to the important work accomplished by funds and programs of the UN on this issue. I want to mention in particular UNICEP, UNPF, UNIFEM and UNDP. International action for the reproductive health is at the core of their programs: they are indispensable. This issue needs to be pressed and funded.

This is why Luxembourg strongly affirms the efforts of UNPF. Decreasing the means for women in distress does not render justice to anyone and unfortunately increase the level of personal suffering.

The international community is undergoing a defining moment. A year after the terrible attack against the United States, in which men and women from 80 different nations perished, we have the responsibility to decide, together, the direction that the international system shall take in the coming years.

… One of the most far-reaching measures we have undertaken to demonstrate our commitment to the cause of human rights is the harmonization of Mexican legislation with international instruments that protect them, with a view to ensuring that the standards established by the international community are fully in force in our country. And we have laid particular emphasis on the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, such as women, children, indigenous peoples and the disabled.

Nepal is fully committed to democracy, justice, and human rights, including those of women and children. We are strengthening the values and institutions of democracy and incorporating international human rights standards into our domestic laws. The National Human Rights Commission is fully functional and the judiciary is being revitalised.

We construe governance as the result of doing things correctly in the political sphere - transparency, human rights and sovereignty; we see growth as the result of doing the right things in the economic and financial sphere - foreign exchange, fiscal and monetary policy and competition; and we understand equity as the result of doing things right in the social sphere - education, health, housing and gender equality.

The Summit in Johannesburg also demonstrated that promoting development and protecting the environment must go hand in hand.

Now, it is up to us to make it all happen.

Making it happen requires us to commit precise and ambitious aims within the most pressing areas of concern. We tried to do so in Johannesburg - especially in the areas of water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity.

Making it happen requires investment in people, that is: Education, respect for human rights, empowerment of women, and the empowerment of the poor. We need more equitable sharing of wealth within and among nations.

Making it happen requires courageous and enlightened leadership. Good governance is indispensable for sustainable development.

Making it happen requires strong international institutions, both to monitor and to act on behalf of us all….

[Re Afghanistan] We must also ensure the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of girls and women….

As leaders, we have a responsibility to protect our citizens. We must focus on human security and protection from violence. Civilians are targeted or used as instruments for intimidation and terror. Women and children are increasingly vulnerable. Relief workers and others who volunteer to help people in need, are subject to deliberate attacks and acts of violence. Our commitment to human security means that we must effectively apply

international humanitarian law.

We have:

Empowered the people by devolving decisionmaking to the grassroots;

Improved human rights, virtually eliminated exploitive child labor and empowered women;

Senor Presidente, la Republica de Panama ha adquirido sin reservas, el compromiso de dar una amplia difusi6n a la declaracion de la cumbre de beijing sobre la mujer, y el protocolo de acci6n, como a la implementacion de la misma en sus doce areas de especial preocupacion.

[unofficial translation]

Mr. President, the Republic of Panama has acquired- without reservation- the commitment to increase the diffusion of the declaration of the Beijing Conference and the protocol for action, such as the implementation of the twelve areas of special concern.

Disgracefully, finding a solution to the ongoing conflict and violence in the Middle East seems unfeasible. Terrorist attacks and military reprisals further exacerbate hatred and

revenge, undermining any possibility to promote negotiations and dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and safeguard of human rights and fundamental freedoms. San

Marino is deeply concerned about the worsening of the situation in this area and strongly condemns the spiral of violence plaguing this region and indiscriminately causing

victims everyday, mainly among civilians, especially women and children.

We condemn those who kill civilians, who target women and children, and we say to them. "You are wrong to take the lives of the innocent whatever the reason, whatever the cause".

Senegal
S.E.M. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, Ministre Des Affaires Étrangeres De L’union Africaine Et Des Sénégalais De L’extérieur
le 17 Septembre 2002

La semaine dernière, l'ONU et la Communauté des Nations commémoraient l'anniversaire des événements tragiques du 11 septembre 2001. En exprimant, de nouveau, nos sincères sentiments de sympathie et de compassion aux milliers de familles américaines et étrangères endeuillées, le Sénégal, son Chef d'Etat et son Gouvernement voudraient réaffirmer, avec force, leur ferme détermination à lutter contre le terrorisme, sous toutes ses formes et manifestations, quels qu'en soient les acteurs, les motivations et les commanditaires. Le Sénégal le proclame haut et fort : il n'est pas de raison ou de cause suffisamment juste ou suffisamment bonne pour justifier un acte de terrorisme contre des femmes enceintes et des civils innocents.

…Voilà qui explique pourquoi mon pays accorde une grande importance à la promotion et la protection des droits de la femme et de l'enfant. Sous l'impulsion du Gouvernement, un vaste programme est en cours de réalisation visant, notamment, à lutter contre les violences faites aux femmes, le trafic et l'exploitation des femmes et enfants à des fins commerciales et sexuelles.

… Comme à l'accoutumée, qu'il soit permis au Sénégal de magnifier et de louanger la grandeur des femmes du monde et particulièrement leurs soeurs africaines, socle fondamental. et puissant moteur du renouveau africain. L'histoire prendra note que c'est le Sénégal, par la voix de son Président, qui a demandé et obtenu que chacune des cinq sous-régions de l'Afrique élisent au moins une femme dans son quota de deux commissaires officiant à la Commission de l'Union africaine. L'Afrique donne ainsi une leçon au reste du monde en appliquant une parité sans précédent, preuve s'il en était encore besoin que si on cherche des compétences féminines, on les trouve.

