Your election,
Sir, to the presidency of the forty-ninth session of the
Assembly marks an important moment for your country,
Côte d’Ivoire, and for the entire African continent. I have
the honour to convey to you the warmest wishes of the
people and Government of Andorra. I also take this
opportunity to express appreciation of the great
accomplishments of your predecessor, Ambassador
Insanally.
7

I am speaking before you here only a few hours
before the official opening of the Permanent Mission of the
Principality of Andorra to the United Nations, the first
diplomatic Mission of Andorra anywhere in the world.
This Permanent Mission is the embodiment of the will of
the Andorran people to participate actively in the
implementation of the ideals of the United Nations Charter.
On the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding
of this Organization, our Mission will work towards the
achievement of important goals. For one thing, it will
make careful preparation for the World Summit on Social
Development to be held in Copenhagen. The objectives of
that Summit - namely, to find ways to reduce poverty,
enhance employment opportunities and strengthen social
integration - are particularly important in relation to the
new possibilities for development under consideration by
the Secretary-General in his "Agenda for Development".
For another thing, Andorra will take part, with the greatest
interest, in the work of the Third Committee, whose
activities support our historic devotion to respect for human
rights. I wish also to take this opportunity to acknowledge
the commendable work of the new United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Ambassador Ayala Lasso.
As president of the United States, John Fitzgerald
Kennedy stood before the Berlin Wall and pronounced that
famous phrase, "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner").
And for people everywhere in the world who listened to
him on that historic occasion, the word "Berliner" was
understood to mean "a defender of freedom".
For those countries whose culture expresses itself in
the Catalan language, a similar moment has become equally
historic. I speak of the day when the distinguished
musician and universally recognized artist Paul "Pablo"
Casals boldly affirmed, here at the General Assembly of the
United Nations, before Secretary-General U Thant: "I am
Catalan". Everyone understood immediately that, with
these words, he was beginning a song of liberty and
declaring himself to be the son of a people filled with
respect for others, a people who had created one of the
oldest parliamentary and democratic systems in the world,
as he stated in his dedication to the cause of peace. Let us
remember that the hymn of the United Nations, the Hymn
to Peace, is his work, and that it was played for the first
time, with lyrics by the poet W. H. Auden, on
27 October 1971.
Allow me today to humbly join two such important
and respected figures and proclaim, in the same spirit and
with the same passion, "I am an Andorran". And I hope
that this expression will have the same meaning for you
as the earlier assertions, and not seem to be a childish and
self-centred show of pride, for throughout the centuries
our ancient and small State has always demonstrated its
love of freedom, its will to contribute to balance and
harmony, and its concern to maintain peace.
It has been a little more than a year since Andorra
became a Member of the United Nations, following the
approval of our Constitution and the full adaptation of our
model of statehood to that befitting a State under modern
law. Because of this, and because of the fact that we are
the last of the four small, historically independent
European States - the others being Liechtenstein, San
Marino and Monaco - to have become Members of the
United Nations, it seems that this is an appropriate
occasion on which to reflect on the possible contributions
of micro-States to the family of nations.
It is evident that in a world in which great
operations must be performed on a grand scale, the
simple fact of our existence might appear anachronistic or
irrelevant. Indeed, at a time when the establishment of
the World Trade Organization points towards the end of
protectionism, and the North American Free Trade
Agreement, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Council, and the European Union herald the creation of
large areas in which there is free circulation of goods and
services, one might well question the need for the
continued existence of a number of small States which
often find themselves surrounded, as in our case, by large
supranational entities such as the European Union.
Yet I believe that as we move towards integration,
it becomes more than ever necessary to respect and
preserve the identities of micro-States. It is clear that
these identities are not measured in terms of size, nor do
they allow for the subordination of a minority within a
majority, of a smaller collective identity within another
that is demographically larger.
As democracy consists of government by the
majority and the respect of minorities, on the international
stage the politics of large blocs and of great Powers must
be compatible with the recognition of groups which,
though smaller, must not be relegated in any way to a
status that is discriminatory nor must they be considered
less than what they are.
