The Mali delegation, which I have the honour to lead, extends its warmest congratulations to Ambassador Garba on his election to preside over the forty-fourth session. His election honours all of Africa, and we are all the more pleased since his country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, maintains excellent relations of friendship and co-operation with the Republic of Mali. My delegation is convinced that his personal qualities and his rich diplomatic experience, which have won him the confidence of the General Assembly, guarantee that our work will be successful.
I take this opportunity to pay a well-deserved tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, for the effective and wise way in which he directed the work of the forty-third session. I also wish to express my delegation's appreciation to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his constant efforts to realize the ideals of the United Nations. The fruitful co-operation that existed during the term in office that President Moussa Traore has just ended at the head of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) enabled us to appreciate his great devotion to the cause of peace and co-operation between peoples. I extend to him the sincere thanks of the Republic of Mali for his constant understanding and willingness to help in the quest for solutions to African problems.
Since the last session the international political situation has continued to develop favourably, and there has been a political relaxation in the relations between the two major Powers. However, for the nations that constitute the third world there remain many uncertainties and subjects of concern which form an obstacle to a positive evolution of the world climate and provide challenges to be met. They include natural disasters; economic and financial constraints and the debt crisis  unsuitable remedies put forward by international financial and  monetary institutions the persistence of the apartheid regime and of the grave situation in the Middle East and the intifadah and many hotbeds of tension that continue in many parts of the world in spite of the increasingly expressed resolve to eliminate them. In a few weeks there will be a self-determination referendum in Namibia that will set the Namibian people on the noble and lofty course of independence and freedom.
Being well aware of the strategy of the Pretoria racists, which is constantly to resort to delaying tactics, the Organization of African Unity and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries have deplored the reduction in the numbers of those making up the United Nations Transition Assistance Group, because they know the real dangers of such reductions.
Our fears have been confirmed by the massacres of Namibian fighters that darkened the initial days of the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978), the recent assassination of Anton Łubowski, the incorporation into the South African security forces in Namibia of elements of the Koevoet, which is a veritable death squad, and the intimidation of Namibians by the South African security forces - in a word, by all the sordid plots hatched by the Pretoria racists.
The intentions of the Pretoria racists always remain the same: to perpetuate their colonial domination in Namibia and to establish in the Territory a Government that does their bidding. In the past the goal was to destroy the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), the authentic representative of the Namibian people  today it is to prevent, by all sorts of fraudulent manoeuvres, SWAPO's winning the elections.
In this context, we urge the Security Council to take the appropriate measures to control the situation in Namibia effectively and completely, in order to ensure that the independence process proceeds correctly. In that regard, we welcome the recent measures taken by the Security Council to increase the number of police officers attached to the United Nations Transition Assistance Group.
In any event, the November elections must result in genuine independence for Namibia. A perverted independence and a failed decolonisation would betray all the sacrifices made by the heroic Namibian people and the commendable efforts of the international community to assert the inalienable rights of peoples and to protect international peace and security.
In South Africa itself, the lot of the black majority has not improved since our last session. The black population is still denied its most basic rights. The state of emergency is still in force, despite the repeated appeals of the international community. Arrests, arbitrary judgements and summary executions continue at a frenzied pace.
The Pretoria racists must yield to the evidence that repression, however fierce, will never succeed in stifling a people's aspirations to freedom nor in overcoming their desire for liberation. The continuation of the people's revolt, which is broadening in South Africa, in spite of violent repression, bears eloquent witness to that.
What is needed in South Africa is the establishment of a democratic, multiracial and egalitarian regime, installed by free elections. For that to be achieved, it is essential that the state of emergency be lifted, that Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners be unconditionally freed, that discriminatory laws be repealed and that all South Africans, without distinction as to race, enjoy the right to vote.
The Declaration on South Africa adopted by the ad Hoc Committee of Heads of State and Government on Southern Africa in Harare on 21 August should be the basis of any negotiations to that end. Much is being said about changes that have occurred in the leadership of the political party in power in South Africa and about the new spirit of openness of the new President and of his desire for a change in policy in South Africa. We do not harbour any illusions: apartheid cannot be tolerated it must be totally dismantled and it is only if actions by the new leaders of the racist regime of South Africa ate taken along this path that we will appreciate them.
My country is convinced that the international community roust remain vigilant in view of the manoeuvres of the racist regime of Pretoria, and at the special session of the General Assembly on the policy of apartheid and its destructive consequences in southern Africa, planned for next December, we shall express our complete solidarity with the valiant people of South Africa.
In Angola, we are pleased with the establishment of dialogue between the Government of the People's Republic of Angola and UNITA, a dialogue we fervently hope will lead to genuine peace in that country. We therefore urge all patties to abide by the Gbadoli agreements and take specific steps in keeping with the aspirations of the Angolan people to unity, peace and social and economic development.
In Western Sahara, the joint efforts of the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Secretary-General have led to the development of a settlement plan for this question in accordance with resolutions 104 (XIK) of the OAU and 40/50 of the General Assembly. Acceptance of the plan in August 1988 by the two parties - the Kingdom of Morocco and the POLISARIO Front - is an important step in the process towards the organization of a free and general referendum on self-determination. It is true that obstacles remain, but the establishment last June of the Technical Commission for the Implementation of the Plan will certainly make it possible to overcome them. Aware of the seriousness of the situation, my delegation urges the Kingdom of Morocco and the POLE ARIO to embark on a dialogue with a view to a just and definitive solution to that painful conflict. As a country of the region, the Republic of Mali, will continue, as in the past, to work towards a settlement of the conflict.
In another area, there have been positive developments in the Chad-Libya conflict since July 1989, thanks to the summit meeting held at the initiative of the Head of State of Mali, General Moussa Traore, which convened in Bamako his peers from Algeria, Gabon, Nigeria, Libya and Chad. The signing of a framework agreement between the two countries on 31 August in Algiers offers good prospects for a definitive solution to that dispute.
In the Middle East, the Palestinian people is still waging its heroic struggle to recover its- national rights. The most heroic expression of that struggle is the intifadah - that revolt of the people in the occupied territories which has mobilized Palestinians into the streets, including a large number of women and children, who are standing up unarmed to the Israeli occupation forces which, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949, ate committing acts of torture and carrying out massacres. The current generation of stone throwers is a new category of martyrs of the Palestinian people whose sacrifice invites the international community to undertake firm and resolute action to compel Israel to recognize the inalienable national rights of that people.
My delegation is convinced that the problem of the Middle East, at the core of which is the question of Palestine, requires a comprehensive settlement. In this regard it supports the idea of convening an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of  the five permanent members of the Security Council and of all parties to the conflict, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, on an equal footing.
The persistent upheaval in Lebanon and the present tragedy of the Lebanese people are direct consequences of the Middle East problem. The Malian people deplore these tragic events. We appeal to the international community at large to do more to restore peace to that country, by preserving its independence and its territorial integrity, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and the deployment of the United Nations Interim force in Lebanon. My delegation supports and encourages the mediation efforts now being made by the Tripartite Committee of the Arab League to find a solution to that tragedy.
In agreeing to observe a cease-fire, Iran-Iraq have contributed to restoring calm to the Gulf region, thus facilitating the efforts of the Secretary-General with a view to resolving that fratricidal conflict.
In Afghanistan, General Assembly resolution 43/20 welcomed with satisfaction the signing of the Geneva Agreements on 14 April 1988, an important step towards a definitive settlement of the conflict. In spite of the withdrawal of Soviet troops, calm has not been restored in Afghanistan. The 1988 Agreements are in jeopardy the United Nations good offices mission in Afghanistan and in Pakistan is not enjoying the desired co-operation. It is therefore up to the parties concerned, as well as the United States and the Soviet Union, which are the guarantors of these Agreements, to co-operate with the United Nations in order to make it possible to arrive at a negotiated settlement. In connection with South-East Asia, the informal meetings between the parties to the struggle in Kampuchea, known as the Jakarta Pounds, and the recent international peace conference on Cambodia in Paris have harmonized the positions of the parties with a view to a negotiated settlement of the Cambodian question without any foreign interference.
