NEW
YORK, 10 SEPTEMBER 2002
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. GONÇALO DE
SANTA CLARA
GOMES, AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT
REPRESENTATIVE OF
PORTUGAL
TO THE UNITED NATIONS, IN HIS CAPACITY
AS CHAIRMAN OF THE WEOG FOR SEPTEMBER, TO THE PLENARY OF THE UNITED NATIONS'
GENERAL ASSEMBLY (ON THE OCCASION OF THE ADMISSION OF
SWITZERLAND
TO THE UNITED NATIONS)
Mr.
President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First
of all, allow me to reiterate the full support of the WEOG to you Mr.
President during this 57th Session of the General Assembly.
I
have the honour to address you on this historic day in my capacity as Chairman
of the Western European and Other States Group upon the admission of
Switzerland
to the United Nations.
It is a very great
pleasure to welcome a member of our regional group, and also a fellow European
country, into the United Nations membership.
On
3 March 2002
the Swiss people decided to take a
step forward to build on its already strong history of 54 years as an observer
and host to some of the most important institutions of the United Nations
Organization. The presence here
today of the President, Foreign Affairs Minister and several prominent members
of Parliament reaffirm the strong commitment and importance given to this
organization by Switzerland, and their desire to remain a mainstay of this
organization.
The
United Nations is a unique organization in which the sovereignty of its member
states, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the respect for human rights
and fundamental freedoms are enshrined, principles at the heart of the Swiss
Confederation.
We
can rest assured that
Switzerland
will continue to participate actively
in negotiations for the improvement of our societies and the human condition
at large – as they have done for so many years before.
I am sure that their new status will add vigor to their already
important role within the context of our work here at the United Nations.
We,
the members of the Western European and Others States Group, look forward to a
continued and closer working relationship with our Swiss friends and
colleagues, staunch defenders of the ideas and principles enshrined in the
Charter of the United Nations.
As the Swiss flag is raised this
afternoon in front of our assembly, the world will witness the strengthening
of the United Nations.