It is a great honour
for me to address the Assembly for the first time as
Vice-President of the Republic of South Sudan.

First, I would like to express the heartfelt
condolences of the Government and the people of South
Sudan to the people and the Government of the Republic
of Kenya, in particular the families of those affected
by the brutal and inhuman act of terror in the Kenyan
capital, Nairobi. We condemn all acts of terrorism and
pledge our full cooperation and support to all efforts

geared towards ridding the region and indeed the globe
of terrorism.

I convey sincere my gratitude, as well as that
of President Kiir Mayardit and the people of South
Sudan, to the United Nations, in particular the Security
Council, the countries of the Intergovernmental
Authority on Development, the Troika, and all people
of goodwill for diplomatically helping us to bring to
an end to the conflict that had devastated our country
for decades. We are grateful in particular to the
international community for closely monitoring the
difficult implementation of the peace accord. Given the
complexity of the issues involved, the implementation
of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has been
relatively successful, although the protocols of the two
states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, the case of
the contested area of Abyei, and the demarcation of the
borders between South Sudan and the Sudan continue
to impede the full implementation of the peace accord.

Our country is well endowed with abundant
natural resources. Our relations with the Sudan
have recently involved unexpected tensions, with
intermittent suspensions of oil flow through the Sudan.
Inside the South itself, old quarrels dating back to
time immemorial have re-emerged among certain
communities over cattle-grazing and water points.
This became complicated during the last war as guns
of various calibre fell into the hands of unauthorized
civilians. We are working hard as a Government to
entrench peace in all corners of South Sudan. We have
established programmes to rehabilitate and integrate
former rebel groups into our armed forces and society
at large.

We have to build a country literally from scratch,
with non-existent physical and social infrastructure.
This has given us the worst human development
indicators in the world, including high maternal and
infant mortality rates and high illiteracy rates among a
population of over 8 million.

While we recognize that, as humans and as a
Government, we must have made errors of judgment as
we sought to fix a war-devastated country, successful
steps have also been taken, and we appeal for the
goodwill shown to us in those times of difficulty to
continue. We are confronted with the test of adherence
to human rights as a consequence of malicious action
by external hands, rather than of our own making. We
commend any objective criticism and we call on the
experts on South Sudan also to appreciate the bigger
picture of how well the country is run in our nine other
states besides Jonglei.

We are presently running a Government with
acceptable standards of competence. A decentralized
system of governance is the outcome of a conscious
decision taken by South Sudan’s political leadership,
as enshrined in the 2011 transitional Constitution, to
build a broad-based democracy in the post-conflict
setting. We set up the 10 states with popularly elected
governors and democratic legislatures as a nucleus of
good governance. In 2010, President Kiir Mayardit was
democratically and overwhelmingly elected. Our noble
struggle was to actualize the ideals and values of true
democracy, so cherished by our people.

According to our Constitution, the next elections
will be held in 2015. Indeed, on 18 September, our
President publicly confirmed the date. The governing
party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)
will hold another general convention in March 2014 to
freely elect its structures in preparation for the 2015
national general elections.

Let me turn to the issue of women. Women have
suffered discrimination since 1956, with a literacy rate
hardly reaching 18 per cent. The SPLM as a ruling party
is now raising women’s political participation from the
25 per cent in the current Constitution to a minimum
of 35 per cent in the proposed permanent constitution.

In recent years, the National Legislative Assembly,
of which I was twice elected Speaker and where I served
a total of eight years, enacted a good number of laws,
including the Petroleum Revenue Management Act and
the Investment Act, among many others, setting out clear
rules on how we can efficiently and prudently spend
our oil revenues. With the support of our development
partners in the region and internationally, we have now
embarked on the development of our infrastructure.
Numerous infrastructural projects are under way.

In response to the oil shutdown last year, the
Government implemented austerity measures. We
reduced Government spending by 40 per cent, and at
the moment we have considerably increased non-oil
revenue collection. We take seriously our responsibility
to ensure that public funds are properly utilized and
that our spending is rigorously monitored. We are thus
determined to uncompromisingly fight practices of
maladministration, including corruption.

We deeply regret the loss of the lives of the Indian
peacekeepers, the Russian helicopter crew and the

Kenyan and South Sudanese relief workers in Pibor
county. We express our condolences to the families and
the Governments of those who lost their lives. We wish
to assure the international community that such tragic
incidents will not be repeated.

Jonglei state, the most populous, with inaccessible
terrain, has been of particular concern to us as a
Government as well as to the international community.
There is no doubt about that. It has serious security and
infrastructural impediments. We regret the security
impediments in Jonglei and assure the international
community of our Government’s determination to
transform our army, the Sudan People’s Liberation
Army (SPLA), into a professional national army
that respects human rights and the rule of law and is
committed to the protection of civilians.

The President has declared a general amnesty for
the rebel groups, and already two large groups, one
under General Bapin and the second under General
Johnson Oluny, have responded positively. The
President has also ordered the mandatory disarmament
of the civilian population and has taken legal steps to
punish the perpetrators of human rights violations in
Jonglei, including an SPLA Brigade Commander, who
is now under arrest together with 13 soldiers who have
been sentenced to prison terms that range from three to
five years. To date 84 cases of human rights abuses have
been tried in the courts of law. We are determined to
see that the violations committed by some indisciplined
SPLA elements do not go unpunished.

Recently the Government formed a peace and
reconciliation committee headed by top religious
leaders to promote dialogue with all groups, including
rebel groups in Pibor county.

The Government has allowed the United Nations
Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
and other humanitarian bodies unhindered access to
all parts of the country, including, of course, Jonglei
state. Regarding the situation in Pibor county, which
has been of particular concern to all of us, we have
determined, thanks to UNMISS and OCHA, the
number of people who are currently registered for food
distribution in various camps for internally displaced
persons and villages. If that number is compared with
the pre-conflict population of Pibor county, we could
now be relatively relieved at the fact that most of those
who had been unaccounted for are in fact alive and
receiving much-needed humanitarian assistance from
United Nations agencies and other organizations.

Out of the total population of approximately
140,000 in Pibor, for instance, nearly 100,000 people
have been identified in the Pibor bush alone, along with
another 10,000 in Juba City and 26,000 registered as
refugees in neighbouring countries. We appeal from
this rostrum for expeditious relief assistance in various
forms.

Another urgent security demand is the training of
a police force capable of eliminating the high rate of
crime we are experiencing in Pibor county and, indeed,
the entire country. UNMISS, to which we express our
profound appreciation, has helped transform hundreds
of former combatants into a police force conscious of
the rule of law. UNMISS is doing a very commendable
job under its able leadership. The rate of crime caused
by the proliferation of small arms has been alarming.
While our police force has managed to apprehend many
criminals, others are still at large. The Government
is committed to erasing this menace. We refute any
allegation to the effect that such violations are deliberate
and systematic orchestrations.

Our relationship with the Sudan has been a mixture
of cooperation and squabbles. Fundamentally, both
sides acknowledge that there is no alternative to lasting
peace other than harmony and cooperation, given our
shared history. That is why President Kiir Mayardit,
remarkably, visited Khartoum early this month and held
amicable discussions with his counterpart, President
Omer Hassan Al-Bashir of the Sudan. They agreed to
enhance cooperation on all fronts, including allowing
the unhindered flow of oil from South Sudan through
the Sudan.

