UN General Assembly
1994

in our countries, and that all of us together could then begin a great march away from totalitarian and authoritarian forms of government towards democracy. In July my dream became reality when the Second International Conference of New or Restored Democracies was held in Managua, with participants, observers, special guests and international organizations from more than 70 countries from four continents. In the Managua declaration, representatives to this Second International Conference expressed their conviction that democracy is the only system that allows for a free, firm and steadfast union of nations for peace. We also agreed that the consolidation of democratic processes was a key factor in guaranteeing peace and international security. The Managua declaration clearly establishes the essential ties between democracy and social and economic development, and between democracy and citizen participation. It should also be stressed that the Managua Declaration states the following: that the future of the new and restored democracies as well as the future of peace are linked to the international community’s response to such matters as external debt, protectionism