I wish to extend to the
President the warm congratulations of my delegation on his
election to preside over the fifty-second session of the
General Assembly. We are on the verge of what may be a
defining moment in the direction and capabilities of the
Organization. His vast diplomatic experience assures us that
at this moment the reins will indeed be in very capable
hands.
We must also deeply thank his predecessor,
Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia, for the high level
of relevance, focus and commitment achieved at the fifty-
first session under his bold and astute stewardship as
President. His forthright appraisals of the critical issues
facing the Organization, particularly the extraordinary
impetus he injected into the question of the reform of the
United Nations, will be felt well into the next millennium.
We are also very pleased to offer our sincere
congratulations to the new Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi
Annan. In less than a year since assuming that high
responsibility he has already brought his considerable
experience and vision to bear on the operations of the
United Nations. Throughout his long and faithful service
with the United Nations he has demonstrated a keen
awareness of the need for a strong and responsive
Organization. His all-encompassing reform proposals go a
long way towards realizing a dream that has often eluded
us in the past. We are confident he will persevere in his
onerous task of keeping the Organization afloat.
The report of the Secretary-General on the work of the
Organization is an excellent starting point for an overview
of the principal issues confronting mankind today. On the
one hand, there are widespread ripple effects emanating
from the end of the cold war, the advent of a single global
market and the trend towards democratization and respect
for human rights. On the other hand, there are the ominous
trends towards the fragmentation of societies, the search for
new identities and the consequent spread of civil strife and
conflict. Today, therefore, the need to deal with post-
conflict situations is as critical as the need to prevent them.
There is now universal recognition that much of this
conflict is the result of the widespread poverty and severe
underdevelopment facing many societies.
For an economy to overcome poverty and
underdevelopment it must today participate in the global
economy, which has become a driving force in the world.
The 1997 World Economic and Social Survey suggests
that all developing countries and countries with
economies in transition need to raise per capita income by
at least 3 per cent annually. To achieve that, however, the
Survey contends, and the Secretary-General agrees, the
less affluent countries, in particular, require a more
conducive external economic environment than now exists
for them.
The elements that until quite recently served to
define our world have dramatically and rapidly changed.
The predominant concerns of global atomic warfare and
the cold war and the destructive policies of colonialism
and apartheid have quickly given way to the challenges of
poverty, globalism and development. This has created an
unprecedented demand for the services of the United
Nations at a time when it is facing critical challenges in
a world of revolutionary change.
To remain relevant, the United Nations must carry
out fundamental structural adjustments or changes, which
can no longer be addressed through ad hoc, piecemeal
reforms. A coordinated, top-down, comprehensive reform
of the entire edifice is necessary to overhaul and
streamline the Secretariat; create a new organizational
culture and focus; consolidate functions; do away with
overlapping programmes and duplications; eliminate
financial waste; mobilize new resources for development;
and strengthen and enhance coordination of United
Nations operations at the field level. The savings derived
from such rationalizations, trimming of inefficiencies and
administrative costs could be directed to development for
economic and social activities. These, it seems, are
precisely the aims of the Secretary-General’s extensive
and far-reaching proposals, issued under the title
“Renewing the United Nations: A Programme for
Reform”. They are a serious and bold set of proposals
that deserve our utmost consideration. Djibouti fully
supports the proposals and endorses their implementation
as a package.
The General Assembly at this session has
demonstrated overwhelming support for the Secretary-
General’s reform proposals, particularly in their design as
an integrated package. They should be considered as such
by this plenary. It would be helpful to look at the
proposals as the United Nations equivalent of the World
Bank’s new Strategic Compact. Each initiative is intended
to take its respective organization into the next
millennium by bringing about a fundamental renewal of
the institution.
15

We know that every element of the Secretary-
General’s package may not generate agreement across the
board. Divergences of views are bound to occur and are to
be expected. Indeed, genuine fears, even scepticism, have
been voiced against a reform process that may translate
simply into a cost-cutting exercise, which ultimately may
mean less focus on underdevelopment, poverty and social
dislocations. These are valid concerns which I am sure the
Secretary-General is conscious of and must address. But for
the sake of the larger purpose at stake, let us refrain from
minuscule nit-picking. We need, rather, to adopt a
pragmatic and positive approach to the package. In this
way, we can spare ourselves from long and protracted, if
not interminable, discussions which, as we know from
experience, too often end in committee gridlock, a type of
paralysis by analysis.
Bowing to the realities of the Organization’s dire
financial predicament, the Secretary-General has
accordingly fashioned a credible reorganization that will
enhance efficiency and responsiveness and effectively
contribute to a strengthened Untied Nations, capable of
fulfilling its mission.
There appears to be a near universal consensus on the
need to reform the United Nations. Regrettably though,
much of the impetus is dictated by the Organization’s acute
financial situation. Were all Member States to honour their
treaty commitments to pay their assessment obligations in
full, on time and without condition, reform would focus
more on what the United Nations can and must do than on
what it cannot and is unable to do. An effective United
Nations cannot operate on subsistence, hand-to-mouth and
ever dwindling resources that perpetually keep it on the
brink of bankruptcy.
Ultimately, the financial solvency of the United
Nations is the responsibility of Member States. Sound
finances are the sine qua non of the effectiveness and
stability of the Organization. Without a continuous and
predictable flow of resources, the danger posed to the
independence, if not survival, of the United Nations is very
real.
The issue of Security Council reform need not be
linked to the reform proposal presented by the Secretary-
General. The latter must run its own course and, acted upon
independently, culminate in a resolution for its adoption.
In step with the growth in membership of the
Organization, the Council must be enlarged to reflect the
pressing need for equitable representation. In view of the
considerable debate this issue has generated over the
years, we believe that the time has come for a change in
the Security Council, particularly with the admission of
new permanent members from all the regions of the world
and from the industrialized countries, wielding the same
powers as the existing ones. As we all know, a cardinal
tenet of the thesis of good governance is that all members
of a body politic have a fair and equal role in decisions
which affect them. Djibouti fully endorses the position of
the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Non-
Aligned Movement regarding the expansion, composition
and working methods of the Council.
Except as a metaphor for international peacekeeping
failure, Somalia has exited the international radar screen
of concern. This is regrettable, for there have been
persistent regional and international efforts to initiate
dialogue among the parties. True, much of Somalia
continues to exist in a cycle of misery and political
impasse, lacking a central authority, internal security and
national cohesion. The spread of conventional weapons
has engendered insecurity and political uncertainty — a
looming threat even to the warlords and to the long-range
prospects for peace in the country and the region.
Perhaps, as is often the case, there may be foreign
elements that are developing profitable interests under the
present state of anarchy.
There is, however, a growing and encouraging
emergence of a movement to reconstitute some form of
national structure and to set aside differences. We cannot
ignore this glimmer of hope, however elusive. With one
or two notable exceptions, the factions seem to have
resolved to hold a conference this November in Somalia,
in the town of Bossaso. The aim is to establish an interim
authority whose main task will be to prepare the
groundwork for drafting a constitution, holding elections
and the emergence, hopefully, of a national Government.
This subregional effort, spearheaded by Ethiopia, not only
enjoys the wide support of many Governments and
organizations, but is perhaps the most promising initiative
at the moment.
The interminable stalling of progress towards
reconciliation, the stifling stalemate, must come to an end.
The time has come to say to our Somali sisters and
brothers, “Enough is enough!” Enough misery, mayhem,
bloodshed and destruction. Enough of the senseless
indifference to and reckless disregard for life, property
and nationhood. Enough of the grim prospects of an
uncertain future for a whole generation of Somalis.
Enough of assigning Somalia to the footnotes of history.
16

