VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0864/01 2692224
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 252224Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4995

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000864 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON BR US FR RP QA LI TU AR MA
YI, TZ, GB, UNGA 
SUBJECT: AT UN, HEADS OF STATE BEGIN 63RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
GENERAL DEBATE 
 
¶1. SUMMARY:  The United Nations General Debate opened on 
September 22 with several heads of state taking the floor. 
Most speakers mentioned the global food crisis, and many 
spoke on peace-building, energy issues, global warming, the 
financial crisis, and human rights.  UN reform was another 
common theme, with many -- led by GA President d'Escoto of 
Nicaragua -- calling for a more democratic and inclusive 
Security Council.  The following spoke:  Brazilian President 
Lula da Silva; President Bush; French President Sarkozy; 
President of the Philippines Macapagal-Arroyo; Qatari Amir 
Sheikh Khalifa Al-Thani; Liberian President Johnson-Sirleaf; 
Turkish President Gul; Argentine President de Kirchner; 
Madagascar President Ravalomanana; Serbian President Tadic; 
and Gabonese Vice-President Di Ndinge.  Topic covered 
included: the economic and financial crisis; 
democracy-building in Iraq, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe; 
EU-Russia relations; threats posed by a nuclear Iran; peace 
and stability in Africa; Kosovo independence; and Middle East 
peace.  All statements are available at 
www.un.org/ga/63/general debate.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. On September 22, the first of over 120 heads of state and 
70 other senior delegates undertook the UN's annual General 
Debate extending through September 29.  Brazilian President 
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva repeatedly emphasized in his 
remarks the gravity of the economic and financial crisis, 
which he feared threatened the world's economy.  He strongly 
criticized policies favoring "adventurers and opportunists," 
quoting a Brazilian economist:  "We must not allow 
speculators' profits always to be privatized, while their 
losses are invariably socialized."  He touched upon the food 
crisis, the energy crisis, the "risks to world trade" that 
would result should an agreement not be reached at the Doha 
Round, and the "unrestrained degradation of the environment." 
 He criticized the "populist nationalism" being "unabashedly" 
practiced in developed countries, and called for an overhaul 
of the multilateral system to address the challenges of the 
twenty-first century.  Lula da Silva noted the new political, 
economic, and trade structure in today's world, and 
highlighted the increasing role of Latin America in global 
affairs. 
 
¶3. President Bush's address emphasized Member States' 
obligation to govern responsibly, and to solve problems 
"before they spill across borders."  He said the UN and other 
multilateral organizations are needed more than ever, and 
highlighted a need to cooperate closely to prevent terrorist 
attacks from occurring rather than simply passing resolutions 
in their aftermath.  He underscored the important role 
democratic governance played in promoting peace and security. 
 President Bush touched upon the progress made in Afghanistan 
and Iraq, noting that multinational efforts to establish 
democratic governments have proven successful thus far.  He 
called upon Member States to support other young democracies. 
 
¶4. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking, he said, on 
behalf of the European Union, noted the importance of working 
to achieve peace in Darfur; to avert the food crisis; to 
fight global warming and provide universal access to water 
and energy; and to stop "monetary, social and ecological 
dumping."  Sarkozy emphasized Europe's desire to establish 
links with Russia, proposing to create a "continent-wide 
economic space which would unite Russia and Europe." 
However, Sarkozy said that Europe could not compromise when 
it comes to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial 
integrity of states, nor on respect for international law. 
Europe's message, he continued, was that the use of force to 
settle disputes was unacceptable.  He cautioned that Europe 
could not accept a nuclear-armed Iran, which would present a 
threat to regional peace and stability, and added that Europe 
could not tolerate calls for Israel's destruction.  He called 
for inclusion of Africa, in some fashion, in the permanent 
membership of the Security Council, and for the enlargement 
of the G-8 to 13 or 14 members. 
 