We call on the parties at war in the Sudan to find
a durable political solution to the conflict, a situation
to which the CPA has provided a workable remedy. We
urge the international community to play a positive,
stepped-up role in narrowing the gap between both
parties. The civil war currently taking place in the Nuba
mountains and Blue Nile regions of the Sudan, as well
as in Darfur, has created an influx of refugees to South
Sudan, and that is a source of concern for us. We appeal
for humanitarian access and supplies for those refugees.
Given our unique knowledge, acquaintance and position
as partners to Khartoum and former comrades-in-arms
in the fighting forces in those two regions, in addition
to our interest in realizing peace along our northern

border, the Government of South Sudan can play a
constructive mediation role if required.

On Abyei, we will continue to cooperate with the
Republic of the Sudan to implement the agreement on
the final status of Abyei through a referendum, set
for October 2013 by the African Union High-Level
Implementation Panel. The African Union Peace and
Security Council and the United Nations Security
Council accepted the proposal as “representing a fair,
equitable and workable solution”. The international
community must therefore ensure that this proposal is
implemented expeditiously.

Our new Government in Juba, energetic and with
new faces, is leaner, so as to reduce expenditure, but
broader in terms of inclusiveness of other political parties
and civil society, even those without party affiliation.
The reshuffle has been highly supported and applauded
countrywide, with a recent opinion poll carried out by
two organizations — CRN and ST — showing 84.7 per
cent for the new team and 92 per cent for the choice of
the new Vice-President.

While many, including our friends, had doubted
our ability to peacefully manage as simple a political
exercise as a cabinet reshuffle, the domestic backing
is revealing. Our immediate agenda for the new phase,
which we are calling phase two, is to improve health
care, education, roads, electricity supply and the
quality of life. We are determined to uproot impunity
and corruption, phenomena which plague post-conflict
States, wherever they may be, and which can derail all
of our efforts and determination to succeed. Based on
its resolve to combat corruption and set a new standard,
our Government has erased 16,000 “ghost names”
it found on the police payroll. We are carrying out a
similar exercise in the military and other organized
forces.

In conclusion, I wish to repeat that we remain
steadfast in our vision of a country at peace with itself
and with its neighbours — a country which is growing
in security, the rule of law and human rights and
progressing towards justice and prosperity. I offer my
sincere thanks to our many partners and friends for their
continued support. We look towards the future confident
of what we, a people emerging from marginalization
and suffering civil strife, can accomplish together.

The Organization has to redouble its efforts to
nurture and reinforce its new Member, South Sudan,
both economically and in its determination to put an
end to human rights violations. It is important for the
United Nations to monitor and promote the complete
implementation of the cooperation agreements reached
between South Sudan and Sudan to cement harmonious
and peaceful coexistence.


