On behalf of the Government and
the people of Fiji, I warmly congratulate His Excellency
Mr. Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire on his election as
President of the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session.
Given his vast experience and his knowledge of the United
Nations system, I have every confidence that the current
session of the Assembly will complete its work
successfully.
I also wish to pay a special tribute to the outgoing
President, His Excellency Mr. Samuel Insanally, for the
excellent and efficient manner in which he conducted the
business of the Assembly at its forty-eighth session.
Most of the problems afflicting the world community
that have been discussed in this Assembly in previous years
continue unchanged. A survey of the world scene readily
discloses that no region of the world is free from tension;
that the economic divide between the rich and the poor
continues to widen; that political and social upheavals in
many parts of the world are getting extremely difficult
and expensive to contain; and that poverty and despair
remain the lot of a substantial part of the world’s
population. There is an urgent need to address these
problems in a comprehensive and timely manner. The
piecemeal approach that we have adopted so far only
tends to plug the hole and does not eliminate the causes.
Moreover, our efforts are invariably made after an event
has occurred, and often when our conscience cannot bear
to see the misery on our television screens. We must
devise ways for a more preventive approach to the
problems.
Political problems are often a consequence of
economic and social problems. The General Assembly’s
decision at its forty-seventh session to convene a World
Summit for Social Development at Copenhagen early in
1995 was very timely. While we have seen some
significant advances in human rights and democracy in
many parts of the world, and positive developments
towards reducing the potential for regional conflicts in
other areas, the fact remains that in both developed and
developing countries new challenges to international
peace and security are manifesting themselves under a
broad plethora of social development problems. We can
no longer turn a blind eye to the increasing growth of
poverty and unemployment and the attendant
marginalization of peoples.
Annually, between 13 to 18 million people die from
starvation, disease and famine. It has been estimated that
world wide one out of every five people live below the
poverty line. While Governments, in many cases,
equivocate on how to solve this problem, the poor
increasingly look to the United Nations to find effective,
immediate and practical solutions. To ignore this reality
is to deny that it constitutes a real source of political
instability.
Indeed, the Security council has expressed the view
that
“peace and prosperity are indivisible and that lasting
peace and stability require effective international
cooperation for the eradication of poverty and the
promotion of a better life for all in larger freedom.”
(S/23500, p. 5)
26

These views are buttressed by the prophetic words of
the Nobel laureate Ralph Bunche who, as long ago as 1950,
said:
“Peace is no mere matter of men fighting or not
fighting. Peace, to have meaning for many who have
known only suffering in both peace and war, must be
translated into bread or rice, shelter, health and
education, as well as freedom and human dignity —
a steadily better life. If peace is to be secure, long-
suffering and long-starved peoples of the world, the
underprivileged and the undernourished, must begin to
realize without delay the promise of a new day and a
new life.”
While these words were uttered in a different context,
I would suggest that they encapsulate the whole reason for
the social Summit. My Government will actively support
and work in cooperation with other countries to achieve the
objectives of the World Summit for Social Development.
My Government looks forward to playing an active
role in the forthcoming World Conference on Women, to be
held in Beijing next September. Fiji has always recognized
the important contribution of women to society and to the
development process in general.
In 1987, the Fiji Government established a Ministry of
Women. A Department on Women and Culture, which
operates under the purview of this Ministry, carries the
responsibility of monitoring improvements in the status of
women. It seeks to encourage the private and public
sectors to address the needs of women in their policies and
programmes. It is also the Government’s policy to assign
50 per cent of representation in training, appointments and
promotions at all levels of the civil service to women, on
the basis of preference and merit. The Government
encourages the same in the private sector. I might also
mention that all three women members of the House of
Representatives in Fiji are Ministers in the Cabinet.
My Government will continue to enhance and uplift
the status of women. It is in the process of ratifying the
United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination against Women. Fiji will also explore
membership of the Commission on the Status of Women,
in keeping with its policy of strengthening the role of
women in the country’s national development plans. On
the issue of gender equity, it is my belief that in order that
the principles enshrined in the first Article of the Charter of
the United Nations to be achieved, the equal participation
of women in the Secretariat of this Organization, on an
equitable regional basis, must continue to be implemented
and be given urgent priority.
My country was pleased to have participated in the
Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States in Barbados earlier this
year. In short, the Conference was convened because of
a universal recognition of the problems faced by small
island developing States in achieving sustainable
development goals. While the Barbados Conference was
important in re-emphasizing the special environmental and
economic circumstances of small island States, my
delegation wishes to reiterate that the Conference was
only the beginning of a process. We must now act to
implement the Barbados Programme of Action and
Declaration.
In this connection, we would urge the international
community, and particularly those countries with
developed and industrialized economies, to respond to the
invitation to enhance and promote human resource
development programmes in small island developing
countries. Increased technical assistance will enhance the
institutional and administrative capacity of small island
countries to implement the Programme of Action. One of
the ways in which this can be brought about is by the
provision of new and additional financial resources in
accordance with Chapter 33 of Agenda 21. Unless
creative and supportive international responses to the
special challenges faced by small island developing
countries in planning for sustainable development are
urgently stimulated, I fear that their continuing
vulnerability to both physical and socio-economic forces
will increase. In this context it is opportune to remind
the global community to fulfil the commitments it made
at Rio some two years ago.
We are on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of the
establishment of the United Nations. My country strongly
supports the principles contained in the Charter and I
would like to reaffirm our support for the Organization.
Over the past 50 years, the Organization has seen many
changes. Its membership has increased from 51 to the
present 184. With the end of the cold war, it has
assumed a more central role in world affairs. There is an
ever-increasing demand on the limited resources of the
Organization and, in particular, on its Secretariat. We
support the Secretariat and commend the adjustments it is
making in order to respond to the changing needs of the
international community. We urge the Secretariat to
continue to pursue the goals of efficiency and
cost-effectiveness. In this regard, my Government
27

welcomes the creation of the Office of Internal Oversight
Services. We believe this to be an important innovation that
will contribute to greater efficiency within the United
Nations system. We fully support the continuing efforts to
bring about greater transparency and accountability on the
part of the United Nations management and institutional
structures.
In the same vein, Mr. President, my Government
supports the view that it is now time that the current
structure and the membership of the Security Council were
reviewed. With the very large increase in the membership
of the United Nations since it was founded, with the
changes that have occurred on the global political scene in
recent years, and with the nature of problems that must be
resolved by the United Nations, including the diverse facets
of economic, environmental and peace-keeping and
peace-monitoring issues, we agree that there is now a need
to consider an enlarged Security Council with more
equitable representation of membership to look at these
issues more comprehensively.
In this regard, we welcome the report of the
Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable
Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the
Security Council (A/48/47) in response to General
Assembly resolution 48/26 of 3 December 1993, and the
recommendation that the Open-Ended Working Group
should continue its work. In the event that membership of
the Security Council is expanded, Fiji fully supports the
membership of Japan, recognizing its important role not
only as a valued neighbour in the Asia-Pacific region, but
also as a key player in the global economy.
My Government has followed with close and keen
interest, meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee on the
Elaboration of an International Convention dealing with the
Safety and Security of United Nations and Associated
Personnel. We consider the United Nations staff and
associated personnel who participate in various missions
sponsored by the United Nations as an integral and essential
part of those missions. We have seen their courage in
Cambodia, Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia and other places
around the world. If the United Nations is to continue to
rely on individual men and women to assist in carrying out
the mandates of its various organs, it is only fair and fitting
that we should provide them with an adequate level of
safety and security. At its last session, the Ad Hoc
Committee worked very constructively and made significant
progress. However, it is important for the Ad Hoc
Committee to conclude its work as soon as possible and we
urge that this be done. We have a very real interest in the
conclusion of this convention since in as much as Fiji has
lost some of its nationals in various peace-keeping
operations, and many others have been injured. For us,
therefore, peace-keeping has come at a high price. It
involves the sacrifices, not only of individuals, but also of
the families left behind. But my Government remains
unshaken in its belief that the price we have paid and are
continuing to pay for our involvement in United Nations
peace-keeping operations would have been worthwhile if
we have contributed towards making the world a safer
place. We owe this to our children and to our children’s
children.
At the present time, there are at least l,000 troops
from Fiji serving in various peace-keeping operations - in
Lebanon, Sinai, Iraq, Kuwait and Rwanda. Only recently
we agreed to participate in the regional peace-keeping
force in Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. This was in
direct response to a request we received from the
Government of Papua New Guinea, with the support of
the relevant parties in Bougainville. Our participation in
the South Pacific regional peace-keeping force for
Bougainville is in concert with our other neighbours in
the South Pacific, namely Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon
Islands, Australia and New Zealand. Our participation is
also for a specific purpose, and that is to assist the
Government of Papua New Guinea and the relevant
parties on Bougainville in facilitating a secure
environment in which they will be able to hold a peace
conference and, through dialogue, achieve a consensus on
the future of Bougainville. Let me say that our
commitment to peace-keeping is a continuing affirmation
of our belief that the purposes and principles set forth in
the United Nations Charter must be given practical
expression. Fiji, as a responsible member of the
international community, will continue to play its role in
the enhancement of global peace and security.
On the subject of peace-keeping, I want at this time
to express my Government’s satisfaction at the
strengthening of the Department of Peace-keeping
Operations. I believe that continued innovations in the
institutional structure of this Department will be necessary
if it is to play a meaningful and effective role in support
of United Nations peace-keeping activities.
This year marks an important milestone in the
development of the international law of the sea. Fiji was
the first State to ratify the 1982 United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea. We are therefore
pleased that, 12 years after its adoption, the Convention
will enter into force on 16 November 1994. The
28

