Mr. Co-Chairman,
Allow me to share with you and this August body a few observations and thoughts concerning the Secretary General's recommendations that are on our agenda today.
Regarding the first recommendation, I would like to express my delegation's interest concerning the proposal of the creation of the post of Deputy-Secretary-General. At
the same time, my delegation fully shares the thoughts expressed by the Group of 77 and China concerning especially the prerogatives of this high non-elected official.
This being said, my delegation is ready to consider the Secretary General's proposal with an open mind and in a constructive way.
As far as are the other recommendations are concerned, my delegation would like to fully endorse the views expressed by the Permanent Representative of Colombia
on behalf of the NAM.
Regarding the General Assembly, I think that all of us agree that its methods of work , procedures and agenda have to be thoroughly reviewed and rationalized.
But we should, at the same time, make sure that the General Assembly continues to be this unique and privileged forum it has always been where can be considered and
freely debated such essential issues, as peace, security and development, because we believe that the General Assembly remains the best way to ensure an effective
participation of all States to the management of the world's affairs, to the search of solutions to international problems and to promote and develop a genuine
democratization of the international relations.
It is in this spirit, that the issue of the respective prerogatives of the Secretary General and the General Assembly should be apprehended. In fact this issue should find
an appropriate solution within the general framework of an overall redefinition of the relations between all the main bodies of the United Nations.
Mr. Co-Chairman,
My delegation is very grateful to the Secretary General for the particular attention he gave to the issues of peace and security. The last years experience has fully
demonstrated the need of a stronger involvement of the international community in resolving the international conflicts in the world.
As far as the preventive action is concerned, we believe that the concept which has not yet been properly defined has to be further debated and agreed upon. We
consider it also absolutely essential for the United Nations in this context to fully and in all circumstances respect the fundamental principle of non-interference in the
internal affairs of Member States and their sovereignty. The consent of the States and the concerned parties is therefore absolutely indispensable before any action to
settle a problem is undertaken.
As far as communicating information on preventive actions is concerned, it is also equally important to avoid establishing a hierarchy between those countries that are
supposed not to have particular capabilities and those supposed to have such capacities, the risk being that the latter would be given a special status of watchdog and
even ultimately the licence to act as an international gendarme.
Regarding the measures intended to enhance the rapid action capacity of the United Nations, the issue of reimbursement to troop-contributing countries, my delegation
fully associates itself with the position expressed by Colombia on behalf of the NAM and has no additional comments to make in this regard.
Mr. Co-Chairman,
In the field of disarmament , Algeria fully subscribes to the fundamental option of the Security for all States , the promotion of which can only be carried out through the
realization of nuclear disarmament first and then the elimination of all mass destruction weapons and finally the progressive and balanced reduction of conventional
weapons on the international level as well as on the regional one.
In this regard , my country fully supports the so called Disarmament Triad, and is of the view, in this context, that the Conference on Disarmament should continue to
enjoy the support of all states because it is the only multilateral body of negotiation in the filed of disarmament.
In the same way, the Disarmament Commission that is the only deliberative body of the General Assembly in the field of Disarmament open to all member states, should
continue to be this forum for democratic debates and fruitful exchanges it has always been.
This being said, my delegation is fully prepared to consider any proposal aiming at improving the methods of work and the procedures of this Commission.
Last but not least, we believe that the First Committee has to continue to focus its work on the issue of security and disarmament. It should be noted in this context, that
thanks to the rationalization of its work, some progress has been registered but lots of efforts remain to be made to arrive at better results.
At this stage, my delegation is open to any proposal aiming at improving the work of this Commission.
Now, regarding the issue of the thematic debate, the usefulness of which remains, from our point of view, to be established, my delegation finds it difficult to add new
items not related to the subject currently considered, in the agenda of the Commission.
Finally the thematic selection in the different bodies that the Secretary General is proposing, raises, as far as disarmament is for instance concerned, practical difficulties
due mainly to the differing views and approaches that the Member States are defending as recently demonstrated at the Conference on disarmament unable to agree on
its agenda.
Thank you.