It is evident that all small States - and probably a
quarter of those represented here are small States in one
way or another - have clear limitations. It is evident also
8

that the contribution of great Powers to the establishment
and the preservation of world order is, and must be,
decisive. But it is also true that, beyond their limitations,
small States have qualities that humanity cannot do without,
especially at the present time when many peace and
reconciliation processes have not been resolved and remain
in need of great generosity, comprehension, tolerance and
a will to compromise.
By their very nature, micro-States must, in an intrinsic
and essential way, have respect for diversity and mutual
harmony. Precisely because of their small size, they have
learned in the long course of history that durable solutions
cannot be imposed, and that the core of the differences
cannot be eliminated. More powerful States can gain useful
knowledge from their experience, built upon a wisdom that
only centuries can provide. This is even more pertinent
today, when the great Powers have begun to show a certain
self-restraint, having discovered that while the use of force
might postpone a conflict, it cannot be the basis for a
lasting solution. May the great Powers of the world be
guided by the rules of conduct that micro-States have been
compelled to adopt, and may the necessity of the small be
the virtue of the large. To propose rather than impose, to
negotiate rather than to compel, to discuss rather than
dictate, to reconcile rather than radicalize, to respect rather
than humiliate, to cooperate rather than exploit, and to
refrain rather than abuse: those are the rules of conduct
dear to the small States, characteristics which appear to be
increasingly necessary in many regions of our planet, if
what we want is for the people of the world to live together
in dignity and fight together against hunger, poverty,
disease and the negative effects of the demographic
explosion.
It is for this reason, that I venture to call the attention
of the members of the Assembly to the virtues of the
micro-States and to ask them to consider whether they
might not make them their own. It is simply a question of
the great nations making an imaginative effort to put
themselves in the place of those who possess neither
military power nor human and economic resources to
impose on others, and consequently to realize that problems
may be approached in another way, with probably better
guarantees for a successful outcome.
This approach finds its origin in the strictest respect
for the identity of others, of their collective personality and
all the features that contribute to it, as well as their culture;
for culture is always an element of integration. And it is
precisely the balance of cultures and their interaction which
is the basis for peaceful coexistence, which is in itself
considerable, and even more for a cordial and fraternal
life together. Let us therefore forget the worries of
assimilation and the belief in the superiority of the
majority, and let us try to organize life together with
mutual respect, something that becomes increasingly
important in a world under great pressure from
demographic change and immigration.
Allow me to refer to my country, the Principality of
Andorra, which with a population of only 61,000
inhabitants has three different educational systems -
Andorran, French, and Spanish - three quarters of its
population being immigrants, and a small territory stuck
like an island in the middle of the European Union. And
I believe that a study of some of the balances that exist in
Andorra might be useful to efforts in southern Africa, in
the Middle East, or in other parts of Europe and the
world where people are struggling to bring about peace.
Think, likewise, of the great worries of our times,
where the drug trafficking and organized crime have led
to a dramatic deterioration in urban safety. Members
might agree with me that the affirmation "small is
beautiful" might appear excessive, but it nevertheless
guarantees a level of security far greater than that which
exists in the enormous urban conurbations of more
developed countries.
I should like further to call the Assembly’s attention
to the urgency of the task of protecting the environment,
and the defence of nature. Members might agree with me
that a smaller territory is much easier to manage,
according to environmental criteria, and consequently that
there is less chance of environmental abuse. In the same
way, the scarcity of human resources probably makes us
more inclined to consider the problems that we shall
discuss at the World Summit on Social Development in
Copenhagen, namely, individual problems of marginalized
people, of those that cannot follow the competitive
majority in the apparent flow of progress, of the disabled,
the sick, and, in general, all those in need of solidarity.
I know that in a forum such as this Christian
individualism is just a partial approach to these questions,
but I am convinced that, with a translation into other
cultures or religions, on a small scale it is much easier to
give a personal answer to the problems of the many. And
also, in general terms, I think that this philosophy is the
one that often inspires solidarity movements, as is the
case today in Rwanda, where, for example, the spirit of
collective life common to small communities might have
prevented conflict.
9

In a world that is increasingly interdependent, and
increasingly globalized, I sincerely believe that the
micro-States, although indeed small, are not superfluous.
