UN General Assembly
1994

its lack of energy resources and we welcome, therefore, the signing on 17 June 1994 in Paris of the International Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa. We hope that the provisions of the Convention will not remain a dead letter. While in the Sahel rain is welcomed enthusiastically, the rainfall, which has been particularly abundant this year, has caused flooding in many regions of my country, causing serious damage to crops and leaving many families homeless. At the same time an epidemic of cholera has broken out in some cities in Chad. We are working together with our various partners, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to deal with these situations following appeals made respectively by the Ministers of Agriculture and Health. 13 The United Nations will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary next year. To meet the many challenges we must adapt to present changes. Therefore my country supports the common African position on restructuring and the revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields.