MADAME CHAIRPERSON:
 
ON BEHALF OF THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION, I AM DEEPLY PLEASED TO EXTEND WARMEST GREETINGS TO YOU AND TO YOUR DELEGATION ON THE OCCASION OF THE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE COORDINATING BUREAU OF THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT.  CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE EXCELLENT PREPARATIONS FOR THIS MEETING. WE OFFER YOU OUR FULL SUPPORT AND BEST WISHES.
 

SOUTH AFRICA.

WE CONGRATULATE SOUTH AFRICA FOR HER STEADY, BUT INNOVATIVE, LEADERSHIP. THE IMPETUS GENERATED AT THE SEPTEMBER 1998 MEETING OF NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT, IN DURBAN, HAS BEEN EXCELLENTLY MAINTAINED.  THIS HAS FURTHER ENHANCED OUR MOVEMENT’S STATURE AND INFLUENCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
 
IN THE CONTEXT OF PRESENT GLOBALIZATION--MORE THAN A DECADE AFTER THE BREAKING OF COLD-WAR BARRIERS--THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT MUST CONTINUE TO DEFINE ITSELF. WHERE AND HOW DOES IT STAND ON A MYRIAD OF PRESSING GLOBAL ISSUES AND CONCERNS?  NAM CAN, AND SHOULD, PLAY A KEY ROLE IN PUSHING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACCORDS MADE AT RECENT GLOBAL CONFERENCES.

CONSCIOUS OF THE IDEALS ENSHRINED IN OUR BANDUNG DECLARATION, OUR MOVEMENT MUST BE AN ACTIVE PLAYER IN THE AFFAIRS OF A WORLD THAT IS NO LONGER FRACTURED BY IDEOLOGICAL PRESSURES. TOGETHER, WE MUST SPEAK WITH A POWERFUL MORAL VOICE, RESONATING, NOT ONLY IN THE CHAMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL FORA, BUT ALSO IN THE DECISION ROOMS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS.
 

MADAME CHAIRPERSON:

WISH TO UNDERSCORE SEVERAL ISSUES FOR NAM’S PRIORITY AGENDA, NAMELY: TERRORISM; THE UNITED NATIONS, PARTICULARLY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL; CONFLICT PREVENTION; PEACE-KEEPING; SANCTIONS AND CIVILIANS; HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION; AND REGIONAL CONCERNS.
 

TERRORISM.

ON THE ELEVENTH OF SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, WE SAW THE WANTON HAVOC AND DEVASTATION THAT A FEW RUTHLESS INDIVIDUALS COULD CAUSE.  IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT CLEARLY EXPRESS ITS CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM AND TO DETERMINE HOW IT COULD BEST PARTICIPATE IN EXTIRPATING TERRORISM IN ALL ITS MANIFESTATIONS.   MANY OF OUR COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS.  OUR MOVEMENT SHOULD WORK CLOSELY WITH THE UNITED NATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE SECURITY COUNCIL, IN FIGHTING THIS MENACE TO WORLD SOCIETY.
 

THE UNITED NATIONS: KEYSTONE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

ANOTHER IMPORTANT TASK IS FOR US IS TO HELP IN THE REFORM AND STRENGTHENING OF THE UNITED NATIONS.  WE MUST HELP ENSURE ITS ABILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S CENTRAL INFLUENCE IN THE UNITED NATIONS FAMILY HAS DECLINED THROUGH THE YEARS, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL.   WE SHOULD AIM TO REVITALIZE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, FOR IT IS IN THIS BODY THAT THE EQUALITY OF SOVEREIGN NATIONS FINDS FULL RECOGNITION.  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY’S ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT ALSO NEEDS TO BE RE-AFFIRMED.  IN THIS REGARD, THE JOINT COORDINATION COMMITTEE OF THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT AND THE GROUP OF 77 SHOULD INTERACT MORE REGULARLY AND MORE CLOSELY.

THE SECURITY COUNCIL.  REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS ESSENTIAL IN STRENGTHENING THE UNITED NATIONS. THE COUNCIL’S MEMBERSHIP MUST REFLECT THE INCREASE, IN NUMBERS AND IN DIVERSITY, OF UNITED NATIONS MEMBERSHIP OVER THE YEARS.

OUR MOVEMENT SHOULD HELP THE REFORM WORKING GROUP FIND ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS REGARDING EXPANSION OF THE COUNCIL’S MEMBERSHIP AND IMPROVEMENT OF ITS WORK-METHOD TRANSPARENCY.

IT IS IN THIS LIGHT THAT THE PHILIPPINES SEEKS THE SUPPORT OF U.N. MEMBER STATES IN OUR BID FOR A NON-PERMANENT SEAT IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL, FOR THE TERM 2004-2005.
 