And we can even make useful contributions and be points
of reference in many cases. Sovereign States are
increasingly affected by the sovereignty of others and by
necessary international agreements; but freedom, and the
spirit of solidarity are more important than sovereignties or
borders.
I ask the Assembly therefore to consider the possibility
that we all make an effort to act like micro-States: we who
are micro-States, and therefore have no alternative, and
those who are not, because they have come to the
conclusion that this is the way we will all be able, together,
to contribute more positively to peace, progress and
coexistence. And as from the sum of small streams of
water the big rivers are born, perhaps from the sum of
small identities and from respect for others and minorities,
we may be able to build together a more equitable, a more
secure and a more livable world for us, for our children,
and for generations to come.


It is my pleasure at the outset to extend to you
as President of the Assembly at its forty-ninth session,
Sir, and to your fraternal country, Côte d’Ivoire, my
sincere congratulations on your election to preside over
this momentous international assembly. I should like to
assure you of the cooperation of my delegation. We are
confident that your experience in the affairs of this
Organization will enable you to conduct the work of this
session with competence and efficiency.
I should also like to express our appreciation to
Ambassador Samuel Insanally, who conducted the
proceedings of the last session with great skill.
It is also my pleasure to take this opportunity to
convey our sincere congratulations to the Republic of
South Africa on regaining its full membership in the
United Nations after its liberation from apartheid, trusting
that it will resume its role as active member of the
international community.
I avail myself of this opportunity as well to mention
with appreciation the persistent efforts and tireless drive
of His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-
General of the United Nations, to enhance the role of the
United Nations in international affairs and to further the
Organization’s noble objectives. We also note with
appreciation his sincere and continuous endeavours in the
field of development and international economic
cooperation, to which the content of his report “An
Agenda for Development” bears witness.
The Secretary-General’s report “An Agenda for
Development” prompts us to reflect anew, as we approach
the twenty-first century, upon the future of international
3

cooperation in all its aspects. The need for such
questioning undoubtedly gains an air of urgency at a time
when the features of the international post-cold war order
have yet to take a clearly identifiable shape. As the
international community witnessed profound changes in the
wake of the 1815 Vienna Conference, the big powers and
others met to establish patterns for relationships amongst
States within the framework of a global order, to be
buttressed by an international consensus. Yet the current
international period, fraught with a host of interlocked
variables, is noted for the absence of a similar consensus
whereby the features of the new world order could be
identified.
Change is a law of nature. However, the accelerating
pace of change that we witness nowadays is unprecedented;
it has sent tremors into the otherwise monotonous
progression of events and has made the present era a
historic one. It is only by virtue of our understanding of
history as the link between past and present that we are
able to fathom for even a little while what goes on around
us.
Watching the dramatic changes that took place over
the past few years, one could detect two dominant yet
contradictory trends in the course of those changes. One is
the fragmentation that has occurred in certain regions of the
world, causing the emergence on the political map of new
States on ethnic and cultural bases. The other trend is the
inclination towards globalization, especially as the new
technology and current communications revolution have
narrowed the distances between various parts of the world.
The amazing pace and speed of these changes call for new
visions so that the present can be managed and the future’s
dimensions charted.
The desirable structure of the global world order
should, in our view, rest on the following basic principles.
First, the creation of a new vision for all aspects of
development. Second, the development of an
internationally agreed-upon mechanism for the maintenance
of world peace and security. Third, cultural and
civilizational interaction among nations.
Comprehensive development is a cornerstone of world
peace. As the Secretary-General has said in his report,
development is a fundamental human right. It is the safety
valve for peace. We understand that the concept of
development means, basically, the achievement and
sustaining of socio-economic progress. While some
developing countries have been able to overcome some of
the obstacles to their economic and social development,
most of them are still caught in the vicious circle of
economic problems. If we look back 25 years to consider
a 1969 study entitled “A Study of the Capacity of the
United Nations Development System”, we are likely to
realize how optimistic that study was and, in contrast,
how frustrating is the present condition of development in
developing countries. Hence our conviction that the
Secretary-General’s “An Agenda for Development” and
his call for a new vision are an attempt to cast the
development process, with all its human and material
complications, in a new form that would meet the basic
needs of developing countries.
