UN General Assembly
1997

The establishment of the Organization of African Unity Central Organ’s Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution and the Treaty setting up the African Economic Community are the product of the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance which is rooted in African culture and of a strategy for giving fresh impetus to intra-African factors of integration and complementarity. This is the forum to state that the international community must encourage and help these praiseworthy efforts. In this regard, we welcome the convening of a special ministerial meeting of the Security Council on Africa, which is a major political advance. We venture to hope that we are thereby taking steps towards international solidarity with the African continent, which will finally be considered an active partner which cannot be excluded from humankind’s great march towards the fulfilment of its destiny. The signs of recovery which have recently been evident through the growth of the world economy are a real source of satisfaction. However, this slight improvement needs to be consolidated so as to make it the lasting trend