Madam President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Government and people of Sri Lanka
, I congratulate you, Madam President, as you assume
the high office of President of the 61st Session of
the General Assembly of the United Nations. I am happy
to note that a lady from a sister Asian country will
guide us through the current session.
Sri Lanka , being the country that elected the first
woman Head of Government in the modem world¬-Prime
Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike - your assumption of
this high office is of special significance to us.
To His Excellency Jan Eliasson, let me convey our gratitude
for the leadership he provided to the work of the 60th
session of the General Assembly.
In 1970, when I was first elected to the Parliament
of Sri Lanka, a paragraph in the Preamble of the Charter
of the United Nations gave substance and direction to
my future political life.
(I quote)
..... to reaffirm 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"
(Unquote)
Having been a human rights campaigner at the grass roots
level throughout my political life, it was natural that
my new government should be committed to carrying the
message of democracy to all corners of our multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural and multi-religious country. Democracy,
equity and prosperity is our clarion call.
In addition, my country has been influenced by the core
Buddhist values of non-violence, loving kindness, compassion,
equanimity and mindfulness.
With this sense of direction, our Government committed
itself "Towards a New Sri Lanka" - guided
by a vision of peace; where every Sri Lankan citizen
may live with dignity and self-respect; in freedom and
without fear; free of want; and where every child may
enjoy childhood and grow up with hope and expectation.
Madam President, however, Sri Lanka 's dream is threatened
by the terrible affliction which impedes development,
undermines democracy and challenges fundamental freedoms.
I refer to the bane of terrorism which confronts my
country and many other countries of the world. I wish
to reaffirm my government's firm commitment to supporting
all global efforts to combat terrorism whenever and
wherever it raises its ugly head.
Terrorism has become closely intertwined with organized
crime. It is now directly linked with people smuggling,
the trade in illicit drugs, the illegal trade in small
arms and money laundering. Terrorism is a major impediment
to development and poses a terrible challenge to civilized
society. We support all measures undertaken in the UN
to meet this challenge. We have ratified all UN Conventions
in this regard.
In our capacity as Chair of the Ad-hoc Committee on
Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, we shall
spare no effort to realize the international legal framework
to facilitate our common struggle against terrorism.
It is our fervent hope that the Comprehensive Convention
on International Terrorism will soon become a reality.
The illicit trade and trafficking in small arms and
light weapons, has contributed to the escalation of
many local conflicts, due to the easy availability of
arms to non-State actors. Sri Lanka is concerned that
despite the commitment of the international community
to wipe out this menace, the impact at ground level
throughout the world, is limited. We hope that the UN
Plan of Action on this matter will be fully implemented,
and its scope further expanded in the future.
With regard to terrorism, I speak with personal experience
in my own country. Exploiting minority concerns, which
we are addressing politically, a ruthless terrorist
outfit in Sri Lanka , the L TTE, has been terrorizing
our people for over two decades. In an age when the
world seeks dialogue and peace, the L TTE devotes its
full force to violence, suicide bombings, massacre of
civilians, indiscriminate armed assaults, and conscription
of young children for war.
Assurances given to the UN Secretary-General's Special
Representative on 'Children and Armed Conflict', on
the conscription of children for armed combat, have
been blatantly violated.
At the Presidential election in November last year,
people in certain parts of Sri Lanka were cruelly deprived
of their freedom to vote. Furthermore, in an act of
'ethnic cleansing', more than 60,000 Muslims were forcibly
expelled from their homes in the North.
Madam President, our government believes that some of
the concerns of minorities in my country have deep roots.
In this connection, I recall the words contained in
the Constitution of the UNESCO to the following effect:
(I quote)
"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in
the minds of men that the
defences of peace must be constructed"
(Unquote)
Soon after my election, despite the violence unleashed
by the LTTE, I therefore expressed the conviction that
we need to address the causes of the conflict through
a fresh perspective, and a new approach to develop a
sustainable solution. We examined this issue with an
open mind, and looked at all options available with
a view to evolving a national consensus to achieve an
honourable peace in an undivided country.
A consultative process is currently underway to prepare
constitutional proposals to address the concerns of
the minorities. I have invited the LTTE to participate
in the process of seeking a solution to the conflict
through dialogue.
As one of the oldest democracies in Asia , it is our
firm conviction that the restoration of democracy, the
creation of space for dissent, and the promotion of
human rights in the conflict affected areas, are the
essential elements of a successful and sustainable process
of Peace. I hope that the international community will
continue to extend to us its fullest support towards
the transformation of the LTTE into a democratic civilian
organization.
