UN General Assembly
1994

governance. I wish to pay a special tribute to His Excellency President Nelson Mandela and other leaders of the South African liberation movements, and to Mr. de Klerk, for their vision and statesmanship, which enabled the United Nations to achieve one of the key long- sought objectives of Africa. Since the last session of the General Assembly, several developments have taken place in the international arena; some of these have offered hope and encouragement, while others have led to frustration and despair. In many countries, peace, the rule of law and democratic governance are being consolidated. However, in some others, such as Angola, Somalia, Liberia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, conflicts have caused untold suffering, loss of life and destruction of property, and have contributed to the staggering numbers of refugees and displaced persons, with the attendant negative consequences. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates the number of refugees and displaced persons worldwide to be over 23 million and 26 million respectively. Africa is estimated to have over