My delegation
congratulates Mr. Jan Kavan on his election as
President of the fifty-seventh session of the General
Assembly, and we thank his predecessor, Mr. Han
Seung-soo, for his effective conduct of the fifty-sixth
session. We also pay tribute to the Secretary-General
for his enlightened and progressive leadership.
In addition, we warmly welcome Switzerland into
the family of nations, and we look forward with
pleasure to the admission of East Timor.
When the fifty-sixth session of the General
Assembly was convened a year ago, shockwaves were
reverberating across the United States and around the
world as a result of the traumatic and cataclysmic
events of 11 September. My country's thoughts and
prayers continue to be with the people of the United
States, especially those who have suffered irreparable
loss. As the curtain rises on the fifty-seventh session of
the General Assembly, there is evidence that some dark
clouds have lifted, thanks to the solidarity of the
international community, which has galvanized into
taking action to prevent such dastardly and heinous
terrorist attacks.
Nevertheless, there is a need for vigilance, as
demonstrated by the Counter-Terrorism Committee
created to oversee the implementation of the landmark
Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). Grenada has
given its full support and commitment to this resolution
by using scarce financial and human resources to
implement security measures and new counter-
terrorism strategies, including national legislation to
conform with the resolution.
In this connection, we appeal for assistance from
willing partners in the fight against terrorism and the
concomitant trade in narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances that traverses our region via the Caribbean
Sea. This waterway must be maintained as a zone of
peace in the context of sustainable development, free
also from pollutants and nuclear waste.
The general debate is taking place in the
continuing shadow of 11 September, which has
adversely affected the global economy and the social
situation in developed countries. However, the

spillovers have affected, much more profoundly, small
developing countries such as my own. Particularly
hard-hit has been the tourism industry, which is a major
source of foreign exchange. Tourist arrivals by air and
sea have decreased significantly, due in large measure
to increased security arrangements introduced in
international transportation and, of course, the natural
fear of travelling. Loss of revenue in tourism affects
the hotel industry, employment, transportation,
banking, agriculture and other tourism activities that
help to sustain the economy of my country.
The next hardest hit sector is trade. Conventional
economic wisdom says that poor developing countries
must grow their way out of poverty. Trade offers the
best hope, because it is the engine of growth and
development.
Many products from developing countries face
untold obstacles in entering the markets of the rich
developed countries. In this connection, the decline in
trade, especially primary commodities, has a direct
relation on developing countries' ability to import
goods essential for development. According to the
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), Mr. Horst Köhler, the true test of the credibility
of wealthy nations' efforts to combat poverty lies in
their willingness to open up their markets and phase
out trade-distorting subsidies in areas where
developing countries have a comparative advantage, as
in agriculture, processed foods, textiles, clothing and
light manufactures.
Grenada fully understands the critical role that
international trade plays in the alleviation of poverty.
However, improved market access is a necessity for the
development of smaller nations. We, therefore, reiterate
our call to the more developed nations to make a
concerted effort to reduce trade barriers and tariffs,
which impede poorer developing countries from full
participation in the global economy.
One result of 11 September has been to further
exacerbate the inequality between the developing and
the developed countries as trading partners in the free
play of market forces. According to the Secretary-
General of the United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD), the challenge now is to
make the multilateral trading system more
development-friendly.
Now, more than ever, the concerns of developing
countries, enunciated at the third session of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle and emphasized
at the Fourth World Trade Organization Ministerial
Conference in Doha, should be the global agenda to
fight poverty in developing countries. The Doha
ministerial declaration, adopted in November of 2001,
reaffirmed the need for special and differential
treatment as stated in that paragraph 3 declaration:
“We recognize the particular vulnerability of the
least developed countries ... we are committed ...
to improving their effective participation in the
multilateral trading system.” (TRADE/2002/1,
pp. 9-10)
In Grenada, our imports declined by 10.9 per cent
in 2001, following a 20 per cent increase just the year
before. Our exports performed even worse by
registering a 24 per cent decline in 2001, as compared
to a 13 per cent increase the previous year. The effect
on our growth rate was not surprising. The economy
grew by 3.4 per cent in 2001, compared to 6.6 per cent
in the year 2000.
The HIV/AIDS pandemic casts a dark shadow
over the General Assembly's global agenda. HIV/AIDS
has become not only a health pandemic, but also a
threat to the development of international peace and
security. This disease constitutes a global emergency,
as it affects every country of the world; not a single
one is immune. The Pan American Health Organization
has reported that an estimated 2.8 million people in the
Americas are currently living with AIDS. Out of that
number, 420,000 in the Caribbean are infected. The
Caribbean is second only to sub-Saharan Africa in
incidence and mortality rates.
HIV/AIDS poses a drain on the scarce resources
of the small economies, like Grenada's, whose
revenues have been further negatively impacted by last
year's horrific events. The Caribbean is facing a
serious problem with the disease, and there is no way
that our small countries can stem the ravages of
HIV/AIDS without a massive infusion of resources.
The Caribbean urgently needs financial and
human resources for education and counselling in
preventative measures and treatment, with respect to
HIV/AIDS and the opportunistic diseases, such as
tuberculosis and others. Moreover, the availability of
medicine and the ability to purchase it constitute the
greatest challenge.
12

We applaud the establishment in 2002 of the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
We are also thankful to the Pan American Health
Organization and the World Health Organization
(WHO) representative offices for assistance in the
facilitation, implementation and technical evaluation of
many projects in the Caribbean region. However, there
is much more to be done, and the costs are
overwhelming.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development,
recently ended in Johannesburg, and its precursor, the
International Conference on Financing for
Development, held in Monterrey, and the conclusions
of the Millennium Summit are all blueprints for
sustainable development. The common thread in all the
final documents is poverty eradication. Poverty, hunger
and disease constitute a chain of misery with
devastating physical, mental and psychological
consequences.
The Secretary-General summarized the nature of
the challenges to human development best in the
introduction of his report to the Preparatory Committee
for the High-level International Intergovernmental
Event on Financing for Development:
“As the new century dawns, there can be no task
more urgent for the United Nations than that
fixed by the Millennium Summit of rescuing one
billion men, women and children from ‘abject and
dehumanizing poverty'”. (A/AC.257/12, para.1)
Grenada's stated position at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development is as follows: if sustainable
development is to become a reality, our focus must be
on the health and social well-being of the world's
peoples. Clean water, unpolluted air and food security
are rights, not privileges.
What is required now is not the elaboration of
further final documents, replete with grand phraseology
and pious pronouncements, but the implementation of
the existing ones that are most appropriate to the
human condition. This brings to mind the need to
implement the Barbados Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States (SIDS) embodied in Agenda 21.

We are hopeful that there will be a comprehensive
review of the Barbados Plan of Action in 2004 in
Mauritius so that the difficulties that small islands face
in the pursuit of sustainable development will be
considerably reduced.
As a matter of urgency, the United Nations, its
agencies and willing stakeholders and partners should
seek to implement the first Millennium Goal: the
eradication of extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.
Grenada awaits the time when the United Nations
will include the Republic of China on Taiwan in its
membership. The Government of Grenada has close
and collaborative ties with the Republic of China and
has witnessed its economic achievements, seen
demonstrations of its democratic principles, and is
cognizant of the dedication of its people to
international norms and ideals. In this spirit Grenada
calls for the full membership of the Republic of China
on Taiwan in the United Nations. We are convinced
that the Republic of China on Taiwan meets the
standards for United Nations membership, since it has
a democratic Government and possesses the attributes
of a nation-State. Indeed, the Republic of China on
Taiwan has tremendous potential to provide inputs for
the further development of the international
community, as recognized by the World Trade
Organization.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD), conceptualized by African leaders and
welcomed at the Summit of the Group of Eight
industrialized countries (G-8), represents an idea
whose time has come. The international community too
welcomed NEPAD a few days ago, when it was
presented by a high-level panel of African heads of
State or Government during the present session of the
General Assembly.
Implementation of NEPAD in partnership with
the developed countries will mark the dawn of a new
era for the economic development of Africa's abundant
natural resources. Thus, Africa, one of the largest and
most centrally located continents, can become the
breadbasket of the world. Grenada as part of the
African diaspora, hails NEPAD with great expectation
and excitement.
The United Nations has the ability, with the
involvement of its Members, to make a difference. It is
the international forum that struggles with and attempts
to find solutions to difficult global problems. Grenada
has been watching closely the developments in
international peace and security; economic
development; social advancement and cooperation; the
13

fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and
other threatening diseases; environmental
sustainability; and a plethora of other regional, national
and international issues.
For small countries such as Grenada, attending
international conferences presents a paradox. We aspire
to be integrally involved in these important
conferences, yet financial constraints sometimes
outweigh the benefits of being in attendance. Our
absence, as many other small nations would agree,
should not by any means be construed as a lack of
interest. Enormous expectations and optimism must be
balanced with a degree of realism. My delegation
assures the General Assembly that it fully supports the
efforts of the United Nations to face the many
challenges that arise.
However, we must ensure that the many decisions
taken at the United Nations summit conferences are
implemented. But the goals must be achievable and
beneficial to all Member States.