In the Korean peninsula, the resumption of talks will undoubtedly contribute to the peaceful settlement of the question, lb that end, we support the efforts made by the Korean people towards peaceful reunification through a North-South dialogue, without interference and in accordance with the three principles of independence, peaceful reunification and general national unity, as contained in the joint North-South declaration of 4 July 1972. My delegation is convinced that a reunified and strong Korea could legitimately be represented in the United Nations. We therefore urge all parties to work actively toward the attainment of the peaceful reunification of Korea prior to its admission to the United Nations.
My delegation is pleased at the positive evolution of the political situation in Central America, which leads to hope for peace in the region. We also highly appreciate the political will demonstrated by the Heads of State of Central America to give effect to Security Council resolution 637 (1989), adopted on 27 July 1989. In this respect, the summit meeting in Honduras in August was significant and the agreements signed on that occasion will contribute to strengthening peace and security in the region.
The settlement of regional conflicts undoubtedly contributes significantly to the safeguarding of international peace and security, but the basic prerequisite for the establishment of lasting peace in the world remains general and complete disarmament, to the benefit of social and economic development for all mankind.
The arms race conducted by the two blocs in addition to being a permanent threat to the survival of the human race absorbs substantial resources. It might be sand that mankind is made to produce the means of its own destruction.
According to reliable sources, the intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles which were the subject of an agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1987 represent only about 4 per cent of the global stockpile of nuclear weapons. That is certainly not a great deal. None the less, it is appropriate to welcome that initiative, which we hope will mark the beginning of a process whose goal is general and complete disarmament and the allocation of the resources thus released to development action. The world cannot continue to spend many hundreds of billions of dollars on the arms race while a tiny fraction of that sum could help to eliminate poverty from out planet. In other words, disarmament should mean not only the reduction of arras and armed forces, but also the reduction of the sums spent on them. The international community must also intensify its efforts to bring about the limitation  reduction and elimination of weapons in order to focus all its economic strength and its technological skill at the development of Member States and international co-operation among all the nations of the world. For as long as three quarters of mankind is confronting an acute development crisis we shall continue to insist on the c elation ship between disarmament and development.
The economic and social situation has not improved in most developing countries. The economies of the countries concerned, in particular the economies of the African countries, have experienced negative growth in real terms. With a foreign debt which amounts to some 3230 billion, Africa can have no successful economic recovery on development programme unless that debt burden is lightened.
In this connection we welcome the initiatives of certain developed countries in cancelling part of the debt of some African countries. Those realistic and constructive initiatives aimed at reducing the volume of debt ate certainly part of the search for a way out of the crisis, but they are not sufficient because they do not constitute a final solution to the problem of indebtedness. They must be strengthened by the relevant suggestions contained in the common African position on the debt crisis.
A definitive settlement of Africa's foreign debt crisis requires energetic, bold decisions in the framework of a strategy based on co-operation, negotiation and shared responsibility. It was in order to give effect to such a strategy that Africa proposed to the international community the convening of an international conference on the African debt. It is clear that the debt crisis is hindering the development of Africa and constitutes the main factor impeding the recovery of economic growth. According to the Economic Commission for Africa, the overall economic growth of the continent averaged 1.4 per cent between 1986 and 1989 and population growth was approximately 3 per cent in that period. That means that per capita income in 1988 was 5 per cent lower than in 1985.
It is noteworthy that the agricultural sector, which constitutes the driving force of roost of Africa's economies, is in a state of serious stagnation, if not disquieting regression, because of the effects of climate disturbances and profound ecological deterioration, such as desertification, but also because of the brutal fall in the prices of agricultural commodities. The industrial sector, far from serving as a financial and material support for agriculture, absorbs an increasingly large share of the meagre resources available, to finance the necessary but very costly imports needed for production.
Because of this, African countries did not benefit from the economic recovery that occurred in the industrialized countries in 1988. The demand for and prices of commodities continued to decline at the same time. Furthermore, the foreign debt situation worsened and the flow of resources towards Africa decreased greatly, making the continent a net exporter of capital.
In addition to recovery programmes adopted by the continent to tackle the situation - for example, the Priority Programme for the Economic Recovery of Africa, adopted in 1985, and the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, adopted in 1986 - over 30 African countries, among than my own, have undertaken, with the support of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, processes of stabilization and structural adjustment. The objective of the structural adjustment programmes is to restore in the short term the basic macro-economic balance. Those programmes have a negative impact on economic growth and on the standard of living of the population. In order to mitigate the shortcomings of those structural adjustment models, the 25th summit conference of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), held in Addis Ababa last July, adopted an African frame of reference for structural adjustment programmes that takes into account the long-term development objectives and strategies at the national, sub regional and regional levels.
My delegation hopes that the international community will grasp the relevance of the African formula and promote the adoption of those innovative and well-adapted principles in the approaches taken by international economic and financial institutions that play an essential role in preserving the economic health of the world. Africa is aware that it bears the primary responsibility for its own development. Accordingly, it has made all the sacrifices that the circumstances demand. Africa has committed itself to huge policies of economic reform which will have an impact on the economic and social sectors of public life. The most sensitive social sectors such as education and health, have already been affected greatly. The African States have agreed to accept the resulting political risks because they ate convinced that, at the end of the process  there will be an improvement in the standards of living of their peoples.
The struggle that we are waging today must certainly have as its goal the total development of the individual and harmony in society. It must guarantee social justice, equity and solidarity. In particular, it must lay the foundations that will ensure the survival and development of the child - that fragile sector of our population which is particularly vulnerable to the deterioration of economic conditions. This is why my country is making an urgent appeal to the international community for the prompt convening of a global summit on childhood. It would indeed be regrettable if the profound sacrifices made by the present generation. to assure for its successors a more human and move viable heritage were not to guarantee the survival, protection and development of the child. The adoption of an international convention on the rights of the child would make it possible to improve the conditions of children throughout the world, particularly in the developing countries.
An international conference on the environment will be held in Kali in a few months, with the support and participation of United Nations specialized agencies. The problem of the deterioration of the environment is multidimensional and is particularly difficult to resolve in our countries. Furthermore, the structural rigidity of underdeveloped economies compounds the many factors that cause the deterioration of our fragile ecosystems. By promoting development that is ecologically rational, the United Nations system and the entire international community are demonstrating a commendable awareness of the grave danger that human needs and the vicissitudes of climate pose to the ecological balance of our world. The logical consequence of this awareness is that any approach to ecologically rational development must deal with the disturbing problem of toxic waste. At the Basle Conference Africa shared its own concerns and expressed reservations about codifying transport or movement of toxic wastes. The international community cannot remain indifferent to this all—important question that faces the continent, already so deeply affected by the fragility of its ecosystem and the destructive effects of the global economic crisis.
In conclusion, may I say that it is comforting and encouraging to note that at the dawn of the third millennium the world is experiencing profound changes. However, these changes can be meaningful only if they are accompanied by a collective awareness of the shared destiny of everyone of the planet. The value of these changes depends on the establishment of a new, more just, more equitable and more democratic political, economic, social and cultural order in the world. By meeting the great challenges, by remaining united, our nations and our peoples will honour their commitments undertaken in the United Nations - commitments which, under the Charter, we are duty-bound to strengthen. Thus, we will work to bring together individuals and peoples whose legitimate aspiration is to live, in harmony, in a world of peace, freedom, justice and social progress. I reaffirm the commitment of the people of Mali, of the Democratic Union of Mali and of the Mali Government - in particular. President Moussa Traore - to work tirelessly towards the attainment of these noble deals of the United Nations.


It gives me great pleasure, Sir, to offer you, on behalf of the Pakistan delegation, warm and sincere felicitations on your election as President of the Ganeral Assembly at its forty-fourth session. Your unanimous election was a tribute to you, as well as recognition of the important role played by Nigeria in promoting international peace, security and progress. Relations between our two countries, which we highly treasure, have always been marked by friendship, understanding and co-operation. We are confident that you will guide the deliberations of the Assembly with distinction.
