Transcribed Statement of the Ambassador of Myanmar
Mr. Mya Than

8/3/01

Thank you Mr. President.

May I begin by congratulating you for the effective manner in which you have been conducting the proceedings of the CD and the intensive consultations with the view to reaching consensus on a program of work. I applaud you for your dedication and tireless efforts. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay my tribute to your predecessor Ambassador Christopher Westdal of Canada for his invaluable contribution to the work of the CD during his presidency.

I also wish to welcome and convey warm felicitations to all the ladies attending this meeting and the NGO communities representing women around the world on this auspicious occasion of the International WomenÕs Day. We should also like to welcome into our midst Ambassador Eui-Yong Chung of the Republic of Korea and Ambassador Dr. Ramah Hussain of Malaysia, who has just joined us in the CD.

I have taken the floor to fully endorse your proposal to convene an informal plenary meeting following this regular plenary meeting of the CD. IÕd also like to offer some comments on the complimentary activities you have referred to. Mr. President, the work of the CD is very important and very serious. But we cannot be too serious all the time. So in a situation like this, we would do well to take a fresh look at the problems we are facing in the CD in a lighter vein and try to inject dynamism into this for a. Mr. President, these successive presidents including your good self have done the utmost to overcome the current impasse in this fora and to reach agreement on a program of work. Hard as we may try, it would take some time to achieve this. It is therefore only logical and appropriate that we engage in complementary activities as you call it and address informal issues in informal plenary meetings. We should contribute to the work of the CD and will be helpful in facilitating our agreement on program of work.

Mr. President, surprisingly some misgivings have been voiced in some corners on the merit of such complementary actions. These misgivings are unwarranted. Member delegations should not be shy to express their views and to address current important issues in the informal plenary meetings.

Mr. President, on this occasion of the International Women's Day it is fitting to borrow an analogy of a lady. The CD is like a shy young lady. At times she is a bit too shy to say anything or do anything. When she says no it means yes. When she says no it means probably. When she says probably it means yes. In this light you should not be discouraged by some misgivings and reluctance of voice in some quarters. I therefore encourage you Mr. President and the incoming presidents to go ahead with the complementary activities despite some misgivings voiced in some quarters.

Mr. President, complementary activities that you have proposed are also exactly what I have suggested in my statement on 15th February. What is in a name? Whatever we may call it the most important thing is to make the optimal use of the plenary meetings of the CD and engage in substantive work. Mr. President, complementary activities will only help but will not hamper our endeavours to agree on a program of work and start on a program of real substantive work.

May I also tell you another story abut a doctor. There was a doctor. He is a gynecology and obstetrics doctor, what we call the ogi doctor, was trying to deliver a baby. The mother was in great agony and unable to give birth. The doctor came in there and examined and he found out there were two babies not one. The mother was unable to give birth because the two babies were quarrelling with each other as to who should come out first. In fact both should come out and the question of precedence should not be a problem. Once this problem was resolved the babies were born naturally and without difficulty. We should therefore be flexible about this problem Mr. President. We should not be too fuzzy as to whether complementary activities should come first or are we wrong.

What is really important is to do substantive work in the CD. And to break the current impasse. And to do what we are supposed to do in this negotiating forum. Mr. President, my delegation fully supports your proposal to convene informal plenary meetings and we also encourage the incoming presidents to do the same. Let us get down to business in earnest. Thank you Mr. President.

REPLY TO AMBASSADOR OF IRELAND

Transcribed Statement of the Ambassador of Myanmar Mr. Mya Than 8/3/01 Thank you Mr. President. I have taken the comments of the Ambassador of Ireland in good humour. As a matter of fact I have the highest regard for women's and ladies in this room and around the world. And I should also like to tell you that in my country Myanmar, the status of women is one of the highest in the world. So what I am trying to convene here is just the need to move forward the work of the CD and I just incidentally say some anecdotes to enliven the discussion. Thank you Mr. President.