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UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000885 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNGA AORC PGOV CN GH BK RW LH CY TP SL PM
SZ, SP, JA, TU, IS 
SUBJECT: UN GENERAL DEBATE CONTINUES (SEPT. 24 A.M.) 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: During the September 24 morning meeting of the 
UNGA General Debate, heads of state or governments from 
Comoros, Ghana, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Lithuania, 
Cyprus, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Panama, 
Switzerland, Spain, Japan, Turkey, and Israel spoke.  Common 
themes were the global financial crisis; climate change; 
implementation of the Millennium Development Goals; peace and 
security; and United Nations reform, especially the Security 
Council. Several speakers addressed Iran's nuclear program. 
Full text of statements is available at 
www.un.org/ga/64/generaldebate; video archives are at 
www.un.org/webcast/2009.html.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. Ghana: Millennium Development Goals are Unattainable. 
 
President Mills cataloged the current state of the economy, 
climate change, and high food and energy prices threatening 
its economic and democratic achievements over the past two 
decades.  To counter this, he requested the support of the 
United Nations and Ghana's regional allies but stated that 
the Millennium Development Goals were "unattainable in any 
meaningful way."  To combat the economic crisis, Ghana has 
put in place several measures, including fiscal restraint. 
Mills stressed that realizing social and economic development 
for Africa depends on commitment to good governance. 
 
¶3. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Preventive Diplomacy. 
 
Chairman of the Presidency, Komsic, stated that the principal 
threat to global peace and stability was the economic and 
financial crisis, and that if the opportunity to correct it 
were missed, it could create "unimaginable consequences" 
throughout the world.  He also cited climate change as an 
urgent issue and hoped that the Copenhagen Summit would 
succeed and build upon the Kyoto Protocol.  Komsic remained 
committed to the International Criminal Tribunal for the 
former Yugoslavia as well as police missions in the DRC, 
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Sudan, East Timor, Cyprus, and 
Haiti.  He declared that Security Council reform was 
paramount, to include greater engagement of "preventive 
diplomacy" to avoid conflicts.  Additionally, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina reminded the member states of its candidacy for a 
non-permanent seat on the Security Council in 2010-2011. 
 
¶4. Lithuania: Touts Sustained Development. 
 
President Grybauskaite listed the challenges to the global 
community (economic crisis, terrorism, weapons proliferation, 
and climate change) and prescribed the transformation of the 
UN so as to face these challenges.  For sustained development 
he prescribed: 1) continued peacekeeping efforts, 2) stronger 
United Nations policy against nuclear proliferation, 3) 
better and more responsible global governance, 4) addressing 
climate issues, and 5) greater regional responsibility. 
 
¶5. Cyprus: Blames the "system" and "market lawlessness" for 
the global crisis. 
 
President Christofias focused on the global economic crisis, 
blaming the "system" with its "neo-liberalism" and "market 
lawlessness" forcing states to re-evaluate priorities. 
Cyprus reasserted Turkish war crimes of 1975 and appreciated 
United Nations resolutions passed in support of Cyprus. 
Christofias reiterated willingness to initiate dialogue with 
Turkey. 
 
¶6. Sao Tome and Principe: Mentioned United States trade 
embargo with Cuba. 
 
President Menezes praised political efforts between China and 
Taiwan and encouraged a more robust "participation for the 
Republic of China-Taiwan at the United Nations."  Menezes 
expressed disappointment with the lack of progress regarding 
the trade embargo with Cuba, hoping that the new United 
States President will soon bring it to an end. 
 
¶7. Panama: "Is open for business." 
 
In contrast to other speakers, President Berrocal was more 
positive, but still expressed concern over climate change and 
the economic meltdown.  Even with the financial downturn, he 
noted planned large-scale construction, such as building a 
third set of locks to expand the capacity of the Panama Canal 
to "transform Panama into the Hong Kong or the Dubai of 
America."  Berrocal believes that the rule of law needs to be 
returned to Honduras and that of Central America, and hopes 
for a smooth reconciliation process.  He reported Panama's 
ongoing cooperation with Mexico and Columbia in their battle 
against organized and drug and arms trafficking. 
 
¶8. Japan: The "New Japan" as a bridge. 
 
Japan's new Prime Minister as of September 16, Hatoyama, 
promoted Japan's role as a bridge between the East and West, 
developing and developed countries, and cultures.  Therefore 
his "New Japan" program includes: 1) respond to the global 
economic crisis, 2) address climate change, 3) support 
nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, 4) address 
peace-building, development and poverty, and 5) build the 
East Asian community.  He noted that Japan was the only 
country that had suffered the destruction of atomic bombs, 
citing President Obama's speech in Prague laying out a "world 
without nuclear weapons."  He stressed that North Korean 
nuclear missile tests "cannot be condoned under any 
circumstances." 
 
¶9. Turkey: Issues possible ultimatum on relationship with 
Cyprus. 
 
Prime Minister Erdogan's speech touched on the economic 
crisis, climate change, terrorism, reform of the Security 
Council, and strong support for Palestinians in Gaza.  his 
focus turned to regional issues.  He focused on the "zero 
problem with neighbors" approach which has resulted in 
improved bilateral relationships with Greece and Armenia. 
Turkey strongly supported the Palestinian people and 
denounced the "aggression against Gaza" while calling on 
states not to ignore further suffering.  The Prime Minister 
stated that the solution to the Turkish-Cyprus issue was 
within the United Nations but went further in stressing that, 
"if a solution cannot be found due to Greek Cypriot 
intransigence, as was the case in 2004, the normalization of 
the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will 
become a necessity which can no longer be delayed."  He added 
that negotiations cannot last forever and the window of 
opportunity will close, (he did not specify a time frame). 
 
¶10. Israel: Denounces "terrorist regime of Iran;" rejects 
Human Rights Council report on Gaza. 
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu focused on two main themes 
throughout his speech, Iran and Gaza.  He called on member 
sates of the United Nations to live up to the challenge of 
preventing Tehran from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, 
saying that, "the greatest threat facing the world today is 
the marriage between religious fanaticism and the weapons of 
mass destruction."  He asked if the international community 
was willing to stop the "terrorist regime of Iran" from 
acquiring atomic weapons, thus threatening world peace.  He 
denounced Iran's assault on the truth while holding up a copy 
of the minutes issued by the Nazis in 1945 instructing the 
extermination of the Jews.  He passionately asked, "Is this a 
lie", referring to the document.  Netanyahu asked to the 
group if President Obama paid tribute to a lie by visiting 
the Buchenwald concentration camp.  Halfway through the 
speech, the Prime Minister changed focus to the report by the 
Human Rights Council condemning Israel for its actions in 
Gaza and said, "if this body does not reject this report, it 
would send a message to terrorists everywhere: Terror pays; 
if you launch your attacks from densely populated areas, you 
will win immunity."  He called the report biased, unjust and 
a farce, asking the international community, "will you stand 
 
with Israel or will you stand with the terrorists?" 
 
¶11. Other Interventions: Comoros, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, 
Switzerland, and Spain addressed the General Debate's key 
topics: climate change, the economic and financial crisis, 
security and peace, the Millennium Development Goals, and 
United Nations and Security Council reform.  They reiterated 
that the international community needed to work together to 
solve these issues.  Rwanda called for better global 
governance; Switzerland viewed the "trend towards 
protectionism as a recipe for disaster;" Spain praised 
President Obama's willingness to put disarmament on the table 
and urged the abolition of nuclear weapons. 
 
RICE