¶5. Serbian President Boris Tadic protested Kosovo's 
"unilateral declaration of independence,"  which he said 
threatens the core UN principle of the sovereign equality of 
states and presents the most dangerous challenge to the 
nature of the international system since the UN was formed. 
He cautioned that Kosovar independence would create a 
precedent for the "dozens of Kosovos" around the world, which 
will each claim an exception to international law.  He 
assured the Assembly that Serbia would not use force to 
address its grievance, but had instead submitted a resolution 
to the GA to ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to 
render an advisory opinion on the compliance of Kosovo's 
independence with international law.  Pending the ICJ's 
decision, Tadic promised that Serbia would remain "a 
good-faith partner in the interim administration of Kosovo," 
and called for the Security Council to approve the mandate of 
the EU's civilian presence there (EULEX).  Tadic concluded by 
 
 
affirming that Serbia will one day join the EU, and that by 
doing so, will belong to the unifying force in the region in 
hopes of reversing the trend of "Balkanization."  In pursuit 
of EU membership, Tadic said, Serbia is "fully cooperating" 
with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former 
Yugoslavia. 
 
¶6. In his dual role as Chairman of the African Union (AU) and 
President of Tanzania, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete outlined the 
threats to reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 
posed by the global food, economic and security crises. 
Madagascar and Gabon echoed these concerns, calling on donor 
nations to fulfill their pledges of assistance.  The leaders 
noted that the effects of the global food crisis are most 
acute in Africa, and listed agricultural subsidies; tariff 
policies among developed nations; climate change; and the 
increased production of biofuels as contributing factors to 
the current situation. 
 
¶7. Balancing these concerns, Kikwete discussed the successes 
of the AU in building peace and political stability in Africa 
(thanking the UN and the EU for their assistance), fostering 
democratic elections, enhancing the rule of law, and fighting 
corruption.  He called the September 15, 2008 power-sharing 
agreement in Zimbabwe a "landmark breakthrough," crediting 
the Zimbabwean leaders and South African President Thabo 
Mbeki.  There are still conflicts of concern, he continued, 
pointing to Darfur, Somalia and the eastern region of the 
Democratic Republic of Congo as ongoing challenges.  On 
Sudan, Kikwete voiced the AU opinion that an indictment of 
Sudanese President Bashir would complicate the deployment of 
UN forces to that war-torn country, stating that the first 
priority should be to ensure stability there.  The Tanzanian 
and Gabonese leaders discussed the need for UN reform, with 
Kikwete calling for Security Council reforms to include two 
permanent seats with veto powers for African nations as well 
as two additional non-permanent seats. 
 
¶8. Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf noted that 
Liberia does not always follow the "party line" or the 
positions of allies on issues related to Africa.  Referring 
to the situation in Zimbabwe, she said Liberia had taken a 
stand because it wanted to demonstrate that fair elections 
and equitable political participation were essential to 
achieving peace.  Johnson-Sirleaf called for strong support 
to the AU and to sub-regional organizations to work towards 
peace in Darfur, Chad, Niger, and Congo.  Johnson-Sirleaf 
thanked the U.S. for its Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, 
which seeks to promote trade rather than aid. 
 
¶9. Turkish President Abdullah Gul highlighted Turkey's 
expanding role in resolving regional and global issues, 
including through co-sponsoring the Alliance of Civilizations 
initiative under UN auspices, underscoring its decision to 
seek a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 
2009-2010.  Gul said Turkey is helping to resolve conflicts 
in the Middle East by advancing peace talks between Syria and 
Israel, among other efforts; supporting the people and 
government of Iraq; and fostering cooperation between 
Pakistan and Afghanistan to combat terrorism.  A peaceful 
settlement to the Iran nuclear question, in conformity with 
IAEA norms, is another top diplomatic priority.  Describing 
Turkey as an emerging donor nation, Gul noted his country's 
increased levels of bilateral development assistance and 
enhanced contributions and engagement with the United Nations. 
 
¶10. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner urged 
Iran to comply with the Interpol-ratified arrest warrants for 
the Iranian citizens accused of carrying out the 1992 bombing 
of the Israeli Embassy and the 1994 bombing of the 
Jewish-Argentine Mutual Association in Argentina, promising 
the accused the full guarantees of the Argentine justice 
system.  She commented that contrary to the widely held 
belief that financial crises begin in lesser-developed 
countries, the current crisis began in "the world's largest 
economy," and pointed to recent USG actions to mitigate the 
economic downturn as validation for state intervention in the 
market. 
 
¶11. President of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said 
that the "terrible tsunami" of economic uncertainty, caused 
by recent "shocks" to the financial system had created "real 
and profound" setbacks for the world.  She thanked the U.S. 
for its role in advancing peace and development in Mindanao, 
and said the government would engage in dialogue once again 
when the region was secure and its people safe. 
Khalilzad