UNGA president explains Kosovo presence

NEW YORK President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Vuk Jeremic said on Thursday that Hashim Thaci could only attend as a guest of a UNGA member state. Serbia's former foreign minister told B92 late on Monday that only member states could participate in UNGA debates, while its meetings could be attended by representatives of non-governmental organizations and entities that were not states. UNGA president explains Kosovo presence “Kosovo is one of them. Debates are attended only by member states, which can invite a guest, be they a journalist, an artist, somebody accused of war crimes. Member states have the right to invite their guests,” said Jeremic. Asked if it meant that the UNGA had not changed its position regarding Kosovo, Jeremic answered: “Do you think we would allow there to be any change in a negative direction for our country during the presidency of Serbia.” Jeremic said that this was the first time that heads of state and governments of the world are addressing the topics of the rule of law and the rule of international law at an UNGA plenum. “We opened the session presenting our views on the main points of international law, the necessity of respecting the common rules for all and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. We were able to start the discussion and take it in a direction that should be good for Serbia,” Jeremic said. According to Jeremic, there are a great number of especially smaller states to which international law is of utmost importance, a vital issue since their borders and even survival are threatened if there is no respect for international law. “Today we opened a session putting the sovereignty and integrity of member states at the very heart of the discussion, which is very important to our country,” Jeremic underlined. Over the next 12 months, he added, Serbia will be at the head of the UN General Assembly and will have to participate in all its discussions, managing and directing them, deciding on the points to be debated and the order they are brought into debates. “Negotiations on any international document that passes through the General Assembly have to pass through our hands first. We have to be familiar with everything, and the current situation in the world is such that the Security Council is paralyzed when it comes to many vital issues. Syria is one of them, and also Iran's nuclear programs, since not even around that issue is there a full consensus in the Security Council,” said Jeremic. Jeremic and Ban Ki-moon are seen during the rule of law panel (Beta/AP) Adopt fair, strong and enforceable laws A high-level meeting regarding rule of law was held in New York on Monday, ahead of the opening of the general debate in the Un General Assembly (UNGA) due on Tuesday, and the participants at the meeting were addressed by UNGA Chairman Vuk Jeremic. This is the first time that heads of states and governments are discussing the topic in UNGA, and the draft resolution which has been agreed on asserts the interest on the part of all UN members in establishing fair, strong and enforceable laws, Jeremic stated. He underscored that during the revision of the topic, full respect for equality, sovereignty and territorial integrity of UN members needs to be ensured because this is necessary to achieve the first UN aim embodied in the preservation of peace and security. In order to be efficient, international laws need to be respected by all UN members, both big and small countries, rich and poor alike, Jeremic said and added that if the UN aims to reinforce trust among countries, then respect of generally accepted norms must not be ambiguous or selective. Everyone has to know that the same principles and regulations will be respected, he noted. According to Jeremic, fair implementation of laws within countries is the basis for a responsible government, while on the international level, it ensures predictability of actions and legitimacy of the outcome. This point bear key importance for the political dialogue and cooperation between countries, Jeremic noted. He expressed the belief that the high-level meeting constitutes a new cornerstone in the global peacekeeping process. He said he is glad the process is being conducted within the general topic of this year's session which covers resolution of international disputes and conflicts through peaceful means. In the next few days, the former Serbian foreign minister and the current UNGA chairman will have a series of bilateral talks with heads of state and governments, foreign ministers and UN officials on the margins of the general debate. B92 Tanjug

UNGA president explains Kosovo presence

“Kosovo is one of them. Debates are attended only by member states, which can invite a guest, be they a journalist, an artist, somebody accused of war crimes. Member states have the right to invite their guests,” said Jeremić.

Asked if it meant that the UNGA had not changed its position regarding Kosovo, Jeremić answered: “Do you think we would allow there to be any change in a negative direction for our country during the presidency of Serbia.”

Jeremić said that this was the first time that heads of state and governments of the world are addressing the topics of the rule of law and the rule of international law at an UNGA plenum.

“We opened the session presenting our views on the main points of international law, the necessity of respecting the common rules for all and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states. We were able to start the discussion and take it in a direction that should be good for Serbia,” Jeremić said.

According to Jeremić, there are a great number of especially smaller states to which international law is of utmost importance, a vital issue since their borders and even survival are threatened if there is no respect for international law.

“Today we opened a session putting the sovereignty and integrity of member states at the very heart of the discussion, which is very important to our country,” Jeremić underlined.

Over the next 12 months, he added, Serbia will be at the head of the UN General Assembly and will have to participate in all its discussions, managing and directing them, deciding on the points to be debated and the order they are brought into debates.

“Negotiations on any international document that passes through the General Assembly have to pass through our hands first. We have to be familiar with everything, and the current situation in the world is such that the Security Council is paralyzed when it comes to many vital issues. Syria is one of them, and also Iran's nuclear programs, since not even around that issue is there a full consensus in the Security Council,” said Jeremić.

Adopt fair, strong and enforceable laws

A high-level meeting regarding rule of law was held in New York on Monday, ahead of the opening of the general debate in the Un General Assembly (UNGA) due on Tuesday, and the participants at the meeting were addressed by UNGA Chairman Vuk Jeremić.

This is the first time that heads of states and governments are discussing the topic in UNGA, and the draft resolution which has been agreed on asserts the interest on the part of all UN members in establishing fair, strong and enforceable laws, Jeremić stated.

He underscored that during the revision of the topic, full respect for equality, sovereignty and territorial integrity of UN members needs to be ensured because this is necessary to achieve the first UN aim embodied in the preservation of peace and security.

In order to be efficient, international laws need to be respected by all UN members, both big and small countries, rich and poor alike, Jeremić said and added that if the UN aims to reinforce trust among countries, then respect of generally accepted norms must not be ambiguous or selective. Everyone has to know that the same principles and regulations will be respected, he noted.

According to Jeremić, fair implementation of laws within countries is the basis for a responsible government, while on the international level, it ensures predictability of actions and legitimacy of the outcome. This point bear key importance for the political dialogue and cooperation between countries, Jeremić noted.

He expressed the belief that the high-level meeting constitutes a new cornerstone in the global peacekeeping process. He said he is glad the process is being conducted within the general topic of this year's session which covers resolution of international disputes and conflicts through peaceful means.

In the next few days, the former Serbian foreign minister and the current UNGA chairman will have a series of bilateral talks with heads of state and governments, foreign ministers and UN officials on the margins of the general debate.