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Skriven 2005-06-20 23:52:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0506202) for Mon, 2005 Jun 20
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EU-US Declaration on the 60th Anniversary of the Signing of the San
Francisco Charter
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For Immediate Release
June 20, 2005

EU-US Declaration on the 60th Anniversary of the Signing of the San
Francisco Charter



Sixty years ago, on June 26th, 1945 the San Francisco Charter creating the
United Nations was signed. Born out of the desire "to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war, which twice... has brought untold
sorrow to mankind" (Preamble of the Charter of the UN), the United Nations
has ever since provided the framework for the nations of the world to
strive for peace and security, prosperity and international cooperation
based on respect of international law. We salute the groundbreaking work
accomplished six decades ago by the authors of the Charter and we
rededicate ourselves to the noble principles and values embodied in this
fundamental text.

Today, the world faces threats and challenges, both old and new, which can
only be addressed in common, based on a spirit of cooperation, shared
institutions, and a rule-based international system as exemplified by the
United Nations.

True to the inspiration of the San Francisco Charter, the nations of the
world are called to define a new international consensus on the ways and
means to manage together the burning questions of our time. In this
respect, the High Level Event on Millennium Review in September of this
year provides an opportunity to assess the implementation of the
commitments of the Millennium Declaration and the results of the major UN
Summits and Conferences.

It also offers the occasion for the international community to promote the
emergence of a United Nations better oriented towards the threats and
challenges of our time, more responsive to the needs of its members and
more efficient and effective in the way it operates.

The United States and the European Union share the objective of such a
renewed United Nations and are willing to cooperate closely in order to
contribute to a balanced and ambitious outcome of the September High Level
Meeting. They share, inter alia, the perspective that the interlinked
dimensions of peace and security, human rights, rule of law, democracy, and
development need to be addressed coherently, within more efficient and
transparent institutions and procedures.

Satisfactory solutions need to be found in the crucial areas of terrorism
and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The creation of a
properly configured Peacebuilding Commission can provide useful and timely
guidance for the management of post-conflict situations.

Achieving the development goals of the Millennium Declaration will require
significant additional resources, which should come from many sources, as
set out at Monterrey, including increased foreign direct investment, trade,
remittances, public aid and private charitable contributions. Developing
countries will need to make concerted efforts in their own development
through good governance, the rule of law, respect for human rights and
sound policies that promote sustainable development and empower individuals
to participate more fully and freely in economic activity. We underline the
importance of national ownership for development strategies. We stand ready
to increase our financial assistance to countries with good governance and
sound policies and transparent, ambitious and accountable strategies to
achieve long-term economic growth and reach the internationally-agreed
development goals in the Millennium Declaration.

The strengthening and mainstreaming of the dimensions of human rights, rule
of law and democracy should be achieved, inter alia, through the creation
of a new, effective and credible Human Rights Council and the establishment
of a UN Democracy Fund.

The improvement of the overall performance of the UN system will imply
major reforms in the budget and management areas, including accountability
and oversight mechanisms

On these issues as well as on other questions that will be on the agenda of
the High-Level meeting, the US and the European Union will consult closely
in the weeks and months to come in order to contribute to a successful and
substantive outcome in September.

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