Convention represents a historic achievement by the
international community. It will establish the rule of law
over more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, and
promote its peaceful use. Like many other States, Fiji has
already been implementing the provisions of the
Convention, through its Marine Spaces Act. Entry into
force of the Convention would thus consolidate our claims
to the archipelagic waters, the territorial sea and the
exclusive economic zone. Fiji has always supported
universal participation in the Convention. We therefore
welcome the conclusion of the Agreement to resolve the
outstanding issues relating to the deep seabed mining part
of the Convention, part XI. As at the Conference on the
Law of the Sea, our delegation, together with other
delegations, was pleased to play an active and constructive
role in bringing about that important agreement. We have
signed the agreement and will become a party to it. We
urge all States that have not done so to become parties to
the Convention and to the new Agreement in order to
achieve the goal of universal participation.
Associated with the law of the sea is the important
Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory
Fish Stocks. Fish is an invaluable gift of nature to man.
However, man’s unregulated and indiscriminate exploitation
of this vital resource is rapidly depleting or destroying it.
Fish is an important national and regional resource and it is
a staple in our diet. In addition to other species, some 40
per cent of the world’s tuna is to be found in the south-
west Pacific region. We are therefore concerned at the
long-term impact on these resources and on the marine eco-
system as a whole, if the current practice of uncontrolled
fishing, especially on the high seas, continues. The
Conference has been organized to address the urgent
problems facing us with regard to the conservation and
management of fisheries around the world. These problems
must be addressed from the perspective of both present and
future generations. Fiji therefore strongly supports an
effective outcome from the Conference, an outcome that
would ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable
use of the fish resources of the seas and oceans. Our
delegation, in cooperation with other delegations to the
Conference, will spare no effort in working towards this
goal. We are grateful for the confidence shown in our
country by our election as Chairman of the Conference.
Since the forty-eighth session of the General
Assembly, we have witnessed positive and constructive
developments in the Middle East peace process. It is
almost a year now since the Declaration of Principles was
signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO). This was followed by the agreement
on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area signed at Cairo in
May this year. The recent peace accord between Israel
and Jordan, which was signed at Washington last July,
was another very positive development. My Government
lends its support to the Middle East peace process. In
particular, we express the hope that the ongoing bilateral
negotiations between Israel and Jordan and between Israel
and the Palestinians will continue. We are also hopeful
that the present dialogue between Syria, Lebanon and
Israel will eventually lead to further agreements.
I would now like to mention a number of issues in
my own region, the South Pacific. One is New
Caledonia. While some positive developments have been
taking place in New Caledonia in relation to the
continued implementation of the Matignon Accords, I
believe that there is still a need to accelerate the process
of redressing social and economic imbalances in the
territory. In this connection, my Government will
continue to observe developments in New Caledonia with
keen interest in the build-up to the referendum to be held
in 1998.
Nuclear issues and transboundary movements of
hazardous and radioactive wastes are also of considerable
concern to us in the South Pacific region. Fiji has long
been a consistent opponent of nuclear testing anywhere
and in any environment. Our opposition to such testing
is by no means based only on environmental concerns.
For hundreds of years, the livelihood of our people has
depended on their limited land and on the resources in the
marine environment. Fundamentally, our abhorrence of
nuclear arms and nuclear testing is based on the belief
that there is simply no place for nuclear weapons in our
region, or indeed in any other part of the world. In this
connection, we have been pleased to note the temporary
cessation of nuclear testing in the Pacific region by
France, and would urge the French Government to agree
to a permanent moratorium on testing in the South
Pacific.
Fiji is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons. We believe that the Treaty
represents a unique achievement in the promotion of
global peace and security and in the reduction of the
threat of nuclear warfare. The Pacific region has long
recognized and embraced the principles enshrined in the
Treaty, and these principles are now reflected in the
Treaty of Rarotonga, which establishes the South Pacific
as a nuclear-free zone. We would, in this regard,
encourage the United States, the United Kingdom and
France to accede to the Protocols to the Treaty of
29

Rarotonga as a demonstration of their commitment to
nuclear non-proliferation and to a ban on testing in the
South Pacific.
We are equally concerned about the transboundary
movements — and, in particular, about the sea transit
through the region — of consignments of plutonium from
Europe to Japan. For obvious reasons, we object very
strongly to this development and earnestly hope that there
will be no more such shipments through the region.
The countries of the South Pacific region are also
currently in the process of negotiating a regional convention
to ban the importation into the island States of the South
Pacific Forum of hazardous wastes and to control their
transboundary movement and management within the South
Pacific region. My country fully supports this initiative and
is actively engaged in the negotiation process. The
convention is expected to be adopted in mid-1995. This
will further strengthen our resolve to keep the South Pacific
region free of radioactive and hazardous wastes.
At the national level, the Government of Fiji has
commenced work on the review of the country’s 1990
Constitution. The members of the Parliamentary Select
Committee on the Review of the Constitution have already
been announced. They have been drawn from both sides of
the House of Representatives and from the Senate, and
represent all the racial groups in our population. As
Chairman of that Committee, the Minister for Foreign
Affairs with Special Responsibilities on Constitutional
Review, Senator Filipe N. Bole, had a fruitful meeting of
the Committee only a few days ago. Last November, the
Cabinet agreed to the timetable for the review of the
Constitution, following the approval, by Parliament, of the
terms of reference of the Constitution Review Commission.
Because of the general elections that were held in Fiji in
February of this year, the review process has been slightly
delayed, but it is expected that the substantive work of the
Commission will begin soon after the Commission has been
appointed, which will be done shortly.
Fiji has a very small, export-oriented economy that
cannot isolate itself from the vagaries of the global
economy. We are less able to absorb adverse trends in
external economic conditions than are larger and more
diversified economies; equally, an improvement in the
global economy is slow to be reflected in our own small
economy. Like many small developing countries, we are
still in the process of gradual recovery following a
prolonged downturn that afflicted the world as a whole.
Like many countries, we have had to adjust our economic
policies in such a way as to give them a more
market-oriented approach. This has involved the
following fundamentals: less interference with the market;
recognition that the Government cannot do everything and
that the private sector is the engine for development,
which the Government must complement rather than
compete with; and the encouragement of, and reward for,
entrepreneurship, skills, abilities and hard work. In this
manner we are proceeding with the deregulation of the
economy to bring domestic prices more closely into line
with world prices; restraining the growth of Government
expenditure to ensure availability of resources for growth
in the private sector; reforming the system of direct and
indirect taxation to minimize market distortions and
improve incentives for risk-taking and effort;
implementing wage policies that recognize the paramount
importance of maintaining international competitiveness;
and mobilizing all sectors of the community in support of
economic expansion. These constitute a package of
mutually self-reinforcing policies.
In a world that is economically interlinked and in
which we are all economically interdependent, no country,
however well-intentioned its national efforts might be, can
sustain itself without support and interaction from outside.
This is true of large, diversified economies, and it is
certainly true for small, isolated economies such as ours.
Our internal efforts to create a better economic climate,
if not supported by external investments, will not succeed.
Nor will they succeed if we are denied or prevented from
getting access to markets of more developed countries.
Our efforts, therefore, depend considerably on investment
from outside and on access for our products to traditional
and new markets. In this regard, we express our gratitude
to our developed neighbouring countries for the
consideration they have given to some of our exports.
We believe, however, that in the spirit of regional
cooperation and better balance in trade the present
arrangements must be further improved.
In our efforts to develop our economy, we also
count on the support and understanding of our good
friends and partners in our neighbouring region of Asia.
We value our increasing contacts and economic relations,
particularly with the countries of the Association of
South-East Asian Nations, Malaysia, the People’s
Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan,
and we are confident that these relations will continue to
be strengthened in the future.
Our Prime Minister, the Honourable Major-General
Sitiveni Rabuka, greatly appreciated the warm welcome
30