The delegation of Cameroon welcomes the
unanimous vote that conferred upon the Czech
Republic the presidency of the General Assembly at its
fifty-seventh session. Current circumstances may not
be conducive to optimism, but the peoples of the
United Nations are continuing to make progress
towards the future. The heads of State or Government
of the countries of the world mapped out the contours
of that future during the Millennium Summit. They
called for a future world in which humankind can live
free from all fears and free from want. I am convinced
that, given your excellent qualities, Mr. President, you,
like your predecessor, will contribute to strengthening
cohesion and peace among all States and peoples.
Cameroon welcomes the new additions to our
family. Switzerland, our friend, has taken up the United
Nations banner, and the young Democratic Republic of
Timor-Leste will soon be joining it.
I should also like to pay tribute to the
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who, through his
tireless efforts and commitment, is consolidating, day
by day, the credibility and vitality of the United
Nations in the eyes of its Member States and, more
broadly, in international public opinion.
The United Nations, as never before, is a place
for coordination, research, action and vigilance in
favour of international peace and security. Our
steadfast and determined commitment against terrorism
in the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September
2001 is proof of this.
Cameroon has acceded to the conventional
instruments adopted by the United Nations immediately
after that tragedy. We also associate ourselves fully with
the resolutions that are now enabling the gradual
emergence of a new Afghanistan — one of liberty and
modernity for its people.
The fight against the destructive, indiscriminate
and persistent evil of terrorism must be viewed in the
long term in each of our countries and be based on
decisions agreed to at the international level. That is
why Cameroon fully supports the convening of a high-
level conference to develop a joint response by the
international community to terrorism.
Such a fight must not be merely a knee-jerk
response. It will also require the adoption of a
comprehensive approach that takes into account all the
32

factors of imbalance and injustice that can lead to such
criminal activity.
It is for that reason that President Paul Biya
appealed to the community of nations
“to calm the international situation by doing away
with injustice, which can provide a fertile ground
for intolerance. Such a realistic step will enable
us to eradicate the causes of dissatisfaction and
revolt that, if unresolved, can lead to despair and,
at worst, to terrorism”.
In the same spirit, we believe that our common
offensive on terrorism must rest on legal measures
agreed to by all States, as well as on the effective
implementation of commitments undertaken in the
Millennium Declaration. We should recall that such
commitments are aimed at providing further solidarity
among nations and at reducing the gap between rich
and poor countries. Firmness without justice can only
promote feelings of frustration and will leave the
problem unresolved.
Since becoming a member of the Security
Council, the pre-eminent body of our Organization, on
1 January, Cameroon has made every effort to give
credence to the doctrine of a twin-track approach to
peace and security. Combating international terrorism
will require the sincere and effective participation of
all States Members of the United Nations. This in turn
will require an environment of peace, stability and
security among Member States. As a result, we must,
whatever the cost, find a solution to the conflicts and
tensions that, in Africa, the Middle East and Asia,
continue to drive fault lines through international
relations, among countries in the same region and even
within certain States.
As with the fight against international terrorism,
the mobilization of the international community against
crises and armed conflicts must involve both resolute
action and openness. Cameroon is especially concerned
about the delicate question of sanctions, which are
affecting several countries. Sanctions must be targeted
so as to spare innocent civilians, while the concerns of
third States, which can be indirect victims, must also
be taken into account.
We believe the Security Council would benefit if
sanctions were viewed more favourably. This could be
achieved by according them further legitimacy, which
would enable them to have the credibility essential to
their effectiveness.
As for the institutional reform of the United
Nations, which Cameroon, like many other countries,
has been urging, special mention must be made of the
inevitable expansion of Security Council membership.
Such reforms of the principal decision-making body of
the United Nations would permit a more integrated
approach with regard to serious regional questions and
the multilateral challenges that flow from
globalization.
Cameroon is convinced that an overwhelming
majority of Member States are willing and able to carry
out these reforms. That very ability and will have been
demonstrated by the establishment of the International
Criminal Court; the first session of the Assembly of
States Parties to the Statute has just been held here.
We cannot overemphasize the need for solidarity
to unify our nations. Support for the development of
the countries of the South must remain a priority, as
must synergy among our States in order to define a
vigorous policy for environmental protection. We have
never had so many summits on these major challenges.
Yet it must be noted that we have seldom adequately
met the tremendous expectations of millions of women
and children, the great majority of whom continue to
live in precarious circumstances and with great fear for
the future of the Earth.
We must ponder our failures. We must react with
a surge of voluntarism that will enable us to launch a
determined attack on such great pandemics as
HIV/AIDS. That is the path charted by the first ladies
of Africa, who, upon the invitation of Mrs. Chantal
Biya, will meet in Yaoundé on 15 and 16 November to
establish and launch, with the help of renowned
researchers and scientists, a non-governmental
organization called Synergies africaines contre le Sida
et les autres souffrances. At that launching, Professors
Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier will moderate a
scientific symposium on AIDS.
In order to combat fanaticism, we must cultivate
fidelity to humankind. Such fidelity must be ongoing.
According to a wise African saying, “the past and the
present become one in the single desire to preserve
mankind”. Today more than ever, it is our duty to
affirm our fidelity to our peoples without ever
forgetting the fundamental virtues on which the
universal fabric of mankind's aspirations and dreams is
33

woven. I recall that we have the urgent duty to forge
the future that was shaped by our heads of State at the
Millennium Summit — a world in which mankind will
finally be free of fear, of all fears, and in which
mankind shall never want.
Let us build a dream together. Let us dream
together of that future full of hope. We would remind
those who scorn such dreams that, in the beginning,
there was a dream. To them, we would reiterate George
Bernard Shaw's words:
“Some men see things as they are and say why? I
dream things that never were and say ‘Why
not?'”
In the beginning, there was a dream.


It is my pleasing duty to
once again participate in this auspicious forum on
behalf of Mr. Charles Ghankay Taylor, President of the
Republic of Liberia, and to contribute to the debate of
this General Assembly.
17

At the outset, I wish to congratulate Mr. Jan
Kavan for his election as President of the General
Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and to assure him
of the full cooperation and support of the Liberian
delegation.
I also seize this opportunity to commend the
outgoing President, Mr. Han Seung-Soo of the
Republic of Korea, for the efficient and capable
manner in which he conducted the affairs of the fifty-
sixth session of the General Assembly.
It is my pleasing duty to congratulate the gallant
people of East Timor on their relentless struggle for
self-determination, leading to their independence this
year. It is also a privilege for me and my Government
to welcome and congratulate Switzerland on its
admission to membership of the United Nations.
A year ago, the world was plunged into deep
sadness as a result of gruesome acts of terrorism
committed right here in New York City and elsewhere
in the United States of America. In the wake of these
barbaric acts, we all entered a solemn collective pledge
to battle terrorism wherever it may exist. Consequently,
there was not only a strong condemnation of terrorism,
but also firm support for the campaign against
organized terrorist networks. We wish to reaffirm our
support for Security Council resolution 1373 (2001)
and the United Nations conventions and protocols
aimed at combating terrorism. The Government of
Liberia has forwarded those conventions not yet
ratified to the Liberian National Legislature for
ratification.
The consolidated and coordinated response
necessitated by terrorist attacks requires a firm
commitment to ensuring the passage of comprehensive
legislations to meet the new dimensions of terrorism,
the adoption of strict financial control regulations to
curtail funding for terrorism, the strengthening of
customs and immigration controls, the strict
enforcement of laws regulating arms traffic, and the
liberalization of the extradition conditions for persons
suspected of engaging in terrorism.
In the global war against terrorism, we must
further act to combat the root causes of terrorism. This
means that there is a need to take concrete steps to
combat deprivation, alienation, rejection, misery and
poverty.
Recent developments in the Middle East
involving Israel and the Palestinians are a cause for
grave concern, requiring urgent and concrete actions to
halt violence in that region. Both the Israelis and
Palestinians have justified claims, which must be
resolved in a manner other than the use of excessive
violence. Violence cannot produce peace, neither can it
be an arbiter of claims.
My Government is in full support of constructive
efforts that will help both sides to return to political
dialogue in their search for a negotiated settlement. We
therefore urge all stakeholders and facilitators of the
Middle East peace process to undertake meaningful
actions that will reduce the current level of antagonism
and violence in the region and to avoid any further
aggravation of the situation in the Middle East. As we
say in Liberia, “Let us not use fire to put out a fire.”
At the formation of the United Nations 57 years
ago, most of Africa was still under colonial rule and
therefore Africa's participation in the creation of a
global mechanism for collective security was limited to
Liberia, Ethiopia, Egypt and apartheid South Africa.
Today, Africa has formed itself into the African Union
and represents over 25 per cent of the membership of
the United Nations. Despite this fact, and considering
that most of the conflicts under consideration by the
Security Council are African conflicts, the continent's
participation in the deliberations of the Security
Council is grossly limited to non-permanent
representation with no right of veto. In essence, Africa
has no real voice in our world body even as it
deliberates on issues affecting our very existence as a
continent. This situation must change. Africa's
contribution to collective security cannot be limited to
participation in a debate that has no binding effect on
decisions taken by the post-war Powers.
Building upon the Organization of African
Unity's Mechanism for Conflict Prevention,
Management and Resolution, the African Union has
established a Peace and Security Council to promote
peace, security and stability in Africa, anticipate and
prevent conflict, develop a common defence policy,
and promote and implement peace-building and post-
conflict reconstruction activities. That organ will
provide the capacity for the management of African
conflicts by Africans and will thus form the initial
basis for Africa's contribution to collective peace and
security.
18