Permit me at the outset to extend to you, Sir, on behalf of the delegation of Thailand and on my own behalf, the warmest congratulations on your unanimous election to the presidency of the forty-second session of the United Nations General Assembly. We are confident that your recognized qualities and experience will ensure that the Assembly's proceedings will be conducted with smooth efficiency, wisdom and fairness, and that we will achieve a successful conclusion.
I should also like to pay a well-deserved tribute to the outgoing President of the forty-first session of the General Assembly, who is a distinguished son of Bangladesh and Asia, for his invaluable contribution to the work of the Organization during the past year. In a world beset by a host of political and economic problems a nation's cohesiveness and resilience are of the utmost importance. The success of Thailand since the Second World War is a good example. In one way, the Thai experience is unique. We the Thai people have been
blessed with the Thai monarchy. This institution is at present personified by His Majesty King Bhuraibol Adulyadej, the ninth King of the House of Chakri. He has been and continues to be the central, unifying element of the Thai nationhood. He is the moral inspiration for our Government and people. He is the soul of our nation.
In the next nine months two events of the greatest significance to the Thai nation will be celebrated. The first, in December, will be the sixtieth anniversary of His Majesty's birth, which, to the Thai people, marks one of the most important milestones in a person's lifetime. Then, next July, he will become the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The celebrations of those two events will provide the Thai people with opportunities to display their boundless respect, profound gratitude and immeasurable affection for their beloved monarch.
As a working monarch in the national mainstream, our King has always been in close touch with the people. He has tirelessly and selflessly devoted himself to the progress and welfare of the people, especially those in rural areas. In these efforts he has always been assisted by Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.
The Thai King believes that all his subjects have a right to share in the benefits of the nation's progress and prosperity. He has pioneered rural development projects designed to help the people fulfil their basic needs and achieve self-sufficiency. These projects have brought an increased measure of prosperity to the rural poor. Many of the projects have been funded from his own personal resources. He has also led in the search for a humane way to help the hill tribes abandon opium cultivation. He has initiated crop substitution and integrated development schemes. These have been carried out by my Government. As a consequence, the output of opium has been reduced significantly over the years.
The international drug problem is of great concern to my country. For this reason we participated actively in the International Conference on Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking at Vienna in June this year. The meeting, under the inspired presidency of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, was able to create a programme of action by Governments to cope with this global problem.
The royal oath taken by Thai monarchs includes the vow to render aid and comfort to all in need. During the past 12 years Thailand, under the reign of King Bhumibol, has been recognized for its compassion to fellow human beings uprooted by war and oppression. Thailand has offered temporary shelter to nearly one million refugees. These are the Kampucheans, Laotians and Vietnamese who have fled into Thailand since 1975, and especially since the invasion of Kampuchea in 1978. Over 350,000 still remain.
A major cause of this plight of such magnitude has been the aggression and occupation of Kampuchea by Vietnamese armed forces. This problem poses the major obstacle to peace and stability in the region. It is not only a threat to the security of Thailand and South-East Asia, but also an economic drain on Viet Nam1 s own resources and a waste of the assistance given to Viet Nam by its friends and allies. In addition it imposes a humanitarian burden on its neighbours and on the international community. Vietnamese deeds in Kampuchea violate the United Nations Charter and international law. For this reason, year after year the General Assembly has condemned Viet Nam's actions and demanded the total withdrawal of its forces from Kampuchea. The General Assembly has endorsed the Kampuchean people's right to self-determination and to choose its own Government without foreign interference. Over two thirds of the United Nations membership have also remained firm in their call for a comprehensive political settlement of the conflict in Kampuchea. The future Kampuchea should be neutral and non-aligned and should pose no threat to any country.
The countries members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will continue to work for such a settlement. Their latest effort was on 16 August 1987, when they endorsed the proposal that the Kampuchean factions engage in a dialogue with the Vietnamese at a gathering. This gathering is envisaged as an initial step towards the political settlement of the Kampuchean problem.
Recent developments have indicated an increasing convergence towards a desire to bring about an end to the conflict in Kampuchea. We call on the leaders of Viet Nam to turn this desire into reality. Let them withdraw their forces from Kampuchea, as they have said they would, but let them do it now and not in 1990, as proclaimed.
We agree that national reconciliation at an appropriate time is a prerequisite for a political solution. One personage who is vital to the Kampuchean drama is His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sihanouk. We believe that under his tutelage and leadership the Kampuchean people can heal their wounds and band together to bring about a rebirth of the Kampuchean nation.
Thailand wishes to record its deep appreciation of the United Nations Secretary-General's devoted and tireless efforts to restore peace in Kampuchea. Ws urge him and the international community to intensify their efforts towards this end. In particular, Thailand calls on the major Powers, which wield great influence, to become even more conscious of this problem, which affects not only the Kampucheans but others as well. It is encouraging to observe that some of them have begun to discuss among themselves the way to resolve this question, as evidenced in the continuing series of dialogues between such major Powers as the United States, the Soviet Union and China. On several occasions Thailand has raised this matter with many international leaders and requested them to assist. It is iniquitous that this tragedy of untold suffering has been allowed to be prolonged. Actions leading to a just and lasting solution should and must be taken without undue delay. Everybody must lend a hand.
Only after Kampuchea has regained its sovereignty and independence will that part of South-East Asia be able to turn swords into ploughshares. Only then will the countries of the area be able to reconstruct their shattered economies. Then, and only then, will their peoples be able to enjoy the benefits of peace that are taken for granted elsewhere. Then, too, will the rest of us in South-East Asia be able to realize our full potential as a part of the rapidly developing Pacific Basin. Together we can give meaning to Pacific dynamism, which can impart great benefit not only to this region but also to the world at large.
The aspiration to achieve peace and prosperity through common efforts and co-operation finds good expression in the endeavours of ASEAN. This year has already witnessed the twentieth anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. The birth of ASEAN was indeed a major turning point in the history of South-East Asia, based as it is on shared interests and values, as well as pragmatism and tolerance. The concept o£ free association has thus made its mark in a region where colonialism ran rampant not so long ago. ASEAN co-operation has indeed stimulated regional growth and prosperity over much of the past two decades. ASEAN is scheduled to hold a few months from now its third summit meeting to chart the course of its peaceful and constructive co-operation for the next decade.
In this regard, Thailand is pleased to learn of the agreement in principle between the Soviet Union and the United States on the elimination of intermediate and short-range missiles and of the forthcoming summit meeting between President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev. We hope that after this important beginning further efforts will be made to reduce the strategic missile arsenals by 50 per cent. Effective measures are also necessary in the fields of chemical and conventional weapons. In Africa, the Namibian people and the black majority in South Africa have been victims of unilateral oppression for generations. Thailand once again joins in the call for the eradication of the apartheid system and for the immediate implementation of the United Nations Plan for Namibia.
The problems of the Middle East continue to be on the agenda of the world Organization. Thailand supports United Nations efforts to restore peace in the region on the basis of security for all States, withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories, self-determination for the Palestinian people, the territorial Integrity of Lebanon, cessation of hostilities between Iran and Iraq and withdrawal of forces to the International boundary. In the latter context, Thailand takes note of Security Council resolution 598 (1978), which was adopted unanimously, and hopes that it will be fully Implemented.
The situation in Afghanistan was caused by the single-minded pursuit of unilateral goals on the part of one of the world's most powerful nations. The problem can be resolved only on the basis of the relevant General Assembly resolutions, which demand the total withdrawal of foreign forces, and exercise by the Afghan people of their right to self-determination.
The position of Thailand on these issues has been firm and consistent. Our position is based on the United Nations Charter and international law, and is in harmony with a majority of the Member States. The Secretary-General, too, enjoyed Thailand's confidence and support in his patient efforts to find peaceful solutions to these problems. My country is always willing to assist in these efforts, anytime, anywhere. Not all the urgent problems are of a political nature. Many of them are economic. The International economic system has created a web of interdependence. No nation stands alone. For this reason, Thailand is fully committed to an open and liberal world trade system.
However some countries, particularly the more affluent, have adopted trade policies and measures which obstruct open and free international trade. Besides hindering the North-South dialogue, they also work against the interest of all nations. Developing countries with open economies, like Thailand, have already had to cope with the problems of low agricultural and commodity prices. These problems are compounded by protectionism against the export of products in which we enjoy inherent comparative advantages. Without the expansion of exports, we cannot sustain our economic growth. This would have major repercussions on our national development and on the well-being of our people. We therefore call on all countries concerned to show a sincere desire to co-operate. For only through such co-operation can we succeed in remedying the present international economic disorder.
The most pressing problem of all time confronting any Government is the well-being of its people. Here, in the case of Thailand, the inspiration from our King has always been very important to my Government. As stated earlier. His Majesty has pioneered a great number of projects for the rural poor. Following his initiatives, my Government has allotted a major part of the national budget to development programmes for rural areas throughout the Kingdom.
Despite the economic difficulties facing developing countries in the world ' today, Thailand continues to obtain substantial economic growth. Our rate of growth is estimated to be close to 6 per cent in real terms this year. This is due partly to the Government's success in providing incentives and in stimulating the economy. It is also due to the close co-ordination between the public sector and our private sector. We expect our economy to continue growing, which will in turn bring better health care, better food, better shelter and a better standard of living for our people. It is clear that, for Thailand, the role of the monarchy has proved to be indispensable. The monarchy is a moral force that binds all elements in the Thai nation. It is a force that works for the greatest good of the Thai people. As we in Thailand celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the birth of our King, we also see it as an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the cause of international peace, security and harmony. He are resolved to reaffirm our steadfast support for the United Nations. This is what the Ring himself stated in his royal address at the opening ceremony of the secretariat building of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, in Bangkok, on 24 October 1975: "The United Nations has set for itself the high ideals of maintaining international peace and security based on the principles of equality and friendly relations among all nations, and it has, in actual practice, always tried its utmost to co-ordinate and promote the efforts of large and small countries all over the world to create mutual understanding and co-operation in order to solve the various problems in economic, social, human rights and other fields."
The United Nations has indeed played a tremendously active role in bringing Member States together to solve international problems and crises. It must continue to champion the cause of international peace and security as well as the well-being of all the peoples of the world.
The gathering of so many Heads of State and Heads of Government at the General Assembly each year testifies to the importance the world attaches to this Organization. But we hope that the fruits of the deliberations and discussions on these occasions will not leave only empty echoes of good intentions.
Let us turn these good intentions into positive action, action which brings just solutions to our problems, action which brings real and beneficial changes to our world.
If we do these things, then we will know that we have done our very best to create a better world for mankind.