that he received during his recent visit to the People’s
Republic of China and Taiwan. Fiji remains committed to
its official relations with the People’s Republic of China but
also greatly values its trade and economic cooperation with
Taiwan. It is our sincere hope that the People’s Republic
of China and Taiwan, in continued direct talks and
negotiations, will be able to reach agreement on a
practicable basis on which to strengthen and expand
cooperation between them, including cooperation in the
international arena.
The establishment of the South Pacific Forum in 1971
was an early initiative taken by Fiji following its
independence, together with Australia, the Cook Islands,
Nauru, New Zealand, Tonga and Western Samoa. The
Forum now has 15 members, and it meets at the level of
Heads of Government. The Forum originated from the
desire of our leaders to develop collective responses on a
wide range of regional issues, including trade, economic
development, civil aviation, maritime, telecommunications,
energy, environmental, and political and security matters.
One significant recent development is the post-Forum
dialogue: immediately after a Forum meeting, the Forum
island countries meet separately with their more developed
trade and economic partners to discuss development
priorities and constraints in the region. The post-Forum
dialogue partners include Canada, the People’s Republic of
China, France, Japan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the
United States. From our perspective as small island nations
whose economies, to remain viable, depend to a very large
extent on economic ties with these larger and more
vigorous economies, we value these discussions and are
confident that they will continue.
In a wider context, we of the South Pacific Forum
believe that it is important and indeed mutually beneficial
for the Forum Secretariat to be more closely associated
with the United Nations. For this reason, the Forum
members have decided to seek Observer status in this
Organization for the South Pacific Forum Secretariat. We
urge the General Assembly to give favourable consideration
to this request.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to
express, from this rostrum, the appreciation and profound
thanks of my Government and people to the Secretary-
General, the staff of the United Nations and its various
organizations and agencies for their continued support for,
and technical assistance to, our national development, and
indeed, for the numerous development projects in our
region as a whole. In these times, when valuable resources
for development purposes are becoming more and more
scarce and difficult to come by, I wish to assure the
donors and agencies that my Government will manage
and utilize these scarce resources carefully and
effectively.


 On behalf of
my delegation and Government and the people of Papua
New Guinea I join previous speakers in warmly
congratulating Ambassador Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire
on his election as the President of the forty-ninth session
of the General Assembly. My delegation is confident that
he will maintain the high standards set by his
predecessors and lead us skilfully through our important
deliberations. I pledge my delegation’s cooperation in the
discharge of the responsibilities of his high office.
At the same time as we welcome Ambassador Essy,
my delegation would also like to pay tribute to his
predecessor, His Excellency Ambassador Samuel
Insanally of Guyana, who skilfully guided the work of the
forty-eighth session.
As consistent opponents of the vile doctrine of
apartheid and the unjust political system on which it was
based, the people and Government of Papua New Guinea
take particular pleasure in welcoming the readmission of
a new and democratic South Africa to the United Nations.
We look forward to strengthening our relations with the
Government and people of South Africa in a bilateral as
well as a multilateral setting.
27

With the end of the cold war, we are in a challenging
period. Our collective resolve should be for the good of
humanity. That calls for increased multilateral diplomacy,
especially of the nature espoused in the United Nations
Charter.
To that end, my Government values regional
cooperation and believes that such efforts would enhance
the basis for regional stability and international
development cooperation. Papua New Guinea values its
membership of the South Pacific Forum and the Melanesian
Spearhead Group, just as it enjoys its association with the
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a
special observer. These regional organizations have forged
mutual cooperation between member countries as well as
enhancing the atmosphere for international cooperation.
Such cooperation was evident during the recent South
Pacific Forum session held in Brisbane, Australia, where
six countries - namely Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua
New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu - were able to
agree to work together towards a common approach on
logging and the export of timber. That positive
development in a regional context is of definite value to
ongoing global endeavours for the environment and
sustainable development.
We believe that an increasing number of issues are of
global importance and must be addressed on a global basis.
In this regard, the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, the
Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of
Small Island Developing States in Barbados, and the recent
World Conference on Population and Development in
Cairo, as well as the forthcoming World Summit for Social
Development in Copenhagen and the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing next year, suggest that
these issues are extremely important and need concerted
international efforts. While there is emerging consensus on
these issues, there seems to be a lack of commitment to
providing the necessary resources to achieve those
objectives.
Is it worth the time and effort expended in adopting
visionary resolutions and declarations when the required
resources are not there to fulfil the programmes and
objectives of these world conferences? In that regard my
delegation is particularly anxious to see international
support for the Barbados Programme of Action on
Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States.
The United Nations initiative on opportunity and
participation focuses on the particular need of developing
countries in their efforts to maximize the participation of
all their citizens in activities aimed at sustainable
development and an effective management of resources.
In this regard I welcome the Secretary-General’s
interim report on this initiative, to be issued under item
92 (j) of the agenda of the forty-ninth session. My
Government looks forward to the final report by the panel
of distinguished experts, to be issued to coincide with the
fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations.
It is clear that these issues and others require both a
national and a collective international approach,
particularly those relating to environmental and climatic
changes which transcend national boundaries. Agenda 21,
adopted at the Rio Earth Summit, provides a good basis
for international cooperation and action.
Consistent with the emerging international consensus
on major global issues, my Prime Minister, the Right
Honourable Sir Julius Chan, has emphasized the need for
a global view to be taken of these concerns and for our
Government to take effective action nationally as well as
regionally in pursuance of our foreign policy.
In taking a global view we must not allow vague
generalities to substitute for practical action. Each of us
must contribute to resolving global problems where we
can be most effective.
We must follow the thrust of recommendations
contained in the Secretary-General’s "Agenda for Peace"
and an "Agenda for Development" prepared for our
guidance, and we must pursue those goals, starting at
home and in our respective regions.
As far as Papua New Guinea’s foreign relations are
concerned, we are giving renewed attention to the need to
work the Pacific in a practical way. In doing so, we are
not turning away from mutually beneficial ties that have
developed over the years with countries and regional
organizations such as ASEAN, but are trying to
consolidate and to continue diversifying our foreign
relations in a wider context.
We remain just as emphatically committed to
maintaining - and where possible strengthening - Papua
New Guinea’s long-standing links with other countries in
the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and elsewhere.
28

Even as we focus renewed attention on certain
countries and objectives, our basic approach to the
development of Papua New Guinea’s foreign relations
remains one of active and selective engagement. Our
specific objectives, including our efforts to work the
Pacific, will be viewed, and pursued, in a global
perspective.
Despite the uncertainties that have arisen and the
terrible conflicts that have erupted in various regions, the
end of the cold war has, we believe, enabled Members of
the United Nations to reconsider security on a
comprehensive basis. My Government therefore commends
the attention that reports of the Secretary-General and the
United Nations Development Programme have given to
non-military threats, to security in the widest sense, and to
measures to reduce threats to security by other - and more
than military - means. In a very real, and particular, sense
the end of the cold war enables the United Nations to return
to its roots.
We are faced with a historic opportunity to pursue,
debate and take actions on issues of human welfare that are
central to the purposes of the United Nations.
Eighty-five per cent of the people in my country live
in rural communities where the basic needs of food and
shelter are secured on a sustainable basis. However,
despite the sustainable livelihood of our people, natural
disasters can occur, as happened when unexpectedly high
floods destroyed houses, damaged crops and disrupted
services in much of my home province, Gulf, early this
year.
In the past 12 months, various parts of Papua New
Guinea have been afflicted by natural disasters such as
floods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activities,
which have placed a severe burden on our resources. The
sudden volcanic eruptions that caused more than 60,000
people to be evacuated from the town of Rabaul and
surrounding areas of East New Britain Province more than
one week ago have considerably taxed our resources. The
volcanic activity is still continuing.
We appreciate the promptness with which various
Governments, particularly those in our region, including
Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America,
continue to respond when natural disasters occur in small
island countries of the region, including my own country.
I take this opportunity to register my Government’s
appreciation for the positive responses we have received
from various Governments, international organizations and
non-governmental organizations. We have yet to establish
the extent of the damage to property, crops and food
gardens due to the continuing volcanic activity. In this
regard, my Government would appreciate international
assistance in its restoration and rehabilitation programmes
in due course.
Regarding the collective international commitment
we all undertook at Rio de Janeiro, my Government is in
the process of instituting a national sustainable-
development strategy. On a subregional level, we have
issued a joint declaration on cooperation in the
development of natural resources with our fellow
members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Among other things, it
provides a framework for exchanges of information on
foreign countries that exploit and harvest our natural
resources in unsustainable ways and engage in transfer
pricing and illegal operations.
We are party to agreements reached at the Brisbane
meeting of the South Pacific Forum to cooperate on a
wider basis in order to ensure the sustainable development
of fisheries and forestry resources. We believe
development must be equitable if it is to be sustained.
The ongoing failure to reduce environmental
pollution in advanced industrial countries undermines the
global commitments made at Rio de Janeiro.
The people and the Government of Papua New
Guinea are especially sensitive about the need for balance
between equity and development. We are continuing to
experience the sad consequences that arose from the lack
of proper balance among the immediate needs of people,
the environment and development in the area around the
Panguna copper mine, in our province of Bougainville.
Allow me to touch on an area of serious concern to
my delegation and my Government. This relates to
allegations of human rights violations on the island in
Bougainville Province of Papua New Guinea. The
allegations of human rights violations have been unduly
orchestrated through the Human Rights Commission in
Geneva. This, I wish to assure the Assembly, is an ill-
conceived attempt to discredit the Government and the
people of Papua New Guinea.
From the very beginning of its life as an independent
state, in 1975, Papua New Guinea has had embodied in
its constitution human rights provisions as entrenched
29