I should like to express our deep appreciation for the leadership provided by your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Dante Caputo, in presiding over the previous session of the General assembly.
I should like also to pay a special tribute to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his untiring efforts to promote the [ purposes and principles of the United Nations and the cause of international peace. Under his leadership the United Nations has emerged as a credible and effective instrument for the promotion and maintenance of peace around the world. Pakistan will continue to extend to him full co-operation for the consolidation of international peace, security and progress.
I am honoured to bring to this body the greetings of the people and the Government of Pakistan. A new era of democracy was ushered in by the people of Pakistan last December, after a long and arduous struggle, through a peaceful electoral process. A new spirit pervades our society. Our people are confident, our political institutions are thriving, our judiciary is independent and our information media are free.
The Government's commitment to the ideals and principles of democracy is matched by an equally firm commitment to promoting the welfare of the people. Since assuming office. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has devoted her energies to improving the lot of the poor masses. The Government has launched comprehensive programmes for the eradication of poverty, the elimination of illiteracy, the provision of shelter aid basic health care, the integration of women in development and the protection of human rights. It has also declared war on drug trafficking and drug abuse.
The people of Pakistan rejoice in the world-wide triumph of democracy and freedom. It is a measure of her commitment to strengthening democracy in Pakistan and elsewhere that the Prime Minister of Pakistan proposed in June this year the establishment of an association of democratic nations. The cultural, historical and ideological ethos of different countries leads them to choose the models of popular participation best suited to their circumstances. The proposal seeks to bring together democracies so they may draw strength from each other and work jointly for the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. We believe that the consolidation of democratic principles will strengthen the United Nations and the cause of international peace and stability.
As we stand on the threshold of the twenty-first century, the world is undergoing a profound transformation. The East-West dialogue has eased international tension, and the confrontation of the past could well be replaced by a spirit of constructive competition and co-operation. A number of regional conflicts appear to be yielding to the growing international resolve to settle disputes by peaceful means.
While some troubled areas in the world have witnessed an appreciable movement towards peaceful conditions, others continue to be marked by strife. Afghanistan is unfortunately one of those countries where peace has not yet returned. I do not wish to dwell on the past. Suffice it to say that while the epic struggle of the heroic people of Afghanistan led to the withdrawal of foreign troops, that could not by itself lead to a resolution of the problem. The Geneva accords of April 1988 did not constitute a comprehensive settlement, since they addressed the external aspects of the problem.
The framework for an internal settlement has been provided by the General Assembly in resolution 43/20, which called for the establishment of a bread-based government in Afghanistan acceptable to the people of Afghanistan, the voluntary return of over 5 million Afghan refugees to their homeland, aid the free exercise of the right to self-determination by the people of Afghanistan - elements essential to a comprehensive political settlement. The formation of ai Afghan Interim Government in February this year marked an important step towards the objective of setting up a broad-based government in Afghanistan.
The Kabul regime has been rejected by the Afghan people and is sustained within a few strongholds through massive infusions of Soviet arms. No representative group or segment of the Afghan population is willing to enter into negotiations or share power with the Kabul regime, which is held responsible for the death and destruction caused by the conflict in Afghanistan during the past decade. The solution lies in the transfer of power to a broad-based government acceptable to the Afghan people. The discredited Kabul regime has, however, refused to transfer power peacefully, in a major propaganda offensive it has made self-serving proposals intended to legitimize it. Those proposals have been rejected by the Afghan people. The Kabul regime, having failed to hoodwink the Afghan people or the international community, has chosen the path of war in a desperate bid for survival.
It is indeed ironic that the Kabul regime, which is responsible for the continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan, should seek to shift the blame to Pakistan by levelling baseless allegations of interference and violations of the Geneva accords. All such allegations have been investigated by the united Nations good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and none has been substantiated.
Not content with its false propaganda, the Kabul regime has sought to pressure Pakistan through Scud missile attacks, ground and air violations and acts of sabotage. Pakistan will not be intimidated and will remain steadfast in its quest for a comprehensive political settlement of the Afghanistan problem. We shall continue to lend full support to the Secretary-General in his efforts to bring about such a settlement.
We are confident that this Assembly will reiterate its call for a comprehensive settlement of the Afghanistan issue, including the establishment of a broad-based government in Kabul acceptable to the people of Afghanistan, voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, and the free exercise of the right to self-determination by the Afghan people.
In Kampuchea, as in Afghanistan, foreign military intervention resulted in the imposition of am illegal and unrepresentative regime. We are disappointed at the failure of the Paris Conference on Kampuchea. That failure was due primarily to the attempts by the regime in Kampuchea to legitimize the consequences of foreign military intervention. It is our earnest hope that a comprehensive political settlement will soon be arrived at, resulting in the free exercise of the right to self-determination by the people of Kampuchea after the complete withdrawal of Vietnamese forces.
The tragedy of the people of Palestine endures. Israel continues to deny the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and remains in illegal occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories. The people of Palestine have waged a heroic struggle for the restoration of their national rights. Unarmed Palestinian youths have stood firm in the face of the full might of tine callous aid brutal Israeli armed forces, which have resorted to murder, mass detentions, deportations, blowing up the homes of Palestinians, closing their educational institutions aid strangling their economic life. Pakistan condemns those Zionist atrocities.
A just and durable solution of the problem is possible only throucfa the unconditional and total withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including Al-Quds al-Sharif, and the restoration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to establish an independent State of their own in Palestine, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), their sole and legitimate representative. We believe that this can best be achieved through an international conference on the Middle East with the full participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization on an equal footing.
The proclamation of the State of Palestine and the initiatives of the PID for a peaceful settlement have been widely welcomed throughout the world. The international community, aid particularly the friends of Israel, must persuade Israel to respond in a positive manner to these initiatives.
Nothing is more repugnant to the human spirit than the spectacle of a society organized on the basis of racist doctrines. The racist, minority, illegal regime in Pretoria continues to practise the odious system of apartheid with brutal force and intensity. This has left the long-suffering people of South Africa no option but to intensify their struggle against the racist regime. It is our firm conviction that the irrepressible demand of the majority community of South Africa for equality, liberty and majority rule cannot be suppressed for long. The Government of Pakistan fully supports their valiant struggle for freedom, equality and dignity. We support the demand of the international community for the imposition of comprehensive and mandatory sanctions against the racist Pretoria regime till the eradication of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule in South Africa.
We must ensure that there is no retrogression in areas where the United Nations has achieved success in promoting peaceful solutions to raging conflicts. With the approaching independence of Namibia a stronghold of colonialism is nearing its end. The valiant and protracted struggle of the people of Namibia, under the dynamic leadership of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), supported by the united Nations has paved the way for Namibia's independence. The international community must ensure that the independence plan is scrupulously adhered to by South Africa and all practices in contravention of the letter and spirit of Security Council resolution 435 (1978) cease forthwith. Pakistan is proud to be associated with the implementation of the independence plan under the aegis of the United Nations through the contribution of personnel to the united Nations Transition Assistance Group. The day is not far off when Namibia will occupy its rightful place as an independent State in the comity of nations.
We remain hopeful that the peace talks between Iran and Iraq under united Nations auspices for the implementation of Security Council resolution 598 (1987) will lead to a just, comprehensive and durable settlement and that the two countries will be able to devote their energies to the gigantic task of economic and social reconstruction.
An area that deserves the urgent attention of the United Nations is that of the plight of minorities in many parts of the world where they are denied their fundamental human rights and are treated as outcasts, fair game for discriminatory treatment. The States whose citizens they are must provide them full protection. If the States concerned should fail to do so or indeed should become the tormentors themselves, it is the duty of the international community to demonstrate effectively its concern for the hapless and unfortunate minorities. We are particularly concerned at this juncture over the travail of the Turkish Muslim minority in Bulgaria. More than 300(,000 Bulgarian Muslims have been forced to take refuge in Turkey. We hope that the policy of forced assimilation which has led to this exodus aid has evoked world-wide concern will be abandoned aid the human rights of the Bulgarian Muslims respected.