At the outset of my presentation to the General Assembly at its forty-second session, I should like to convey our most respectful greetings to the President, Mr. Peter Florin, representative of the German Democratic Republic, and to express our best wishes for the successful conclusion of our work under his presidency, and the hope that from this session there will emerge important resolutions that would effectively ensure international peace and security.
We also extend out greetings to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, whom we ask to accept our appreciation for his tireless dedication to the United Nations goals of peace and development. This Organization is fortunate to have him, not only as its most eminent official, but also as a citizen of the world committed to achieving peace and development for all.
The Republic of Paraguay comes once again to this forum with the sincere intention of supporting every initiative that could assure mankind of a day of peace and full development. It does so in the firm belief that each State Member of this Organization, as a servant of international law, is convinced of the importance of the existence of the United Nations and of its role of protagonist in bringing about a time of peace and security for all.
In these circumstances, and considering the role the United Nations should Play in the world, we fail to understand the attitudes of many countries - whether they be super-Powers, permanent members of the Security Council or Members of this Organization - attitudes that undermine, that sap their support and reduce the level of their active participation, thus weakening the Organization's ability to intervene in critical situations. This problem, already one of long standing - the Problem of the lack of a leading role for the United Nations in world conflicts - is totally, the unwarranted. On the contrary, it demands of every country an effective attitude that could redound to the greater, the universal prestige of our Organization and the effective application of our entire legal and moral power for bringing about just solutions to conflicts that, at this very moment, beset humanity.
When we review those critical events that have taken place since 1945, we are obliged to say that, because of the aforementioned weakening of the role of the United Nations as a leader, every country should see to it that the decisions taken by the General Assembly, which are adopted to prevent or solve conflicts, are brought into line with true justice and contain positive formulas - pragmatic and fair formulas - capable of resolving crises by peaceful means and achieving effective peace through negotiation. Unilateral, partial decisions, or those that do not embody the immutable principles of international justice, do the United Nations system no good. By contrast, the adoption of decisions on the basis of different criteria - criteria based on world harmony and strict respect for the Charter - could promote a more effective way for our Organization to become involved.
The Government of Paraguay wishes to pay a special tribute to all bodies within the United Nations system, but in particular to the United Nations Development Programme, whose activities are related to the progressive accomplishment of all the vital projects that are being implemented in our country. This type of United Nations assistance is not only effective for developing countries like Paraguay, but also serves the ceaseless quest for a better standard of life and progress for all nations.
The Republic of Paraguay is continuing to make strides in peace and democracy. It has been doing so steadily since 1954, assuring justice and freedom for all our people. The nation is effectively governed by the rule of law, and thus enables its citizens to develop further and perfect our democratic institutions, guaranteeing a political life based on the widest possible participation and a multi-party system.
The Government of the Constitutional President of the Republic of Paraguay, General of the Army Alfredo Stroessner, is based on popular consent, freely expressed in fair elections. It has the popular and democratic support of the Colorado Party, a political organization which, on 11 September 1987, commemorated a hundred years of constitutional life in Paraguay.
Throughout its rich history, Paraguay has struggled and made sacrifices to defend the immutable principles of international law. We seek to ensure constant respect for the individual identity and the independence of all States and, in strict reciprocity in our international conduct, we have called on other States faithfully to observe the same principles, never, in any circumstances or in any way whatsoever, accepting interference by other States in the domestic affairs of Paraguay - affairs which are of concern to, and have to be dealt with, only by Paraguayans.
We wish to bring to the attention of the General Assembly the spirit of integration that has guided the regional policy of the Republic of Paraguay, a policy based on peace and co-operation with our neighbours. This has made possible the construction of the hydro-electric projects at Itaipu, under conditions of equality of rights and duties, with the Federative Republic of Brazil - projects that are already generating the electricity needed for the development of a vast region. The same applies to the Yacyreta project involving ourselves and Argentina. This project is in an advanced stage of construction. Both demonstrate the serious determination of the Government of Paraguay to make progress. These, added to the facilities provided by our Atlantic neighbours, such as the ports of Paranagua in Brazil, Nueva Palmira in Uruguay, Antofagasta in Chile and Matarani in Peru constitute favourable indicators of our relations with neighbouring sister nations. Our trade with Bolivia is expanding through the Transdhaco route, in harmony with the spirit of that same policy.
The report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization deserves our fullest support. We know of the Secretary-General's unalterable determination to find a solution to international problems. This report schematically summarize! all the achievements in that difficult field, as well as the frustrations faced as the result of a wide range of intervening factors that are beyond the control of the highest-ranking official of the United Nations.
We highlight the work done by the Secretary-General and subscribe to his central, vital concepts, which lead the Organization towards fulfilment of the purposes laid down by the founders of the United Nations, in a changing world beset - by adverse factors, so that peace may be made a tangible reality and fellowship among nations may foster progress and efforts to achieve international justice.
We cannot fail to mention the sources of possible world conflicts that are of concern to the Republic of Paraguay and to all mankind - for example, the conflict in the Persian Gulf, which has reached such dangerous proportions that it could a any moment lead to a more widespread war, with incalculable consequences. We believe we speak for men and women throughout the world when we ask the United Nations to make every possible effort to put an end to that hotbed, which has its origin in the war between Iran and Iraq, compounded by a number of factors that imperil world peace. We call upon the States involved in that conflict to accept the decisions of the United Nations.
The regrettable escalation of events in Latin America confronts us with evidence of another source of conflicts whose outcome is unpredictable. In this area of the world, there is intervention by two super-Powers with broad interests in the region. The countries of the region that make up the Contadora Group and the Support Group have been working, with our encouragement, to bring about peace. It is essential that peace be achieved and that all the countries of the region refrain from adopting partisan positions. This applies particularly to those that are acting in the service of a super-Power, whether directly or indirectly. We condemn such action on the basis of the principle of non-intervention.
The conflict in the Near East does not seem to be of concern to the world at the moment, possibly because the region has for so long suffered the absence of the peace that is essential for nations, peoples and States. The Republic of Paraguay has proclaimed in all forums, the need to ensure implementation of Security Council resolution 242 (1967) in the search for effective solutions to the problems in this high-risk area of conflict. We believe that the Palestinian people have the right to a homeland, just as the State of Israel has the right to live in peace within its boundaries.
The Government of the Republic of Paraguay has condemned, in this forum, the intervention of a super-power in Afghanistan, in a clear-cut demonstration of that Power's lack of regard for international justice and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. We take this opportunity to reiterate, on a universal basis, that the application of this principle, which is central to our Charter and to human rights, is the sole guarantee of peace and harmony among nations at differing economic and social levels.
We are also concerned by Viet Nam's intervention in Cambodia. That intervention, which is dangerous from all points of view, generates the intervention in that country by a super-Power on the one hand and by another country, also a permanent member of the Security Council, on the other.
The Republic of Korea has always worked for the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas. Unfortunately, its efforts have not been crowned with success, for reasons that cannot be attributed to that country, a defender of freedom. The Republic of Korea, a law-abiding country that respects the international desire for coexistence, has a legitimate desire to become a Member State of our Organization. We support that legitimate desire of the Republic of Korea, which is in keeping with the principle of universality of the United Nations and with an effective international order, and believe that the possibility of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea also being admitted should be kept open.
The problem of the Malvinas Islands has had a number of consequences, which once again, demonstrate that disputes should be resolved by effective, pragmatic negotiations. The Republic of Paraguay calls upon the two countries involved - Argentina and the United Kingdom - with both of which we have ties of friendship, to adopt this procedure so as to find an amicable, felicitous solution to the dispute over sovereignty, In this spirit, we advocate negotiations between the parties.
We cannot help but voice our concern when we turn to the subject of disarmament, a vital issue in the times in which we live. The arms race and the business of purchasing and selling conventional and nuclear arms themselves engender pressure and hostility and pave the way for armed conflict. Disarmament is a necessity for all States, and that necessity becomes even greater when we realize that many less developed countries that are in desperate straits because f the deterioration of the international economy are spending millions of dollars cm arms of various kinds. We live in peace and we believe in peace. In that spirit we call upon all States to end the arms race, which is a shameful affront considering the sad fact that thousands upon thousands of children are dying because of starvation and malnutrition.
The Republic of Paraguay, which won independence on 14 May 1811, values the work on decolonisation being done by the United Nations. We applaud this work since we support the principle of the self-determination of peoples as long as application of that principle is not linked with interests alien to the legitimate interests of the peoples meant to win independence.
