Multilateralism and the UN are keys to addressing global crises, European leaders say

Multilateralist approaches are essential to tackling the global crises of today, several European leaders have told the General Assembly, arguing for a strengthened United Nations to meet these challenge.

“We do not have to be uncritical fans of the UN to be persuaded that the strengthened multilateral system with the UN playing a central role is a necessity,” Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, said on Thursday.

“It is telling to see that while the talk about the UN crisis has intensified, the demand for UN field operations and its involvement in crisis management has sharply increased,” he noted.

“All of us have a collective interest in preventing wars within States and between them, as well as in addressing threats and challenges. And all of us know that in order to meet these interests we need a stronger UN.”

“It is said that State-building is a long and difficult process,” said Valdas Adamkus, the President of Lithuania. “This is precisely why UN assistance in this area is much needed.

He said the new Peacebuilding Commission “brings renewed hope for post-conflict countries to avoid slipping back into chaos” but warned that institutions alone would not substitute for political will. “Strong international commitment is necessary in offering hope of a better life wherever nations struggle to get back on their feet.”

The Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Bernard Rudolf Bot, said terrorism must be addressed through attention to its root causes. “Unlike those who have a perspective on a better life by access to education and jobs, people without prospects and without a voice are more easily lured by the siren call of hatred. To deal with that issue is one of the core missions of the United Nations. We ? all nations of the UN ? have a collective responsibility to give people a future and a voice so that they can improve their lives.”

He welcomed the recent adoption of the UN strategy on counter-terrorism. “Now, we must see to its implementation,” he said.

Ursula Plassnik, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria, also welcomed the adoption of the counter-terrorism strategy, saying it sent “a clear message that the international community is united against this scourge of humanity.”

She also lauded the “excellent work of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, particularly its Terrorism Prevention Branch, in delivering technical assistance to States.”

Jean Asselborn, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg, praised the UN counter-terrorism strategy while calling for a focus on preventing the scourge and guaranteeing respect for human rights and the rule of law.

It was important to do more than pay lip service to multilateralism, he said. After the events in the Middle East, no country great or small could ignore the fact that a multilateral system was the only viable way to solve conflicts. He stressed the need to reform the Security Council reform by adding permanent and non-permanent members to make it more representative.

Also speaking on multilateralism, Norman José Caldera Cardenal, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, said the international system was being tested, he said, with increasingly complex problems needing to be addressed. Those included the situation in the Middle East, Iran's nuclear issue, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Haiti, Darfur and terrorism.

He said the UN must be reformed in order to respond to the grave threats to world peace. Such reforms should be comprehensive, in order to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles that stood in the way of General Assembly decisions, he added, calling for an expansion of the Security Council to better reflect political realities, with a bigger place for developing countries.