Five years ago, delegates and NGOs went to Beijing to right wrongs and promote rights. To show the world that when women suffer injustice, we all suffer; that when women are empowered, we are all better off. The conference was a success: the result was the Beijing Platform for Action.

It is a great pleasure to be with you here today and to take part in this timely discussion of globalization and the role of the international financial institutions. As you know, we and our neighbours across 19th Street have a lively few days ahead as ministers gather for our spring meetings. At a press conference last week, one journalist suggested that we might need to airlift participants into the building by helicopter.

Approximately 800,000 people were killed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The systematic slaughter of men, women and children which took place over the course of about 100 days between April and July of 1994 will forever be remembered as one of the most abhorrent events of the twentieth century. Rwandans killed Rwandans, brutally decimating the Tutsi population of the country, but also targetting moderate Hutus. Appalling atrocities were committed, by militia and armed forces, but also by civilians against other civilians.

Senator Pinochet was arrested for the purposes of extradition on 16 October 1998. The Bow Street magistrate issued a provisional warrant for his arrest on that day in response to a request from the Spanish authorities; and a further warrant was issued on 22 October 1998.

It is evident that the alarming development of the security and overall situation in Kosovo and Metohija since KFOR and UNMIK deployment, characterized by mass terror against the Serbian and other non-Albanian population which resulted in the killing of 447 Serbs and other nonAlbanians, abduction of 648 and the expulsion of over 330 000 of Serbs, Montenegrins, Muslim, Roma, Turks, Gorani, Croats and Egyptian and other non-Albanians, i.e. a massive ethnic cleansing has been brought about directly by an irresponsible and highly indolent attitude of KFOR and UNMIK, in particular the Special Representative towards their responsibilities under Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).

Pope John Paul II. Brothers and Sisters, let us turn with trust to God our Father, who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, great in love and fidelity, and ask him to accept the repentance of his people who humbly confess their sins, and to grant them mercy.

In my statement of 2 November I reported that my discussions with the parties are well advanced.

I have, since then, met the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister as well as President Clinton and last week and today I have had further meetings with the parties.

Last year, in February, I spoke to the Council's Energy Security Group about growing proliferation dangers. The comments I made then serve as a good preamble for what I want to talk about today.

In a few minutes I will leave for Norway where leaders will gather to honor the memory of one of the great heros of this century, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin. We will honor him by not only remembering his life, but by pursuing his vision of a peaceful Middle East.