In the final analysis, the creativity, vision and determination
of the Somali people shall prevail. For all its anarchy and
destruction, Somalia can benefit from the example of
Liberia, which, like Somalia, was a country written off, a
country in name only, just a few months ago. There as
well, conflict between warlords and factions succeeded only
in bringing the country to its knees. Now, through
concerted dialogue and determination, and constant
prodding by the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations, elections have
been held and stability and peace reestablished, and there
is a legitimate Government which enjoys international
recognition. The same could be true for Somalia.
The countries of the region, the United Nations,
nations with a historic relationship with Somalia and the
international community at large must support, morally as
well as materially, the ongoing efforts to bring about
dialogue, reconciliation, lasting peace and harmony in
Somalia. As in Liberia, that may be the gist of the message
Somalia is sending the international community at this
critical juncture. We must respond, and respond united,
with one voice.
By virtue of the close proximity and the many
common factors that bind us together, Djibouti has a special
interest in the destiny and well-being of the Somali people.
That is why, as far back as 1991, at the advent of the
conflict, we took the lead in bringing the contending parties
together in two successive and substantive reconciliation
conferences in Djibouti. Since then we have remained
seized of the situation there. It is well known that Djibouti
has received a staggering flow of refugees from Somalia,
which, in relation to our size and resources, has been
overwhelming. This mammoth humanitarian undertaking on
our part is indeed beyond our capacity to sustain
indefinitely. We appeal to the international community to
continue to be supportive of our sacrifices by contributing
substantially towards the mitigation of this burden.
The Horn of Africa region is passing through a period
of relative stability and rejuvenation. The aftermaths of
previous conflicts are still visible, of course, in the extent
of physical, institutional and human destruction.
Reconstruction will require genuine regional cooperation.
Our peoples, our land, our waters and coastlines and our
economies are too interdependent to survive in isolation.
That is the spirit which must prevail.
We have an important regional institution in the
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD),
which serves as a regional focus for development
cooperation and conflict resolution. Its capability and
resources deserve the continued support of the
international community.
Djibouti continues its economic transformation,
institutional reform and demobilization process. For each
of these we continue to require generous international
assistance, and towards this end wish to express our
appreciation for the commitments pledged during the
round-table conference held in May this year under the
umbrella of the United Nations Development Programme
and the Bretton Woods institutions.
The legacy of past instability, widespread conflict
and State collapse in the Horn of Africa have had many
disruptive consequences for Djibouti. No doubt we
suffered in tandem with our neighbours. But we are
confident our efforts to deal with these difficulties will be
supported by the international community.
The Mid-Term Review of the Implementation of the
United Nations New Agenda for the Development of
Africa in the 1990s and the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development Least Developed Countries 1997
report indicate that the ominous slide suffered by many
least developed countries during the 1980s was reversed
in 1995, and improvements continued into 1996. Despite
declines in commodity prices and terms of trade, a
number of least developed countries have enjoyed positive
growth rates, indicating the beneficial effects of ongoing
structural adjustment efforts. These encouraging signs
complemented efforts towards democratization, good
governance and regional economic cooperation.
Nowadays it is commonly accepted that as more
peoples and countries participate in the global economy,
production and wealth increase for everyone. It is equally
true, however, that in this era of rapid globalization many
developing countries with small markets, poor
infrastructures, unskilled manpower and high levels of
external debt are excluded from the benefits of
globalization and are unable to cope with the challenges.
Most of the least developed countries — and 33 of the
world’s 48 are in Africa — face the risk of further
marginalization despite determined efforts towards
reforms which must merit greater international support.
Coupled with this is the falling of official
development assistance, which Norway’s Minister for
Development Cooperation described as unacceptable,
since the poorest countries need to finance basic social
17

services and infrastructure as well as capacity-building and
competence.
The least developed countries, particularly those in
Africa, tread a fine line between sustainable progress and
decline. They are expected to carry out extensive reforms
while concurrently addressing the social needs brought
about by widespread poverty, environmental degradation
and urban explosions. Africa also continues to attract
negligible foreign direct investment flows, which are largely
concentrated in a few countries.
The internal conflicts raging in a number of African
countries seriously further undermine an already fragile
regional stability. African leaders and organizations such as
the Organization of African Unity, the Economic
Community of West African States, IGAD and the Southern
African Development Community (SADC), together with
the international community, are engaged in active and
relentless efforts to bring about cessation of hostilities,
reconciliations and the re-establishment of law and order.
On the positive side, we congratulate Liberia for
having finally overcome the prolonged and sustained
bloodshed and self-destruction. We deplore however,
growing signs of a resurgence of hostilities in Angola, and
we condemn the overthrow of Sierra Leone’s constitutional
and legitimate Government. We hope the efforts of the
countries of the region through ECOWAS will be crowned
with success.
Likewise, we applaud the tenacity of President Omar
Bongo of Gabon and Ambassador Mohamed Sahnoun, the
United Nations/Organization of African Unity Special
Representative, in the effort to secure a durable ceasefire in
Brazzaville and to find a political solution in the face of
open and undisguised challenges to the authority of the
elected President.
Similar challenges have either succeeded or stalemated
in Burundi, the Central African Republic and, now,
Comoros. We hope reason will eventually prevail in all
these situations so that the people are spared further strife
and uncertainty.
In this context, I welcome the timely initiative by
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, to convene a special
ministerial meeting of the United Nations Security Council
on Africa, which took place on 25 September 1997. We
believe such bold initiatives will help mitigate the ominous
tendencies of increasing insularity and inward focus of
many developed countries, where events in far-off places
no longer seem so relevant to core interests within them.
We welcome Secretary of State Albright’s injection
of new momentum into the peace process between Israel
and the Palestinians. Unilateral decisions by Israel must
stop, and Israel must also refrain from actions which
continuously disrupt and divert the direction of the talks.
Contrary to what Israel wants us to believe, the peace
process has not been faltering on account of the suicide
bombings alone — which, unfortunately, took many
lives — but because of Israel’s refusal to implement
terms of the Interim Agreement.
No one, of course, condones the bombings, with
their gruesome human toll. They are acts which must be
condemned and only underscore the urgency of resuming
the peace process with a genuine determination. The
punishment meted out on Palestinian territories has only
further aggravated an explosive situation. Predictably, the
economic effects have been devastating. Ironically, Oslo
had convinced a majority of Palestinians that it might be
possible to coexist with Israel in peace under an
independent Palestinian State controlling its own destiny.
Yet now they are little more than security hostages under
relentless coercion and pressures.
The basic situation in Palestine has not changed.
Israel needs security and peace; Palestinians need land, as
well as peace and security. Neither can unilaterally dictate
terms to the other side. Escalating punishment will not
bring security. Israel needs to demonstrate its seriousness
and its willingness to move towards secure peace in the
Middle East and towards credible negotiations and lasting
settlement on the basis of resolutions 242 (1967), 338
(1973), and 425 (1978), exchanging land for peace.
For the overwhelming majority of humanity the
disillusioning regression in the peace process has caused
deep anguish. It would be a pity if the yearning for peace,
security, justice and resolution continues to be eschewed
and misdirected. We are quite hopeful Secretary Albright
will persevere to keep the process on track.
Once again we implore Iran and the United Arab
Emirates to commence serious negotiations to peacefully
resolve the dispute regarding the three islands occupied
by Iran.
The recently concluded Oslo Diplomatic Conference
seeking a worldwide ban on the production, distribution,
stockpiling and use of landmines was clearly a watershed
18

event. We welcome this landmark achievement, which now
provides us with a vehicle to stop the slaughter of so many
thousands of human beings each year by the 110 million
devices already in place all over the world.
To prevent our global village from becoming an armed
camp, the landmine Convention, to be signed in Ottawa this
December, is perhaps as critical as the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Chemical
Weapons Convention. Landmines are surely as dangerous
as terrorism, drug trafficking and international mobs.


The success of a
session of our General Assembly lies heavily with its
President, the chief catalyser and conductor of our work
during the session; with the state of affairs left by his
predecessor; and, of course, with the capacity of the whole
United Nations Organization to implement in a credible,
coherent and sustainable way the various decisions,
resolutions and recommendations made by the General
Assembly.
It is therefore a pleasure for me to express to you, Sir,
on behalf of the Republic of Madagascar, our warmest
congratulations on your election to the presidency of the
present fifty-second session of our General Assembly.
Please be assured of our support and of our conviction that
your proven experience in international affairs is definitely
a major asset towards the success of your mission.
We would also like to express our gratitude to your
predecessor, Ambassador Resale Ismaili, whose
commitment during his tenure we admired and whose
work and achievements make up a solid foundation on
which this and upcoming sessions will build and further
construct.
Last but not least, I should like to reaffirm our
strong praise and encouragement for our Secretary-
General and his staff for their highly laudable work on
proposed reforms of the United Nations aimed at making
our Organization an even more credible and efficient
body, capable of meeting the challenge of the next
century. It would thus be a matter of legitimate pride to
realize at the end of this process that major and positive
United Nations reforms would have been achieved under
the tenure of a native African Secretary-General.
(spoke in French)
There is no doubt that the question of United
Nations reform, which has been of concern to us more
particularly since the middle of July last and which has
figured prominently in most of the statements made
during the general debate, is not only making the fifty-
second session of the General Assembly seem like a hive
of feverish activity leading up to major events but also is
lending it a special character that will remain in the
annals of the Organization because of the importance of
the stakes for all of humankind.