We would like in this connection to welcome the
forthcoming World Summit for Social Development, to be
held in Copenhagen next March. We attach great
importance to that summit, as it should have the potential
to fulfil expectations in the field of social development in
accordance with the provisions of Article 55 of the
Charter. The significance of the summit is underlined by
its programme of work, which addresses three important
issues: the alleviation of poverty and eradication of need,
the creation of employment opportunities and the
promotion of social integration.
Economic growth is a central element of
comprehensive development. Although the world
economy’s performance has improved, relatively
speaking, its growth rate still falls short of the rates of the
1970s and 1980s. During 1993, the growth of the world
economy has not exceeded one percent, nor is it expected
to grow more than two-and-a-half percent during this
year, according to economic projections.
Economic problems that plague the world economy
continue to have adverse effects on the economies of
developing countries — in particular, on their
development process. Those countries are beset by
economic problems that are primarily external and are
manifested mainly in indebtedness, the decline in the
prices of commodities including oil, high interest rates,
the decline in investments, fluctuation of the rate of
exchange, scarcity of cash flows and international trade
barriers.
The world is now in need of an equitable
international economic order that would enable all States,
small and large, to reap the benefits of experience and
great accomplishments in the economic field. In spite of
economic disagreements between States, the economic
situation will improve with firm political will and the
4

genuine desire on the part of all States to solve the
economic problems of the world today.
Encouraging signs of change appeared on the horizon
early this year with the signing of the final document of the
Uruguay Round in Marrakesh and the establishment of the
World Trade Organization. We hope that the objectives of
the said Organization will be translated into concrete reality
for the benefit of all humanity. We believe that the terms
and framework of the Uruguay Round should translate into
access to markets and expansion of international trade to
cover all States. In addition, the World Trade Organization
should contribute effectively to the establishment of a non-
discriminatory trade system. Meanwhile, we voice our
concern that multilateral conventions concerning the
liberalization of trade could be thwarted by the use of
environmental issues as a means to raise protectionist taxes
on international trade, with a view to reducing the use of
certain commodities in world markets.
The second fundamental principle for the world order,
in our opinion, is the achievement of peace and security
throughout the world. It should be based on three basic
elements: the establishment of a feasible collective-security
system, the peaceful settlement of regional and international
disputes and disarmament.
The history and experience of the United Nations in
the field of international peace and security, which was
overburdened by the feverish political polarization which
prevailed during the cold war era, should serve as an
incentive for the international community to build on the
content of the Charter with a view to developing a globally
acceptable and supportable mechanism that would be able
to take firm action, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter
VII of the Charter, with respect to threats to the peace,
breaches of the peace and acts of aggression. It is possible,
in this respect, to develop a pattern of cooperation between
the Security Council and regional organizations in matters
relating to the maintenance of international peace and
security, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII
of the Charter.
With regard to the peaceful settlement of disputes, the
Secretary-General’s proposals, as set out in his report “An
Agenda for Peace”, should be employed by the international
community to maintain international peace and security and
to develop the means whereby the capability of the United
Nations to engage in preventive diplomacy, peacemaking
and peace-keeping may be strengthened and made more
efficacious. Preventive diplomacy is undoubtedly an
effective instrument for preventing the outbreak and
escalation of hostilities between States that would use or
threaten to use force.
Disarmament is an important requirement for the
maintenance of world peace and security. The nightmares
generated by stockpiles of weapons, especially nuclear
weapons, continue to haunt humanity and to cause great
anxiety throughout the world in view of the threat that
such weapons pose to the human race and its security. In
the wake of the bipolar era, and as an inevitable result of
the cold war, the international community has turned its
attention to the question of disarmament. There is an
urgent and growing need to put an end to nuclear terror
and to weapons of mass destruction.
During the past few years many people, in both the
developing and the developed countries, have demanded
that an end be put to the race to acquire nuclear weapons
and other weapons of mass destruction. Although an
understanding to curb the increase in nuclear stockpiles
has been reached as a result of certain concerted efforts,
those stockpiles have yet to be adequately reduced.
