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EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UN IN THE MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE IS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANISATION
50th anniversary meeting of the UN
Address by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Milan Kucan
New York, UN (USA), 24 October 1995
"No sovereign country has been forced to join the United Nations. Membership is based on free choice, which presupposes an acceptance of the obligations and measures imposed by the founding principles of the United Nations. Whoever fails to respect these principles or acts in contradiction to them acts against the very essence of this organisation and can have no place in it. The door to membership must be open wide for all to enter if they wish, but it must be also open wide for the departure of those who work against the mission of the United Nations. Everyone must choose his own fate and accept responsibility for it. The principle of free will precludes indifference to and lack of solidarity with the common will and effort." stressed the president Kucan when estimated that "the moral credibility of the United Nations, the indisputable impression that it stands behind its principles, is the basis of the next major task the world expects of the United Nations: the implementation of preventive diplomacy."
Mr. President, Secretary General, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
I have the pleasure of adding the sincere congratulations and new hopes of the Republic of Slovenia, to those already received by the United Nations on this occasion. We assume the right to trust the United Nations and at the same time to expect much from it.
The United Nations has undoubtedly justified its raison d'ętre in the fifty years of its existence. However, the goals defined in the Charter of the United Nations have not yet been realised. On the contrary, in the key area of its activity, the maintenance of international peace and security, the United Nations is burdened by an alarming lack of success.
Let me mention only Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkans, because this alone is example enough. The lack of readiness or the inability to recognise the true aggressive nature of the war against this sovereign country, a member of the United Nations, and the procrastination and inconsistency on dealing with the succession of the former Yugoslavia were serious errors. These errors could not be redressed by the later political, military, humanitarian, and financial involvement, although it did manage to mitigate to a commendable extent the consequences of violence against innocent civilian populations.
I wish to stress that the genuine effectiveness of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security is of crucial importance for the future of the organisation. It must continually demonstrate its relevance, credibility, and legitimacy: it must confirm its capability. For the United Nations, every time is the time of truth, the time to face itself.
The organisation has found itself in its worst political and financial crisis to date. This seems to be a contradiction since mankind expects ever more from the United Nations and has placed upon it increasingly heavy burdens for the maintenance and restoration of peace. However, it is logical: under the weight of events the United Nations has not been reformed neither organisationally, financially, or psychologically. There is much truth in the thought that there is nothing wrong with the United Nations, but rather with its members.
The widely held definition of the United Nations is that it is the sum of its members. This is true, but the United Nations is more than just that. If it were only the sum of its member states, it would be similar to any inter-governmental organisation. But the United Nations is more. Through the Security Council it has at its disposal the attributes of a state power such as resources and arms. It can and must be the highest moral authority in the judgement of violations of the basic rules of international life, coexistence and human rights.
From this point of view, the United Nations can not be neutral. One of the conditions for the revitalisation of the United Nations is whether it aspires to the role of moral authority in the political and legal relations among nations; such a role does not allow detachment regarding the worst threats to peace and co-operation but rather demands moral engagement and commitment.
The moral credibility of the United Nations, the indisputable impression that it stands behind its principles, is the basis of the next major task the world expects of the United Nations: the implementation of preventive diplomacy. There is no one more suitable for the role of preventive diplomacy than the Secretary General of a world organisation which is more than the sum of its member states and more than the sum of the major powers.
To become reconciled with ineffectiveness would mean abandoning the goals on which this organisation was founded. It would mean the self-abrogation of the United Nations. We openly confront this danger. With all gravity, we must weigh the relationship between free will as a basic principle of the United Nations and the need for responsible conduct according to the principles stated in its Charter, a precondition for its effectiveness as well as its reputation, authority, and credibility.
No sovereign country has been forced to join the United Nations. Membership is based on free choice, which presupposes an acceptance of the obligations and measures imposed by the founding principles of the United Nations. Whoever fails to respect these principles or acts in contradiction to them acts against the very essence of this organisation and can have no place in it. The door to membership must be open wide for all to enter if they wish, but it must be also open wide for the departure of those who work against the mission of the United Nations. Everyone must choose his own fate and accept responsibility for it. The principle of free will precludes indifference to and lack of solidarity with the common will and effort.
I hope that the member states of the United Nations which have the greatest responsibility for the organisation have heard the expressions of concern at this session, that they have heard that preventive diplomacy and a policy of engagement by the United Nations must become a reality before emerging conflicts grow into acute crises.
Of course, responsibility for the future of the United Nations is ours together. Slovenia has already presented its concrete proposals for the reform of the United Nations. We are a part, a small part, of this organisation. In it we have placed all our hopes, and we are fully prepared to carry our share of responsibility for its success, credibility, and effectiveness.
Mr. President,
The people of Slovenia trust that the United Nations will live up to the challenges of our time and fulfil the hopes of the coming century.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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