Statement by H.E. Stjepan Mesic, President of the Republic of Croatia, on the UN Security Council Thematic Debate on Terrorism.
Distinguished Ambassadors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me repeat two points I made in the introduction to this debate. First, the events in Mumbai a dozen days ago have confirmed in an extremely tragic way that terrorism is a global threat. Therefore, not a threat affecting any particular country but all of us, a threat to peace and security in the world. And, needless to say, we can only counter such a threat on the global basis.
Second, such a global response can only achieve success if it based on the broadest possible international cooperation, and in our estimate such solidarity is not currently at the required and desirable level.
The first point only actualized the debate initiated long before the Mumbai events, and the second constitutes an additional reason why we wanted to open such a debate precisely in this very forum, that is, in the United Nations.
In the wake of September 11, 2001, the Republic of Croatia immediately advocated the creation of an efficient global coalition for fighting international terrorism. At the time we called it an alliance. We proceeded from the assessment, which has not changed to date, that such a coalition can only function on the basis of relations on an equal footing among its members but also on the basis of mutual trust. We believe mutual trust to be extremely important, even in a broader context.
The initially sincere worldwide solidarity abated - not to say disappeared - because of the lack of such trust. It deflated because of a situation in which it appeared that the war on terrorism as an unquestionable hazard for international peace and security had factually turned, already in its first phase, into a kind of exclusive competence of one country, or of a group of countries which it led. Moreover, the fight against terrorism as a global project was also compromised by the way in which it was waged. This has led to the disappearance of the basic preconditions for its success.
However, at the same time terrorism neither disappeared nor became weaker. Arguments could even be found for the claim that it actually grew even stronger. At any rate, it has become our companion and a part of our everyday life. And that is the situation with which we are currently faced. Its basic elements include a significant decline of global solidarity, a one-sided approach to the fight against terrorism and its focus which occasionally leaves something to be desired, and, finally, a climate of insufficient trust in the relations among the key factors on the global scene.
When we considered the way of presenting the view of the Republic of Croatia regarding this complex issue in this very forum, we were aware of the options: either to resort to the standard vocabulary of international forums or - using even a way which is maybe not quite customary - to state candidly how the Republic of Croatia views terrorism and its threat to global peace and security.
We chose the latter because we believe, deeply and sincerely, that we would all achieve better results if we paid more attention to considering the essence of the problem - any problem - rather than focusing on the choice of words.
Since 2001 we have been persistently claiming that the war on terrorism can only be waged, and ultimately won, if we proceed on two tracks. The first one refers to actions of the security apparatus, to the use of force against the direct perpetrators and their masterminds, against the terrorist network. They are inevitable and they remove the immediate danger. But they will be of little use if we do not focus at the same time on the deeper causes of terrorism, on the sources of the disease rather than on its symptoms. That is our second track.
Today and on this very spot we are asking questions, not expecting to get or to formulate definitive answers to them. Yet, we believe that even by asking questions we can draw attention to certain factors which appear to be unavoidable in the consideration of the topic now on our agenda.
Question number one: as long there are people deprived of all rights, poor through no fault of their own, people doomed to disease, hunger and death, deprived of opportunities for education, victims of unequitable relations between states or of local wars or unresolved local crises - in a nutshell, as long as there are people who have lost everything or who know that they will never get anything, people who have only one thing left, their life, will it be difficult to exploit this unfortunately inexhaustible pool and recruit potential terrorists from it?
Question number two, and we shall stop at that: will it be difficult to turn individuals or groups detected in this pool of poverty and hopelessness against those described to them as the causes underlying their condition, wrap it additionally in loyalty to faith and high ideals and add on top the status of martyr?
These are the questions. We are supposed to find the answers. And act accordingly!
The Republic of Croatia once again stresses its firm conviction that the use of force, however indispensable and unavoidable it may be, will not resolve anything in the long run. A one-sided approach to the fight against terrorism will not achieve anything either, and neither will preemptive action outside the United Nations. We are firmly committed to the achievement of consensus on the issue we are talking about. We would not like to open new controversies with these views, but we find it necessary to present them, because this is the way we think and see things.
We also deem it necessary, and even more, imperative, to present the estimate that the only true answer to the question of how to remove the danger for international security posed by terrorism lies in turning to its deeper underlying causes, in emphasizing development policies, in enhanced efforts focused on the establishment of equitable international relations, in the demonopolization of the war on terrorism and its universal implementation based on re-established international solidarity and trust - and this is where we believe the United Nations plays the key role.
But let us avoid any confusion: by focusing on the environment which breeds terrorism we are not justifying anyone. And we are not losing sight of those who attempt to use terrorism in order to achieve specific goals which, as a rule, have nothing in common with the motivation of fanaticized or indoctrinated terrorists. However, we do claim that those exploiting them would lose the weapon for attaining their goals if the pool of potential terrorists were to dry up.
All indicators show that we are on the threshold of creating new relations in the international community - not only economic ad but also political ones. The structure built at the end of World War Two is worn out. It must be strengthened and expanded - in a nutshell, modernized and adjusted to our time. Such a conclusion is pressingly warranted by the crises we are facing - the financial, economic, food and energy crisis - and by global terrorism as well.
If we do not want the situation to develop into pure anarchy and chaos, let us take matters into our own hands, let us control them. But let us do it by facing reality rather than by closing our eyes to it.
This is the place for debating all these issues. This is the decision-making forum - the United Nations. The very same United Nations which adopted sixty years ago the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the fundamental documents intended to regulate the conduct of states and of all subjects in international relations.
In its own contribution to the debate on the dangers for international peace and security posed by terrorism the Republic of Croatian would like to highlight in particular how extremely important is to respect human rights and absolutely unacceptable to jeopardize or limit them under the guise of the fight against terrorism - just as it is equally unacceptable to justify terrorism by invoking any religion or identifying it with any faith or nation.
Therefore, we need a new international solidarity in the fight against this evil which acutely or potentially threatens all of us. All of us must wage this war, united in a global coalition based on equality and mutual trust. This is actually one of the aspects of the new multilateralism which is being mentioned at an ever increasing rate.
The United Nations must be the place which will, at least politically, coordinate all efforts to check and, then, eradicate terrorism in the world and reduce it to the level of an incident.
Our fate is not and cannot be reconciliation with terrorism or acceptance of terrorism as an inevitable evil of the present-day world.
The future of our world is in our hands.
The founders of the United Nations mentioned succeeding generations in the Charter. But they were not the only people responsible for them. We share the same responsibility.
All of us, all the members of the international community, share the responsibility for those who are yet to come.
And we must never forget that!
Thank you for your attention!
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