MaximsNewsNetwork: U.N. G-A: SERBIA, BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA, PALESTIAN AUTHORITY, EGYPT (UNTV)

MaximsNewsNetwork: 25 September 2010 - UNTV: United Nations, New York -- On the third day of statements at the high level plenary meeting of the 65th United Nations (UN) General Assembly the speakers included: Serbia's President Boris Tadic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina Haris Silajdzic, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egypt's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Serbia's President warned today (25 September) that organized crime is now "a global industry" and represents "the dark side of globalization."

Boris Tadic told leaders present at the 65th General Assembly of the United Nations that "like water", organized crime spreads to where it finds least resistance. He added that it is global and globalized in its inter-connections.

Tadic emphasized that organized crime, was present in the Western Balkans and he considered it to be the greatest single challenge to his country and "to the whole region". He added that the region has a common responsibility to eliminate the scourge from societies and Serbia would spare no effort in its quest to eradicate the threat.

The conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 forced more than 2.2 million people to flee their homes, making it the largest displacement of people in Europe since the end of the Second World War, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). To date, more than one million people have returned home across Bosnia, however, there are still 113,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, with some 7,000 still living in collective accommodation centres created more than 15 years ago and intended only as temporary housing.

On addressing the Assembly Haris Silajdzic, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina noted that "systematic obstructions" were the cause of failure of return programs, and they were still an obstacle to those who want to return. He added that those who made it back to their homes were often confronted with a "wall of blockades or with outright violations of basic rights". Still, he said that hope remained that the upcoming constitutional changes in his country would lay a foundation "for the new generation to bridge the divides".

Moving on to the Middle East region, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized to the Assembly that "Israel must choose between settlements and peace". Abbas called on Israel to stand behind its past commitments and also emphasized that the Palestinians were ready for and desired a peace agreement, saying such an agreement would be possible if Israel ceased with the settlement activities, the lifting of the siege and an end to all other illegal Israeli policies and practices.

And Egypt's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Aboul Gheit characterized Israel's settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a major factor in determining the Israeli commitment towards making the peace negotiations a success.

Aboul Gheit warned that if Israel failed in its commitment to freeze its settlement activities, it would expose the negotiating process "to collapse and it would shoulder the full responsibility before the regional and world pubic opinion as well as the American sponsor for wasting the valuable opportunity which was made possible by a major American effort."

...... ( UNITED NATIONS TELEVISION: UNTV ) ... ..............................................................
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