basic and fundamental rights and freedoms of the human
person.
These cover all internationally recognized human
rights Covenants and more. They include the liberty of the
person, freedom from forced labor, freedom from arbitrary
search and entry, freedom of conscience, thought and
religion, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and
association, the right to freedom of employment, the right
to privacy, freedom of information, freedom of movement,
and protection from unjust deprivation of property. An
honest and objective assessment of the situation in Papua
New Guinea should leave no one in doubt as to our good
record in the observance of and respect for human rights.
My Government therefore sees no difficulty in meeting
the request made by the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights to provide a report on alleged human rights
abuses in Bougainville. Outsiders have been allowed to
visit and to report on what they see; Bougainville is neither
closed nor shut off from all external contacts.
The Bougainville peace conference is expected to
discuss human rights issues, including allegations of abuses.
The Government intends to set up a human rights
commission to investigate, provide redress for and prevent
repetition of human rights violations. We are confident that
the report we are providing will deal with all legitimate
United Nations concerns.
The situation in Bougainville is not a colonial
problem. It is not a problem of human rights as such. It is
not a minority or indigenous people’s issue. The trouble in
Bougainville Province, stemming as it does from claims to
compensation for the use of tribal lands in the process of
development during a mining project, makes all separatist
claims that are being canvassed by some commentators ring
very hollow.
Compensation claims are very common in all the
provinces of Papua New Guinea, which is a country
experiencing a mining and petroleum resources
development boom. The ownership of the land in which the
mineral resources are located is vested in groups of clans
or tribes or other congregations of extended families, and
in a very special way their whole being is wrapped up in
the land and the environment. Therefore the determination
of the legal rights of these groups to the benefits from any
mining projects on their land becomes a very complicated
and sensitive affair indeed. This is the real basis of the
Bougainville problem, and it is a problem faced by the
Government in just about every province in the country.
A perfectly legitimate resource-benefit dispute
between the mining company and the traditional
landowners has taken advantage of by criminal elements,
whose activities derailed the negotiations for a just
solution on compensation for the use of land for the
development of the giant Panguna copper mine, which at
the time was the biggest foreign-exchange earner for the
country.
In a vibrant democracy such as the one we have in
Papua New Guinea, we cannot deny our people’s
fundamental rights. The exercise of their rights
determines the Government that will take office. In our
continuing effort to find a resolution to the unfortunate
situation in Bougainville, my Prime Minister has recently
taken an initiative to bring the conflict to a peaceful end.
We have accordingly negotiated a cease-fire with all
major parties to the crisis.
I am pleased to add that preparations for a
Bougainville peace conference, planned to begin on
10 October, are well in hand. A regional peace-keeping
force, made up of units from Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu,
with Australian and New Zealand logistical support and
the cooperation, in particular, of the Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister, Government and people of the
Solomon Islands, is being formed to facilitate the peace
process. I am pleased to say that at this very moment a
status-of-forces agreement has been signed in Suva, Fiji,
between my Prime Minister and representatives from the
participating countries to formalize the arrangements. We
believe this peace-keeping operation now being put in
place is an example of regional self-help, and an approach
worthy of endorsement and wider consideration and
application.
While we are attempting to find a peaceful solution
to the worst crisis faced by Papua New Guinea since
independence, my Government can only express its deep
concern at the continuing failure of people with much
older national institutions to do the same, and of
Governments elsewhere to act purposefully in their stead.
We are deeply disturbed by the continuing violence
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the elusive cease-fire process
and the paralysis of political will that has so far failed to
halt aggression. In the cases of Rwanda, Somalia and
other trouble areas, I must say that the horrors being
revealed to the world have caused the most profound
shock in my country. Can we, the Members of the
United Nations, really do no more to end the violence, to
reduce the suffering and to bring mass murderers to
30

justice? Can we not act faster? Can we be no more
effective? These questions are especially urgent in an age
where the complaint has sometimes been made that the
United Nations is not balancing its attention and resources
properly between peace-keeping and development.
Even as we regret the terrible situations in some parts
of the world, we can only be heartened by developments
elsewhere. Thus my Government welcomes the
constructive steps being taken by the Government of Israel
and the Palestinian Liberation Organization to build peace
in one of the most troublesome parts of the world. We
applaud the skilful, determined and unselfish diplomacy that
has facilitated the process and still continues to lend it
support.
Elsewhere in the world, developments to bring about
a political settlement in Haiti have given my Government
cautious hope that diplomacy will continue to be an
effective means of securing peace in such a complex
situation. The cease-fire in Northern Ireland suggests that
all is never completely lost in even the most enduring and
seemingly intractable conflicts.
Closer to home, my Government is optimistic about
the prospects for securing peace through the Regional
Forum of the Association of South-East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and other efforts to enhance confidence-building
in South-East Asia.
We urge the Government of the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea to desist from the development of
nuclear weapons.
Firmly committed to maintaining and strengthening
relations with the People’s Republic of China on the basis
of existing agreements, my Government none the less sees
the developing dialogue between the People’s Republic of
China and Taiwan as very promising indeed.
Following the successful World Conference on Human
Rights held in Vienna in 1993, the draft text of the Agenda
for Development acknowledges that development is a
human right. It also states quite rightly that development
is "the most secure basis for peace". But development in
an increasingly interdependent world involves more than
national will and resources. It requires international
support, or at least an international environment that is not
actively hostile.
While the world must surely welcome the successful
conclusion of the Uruguay round of negotiations under the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, peoples and
Governments in developing countries are entitled to look
for more, particularly by way of measures to reduce and
ultimately remove completely barriers that obstruct our
capacity to compete effectively in international trade.
Successive Papua New Guinea Governments have
been active participants in the deliberations of the Special
Committee on decolonization. We have been strong
advocates of the right to self-determination in New
Caledonia and of special safeguards for the indigenous
Kanaks. Like other members of the South Pacific Forum,
we remain firm in our support of the rights of the
Kanaks. Our vigilance in relation to the implementation
of the Matignon Accords will be maintained until the
ultimate objective is achieved.
With formal termination of the last United Nations
Trusteeship mandate, over Palau, later this year, and with
the implementation of the Compact of Free Association
with the United States of America, my Government looks
forward to welcoming Palau to full membership of the
United Nations in due course.
In taking a global view from the perspective of the
part of the Asia-Pacific region where Papua New Guinea
is located, I have tried to relate immediate national and
regional issues to wider international concerns. In doing
so, I have been aware that other delegations, hearing of
events and attitudes in my part of the world, have been
placing us in a global perspective too.
In the South Pacific, my Government sees
worthwhile prospects for enhancing mutually beneficial
cooperation in a number of areas that have not previously
received the attention they deserve, including the
promotion of trade, investment and tourism, and
development of the region’s vast natural resources.
Papua New Guinea believes that the ongoing
consultations aimed at expanding the number of
permanent seats on the Security Council and at the
revitalization of the General Assembly are timely. We
hope that the process will reflect the current international
economic and political climate. Thus, we are pleased to
note the progress being made in improving financial
controls and in exploring options for further reform within
the United Nations system. We hope that both processes
will contribute to further development of the
Organization’s capacity for effective achievement of its
objectives.
31

As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the United
Nations, we should all re-commit ourselves to the purposes
and principles of the United Nations Charter. An era of
cooperation and understanding has dawned. Let us not
miss the opportunity for peace, security and prosperity for
humanity.