On the basis of that position, we believe that the people of Namibia are entitled to independence. Further the Republic of Paraguay supports in all forums the principle of territorial integrity and the full sovereignty of peoples. We should like, on the basis of non-intervention in internal affairs, to see the withdrawal of foreign troops from the countries of Africa.
There is one scourge that horrifies all people the world over but none the less continues to undermine the moral and legal order of our world. We refer to terrorism, which afflicts various individual countries as well as the international community. The time has come to ask ourselves what has been done to cope with this irrational, inhuman monstrosity to ensure that it ceases to take innocent lives. Terrorism cannot be legitimised in any circumstances. Countries that encourage terrorism based on the fact that there may exist underlying causes that trigger so irrational a reaction must, even if some of those causes exist, change their views in keeping with the dignity that must govern the system of relationships within the international community.
We cannot tolerate terrorism because it is unjustifiable that certain territories should serve as training-camps for terrorists and still less that such territories should be used as sanctuaries for terrorists. The time has come to state categorically that the United Nations has two options: it can persuade all countries to condemn this irrational and inhuman conduct and to work together to eliminate the hotbeds of terrorism. Otherwise, our Organization will lack credibility in these matters and will be irrevocably forced to admit its inability to wipe out a practice that is a crime against mankind. But this is not to say that the United Nations should not continue to consider, with zeal and diligence, the elimination of the probable causes of this universal scourge. Those causes, however, can never explain the criminal violation of the right to life of its innocent victims.
The Republic of Paraguay supports the policy of the United Nations to end all forms of discrimination against women. It has been many years since the law enshrining the civil and political rights of Paraguayan women was promulgated in recognition of an established fact and of the active part women had played in our national life. In a spirit of fairness we must also recognize that the North-South dialogue has so far produced no results whatsoever. The rich industrialized countries continue to set Incredibly low prices for the raw materials produced and exported by the developing world. This ignoble policy is the root cause of many of the problems of the developing world. The deterioration in the terms of trade leads b the regrettable fact that many countries are unable to pay their debts and are not in a position to reach the stage of full development they require in order for their people to attain a life of dignity.
Although the Republic of Paraguay is not in the same position as other fraternal countries with regard to external debt, we express our solidarity with all those countries that are facing such a situation. This issue requires not only financial and economic solutions, which are of prime importance but also political solutions, because no country can resign itself to zero progress when there are collective needs to be met in order to forestall situations that may endanger not only the peace but the freedom of peoples in the developing countries.
Our Organization must identify itself fully with the legitimate requests formulated by countries in the unfortunate position of being unable to repay their debts. The rich industrialized countries must take a stand, not out of selfish and restrictive motives but in a common desire to consolidate peace and democracy through justice in the international economic arena.
All attempts and programmes formulated to resolve this disturbing problem of the burden of external debt in the world must inevitably be based on the recognition of the exporting countries' inalienable right to receive really fair prices for their raw materials exported to international markets.
In the face of the painful developments in economic relations between the industrialized North and the developing South, the real needs of developing countries have given rise to certain aspirations. We refer to economic and technical co-operation between developing countries. The United Nations, in all its forums, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), must use its prestige to back up this effort which is being promoted throughout the world, for the most part through specialized organizations on the regional level.
We must, finally, come to the conclusion that raising the standard of living of the developing peoples is a moral duty on the part of our Organization and of those countries that already enjoy high standards of life and enjoy fully the many benefits that are unattainable in the developing countries. In this context what is required is a carefully implemented effort to achieve a better economic position for the raw-material-producing countries or for those countries that are just beginning industrial development.
The Government of Paraguay is fully aware that there is an acute financial crisis at the United Nations. The developed countries, for reasons the developing countries cannot fully comprehend, have curtailed their contributions to our Organization, thus decreasing the total amount of moneys available. This financial crisis has an effective political dimension, since, in the short term, our Organization will have to make cuts throughout its system, cuts that will adversely affect programmes currently being implemented throughout the developing world.
This will obviously have an adverse effect on the scope of the activities of our Organization and work to its detriment.
We are fully aware, moreover, of economic stagnation and recession. We understand the scope of those problems, which are causing serious difficulties to the super-Powers in the commercial sphere and affecting the balance of payments. Nevertheless, the times in which we live compel the United Nations to depend on the contributions it needs for it to do its work throughout the world, contributions that must come from those industrialized countries fortunate enough to enjoy wealth and development.
The problem of Lebanon merits a special place in my statement. It can be considered to be included in the aforementioned serious conflict in the Middle East, However, in view of the conditions now prevailing, conditions which, if they were to persist, could spawn new and tragic developments, we feel that we must give it special consideration.
The principles of the self-determination of peoples and the territorial integrity of States have been set aside in Lebanon by the reign of irrational violence and have been replaced by political intransigence and the polarization of the conflicting parties. Paraguay holds unswervingly to the need for a peaceful settlement of disputes. It joins the concert of countries demanding this in order to ensure the existence and integrity of Lebanon on the basis of legal equality and peaceful coexistence among its citizens, to whatever ethnic group they belong.
As for the question of Cyprus, the Republic of Paraguay is hopeful that that problem, which is long standing in the United Nations, can find a just and balanced solution through negotiations, avoiding violent confrontation and any violation of international law. We hope that United Nations intervention may lead to just solutions that take into consideration the rights of the countries concerned in the conflict.
If all practical instruments to reach a happy conclusion in the current situation are not brought into play, the problem of Cyprus could well become yet another of the unending crises in today's world, which is truly and wholly interdependent. Armed conflict in one part of the world is not limited to that region but can have unpredictable repercussions and ramifications throughout the rest of the world.
The developing world has immense prospects in the new Law of the Sea. The Republic of Paraguay, as a developing landlocked country, firmly believes that that instrument, which has been given the world to redress irritating and dangerous injustices, represents a new step forward by mankind in its painstaking quest for a better distribution of the world's wealth amongst nations. On the basis of that belief, Paraguay has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and will support that process, which redounds to the prestige of the Organization and which may, in the future, be a source of truly lasting satisfaction. The Republic of Paraguay has co-operated and will continue to co-operate with our Organization's Commission on Human Rights. In the course of that co-operation it welcomed the visit of an independent advisor in 1986, who travelled throughout our country and became fully aware of the actual situation in Paraguay. That same person, in pursuance of his work, which Paraguay continues to welcome, will visit our country again before the end of 1987.
This is a demonstration of Paraguay's co-operation with the United Nations, which is dedicated to the promotion of human rights. Our Government responds immediately to all inquiries received from United Nations organs dealing with human rights, on the understanding that with the co-operation of Member countries these organs will intensify their work to the benefit of our Organization.
We warmly support the loyal co-operation of the United Nations with the Organization of American States and the Latin American Economic System. We value such co-operation and we see it as having a positive and realistic significance in the interdependent world we live in - a world whose problems always requite global solutions. These assertions are valid in the political sphere, but their validity is even more apparent in the economic field.
My Government enthusiastically supports the proposal put forward in this universal forum by the Republic of Brazil for the declaration and establishment of a zone of peace and co-operation in the South Atlantic. This valuable initiative for world peace and for free and progressive interplay in the South American continent deserves the attention of all international organizations which must work out specific programmes for this vital area of the world, in the arduous tasks of achieving peace with justice, equal opportunity and economic growth for everyone without exception.
We can state with absolute certainty that men and women the world over look to the United Nations and its task with faith and confidence. They are at the very core of the efforts we make here on behalf of peace and progress for mankind; and they place their trust in our Organization and in the spirit of those who convene here to represent their Governments in order to foster the ideals and commitments of the founders and ensure for all the inhabitants of the globe the blessings of peace and the establishment of justice in international relations.
We bear witness to our sharing this noble spirit and to our commitment that e shall work United in order to achieve these objectives and ideals, without which life would have no meaning, and to ensure a future free of storm clouds obscuring mankind's vision.
We must freely shoulder our responsibility to bequeath to our children and our children's children the happy world future generations will expect - a world without discrimination without error, without injustice that engenders exasperation and dejection; and a creative atmosphere with joy, peace and moral fulfilment.


