UN General Assembly
1998

preparations for the legislative elections. We are looking forward to the decision of the Security Council which will enable MINURCA to provide further assistance for the electoral process, thus giving all Central Africans the assurance of the freedom, fairness and transparency of this most important aspect of the democratic process. Needless to say, United Nations assistance in the process is a worthwhile investment in good governance, which itself is the sure foundation for peace, security and development. No effort should therefore be spared by our Organization in rallying to the support of those Member States that are making genuine efforts to instal a system that in itself constitutes a conflict-prevention mechanism. The cost of such support, which also constitutes an investment in peace-building, is in the end much less, and the results more satisfying, than those of a fire-fighting response after the outbreak of a conflict. Bearing these factors in mind, I wish to appeal, on behalf of my Government, to the Security Council to take a comprehensive approach that avoids a premature exit of