I should like to congratulate
Mr. Essy of Côte d’Ivoire on his election to the post of
President of the General Assembly of the United Nations
at its forty-ninth session. I wish him much success in this
highly responsible mission.
At the same time, I should like to thank Mr. Essy’s
predecessor as President, His Excellency Ambassador
Insanally, for his great personal contribution to the
success of the last session of the General Assembly.
I also avail myself of this opportunity to express
deep appreciation of all the work and effort of the
Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, as the head of the United Nations.
Allow me to open my statement with a personal
remark. During the past few years we have witnessed
dynamic changes in world politics. The dynamism of
development in international life is reflected in my
personal life. In the course of the past four years I have
represented two States as their Ambassador to the United
Nations. Today I am honoured and proud to represent
one of them - my native country, Slovakia - as its
Minister of Foreign Affairs. The fact that the Permanent
Representative to the United Nations was nominated as
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of his country is yet
another manifestation of the respect that the United
Nations enjoys in Slovakia.
The fact that my country, less than two years after
its admission to membership of the United Nations,
became a full-fledged component of the community of
nations is confirmation of the credibility of our foreign
policy, which is based on respect for international law and
for principles of democratic coexistence among nations.
It is also a result of the implementation of our foreign-
policy principles, which originate from the hierarchy of
values of Slovak society. These values are characterized
by respect for democracy, human rights and a free-market
economy.
It is evident that Slovakia, as a small country in the
geopolitically sensitive central European region, must
have a transparent and clearly defined orientation in its
20

foreign policy. We therefore aim our activities at European
integrationist trends and strive to join the stable, democratic
and prosperous countries. Joining the European Union and
participating actively in the elaboration of an efficient
model of European security are among the main priorities
of Slovak foreign policy.
Our international contacts are, of course, much wider
and are of a more multilateral character. We are interested
in the best possible relations with neighbouring countries.
I am glad to state that we have recently managed to fulfil
this aim successfully. We believe that subregional
arrangements, such as Visegrad 4 or the central European
initiative, also help to strengthen the stability of the whole
region. Close contacts with western European countries -
and these are being strengthened in respect of economic,
political and security matters - also contribute to the
fulfilment of this objective.
At the global level, the priority of the Slovak
Republic, which is part of the European region, is the
maintenance of solid transatlantic relations through the
development of intensive cooperation with the United States
of America and Canada, both bilaterally and multilaterally.
Further, we consider the development of cooperation with
our eastern neighbours - Ukraine, the Russian Federation
and other countries - as being especially important.
Regardless of the fact that Slovakia is a small central
European country, we strive to maintain and further develop
good relations and cooperation with the countries of Asia,
Africa, Latin America and the Pacific region.
Our tasks and goals are very demanding, and their
fulfilment depends on sufficient support from the public
and on the consensus of the major political parties. I am
glad to state that in Slovakia there is wide public and
political agreement on the principal issues of our foreign
policy. This is a positive signal for foreign countries,
which can count on Slovakia as a reliable partner.
As I indicated at the beginning of my statement,
today’s world is defined by dynamic changes that are due
to the growing multipolarity of international relations.
Many important events that occurred in the last year
advanced the international community towards achievement
of the goals of the United Nations - to guarantee the
peaceful coexistence of nations - but there have also been
events that cannot fill us with optimism.
One positive event has been the peace process in the
Middle East. Slovakia has supported this process from the
very beginning with the aim of reaching a comprehensive
and final peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The conclusion of agreements between the State of Israel
and the Palestine Liberation Organization on the provision
of limited autonomy in the zone of the Gaza Strip and
Jericho, and the Jordan-Israeli declaration on terminating
the state of war, as well as on measures to settle mutual
relations, justified once more the peace efforts of the
parties involved, as well as those of the international
community, which is convinced that peace can be restored
in this region.
We also welcome the democratization of South
African society demonstrated by the elections in April of
this year. Though South Africa is far from Slovakia, we
put special emphasis on the continuation of this
development. The visit of the President of the Slovak
Republic to South Africa for the inauguration of President
Mandela is evidence of this.
On the other hand, even these positive examples will
not help us in successfully ending conflicts in other parts
of the world. We are deeply concerned over the
continuing conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina that is
taking place some 300 kilometres from our borders.
Slovakia is among the countries that yearn for an end to
the continuing tragedy in that country. We wish to
underline the superiority of a political solution to a
military one, which by definition cannot eliminate the
antagonism between the opposing sides.
The Slovak Republic, as a user of nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes, is a State without nuclear weapons.
We therefore support a speedy signing of the
comprehensive test-ban treaty. We wish to emphasize
that such a treaty should apply to all tests without
exception and for an indefinite period, including tests for
peaceful purposes. Sustaining the moratorium on nuclear
tests by all members of the nuclear club is considered by
Slovakia to be the main precondition for concluding such
a treaty, and at the same time, it is a clear sign of the real
intentions of the nuclear club members.
We consider next year’s Review Conference of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to be closely linked to the
nuclear-test ban. The NPT has been playing an important
role in the history of humanity, and has managed to stop
the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We support
unequivocally the unconditional and indefinite extension
of the NPT.
The Slovak Republic appreciates the steps
undertaken at the United Nations in the sphere of
21

transparency in armaments, whether conventional or
chemical and biological. We welcome the first positive
universal step regarding conventional weapons: the
establishment of the Register of Conventional Arms.
The verification level of the existing multilateral
treaties is in most cases either inadequate or incomplete.
Many of the multilateral treaties on arms control do not
contain verification clauses - and if they do contain such
clauses, they do not make full use of verification, as in the
case of the NPT. I believe that the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling
and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction
will be a test case for a new type of multilateral treaty on
disarmament. The ratification of this agreement is among
the top priorities in the agenda of our Parliament.
I can assure the Assembly that Slovakia is fulfilling
responsibly and in a timely manner the obligations
concerning confidence building, security, control of
armaments and disarmament that have been undertaken at
universal and regional negotiating forums. We firmly
support all disarmament activities; hence we are well aware
of the important role of the Conference on Disarmament in
this field. I would like to confirm the permanent interest of
the Slovak Republic in resolving the issue of its
membership in the Conference, since the former
Czechoslovak federation was a founding member of the
Conference. It is truly a paradox that a country in which
arms production decreased to 9 per cent of its 1989 level is
not yet a member of the Conference.
We are aware of the need to improve existing
organizational structures and strengthen cooperation
between the United Nations and the Conference on Security
and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) as a regional
arrangement in the sense of Chapter VIII of the United
Nations Charter. The CSCE continues to adapt to the new
realities. Slovakia, however, is of the opinion that the basic
character of the CSCE should not change. It should remain
a wide political forum and its basic principle - the adoption
of decisions by consensus - should be maintained.
Peace-keeping operations are currently at a level that
is perhaps the highest that the international community can
provide and sustain. They drain our financial resources,
while not even sparing human lives. The original
enthusiasm for peace-keeping operations has gradually
cooled down with the knowledge that there are many
obstacles that the United Nations cannot overcome. The
tragic situation in Rwanda, where even the presence of
United Nations forces could not avert a civil war and
massacres, is a clear example. The United Nations peace-
keeping operation on the territory of the former
Yugoslavia has also encountered serious problems. The
Slovak Republic has a contingent of 600 soldiers in the
United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) -
members of the engineering unit who among their
military tasks provide highly specialized expert work and
assistance in restoring that country, which has suffered so
much tribulation. Along with their efforts in the
maintenance of peace, they have undertaken the
dangerous task of removing mines from the country.
Slovakia strongly supports President Clinton’s appeal
in his statement before the General Assembly on Monday
for the conclusion of an agreement that would reduce the
number and availability of anti-personnel land-mines. I
would like to mention that Slovakia, in accordance with
resolution 48/75 K, has already implemented, on 17 April
1994, a moratorium on the export of anti-personnel land-
mines for an indefinite period.
In connection with United Nations efforts to resolve
several problems that have arisen in the field of peace-
keeping operations, the Slovak Republic welcomes the
decision to establish stand-by forces that can be
dispatched on short notice and under the command of the
United Nations. We have declared our interest in
contributing to these units with engineers of the Slovak
Army. Such units need highly specialized and thorough
preparation and training designed for specific purposes.
My country is in the process of building such a training
centre and has already used it to train more than 1,200
members of United Nations peace-keeping forces since
May of this year.
Experience has shown that the traditional type of
peace-keeping operation is no longer sufficient. If a
peace-keeping operation is to succeed it should contain a
humanitarian element. Slovakia is of the opinion that in
any operation under United Nations auspices and with
United Nations coordination it is necessary to respect the
principle of the priority of United Nations command.
In connection with the increased number of attacks
against United Nations personnel, the Slovak Republic
appreciates the Assembly’s decision at its forty-eighth
session to elaborate an international convention dealing
with the safety and security of United Nations and
associated personnel. The next step the United Nations
should consider is providing proper armament and other
matériel for members of peace-keeping missions so that
they might be able to react more appropriately to
22