It is a starting point for this necessary process to find
answers to our aspirations for the future of our
Organization, following the solemn commitment made here
two years ago by our Heads of State and Government, in
the framework of the commemoration of the fiftieth
anniversary of the United Nations, to work jointly to
promote peace, development, equality, justice and
understanding among peoples.
This reform process should reflect the changes and
profound upheavals that have taken place in the world and
that have made it necessary for our Organization to adapt
itself and its structures to the new realities of the world in
which we live — a world characterized by an upsurge in
globalization and by greater interdependence among
nations. The free movement of goods, people, capital and
information has increased. Technological progress is
making it possible to transmit and disseminate ideas,
cultures and lifestyles.
Some developing countries have undergone rapid
economic growth and have become integrated into the
dynamic current of the world economy. Others — and
unfortunately there are far too many of them — have
experienced slow or even negative growth and have been
marginalized in the globalization process. Poverty and
famine still affect a considerable number of people. The
figures speak for themselves: at a time when some people
are privileged enough to surf the Internat to do their
shopping, 800 million others go hungry every day — that
according to a report of the Food and Agriculture
Organization at the World Food Summit last November.
And that is to say nothing of illness, illiteracy or violence.
The basic principles that have given impetus to this
process of renewal include good governance, sound
management, transparency and the democratization of
international relations. In this respect, Madagascar cannot
but welcome this innovative approach because it is based
on the same values and the same ideals underlying my
Government’s quest for social and economic progress,
whose goal is to provide a higher standard of living for the
Malagasy people in conditions of greater freedom.
Indeed, we in Madagascar hope to ensure that the
observance of human rights, social justice, participation by
all in national development efforts, the implementation of
economic reforms and the practice of democracy do not
remain mere political slogans but are put into practice. As
the representative of a Government born of a democratic
change of power seven months ago, I know what I am
talking about.
At this stage of the considerations presented by our
Secretary-General, certain points are noteworthy. Among
those I would refer specifically to restructuring, financial
reform and the Security Council.
With respect to restructuring, it is clear that efforts
must be made to merge agencies of the United Nations
system in order to ensure improved efficiency and better
coordination. An example would be to merge into a single
unit in Geneva the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights and the Centre for Human Rights in order
to strengthen complementarity in related activities of our
Organization.
My country believes that we must increase
transparency and create a culture of shared savings, which
a reform of the Centre’s administration would bring
about — this with the aim of avoiding by every possible
means the non-observance of democracy, which is the
fundamental reason for serious human rights violations
throughout the world. Likewise, humanitarian relief,
which the United Nations continues to provide to
countries that are facing natural disasters, would become
more effective with the creation of an office for the
coordination of emergency situation efforts,
complemented by an appropriate intervention mechanism.
I take this opportunity to convey my country’s
gratitude to those who did not hesitate to assist
Madagascar in our efforts to deal with the locust invasion
in the southern part of the island. I would mention in
particular the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, the United Nations Development
Programme, the World Food Programme, the United
States Agency for International Development and the
World Bank, as well as friendly countries — Japan,
Germany, France, Norway and the United Kingdom,
among others.
My delegation, which welcomes the strengthening of
certain United Nations activities and the inclusion of new
priorities, agrees with the conclusions of the fifty-third
session of the Commission on Human Rights, according
to which human rights are inseparable from the promotion
of peace, security, economic prosperity and social equity.
It reaffirms, therefore, that the work of the United
Nations in the area of human rights must be considered as
an element of the Organization’s activities in the field of
preventive diplomacy, and that United Nations operations
to monitor the observance of human rights must promote
respect for these rights in order to be able to restore
2

social stability and assist in the reconstruction and recovery
of societies following periods of conflict.
In this regard, the restructuring of the Secretariat
should take into account all approaches to human rights, in
accordance with the outcome of the Vienna Conference,
which, as we know, proclaimed the interdependence and
indivisibility of human rights as well as the promotion of
the right to development.
My delegation, however, would appeal for greater
vigilance on the question of human rights, bearing in mind
that on 10 December we shall begin to celebrate the fiftieth
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
and in view of the possible consequences of international
oversight of human rights for the sovereignty of States,
particularly when this involves monitoring measures and
even conditionality, under the guise of humanitarian
concerns.
Reform must not be reduced to a simple cost-cutting
exercise; rather, it must strengthen the role of the
Organization and above all enhance its efficiency. Hence
Madagascar recognizes the need to strengthen the role of
the General Assembly, which we feel must remain the
primary forum for States to discuss essential issues of
peace, security and development. At a time when the
virtues of democratization are preached, the General
Assembly is the only body capable of guaranteeing that as
many people as possible can make their voices heard at the
world level and play an effective part in the management of
international affairs.
The Charter could therefore be amended to give
greater power to the General Assembly, so that it might
play a bigger role alongside the Security Council,
particularly in the maintenance of peace. We therefore
support the Secretary-General’s initiative to set up a
ministerial commission to consider the possible changes.
On financial reform, many eminent speakers — I
would refer in particular to the Prime Minister of
Pakistan — have stated in this debate that one of the main
weaknesses of the United Nations stems from the fact that
while some Members are supposed to pay their assessments
in full and without conditions, others delay payment,
making it contingent on one reason or another, whether
stated or not.
Madagascar appeals for what I would call a code of
good conduct or financial civic-mindedness, in order to
remedy this situation. We support the principle that the
financing of the United Nations must be an integral part
of the reform process. Moreover, the scale of assessments,
the key to the apportionment of expenses, must reflect the
capacity of each State to pay, as it is applied in most, if
not all world organizations, on the basis of equity, pure
and simple. It is clear to us that the scale cannot be set in
stone and that there should be provision for amendment
when necessary — that is, when there is a change in a
country’s capacity to pay.
Finally, we welcome the desire of the Secretary-
General to allocate more predictable resources to finance
development, to ensure an overall increase in official
development assistance and to create an Office for
Development Financing to allocate to developing
countries what have been described as the dividends of
reform.
In regard to the Security Council, it would be putting
it mildly to say that its present membership no longer
reflects reality. To speak of our continent alone, Africa
has the greatest number of Member States of the United
Nations, and yet the continent has no permanent seat on
the Security Council. Nor was the continent even
consulted or considered at the time of the first review of
the Council in 1965.
Madagascar endorses the position of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) and would opt for
an expansion of Security Council membership based on
democratization, transparency and equitable geographical
representation. An increase in number and an
improvement in the Council’s functioning and working
methods, as well as its relations with States that are not
members of the Council, are essential in order to reflect
the present reality, and above all to allow the United
Nations to lend an attentive ear to the problems of the
poor and less favoured countries. In addition, relations
between the Security Council and the Economic and
Social Council must be strengthened, so that decisions on
international peace and security can take into account
social factors.
In this regard, my delegation welcomes the decision
of the sub-working group of the African Group, chaired
by Egypt, which is considering the modalities for
implementing a rotation system for two permanent seats
which could be allocated to Africa, called for in the
Harare Declaration of the summit of Heads of State and
Government of the OAU.
3