Many African States, including Liberia, have
provided peacekeepers to United Nations-mandated
peacekeeping missions around the world. Africa has
come of age to contribute to international peace and
security, not only because Africa has the capacity to do
so, but also, more importantly, because Africa is a
principal stakeholder in international peace and
security. Liberia therefore calls for the permanent
representation of Africa on the Security Council with
the right of veto. This is the resolve of all Africans.
The Government of Liberia considers the present
sanctions regime imposed on Liberia through Security
Council resolutions 1343 (2001) and 1408 (2002) as
punitive and unjust. Not only are the sanctions unjust,
but they have also created a grave humanitarian crisis
throughout the country. Although the Government of
Liberia has always regarded as unjust, unjustified and
punitive the imposition of United Nations sanctions on
the country, it has nevertheless consistently cooperated
with the Security Council, thus upholding that organ's
integrity.
The Government of Liberia is in full compliance
with the demands contained in paragraph 2(a) to (d) of
Security Council resolution 1343 (2001). These
demands constitute the only conditions for the lifting
of the sanctions on Liberia, as provided for in
paragraph 6 of resolution 1408 (2002). Essentially,
these demands called for the cessation of support for
the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), intended to lead
to progress in the peace process in Sierra Leone. In
order to ensure compliance with these demands, the
resolution imposed several punitive sanctions on
Liberia.
No one can dispute the fact that peace has been
restored to Sierra Leone and that the RUF no longer
exists. The defunct RUF has been demobilized and
disarmed by the United Nations Mission in Sierra
Leone (UNAMSIL). The RUF was transformed into a
political party, the Revolutionary United Front Party
(RUFP), which contested the elections in Sierra Leone
on 14 April 2002. All Sierra Leoneans, including the
RUFP, have accepted the results of the elections
without any challenge to the democratically elected
Government of Sierra Leone. The Government of
Liberia was represented at the inauguration of the
President of Sierra Leone and fully recognizes the
Government of President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah
as the legitimate and democratically elected
Government of Sierra Leone.
Liberia is host to many Sierra Leonean refugees.
The policy of the Government of Liberia has been to
encourage the voluntary repatriation of all Sierra
Leonean refugees, in keeping with relevant
international conventions. To this end, the Government
of Liberia has facilitated the repatriation of Sierra
Leonean refugees by the Government of Sierra Leone
and the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a process that
is ongoing.
Since February of this year, 12,500 Sierra
Leonean refugees have been repatriated to Sierra
Leone. Another 5,000 have registered for repatriation
with the embassy of Sierra Leone in Monrovia and
UNHCR. At present, there are 25,000 Sierra Leonean
refugees still residing in Liberia under the care of
UNHCR.
How is it conceivable that Liberia can today
continue to be punished by the Security Council on
allegations of supporting a non-existent RUF in a non-
existent war in Sierra Leone, while the Liberian
Government provides protection for thousands of
Sierra Leonean refugees in Liberia?
It is conceivable because of the failure to
differentiate between demands and punitive sanctions.
The condition for the lifting of the sanctions, according
to the resolution, is compliance with the demands.
However, the sanctions have not been lifted because
the focus is not on the condition precedent for its
lifting, but on the sanctions themselves, as though
punitive sanctions were ends in themselves. It is
illogical to suggest that the condition required for
lifting the sanctions is the sanctions themselves. To
assert that would suggest that one would be rewarded
with a privilege if one refrained from exercising that
privilege. It is therefore confusing to speak in terms of
alleged violations of the sanctions as though they were
indicators of compliance with the demands, when, in
fact, it is compliance with the specific demands of the
Security Council resolution that constitutes the only
condition for lifting the sanctions.
In its last report on Liberia, the United Nations
Panel of Experts rightfully raised the moral dilemma
regarding the continuance of sanctions against Liberia
when the war in Sierra Leone was over. However, that
moral dilemma was not a dilemma for those subjecting
Liberia to unjust punitive sanctions, as morality had no
place in their political consideration.
19

If regional peace and security are the objectives
of the victimization of Liberia, how, then, do we
explain the conspiracy of silence surrounding the
prevailing war in Liberia waged by externally
supported armed non-State actors? Can one reasonably
expect peace to be consolidated in Sierra Leone or
maintained in the Mano River Union region when
aggression against Liberia is left unchecked? What
accounts for that conspiracy? Is it due to double
standards or to malice?
The current arms embargo imposed on Liberia in
the midst of a war waged against Liberia by externally
supported armed non-State actors has caused the
displacement of a third of the population, resulting in a
humanitarian crisis in the country. The arms embargo
has encouraged the war against Liberia because of the
perceived weakness of the Government to effectively
defend its territory. Furthermore, it should be noted
that the countries providing arms and ammunition to
the non-State actors operating in Liberia are in
violation of the arms embargo, and the Security
Council cannot ignore their actions.
The arms embargo imposed on Liberia is a
flagrant violation of Liberia's inherent right under
Article 51 of the Charter to defend itself against armed
attacks. That violation has not only led to impairment
of the Government's capacity to defend the nation; it
has also contributed to the resulting humanitarian crisis
that is the cause of immense human suffering in
Liberia.
The combined impact of the sanctions and the
ongoing war in Liberia is telling on every aspect of life
in the country. The sanctions have exacerbated the
problem of a fragile economy and have imposed
suffering on an already vulnerable population.
According to statistics of the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), the unemployment
rate in Liberia is estimated at 85 per cent, while 80 per
cent of the population lives below the poverty line.
Donor assistance to United Nations specialized
agencies and non-governmental organizations
operating in Liberia has substantially declined since the
imposition of sanctions.
The education and health sectors have suffered
serious disruptions since the imposition of sanctions.
Over 60 per cent of the children between the ages of 5
and 14 years were in school in 2000, compared with
about 45 per cent today. Infant mortality and life
expectancy rates have significantly deteriorated. Infant
mortality, which was 117 per 1,000 births in the year
2000, is now estimated at over 130, while life
expectancy has declined from 54 to 47. Of the 16
functioning hospitals and 25 health centres that were
operating in the country in 2000, only 11 hospitals and
15 health centres are still operating. At present, there
are 59,370 persons per doctor.
Prior to the sanctions, over 100,000 Liberians
were engaged in artisanal mining of diamonds, either
as operators or labourers. Taking into consideration the
average size of the extended family, which is 7, that
brings the number of Liberians directly or indirectly
impacted by the Security Council ban on Liberian
diamonds to more than 700,000.
A student at the University of Liberia wrote the
following in an assignment paper:
“The United Nations euphemism ‘selective
sanctions' is a laughable oxymoron, if not a myth.
The attempt to strangulate and destroy the
Liberian Government can in no way provide a
foolproof assurance that will guarantee the
immunity of ordinary Liberians from such
strangulation ... To regard the sanctions as
selective, one should, firstly, bury his conscience
to the plight of Liberians in their everyday living.
Sanctions are not selective when Liberians are
denied income and employment opportunities, or
when primeval darkness cannot become obsolete
in the face of modernity ... It is time, high time,
that the United Nations abandon its destruction of
the Liberian nation State.”
I join my compatriot in calling on the Security
Council to bring an end to the suffering and
victimization of Liberians by acting urgently to lift all
sanctions imposed on our vulnerable country.
Despite the current state of emergency and
critical conditions created as a result of United Nations
sanctions and the war waged by externally supported
armed non-State actors, the Government of Liberia
remains committed to democracy, the rule of law,
respect for human rights, national reconciliation and
national unity. To that end, a national reconciliation
conference has been organized by a steering committee
comprised of persons representing a cross section of
Liberian society. The first national plenary of the
conference was launched on 24 August 2002. The
conference was divided into five thematic subgroups:
20

finance and management, culture and history, good
governance, education and communication, and
national security.
Current diplomatic initiatives undertaken to bring
about peace in Liberia are proceeding at two levels,
that of the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) and that of Mano River Union,
which are parallel processes. At the ECOWAS level,
the objective of the process is the facilitation of a peace
process, especially with regard to bringing an end to
the activities of armed non-State actors, leading to an
end to the ongoing war inside Liberia. At the Mano
River Union level, the objective of the process is to
build confidence among member States of the Mano
River Union, the development of political will to
ensure good neighbourliness and the consequent
implementation of all decisions and protocols of the
Mano River Union, including those decisions taken
subsequent to the Moroccan initiative. His Majesty the
King of Morocco, who has maintained consultations
with the United Nations and major Powers, currently
facilitates that process.
Those parallel initiatives complement each other
and are not mutually exclusive. Settlement of the
internal conflict requires the cooperation of
neighbouring States. The destabilization of Liberia by
armed non-State actors and the resultant humanitarian
crisis have been and continue to be sustained by
external support, and no internal settlement can be
sustained in the absence of the cooperation of the
neighbouring States of the Mano River Union and
ECOWAS. It is therefore important to encourage the
Moroccan and ECOWAS initiatives as complementary
efforts and not to perceive those efforts as working at
cross purposes.
The restoration of peace and security to Liberia
can only be facilitated by ending the activities of armed
non-State actors, who sustain their activities through
external support. That would, therefore, require, as an
essential beginning, the cutting off of all external
support to armed non-State actors. The achievement of
that objective will require that the Mano River Union
member States adhere to the Non-Aggression and
Security Cooperation Treaty of the Mano River Union,
implement the 15th protocol to the Declaration of the
Mano River Union and implement all Mano River
Union decisions pursuant to the provisions of the 15th
protocol and those arising from the Moroccan
initiative. Fundamental among those decisions is the
decision of the Joint Security Committee, taken in
Conakry, Republic of Guinea, on 10 September 2001,
regarding the endemic problems of dissidents. That
decision called for the apprehension and repatriation to
their country of origin of all individuals, armed groups
and other paramilitary forces involved in the
destabilization of member States.
The ongoing war waged by externally supported
armed non-State actors against the democratically
elected Government of Liberia is a result of the total
disregard and violation of the agreements and decisions
of the Mano River Union. That war must be brought to
an end. The decision of the Mano River Union on the
endemic problems of dissidents was antecedent to the
end of the war in Sierra Leone and intended to put an
end to the destabilization of the region by armed non-
State actors and to create a mechanism for sustainable
peace and security within the Mano River Union
region. It is, therefore, imperative that no ambiguous
signals are sent to the armed non-State actors who are
currently destabilizing Liberia; otherwise, the efforts of
the Mano River Union, the United Nations Mission in
Sierra Leone and the international community as a
whole to consolidate peace and security would be
futile, and would thus undermine the security of the
entire region. It is, therefore, imperative that all armed
non-State actors be fully disarmed as an integral part of
the efforts of the international community to restore
peace to the Mano River Union region.
The consistent denial of the United Nations to
admit the Republic of China on Taiwan into this world
body is a violation of Article 4 of the Charter, which
specifically states that
“Membership in the United Nations is open
to all other peace-loving States which accept the
obligations contained in the present Charter and,
in the judgement of the Organization, are able and
willing to carry out these obligations.”
The 23 million peace-loving people of the
Republic of China deserve to be represented in the
United Nations. They have demonstrated their capacity
and willingness fully to live up to the obligations of
States Members of the United Nations, as they have
demonstrated in other world bodies. It is therefore the
conviction of the Liberian Government that the
Republic of China should be allowed representation
and participation in this world body. The Liberian
Government continues to hold the view that it is the
21

