UN General Assembly
1994

Allow me to congratulate the President on his election to his high office, and to thank the outgoing President, His Excellency Mr. Samuel Insanally, for his wise leadership during the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly. Many had hoped that the fall of the Berlin Wall would put an end to the divisions of the world and usher in a new era of peace and harmony among nations. This has not happened. Today humanity faces a new division or fragmentation far more dramatic in essence. The world is torn between hope and despair. This is the new division we are facing. On the one hand, hope: the spirit of democracy is kept alive. The global commitment to the universal principles of respect for human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms has been maintained. On the other hand, despair: the eruption of long-suppressed evil forces, such as ethnic and xenophobic nationalism, racism and tribalism, has caused new conflicts. They have emerged as new threats to international peace and security. On the darkest side, there are new instances of