We feel that the veto must not be considered
separately from the question of expanding the membership
of the Council. Moreover, given the principles of
democracy supported by the international community as a
whole, it would be logical to extend the right of veto to all
permanent members, or simply to abolish it.
In addition, we emphatically reaffirm that any question
relating to reform of the Security Council must be subject
to a two-thirds majority vote of Member States, in
accordance with the provisions of Article 18 of the Charter.
Any initiative to submit a simple resolution running counter
to that would be prejudicial to the Organization and to its
Members.
The 15 priority areas on which the Secretary-General
has taken action and made recommendations respond to the
demands of today’s world. My delegation is certain that the
substantive comments and proposals of the General
Assembly will help implement the initiatives taken, so that
our Organization can keep pace with the demands of our
time and, above all, live up to the expectations of our
people. In any event, Madagascar, within the framework of
the regional forums to which it belongs, is considering the
proposals of the Secretary-General in a spirit of
constructive dialogue and without preconceptions.
However, I cannot speak of international peace and
security without expressing my concern at the slow pace of
negotiations leading to general agreement on every aspect
of Security Council reform. We are concerned because,
despite the establishment of a Department for Disarmament
and Arms Regulation, announced in the package of reforms,
the Council will still remain, under the Charter, the body
entrusted with maintaining international peace and security.
However, the Malagasy Government welcomes the fact that
cooperation between the United Nations and the OAU with
regard to peace was mentioned in the Secretary-General’s
report to the fifty-second session, as well as in statements
made last Thursday at the ministerial meeting of the
Security Council on the situation in Africa. We are pleased
to note the determination of the Secretary-General to
increase this cooperation and extend it to all activities
related to the maintenance of peace, including conflict
prevention. In this area, we welcome the Secretary-
General’s plan to appoint a representative based in Addis
Ababa. It is important here to emphasize the importance not
only of combining, but also coordinating, the efforts of the
OAU — which has a central Mechanism for Conflict
Prevention Management and Resolution — with those of
the Security Council, so that we do not work at cross-
purposes. Here I would like to recall that the OAU
welcomed the principle of strengthening African
peacekeeping capacity, which France, the United
Kingdom and the United States of America have jointly
proposed to assist.
My delegation welcomes the negotiations to date on
nuclear disarmament measures and on limiting and
gradually reducing conventional weapons and in particular
anti-personnel mines. On this last point, Madagascar has
voted in favour of General Assembly resolutions on a
moratorium on the export of mines. We welcome the
agreement drafted in Oslo on the text of a convention for
the complete elimination of anti-personnel mines, as well
as Norway’s commitment to provide $100 million for
demining activities and assistance to victims.
In this respect, my country appeals to States with
military arsenals to continue resolutely to take measures
aimed at general and complete disarmament. The
participation of all States in this process of disarmament,
in cooperation with the Department for Disarmament and
Arms Regulation, whose establishment is part of the
reform programme, will provide an invaluable
contribution to the easing of global tensions.
This international determination will also be a source
of mutual assistance and cooperation in combating
organized transnational crime. Transnational criminal
organizations have, in fact, existed for a long time, but
the globalization of international relations with regard to
the economy, commerce, telecommunications and the
rapid progress of technology, as well as the disappearance
of ideological blocs, have permitted the activities of
transnational criminal organizations to expand and have
increased their power to such an extent that they are now
a permanent threat to the foundation and internal security
of States, to their cultural and artistic heritage and to the
environment of the planet. Today we are witnessing the
emergence of new forms of transnational crime: money-
laundering or the investment of capital generated by
activities that are usually interconnected, including drug-
trafficking, corruption, traffic in weapons, terrorism,
traffic in nuclear and toxic material, traffic in protected
natural resources, traffic in human beings, removal of
organs, and more.
From this standpoint, the countries that are weakest
in terms of economic, institutional, material and
technological capacity are the most vulnerable —
developing countries in general and African countries in
particular — because the automatic effect of the activities
of developed countries to prevent and combat organized
4

crime is to condemn such countries to becoming new zones
of expansion.
We must therefore urgently find an effective response
to this threat by defining a common objective based on a
united stand and coherent action, by establishing or
strengthening cooperation for exchanging experience and
knowledge, by increasing our exchange of information and,
above all, by actively promoting and supporting cooperation
with international or regional forums so as to provide
institutional technical assistance and logistical support. That
notwithstanding, we note the special importance attributed
by the Secretary-General to the need to improve the
capacity of the system to combat drug-trafficking and
terrorism.
Peace is, with development, one of the main missions
of the United Nations. My country reaffirms its unwavering
commitment to the principle of settling disputes peacefully.
It is deeply concerned by the threats to destabilize peace in
the world, especially in Africa.
With regard to the Republic of Congo, therefore,
Madagascar appeals to the parties to develop a dialogue
aimed at a definitive ceasefire, in accordance with the spirit
of the Libreville Summit, held on 14 and 15 September
1997, and at allowing the deployment, under the auspices
of the United Nations and the Organization of African
Unity (OAU), of the international intervention force
recommended at the Summit.
As for the internal crisis in the Comoros, which is an
immediate neighbour of Madagascar, we support of the
efforts of the Secretary-General of the OAU as well as
those of the League of Arab States and the Organization of
the Islamic Conference. Furthermore, we reaffirm our
support of the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros
with regard to sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this
respect we support the convening of an international
conference to restore peace in that sister Republic, and we
have expressed the readiness of Madagascar to become
involved in any initiatives along these lines.
Also in Africa, Madagascar welcomes the
establishment of direct talks between Morocco and the
POLISARIO Front, which recently culminated in the
Houston Agreement, as a result of the mediation of James
Baker. We believe this to be a major landmark on the path
to the settlement of the question of Western Sahara, which
has gone on for too long.
In the Middle East, Madagascar also strongly appeals
to the parties concerned to safeguard the progress
achieved in the peace process. We believe that an
essential element for this is for Israel to halt the
establishment of new settlements.
Finally, we reaffirm our support for the concept of
the reunification of Korea and welcome the progress that
is starting to appear in this regard.
During the course of the United Nations conferences
on human rights, the environment, population, social
development, women, etc., we succeeded in achieving
important global commitments, and we must ensure the
follow-up. We have achieved an international consensus
on the need to ensure that ecological realities and
priorities for environmental policies are taken into account
in structural changes that are in progress in the
international economic order. To be more specific, we
must integrate environmental factors — a precondition for
sustainable development — into economic priorities. In
this regard Madagascar encourages the efforts already
undertaken by international development finance
organizations and by Governments. We are convinced that
the overall implementation of the provisions in the basic
Agenda 21 document for rapid and specific action will
come to fruition in the recommendations of the Secretary-
General as contained in his programme for reform.
In conclusion, I take this opportunity to recall my
comments at the nineteenth special session of the General
Assembly, on an overall review and appraisal of the
implementation of Agenda 21. While reaffirming our full
adherence to the principles of mutual interest and the
shared but differentiated responsibilities of developed and
developing countries contained in the Rio Declaration,
and to its general implementation, we requested, first, that
developed countries honour the commitments undertaken
in Rio to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross national
product to development assistance. Secondly, we
requested that the Global Environment Facility be
restructured and adequately replenished so as to facilitate
access to resources; and thirdly and above all, that,
following the concept of the “democracy dividend” and
the “economic adjustment and reform dividend”, an
“environment dividend” should be advocated for the least
developed countries to enable them to protect their
environment and thereby speed up the eradication of
poverty, the main cause and consequence of
environmental degradation.
5

We now ask whether the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) in its present form has the necessary
power to impose sanctions or to grant dividends, or whether
we need to strengthen its mandate or create a new structure
with adequate power.
For its part, Madagascar — we cannot repeat this
often enough — is proud to comply with the measures
recommended in Agenda 21. Indeed, it stands out in its
capacity as a country that is both a nature sanctuary and a
natural sanctuary, possessing treasures and specific
characteristics that are rare, if not unique in the world, in
terms of flora and fauna.
We hope that in Kyoto in December firm
commitments will be made to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, which cause global warming and thereby
contribute to the further deterioration of our environment.
It rests only with us to make this session a session of
reform, as the Secretary-General wishes, or to make it a
session like so many others — one in which speakers assail
us with rhetoric or at best with verbal promises that are not
followed up with actions. Madagascar is convinced that we
will make the right choice at the right time to consolidate
our ideals.


Mr. President, first of all I
would like to congratulate you on your election as President
of the General Assembly at this session. We wish you
success in this responsible task in a year that will be of
great importance for the Organization.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express
our gratitude to the previous President of the Assembly,
Ambassador Ismail, who showed exceptional commitment
to the reform initiatives throughout the fifty-first session.
That recently concluded session was an important step
towards a reinforced United Nations which, with its
universal membership, will have to be able to deal with
serious problems facing the world today.
We expect the fifty-second session of the General
Assembly to be a decisive landmark in the renewal and
restructuring of the United Nations — a major endeavour
undertaken by Member States several years ago. In this
respect we would like to pay tribute to the Secretary-
General, who presented his report on this question to the
General Assembly on 16 July. My Government lends its
full support to Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his
efforts. We also note with satisfaction that part of this
package has already been implemented.
Estonia is looking forward to an agreement within
the foreseeable future concerning a response by Member
States to the Secretary-General’s proposals. It is our
sincere hope that Members will deal with this matter in a
constructive manner and that a generally acceptable
scheme for reforming the United Nations will be agreed
upon. We are confident that all Member States will
benefit from the reform of the Organization.
I would now like to focus my address on points of
specific relevance to present needs in the reform package.
The aim of reform as a whole is to adapt the Organization
to its new challenges, to make it more effective and
efficient, more manageable and modern in every way. We
are now remodelling this Organization to make it
compatible with the twenty-first century. The world has
changed — the United Nations has to change with it.
Having criteria for the appraisal of performance seems to
be of crucial importance. Result-based budgeting should
assure a strengthened linkage between intergovernmental
mandates and their efficient implementation. Enhanced
cost effectiveness envisaged for 1998-1999 is also an
encouraging sign.
Estonia lends strong support to the idea of cutting
the number of agenda items for future sessions. We also
find the idea of consolidating the representation of
different United Nations funds and programmes in