Chinese people themselves, under the principles of
democracy and of respect for human rights, who will
one day resolve the question of Chinese reunification.
Liberia encourages the continuation of the cross-straits
dialogue in the interest of the greater good of the
Chinese people.
Some scholars are of the view that the calculated
objective of some sanctions is the achievement of a
threshold of domestic suffering that will cause the
people to rise up and overthrow their Government. If
this is true, then it is also true that some sanctions are
not intended to achieve compliance with United
Nations demands, but to precipitate regime change
through rebellion against internal conditions of
suffering caused by sanctions. This may also explain
the indifference and insensitivity to the suffering of
people living in States under sanctions.
In the case of Liberia, the call for a study of the
potential impact of sanctions took effect only after the
imposition of sanctions, which gave an appearance of
some humanitarian concern for the people of Liberia.
Nevertheless, after 16 months of the application of
punitive sanctions against Liberia, the Security Council
is still trying to determine the impact of its sanctions
on our people. Will death represent an impact sufficient
to bring about some form of moral consternation and
restraint? But for every day that a Liberian must face
the agony of sanctions, the integrity of the United
Nations is undermined and its conscience put to the
test.
The Liberian people consider their current
suffering at the hands of the Security Council a
betrayal of the dream and aspiration which inspired
their forefathers to join in the formation of the United
Nations. With the benefit of hindsight, the Government
would have toiled in anguish as it participated in the
San Francisco Conference in 1945; not in doubt of the
principles we ascribed to, but in fear of the potential to
distort those sacred principles.
Yet we remain resolute and true to the ideals and
principles enshrined in the Charter, and we commit
ourselves to working with unrelenting perseverance for
the realization of peace, freedom, liberty and justice for
all peoples.


Let me begin by taking this
opportunity to congratulate you, Sir, on your
unanimous election to preside over the fifty-seventh
session of the General Assembly. My delegation
pledges its full support to you and has full confidence
in your ability to steer the session to a successful
conclusion. I would also like to express my
delegation's profound appreciation to your predecessor,
9

His Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo, for the excellent
manner in which he guided the fifty-sixth session.
Our tributes are also due to the Secretary-
General, His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan, for his
tireless efforts to carry out the mandate of the United
Nations.
Nepal congratulates Switzerland and welcomes it
as a new Member of the United Nations. We also look
forward to having the privilege of welcoming East
Timor as a new Member in a few days.
We are meeting here under the long and dark
shadow of the terrorist attacks carried out against our
host city on 11 September 2001. The trauma and
tragedy the attacks wrought are still fresh in our
memory. Our heart goes out to the children who lost
their parents and to the families who lost their near and
dear ones.
Itself a victim of terrorism, Nepal understands the
pain and peril terrorists brutally perpetrate on
individuals and societies. As globalization and
technological advances have made it possible for
terrorists to move people and funds across the world
with ease, the concerted efforts of nations will be
essential to stamp out terrorism. We therefore support
the ongoing global war on terrorism and see the need
for better enforcement of existing international law and
for the conclusion of a comprehensive global
convention for that purpose. In Nepal we have enacted
a new law in this regard, as well as rules and
regulations that include provisions of relevant
international treaties to which we are a party.
Being opposed to democracy and freedoms, the
so-called Maoist terrorists in Nepal have been taking
innocent lives, abducting children to work as child
soldiers, and destroying private homes, schools and
vital infrastructure. In view of this, His Majesty's
Government has recognized them as terrorists and has
launched a campaign to protect people and property.
We appreciate the moral and financial support from our
friends in this effort. We also deplore any suggestion
that tends to equate the Government's obligation to
protect its citizens with the terrorists' dastardly acts of
violence.
Even though terrorism is the menace of the
moment, other peace and security problems continue to
trouble the world. The Middle East is burning and
Africa is boiling over with conflict. Tension also
abounds elsewhere — in Asia, Europe and Latin
America.
To find comprehensive peace in the Middle East,
Nepal supports the time-bound implementation of
Security Council resolution 1397 (2002) and of the
Quartet agreement of April 2002.
Iraq must comply with the relevant Security
Council resolutions, and the international community
must respect the sanctity and integrity of the Charter of
the United Nations in order to avoid setting fire to the
wider region.
We are happy that Afghanistan is limping back to
normalcy. Providing security coverage over the entire
country should be the United Nations priority so that
reconstruction can pick up momentum.
East Timor has emerged as a free South Pacific
nation. We congratulate its people on their freedom and
independence, and the United Nations on helping them
through the transition.
It is encouraging that Sierra Leone has achieved a
measure of stability. In order to achieve a wider peace,
attempts must be redoubled to resolve the conflicts in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and
Burundi.
The Balkans, Cyprus and the Korean peninsula
should receive necessary support in their quest for
peace and harmony.
No durable peace will be possible without the
prevention of conflicts and the resolution of disputes
through peaceful means. Peacekeeping, disarmament
and confidence-building are the pillars of the edifice of
culture of peace. United Nations peacekeeping
operations have proved very useful in helping to
stabilize fragile situations during and after conflicts.
Nepal is a major player in United Nations
peacekeeping and has contributed more than 40,000
military and police personnel so far. Our peacekeepers
have served the United Nations with outstanding
competence and dedication, sustaining 42 casualties in
the line of duty. Our commitment to United Nations
peacekeeping operations remains robust. Supplying
fully self-sustained troops is our goal, but that often
becomes difficult for a poor country. Until we achieve
our goal, the United Nations must continue to bridge
the resource gap through innovative means.
10

In our view, the total elimination of nuclear
weapons in a time-bound manner constitutes the
cornerstone of the disarmament endeavour. We also
stress the imperative of observing existing international
treaties, ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty and concluding a fissile material cut-off treaty.
Nuclear-weapon-free zones and a guarantee not to use,
or threaten to use, nuclear weapons against non-
nuclear-weapon States, and other confidence-building
measures will help the process of nuclear disarmament.
Equally important is the need to eradicate chemical,
biological and other weapons of mass destruction.
Small arms have taken more lives than any other
type of weapons. We welcome the agreement that
emerged from the United Nations Conference on the
Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All
Its Aspects last year. Nonetheless, we underline the
need for stricter controls on the possession of such
arms by non-State actors.
United Nations Regional Centres for peace and
disarmament are an important tool for building
confidence and helping the process of disarmament in
their respective regions. We are grateful to Member
States for having designated Nepal as host of the
Regional Centre in Asia and the Pacific. It is, however,
deeply troubling that the Centre is yet to move to
Kathmandu, despite our full commitment to meeting all
those obligations that other hosts have met. We urge
the United Nations to relocate the Centre immediately
and not to set terms and conditions over and above
those that other hosts of similar Centres have accepted.
One may argue that not all conflicts are products
of poverty. Yet people living in poverty, deprivation
and despair easily become susceptible to the evil
designs of extremist elements. Hence, poverty
reduction and sustainable development are an
inseparable part of efforts to prevent conflicts and
terrorism and to promote peace.
Indeed, developing countries must bear the
primary responsibility for their own development.
Nepal has undertaken far-reaching reforms to liberalize
the economy, optimize internal resources, attract
foreign investment and protect the environment. Most
of its public expenditure is invested in people and in
poor areas. Measures have been taken to provide clean
Government and improve overall governance.
However, our problems are so big and our
resources so limited that without additional resources
and market access we cannot accelerate our growth and
sustain our development. Wealthy nations will
therefore have to fulfil their commitments made at the
Millennium Summit, as well as at the Doha, Monterrey
and Johannesburg conferences. We appreciate the
pledges of the European Union and the United States to
raise the level of their development assistance and urge
them to keep their word.
Developing countries also need a conducive
global economic climate to grow. For that to happen,
rich nations must strive to lift the world economy out
of the current recession and agree on major reforms in
the international financial architecture.
More than others, least developed countries in
Africa and elsewhere need increased assistance and
support to break loose from their poverty trap.
Developed nations should do everything in their power
to meet the official development targets, provide duty-
free and quota-free access for the products of the least
developed countries to their markets and help
implement other provisions of the Brussels Programme
of Action.
Landlocked developing countries suffer the
constraints of remoteness, high-cost economies and
high transit costs. They need targeted assistance to
overcome their specific hurdles, as do the small and
poor island developing States. Nepal appreciates the
United Nations for its important role in propelling
development in developing countries. We also welcome
the timely appointment of the High Representative for
the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked
Developing Countries and Small Island Developing
States.
Regional cooperation is a linchpin of attempts
collectively to foster competitiveness, capacity and
synergy. In South Asia, we are striving to build such
cooperation under the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Poverty alleviation,
trade liberalization and technical cooperation have
received the principal focus as precursors to the
ultimate establishment of a South Asian economic
union. The eleventh SAARC summit, which Nepal
hosted in January, is a testament to member States'
eagerness not to let their political differences affect the
process of regional economic integration.
Nepal is fully committed to democracy, justice
and human rights, including those of women and
children. We are strengthening the values and