Mr. President, I have the honour to convey to you and this Assembly greetings from my august sovereign, His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, and his best wishes for the success of the forty-second session of the General Assembly.
On behalf of my delegation and on my own behalf, I have great pleasure in congratulating you on your unanimous election to the high office of President of the General Assembly at its forty-second session. This is as much a tribute to the German Democratic Republic's commitment to the principles and purposes of the United Nations as it is to Your Excellency's well-known personal attributes and diplomatic skill. My delegation is convinced that under your able stewardship the Assembly will achieve the desired results. I wish also to extend congratulations to Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed on his appointment as Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly Affairs.
I should like to express my delegation's deep appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, who guided the General Assembly at its forty-first session with such distinction and wisdom. May I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his ceaseless endeavours for the cause of international peace and co-operation as for his laudable efforts to make the United Nations system more efficient and effective.
The United Nations has for some time been a helpless witness to the growing dangers and deterioration in the international situation. The spiralling arms race r in both the nuclear and the conventional fields, the ever-widening socio-economic disparities between nations and peoples, and the increasing areas or incidents of tension, intervention and conflicts present a disturbing scenario for the world as it staggers towards the twenty-first century. Clearly, this state of affairs cannot for long continue unchecked or unchallenged without inviting the most devastating consequences.
It is against such a backdrop that we welcome the recent turn of events in the relations between the super-Powers. We are particularly encouraged by the agreement in principle to eliminate intermediate and short-range missiles worldwide. While such an accord in itself represents a significant achievement in the process of disarmament, we believe it could help in building mutual confidence between the super-Powers and pave the way for other, even more significant initiatives and accords. Committed as Nepal has always been to the goal of general and complete disarmament, it is only natural for us to hope that the present momentum will be maintained and that no opportunity to halt, or reverse, the arms race in other areas will be allowed to pass.
While we attach the utmost urgency to nuclear disarmament because of the unlimited capacity of nuclear weapons to inflict destruction, we feel that we cannot, like Nelson, turn a blind eye and ignore the galloping conventional arms race. Such weapons consume 80 per cent of global military expenditure and have been used in over 150 conflicts in more than 70 countries since the end of the Second World War.
Only a fortnight ago, the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development was convened here at the United Nations. Apart from examining the close relationship between these two urgent challenges of our times, the Conference was useful in highlighting the grave dangers posed by the unprecedented arms race not only on international security but also on the stability and welfare of peoples and nations.
Nepal looks forward with much anticipation to the third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, slated for next year. We hope that the special session will also consider new initiatives and concepts that serve to advance the cause of disarmament, including the creation of zones of peace and other confidence-building and conflict-limiting measures.
In this context I wish to recall that, as early as 1975, His Majesty King Birendra proposed that Nepal be declared a zone of peace - a proposal which, I am pleased to state, has secured the valuable support of 85 States Members of the United Nations, for which I express our profound gratitude. We believe its realization would not only fully vindicate the rationale of the recent International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development but, no less important, make a tangible contribution to consolidating peace in what is a strategic part of the world. Conceivably, it could even act as a model for stabilizing peace in other geopolitically sensitive areas of the globe.
An overview of the world political situation provides scant room for comfort. Thus, while the age-old predilection of the strong to impose their will on the weak continues unabated, the spectre of foreign intervention seems to have acquired subtler, and more dangerous, dimensions. If a sense of déjà vu is manifest in surveying the West Asian politico-military landscape, it is difficult to view with calm and serenity the escalation of tension in the Persian Gulf region. As we continue to remain concerned at the ongoing conflict between two of our non-aligned friends, Iran and Iraq, we have reasons to hope that the recent decision of the Security Council and the efforts of the Secretary-General will help eventually to restore peace to a region torn apart by seven long years of fratricidal conflict. Concerned at developments in Central America over the past several years, Nepal has supported the efforts of the Contadora Group for the restoration of peace.
Nepal warmly welcomed the recent peace agreement signed by five Central American Presidents in Guatemala City, and we reaffirm our belief that durable peace in Central America can be established only when all States with links to or interests in the area scrupulously honour and uphold the principle of non-interference. Closer home, Nepal also welcomed the agreement between our two South Asian neighbours and friends, India and Sri Lanka, and we hope that this will not only end ethnic violence but also help in strengthening the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the depressingly familiar problems of West Asia, Afghanistan and Kampuchea are sombre reminders of how very little the world has changed in the more than four decades since the establishment of this world body, which was created, among other things, to protect the weak and uplift the poor among nations. In West Asia, prospects for a lasting peace are as bleak as ever, notwithstanding flickering hopes that a number of unyielding attitudes of the past that inhibited a comprehensive peace settlement might be shed. Peace, in our view, will continue to elude West Asia as long as the Palestinians are denied a homeland of their own in the region. There cannot be a stable peace if Israel does not withdraw from territories occupied since the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967. Neither will peace be restored to that region as long as the right of Israel to exist within secure and well-defined boundaries is denied.
The plight of Lebanon continues to be a matter of deep concern, especially that part of a sovereign State should be treated as falling within the defence perimeter of a stronger neighbour. Nepal totally rejects any doctrine or code of international ethics that is based on the absurd premise that the security of some States is more precious than that of others. Nepal is proud to participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peace-keeping operations and stands ready to back any move that restores to Lebanon full sovereignty over its entire territory. We are concerned about the unsatisfactory financial situation of UNIFIL and the united Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus and emphasize the responsibility of all Member States in that respect. Nepal repeats its appeal for a peaceful settlement of the problem of Cyprus and renews its firm support for the island's territorial sovereignty, integrity, independence and non-aligned character
The situations in Afghanistan and Kampuchea are viewed with deep anxiety by Nepal. Though the past year has witnessed some new developments in the domestic situation in both of these beleaguered countries, there has been no basic shift in the prolonged presence of foreign troops. Nepal appreciates the continuing efforts of the Secretary-General and his special representative in securing a negotiated settlement - particularly in Afghanistan - where differences over the time-frame for such withdrawal have been narrowed, but not yet bridged. Nepal reiterates its resolute support for relevant General Assembly resolutions on Afghanistan and Kampuchea, including such essentials as, inter alia, withdrawal of all foreign forces and the right of the respective peoples to determine their political future without any outside interference.
Nepal believes that the potentially explosive situation in Korea needs to be defused without delay. To achieve that, it welcomes any moves for greater contact and co-operation between the two Koreas. It also believes that the peaceful reunification of Korea can best be achieved by the Korean people themselves, free from any foreign interference.