Member States on common premises and under one flag to
be very attractive. United Nations Houses would enhance
the visibility of the Organization and provide a valuable
source of information about it and its activities. I would
like to note the positive experience Estonia has gathered in
cooperation with the local United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) country office. Many programmes
vital to Estonia have materialized owing to the support of
the UNDP. We highly appreciate this cooperation and hope
that the future United Nations House will be able to use
that valuable expertise.
The financing of the United Nations is a question that
interests all of us. Without adequate financing, the
Organization would not be able to fulfil its mandate. This
fifty-second session of the General Assembly must assess
the impact of the Secretary-General’s proposed reforms on
the programme budget for 1998-1999 and define a new
scale of assessments for its Member States. Estonia
supports the Secretary-General’s reform measures aimed at
enhancing the Organization’s effectiveness and better
implementation of its programmes by reducing excessive
and unnecessary expenditures.
With regard to the new scale of assessments, Estonia
would like to see a more transparent scale based on the
fundamental principle of capacity to pay to be adopted. All
measures should lead towards putting the Organization on
a sound and predictable financial footing. We believe that
the main prerequisite for achieving this goal is that Member
States clear their arrears to the regular as well as to the
peacekeeping budgets. Estonia is committed to doing so.
We welcome the appointment of Mrs. Mary Robinson,
former President of Ireland, to the position of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights. Estonia supports the plan
for the consolidation of the Centre for Human Rights and
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
into one office. We would also like to stress the importance
that we attach to adequate financing of the Organization’s
human rights machinery.
Two major events have occurred in the past year in
the field of economic and social cooperation. The first of
them was the adoption of the Agenda for Development.
Estonia shares the perception of the importance of
development issues for the United Nations. Health and
education should also be high priorities. The second such
event was the nineteenth special session of the General
Assembly, the aim of which was to review the
implementation of Agenda 21, the global plan of action for
sustainable development adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Although the special session acknowledged the positive
results which have been achieved since Rio, it also
expressed concern over worsened overall trends for
sustainable development. In this regard, we expect the
fifty-second session of the General Assembly to give
further political impetus to the implementation of the
mandates and tasks defined at the session.
In Estonia, we believe that our task today is to
provide the present generation with the safe, good-quality
living environment and resources needed to promote a
strong and diversified economy without compromising the
needs of future generations. For that reason, over the last
five years Estonia has signed, ratified and acceded to
more than 40 bilateral and multilateral environment
agreements and conventions. We have also established the
Governmental Commission on Sustainable Development,
led by the Prime Minister. Estonia is working closely
with the countries in the Baltic Sea area to develop a
Baltic region sustainable development strategy.
I would like to stress the importance that we attach
to the consideration of economic and social issues by the
General Assembly. With this in view, the work of the
Second and Third Main Committees should be
rationalized in order to avoid any overlap and duplication.
One of the central areas of the reform concerns
renewing the Security Council. This year, Member States
must continue efforts to achieve the goal of making the
Council more representative and to improve its working
methods. Estonia elaborated its position in cooperation
with a group of smaller like-minded countries. We
support enlargement in both existing categories. We also
view Germany and Japan as potential new permanent
members of the Council. The developing countries of
Asia, Africa and Latin America should also be
represented on a permanent basis.
Disarmament has been one of the United Nations
priority goals since its founding. In fact, disarmament
efforts have yielded considerable progress. The conclusion
of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty last year
was an important step forward.
One of the important responsibilities of the United
Nations is managing conflicts — acting rapidly in the
face of crises. Peacekeeping continues to be an important
activity of the Organization. In recent years, we have
been witnessing a change in the role of United Nations
peacekeeping missions. United Nations peacekeepers have
2

been facing the challenge of dealing with internal conflicts
throughout the world.
Estonia is continuing to take part in United Nations
peacekeeping. An Estonian company has recently completed
its successful deployment in the United Nations Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Together with Latvia and
Lithuania, we are looking forward to contributing a
battalion of peacekeepers to the United Nations
peacekeeping operations. The battalion, called BALTBAT,
will be operational from the beginning of 1998. I would
like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to all Member
States of the Organization that have been participating in
this project. The initial experience of Baltic peacekeepers
in United Nations peacekeeping missions has shown how
regional cooperation evolves into global cooperation. The
Baltic preparedness to merge as a joint battalion is an
element strengthening regional security. It proves our
readiness to assume responsibility as well as our right to
choose our own means of security. Estonia is currently
contributing civilian police officers and military observers.
We have also joined the United Nations peacekeeping
standby arrangement.
We strongly believe in the cooperation of the United
Nations with regional organizations in all parts of the
world. Reliance on the expertise and capacities of these
organizations would allow us to avoid duplication and
allocate scarce resources in the most effective manner. We
do have examples of fruitful cooperation with regional
entities. In Europe, we have been witnessing joint United
Nations actions, in particular with the Organization for
Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe and with the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
We would like to note that the structure and
composition of regional organizations is changing. The
European Union and NATO are gradually opening to new
members. This is a very important phenomenon in the
process towards enhancing stability and security in our
region. Estonia associates its future with full membership
in both of these organizations.
In conclusion, let me express my sincere hope that on
the eve of the twenty-first century mankind is willing to
reverse its classical interpretation of the past so eloquently
expressed at the dawn of this century by the English
novelist and poet Thomas Hardy:
“War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor
reading.” [Thomas Hardy, The Dynasts, pt. II, Spirit
Sinister]


I bring with me from the Kingdom
of Swaziland the warm greetings and best wishes of Her
Majesty the Indlovukazi, the Government and the whole
Swazi nation, to our friends and fellow Member States here
at the United Nations.
On behalf of the Kingdom of Swaziland, may I
congratulate you most sincerely, Sir, on your election to the
presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-second
session. We are confident that the wisdom, experience and
diplomatic skills that you bring to the office will ensure
success in the many issues facing this session.
Swaziland would also like to commend the work of
your predecessor, Ambassador Razali Ismail, who
presided with such skill over the deliberations of the fifty-
first session.
The Kingdom of Swaziland would like to place on
record its deep appreciation for the work of Mr. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali during his tenure as our Secretary-General.
Much was achieved during the five years of Mr. Boutros-
Ghali’s leadership, and the whole world owes him a huge
debt of gratitude.
We would like further to welcome our new
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, who has shown in his
first year that he has the vision and qualities effectively
to lead our Organization into the twenty-first century. All
of us in Africa are proud of what he has achieved in such
a short time.
One of the main challenges facing our Secretary-
General is the reform of the United Nations into a cost-
effective, accountable, credible, well-managed and fully
representative Organization.
Swaziland gave its full support to the initial Track 1
proposals put forward by the Secretary-General. In
particular, we supported the various initiatives designed
to reduce administrative costs in favour of increased
efficiency in the development programmes in the field.
We trust that the welfare of those affected by the
necessary cuts has been carefully considered.

