Allow me to join others in expressing appreciation to Secretary-General Annan and Mr. Kellenberger for their remarks which vividly evoked the suffering endured by millions of war-affected people. Their words underline how the victimization of civilians has become the motive, means and manifestation of modern armed conflict.

It is a cruel reality that none of us can ignore. In our increasingly interconnected world, the insecurity of others -- sooner or later -- becomes a matter of our own insecurity. This new global context has forged common interest and common humanity into a powerful impetus for common action.

To this end, we need to adapt international practice to make the security of people -- their rights, safety and lives -- a collective priority. This means rewiring global machinery to fit the needs of this new century -- not the last one.

For Canada, this has meant putting people first. It was the inspiration behind the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the impetus for the creation of the International Criminal Court and the motive for our efforts to address the proliferation of small arms and the needs of war-affected children.

Advancing this human security agenda was also Canada's objective in seeking a seat on the Security Council.

In February 1999, I came to the Council to encourage it to make the protection of civilians in armed conflict a primary concern in its work.

Last fall, the Secretary-General presented a remarkable report that pointed the way ahead, and the Council responded with Resolution 1265 -- its own commitment for action.

Today, the Council will take action that gives further coherence to these activities -- action that effectively sets a new course for the Council in defending the safety of people. The Secretary-General's reports were the blueprint for action. The resolution we will adopt today, along with Resolution 1265, will be the handbook.

Most importantly, the text before us entrenches the principle that, in the pursuit of peace, the security of people is at least as worthy a subject as the security of states. In both spirit and letter, the resolution provides the basis for Council concern and action for this purpose.

This does not mean that the state is obsolete. On the contrary. For one thing, human security does not weaken sovereignty, but strengthens it by reinforcing democratic, tolerant, open institutions and behaviour. For another, the state remains the most powerful instrument for pursuing collective action.

It does, however, reflect a shift in Council perspective -- where the security of people is no longer a by-product, but central to the Council's work.

The text before us calls attention to specific human security threats that require action. Consciousness stimulates conscience. Recent Council debate on issues of direct concern to the safety of people has served this purpose: conflict prevention, small arms, the protection of UN and humanitarian workers, war-affected children and the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons in Africa.

The resolution highlights these, with particular emphasis on the special needs of women and children in conflict, the importance for unhindered humanitarian access to conflict zones, and the pursuit of those who violate human security. In so doing, it creates an obligation and responsibility for the Council to shape its work accordingly.

The text before us also moves forward Council practice in the defence of people. In the last year, new peacekeeping missions have been deployed in Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone -- each with a robust and explicit mandate to facilitate humanitarian efforts and to offer direct protection to civilians.

There is movement to adapt the use of sanctions regimes so they enhance, rather than diminish, the safety of people. The Council's decision on Monday to create an informal working group to provide concrete reform proposals and its action yesterday to strengthen the Angola sanctions regime are positive steps in this direction.

The provisions of the resolution advance this practice, with further procedural references to peacekeeping, the use of sanctions and for information-sharing between the Security Council and the UN system and its members.

Council members would be the first to agree that neither they, nor anybody else, have a monopoly when it comes to protecting civilians in armed conflict. In response, this resolution links Council practice to initiatives elsewhere -- like the landmines campaign and efforts to prosecute war criminals -- that promote human security.

For example, with regard to war-affected children, there is considerable momentum for global action. Later this month, Ghana and Canada will host a conference in Accra to catalyze efforts in the West African region. In September, Canada will host an international conference bringing together governments, international agencies and civil society to develop a global plan of action. Council engagement in this area will go a long way to complementing the impact of these initiatives.

In summary, the text before us conveys a basic message: people -- not just states -- are subjects of global relations, and the security and basic rights of people -- not merely the absence of military conflict between states -- are fundamental to world stability and peace.

Coming from the Security Council, this is a powerful message of change for the United Nations and for the international community.

However, it is clearly not a message without considerable challenges, nor one that has been met with undiluted enthusiasm.

Those who have suffered under colonialism and other outside involvement in their countries might well be sceptical. However, preventing abuse, stopping atrocities and dealing with the impact of war are also their issues, pertaining to their realities and clearly affecting stability in their backyards.

Others argue that the promotion of human security diverts attention and funds from the more basic priority of development. But far from being mutually exclusive, human security and human development are just opposite sides of the same coin. It is hard to devote resources to improving GDP when they are being spent to repair the ravages of war. Freedom from fear is an indispensable precursor to freedom from want.

Translating human security principles into practice also means grappling directly with difficult, highly charged subjects, being active in difficult, intractable conflicts where human suffering is great, and taking action in difficult circumstances when the use of military force may be necessary to alleviate extreme abuse.

There has been progress here. But, quite frankly, there have also been setbacks. Resistance to taking robust Council action last year in Kosovo, reticence to dealing openly in this Council with the issue of internally displaced people, and reluctance by the Council to become more engaged in certain conflicts, all make clear the need for improvement.

There are, finally, some very practical considerations in promoting human security. Council decisions aimed at protecting the safety of people are only as good as our ability to carry them out.

This is no secret. For the most part, we know what is needed -- faster, more resolute and more effective responses. Ultimately, this takes political will and the application of considerable resources. Neither are inexhaustible, and the willingness of the international community to commit them in the service of human security is an open question.

To be sure, work by the Council to promote human security remains a work in progress. However, it is work that should continue. Human security -- including the security of civilians in armed conflict -- must not be an issue we consider just once or even twice a year.

This resolution will ensure that it is an integral part of the Council's deliberations each and every time it considers action -- that, in effect, human security is hard-wired into the Council's operations.

Our discussions over the last few days -- on the Rwandan genocide, the Angolan conflict, the general use of sanctions and the protection of civilians in armed conflict -- point to immediate human security concerns that need Council focus. They also suggest that this Council's hard-wiring needs to be part of a system-wide rewiring. Growing threats like the abuse, trafficking and proliferation of small arms; emerging trends like the increasing role of non-state actors both in perpetuating war and promoting peace; new complex human security challenges in specific areas like the Horn of Africa, including Sudan, where a confluence of natural disasters and man-made war-making, especially the relentless systematic targeting of civilians, results in extreme human suffering -- all require a global system that is appropriately programmed to respond.

The Millennium Assembly offers an occasion to put concern and action for human security and safety where it belongs -- at the centre of the UN system. The Council's action today is a step in this direction -- a step that gives renewed meaning to the principles of the Charter, and renewed hope for the peoples for whom this organization was founded.

Thank you.

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