changing conditions and if necessary be able to defend
themselves.
The Slovak Republic respects human rights and
welcomes all international initiatives which could bring
results in this sphere. We highly appreciate the
commencement of the activities of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights. We believe that this post will be an
active United Nations instrument to guarantee the protection
of human rights, especially where they are most flagrantly
violated. At the beginning of 1994 we opened the Slovak
National Centre for Human Rights in Bratislava. In this
connection, I wish to express our gratitude to the
Netherlands for its assistance in establishing this institution.
The gravity of the problem of refugees continues to
increase. I express the hope that the United Nations will
not underestimate this problem and that the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will no
longer have to fight financial problems in future.
The Slovak Republic supports the reform of the United
Nations. It considers the revitalization and restructuring of
the Security Council to be one of the crucial issues. We
hope that the solution adopted will increase the efficiency
of the Security Council and will contribute to the overall
strengthening of the United Nations. We are of the opinion
that new permanent members of the Security Council must
have a global responsibility and be able to meet the ensuing
financial obligations.
When the mandate of the Security Council is fulfilled
and sanctions are implemented, more attention should be
paid to possible adverse impacts on third countries. We are
convinced that effective mechanisms of assistance to
affected third countries should be seriously considered and
established as soon as possible.
Slovakia encounters many problems connected with
the transformation of society. It is crucial to solve the
economic and social issues of a transition process
unprecedented in scale and method. The United Nations,
with its organs and specialized agencies, has an
irreplaceable role in assisting their solution.
I should now like to give some facts on the economic
situation of the Slovak Republic. Now that the first, basic
steps of transformation have been taken, the main goal of
the Slovak economy is to create permanent macroeconomic
stability and conditions for substantial economic growth in
the years to come. My country, with 5.3 million
inhabitants and with exports about 50 per cent of gross
domestic product, can be considered a small, open
economy. The Slovak Government is concentrating on
speeding up those reforms which should result in the
quick transformation of ownership relations.
Considerable progress has been made in macroeconomic
stabilization in the first six months of 1994. Real gross
domestic product has increased by 4.4 per cent. The
State budget deficit represents only 3.8 per cent of gross
domestic product, and is considered a positive indicator.
Thanks to cooperation with, and assistance from, the
International Monetary Fund, the foreign currency
reserves of the Central Bank have increased. These data
are considered to be the first sign of economic revival.
Economic cooperation and, within its framework,
international assistance are prerequisites for further
development of economies in transition. United Nations
organs and specialized agencies cooperate intensively with
my Government. Thanks to this cooperation, the
economic situation is substantially better than had been
anticipated, and the Slovak Republic has become an
accepted international partner in economic cooperation.
The Slovak Republic welcomes the increased
attention by, and efforts of, the United Nations aimed at
bringing the issues of development and economic
cooperation to the foreground. We hope that the agenda
for development will initiate concrete steps in this sphere.
We particularly appreciate the efforts of the United
Nations in helping to resolve problems and difficulties
encountered by the countries transforming their
economies, and we are of the opinion that within the
United Nations framework there are more opportunities to
facilitate and speed up the integration of these economies
into the world economy.
In the past decade the number of least developed
countries has increased horrendously. This results in an
urgent appeal to all mankind, but especially the
industrially developed countries. However, at the same
time we cannot avoid the primary responsibility of the
least developed countries for their own destiny. The
Slovak Republic offers assistance, within its own means
and possibilities, especially through the participation of
Slovak experts in development programmes - for
example, in education and health care. Slovakia is
prepared to engage in organizational work for the
International Year for the Eradication of Poverty, 1996.
I should also like to emphasize the importance of the
recently concluded International Conference on Population
and Development, held in Cairo. The fact that it
23

succeeded in reaching an agreement and adopting the Final
Document is a signal that the international community is
aware of its responsibility for global issues of humanity,
and that international conferences and discussions are the
only right battlefield for the solution of problems, no matter
how sensitive and complicated they may be.
As can be seen from the facts I have set out, Slovakia,
as one of the youngest Members of the United Nations,
wishes not only to "take", but also intends to be actively
involved in United Nations programmes, and has the
capabilities. My country has much to offer developing
countries. Slovak experts, with their know-how and
experience, are prepared actively to participate in United
Nations development programmes. Slovak products and
technologies tested under demanding conditions could
contribute to the efficiency of these development
programmes. In the sphere of the development of human
resources, Slovakia, with a long tradition in this field, offers
a variety of courses at universities.
My country has a difficult task to carry out:
transformation of the economy. The United Nations also
has a difficult task; that of adapting itself to the new
realities and adjusting its structure and activities
accordingly. I wish to assure the Assembly that the Slovak
Republic is prepared to do its utmost to carry out the first
task and to participate actively in the activities of the
United Nations.
I wish to conclude my statement by wishing much
success to this year’s session of the General Assembly.


I should like to congratulate you, Sir, on your
election to occupy the presidential chair of the forty-ninth
session of the General Assembly of the United Nations on
behalf of Africa.
Despite the great difficulties we are experiencing
today, we can see encouraging signs for the future. The
great progress made during the preparatory work for the
World Summit for Social Development and the World
Conference on Women gives rise to new hope for the
creation of a new international order.
Our countries and our Organization face new
challenges that require creative and innovative responses if
we are to make progress and avoid the danger of reversing
the headway that has been made since the end of the cold
war.
When I began my term of office in 1990, I faced the
enormous task of rescuing my country from war and
restoring faith in democracy to thousands of Nicaraguans.
I had a great dream: that we the peoples that had been able
to free ourselves from dictatorships of one kind or another
could unite and help one another, reconstructing democracy
in our countries, and that all of us together could then begin
a great march away from totalitarian and authoritarian
forms of government towards democracy.
In July my dream became reality when the Second
International Conference of New or Restored Democracies
was held in Managua, with participants, observers, special
guests and international organizations from more than 70
countries from four continents.
In the Managua declaration, representatives to this
Second International Conference expressed their
conviction that democracy is the only system that allows
for a free, firm and steadfast union of nations for peace.
We also agreed that the consolidation of democratic
processes was a key factor in guaranteeing peace and
international security.
The Managua declaration clearly establishes the
essential ties between democracy and social and economic
development, and between democracy and citizen
participation.
It should also be stressed that the Managua
Declaration states the following: that the future of the
new and restored democracies as well as the future of
peace are linked to the international community’s
response to such matters as external debt, protectionism
in developed countries, insufficient concessional funds
available for development, poverty, and the impact on
low-income groups of economic adjustment processes.
The plan of action approved by the Conference
promotes modalities for cooperation that take into account
the particular features of the new or restored democracies
and the promotion of internal commitments in each
country to strengthen democracy. In Nicaragua we have
already created a permanent forum for democracy and
peace in which wide sectors of the civilian population
participate.
On behalf of the new or restored democracies, I
would like to take this opportunity to make a request of
the United Nations Secretary-General that, in accordance
with the established procedures and during this session of
the General Assembly, a decision be taken to undertake
a study on the ways in which the United Nations could
support the efforts of Governments to consolidate new or
restored democracies.
I would like to appeal to the countries represented
here to give special attention to the difficulties we are
now facing during this fragile transition process, as we
are attempting to consolidate democracy; we appeal to
them to support our efforts and the commitments made in
our plan of action.
We cannot allow our dreams and the great sacrifices
and suffering of millions of people who struggled for
liberty to be in vain.
9