We have also welcomed the Track 2 reforms,
announced in July, and again, we support the Secretary-
General’s proposals on economic and social reform,
development cooperation, humanitarian relief and human
rights.
We believe that the Secretary-General’s address at the
first meeting of the general debate struck exactly the right
note of wise optimism. The responsibility now lies with the
General Assembly to support the Secretary-General’s bold
approach, and the Kingdom of Swaziland urges its fellow
Member States to back the proposals and allow the reforms
to forge ahead.
One area of reform that will have a major impact on
the openness and accountability of the United Nations
decision-making process is the question of the membership
and expansion of the Security Council, in particular the
need for greater representation of the developing world
among the permanent members.
The Kingdom of Swaziland fully supports the updated
African Common Position, which calls for, among other
things, membership in the Security Council to be based on
an equal geographical formula, on a regional or continental
basis. This would make the Council more democratic and
ensure that all Members would feel fairly and equally
represented in our Organization’s most influential body.
Africa believes that the continent should have at least
two permanent seats, with full voting and veto rights, to
represent the views and concerns of the other 51 countries.
These two permanent seats would be appointed through the
mechanism designed by the Organization of African Unity
(OAU), following the established traditional practice in
force.
At the heart of the debate on overall United Nations
reform is the question of finances. Most of the reforms
initiated by the Secretary-General are aimed at making the
Organization more cost-efficient and accountable and at
allowing more of our finances to be available for the
programmes in the field. This is a timely and necessary
initiative and is deserving of the strongest support of all
Member States.
These reforms also justify the recommitment of all
Member States to keep up to date with their dues. The
Kingdom of Swaziland has consistently tried to maintain a
good record in fulfilling its financial obligations to the
United Nations. We pledge to do our best to continue to
keep up to date, and we would urge all our fellow Member
States to show similar confidence in, and support for, our
Organization.
The Kingdom of Swaziland would also like to add
its voice to the appreciation expressed to Mr. Ted Turner
for his extraordinary display of confidence in our
Organization. His act of generosity, from the private
sector, reflects a new spirit of optimism in the United
Nations, and we would call on others with the resources
to do so to follow Mr. Turner’s example.
Hopes for future global stability have been raised by
the various initiatives for reducing the numbers and
spread of nuclear weapons and warheads.
The Kingdom of Swaziland in particular commends
the commitment of the United States of America and of
Russia to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START)
programmes, whose implementation will contribute
significantly to a more peaceful world for future
generations.
We are also encouraged by the global support for the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and for the
Chemical Weapons Convention, both of which have been
signed by the Kingdom of Eswatini.
All these initiatives are important indications of the
real commitment of almost all countries to promote
international peace and security. We fully support the
Secretary-General’s proposal to create a new Department
on Disarmament and Arms Regulation as a necessary
addition to the Organization.
The Kingdom of Swaziland continues to support all
moves to bring about a total ban on the production, use
and sale of all types of landmines. We participated at the
recent Oslo negotiations on anti-personnel landmines and
welcomed the signing of the treaty.
We regret, however, that not all countries could be
parties to the treaty, while understanding the reasons
behind their decisions. We sincerely hope that a way can
be found soon to achieve universal agreement on this
crucial humanitarian issue.
As a consequence of situations of instability on our
borders, we have experienced first hand the terror of
landmines, and we have great sympathy for all who have
undergone the suffering associated with them. We also
watched with great admiration the efforts of the late
Diana, Princess of Wales, to bring to the world an
2

awareness of the horrors of these indiscriminate tools of
war. We therefore call on all Member States to support the
initiatives aimed at ending for ever the threat of all types of
landmines.
The Kingdom of Swaziland views with great concern
the situation in the Middle East and in particular the
strained relations between the Israeli and Palestinian people.
The climate of reconciliation and hope inspired by the Oslo
peace accord has given way to suspicion and dread. It is
clear that the international community must continue to
support the peace initiative as the only way forward and
make every effort to bring the two sides back to the
negotiating table on a basis of mutual trust and confidence.
The Kingdom of Swaziland supports the efforts of all
who are trying to achieve a breakthrough in this area. We
call on the Israeli Government and the Palestinian
Authority, for the sake of their own people, to find a way
out of this apparent deadlock and return to the spirit of
compromise which prevailed during the Oslo negotiations,
and which held out the promise of lasting peace.
The Kingdom of Swaziland has been encouraged by
the recent developments in Northern Ireland, with all-party
talks on the future of that troubled province at last under
way. We commend the determination of the British and
Irish Governments to involve all stakeholders in the
negotiations, and we call on all involved to make every
effort to ensure that these negotiations lead to lasting peace
and stability.
The continent of Africa continues to experience
situations of instability and conflict which have unfortunate
effects on all of us who call it our home. In the past 12
months we have seen crises in Sierra Leone, the Congo and
the Comoros islands, and the continuation of problems in
many areas and countries such as the Great Lakes region,
the horn of Africa and Angola.The Kingdom of Swaziland
prays for the many millions caught up in the violence of
these and other situations of instability on our beloved
continent, and continues to support efforts to find peaceful
solutions.
At the same time, we welcome a number of
encouraging events on the continent, in countries such as
Liberia, where United Nations efforts towards peace over
the years contributed significantly to the elections earlier
this year.We applaud the peaceful nature of that process,
and we hope and pray that lasting, sustainable peace has at
last come to the Liberian people after so many years of
conflict.
And we commend the appointment by the Secretary-
General of Personal Envoy Mr. James Baker to oversee
the situation in Western Sahara. We are most encouraged
by developments in this long-running dispute, and we
look forward to a lasting resolution in the near future.
In the light of continuing instability on much of our
continent, one practical measure undertaken by the whole
African community has been the recent initiatives by the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) and subregional
organizations, such as the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) and our own Southern African
Development Community (SADC), to become better
prepared to cope with our continent’s crises using the
resources available to maintain peace in our region. One
element of this has been the training and preparation of
African peacekeeping forces for deployment throughout
the continent. The Kingdom of Swaziland has pledged its
commitment to provide troops for such forces, once
adequate training and preparation have been completed.
We should like to record our appreciation to the
United States of America for its African Crisis Response
Initiative, which is focusing a number of African
countries, including the Kingdom of Swaziland, on the
requirement for such things as standardized procedures,
training and equipment. It is clearly essential for this type
of peace force initiative to have the support of the
international community and for the OAU to maintain
close cooperation with the United Nations in our joint
attempts to provide adequate policing of crisis situations
in Africa.
For almost 30 years the Kingdom of Swaziland has
enjoyed excellent relations with a nation which, despite an
outstanding record in international development
assistance, and while fulfilling all the requirements for
membership of our Organization, is nonetheless excluded
from participating in the activities of the United Nations.
I am referring to the issue of the Government of the
Republic of China on Taiwan.
In October 1971 the United Nations adopted a
resolution which withdrew membership from the Republic
of China. That resolution has the effect today of denying
the rights of almost 22 million people to be represented
here in the United Nations, and to contribute to all the
global initiatives undertaken by our Organization.
The Kingdom of Swaziland has been in a position to
recognize and experience at first hand the peace-loving
nature of the Republic of China on Taiwan and its
3

willingness to help foster peace and prosperity throughout
the world. The Government and people of the Republic of
China have made enormous advances in economic, social
and political terms, and have shown themselves ready and
able to share their experience and advice with all the
nations of the world.
Many countries and political groupings over the years
have also recognized the need to involve the Republic of
China on Taiwan in global development activities, through
the offices of the United Nations and its agencies. There is
also a growing voice of international opinion, including in
the European Parliament, the American Congress and
among many countries on all five continents, that
membership of the United Nations is necessary for the huge
resources and wealth of expertise of the Republic of China
to be put to the best possible use for the benefit of all
mankind.
One of the founding and guiding principles of our
Organization has been that of universality, of granting all
peoples of the world the right to belong to the United
Nations and to be heard in our chambers. It is a reality that
almost 22 million people believe that that right is denied to
them, by virtue of their country's exclusion from the
activities of the one truly global development Organization.
The Kingdom of Swaziland therefore proposes to its fellow
Member States that the time has now come to review the
resolution of 26 years ago. We believe that there is an
urgent need to re-examine this issue, taking into account the
profound changes in the situation that have occurred since
1971.
The Kingdom of Swaziland has viewed with concern
the recent report of the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development, which highlighted once more the
economic plight of the developing world. Globalization and
liberalization are economic principles with which we all
agree, but not at the expense of a greater concentration of
wealth in the developed countries and an increase in
poverty amongst the underdeveloped.
It is all very well to quote the long-term benefits of
trade liberalization, but we must understand the severe
short-term penalties for those countries which are least
prepared to meet them. The Kingdom of Swaziland
understands very well what is required of us in a world of
free trade, in terms of becoming a producer of finished
goods and services in a manner which will allow us to
compete effectively and on an equal basis with the rest of
the world. But for us to achieve the growth and standards
of technology and production required, we and the rest of
the developing world need the understanding and support
of the developed countries in what will be very difficult
economic times ahead.
To meet this economic challenge, the Kingdom of
Swaziland is continuing its efforts to develop in a
sustainable manner, and to create an environment in
which our people can prosper. We have been following
up recent national initiatives designed to address our
short- and long-term social and political challenges and to
enhance the right conditions to allow our private sector to
continue to be the engine for growth. We have just
completed our latest national development strategy, which
will set out Government priorities for the next 25 years.
Our own internal restructuring programme is continuing,
and Government has begun a series of short-term
measures to improve the economy.
The Kingdom of Swaziland is a developing nation
which is largely dependent on agriculture for its survival.
In common with other Member States in our position, we
continually find ourselves at the mercy of Mother Nature,
and in particular we are dependent on adequate rainfall.
Our economy is only just recovering from the devastating
drought of 1991 and 1992, and now we have learned with
great dismay that the dreaded El Niño is once more
present in the Pacific Ocean. If true, this will have the
gravest consequences for all of us in southern Africa. The
Kingdom of Swaziland has learned the lessons of the last
drought, and we have begun a programme of dam
construction throughout the rural areas. But the threat of
a renewed period of reduced rainfall has come much too
soon, and we hope for the support once more of our
Organization and our fellow Member States.
In addition to addressing its economic concerns, the
Kingdom of Eswatini has also begun a review of the
nation's Constitution. In response to the call by the Swazi
people for a fundamental and far-reaching review of our
existing Constitution, a Commission has been established
and is in the process of conducting a constitutional
education programme, reaching even to the most remote
areas of the country.
This will be followed by a period of submissions
from everyone in the Kingdom, after which a constitution,
in accordance with the wishes of the whole nation, will be
drawn up for national approval.
It will truly be the people's constitution, since the
process allows the free participation of all Swazis.
National participation in important matters such as these
4

