Peace and resolution of conflict through dialogue takes centre stage in our lives and hence need to be accorded the highest priority on the UN agenda. All of us here are only too aware that peace is not the simple absence of war, it entails an active engagement to make every effort to understand the root-causes that endanger peace and generate conflict.
I also require resolute action for consensus building in order to arrive at a sustainable solution that guarantees a lasting Peace.
In Sri Lanka, my government has implemented serious programmes to engage the armed group - the LTTE - in comprehensive peace negotiation for 10 long years. This process has seen successes and setbacks. Armed hostilities have been halted for the past 2 1/2 years under a Ceasefire Agreement. A comprehensive development strategy has been launched in the North and East of the country, affected by the conflict. The Government of Norway is playing the role of facilitator for the negotiation process for nearly six years. We have taken the process forward with the active participation of Norway, even though at present the LTTE is refusing to return to the negotiating table from which it withdrew nearly eighteen months ago.
We deeply appreciate the strong support we have received and continue to receive from the international community. While Norway is playing an extremely essential role in facilitating talks between the government and the armed group, others such as India, Japan, the USA and the EU together with UN Agencies and some international non governmental organizations are deeply involved with the development and rehabilitation process of the war-affected areas as well as in the poverty alleviation programmes in the rest of the country. My government has obtained a clear mandate at numerous elections to end the war and to bring a negotiated settlement to the country. We are committed to reach a negotiated settlement with the LTTE, a settlement that would satisfy all the peoples of Sri Lanka founded on democracy, the respect for human rights, a pluralist polity and society and good governance.
We are fully aware that peace is not achieved easily that peace is a constant struggle for mutual understanding, reconciliation, and to establish the rule of law, justice and equality.
The Buddha, popularly known as the Prince of Peace has preached at length about peace and all that is required to achieve it, peace within nations and within each individual. I quote from the Dhammapada:
"Victory breeds hatred. The defeated live in pain. Happily the peaceful live, giving up victory and defeat."
Mr. President,
Global developments that provide the context of this session, present a mixed picture. While economic and human development efforts in some countries have made progress, political processes undertaken to bring peaceful resolution to conflicts have been plagued by continuing violence, in others.
We are deeply saddened, at the violence, instability, loss of life and human suffering in Iraq. We in Sri Lanka know, and have experienced, first hand, the impact of violence on society and the difficulty in finding solutions to problems of governance that satisfy all parties. Security measures alone, as pointed out recently by the Secretary-General’s special representative to Iraq, will not suffice to end violence and create stability and peace. Political consensus building, reconciliation, rehabilitation and the promotion of the rule of law are essential for democracy to take root. Equally important, in today’s interdependent, increasingly globalized world is the commitment of the international community to remain engaged and ensure that Iraq does not become further plagued by violence and fragment on ethnic or religious lines.
All of us as leaders, and above all as mothers and fathers can never forget the sheer brutality of the terrorist attack earlier this month on a school in the Russian Federation which led to the loss of so many lives of children and adults. Terrorism in all its manifestation must be condemned and fought relentlessly and globally. While no cause justifies terror unleashed upon the innocent such outrages must make us redouble our efforts to address their root causes and seek political and socio-economic explanations and solutions to them. We are currently engaged in this task in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is firmly committed to the global endeavour to fight terrorism. We have signed and ratified the UN Conventions aimed at combating this menace. We continue to contribute to the process by chairing the Ad Hoc Committee on Measures to Eliminate international Terrorism. We hope that at this session of the General Assembly, progress could be made on the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and on the draft Convention on Nuclear Terrorism.
Sri Lanka believes in the UN and its potential to be the principal forum where the voice of the poor, defenceless and the weak is also heard as much as the voice of the rich and powerful. We look to the United Nations - its Specialized Agencies and programmes - together with international civil society as the institutions that are capable of empowering people and promoting their rights and liberties, advancing free and fair trade, and forging a new level of international cooperation, with a shared responsibility for global governance and collective action for peace and security.
We recognize, therefore, the need for reform to render the United Nations more responsive to the needs and aspirations of all of its member States. We look forward to the recommendations to be presented to this session of the General Assembly by the ‘High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change’, appointed by the Secretary-General.
There is general agreement that the Security Council, as it is presently constituted, does not reflect the current geopolitical realities. Reform has to be comprehensive and should not be confined to the question of enlargement of the Security Council alone. However, we share the concern over the lack of progress on the question of equitable regional representation and the increase in the membership of the Security Council, both permanent and non-permanent categories. For many years, most of the member States, particularly the developing countries have consistently urged that the composition of the Security Council be broadened to accommodate the basic principles of democratic representation. This includes adequate representation of developing countries. In this context, we observe that Asia, the most populous continent that is home to expanding economic power houses in the world, is grossly under-represented in the present Council.
We take note of the fact that four countries - Brazil, Germany, India and Japan - will announce their participation in a compact, in terms of which they will collectively support their respective candidatures for permanent status in an expanded Security Council. Sri Lanka supports their candidatures, as each of them complies with one or more of the objective criteria applicable to the expansion of the permanent membership of the Security Council and hopes that the Open Ended Working Group would continue to exert efforts to resolve all outstanding issues expeditiously. Sri Lanka would also wish to see a consensus emerging on the permanent representation of Africa in the Security Council. Africa must be included when a final determination is reached on the future composition of the Security Council.
We also believe that the General Assembly which is representative of all member States of the UN should have a larger and more active role to play as a deliberative and decision-making body.
Children in some of our countries suffer from the ignominious practice of being used as child soldiers. We are addressing this problem by seeking to engage the LTTE in the process of negotiation and by supporting the activities spearheaded by UNICEF and civil society organizations working on this issue.
The Millennium Declaration Goals have given to the United Nations and member States a massive and challenging task. While the United Nations has been criticized by some, many have praised the organisation. All agree that the United Nations remains an indispensable instrument for preserving international peace and security and promoting socio-economic development, social justice and human rights. In a rapidly changing world economy and strategic environment, the UN however must meet the emerging challenges. It has a pivotal contribution to make in providing the political, legal and moral force underpinning the collective efforts of the member States towards creating a world where human rights freedom and equitable development are promoted and protected. It is perhaps in such an environment that those who suffer from deprivation and marginalisation will reject the advocacy of violence offered by extremists and terrorist groups as the only instrument of change. To this end, the UN can make a collective contribution. We expect the UN to epitomize the force of law not the rule of force.
However, we cannot expect the UN to deliver what the member States fail to support. The UN can do what its member States want it to do; no more, no less.
We witness with concern the emergence of a contrived association of certain religious beliefs with some groups of fanatics. Extremism, violence and terrorism are the complete antithsis of the ethical and spiritual foundation of all religious philosophies and practices. We should work resolutely to prevent these aberrations from becoming trends.
On the other hand, we are disturbed to witness religious symbols being defamed or abused for commercial purposes. Whether the symbols belong to Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish or any other faith, such abuse should be condemned and desisted from. The recent phenomenon of using Buddhist symbols for promotional work in the entertainment industry, thus causing concern and pain of mind among the Buddhists all over the world is a case in point. Fortunately, most of these organizations have agreed to refrain from such abuse in the future. Sri Lanka together with other like-minded States has brought this situation to the attention of UNESCO and other relevant inter-governmental bodies. We propose that the United Nations should call upon those responsible to pay due respect to religious symbols and practices. This would be a fitting contribution by the UN to its own initiative on a ‘dialogue among civilizations.’
(http://www.island.lk/2004/09/23/news4.html)