No review of the international situation can be objective or complete if it does not note the shameful state of affairs that exists in South Africa, where a regime of racist bigots has refined a system of ruthless exploitation against its own majority. Backed by military might, and with support from some quarters, Pretoria hurtles recklessly down the apartheid path, although there are now clear indications of doubts emerging within white South Africa itself regarding the usefulness of blindly adhering to that evil system.
Nepal is honoured to serve on the Special Committee against Apartheid and reiterates its deep conviction that the application of comprehensive and mandatory economic sanctions remains the best - and perhaps the last - means of bringing about a peaceful transition to a multiracial representative society in South Africa. Nepal was pleased to make a modest contribution to the Solidarity Fund for Southern Africa set up by the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries at the Harare Summit to provide emergency assistance to front-line and other African States to enable them to withstand the effects of retaliatory sanctions by racist Pretoria.
Nepal is steadfast in its belief that any further delay in the granting of immediate and full independence to Namibia by South Africa is fraught with very grave danger to international peace and security. We applaud the heroic struggle of the Namibian people for independence under the leadership of the South West Africa People's Organization and reiterate our appeal to the international community to accelerate all efforts for the early implementation of the relevant Security Council and other United Nations resolutions on the granting of independence to Namibia.
Nepal was pleased to participate in the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held in Vienna last June and stands fully committed to making its modest contribution to the eradication of that social scourge. I wish to state that Nepal acceded to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol, at the Vienna Conference. Nepal has also been actively involved in tackling this social problem at the regional level by co-operating with its South Asian neighbours.
Another scourge of relatively recent origin is terrorism, to the elimination of which Nepal is equally committed along with its six other partners in the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) . I am pleased to inform you that SAARC experts have prepared a draft convention, which is to be considered by its standing committee in Kathmandu next month.
I am also greatly pleased that SAARC has made further progress since I spoke here last year. At present it not only has a full-fledged secretariat, based in Kathmandu, but considerable headway has been made in developing it into an effective instrument for promoting regional co-operation for a full one-fifth of the world's population. Apart from that it is Nepal's belief that the success of SAARC can further galvanize the concept of South-South co-operation which is being promoted by, among others, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, of which Nepal is a founding member. For these reasons we in Nepal are making the necessary preparations to ensure that the next SAARC summit, to be held in Kathmandu in a few weeks, will, like the two preceding summits, achieve substantial results.
The international economic situation is a depressing one, with the developing
world facing a crisis of unprecedented dimensions. This has been characterized, inter alia, by falling commodity prices, high interest rates, protectionism and a downswing of the world economy. Owing to a combination of low global growth and the increasing complexities and uncertainties of the world economy, the urgently-needed support for the development of the developing countries has failed to materialize. What has materialized instead is the grim picture of declining commodity prices, stagnating official development assistance, and the crushing burden of the external debt of developing countries. This has exacerbated political tensions. It threatens to rip open the very fabric of society of many developing countries and constitutes a threat to international peace and security. Long-term development of developing countries thus continues to be at the mercy of the inequities of a world economic system that has clearly ceased adequately to serve the objectives of global economic and social progress.
While the economic situation of the developing countries as a whole is sombre enough, that in the least developed countries merits the special concern of the international community. It is with this reality in view that my delegation attaches great importance to the seventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) which concluded its session in Geneva last month. Early this year, in Kathmandu, Nepal co-hosted, along with UNCTAD, a high-level meeting of governmental experts from 28 countries and representatives of four international organizations to discuss the problems of the least-developed countries in preparation for UNCTAD VII.
My delegation shares the view of the United Nations Secretary-General that UNCTAD-VII represented an advance in the revitalization of development, growth and international trade. We believe that the political will demonstrated by all groups in reaching consensus on the final act augurs well both for the outlook for multilateral co-operation as well as for a continuing dialogue on development. In particular, my delegation is pleased that due emphasis was given to such elements as the need for sustainable non-inflationary growth in developing countries, the responsibilities of the developed countries, a new thrust to the evolution of a growth-oriented debt strategy, the potential for renewed inter-governmental co-operation in commodities and, most of all, in the reaffirmation of the urgency of more strenuous endeavours to support the development of the least developed countries. While my delegation also welcomes the acknowledgement of the complementarity between UNCTAD and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in their efforts to promote global trade, combat protectionism and reinforce the world trading system, we sincerely hope that the expectations of the least developed countries raised by UNCTAD-VII will not meet the same fate as the unfulfilled commitments made to them under the New Substantial Programme of Action for the 1980s chalked out at the Paris Conference in 1981. Nepal also believes that due priority must be given to effective implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, adopted unanimously at the thirteenth special session of the General Assembly, in 1986.
The speedy implementation of the New Substantial Programme of Action has special significance for Nepal which, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Birendra, is today making all-out efforts to meet the basic needs of the people for food, shelter, clothing, primary health care, and education and security, by the end of this century. Such international assistance would be especially welcome to augment Nepal's water-resources development and the forestation efforts. Besides helping Nepal to alleviate the problem of chronic shortage of fuel, the prevention of environmental degradation of the Himalayan foothills would have a most positive impact on millions of people whose lives are greatly shaped by the rivers flowing from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal,
Recognizing, as Nepal does, the close interdependence of the environment and economic and social development, it most warmly welcomes the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. A significant outcome of the forty-first session of the General Assembly was the adoption of many important administrative and financial reforms designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations. We have been ' greatly encouraged by the achievements thus far and believe that the process of reforms and renewal must be carried further. However, Nepal continues to believe that unilateral withholding of dues will have grave implications not only for that process but also for the future of the United Nations and multilateralism.
In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm Nepal's unwavering commitment to the principles and purposes of the United Nations. I take this opportunity to underline Nepal's continuing support of the Non-Aligned Movement, which we maintain is as meaningful today as it was when it was founded more than a quarter century ago.
I wish also to thank members of the Asian Group of the United Nations for their valuable and unanimous endorsement of Nepal's candidature for non-permanent membership in the Security Council for 1988-1989. Nepal gives its assurance that, if indeed so elected by this Assembly, it will discharge the weighty responsibilities incumbent upon such membership in a manner commensurate with the trust reposed in it. In any case, Nepal, as always, stands ready to co-operate in any endeavour that will further the lofty aims and objectives of the United Nations, convinced that it truly represents, and remains, mankind's best hope for a peaceful, prosperous and humane world.