is a crucial guiding principle of the Swazi people and, over
the years, has ensured the peace and stability we have
always enjoyed.
We have welcomed the encouragement and support for
our constitutional review process from the international
community, including the United Nations Development
Programme office based in the Kingdom. We are confident
that, with the involvement of all Swazis, we will produce
a document reflecting the wishes of the whole nation, one
that will serve us well for generations to come.
There is much vital work to be done in this fifty-
second session of the General Assembly. The Kingdom of
Eswatini believes that our Organization is at a major
crossroads in terms of its own development. We have the
opportunity now to carry out the correct reforms and ensure
that our Organization is equipped to face the many global
challenges that lie ahead in a more efficient, accountable
and open manner. We must choose our steps carefully and
wisely. Those for whom we are responsible — our
people — look to the United Nations to provide the global
development leadership that we so desperately need. We
cannot afford to fail them.
On behalf of Her Majesty the Indlovukazi, the
Government and the whole Swazi nation, it is my proud
duty to reaffirm the commitment of the Kingdom of
Swaziland to the Charter and principles of the United
Nations. May God watch over the Assembly's deliberations
here in the coming months and guide it in its decisions.


Allow me to begin by expressing my warmest
congratulations to the President upon his election. We are
confident that his experience, know-how and broad
understanding of international issues will be invaluable in
carrying out the noble mission that has been entrusted to
him and will provide the best possible assurance of the
success of this session. His election to the presidency
reflects the very special respect the international community
has for his friendly country, Ukraine, because of its wise
policy, based on moderation and a sense of proportion and
also because of the efforts it is making to consolidate the
principles of peace, justice and cooperation as the
foundation of relations between States.
I also wish to express our warmest thanks and
gratitude to last year's President, His Excellency Mr. Razali
Ismail, who throughout his term in office distinguished
himself by the dedication and loyalty with which he carried
out his functions, playing a remarkable role in the reform
of the United Nations and its restructuring and adaptation
to the changes occurring in the world, and in preparing it
to enter the twenty-first century with greater efficiency.
Reform of the United Nations and its restructuring are
undoubtedly in the forefront of the issues on this session's
agenda, particularly since Secretary-General Kofi Annan
has kept the promise he made when he took office and
has submitted a report on reform of the Organization that
contains numerous measures and recommendations that
are important for the Organization's future. It is with
pleasure that I pay tribute to Secretary-General Kofi
Annan for all the initiatives he has taken and the bold
proposals he has made since taking office a short while
ago with a view to reforming the Secretariat and
rationalizing its functioning.
Tunisia, which took an active part in the discussions
held in the various working groups entrusted with the
reform process, wishes to underscore the prime
importance of the issues raised in the Secretary-General's
report, both those that fall within his competence
regarding coordination between the different Departments
of the Secretariat and between the United Nations and its
specialized agencies and those reforms that concern the
United Nations activities and fall within the competence
of the General Assembly, in connection with which the
Assembly will adopt relevant resolutions.
There is no doubt that the international community
is motivated by a sincere will to give a powerful impetus
to the reform process to enable the United Nations to
accomplish the tasks provided for in the Charter, whether
with regard to achieving security and peace in the world
or to establishing conditions for sustainable development,
two closely related, complementary goals.
In our view, the most important priority of the
reform process is to focus on strengthening the United
Nations role in achieving development and in reducing
and eradicating poverty, mobilizing the means required so
that developing countries can achieve economic and social
development and meet the crucial challenges imposed
upon them by globalization and by the market economy.
Notwithstanding the well-being and prosperity that
technological progress and globalization of the economy
have brought to certain countries, while others have been
excluded, the world's economy continues to suffer from
imbalances that hinder growth in developing countries and
endanger international stability. We consider it essential
to give priority to these situations in United Nations
programmes and activities in order to narrow the chasm
that exists between States, give new impetus to
international cooperation in the field of economic and
social development and strengthen the United Nations
capacity for effective and efficient action in this regard.
Tunisia stresses the need to strengthen the role of the
United Nations in the field of development in order to
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consolidate the General Assembly's prerogatives with regard
to preparing cooperation policies and monitoring their
execution. The United Nations continues to be the ideal
forum for this within the framework of the international
community. That also requires that Member States honour
their financial commitments to the United Nations in order
to provide the necessary means required for successful
reform, the realization of the United Nations various
programmes and rational, judicious use of resources.
In this connection Tunisia once again reaffirms its
support for the restructuring of the Security Council to
ensure a fairer representation of Member States and to
guarantee the interests of developing countries within the
framework of equality for all Member States, consecrating
the spirit of the Charter and giving concrete expression to
its principles. In this regard, my country would recall the
legitimate claim of the African States, as expressed at the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) Summit Meeting held
at Tunis in June 1994 and reaffirmed at the recent OAU
Summit at Harare, calling for the allocation of two
permanent seats on the Security Council to be occupied by
African States on a rotating basis.
It is also important to continue to improve the working
methods of the Security Council and to implement fully the
procedures stipulated in the Council's rules of procedure to
ensure the effective participation of United Nations Member
States and their collective responsibility for maintaining
international peace and security.
The maintenance of international peace and security
and the elimination of the hotbeds of tensions, conflicts and
wars that still rage in many regions of the world are today,
in addition to the problems of development, at the forefront
of the international community's concerns, and they
continue to require determined and consistent action by the
United Nations.
In this context, Tunisia emphasizes the importance of
the role the United Nations must play with regard to the
situation in the Middle East in the light of the dangerous
developments that are taking place there. The United
Nations has followed the Palestinian problem since the very
beginning and has had a special responsibility to the
Palestinian people from the adoption of the resolution on
the partition of Palestine until the formulation of the basic
principles of a pacific settlement of the Arab-Israeli
conflict.
Tunisia has stood by the Palestinian people in their
struggle to recover their legitimate rights and for 12 years
was home to the Palestine Liberation Organization. It has
followed, from a position of neutrality, the Middle East
peace process and played, at the behest of its of President,
a historic role in triggering that process. It has supported
the process at every stage, beginning with the initial
contacts between the conflicting parties, at the Madrid
Conference, and in the Oslo, Washington and Cairo
agreements. Tunisia was also a party to the multilateral
negotiations. As such, Tunisia wishes here to express its
profound concern and indignation at the obstruction of
this process and at the freezing of the agreements that led
up to it, as well as at the renewed dangers of conflict,
violence and instability in the region.
We denounce the Israeli Government's policy of
fait accompli, its failure to respect the international
agreements that have been signed and the unilateral
measures it has taken in building colonies inside and
outside Al Quds, destroying houses, confiscating identity
cards, inflicting collective reprisals against the Palestinian
people, seizing their financial assets, continuing to besiege
them and taking all sorts of other arbitrary measures. We
call emphatically for a return to the basic references that
have been part of the peace process since its inception,
particularly the principle of land for peace, and for
respect of international legality on the basis of Security
Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425
(1978) and the relevant General Assembly resolutions.
Furthermore, we call for the implementation of all the
provisions of the agreement pertaining to the transition
stage, including the second redeployment, the opening of
a secure road between the West Bank and Gaza, the
opening of the airport and the port, the release of
prisoners and the beginning of the final status
negotiations, in accordance with the agreed-upon
schedule.
The international community, particularly in the
meetings of the Security Council and the three
consecutive meetings of the tenth emergency special
session of the General Assembly, has already condemned
the current Israeli Government's policy of building
settlements in Al Quds and in the occupied Palestinian
territories. This policy has greatly discouraged the
Palestinian community and international opinion in
general, particularly since it has given rise to acts of
violence for which Israel bears sole responsibility, given
the profound despair that has replaced the relief that had
been felt throughout the entire region.
Tunisia exhorts the international community, and
especially the two sponsors of peace, to act expeditiously
and firmly to save the peace and avert the dangers that
20