The positive developments in the political arena between the East and the West are not, unfortunately, reflected in the field of international economic relations, particularly between the North and the South. Despite a recognition of the growing interdependence of the world economy the divide between the rich and the poor nations continues to widen, dialogue remains stalled, and the economic problems of the developing world remain unaddressed.
Many eminent leaders from developing countries have articulated from this rostrum their deepening concern over the continuing economic crisis in the third world. The socio-political consequences of this crisis for the developing economies are only too well known. The fundamental issue facing the developing world is a simple one - its inability to foster socio-economic progress and welfare in ai uncongenial external economic environment.
The economic situation of many developing countries has deteriorated and the number of people living below the poverty line has increased. Reduced external assistance, debt-servicing, low commodity prices, adverse terms of trade and increased protectionism have resulted in massive reverse financial flows. The economies of a large number of developing countries have thus been drained and the process of development brought to a standstill.
The third world countries continue to impress upon the industrialized North the need, in an increasingly interdependent world, to resolve international economic issues through dialogue. However, all efforts to revive the North-South dialogue have foundered because of the negative attitude of the North. Major industrialized countries are impervious to our concerns. The third world has at best a marginal role in international economic and financial decision-making.
The external debt burden of the third world countries reached the astronomical figure of 31.32 trillion in 1988. We believe that an equitable solution of the debt problem must be devised which would allow reasonable economic growth aid avoid disrupting the political and social fabric of the debtor nations. Debt relief measures should apply to both official and commercial debts. Countries which have managed their external debts efficiently should not be penalized by being excluded from debt-relief measures. Development assistance must also be enhanced.
The protectionist policies of the developed countries support inefficient local industry, run contrary to the principle of comparative advantage, reduce world productivity and act as a serious obstacle in the way of the economic development of the developing countries. Tariff and non-tariff barriers against imports from the developing countries are erected by those very countries which advocate the merits of free-market economies. It is time for them to lead by example rather than by precept and to dismantle these barriers. It is also our hope that the current Multi-Fibre Agreement (MFA) will not be extended further after it expires in 1991. It is time to resume the dialogue. The special session devoted to international economic co-operation and the revitalization of economic growth end development of the developing countries, scheduled for 1990, will provide an opportunity for the adoption of concrete measures to redress the structural problems besetting international economic relations. Simultaneously, serious attention must be devoted to the elaboration of the international development strategy for the fourth united Nations development decade.
The protection and preservation of the environment is indeed a shared objective. Pakistan, for its part, has consistently supported international efforts to this end. We believe, however, that the improvement of the environment is closely linked to the eradication of poverty. There is thus an inherent relationship between environmental improvement and economic development. It is equally important that the developed countries should provide the technology and the financial resources to the developing countries to fight environmental degradation, while sustaining, if not accelerating, their economic growth. Furthermore, the environment should not be the only subject on the North-South agenda. The entire range of economic issues must be discussed, with a view to finding common solutions.
Pakistan has always been in the forefront of efforts to promote international peace and security and to remove the nuclear threat that hangs over humanity. We therefore welcomed the commencement of talks between the united States and the Soviet Union on the reduction of their strategic nuclear weapons. It is our expectation that the talks will lead to a substantial reduction of the nuclear arsenals of the two super-Powers and ultimately to the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Pending the achievement of this ultimate objective, effective and legally  binding international arrangements must be worked out to assure all non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or the threat of the use of nuclear weapons.
It is a matter for some regret that the conclusion of a comprehensive nucler~test-ban treaty, which is an essential first step towards halting and reversing the nuclear-arms race, has remained elusive. We strongly urge the early adoption of such a treaty.
Pakistan has consistently supported negotiations at the global level for progress towards general aid complete disarmament. However, we recognize that progress towards this goal is likely to be slow. Meanwhile, it is desirable for peace-loving countries to consider measures for disarmament at the regional level, with a view to strengthening regional peace and stability.
It cannot be denied that the sense of insecurity experienced by the smaller States usually emanates from within their region itself. The origin of such insecurity lies in a variety of factors, including unresolved territorial disputes, ambitions for regional dominance, hegemonic designs and interventionist policies. Further, the security concerns of States differ from region to region, depending upon the nature of their threat perceptions. Therefore, a regional approach offers the most realistic prospect of rapid progress towards disarmament. We believe that confidence-building and disarmament negotiations should be pursued simultaneously at both the global aid the regional levels.
Pakistan abides by the concept of nuclear non-proliferation, but it also expects the nuclear Powers to reciprocate, by eliminating their own nuclear-weapon stocks. Nor should the concept of non-proliferation be used as a pretext to prevent developing countries from pursuing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Let me reiterate once again that Pakistan's nuclear programme is devoted entirely to peaceful purposes.
Our commitment to keeping our region free of nuclear weapons has led us to propose that, pending the adoption of a global treaty, regional or bilateral test-ban agreements may be concluded. In the same spirit, Pakistan has made a number of proposals, including the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia, a proposal which has been repeatedly endorsed by the General Assembly.
We support all steps to prevent an arms race in outer space. We attach equal importance to the early conclusion of a convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.
Negotiations for conventional disarmament at the global aid regional levels must also be pursued vigorously, with a view to ensuring undiminished security of the States concerned at the lowest level of armaments and military expenditures. This objective has become all the more important because of the increasing sophistication and destructive power of conventional weapons.
Naval disarmament has also acquired urgency in view of the rapid growth in the naval flotillas of some States, including the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines. This trend is a cause of serious concern, as it may lead to an arms race in this field at a qualitatively higher level and scale.
Since its independence Pakistan has steadfastly pursued the goal of improving the security environment in its neighbourhood, lb that end, we have made consistent efforts to develop good-neighbourly and co-operative relations with all our neighbours, including India, based on the principles of sovereign equality aid non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. In the spirit of the Simla Agreement, we shall continue to seek a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, which recognize the right of the people of the State to decide their future. The agreement on non-attack on each other's nuclear facilities, signed between India and Pakistan in December 1988, constitutes a significant confidence-building measure, which will have a stabilizing effect on the security situation in South Asia. We, on our part, are prepared to enter into negotiations for other similar measures. It is our hope that India will respond positively to our initiatives aid proposals aimed at strengthening regional peace and security.
The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) offers an excellent opportunity to its member States to forge greater co-operation between themselves. The Fourth SAARC Summit, held in Islamabad in December last year, took a number of momentous decisions on evolving regional approaches to common problems. The designation of 1989 as the SAARC year for combating drug abuse and drug trafficking underscored the joint commitment of the South Asian countries to eliminate this scourge from our region.
The role of the united Nations in the maintenance of international peace and stability is indispensable. We welcome the successful role played by the united Nations in resolving disputes and conflicts between its Member States. The United Nations must also provide the platform for developing a partnership between the rich and the poor. Let us pledge to make this world body stronger, so that it may address itself effectively to issues of universal concern. It is only through recognition of the common destiny of mankind and a co-operative approach in resolving the problems facing us that we can hope to usher in a progressive world order, based on peace, security and justice.


I should like to extend to Ambassador  Garba, on behalf of my delegation, my sincere congratulations on his election to the high office of President of the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly. That this important session has been placed in the hands of a distinguished son of Africa is a matter of great pride to my delegation and to Africa as a whole. There can be no doubt that he will conduct our deliberations with authority and efficiency.
I Should also like to express our deep appreciation to his predecessor. His Excellency Mr. Dante Caputo, Foreign Minister of Argentina, for the exemplary manner in which he presided over our deliberations during a very eventful year. I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to express to our Secretary-General my delegation's congratulations for his outstanding contribution in the pursuit of world peace and stability. He has succeeded in solving a number of pending regional crises and in improving the work of the Secretariat under difficult financial constraints. He can rest assured of our continued support.