institutions of democracy and incorporating
international human rights standards into our domestic
laws. Our National Human Rights Commission is fully
functional and the judiciary is being revitalized.
Sadly enough, there are nearly 20 million
refugees around the world and many more internally
displaced persons. In Nepal alone, there are over
100,000 refugees from Bhutan, deprived of their
human rights at home. With a view to finding a durable
solution to the problem, Nepal has engaged in bilateral
negotiations with Bhutan for nearly a decade now. We
call on Bhutan to take the negotiations as a matter of
urgency and to pave the way for the earliest
repatriation of the refugees.
Friendly countries, the United Nations system —
particularly the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food
Programme — and non-governmental organizations
have been generously assisting us in the maintenance
of the refugees. We express our appreciation to them
for their help and urge them to continue it until the
refugees return home.
Committed to the principles and purposes of the
United Nations, Nepal underlines the need for United
Nations reform, so that the Organization can meet the
challenges before it. Therefore, revitalizing the General
Assembly and the Economic and Social Council is our
priority. We favour reinforcing collaboration and
complementarity between the Economic and Social
Council and the Security Council in their respective
and related areas.
In our view, it is imperative to carry out a limited
expansion of the Security Council membership in both
categories, in a way that preserves the Council's
flexibility and ensures equitable geographical
representation. Reform of its working methods must
also continue, with a view to enhancing transparency
and improving the quality of consultations, particularly
with troop-contributing countries.
Reform is equally essential within the Secretariat
in order to increase its efficiency and effectiveness.
Inter-agency coordination should also be upgraded.
Central to strengthening the United Nations are a
vigorous Non-aligned Movement and a robust Group of
77. As a member of both, Nepal pledges to work with
other countries to reinvigorate those bodies and to
expand cooperation between them and the United
Nations.


On behalf of the delegation of Laos, I would
like, Sir, to convey to you my congratulations on your
election to the presidency of this fifty-seventh session
of the General Assembly.
The current session is taking place at a time when
Member States have entered the third year of the
process of implementation of the Development Goals
adopted at the Millennium Summit. During the past
two years, satisfactory progress has been made towards
those objectives, yet much more needs to be done. It is
our view that the war on poverty deserves our greatest
attention, for poverty causes millions of deaths and
does not allow for sustainable development.
Furthermore, our planet is facing the scourge of
terrorism in its various forms. Our Government will
work in a spirit of solidarity with the world community
in the combat against that scourge.
Since the end of the twentieth century, it has been
widely claimed that globalization provides tremendous
economic and development opportunities to nations.
However, it is evident that it has also brought
numerous challenges to the majority of the world's
population, in particular to those people living in
developing countries. The most notable effects of
globalization can be seen in the fact that the disparity
between the developed and developing countries
continues to increase.
Against this backdrop, while the developing
countries, with a sense of ownership and partnership,
have adopted various measures to cope with its
disadvantages, they still find themselves confronted
with the problem of securing financing and human
resources that can handle new technology; added to
this is the inability to access the market of the
developed countries. Although the International
Conference on Financing for Development and other
international conferences have given rise to some hope
that these disadvantages and challenges will be
addressed, the results have been far from satisfactory.
Moreover, the World Summit held in
Johannesburg earlier this month failed to respond to the
strong aspirations of the developing countries and of
the world community in addressing the issue of
sustainable development. Only by implementing the
commitments and pledges adopted at those
international conferences can we ensure fair and
5

sustainable development and lasting peace for
humankind.
We continue to seek a world of peace,
coexistence and cooperation for development.
However, to our regret, violent disputes and conflicts
continue to rage in many parts of our planet due to the
legacies of history and other factors.
We are again gathered here in the conviction that
the United Nations, as the only truly universal
Organization, should have a greater responsibility and
a more important role to play, in accordance with
Charter and international law, in resolving various
disputes in the world and in preventing the emergence
of new hot spots and interference in the internal affairs
of independent and sovereign States.
We should also continue to call for reform of the
United Nations with a view to enabling it to rise to the
formidable challenge of poverty eradication and the
promotion of sustainable development. In particular,
the Security Council should be reformed so as to
ensure that it fulfils its responsibilities in safeguarding
peace and security. In this context, I would like to pay
tribute to the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who has
worked tirelessly to render our Organization more
effective, and wish him even greater success in his
endeavours.
The Lao People's Democratic Republic shares the
international community's deep concern about the
excessive use of force in the Middle East since March
this year. In conformity with the common position of
the Non-Aligned Movement on the Middle East peace
process, the Lao People's Democratic Republic
believes that only a politically negotiated settlement
acceptable to both parties and implemented under
international supervision will bring peace, stability and
cooperation to the region. Such a settlement must be
based on respect for the inalienable rights of the
Palestinian people to establish an independent and
viable State of their own, so that they can live side by
side with Israel in peace and security within
internationally recognized borders, in accordance with
all relevant United Nations resolutions.
The Lao People's Democratic Republic also
expresses great concern about the issue of Iraq — an
independent and sovereign nation, and a State Member
of the United Nations. We are of the view that this
issue should be resolved by the United Nations through
political means.
With regard to the Caribbean region, the Lao
People's Democratic Republic reiterates its call for the
lifting of the economic, financial and trade embargo
imposed against the Republic of Cuba by the
Government of the United States of America. An end
to this long-standing and obsolete policy would not
only mean effective compliance with various General
Assembly resolutions, international law and the current
world thinking, but also promote economic prosperity
and cooperation in the region as a whole.
With regard to the Korean Peninsula, the Lao
Government welcomes the recent positive
developments, especially the inter-Korean ministerial
talks, as well as the preparation for negotiations
between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
the United States of America and Japan. These
developments will help pave the way for the
achievement of the goal of the peaceful national
reunification of Korea, and significantly contribute to
the consolidation of peace and stability in East Asia
and the Asia-Pacific region.
While many other countries are taking advantage
of the benefits offered by globalization, the landlocked
developing countries are still marginalized due to their
geographical disadvantage. Their lack of territorial
access to the sea, and their remoteness and isolation
from major international markets, as well as the high
transit transport costs, continue to be major obstacles
for those countries in meeting objectives of national
economic development and poverty eradication.
Moreover, this geographical handicap deprives us of
our right to be competitive in the international trading
system and to fully benefit from it. As the country
holding the chairmanship of the Group of Landlocked
Developing Countries, the Lao People's Democratic
Republic expresses its appreciation to the General
Assembly for its decision, taken last year, to convene
in 2003 an International Ministerial Meeting of
Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and
Donor Countries and International Financial and
Developmental Institutions on Transit Transport
Cooperation.
Over the past year, the Lao People's Democratic
Republic has recorded a number of important
achievements in the field of socio-economic
development. One event of significance was the
successful election of the fifth National Assembly on
24 February this year. This has contributed to the
gradual improvement of living standards of the Lao
6

people across all ethnic groups and ensured and
strengthened political stability and social order.
While extending its cooperation to the
international community in many spheres, the Lao
People's Democratic Republic has contributed to the
strengthening of Asian solidarity and to the cause of
peace, friendship, cooperation and development for
nations throughout the world.