Allow me, Sit, first of all to join previous speakers in conveying to you my delegation's warmest congratulations on the occasion of your unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at its forty-second session. We have particular pleasure in seeing you preside over our work since you are discharging your task so gracefully. You are once again giving proof of your eminent qualities as a diplomat. As a member of the General Committee, Cameroon can assure you of its full support in the accomplishment of your task.
My delegation wishes also to salute your predecessor, Mr. Humayun Choudhury, who directed the work of the General Assembly at its forty-first session with skill, firmness and courage.
Lastly, my delegation wishes to express to Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar its gratitude not only for his constant efforts to improve the functioning of our Organization and to enable it to attain its objectives, but also for his dynamic contribution to the achievement and maintenance of peace in the world.
For a country such as Cameroon, born of the work of the United Nations, it is gratifying to note that after the more than 40 years of its existence and in spite of the countless difficulties that assail it, our Organization is still the ideal context for joint discussion between nations, large and small, rich or poor, in the political, economic, social, cultural and legal fields. In this period of increased uncertainty, this Organization is proving to be even more useful as a place for harmonizing the views of States that are in favour of establishing international relations on the basis of justice and equity. We are here to express once again Cameroon's firm commitment to the goals, purposes, principles and objectives of the Charter, which the founding fathers of the Organization established as positive norms of conduct on the part of nations.
Here we should like to express our very strong concern with regard to everything that runs counter to those norms: the unbridled arms race, particularly in regard to nuclear weapons; the striking economic inequalities and injustices; the persistence, indeed the aggravation, of many areas of tension; the spirit of selfishness, power and domination; the rivalry of hegemony, interests and ideologies that characterize contemporary international relations. Rarely in time of peace has the world known such uncertainty.
There is uncertainty in particular in regard to the current economic situation and its social repercussions, which ate gradually undermining the resilience of the life of States, particularly the developing States, to the point of jeopardizing the progress patiently achieved in the search for well-being, international co-operation and peaceful coexistence.
Today, the world is confronted by an economic crisis the most pernicious effects of which are striking the countries of the third world, particularly in Africa. This crisis has attained unprecedented proportions. Indeed, the combination of persistent protectionism and foreign trade imbalances, the slow-down in world economic activity and growth, the high level of unemployment and underemployment, the abrupt drop in the price of raw materials, the marked deterioration in the terms of trade, monetary and financial disorder, the crushing weight of external debt, are striking evidence of this crisis.
The long-term outlook gives no sign of definite improvement despite the hopes aroused by the attempts at economic recovery. While it is true that sustained efforts are necessary to reverse these negative trends, first of all at the national level, some types of measures require concerted action, taking into account both the solidarity among States and the special situation of the developing countries. The situation of the African countries is of the utmost concern and it is no exaggeration to say that the African continent is still the real victim of the crisis.
Aware of these difficulties, our Organization held a special session here last year to take measures to restructure the economic bases of the continent in the context of the Lagos Plan of Action and the Priority Programme of Action for the Economic Recovery of Africa.
Cameroon, which has always held that the development of Africa is first and foremost the responsibility of the African countries themselves, supports every effort to promote and strengthen regional co-operation.
On the national level, the Government of Cameroon has always sought to promote a sound, vigorous economy that could ensure not only growth but also harmonious development for all. Thus, in order to meet the crisis, our Government has taken measures to rationalize both structures and management. In order to have their full effect as soon as possible, these measures must be supported by a more favourable international environment.
In this respect there is reason to welcome the measures announced by the Seven at the Venice Summit, but it is to be hoped that those measures, which are also in line with the concerns of the United Nations, will be put into practice as soon as possible. We wish in particular to welcome the recent initiative by Canada to cancel the entire public debt of certain African countries south of the Sahara and its intention to extend this action to other countries at the next Commonwealth meeting. It is our hope that this example of solidarity may be followed by others.
At its seventh session, held at Geneva in July 1987, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development produced encouraging results, particularly in regard to debt, resources for development, commodities, international trade and the least developed countries. We hope that there will be fruitful discussion this session on the Secretary-General's progress report, looking towards next year's assessment of the commitments undertaken by African countries and by the developed countries in the context of the economic recovery of Africa. In view of its disastrous impact on the well-being of our peoples, the critical economic situation in Africa ought to be the only object of our concern. But, unfortunately, that is not the case, because other hotbeds of tension are igniting, growing and persisting in our continent. I am thinking of Western Sahara, Chad and, above all, southern Africa. For some time, we have seen possibilities for the peaceful settlement of the situation in Western Sahara. In that connection, we welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General to bring about the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions. In our view, solution of the problem of Western Sahara requires the holding of a referendum on self-determination for the Sahraoui people, under United Nations auspices.
As concerns Chad, a neighbour of Cameroon, we have noted substantial progress since the forty-first session. The process of national reconciliation has been completed. The legitimate Government has restored the country's independence and unity. The question of the Aouzou Strip, now before the Organization of African Unity (OAU), remains outstanding. Cameroon unreservedly supports OAU efforts to reach a negotiated settlement of the conflict between Chad and Libya. My country welcomes the belligerents' acceptance of a cease-fire.
The OAU Ad Hoc Committee, of which Cameroon is a member, whose task is to enable the two belligerents to settle their dispute through negotiations, met last September at Lusaka at the level of Heads of State or Government. Cameroon supports without reservation the committee's recommendations, which called upon the belligerents, inter alia, to make available to it by 30 October 19tí7 at the latest all relevant documentation in support of their contentions, and to continue and strengthen the cease-fire at all levels by refraining from any action that could exacerbate the situation on the ground, including the over flight of air-space, land incursions, troop concentrations, the recruitment of foreign troops, and so forth. Cameroon urges both parties to co-operate sincerely with the OAU ad hoc committee in the speedy achievement of a lasting settlement of their dispute.
In southern Africa the tragedy continues. The racist regime of Pretoria, in defiance of international opinion, persists in bolstering the heinous system of apartheid. Among the manifestations of that arrogant policy of violence are arrests, massacres and the indefinite extension of the state of emergency. The travesty of elections held last May, in which only the white minority participated, clearly belies the alleged desire of the proponents of apartheid to bring about real constitutional reform in South Africa.
Beyond its borders, racist South Africa challenges the international community and this Organization by continuing its illegal occupation of Namibia and by carrying out direct and indirect aggression against the independent countries of the region. Given that climate, one must salute the courage and clear-sightedness of the liberal white patriots who are working inside South Africa itself towards the advent of a multi-racial democratic society.
In the light of the deteriorating situation in Namibia and the intransigence of the Pretoria regime, we support the recommendations of the recent ministerial meeting of the United Nations Council for Namibia, which, inter alia, called upon the Secretary-General to hold consultations with the members of the Security Council, in particular its permanent members, with a view to their making a firm commitment to the unconditional and prompt implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978), adopted nearly a decade ago. It goes without saying that we reiterate our support for the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), the sole, authentic representative of the Namibian people.
There is no doubt that the situation in southern Africa poses a grave threat to international peace and security; it must be dealt with accordingly. The permanent members of the Security Council bear a special responsibility and have a vital role to play in bringing Pretoria to its senses. Those countries are committed champions of human rights and freedoms, and we hope they will shoulder their responsibilities in this case of flagrant violation of those rights and freedoms. They must ensure the success of comprehensive mandatory economic sanctions as a means of exerting pressure upon the racist regime of Pretoria. It is highly important to stress that the hatred, frustration and despair born of the situation in southern Africa could ultimately prevent national reconstruction in South Africa and the other States of the region, and will greatly reduce the chances of success for a policy of reconciliation and good-neighbourliness.
For our part, we firmly believe that someday South Africa will be forced to renounce its policy of violence at home and aggression abroad and will take the path charted for it by history and by the international community, the path of working towards a free, democratic and multi-racial society at home and, abroad, accepting Namibia's accession to independence and territorial integrity under the leadership of SWAPO and developing relations of co-operation and good-neighbourliness with the other countries of the region.
Outside Africa, there are other hotbeds of tension and political and military conflicts. I am thinking of the Iran-Iraq war, and the situations in the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and other areas. In connection with those situations we support all efforts at achieving a peaceful settlement based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant United Nations resolutions.
The economic crisis and the hotbeds of tension I have just outlined provoke us to thought, and mobilize our energies and our resources. They also serve as a pretext for the feverish arms race. My delegation views this with extreme concern. We deplore the fact that the present trend is for the world to place its intelligence and the vast potentialities of science and technology not at the service of economic and social development, but rather at the service of the terrifying stockpiling of means of destruction which, fat from guaranteeing the future of mankind, expose it to annihilation. My country would like to appeal once again to the international community to reduce armaments and hotbeds of tension. Cameroon welcomes the agreement in principle reached between the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate intermediate-range missiles. It should be recognized that this agreement is in line with the search for peace and security in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. It is to be hopes that more far-reaching measures will be adopted at the forthcoming meetings between the two countries. Cameroon will also welcome any other initiative which the two countries might take to increase world security and stability.
It is of the greatest urgency actively to promote disarmament in the interest of development. Our concern must continue to be the search for genuine peace and security so that the human, technological and financial resources now being devoted to armaments may be channelled towards economic development. The fact that a few weeks ago the International Conference on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development was held here is eloquent testimony to that concern. However, it is regrettable that on the whole that Conference failed to achieve the hoped-for results.
The Conference did not sufficiently explore the concept of security in all its economic aspects. Need we recall that the true bases of security today are to be found in economic justice and equity? The essential concern of the developing countries remains development. The importance of security has already been demonstrated, but there can be no security without development. In today's world our security is threatened also by hunger, poverty, disease and illiteracy.
However, in spite of the very meagre results achieved, the Conference rightly reaffirmed the role of the United Nations in the field of disarmament. In addition, it officially recognized for the first time at the international level the close connection between disarmament and development. Most important, it very clearly demonstrated the international community's very acute awareness of and its political commitment to the survival of mankind. That primary objective must form the core of all our future debates on disarmament and development. We venture to hope that the next special session of the Assembly on disarmament will be able to examine all these ideas in greater depth.
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, setting aside rhetoric and relying on the enormous advances of science and technology, the international community must undertake a daring programme to promote disarmament, extinguish hotbeds of tension and revitalize the economic recovery of the developing countries. We must mobilize to restore balance and equity in trade, the financial field, currency, technology, industry, transport and communications.
Reforms currently being undertaken within the Organization must be directed along that path. In the final analysis, such reforms must reinforce the democratisation of international relations so that all countries may actively participate in the conduct of world affairs, on which our common destiny depends.
The international community has many advantages. It must become aware of the fact that the adverse effects of inadequate development do not end with the disinherited of mankind, but are continually spreading. For its part, Cameroon cherishes the hope that, with a new awareness, the peoples of the United Nations will choose survival and take the necessary practical steps, both on the political and on the economic and social levels, to ensure it.
May this present session begin to blaze the trail to that goal.