This year we have witnessed the consolidation of peace processes. Great progress has been made in relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Treaty on the elimination of inter mediate-range and shorter-range missiles signed by the United States and the Soviet Union and ratified in June 1988 is a historic agreement because it is the first in recent history to abolish a whole category of nuclear weapons from the arsenals of the superpowers. In the sphere of multilateral disarmament the Paris Conference on chemical weapons, held in January this year, gave support and impetus to the Geneva Conference on Disarmament. My delegation looks forward to the day when an effective and universal chemical-weapons convention banning the production, storage and use of such weapons can be implemented.
My delegation notes with satisfaction the progress achieved in the negotiation on conventional arms in Europe, proposals for military reductions and confidence-building measures have been admitted by both Western and Eastern Groups at the recent Vienna meeting. It is hoped that those talks will lead to an effective and concrete reduction in the armed forces and conventional weapons in that region.
Our concern for peace should be global, we must take advantage of the new rapport between Washington and Moscow to liquidate any area of tension and confrontation, wherever it happens to be.
It is high time that the littoral and hinterland States of the Indian Ocean started the process of the demilitarisation of that ocean by calling for the convening of the long-overdue Conference not later than 1990, with the active participation of all permanent meters of the Security Council as well as the major maritime Powers. AS the Assembly is aware. the Government and people of Mauritius have not accepted the fact that an important part and parcel of their territory has been excised by the former colonial Peer in contravention of United Nations General Assembly resolutions 1514 ,XV| and 2066 (XX,. The dismemberment of Mauritian territory constitutes an unacceptable affront to our sovereignty. Mauritius cannot and .ill not remain silent until Diego Garcia and the Chagos Archipelago, as well as the Tromelin Islands. are returned to us. Our claim is just and legitimate. We have the total support of the Organisation of African Unity and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, we appeal to the international community and to all peace-loving countries to assist us in the restoration of our territories. Our islands should not serve as a nuclear base and should not constitute a threat to our own security and to that of all the littoral „d hinterland states of the region.
The current political situation in South Africa calls for careful reflection and handling. We all agree that apartheid is the root cause of conflict in that region, and we have repeatedly called for its total elimination. It is a matter of comfort to note that many of our elder statesmen in Africa are initiating contacts with the South African Government in the true spirit of dialogue with a view to Pressing that Government to make the necessary changes to the satisfaction of one and all. We fervently hope that the changes promised by the new South African Government are genuine and that it will soon embark on the total dismantling of apartheid and the establishment of a free, united and democratic society based on universal suffrage.
We cannot accept that a leader of the calibre of Nelson Mandela should be eternally confined to house arrest simply because he dared to raise his voice against apartheid. We demand his immediate release and that of all political prisoners. The lifting of all political restrictions, the withdrawal of troops from black townships, the lifting of the state of emergency and the cessation of all political court proceedings can only help to create a climate of confidence for the pursuit of a real and meaningful dialogue between the South African Government and its people. The opening of dialogue with the African National Congress will be a test of the sincerity of the new South African Government.
The liberation of Namibia has been a cause near and dear to us. Mauritius has always stood firmly by Security Council resolution 435 (1978, and its reaffirmation this year in resolution 632 (1989), as well as the United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia. The United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG, needs all our political and diplomatic support to lead and organize a smooth transition through free elections without interference and intimidation. We wish Namibia and the valiant Namibian people a new dawn and a bright and prosperous future.
With the resolution of the Namibian problem there was hope for a quick end to the conflict in Angola. We note with much regret, however, that the recent Gbadolite accord has failed to be given concrete effect, leaving the people of Angola still in the grips of war.
It is our fervent wish that peace will prevail in Mozambique, which has endured untold sufferings for far too long, similarly, we greatly commend the initiative of President Mubarak, the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity, to mediate in the tragic conflict between two neighbourly African countries, Mauritania and Senegal.
My delegation last year rejoiced at the cessation of hostilities between the brotherly States of Iran and Iraq and their acceptance of the implementation of Security Council resolution 598 (1987). We pledge to support the Secretary-General in his ceaseless efforts to quicken the pace of negotiations and entreat both parties to co-operate in good faith in order to reach a common understanding and a lasting peace between the two countries.
We are deeply concerned over the deterioration of the situation in the Middle East as a result of the continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank end the Gaza Strip, which poses a serious threat to international peace and security. We fully support the just struggle of the Palestinian people and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for the recovery of their lost territory.
The intifadah, which has been going on for nearly two years, has made it clear that the Middle East stalemate cannot continue for ever. Israel must negotiate with the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, the PLO. Any attempt to create a local Palestinian leadership in the West Bank is doomed to failure.
The PLO's desire for peace has been expressed emphatically, at the Palestinian National Council meeting in Algiers and at the United Nations General Assembly session in Geneva last year. This has entailed a major shift in the attitude of many nations to the PLO.
Tb prevent the tragic scenario in the Middle East from deteriorating further into a global crisis, the convening of an international conference under the aegis of the United Nations, with all parties, including the PLO, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 335 (1973), is of the utmost necessity. NO one can be insensible to the tragedy which has engulfed Lebanon. Such tragedies will recur unless and until we see the withdrawal of all external forces. The Arab League, the tripartite Committee on Lebanon and the international community must continue their efforts towards bribing peace and security in this war-torn country.
My delegation also deplores the fact that despite the Korean people's aspirations for the peaceful reunification of their homeland, Korea remains divided. This situation remains a great threat to peace. We welcome the efforts of the Korean people to reunify their homeland peacefully without any foreign interference and by means of dialogue and consultations between the North and the South.
The signing of the Geneva Agreements and the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan had raised high hopes that peace would soon come to that country. My delegation notes with regret that the hopes have not been realized because of the non-observance of the spirit of the Geneva Agreements. Afghanistan presents a harrowing picture of devastation, of a million dead and 5 million refugees. The flow of more, lethal weapons will not break the stalemate that has settled over the conflict. The civil war since the pullout by the Soviet troops, during the last six months, has amply demonstrated that there can be no military solution to the Afghan conflict. A political settlement is the only way out. We appeal to the
United States and the Soviet Union, to bring the diverse elements together with a view to bringing an end to the present bloodshed in Afghanistan and restoring peace under an Afghan Government of national reconciliation.
My delegation welcomes the recent initiatives of the Presidents of the five Central American countries in their quest for peace and stability in that region. We are glad to learn that a United Nations mission will be sent to observe the elections in Nicaragua early next year. Similarly, we commend the ceaseless efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General in bringing about the resumption of intercommunal talks in Cyprus. We hope that a permanent and durable solution will be found, to the satisfaction of both communities there.
We also wish to see peace and stability prevail in South-East Asia. The people of Cambodia have gone through great sufferings in recent years. The International Conference in Paris did not bring about the much-desired agreement between the parties engaged in the conflict. We still believe that all foreign troops should leave Cambodia - and we welcome the withdrawal of the Vietnamese troops - and that the Cambodians should be given the opportunity to determine their destiny freely and without any hindrance. There should, however, be a guarantee that there will not be a return to the "killing fields", to the genocide that still haunts the people of Cambodia.
It is an undeniable fact that the economies of the industrialized countries have been steadily growing during the last few years. Unfortunately, the developing countries have not benefited from this growth. On the contrary - their economies have been declining. Most countries in Africa and Latin America and several in Asia have fallen into a deep and protracted crisis. Their economic conditions are worsening, their social services are deteriorating, and the political stability is endangered. This negative trend in the world economy is likely to persist in the years to come unless decisive steps are taken globally. The combined effect of the debt problem and the scarcity of new financial flows has further exacerbated the economic crisis in the developing countries.
African debt has risen sharply from $78 billion in 1980 to $230 billion in 1988. African countries are having to borrow more and more to service their debts, thus enduring more severe economic hardship, while we appreciate the gestures made by some industrialized countries, such as France, the United States. Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany and others, in alleviating the debt burdens of several of the most indebted developing countries, we cannot but re-emphasize that as long as the third world is made to retain the role of mere supplier of raw materials at non-remunerative prices, its future will continue to be bleak and the scourges of
poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy will continue to exist as we step into the next century.