It is a great honour and
pleasure to congratulate the representative of the Group
of Eastern European States on his election to the high
post of President of the General Assembly at its fifty-
seventh session. On behalf of the delegation of
Ukraine, let me wish him success and assure him of our
support. I would like to address words of respect and
gratitude to his predecessor, Mr. Han Seung-soo.
I would like to take this opportunity to convey
cordial congratulations to a new, welcome Member of
the United Nations, the Swiss Confederation. We look
forward also to welcoming the Democratic Republic of
East Timor as a Member of the United Nations shortly.
18

We consider the joining of the United Nations by those
States a truly historic event which testifies to the
viability of our great family of nations.
The first days of the fifty-seventh session of the
General Assembly began with a commemoration of the
victims of the horrible terrorist acts of 11 September
2001. Over the past year we have repeatedly reflected
on whether those events would remain a tragic moment
in history, or whether they would prove to be a turning
point. We have been searching for an answer to a
question representing the most difficult challenge to
humankind: how to preserve the fundamental right of
every person — the right to life.
For Ukraine, “terror” and “terrorism” are not just
words. For decades, the Ukrainian people lived under
the oppression of terror, which was raised to the rank
of State policy. Next year Ukraine will commemorate
the seventieth anniversary of the induced famine which
in 1932 and 1933 took the lives of over 7 million
Ukrainians. That most tragic event in our modern
history, caused by the totalitarian regime, was a brutal
act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation. At that
time the world failed to respond to our tragedy. Nor did
it recognize early enough the face of fascism: certain
politicians and certain States thought that that evil
would bypass them. The consequences of that inaction
turned out to be enormous.
Today, at the beginning of a new millennium, I
am confident that each of us would like to rely upon
the encouraging momentum of change which has taken
place in the international arena, and to rely upon the
unifying force with which the world responded to the
events of 11 September 2001. In the face of the
challenge of terrorism, the international community
demonstrated its determination and resolve. Tangible
results have been achieved by the antiterrorism
coalition.
We regard the fight against terrorism as one of the
aspect of a broad and long-term process of
comprehensive international action aimed at abolishing
the philosophy of hatred and intolerance, which is
exacerbated by conflicts in various regions of the
world.
The need for a new philosophy is particularly
acute on the security front: success of the international
presence in Afghanistan, the completion of the
peacekeeping mission in East Timor and normalization
in the Balkans are taking place alongside the dramatic
developments in the Middle East, the so-called frozen
conflicts in the post-Soviet space, which remain
unresolved, and persistent security problems in Africa.
In this context, the United Nations has no right to limit
itself to passive observation and uninvolved analysis.
At the Millennium Summit, the President of
Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, put forward an initiative on
developing a comprehensive United Nations strategy
for conflict prevention. We hope that ongoing
discussions in the United Nations on the
recommendations made by the Secretary-General on
this issue will contribute to a real shift from a culture
of reaction to a culture of prevention.
The United Nations is capable of utilizing its
consolidating force to strengthen the legal basis of
international relations. We highly value the United
Nations contribution to this process that brought into
force the Rome Statute and led to the establishment of
the International Criminal Court. Today, it is highly
important to ensure the effectiveness of the Court and
to preserve the integrity of its Statute.
Another priority task in this sphere is to conclude
the elaboration of a comprehensive convention on
international terrorism. This year Ukraine became a
party to the International Convention for the
Suppression of Terrorist Bombings and the European
Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism. Upon the
completion of relevant domestic procedures on the
International Convention for the Suppression of the
Financing of Terrorism, Ukraine will be a party to all
12 universal instruments against terrorism.
A number of tasks facing the international
community in the social and economic spheres are
further defining the role of the United Nations as a
unique forum for dialogue among developed countries,
countries with economies in transition and developing
nations.
As a member of the Economic and Social
Council, Ukraine stresses the need for reform of the
Council and for strengthening its coordinating role.
That process would, inter alia, significantly strengthen
the Organization's potential to ensure consistent and
effective implementation of the provisions of the
Millennium Declaration, the Monterrey Consensus and
the outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, held in Johannesburg.
19

At the Johannesburg Summit, the President of
Ukraine proposed the formulation of innovative
financial stimulation mechanisms for developing
countries and countries with economies in transition, in
particular through debt-for-sustainable-development
swaps. In our view, such steps would have a positive
impact on nations' rates of economic growth and
ecologically responsible development.
On 31 December 2001 Ukraine concluded its
two-year term of membership of the Security Council.
As a member of the Council, our country strived to
make practical contributions towards finding solutions
to critical security problems in many regions of today's
world. Our country's position of principle is still that
the Security Council is the only organ with the
legitimate right to decide on the use of force, in
accordance with the United Nations Charter. At the
same time we consistently stand for increased
transparency in the Council's work, and we hope that
progress on internal changes will allow the process of
comprehensive and long-awaited reform to start.
An important element of Ukraine's participation
in United Nations efforts in the sphere of peace and
security will continue to be its contribution to
peacekeeping activities of the Organization. We believe
that the key role played by United Nations
peacekeeping operations and the personal contribution
made by each peacekeeper deserve adequate
recognition by the international community. I am
confident that everybody present in this Hall will share
our view. At the current session of the General
Assembly, Ukraine will present a draft resolution
proposing annual observance of an International Day of
United Nations Peacekeepers as a way to pay tribute to
the memory of fallen peacekeepers and to honour the
participants in ongoing and past missions. We hope this
will be unanimously supported.
Ukraine views positively the advancement of the
stabilization process in the Balkans, in particular in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo. Ukraine holds
to a consistent position concerning the territorial
integrity and inviolability of the borders of the Balkan
States, and it fully supports the active involvement of
European actors in an effort to further normalize the
security situation in the region.
In contrast to a promising assessment of the
situation in the Balkans, we are compelled to voice our
regret over the absence of progress in the settlement of
other problems which are of particular interest to
Ukraine. Among them is the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.
The absence of confidence between the Georgian and
the Abkhaz sides stands in the way of a renewal of
political dialogue. As host country to the third meeting
of the sides on confidence-building measures, which
was held in Yalta in March 2001, Ukraine stands ready
to take practical steps, in cooperation with the United
Nations and other interested States, in order to renew
the spirit of Yalta.
Speaking of the situation in Georgia, I cannot fail
to mention that Ukraine is deeply concerned at the
situation related to developments in the Pankisi valley.
Ukraine believes that the existing misunderstandings
can be resolved only through peaceful means, in
compliance with the norms and principles of
international law. We call upon the parties to employ
all available political and diplomatic mechanisms to
arrive at a mutual understanding and to take advantage
of every opportunity to achieve détente in the current
situation. Ukraine unconditionally supports the
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia.
The situation in the Middle East also remains a
source of deep concern for Ukraine. It is quite obvious
today that the parties have become trapped in a cycle of
violence, which contradicts the true aspirations of both
peoples and breeds yet more hatred and desperation.
We fully support the efforts of the international
community, in particular the Quartet and the countries
of the region, aimed at assisting the parties in finding
peaceful ways to settle the conflict. Ukraine, for its
part, strives to contribute in every possible way to a
peaceful settlement. In April this year, during his visit
to the region, President Leonid Kuchma presented
Ukrainian proposals in the framework of international
diplomatic efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the
Middle East conflict; these envisage a range of parallel
steps in the security, economic and political spheres. I
should like to take this opportunity to confirm
Ukraine's readiness to offer a venue on its territory and
to provide all appropriate conditions for the conduct of
talks on this issue. The achievement of a final, just and
durable peace in the Middle East is not possible
without the resumption of peace negotiations on the
Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Lebanese tracks.

The development of the situation concerning Iraq
cannot fail to cause serious concern. We rely on the
potential of the United Nations to solve this problem.
The resolutions of the Security Council should be fully
implemented. We expect that the new round of
negotiations between the United Nations and Iraq will
help to find ways to resolve this issue.
Today, the world looks with hope to the
unprecedented integration process on the African
continent. We hope that the birth of the African Union
will strengthen the spirit of African brotherhood and
unity in responding to the numerous challenges that
confront the continent: armed conflict, poverty and the
HIV/AIDS pandemic. Ukraine welcomes the African
Union's establishment and its far-reaching plans to
revitalize the continent. We hope that the New
Partnership for Africa's Development will unite the
nations of the world in a global partnership in support
of peace, stability and development on the African
continent. For its part, Ukraine is ready to continue to
strengthen its cooperation and expand its economic ties
with the countries of a united Africa, including in the
framework of the new global partnership for the
development of the continent.
Ensuring the proper implementation of the
principles of the supremacy of law, the creation of
conditions for economic growth and the effective
functioning of the institutions of an open society are
goals that remain fundamental in Ukraine's national
policy. The President of Ukraine has launched a
programme of political reforms to ensure a transition to
a parliamentary-presidential form of governance. That
process should bring about the further democratization
of our society and should lead to consolidation of all
domestic resources in order to achieve European
standards and to strengthen concord in Ukrainian
society. Our determined strategic goal is to become a
member of the European Union and of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, which should finally
ensure the indivisibility of the European political,
economic and security space. Our course of action is
aimed at making Ukraine a pillar of political stability,
economic prosperity and cultural renaissance.
Here, I cannot fail to mention a tragic problem for
Ukraine that is related to the consequences of the
Chernobyl disaster. Our country must address —
virtually on its own — a complex set of technological,
social and economic problems connected to the
mitigation of that disaster's consequences as well as to
the closure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in
2000. We expect that our efforts will be supported by
concrete action on the part of the international
community, in particular through the implementation of
the new United Nations strategy for Chernobyl.
Guided by the aspiration to achieve practical
results, we are also determined to solve a broad range
of other problems that have an important place on the
agenda of the world forum. Undoubtedly, the fight
against the HIV/AIDS pandemic is one of the most
challenging of these. I should like to inform the
Assembly that a regional conference for the countries
of Eastern Europe and Central Asia will be held in
Ukraine in November this year with the support of the
United Nations and of other international partners.
I am confident that, a year after the 11 September
tragedy in the United States, each of us realizes the
particular significance of the tasks facing the United
Nations. Looking ahead to the new challenges, we hope
that, in the cause of protecting civilization's values, we
shall be guided by our wisdom, which will allow us to
avoid tragic scenarios and to protect the rights of every
inhabitant of the planet, including every new human
being who comes into the world even as we speak in
this debate: the right to life, the right to dignity, the
right to this world.