Our government firmly believes that terrorism cannot
be eliminated through military means alone. We remain
fully committed to talking with the LTTE either directly
or through a facilitator. It is our hope that the LTTE
will transform itself from a terrorist outfit to one
that is committed to dialogue and democracy. Our government
stands ready to respond to any display of goodwill and
a move towards a non-violent approach.
We continue to take unilateral humanitarian measures
which extend even to LTTE cadres. As a responsible government,
we will continue to provide unhindered access to conflict
affected areas to the ICRC, to UN Agencies and to other
recognized humanitarian agencies.
Over 53,000 Muslims were evicted from their homes by
the LTTE, following the recent violence. They are the
innocent victims of the LTTE's ruthless policies. Following
government counter measures, almost all of these have
now returned to their homes. The government has assumed
responsibility to provide medical supplies, food and
other essential items to the Internally Displaced Persons
living in the affected areas.
Madam President, I am pleased to state that despite
the conflict in our country, the economy of Sri Lanka
continues to grow at a commendable rate. In the first
quarter of this year, we recorded a growth of 8.1 %,
- the highest in 28 years. With our determination to
further enhance growth with equity, we have adopted
an economic strategy that will provide opportunities
for all citizens, while at the same time giving the
private sector adequate space, as the engine of growth.
We continue to maintain highest rating on the Human
Development Index in South Asia . We have already achieved
some of the Millennium Development Goal targets in primary
school enrolment, gender equality and maternal and infant
mortality rates. We hope that the increased economic
opportunities in the country will further encourage
the LTTE to opt for a negotiated peace.
We follow a pro-poor development strategy with a focus
on regionally balanced growth. Our objective is to achieve
overall development, while raising the income levels
of the poor through the empowerment of communities living
at grassroots level. In this connection Sri Lanka hopes
that debt forgiveness will continue to be expanded to
encourage the development of developing countries. It
is only right that those who reached the heights of
development should pause to lend a helping hand to those
who have fallen behind due to circumstances.
I also wish to acknowledge the role of President Clinton,
the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, and the Secretary
General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for their help with tsunami
related assistance. I am pleased to state that despite
being a developing country, we are now well on the way
to recovery from this massive disaster, in many instances
as a result of the efforts of our own people. We urge
our development partners to stay involved with us in
this long term effort.
Madam President, we in Sri Lanka see the United Nations
as an organization that is indispensable to create a
just and secure world order.
We, the 192 members of the United Nations, must continue
to have faith in our collective capacity for reforming
the United Nations, so that it is made more effective
and more relevant to the needs of its members in facing
the challenges of the 21st century.
We are pleased with several important measures that
have been adopted since the 60th Session.
Given my personal commitment to the promotion of human
rights at both local and international level, the establishment
of the Human Rights Council with enhanced status and
capacity to promote and protect human rights worldwide,
is a cause for delight. I am happy that Sri Lanka was
elected to the Council in May this year. In honouring
a pledge made at the Presidential election last year,
we have already started work on crafting a Human Rights
Charter in Sri Lanka . Consistent with our goal of safeguarding
human rights, my government will establish an international
panel to observe investigations into certain alleged
human rights violations which my Government has already
condemned.
The establishment of the Peace-Building Commission is
another important landmark achievement of the United
Nations this year. We are also pleased that Sri Lanka
has been elected to the Organizing Committee of the
Peace Building Commission as a founder member of this
important body. The needs and concerns of those affected,
the specific theatres of conflict, and the ground realities
of each specific situation must necessarily be taken
into account in the work of the Commission.
We are also encouraged by the general agreement that
the Security Council has to be strengthened, as it does
not reflect current geo-political realities. We therefore
look forward to the continuation of work towards Security
Council reform: towards making its composition more
representative and its decision making more democratic.
It is essential that the Security Council reflects the
current geo-political realities in Asia, Africa and
Latin America.
Madam President, for long years now, on the basis of
our commitment to human rights and dignity, we have
had a lasting interest in seeing the emergence of peace
in the Middle East. The recognition of the rights of
the Palestinian people is a concern to me, as well as
to my country. A large number of Sri Lankans have, in
recent years, made the Middle East their temporary home.
We are pained by the recent escalation of violence in
that region, and the devastation in Lebanon . It is
our sincere hope that the Security Council Resolution
SC 1701 of 2006 will pave the way for peace and security
for Lebanon , as well as for the region.
The Preamble of the UN Charter requires that we "unite
our strength to maintain international peace and security".
Let us all, members of the United Nations, focus sharply
on this commitment. Let us dedicate ourselves to its
realization. And let us mobilize our collective energies
towards the achievement of peace and security world
wide.
Let us make Peace the goal of the present decade. Let
us all unite for peace.
May all living beings be free of suffering, be healthy
and be prosperous.
May the blessings of the Noble Triple Gem be with you
all.
Thank You.
|