CONFLICT PREVENTION.

THE SCOURGE OF WAR CONTINUES TO LASH OUR WORLD.  FIVE-MILLION LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE PAST DECADE DUE TO INTRA AND INTERSTATE CONFLICTS.  THE UNITED NATIONS DESERVES TO BE GIVEN ADEQUATE RESOURCES, FOR IT TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY MORE EFFECTIVELY.

WE SHOULD PUT GREATER EMPHASIS ON CONFLICT PREVENTION.  THIS IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN PEACE-KEEPING.  IT PAYS TO SEEK AND HEAL, EARLY ENOUGH, ROOT CAUSES AND THUS PREVENT POTENTIAL CONFLICT.  OUR CONFLICT-PREVENTION MEASURES, OF COURSE, SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED AND SHOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER.
 

UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING.
 
THE PHILIPPINES, LIKE OTHER NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT MEMBERS, REMAINS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN U.N. PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS.

THE UNITED NATIONS UNDOUBTEDLY BENEFITS FROM OUR HELP TO IMPROVE ITS PEACE-OPERATIONS CAPACITIES.  THESE OPERATIONS HAVE, BY NECESSITY, INCREASINGLY BECOME AN AMALGAM OF PEACE-MAKING, PEACE-KEEPING, AND POST-CONFLICT PEACE-BUILDING.  IT IS IN THIS CONTEXT THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT INSTITUTIONALIZING CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND TROOP-CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES.
 

EFFECTS OF SANCTIONS ON CIVILIAN POPULATIONS.

THE PHILIPPINES IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONALLY-APPROVED SANCTIONS ON INNOCENT CIVILIAN POPULATIONS, PARTICULARLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN. OUR MOVEMENT SHOULD SUPPORT A PERIODIC REVIEW OF EXISTING SANCTION REGIMES AND WORK FOR THE SECURITY COUNCIL’S APPROVAL ONLY OF SANCTIONS WHICH SPARE INNOCENT CIVILIANS FROM UNNECESSARY SUFFERING.
 

HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION.

THE UNITED NATIONS PRINCIPLES OF THE SOVEREIGN EQUALITY OF STATES AND NON-INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF STATES ARE, LIKEWISE, FUNDAMENTAL NAM PRINCIPLES.  WE SHOULD INSIST THAT ANY U. N.  INTERVENTION SHOULD BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE PRINCIPLES.
 

REGIONAL ISSUES.

THE NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT SHOULD BE IN THE FOREFRONT IN SEEKING A RESOLUTION TO THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT.  WE SHOULD CONDEMN ALL ATTACKS AGAINST CIVILIANS AND NON-COMBATANTS.  SUCH ACTIONS ARE BLATANT VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW.  THE ROOT OF THE CONFLICT IS THE CONTINUED ISOLATION OF PALESTINE BY THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND THE LATTER’S POLICY OF RESETTLEMENT OF PALESTINIAN LANDS.   THE CONTINUED VIOLENCE PERPETRATED AGAINST INNOCENT CIVILIANS, BOTH PALESTINIAN AND ISRAELI, MAKES MATTERS WORSE.  OUR MOVEMENT SHOULD STAUNCHLY OPPOSE SUCH VIOLENCE, WHILE CONSIDERING EVERY MEANS TO SECURE LASTING PEACE.

IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD, WE ARE GRATIFIED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS ON THE VERGE OF A SUCCESS STORY IN EAST TIMOR.  THE COUNTRY, WHICH WILL BECOME THE NEWEST SOVEREIGN STATE THIS CENTURY, HAS ELECTED A GOVERNMENT AND WILL DECLARE ITS INDEPENDENCE THIS MAY. THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT NAM MEMBERS HAVE MADE FOR THE SUCCESS OF INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS IN EAST TIMOR SHOULD GIVE US REASON FOR GLADNESS.
 

MADAME CHAIRPERSON,

THE PHILIPPINE DELEGATION HAS UNDERSCORED SOME ISSUES THAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD OCCUPY NAM’S ATTENTION IN THE YEARS AHEAD.  WE BELIEVE THAT, WITH THE SOLIDARITY OF ITS MEMBERS, NAM WILL BE ABLE TO ACT ON THESE ISSUES POSITIVELY, IN THE CONTEXT OF EQUAL PARTNERSHIP AND MUTUALITY OF INTEREST.  WE, THUS, ENDORSE THE DRAFT FINAL COMMUNIQUÉ AND OTHER DOCUMENTS BEFORE US FOR ADOPTION.

IN CONCLUSION, I WISH OUR MEETING EVERY SUCCESS.  I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE SHALL ACHIEVE MUCH.
 
 

THANK YOU.