It is with great sadness that we see the gap between
rich and poor countries dangerously increasingly rather than
diminishing. According to the United Nations report on
human development, more than one billion people in the
world are still languishing in abject poverty. In 1960, the
richest 20 per cent of the world’s population had an income
30 times greater than that of the poorest 20 per cent. By
1990, the gap had deepened: by then the richest
20 per cent had incomes 60 times greater and 20 per cent
of humanity receives 80 per cent of the world’s income.
As pointed out in this year’s report on human
development, in places where world trade is entirely free
and open, those benefiting are in general the strongest.
Developing countries enter the market as unequal partners
and end up with unequal rewards.
A large percentage of the new or restored democracies
are to be found among the poorest countries. As a
consequence, they are excluded from the benefits of
development. We must all work together to change this
situation.
Today Central America is one of the best examples of
the new wave of democracy. Democracy is now
established is all of our countries. In less than a year, we
have had four free elections in our region that produced
new Governments. Respect for civil and political rights has
been strengthened; conditions which enable more people to
enjoy economic, social and cultural rights have been created
and civil power is prevailing over military power. Respect
for and protection of human rights is increasing. We are
gradually becoming a region of peace, liberty, democracy
and development.
Next October, the Central American countries will
sign the Alliance for Sustainable Development. This
Alliance is a major effort at the political, social, economic
and environmental levels to create a new and improved
development model which can preserve the resources and
way of life of future generations in Central America.
Once again, I would like to thank organizations and
countries that have provided continuous and valuable
support to Nicaragua and Central America. They have
made resources available, and have helped find new and
efficient solutions for establishing and consolidating peace
while achieving sustainable human development. We are
certain that this spirit of cooperation will be manifested
once again at the International Conference on Peace and
Development in Central America, to be held in Honduras.
Last year, before the General Assembly, I made a
detailed presentation on the political and economic
situation of my country, and about our real prospects.
My country has made great efforts to attain a
macroeconomic balance and at the same time establish a
firm foundation for sustainable development.
We have made substantial progress in the last four
years in improving public finance. We have significantly
reduced inflation, re-established relations with foreign-
debt holders and multilateral agencies, and implemented
structural adjustment reforms.
The success of this difficult programme and the
attainment of sustainable development will depend, to a
large extent, on our ability to promote production and
investment, to increase employment and improve the
quality of life for our people, and on the quality of the
international support we receive.
In order to consolidate and deepen the democratic
process in Nicaragua, this September I approved the law
on military organization. This new law clearly establishes
that the armed forces are subordinate to civil power. The
armed forces have now been transformed into a small,
non-partisan, efficient body, appropriate to the transition
period in Nicaraguan society.
In compliance with the General Assembly resolution
declaring the celebration of this year as the International
Year of the Family, we have established a national
commission to coordinate the efforts of different
government and social agencies to support the family as
the main nucleus of society and the main agent for the
transmission and development of values such as the
common good, equality and mutual respect.
Within the framework of the strengthening of the
family, I wish to reiterate once again our commitment to
giving the highest priority to the protection and
development of children. We made this commitment at
the World Summit for Children in September 1990.
Also, taking into account our commitment to respect
for, and to the observance of, human rights, my
Government will create an office of ombudsman in
Nicaragua.
As we approach the next millennium, humanity still
faces critical questions that threaten our societies and our
development. We cannot, however, deny that substantial
10

advances are being made to remove the main sources of
conflict that linger in various continents.
For this reason we welcome with great satisfaction the
signing of the agreements concluded between the
Governments of Israel and of Jordan and between Israel
and Palestine. This will help to improve security and
stability in the Middle East.
At the same time, we welcome the efforts being made
to reach a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
Nicaragua rejoices greatly in the inauguration of the
new democratic and non-racist Government in South Africa.
This augurs well for a new era of prosperity and peace for
the whole population of that brotherly country and for
southern Africa.
We support the strengthening of democracy in
Mozambique. Thus Nicaraguans will participate in the
United Nations mission to observe next October’s elections.
It is still necessary to promote new international
initiatives in the search for a definitive political solution to
the situation in the former Yugoslavia and to the sad events
in Rwanda that continue so to shake the world’s
conscience. This requires wider and stronger mechanisms
for humanitarian protection, as well as for regional security.
I should like to make special mention of the crisis in
Haiti. Nicaragua welcomes with satisfaction the diplomatic
way out and the negotiated solution to the Haitian crisis.
All available peaceful means should be used to guarantee
reconciliation among the long-suffering people of Haiti, as
well as and the re-establishment of constitutional order.
Finally, we believe that, within the new international
order, it is necessary for the United Nations to recognize
the rights of the Republic of China in Taiwan, within the
framework of universal participation and respect for human
rights.
I feel sure that the future will not conceal from us the
great difficulties that humanity still faces. We must work
together, with what we have at hand, to make this world a
more dignified place for all of us, regardless of race, creed
or political belief, to live in.
Next year we shall celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of
the founding of the United Nations. We hope that the
Security Council, at its summit meeting of Heads of State
to be held in New York on that occasion, will adopt some
important decisions, particularly with regard to
restructuring of the Security Council to provide for
equitable geographical representation and an increase in
the number of members.
I wish, on behalf of the people of Nicaragua and on
behalf of the new or restored democracies that
participated in the conference in Managua, to reaffirm our
deep commitment to contributing to the development of
a world society inspired by progress, liberty, democracy
and peace.


Mr. President, I am delighted
to begin by congratulating you and your country, Côte
d’Ivoire, on your election as President of the General
Assembly at this session. I also wish to thank your
distinguished predecessor, Ambassador Insanally.
Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta on its admission to
Observer status in the General Assembly.
My statement fully endorses and follows on that of
the German Foreign Minister, who spoke in his capacity
as Chairman of the European Council.
6

From the very beginning of its membership in the
United Nations Italy’s foreign policy has been guided by its
active support for the Organization’s principles and
functions. Our contributions to United Nations
deliberations, peace-keeping operations and aid through
multilateral channels are tangible proof of Italy’s faith in
the project drawn up at San Francisco almost 50 years ago.
Our newly elected Government will remain steadfast
in this approach to supporting the United Nations and
building upon the historic opportunities offered by the new
international situation. Let me emphasize that, now more
than ever, Italy is firmly committed to fostering personal,
political, and economic freedom, protecting individual rights
and liberties and enforcing the rule of law. These are the
preconditions for peace and prosperity and the reasons why
Italy is presenting its candidature to the Security Council
for the period 1995-1996.
Unfortunately, the hopes that were kindled by the end
of the cold war, with its promises of peace and stability,
have not been met in international reality. At the same
time, there is little doubt that today we are facing fewer
global risks, despite local conflicts, intolerance and racial
and ethnic strife. It is thus our task to embark on a new
age of cooperation, democracy and development, in which
the United Nations must play a central role. Today, the
General Assembly can become the link between
expectations and commitment.
Italy will continue to play its part in peace-keeping, as
it is already doing in eight different missions, including
logistical support for the operation in former Yugoslavia
and training centres and permanent bases for peace-keeping
forces on its territory. The new United Nations base in
Brindisi is particularly significant in this regard.
However, we cannot ignore the high costs of the
proliferation of primarily internal conflicts. The budget for
peace-keeping operations currently amounts to
approximately $3 billion, three times the regular budget of
the Organization. The Presidency of the European Union
has noted this particular aspect of peace-keeping operations.
We must strengthen preventive diplomacy in order to avoid
over-extending our capabilities, becoming ineffective and
risking financial collapse.
In the wake of the crisis in Rwanda, my Government
is promoting the establishment of a task force for rapid
intervention in humanitarian emergencies. This matter is
now being considered in the appropriate forums and the
results will be presented to the United Nations. I welcome
the support expressed for an emergency humanitarian
instrument by the Presidents of the United States, the
Russian Federation and Argentina, and believe that our
ideas and proposals follow the same orientation.
Entrusting peace-keeping functions to regional
organizations is another option for crisis management.
My Government has moved consistently in this direction
at the national level and in its capacity as
Chairman-in-Office of the Conference on Security and
Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).
Italy attaches particular importance to an effective
and efficient functioning of the Security Council. The
matter of equitable representation on the Security Council
and of increasing its membership requires thorough
examination. To this end, Italy has submitted one of the
most realistic and comprehensive proposals to the Ad Hoc
Working Group. We hope that the General Assembly
will reach a consensus on the methods and timetable for
a truly equitable reform.
Many members question whether the pre-eminence
the Organization has given to peace-keeping in recent
years has not drained the other fundamental objectives of
the United Nations - namely, economic and social
development - of initiative and resources. The
Secretary-General has wisely acknowledged these
concerns in his recent agenda for development.
Mr. Seniloli (Fiji), Vice-President, took the Chair.
As that document states, peace is only one of the
dimensions of development. The others are the economy,
the environment, justice and democracy. To the extent
that democracy protects and promotes personal liberty and
economic freedom, it has a decisive impact on
development by encouraging the strongest force behind
economic growth and personal development - individual
creativity. A prosperous democracy will be free of the
internal tensions that have caused so many of today’s
conflicts. The United Nations will foster a more peaceful
world by promoting freedom and justice in addition to
continuing its peace-keeping functions.
In today’s world, the issue of trade is of paramount
importance. As I like to say, trade unites us; politics
divides us. At the Naples Summit, Italy, in its present
capacity as Chairman of the G-7, strongly advocated the
further dismantling of barriers to world trade in order to
foster the creation of wealth. We are convinced that the
leaders of the free world must avoid squandering the
unique opportunity for world peace and prosperity offered
7