A redefinition of economic co-operation is therefore essential to the prevention of a further deterioration in the situation. Economic relationships must be based on equality, partnership and interdependence. It is imperative that products originating in the third world countries should receive fair and remunerative prices and should not be subjected to various constraints. International agreements aimed at stabilizing prices of primary commodities must be negotiated and implemented. The countries of the industrialized world, which has the skills, the technical know-how and the economic means, are better placed to restructure their industries so as not to affect the nascent industries of third world countries, which otherwise will have to face severe competition. Growth and prosperity can be realized only by these measures. Such a liberalizing philosophy will mirror international solidarity and true partnership, m order to address adequately the pressing issue of international debt, there is an urgent need to reactivate the North-South dialogue and convene, as proposed by the recent Summit Conference of the Non-Aligned Countries, an appropriate forum under the auspices of the United Nations to review ail aspects of the problem of external debt within the context of an improved environment for development and international economic co-operation.
We are deeply concerned by the state of the world environment. The warming of the atmosphere and the depletion of the ozone layer constitute a threat to the ecosystem which nay in turn affect the very existence of mankind. Island countries which are already prone to natural disasters such as cyclones and hurricanes are now facing grave threats from the rising seas - which is a direct effect of environmental imbalances. Furthermore, the oceans are being polluted by the irrational dumping of industrial wastes. Unless immediate measures are taken to prevent the aggravation of the situation we shall run the risk of compromising an important source of food supplies and raw materials.
While we welcome recent initiatives on global environmental issues, such as the Montreal Protocol on the ozone layer and the Hague Convention, and take note of the positive actions relating to dumping of toxic wastes, we urgently appeal for remedial measures to be taken in favour of the most affected regions and we call for international support and solidarity in checking the pollution of our environment. At the national level also, the protection and the preservation of the environment must become an important factor in the conception, implementation and execution of new projects and programmes.
Finally, I should like to refer to a problem which has assumed alarming international proportions. Drug trafficking and addiction, to which the problem of AIDS is intimately connected, is already the new scourge of mankind. My Government has taken drastic measures to combat drug trafficking, and we will support all steps taken at the international level in this respect.
We are almost on the threshold of a new millennium, and we have no doubt that the major intractable global problems facing mankind and our planet will be handled with wisdom, vision and foresight, bearing in mind the enlightened principles of the United Nations Charter. The challenges we face prompt us to arm ourselves with a spirit of solidarity enabling us to confront the future with confidence and serenity.
Man has survived many wars and conflicts, and I am confident that in the nuclear age he will be able to muster courage and fortitude and use the natural intelligence with which he has been endowed to keep premature death and destruction away from his doorstep. I conclude by reaffirming my faith in mankind's willingness and ability to survive and to create conditions for a better tomorrow.


Mr. President, it is a particular pleasure for me, on behalf of the delegation of Niger, to congratulate you moat warmly on your brilliant election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session. By unanimously entrusting you with the onerous task of guiding its work the Assembly has wished to testify to the active role played in the international arena by your great country, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is united by old, fruitful, strong and varied link with the Republic of Niger in promoting and defending the ideals of international peace, harmony and security and in striving for greater equity and justice in international economic relations.
Your election is thus a confirmation of your outstanding qualities, an eminent diplomat, you are an expert in your field, a man whose experience, talent and strong convictions compel admiration and promise a fruitful outcome to our work. Finally, it is a tribute paid to Africa as a whole. I wish to assure you of the complete availability and co-operation of my delegation in helping you to accomplish your task.
To your predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, we would like to express out full appreciation and gratitude for the wisdom, skill and efficiency with which he presided over the work of the forty-third session.
To the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, I should like to repeat the whole-hearted support and encouragement of General Ali Saibou, President of the Supreme Council of National Guidance, Head of State, for the tireless efforts he is making on behalf of peace. We commend the dynamic work the Secretary-General has carried out at the head of this Organization, which he has now rehabilitated and whose authority, prestige and credibility he has restored.
Finally, I welcome Mr. Ronald Spiers, the new Under-Secretary-General for Political and General Assembly Affairs, who succeeds Ambassador Reed. We wish him every success in the accomplishment of his new task.
The sessions of the General Assembly are opportunities for the international community to make further progress in the quest for peace, justice and harmony among peoples in accordance with the ideals and principles of the Charter. It is in this spirit that the delegation of Niger intends once again to make its contribution to the bread discussion of problems of concern to humanity.
Swift and profound changes are taking place in the international arena. We are seeing political, economic, social, cultural and even ideological changes which are shaping and foreshadowing international relations and the new stakes and challenges of the next century. These changes are sure to have a decisive influence on the future of nations and peoples.
The new dynamic in the feature of relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, particularly with the signature and entry into force of the Treaty on the Elimination of Their Inter mediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, is grounds for hope. That agreement and the thaw in relations between the two super-Powers has created a general climate of co-operation and detente and has helped to prepare the way for the settlement of several regional and local conflicts.
The treaties and agreements concluded between the Soviet Union and the United States are basic attainments} they testify to the political will of those two countries to curb the danger which the arms race represents for mankind. We must however note that the danger continues because the means of warfare are of necessity lethal, are still considerable and are increasingly sophisticated. For that reason the two super-Powers should intensify and pursue, with greater determination and will, their negotiations on the reduction of their stockpiles both nuclear and conventional.
In this respect we are pleased with the constructive proposals made a few days ago from this rostrum, by the President of the United States of America and the Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs respectively, with regard to the elimination of chemical weapons and of conventional weapons. These proposals, if accepted by both parties, would, we believe, help to promote substantial progress towards general and complete disarmament.
The survival of mankind is our common responsibility and implies that we must avoid a nuclear disaster, which is still possible, by significantly reversing present trends. It is certainly frustrating to note the state of the world today and to see that today we have a striking if not repugnant paradox on the one hand there is the exponential increase in military budgets, and arsenals and on the other there is the chronic poverty and wretchedness of many in the world We must give full weight to the Action Programme adopted by the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development, which provides for the creation of institutional financial mechanisms to facilitate the transfer of resources saved through disarmament measures to economic and social development activities.
This session of the General Assembly is being held at a time when significant and encouraging progress has been noted in many regional conflicts, some of which have been controlled and virtually settled thanks to the merits of dialogue and negotiation, while others are on the right path with good chances of success. However, the persistence of stubborn hotbeds of tension or situations of injustice and the appearance or intensification of certain disputes still pose a dangerous threat to international peace and security in many regions of the world.
We must work tirelessly, and persevere in the quest for and consolidation of peace. He must take advantage of this thaw in international relations to make significant advances towards the realization of our peoples' legitimate aspiration to peace, justice and human dignity.
In Africa, the situation in Namibia and South Africa continues to centre on the long-awaited outcome of the Namibian people's heroic struggle for independence and on tine persistence of the despicable system of apartheid. The international community's tireless efforts are finally about to bear fruits the implementation of the independence plan for Namibia has been under way since 1 April 1989. Yet it is more indispensable than ever before to show determination, vigilance and solidarity to prevent the Pretoria racist regime from crushing our efforts.
Unfortunately, I must condemn yet again tine intimidation and harassment against the freedom-fighters of the South West Africa People's Organization (SHAFO), the reprisals perpetrated by the sinister Koevoet forces, the manipulation of electoral rolls, the assassination of Namibian patriots and SHAFO leaders, such as the 12 September murder of Anton Lubowski. All these acts testify to the disarray of the racist regime and remind us that there are still many real dangers that the process will be derailed, and that constant vigilance is required.
It is the duty of the Organization, the permanent members of the Security Council and the entire international community to ensure that the spirit and the letter of Security Council resolutions 435 (1578) and 632 (1989) are scrupulously respected by all parties and that the Namibian people has the opportunity and means to elect a Government of Its choice next month freely, peacefully and without manoeuvres, intimidation or coercion.
