Developed nations also to blame for crisis: Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas reminded developed countries they could not blame developing countries for their economic crises, arguing they too were partly responsible for the hardships now facing many people.

The minister said many developing countries had audaciously opened up their economies only to realize that the social and political costs of doing so often outstripped the benefits.

"The international agenda has been governed by the interests of developed countries in opening up opportunities for foreign investment, private capital flows -- that often turn out to be merely speculative -- and to boost their exports," Alatas said in his address to the 53rd United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York on Monday.

Alatas described how in spite of judicious macroeconomic policies and often painful structural adjustments, development gains earned over decades by Third World countries had crumbled in a matter of weeks.

"In the affected countries, including Indonesia, economic turmoil has reached a devastating level. It has pushed economies into recession and driven people to the very edge of their endurance," the minister noted.

"In the face of such stark global realities, we must intensify international solidarity and cooperation," he said.

Alatas, however, did not just complain. He also emphasized that the country's new government had started to carry out vigorous and far-reaching reforms in the economy and was promoting democracy and the human rights protection.

The minister said the government was strongly committed to restoring the economy and reviving confidence in the current administration, which he argued was the key to the country's economic revival.

"We know very well that our economic recovery will basically have to be driven by confidence in our system of governance, both on the part of the international community and our own citizens," Alatas said.

The minister said Indonesia had taken several measures to give better protection to human rights in line with the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which falls this year. Measures taken include the launch of a National Plan of Action on Human Rights.

"We expect to sign and ratify several more UN conventions on human rights in the near future," Alatas said.

In his speech, Alatas also reiterated the government's condemnation of terrorist bomb attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that claimed 200 lives and injured thousands more.

"At the same time we stress that we will never condone unilateral acts of aggression and violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states as a means to combat terrorism," he noted.

He also expressed hope that Cambodian leaders would be able to settle their own conflicts for the sake of their people.

"It is time that all the parties in Cambodia resolved their differences in the spirit of national reconciliation and unity and in the larger interests of their country," Alatas noted. (prb)