by current historic developments. They must resist the
pressure of interest groups and be ready to serve the
general interests of their nations and the nations of the
world, which today more than ever require the opening of
markets and the liberalization of trade. This will be the
role of the World Trade Organization.
In this spirit, we endorse the principles of the agenda
for development and are ready to help establish the
guidelines for their implementation. The fiftieth
anniversary of the United Nations Charter will provide an
opportunity for fostering such a process.
I should now like to address the United Nations
General Assembly in my capacity as Chairman-in-Office of
the CSCE. We are actively promoting peaceful solutions
to several regional crises. In the former Yugoslavia we are
engaged in restoring long-term missions, appointing
Ombudsmen for the Bosnian Federation, instituting a CSCE
mission in Sarajevo and admitting The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia to the CSCE.
We have lent our good offices to Ukraine, where a
CSCE mission will be instituted, and to Georgia for the
crises in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The CSCE
Presidency has also worked towards facilitating the
withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic States and
finding a solution to the problems of citizenship and status
of non-citizens in that area. Through the local CSCE
missions, the CSCE Presidency is also attempting to foster
a political solution to the Moldova-Trans-Dniester and
Tajikistan crises, while it actively supports the efforts of the
Chairman of the Conference on Nagorny Karabakh,
Ambassador Eliasson.
At the 1992 Helsinki Summit the CSCE declared itself
to be a regional arrangement under Chapter VIII of the
United Nations Charter and adopted specific guidelines on
peace-keeping. The ministerial meetings in Stockholm and
Rome led to the United Nations-CSCE Framework
Agreement in March 1993 and to the CSCE’s being granted
observer status at the United Nations. My recent letter to
the Secretary-General on developing and strengthening
cooperation between the CSCE and the United Nations was
a follow-up to these decisions, as was the establishment of
relations between the CSCE and numerous United Nations
agencies working in areas of common concern. One
specific proposal is to attribute primary responsibility to the
CSCE for issues concerning stability and security in its
area, without impinging on the statutory powers of the
Security Council.
Peace-keeping is an area that requires closer
cooperation. The two Organizations should adopt a
standard set of principles for the peace-keeping activities
undertaken by individual States or third parties.
I should like to address the European Presidency’s
statement and memorandum on our current international
policies, limiting myself to those issues which more
closely concern Italy for historical and geographical
reasons.
Italy warmly welcomes the acceptance by the
Croatian-Muslim federation and the Serbian-Montenegran
federation of the peace plan submitted to them on 6 July.
That plan provides a realistic solution to territorial
disputes and constitutional issues and ensures that Bosnia
and Herzegovina will retain its international identity.
Unfortunately, the repeated rejection of the plan by the
Bosnian Serb leadership is a source of deep
disappointment. This has made tougher sanctions against
Pale inevitable in order to force it to reconsider its
position.
The partial lifting of sanctions against Belgrade,
which we have advocated from the beginning, will
encourage the Serbian Government to pursue its new,
more constructive policy. This includes the agreement to
allow international monitors to ensure the effective
sealing of the border between Serbia and Bosnia. In our
ongoing commitment to find a solution to the intractable
crisis in Bosnia, we have been trying to involve other
important international forums, starting with the G-7,
enlarged to include Russia, in joint efforts to foster a
political solution.
With regard to the Middle East, Italy welcomed the
signing of the Cairo Accords, concluded on 4 May, which
authorized the start of self-government in Gaza and
Jericho. We also salute the subsequent transfer to the
Palestinian authorities of jurisdiction over the issues
covered in the Washington Agreements. Italy is pleased
to have contributed to the resumption of negotiations that
led to the Cairo Accords, through our participation in the
international temporary presence in Hebron to implement
Security Council resolution 904 (1994). Italy reaffirms its
commitment to contributing politically and economically
to the reconstruction of the Palestinian territories. The
Israeli-Jordan Accords of 25 July represent a milestone in
the construction of a new Middle East on the basis of
peace and cooperation. We hope that all these
developments will stimulate progress in other negotiations
between Israel and its neighbours.
8

In the Mediterranean basin, serious instabilities and
tensions are spreading. Italy intends to make its efforts to
ensure that this region sets an example of tolerance,
economic cooperation and democracy.
As one of the main architects of the peace process in
Mozambique, Italy is pleased with the progress achieved in
recent months. Elections are now set for 27 and 28
October this year. We will continue to collaborate with the
United Nations and other donor countries in the
reconstruction of Mozambique. We also hope that regional
cooperation in southern Africa will help improve economic
conditions in Mozambique, thereby strengthening the
process of peace and democratization. We hope that
Mozambique will become another United Nations success
story, like the peace-keeping operations in Namibia,
Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala and elsewhere.
We would also like to encourage the trends towards
re-establishing peace in Angola on the basis of the Peace
Accords and the pertinent Security Council resolutions.
An area that has seen great progress in recent years is
the further strengthening of disarmament and non-
proliferation. The implementation of existing agreements
is a difficult task for our diplomacies, but the drive towards
more advanced forms of disarmament and arms control is
relentless. We look forward confidently to negotiations to
ban nuclear testing and to halt the production of fissionable
material. Progress in this field should also contribute to the
indefinite and unconditional extension of the Non-
Proliferation Treaty.
With regard to conventional weapons, I wish to take
this opportunity formally to announce the terms of Italy’s
moratorium on the export of anti-personnel mines. The
moratorium will apply to all transfers and be applied until
new international regulations become effective. This
commitment imposes an economic cost, but one that my
country is willing to pay. We urge all Member States to
adopt similar national moratoriums until the international
regime has been finalized.
But let us not forget that conflicts, especially internal
ones, are also created through the violation of fundamental
human rights. That is why we are in favour of
strengthening the mechanisms to monitor and protect those
rights by fully implementing the High Commissioner’s
mandate and strengthening the Centre for Human Rights.
When these rights are seriously violated, despite all
efforts, we are in favour of recourse to a fair judicial
process. In the same spirit with which we welcomed and
contributed to the International Tribunal on crimes
committed in the former Yugoslavia, we support the
creation of an international criminal court for the
adjudication of all violations of human rights, wherever
they may occur. This court must be allowed to inflict the
appropriate punishment, with the exception of the death
penalty, which Italy has consistently opposed. We are
particularly pleased that, after years of hard work, the
International Law Commission has completed a draft
statute for the court, and look forward to contributing to
the Assembly’s debate on the matter.
The strengthening of international security is closely
related to the fight against terrorism and organized crime.
From 21 to 23 November this year, Italy will be hosting
in Naples the ministerial World Conference on Organized
Transnational Crime, under the auspices of the Crime
Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the United
Nations.
Italy is also actively participating in the preparation
of the World Summit for Social Development, to be held
in Copenhagen in March 1995, by contributing its
experience in the three crucial issues on the agenda:
combating poverty, unemployment and discrimination.
We live in an exciting but complex world. Few of
us would disagree with the comment of Alfonso the Wise,
King of Castile, a medieval patron of astronomy, who is
quoted as saying, in effect, "If the Lord Almighty had
consulted me before embarking on the Creation, I would
have recommended something simpler."
While rereading the first address Italy delivered to
this Assembly at the eleventh session, I was deeply
moved, and not only because it was given by my father.
Rereading it, it made poignantly clear the far-reaching
changes since 1956, both on the international scene -
from decolonization to the end of the cold war - and on
the Italian domestic political scene. In that address, he
defined the United Nations as
"the most complete expression of that education of
the human race, acquired, as Lessing said, through
suffering and error". (Official Records of the
General Assembly, Eleventh Session, Plenary
Meetings, 588th meeting, para. 94)
And today, so many years later, it is an honour for
me to reaffirm the same profound conviction and to
pledge to this Assembly the total dedication of Italy and
its Government to the ideals embodied in the United
Nations Charter.