threaten the region so that the Palestinian people is able to
recover its legitimate rights to the creation of an
independent State on its own soil with Al-Quds Al-Sharif
as its capital, and to ensure the restoration to Syria and
Lebanon of the territories which Israel has occupied.
We note with satisfaction the United States'
resumption of efforts to save the peace process, notably the
meeting held yesterday in New York between the parties
concerned. We also welcome the efforts being made to
restore confidence among the parties concerned with a view
to helping them overcome the current crisis and achieve an
equitable settlement of the Palestinian problem and the
Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole. We feel that actions
undertaken to date to mitigate the risks of tension and
conflict in the region remain far below what we had hoped.
Tunisia regrets the deterioration of the current
financial situation of the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA),
which hinders its mission to alleviate the suffering of the
Palestinian people. While reaffirming the international
community's responsibility for the question of Palestinian
refugees, we urge it to continue to provide assistance to
UNRWA in order to allow it to carry out its mandate fully
and resume its work. We urge all donors countries to
maintain and honour their financial commitment and to
increase their contribution to the Agency budget, taking into
account the natural growth in the number of Palestinian
refugees, in order to allow the Agency to overcome its
severe financial crisis.
Tunisia's awareness of the importance in today's world
of economic and geographic groupings to meeting the
challenges of globalization and the changes we are currently
witnessing encourages us to be firm and consistent in
pursuing our efforts to complete the construction of the
Arab Maghreb Union. The Union represents a particular
claim made by the peoples of our region and one of the
goals that we, together with the leaders of our brother
Maghreb countries, are striving to attain.
This strategic option for the future of the peoples of
the region and their cooperation with their immediate
environment is strengthened by the efforts our country is
making, under the impetus of President Ben Ali, to
construct a Euro-Mediterranean area that will serve as a
framework for cooperation among the Mediterranean
riparian countries, for solidarity among their peoples and
for cultural and social dialogue in the context of the noble
values and principles in which we all believe. Our country
has already assumed a distinctive role in ensuring the
success of the various meetings and conferences held to
this end, from the preparatory meeting of the region's
Ministers for Foreign Affairs held in Tabarka, Tunisia, to
the Barcelona conference and the meetings that followed.
Our country gave concrete expression to this option in
1995 by signing an association agreement with the
European Union.
We believe that it has become imperative to respond
favourably to the willingness of the Libyan Arab
Jamahiriya to settle the Lockerbie question in a fair and
honourable manner in the framework of proposals made
by the League of Arab States, the Organization of African
Unity (OAU) and the Non-Aligned Movement. These
proposals can help to achieve a peaceful solution based
on international legality and thereby hasten the end of the
suffering being endured by the brother Libyan people
under the embargo. They would also strengthen stability
in that part of the Mediterranean.
We also take this opportunity to call for an end to
the suffering that has been inflicted upon the Iraqi people
for a number of years now. We hope that relations among
the States of the Gulf region will be based on respect for
the sovereignty of all the States of the region, their
territorial integrity and the inviolability of their borders,
in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security
Council. In this context, Tunisia once again reaffirms its
solidarity with the United Arab Emirates in the peaceful
efforts they are making to recover the islands of Greater
Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.
The success of the United Nations in achieving
international peace and security does not rest only on
peacekeeping operations, preventive diplomacy and the
peaceful settlement of conflict. It also requires progress
and accomplishments in the field of disarmament. Despite
the end of the cold war and the achievement of a number
of positive results, particularly in limiting the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction, these weapons —
particularly nuclear weapons — continue seriously to
threaten all mankind.
Tunisia, which has ratified all the international
conventions on the subject, reiterates its appeals for the
establishment of a denuclearized zone, free of all weapons
of mass destruction, in the Middle East. This appeal has
been supported by the accession to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of all the countries
of the region with the exception of Israel, which has
neither ratified the Treaty nor placed its nuclear facilities
21

under the system of international controls, thereby
endangering the security and integrity of the entire region.
There are many regions of the world that continue to
be torn by war and conflict and whose populations are
confronted with tragic situations as a result of instability,
insecurity, famine and destitution. We nonetheless note with
satisfaction that, despite the persistence of hotbeds of
tension and instability in some of these regions, the African
continent is beginning truly to awaken to the possibility of
restored security and renewed economic growth in a
number of its regions and countries.
Tunisia welcomes the development of the situation in
Africa and the sincere determination of member countries
of the Organization of African Unity to pursue the reforms
that have been undertaken to restructure economies and
consolidate democracy. At the same time, my country
reiterates the appeal made by President Ben Ali many times
to the international community for increased attention to be
paid to the continent's problems in order to eradicate once
and for all the hotbeds of tension that remain in Africa, so
that security and stability may be instituted throughout the
continent, enabling all its peoples to devote themselves to
work and to economic development.
In this context, the role to be played by the United
Nations in assisting the countries concerned to overcome
these difficulties and challenges assumes primary
importance. It is a role that should be seen in the context of
the prime responsibility that our international Organization
assumes in preserving peace and security and in confirming
the fact that the United Nations is irreplaceable in these
endeavours. However, this in no way minimizes the
importance that should be given to the action of regional
organizations, whose role has grown in recent years,
making their influence visible and palpable.
Our country emphasizes the importance of the role
devoted to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention,
Management and Resolution, which was set up by the
Organization of African Unity for all issues related to
security and stability on the African continent. This clearly
does not prevent us from supporting any international
initiative that is consistent with this essential principle and
that reinforces African efforts to preserve peace and
security on our continent.
We applaud the efforts of the United Nations
Secretariat to stimulate cooperation and to promote
consultation with the Organization of African Unity to
strengthen its capacity for preventing conflicts and
maintaining peace. Numerous African States, including
Tunisia, have declared their willingness to participate in
the standby arrangements for peacekeeping, thereby
demonstrating their determination to contribute to United
Nations efforts to improve the methods of organizing
United Nations peacekeeping operations. There is no
doubt that the promotion of international cooperation,
particularly in the field of training and logistics, can
ensure the success of the standby forces, thereby making
it the basic formula for the establishment of United
Nations peacekeeping forces. In this regard, we reaffirm
Tunisia's unswerving desire to make a real contribution to
the efforts of the United Nations to preserve international
peace and security.
Our country has contributed both military and
civilian contingents to many United Nations peacekeeping
operations — from the Congo in the early 1960s to other
similar operations in a number of African countries; in
Cambodia; in Bosnia and Herzegovina; in Croatia; and
recently in Haiti — thus giving concrete evidence of its
faith in international action and cooperation carried out by
the Organization. Tunisia will continue to support and
assist United Nations peacekeeping operations whenever
necessary.
In order to meet the challenges generated by
globalization and openness in the world economy, Tunisia
has introduced substantial and coherent reforms in the
political, economic and social fields to ensure society's
equilibrium and integrity and the solidarity of its
members, thereby eliminating the negative factors that
could hinder this: exclusion, neglect of the human aspect
in development, and the creation of chasms between
social categories resulting from disparate levels of
development within a given society.
We are convinced that global development can be
achieved only when the vulnerable sectors of society have
been assured the conditions for integration with economic
dynamics. This requires uprooting the causes of poverty,
destitution and marginalization, which is consistent with
the commitment to promote solidarity and mutual
assistance between the members of society on the national
level, and efforts being made in that direction on the
international level.
The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations
afforded the leaders of Member countries an opportunity
to confirm their determination to revitalize the role of the
United Nations and to confer upon its actions greater
dynamism at a time when problems of security,
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development and environment multiply, requiring joint
efforts and shared determination to face them with a view
to achieving progress, prosperity and well-being for all.
The success of the United Nations remains contingent
upon action in accordance with the goals and principles
enshrined in its Charter. It is also conditioned by the
commitment of all countries, large and small, to implement
decisions which uphold the values of liberty, dignity and
justice. In so doing we will respond to the aspirations of
our peoples who are the essential guarantors of the United
Nations vitality and of its capacity for renewal, durability
and ability to meet the challenges which humanity will
confront during the next century.