[unofficial translation]

Last week the UN and the international community commemorated the anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. We reaffirm our sincere feelings of sumpathy and compassion to the millions of American families, and our determination in the fight against terrorism. Senegal proclaims load and clear: there is no reason or cause justified for terrorism against pregnant women and innocent victims.

…This explains why my country attaches a great importance to the promotion and protection of rights of women and children. Through government initiative, a vast program is on course to fight violence against women, the traffic and exploitation of women and children with commercial and sexual intentions.

…As is accustomed, allow Senegal to magnify the greatness of the women of the world and particularly their African sisters, fundamental building blocks and running motors of African renewal. History will take note that Senegal, by the voice of the President, who asked and attained that in all of the five regions of Africa, to enlist at least one woman it their quota of two official commissioners at the Commission of the African Union. Africa provides the lesson to the rest of the world to apply parity as a precedent, proving that what is needed is more female involvement.

We cannot but address the plight of the Palestinian people who are subjected to daily horrors. The killings of innocent civilians, including women and children, destruction of houses, and daily humiliations inflicted upon the Palestinian people by Israel must be condemned by the international community.

… It was not until August 2000, that a Transitional National Government and Transitional Parliament were constituted and a Head of State H.E. Dr. Abdikassim Salad Hassan was elected. This was as a result of a conference held in Arta in the Republic of Djibouti, attended by more than 3000 Somalis from all regions and walks of life, including traditional leaders, intellectuals, business persons women. The warlords were repeatedly invited and opted not to participate.

Together, the UN agencies and the organs of the African Union must give priority to such matters as human resources development and capacity building, modernising Africa's economy, dealing decisively with the intolerable debt burden, ensuring access for our products in the markets of the developed world, speeding-up the emancipation and empowerment of women, combating communicable and other diseases, including AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and fighting against environmental degradation.

The growing importance of International Law has a most direct bearing upon the intense activity of this Organization in favor of human rights. Allow me to refer in this context to a hideous, silent violation of human rights. Violence in the family is a scourge that primarily affects women, children, and older people of all cultures, regardless of their level of economic development.

How can we, for instance, explain or shamefully ignore and, therefore, indirectly accept, that violence against women should cause more deaths and disabilities than cancer, traffic accidents, or even war? Can we tolerate this situation? As a woman, and as a human being, clearly NO.

… Speaking of development, I wish to insist again on the importance of the situation of women in the world. They're position, their explicit or implicit relegation, their status as a whole are very often clearly unfair, and is at the root of the deficiencies of many societies. Let us remember that the advancement of women in our societies is not only an OBVIOUS RIGHT. It is probably the most effective and PROFITABLE STRATEGY to cope with the persistent nightmare of underdevelopment.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Still, vast numbers of women, men and children all over the world are deprived of their declared, inherent and universal human rights.

Harassment, torture and killings take place daily, also through abhorrent practices such as genital mutilation and stoning. Sometimes the reason for a person being abused is his or her gender, religion, belief, sexual orientation, or the fact that he or she is disabled.

We have a duty to act against discrimination. The principles of non-discrimination and diversity are fundamental to a humane and decent society. The sovereignty of States must never be used as a shield behind which violations of human rights take place.

The General Assembly has taken the first step to establish an international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. This is a very welcome development.

The Secretary-General's report on how to eliminate violence against women and girls committed in the name of honour is another significant contribution. Legal, protective and other preventive measures for women and girls at risk should be addressed in a concerted manner.

Do we, the Member Countries, large and small, powerful and less powerful, developed, less developed, developing, make optimal use of those tools to carry out the necessary responsibility and solidarity towards one another, towards our peoples, in particular towards the most vulnerable ones amongst us, towards our children, older persons, persons with disabilities, persons with HIV/AIDS, women and men, older and younger persons, who are suffering from extreme poverty, from hunger, deathly diseases, drought, war crimes ?

… Suriname has ratified all major human rights instruments and is satisfied with the special attention of the Committee on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) during the consideration of amongst others the Surinamese initial periodic report last June, for the importance of human rights as a way to transform the society, as a birth right.

Today, we see security problems from a broader angle, that of human security. Men, women and children must be able to live in this world without fear of death, starvation and despotism. In particular, we must protect vulnerable individuals and groups. Switzerland will continue its efforts in favour of human security. This includes stopping the recruitment of child soldiers, eliminating anti-personnel mines, and stopping the

proliferation of small arms.

… Switzerland is convinced that peace and development can only be sustained if the international community is founded on freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. Human dignity is our most precious asset. It must be defended at all times and in all places. We will champion this conviction at the UN to the full and without concessions. For as long as men and women are exploited, children are mistreated, and the death penalty is  carried out, Switzerland will do everything within its power to defend human dignity.

However, whilst Tuvalu appreciates these considerations for small island developing states in the respective processes, we appeal for more concrete recognition, particularly by the donor community, of our "special case" situation to enable us cope with the challenges that we face, particularly with regards to capacity building through quality education and health, access to fresh water and affordable energy, infrastructures and sanitation. Without additional and adequate resources, partnership initiatives arising from these processes will have no real meaning especially for those within communities that are most in need like the women, children and people on rural and outer island areas.

If we meet our responsibilities, if we overcome this danger, we can arrive at a very different future. The people of Iraq can shake off their captivity. They can one day join a democratic Afghanistan and a democratic Palestine, inspiring reforms throughout the Muslim world. These nations can show by their example that honest government, and respect for women, and the great Islamic tradition of learning can triumph in the Middle East and beyond.