In South Africa itself, apartheid persists, The new political leadership of the country is aiming to win time through various subterfuges. He must not be Misled by recent declarations of purely superficial constitutional reforms or by the pseudo-elections of 6 September last. They leave untouched the real problem: the perpetuation of the apartheid system, which denies the black majority the right to participate fully in the political and democratic management of its country.
Mr. President, as Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid you are very well aware that apartheid cannot be reformed. It is a disgrace to humanity and an anachronism of world civilization; it must be dismantled, pure and simple. But we note that the friends of the South African regime still hesitate to adopt bold sanctions against the apartheid regime. They must understand and weigh the danger to themselves of stubborn support - even passive support - for a system founded on inequality, exploitation and the denial of human rights.
For that reason, Niger appeals again to the international community to maintain and indeed increase its pressure on the South African regime, so the comprehensive mandatory sanctions ordered by the Security Council and the General Assembly in the relevant resolutions can be effectively imposed against South Africa. Only such sanctions will make it see reason and lift its policy of internal repression and destabilization of neighbouring States, lift the bans that hobble the anti-apartheid movement, and immediately and unconditionally free all political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela, Today more than ever before, this is a matter of a true social pact and a duty of genuine solidarity for the international community vis-à-vis the South African people and all the peoples of southern Africa.
We call on the international community to support fully the conclusions reached by the Ad Hoc Committee of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which met at Harare on 21 August and adopted a declaration on the peace process in southern Africa. We call on it firmly to support the Gbadolite agreements of 22 June last and all the efforts to restore peace in Angola, and to encourage similar initiatives for national reconciliation and the restoration of peace in Mozambique,
A local conflict that has just exploded on our continent is causing us great concern and sadness, for it concerns two fraternal countries that are dear to us two countries that should stand united and cleave to one another; two countries members of the organization for the Development of the Senegal River, the Permanent Inter-State Committee on Drought Control in the Sahel, the West African Economic Community, the Economic Community of West African States, the OAU, the organization of the Islamic Conference and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
As a member of the ministerial mediation commission established by the organization of African Unity, Niger is working with the other member countries towards the prompt and final settlement of this unfortunate affair. We therefore take this opportunity to renew our appeal to Senegal and Mauritania to refrain from any action that could increase tension, and to co-operate fully with the African mediation commission in its efforts to restore as soon as possible between the two peoples the understanding, harmony, fraternity, solidarity and common destiny to which geography, history and the Islamic faith destine - I was about to say doom - them.
I am pleased to note that between Chad and Libya - two other fraternal countries that are neighbours of Niger - dialogue is continuing and strengthening ever time, thus promoting a comprehensive, final settlement of the dispute that has long set them against one another and that has cost their peoples so dearly. Niger welcomed the conclusion on 31 August of the Algiers agreement, which consolidated the cease-fire and ushered in a new era of peace, mutual trust and fraternal
co-operation for the two countries. We congratulate them and urge them to sustain this momentum in the interest of their peoples and the entire sub region.
In Western Sahara, the process begun by the Secretary-General's peace plan and conducted jointly with the current Chairman of the OAU is under way, and we support it. We urge the parties involved in this painful conflict to continue and indeed intensify their efforts to create conditions that would favour the organization under United Nations auspices of a referendum on self-determination.
In the Middle East, the Palestinian people is heroically continuing its resistance to illegal occupation and repression. The conditions, the framework and the means for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East are well known. They include the total and unconditional withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, the strict implementation in that connection of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and the convoking under United Nations auspices of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East with the participation of the permanent members of the Security Council and, on an equal footing, of all the parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). There is no possible alternative to those conditions and their complete implementation} otherwise there can be no fair and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Along with the rest of the international community, Niger welcomed the peace initiative announced on 13 December 1988 in Geneva, and the many peaceful overtures made by the PLO. We therefore regret the lack of a positive response from the Israeli Government to the Palestinian side's constructive position. None the less, we hope that both sides will show realism and responsibility by accepting the 10-point proposal put forward by the President of Egypt, Mr. Hosni Mubarak, we feel that proposal could create conditions for a constructive and satisfactory outcome. In the meantime, we urgently appeal for strict respect for the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in order to protect civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories against the repression practised by the Israeli forces trying - vainly - to stifle the intifadah.
We continue to be concerned by the tragedy the people of Lebanon has endured for the past 15 years. A State Member of this Organization is truly wasting away. Can we remain powerless and inactive in the face of that unacceptable situation? The international community must do everything in its power to preserve the identity, unity, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon, and to achieve national reconciliation amongst all its sons. Niger is endeavouring to do this. We support fully the efforts made by the League of Arab States and the Tripartite Committee which it set up to find a solution to this tragedy.
We are pleased to note that there has been a real abatement in the conflict between Iran and Iraq over the last year. My country again declares its support for the clear-sighted efforts made by the Secretary-General and urges the two parties to co-operate fully with him, not only to consolidate the cease-fire but also to make progress towards a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement to the conflict on the basis of Security Council resolution 598 (1987).
Regarding Afghanistan, Niger is pleased at the conclusion of the Geneva Agreements, which made possible the withdrawal of foreign troops from that country„ We reaffirm our support for the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his efforts to facilitate a comprehensive, political settlement in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva agreements and General Assembly resolution 43/20. The return to real peace in Afghanistan requires strict respect for the right of the Afghan people to decide independently its own fate, and requires respect for its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and of its status as a non-aligned State.
We are also watching closely the development of the situation in Kampuchea, particularly the decision on the withdrawal of foreign troops from that country. The International Conference held in Paris from 30 July to 3 August 1989, offers, in my delegation's view, a timely opportunity for all the parties involved and directly concerned to find, through dialogue and reflection, a comprehensive, honourable and definitive solution to the tragedy of Cambodia.
Even if the results of that Conference did not measure up to the hopes we had placed in them, the Conference is certainly an important step towards a peaceful solution. The Cambodian people must be able to determine freely their own destiny without any foreign interference. Dialogue amongst all the sons of Cambodia must continue and must be intensified. In this respect Niger welcomes and encourages the commendable efforts made by the French and Indonesian Co-Chairmen.
The aspirations of the Korean people for peaceful reunification are yet to be realized. We strongly encourage the two parties to continue the contacts and the dialogue which they have begun with a view to the reunification of Korea without foreign interference. In regard to Cyprus we are pleased with the efforts made by the Secretary-General through his Special Representative. The independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the island must be guaranteed and its national unity and non-aligned status must be respected.
Concerning Central America we are following and we welcome the praiseworthy efforts made by the Presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua to eliminate the combined impact of tension and violence and to establish the basis for true peace and co-operation. From the Contadora Agreements to those of Tesoro Beach and Tela, together with the Esquipulas II Agreements, we can gauge the determination with which the heads of State of the region are seeking means to establish a true peace. All of their initiatives and their efforts deserve the full support of this Assembly.
They deserve it all the more since a terrible scourge which is afflicting all of humanity and jeopardizing the fabric of society, has over the last few months and in a brutal way, focused world attention on this region of the world. Indeed, the fight against drug trafficking in Latin America has become total war, the outcome of which will determine the capacity of the international community to display strength, determination and solidarity. This challenge involves, without any doubt, the fate and future of mankind as a whole.
Niger gives its support to Colombia and to all countries involved in this battle, world-wide, and urges the international community to set in motion a consistent strategy to win this struggle, which involves and challenges us all.
Another problem, indeed another scourge, which is equally disturbing and whose innocent victims are increasing in numbers throughout the world, is that of international terrorism. Last year. Pan Am flight 103, from London to New York, crashed in Scotland, with several hundreds of victims, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Namibia. On behalf of Niger, we pay a tribute once again to his memory. A few months ago Colonel Higgins, a man working for peace, was assassinated in cold blood. Recently, an aircraft of the UTA company, on a flight between Brazzaville and Paris, exploded in mid-air over territory of my country, killing 171 innocent victims. These are only a few examples, but unfortunately there are many others. On behalf of President Ali Saibou and the people of Niger, I express here to all the States whose nationals perished in the tragedy of this UTA flight our deep sympathy and our sincere condolences.