It is
difficult to come to New York at this time without
recalling the dreadful events of exactly one year ago,
which brought the whole of the international
community together in support of this country, and this
city. On this occasion, we reiterate our solidarity and
our conviction that the best way to cope with terrorism
is within the multilateral framework, and above all here
at the United Nations.
I also take this opportunity to convey our
appreciation to Mr. Han Seung-soo of the Republic of
Korea for his excellent presidency of the last session. I
would also like to congratulate you most sincerely, Sir,
on having assumed the presidency of the General
Assembly at this session. I have no doubt that your
proven ability and recognized experience as an
academic, a statesman and an official in the Czech
Republic and abroad will enable you to guide our
deliberations successfully. We also congratulate the
Swiss Confederation and Timor-Leste, the former one
of the oldest countries in the world, and the latter the
youngest: one is now a full Member of the
Organization, and the other soon will be.
I would like to address two subjects. The first is
developments within Guatemala, particularly regarding
fulfilment of the peace agreements, in whose
negotiation and subsequent implementation the United
Nations played such a significant part. The second area
I shall be addressing relates to our position on the most
important items on the agenda of this session.
On the first subject, let me say that the past year
has been marked by intense activity in Guatemala.
There were important advances, but also some
setbacks. We confront an unfavourable international
situation that has had a negative effect on our economy.
Conditions have been made more complex by a severe
drop in the price of our traditional export products.
Unusual rainfall patterns have affected the
production of grain in several regions. I make these
points because it would certainly be easier to comply
fully with the commitments contained in the peace
agreements in a context of economic expansion, instead
of having to do so in the face of serious fiscal
restrictions and increasing demands on our
Government.
Yet we have made headway, even when we had to
take decisions that were politically unpopular but that
were necessary to attain the goals of the peace
agreements. This was the case with our tax reform,
which included an increase in the value added tax. That
reform is already in force, and my Government has
thereby fulfilled one of the specific commitments of
the peace agreements. This measure laid a financial
foundation without which the fulfilment of other peace
commitments and maintenance of macroeconomic
stability would simply have been unthinkable.
It has fallen to me to preside over the first
Government of Guatemala in the new era of peace. The
peace agreements were our second declaration of
independence and they mark the road to building a
tolerant and non-exclusionary society, a State that is
democratic, participatory and where the rule of law
prevails.
During my administration public expenditure has
focused on education; but we also address, as matters
of priority, access to land and the reduction of poverty.
Guatemala is a country of marked contrasts between
wealth and poverty. We labour under age-old
conditions of injustice. We turned to the Government to
promote reform for the well-being of our people,
particularly indigenous peoples, children, women,
peasants and the victims of the internal armed conflict.
Reforms are essential in order to uphold democracy.
8

There is powerful resistance to change, and this
carries political and even personal costs. But our
commitment to democracy, social justice and equity is
unshakeable.
There are just too many things to do in
Guatemala. After governing for three years, our
awareness of what is lacking makes us feel dissatisfied.
On gender equality, we have made some progress on
the institutional plane, and we now, jointly with the
women's movement, have forged an approach with the
effect of State policy.
We are promoting educational reform, literacy
campaigns, scholarships for girls in the rural areas and
country-wide nutritional programmes in schools. We
are working also on poverty reduction strategies.
These are long-range policies, whose results will
be fully enjoyed only by later generations. The recent
enactment of three laws  a reformed municipal code,
a law on development councils and a law on
decentralization  forms the basis for the most far-
reaching reform of the State to have occurred in 100
years.
The peace agreements are comprehensive in their
scope. We have promoted a substantive social agenda,
and we have adopted measures towards free markets.
We have undertaken reforms in the area of
security, although much remains to be done. The
military is now focusing increasingly on national
defence. We have reduced the number of military
personnel as well as their functions, and some of the
resources thus freed up will be been used for public
education and civilian security services. Military
reconversion, however, will not be easy; we will have
to make a special effort to achieve a smaller and better
equipped army. Civilians are preparing to take over
more complex roles and society is being called upon to
participate in elaborating important public policies,
such as overall public security and national defence.
We are fostering dialogue with civil society on
important issues such as agriculture and rural
development, transparency, combating corruption and
providing compensation and reparation for victims of
armed conflict. Our aspirations do not stop there,
however. Guatemala has not yet achieved full
reconciliation. We need to reconcile the elements of
our society and provide opportunities for development
without excluding anyone. Essential steps for achieving
reconciliation include identifying all the parties to the
conflict, making symbolic gestures to repair the
damage done, finding out and acknowledging the truth
about what took place, allowing justice a free hand and
promoting forgiveness. Our nation has undertaken
these tasks in a diligent manner, although some
uncertainty persists.
My Government's term of office will expire in a
little over a year, by which time the United Nations
Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) will
be planning to withdraw. The Mission has played a
fundamental role as the critical conscience of the State
and has actively supported the fundamental changes
that have taken place. We appreciate the work that it
has done and we would like here to request the
extension of its mandate to the end of 2004 so that it
may accompany us as we make the transition to a new
Administration. Our hope is that MINUGUA will hand
over its functions in an orderly manner to national
bodies and, where appropriate, to the programmes and
agencies of the United Nations.
Let me turn now to the agenda for this session.
First of all, I would like to reiterate our full and
unconditional support for the United Nations as the
highest form of multilateralism. We are convinced that
this Organization will have to play a crucial role in the
twenty-first century. We believe that the Millennium
Declaration provides an adequate road map enabling us
to set out our priorities and the steps to be taken to
fulfil the goals set. Its implementation has been given a
powerful boost by the Monterrey Consensus and the
Plan of Action adopted in Johannesburg a few days
ago. We also fully support the stewardship of the
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.
We agree that this Organization must adapt to the
challenges of globalization. We are aware that progress
has been made in this respect in recent years, but much
remains to be done. In this context, we look forward
with great interest to the new reform proposals to be
submitted by the Secretary-General towards the end of
the month. We pledge to participate actively in
analysing and debating them.
Few would doubt that Security Council reform is
the most urgent of the outstanding reform efforts. We
must not delay our efforts to ensure that that organ is
made more effective, representative and transparent. To
that end, we advocate the expansion of the membership
of the Council and believe that the veto power should
9

be used strictly in conformity with the United Nations
Charter.
We also believe that it is necessary to strengthen
the General Assembly and the Economic and Social
Council so that the three principal organs of the United
Nations mutually support one another. We reiterate our
total rejection of all forms of terrorism, and support
collective action by the international community to
combat that scourge through, inter alia, action in
accordance with Security Council resolution 1373
(2001).
We believe that we must strengthen our collective
capacity to prevent and resolve conflicts, whether of a
transboundary or internal character. With regard to
disarmament, we favour the complete elimination of
nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapons, an end
to the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons and
a ban on the use of anti-personnel landmines and other
explosive devices. We support all United Nations
actions aimed at achieving such goals as well as at
establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones in all parts of
the world.
We believe in particular that the United Nations
must continue to address the development challenge.
Working with the multilateral financial institutions, our
Organization must play a crucial role in ensuring that
the benefits of globalization are widely shared among
all countries. This will require common efforts within
countries and in the international community as a
whole. Furthermore, Guatemala is a party to the
principal environmental treaties, and we reiterate our
commitment to maintaining the ecological equilibrium
of the Earth.
We recently made a contribution in this respect
by offering to host the headquarters of the secretariat of
the Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and
Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal
Environment of the North-East Pacific. We participated
actively in drafting that Convention.
My country is aware of the divisions between
sister peoples in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. We
fervently hope that it will be possible to resolve those
differences by peaceful means through dialogue so that,
without discrimination, all the peoples of the world can
be represented here. I would like to make special
reference to the 23 million people of the Republic of
China on Taiwan, whose aspirations to participate in
the work of international organizations have not yet
been fulfilled. The countries of Central America in
general, and Guatemala in particular, view those
aspirations as beneficial to global peace and
democracy; they deserve our support.
It is likewise our earnest hope that a solution will
be found, based on security Council resolutions 242
(1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002) and 1402 (2002) to
the difficult situation in the Middle East, which has
worsened over the past year.
Finally, we reaffirm our strong support for
Central American integration and our commitment to
the other countries of Latin American and the
Caribbean. The Government of Guatemala has
participated in important initiatives in the area of
regional and subregional integration. In that
connection, I would like to point out that, in
accordance with a constitutional mandate, Guatemala
has done its best to strengthen bonds of friendship and
good-neighbourliness with the State of Belize, without
prejudice to the active search for a peaceful,
honourable, equitable and permanent solution to our
territorial dispute, which dates back over a century.
On Monday, 16 September, at the headquarters of
the Organization of American States, the
representatives of our two countries will be presented
with the conclusions and recommendations of a
conciliation process that has taken place under the
auspices of that organization. Any definitive settlement
will have to be approved by referendum in Guatemala.
We commend the solidarity displayed by the
Government of the Republic of Honduras with a view
to facilitating amicably the delimitation of the maritime
areas in the Gulf of Honduras.
In conclusion, I would like to quote a Guatemalan
poet, Otto RenÈ Castillo, who was a victim of internal
armed conflict. Fifty years ago, he wrote:
Smiles will return to the face of humanity,
because children born in the twenty-first century
will be happy.
Our mission must be to make this come true.
Such is the goal of our tireless struggle.