Terrorism is the evil of our century. It strikes out blindly and indiscriminately. He must launch a real, unified crusade, a sacred union even, to combat terrorism, which today transcends national borders and political and ideological differences. Niger and its government are determined to make their contribution, however modest, to the struggle, which affects us all.
The present climate of detente, which has prevailed for at least a year in international relations, should encourage the world to reflect further on the ways
and means of restoring peace wherever it has been disturbed, to preserve it everywhere it is threatened, and to strengthen it wherever it has been established.
The period of calm in the political arena is contrasted, however, very sharply with the world economic situation characterized, unfortunately, by a profound structural imbalance. In fact, unequal development between North and South is the main contradiction in the world today. It is clear however that peace and security are directly linked with development. Thus the climate of detente which prevails at this time in the world would be vain and have no future if the developing countries continue to have to deal with difficulties which are constantly aggravated through imbalance, inequality and flagrant injustice in their economic relations with the industrialized countries.
The gap between developed countries and developing countries is widening day by day. Whereas in the North there is talk of growth and expansion, in the South the talk is still about food self-sufficiency and structural adjustment. Men, women and children of Africa, of Asia, and of Latin America and the Caribbean, are living through the tragedy of hunger, poverty, illiteracy, natural disasters such as drought, desertification, plaques of locusts, cyclones, and so on. Societies that are just surviving, societies that are overwhelmed: that is the harsh reality of developing countries, of which, sadly, Africa has the greatest number.
The causes of this trend are to be found essentially in the collapse in commodity prices, the deterioration in terms of trade and the crushing weight of external debt. These phenomena, which have led to a net transfer of resources from developing to developed countries, and the multilateral financial institutions, are stripping States in the South of every chance of development, thus making them incapable of creating the investments necessary for real and lasting growth.
Given this situation, our Governments have undertaken profound economic reforms. These reforms, carried out at great social and political cost, have not enjoyed, as was hoped and promised, the full support of the international community. Less than two years from the time it was, theoretically, to come to an end, the five-year United Nations programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development has still not really started.
As the Secretary-General stressed in his annual report on the work of the organization, failure to find a solution could lead to a collapse of the social and political structures in many developing countries.
Whatever the case, it is urgently necessary that particular attention be given to the most vulnerable countries: the least developed countries, countries affected by drought and desertification, countries suffering from natural scourges and countries suffering from being land-locked, for whom a revival of economic and social development is a necessity.
First, new and lasting solutions to the problem o£ debt must be found through continuing consideration by and co-operation between creditor and debtor countries in all appropriate forums. In this regard, Niger welcomes the plans and initiatives so far put forward and supports the idea of an international conference on Africa's external debt, as advocated by the organization of African Unity. We welcome the decisions first of Canada, in 1987, and then of France this year, followed by those of Belgium and Italy, to cancel all debt relating to development assistance. Niger hopes - and this is our interest in an international conference on the debt - that those unilateral actions will be followed by collective measures, the fruit of a general and formal agreement between debtor countries and their creditor partners, both bilateral and multilateral.
Secondly, we must make a methodical and determined search for a new, more just and balanced international economic order in which economic and social security is guaranteed to all peoples. That new international economic order can be sought and achieved only within the framework of the North-South dialogue, which must be resumed.
In the same context we welcome and firmly support the proposal made in July 1989 by the Presidents of Egypt, Senegal and Venezuela and the Prime Minister of India concerning the organization of regular summit consultations between North and South on problems of common interest to the two hemispheres.
In this connection, the special session of the General Assembly devoted to international economic co-operation, in particular the revitalisation of economic growth and development in developing countries, to be held in April 1990, will constitute, we believe, a propitious occasion and an appropriate framework for the reinvigoration of the North-South dialogue. This applies also to the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, to be held in Paris in 1990.
We cherish the hope that these conferences and initiatives will contribute to the effective resumption of the North-South dialogue by offering the possibility of achieving an agreement on the nature of the problems facing developing countries and the approach to be taken towards solving them. Niger intends to participate actively and to make its contribution through concrete proposals that could lead to the emergence of a new era of healthy co-operation between North and South.
Moreover, we are particularly interested in the current negotiations on the new Lome convention, which in our view should serve as a model both as regards efforts to stabilize the export earnings of developing countries, assistance in the diversification of their exports and the opening of markets to their products, and as regards development assistance.
1 should like to conclude this section by expressing a concern that is widely shared by the countries represented here. I refer to the problem of children.
The difficult economic situation in developing countries is the reason for the situation of children in those countries, and particularly in Africa being so worrying, despite the importance and priority which our Governments accord to the protection and well-being of children, since they represent the future.
The results of efforts made by members of the international community, with the assistance of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other international organizations, to ensure the survival, protection and full development of the potential of children are encouraging. It is essential, however, to pursue and intensify our efforts collectively. That is why Niger firmly supports not only the idea of convening with urgency a world summit devoted to children, but also the conclusion and adoption as a top priority by the General Assembly at the present session of a draft convention on the rights of the child. The environment crisis, which is felt throughout the world and seriously threatens life on our planet, is a question to which the international community should pay urgent attention. Today, the degradation of the ozone layer, the heating of the atmosphere and climatic changes are as much a reality as deforestation, desertification of arable lands, pollution of water and the atmosphere, the disappearance of fauna and flora, toxic wastes, and the transfer of hazardous wastes to developing countries.
The means of avoiding ecological disaster exist. We must use the available technology, improve it, and share it. To this end, it is imperative that Member States draw up co-ordinated plans of action to resolve the environmental crisis. That is a joint responsibility that calls for solidarity and it must be said that it is the duty of the industrialized countries to prevent or limit the damage caused to the world environment and to help our developing countries to achieve healthy development.
The United Nations conference on environment and development proposed for 1992 will provide an excellent opportunity to work out agreed action at the world level and to define new principles of international law concerning the protection and conservation of the environment and, in particular, effective international measures to prohibit the transfer of hazardous wastes to the territories of other countries.
As everybody knows and as is true of many African countries, the economic and social situation is the main and constant source of concern for the Government of Niger. Nevertheless, I am happy to inform the Assembly that President Ali Saibou has undertaken action aimed at the political evolution of our country with the ultimate objective of a return to constitutional life. Following the adoption by referendum of the National Charter in July 1987, the process of setting up apolitical system as the basis for the Second Republic of Niger entered its final, decisive phase with the establishment, in May 1989, of the National Movement for the Society in Development and the adoption by referendum on 24 September of a new Constitution.
As the President, General Ali Saibou, said, the National Movement for the Society in Development will be the appropriate forum for political expression in which the women and men of Niger will strive to affirm and defend their political, economic and social rights. The goal is the realization of participatory democracy guaranteeing the free expression of ideological opinions and sentiments, in order to achieve a constructive political awareness and the consolidation of a stable and integrated regime involving all the components of our nation.
The Constitution reaffirms the law character and republican nature of the State and makes Niger a State of law that respects the fundamental freedoms of individuals. It ensures the equality of all before the law and enshrines the principle of the sovereignty of the people.
In that Constitution the people of Niger reaffirms its will to co-operate in friendship with all peoples that cherish peace, justice and freedom. It reiterates its total and permanent readiness to seek, with all the nations of the world, solutions to the innumerable ills that afflict the international community and to construct a world of peace, justice and progress in accordance with the ideals and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Legislative and presidential elections will take place on 10 December next, with direct universal suffrage, and will complete the process of a return to normal constitutional life in Niger.
That is my delegation's contribution to the general debate at the forty-fourth session, which we wish the most outstanding success. We hope that it will  strengthen the unshakable faith of our Governments in the ideals and objectives of the United Nations. We hope that it will instil in each of our peoples a planetary patriotism thanks to which we shall be able to succeed in our. undertaking and build slowly but surely a single, indivisible world of peace, happiness and human dignity.