I wish to join
previous speakers in congratulating Mr. Jan Kavan on
his election as President of the fifty-seventh session of
the General Assembly. We are confident that, with his
experience, wisdom and proven skills, our
deliberations will produce the desired successful
outcome.
Let me also pay a well-deserved tribute to his
predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Han Seung-soo,
former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign
Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea, for the
excellent manner in which he discharged his duties as
21

President of the fifty-sixth session of the General
Assembly.
I would also wish to commend the Secretary-
General for his continued devotion to peace and
development worldwide. During his recent visit to
Mozambique, we had the opportunity to discuss the
best ways of furthering the goals of the United Nations
and strengthening cooperation between Mozambique
and the United Nations. We remain committed to
continuing to work closely with the Secretary-General.
The Government of Mozambique welcomes the
Swiss Confederation as a Member of the United
Nations and looks forward to welcoming the
Democratic Republic of East Timor. They will further
strengthen our universal Organization.
Allow me to express our sympathy to the peoples
and the Governments of several countries in the world
that have recently been hit by severe floods. We in
Mozambique and in Southern Africa understand the
economic and social consequences of floods. Floods,
drought and other natural calamities have become a
frequent occurrence in the world, and in Africa in
particular. It is therefore our hope and expectation that
we will be able to prepare ourselves to better deal with
issues arising from natural disasters. Perhaps it is high
time we revisit the outcome of the 1994 World
Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, held in
Yokohama.
The 11 September 2001 attacks demonstrated to
all of us the dangers of international terrorism, which
represents a serious threat to the peace and security of
every nation, rich or poor. In that regard, it is our
collective duty to fight this threat effectively, under the
leadership of the United Nations. To be successful in
this endeavour we need to clearly understand and
address the root causes of terrorism, amongst which we
want to stress poverty and other injustices.
In addition to Security Council resolution 1373
(2001), we must give due recognition to regional
agreements and declarations to combat and eliminate
terrorism, such as the 1999 Organization of African
Unity (OAU) Convention on the Prevention and
Combating of Terrorism, and the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) Declaration against
Terrorism adopted by our heads of State or
Government in January this year, as valuable tools for
strengthening cooperation and providing a platform for
effective action to suppress terrorism.
Mozambique has already submitted its report on
legislation and measures for preventing and combating
terrorism, and is in the final stages of the process of
ratifying all 12 conventions on terrorism. However, for
the effective implementation of these legal instruments
Mozambique needs support from the international
community to strengthen its institutions, namely the
police, the judiciary, the financial system and the
Attorney-General's office.
We have witnessed this year the holding of a
number of major United Nations conferences and
summits devoted to a wide range of socio-economic
issues: the International Conference on Financing for
Development, the World Food Summit, the World
Summit on Sustainable Development and the special
session of the General Assembly on Children. We have
also seen the holding in Barcelona of an international
conference on HIV/AIDS, at which our leaders
recognized that this pandemic is a global problem
challenging our common will and requiring global
responsibility and response.
The common feature of all these events has been
strong and unanimous agreement on the need to ensure
the implementation of the agreed outcomes and
commitments in order to meet the Millennium
Development Goals. Our leaders have stressed that for
this to happen, there is a need for unity of purpose,
collective responsibility and political will.
We should, continuously and critically, assess the
progress made in each area of commitment, with a
view to realizing the aspirations and needs of our
peoples. The future of the world is in our hands. We
must not fail to meet the expectations of our peoples.
The time has now come for action. We must act
decisively to honour the commitments made in the
Millennium Declaration.
My Government has been following with keen
interest the latest developments in the Middle East. We
urge both parties to return to the negotiating table to
find a lasting peace in that region; such a peace must
include an independent Palestinian State living side by
side with Israel, and the solution of outstanding issues
deemed important by both parties. Without a
comprehensive and just solution to the question of
Palestine, and without full respect for the legitimate
interests of all the peoples of the region, the prospects
of peace will remain elusive and distant. The
international community should encourage both Israelis
22

and Palestinians to work hard for peace, drawing on all
the strength and resolve they need to overcome
obstacles along the way. Taking into account our own
experience in Mozambique, we believe that peace is a
real possibility in the Middle East, and that the parties
must seize the opportunity now.
I would like to take this opportunity to
congratulate the Government of Iraq on its wise
decision to allow the return of the United Nations
inspectors. It is our hope that the resumption of the
inspections will mark a new era of cooperation between
Iraq and the United Nations within the spirit and the
letter of the United Nations Charter and international
law.
This session is taking place at a moment when we
are witnessing important progress regarding the
resolution of conflicts in Africa. In Angola we have
noted with satisfaction the conclusion of a
Memorandum of Understanding between the
Government and UNITA, which marked the end of a
protracted war. We salute this Memorandum of
Understanding and believe that it opens a new era for
the Angolan people: an era of hope and great
expectations. We appeal to the international community
to continue supporting the people and the Government
of Angola in the consolidation of peace and stability,
national reconstruction and the strengthening of
democracy, as well as in responding to the current
humanitarian needs.
Sierra Leone is living in peace after the
successful implementation of the peace process, and
following general and presidential elections. We hope
that these positive developments will lead to the
improvement of the political environment in the Mano
river region as a whole.
The recent agreements between the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, as well as the
understanding between the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Uganda, have created the hope that the
peace process will be irreversible. The attainment of
peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will
undoubtedly contribute to bringing about the needed
stability in the Great Lakes region, and will pave the
way for the rapid economic integration of Southern
Africa. We believe that with good will there can be a
solution to the concerns of all parties involved in this
conflict.
In the Comoros and in Lesotho, peace is now a
reality. We salute the efforts made by the peoples of
those countries to make Africa a continent of hope. We
are happy to see Ethiopia and Eritrea working together,
with the support of the United Nations, to strengthen
peace and good-neighbourliness. The acceptance by
both parties of the decision of the Boundary
Commission was a major step forward.
My Government is concerned at the lack of
progress in Western Sahara. We wish to encourage the
United Nations and the parties concerned to pursue
further efforts, within the established framework, with
a view to finding a lasting and internationally
acceptable solution to this issue.
The African leaders established the New
Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) as an
instrument to address these problems. NEPAD is based
on the principle of African ownership aiming at setting
an agenda to renew the continent and to encompass
national and regional priorities along with development
plans. This is to be done through a participatory
process and a new framework for interaction and
partnership with the rest of the world.
The support already expressed by many partners
of Africa is a signal that NEPAD is a viable initiative.
In that context, I would like to salute the encouraging
results of the Group of Eight Summit recently held in
Kananaskis, Canada, where the world's most
industrialized countries expressed their support for
NEPAD. In the same vein, I salute the results of the
General Assembly's high-level meeting on NEPAD,
held in this Hall two days ago. These results enhance
our hope of a better future for Africa. Let us work
together to make it a reality.
In Mozambique, as part of efforts to fight poverty
and to implement the Millennium Declaration, the
Government approved, and is implementing, a Plan of
Action for the Eradication of Absolute Poverty, locally
known as PARPA. The overall objective of PARPA is
the substantial reduction of absolute poverty in the
country through investment in education, health,
agriculture and rural development, as well as through
good governance and macroeconomic stability.
PARPA is partially financed by savings achieved
through debt reduction from our creditors — bilateral
and multilateral — under the Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) Initiative. We are thankful to all our
partners for the debt reduction and the cancellations we
23

are receiving. Let us continue to work together to find
a definitive solution.
This session is being held at a particularly
important moment in the history of Mozambique, given
that on 4 October 2002 we will celebrate the 10th
anniversary of the signing of the Rome Peace
Agreement, which marked the end of a devastating war
of destabilization. Ten years after this historic
achievement, the Mozambicans have kept the peace
and shown that they can live together in harmony.
Given the historic significance of this date, we have
declared it a national holiday: the Day of Peace and
Reconciliation.
Mozambicans are today enjoying the dividends of
peace, which were achieved with the invaluable
contribution of the United Nations in what became a
peacekeeping operation success story.
To consolidate this hard-won peace, we are
implementing home-grown development plans with a
view to promoting the welfare of our people. We are
also strengthening democracy, governance and the rule
of law, and preparations are under way for the
forthcoming municipal elections in 2003 and the
general and presidential elections in 2004.
In my address during the fifty-sixth session of the
General Assembly, I spoke of the negative
consequences of the floods which affected
Mozambique during two consecutive years, 2000 and
2001. Today, I am pleased to inform the Assembly that
most of the flood's victims have been resettled and are
engaged in productive activities. Mozambique's
economy is gradually recovering from the scourge of
the floods, and, as a result of the hard work of the
Mozambican people and of adequate international
assistance, my country achieved a growth rate of 13.9
per cent in its gross domestic product last year and of
12.1 per cent in the first six months of this year.
The report of the Secretary-General on assistance
to Mozambique (A/57/97), which I commend, provides
a further account of the achievements recorded by the
Mozambican people in the process of national
reconstruction and of economic and social
rehabilitation following the floods of 2000 and 2001.
The 2001 Human Development Report gives additional
evidence of the progress that has been achieved.
I should like to take this opportunity to reiterate
the sincere gratitude of the people and the Government
of Mozambique to the international community for its
invaluable support to the victims of the flooding.
Mozambique will continue to count on the international
community's support, in particular with a view to
mitigating the effects of the drought that is affecting
Mozambique and other countries of southern and
eastern Africa, and in order better to prepare the
country to face natural calamities.
In conclusion, I should like to reaffirm my
country's faith in the United Nations and in its Charter,
for they remain the indispensable foundation of a just,
peaceful and more prosperous world. We believe that
the current reform of the United Nations will help it to
provide better service to Member States, particularly
those most in need. We are convinced that the reform
will give rise to a stronger United Nations, with a clear
focus on developing countries and on results-oriented
actions.