It is regrettable that the world has become
capriciously involved in another dilemma of a different
type. I refer to the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and related technology through their
acquisition by illegitimate means. Such arsenals and the
phenomenon of proliferation must be eliminated if the
international community is to ensure that international
peace and security may be maintained.
The third requirement for the establishment of a new
world order is fulfilment of the need of peoples to come
closer to each other, to be better acquainted with each
other through cultural and social interaction with a view
to reinforcing the noble human values and ideals ordained
in monotheistic religions. The world is experiencing an
important epochal transformation as communities shift
their focus from individual States to regional groupings,
such as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of
the Gulf and the European Union. This phase is expected
to lead to another, in which interaction and cohesion
between States and regional groups, with their diverse
cultures, is enhanced, with the ultimate goal of creating a
world that is economically, culturally and intellectually
interrelated.
The profound apprehension, in terms of history and
civilization, of man’s crisis in modern times leads to the
conviction that enlightened dialogue sows the seeds of
cooperation and association between the various nations
5

and races that yearn for security, tranquillity and stability,
even if they are at variance in their cultures and in their
outlook in respect of the human being, life and the
universe. The polemics to which the final document of the
International Conference on Population and Development in
Cairo have given rise are evidence of that variance. This
reality underlines the need for dialogue, especially since we
are at the threshold of the twenty-first century.
The significance of the Cairo Conference was due to
the crucial human-life-related issues that it addressed, such
as the family and family planning, productive health, the
relationship between the environment and inhabitants and
other issues that concern countries, both rich and poor.
Bahrain, which participated in that Conference, has
endorsed such provisions of the Final Document as are
consonant with the magnanimous Islamic law, our social
values and our national legislation.
The Middle East is one of the regions that have
experienced particularly severe and bloody wars and
hostilities. The longest of these was the Arab-Israeli
conflict, which repeatedly threatened regional and
international security. This fact underlines the need to
establish the order of relations between the States of the
region on a basis of co-equal security.
I should like to reaffirm here our full support for the
policy of freeing the Middle East region from nuclear and
other weapons of mass destruction and, accordingly —
bearing in mind its capability in this field — we call upon
on Israel to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons. We are confident that the elimination
of such destructive weapons will be of benefit not only in
the area of peace and security but also in the areas of
development as the resources saved as a result of reduced
expenditure on armaments could be diverted to economic
and social areas, thus enabling the peoples of the region to
raise their living standards and secure a better life for future
generations.
Bahrain welcomed the signing of the Declaration of
Principles between the Palestine Liberation Organization
and Israel on 13 September 1993 and regarded it as the first
step toward a comprehensive peaceful and just settlement
in the Middle East. Since that historic event there have
been other developments in the peace process. Among
these was the signing, in Cairo on 4 May, of the self-rule
Agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization
and Israel. This was followed by the Palestinian self-rule
authority’s arrival in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. The
Jordanian and Israeli sides also were able to sign the
Washington Declaration on 25 July this year.
We welcome these developments and hope that they
will constitute a first positive move towards a
comprehensive and just peace on the basis of Security
Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the
other resolutions of international legality and the land-for-
peace principle. We view these steps as a breakthrough
in the attempts to achieve peace, and we hope that they
are the beginning of the solution to the question of
Palestine and of the process of enabling the Palestinian
people to secure their legitimate national rights, including
the right to their own independent State.
It is our hope that, in the context of the peace
process in the region, efforts on the other tracks will yield
positive results so that the process may be concluded
successfully. It is hoped that the negotiations will lead to
complete Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab
territories, including Holy Al-Quds, the Syrian Arab
Golan and southern Lebanon.
While we affirm our deep interest in the
achievement of peace and development in the Middle East
region, the State of Bahrain, as expressed by His
Highness Sheikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa at the
opening of the third session of the Consultative Council
last week,
“deems it incumbent upon it to stress that the
ensuing peace should be comprehensive, the security
mutual and the development common.”
His Highness continued:
“All peoples and countries of the region should reap
the tangible results.”
It is our conviction that the peace process should be
comprehensive and integrated, for it would be futile to
focus on achieving peace and development in one part of
the region while leaving unresolved problems of others.
Mutual security and vital interests should involve all
parties that are called upon to take part in peacemaking
and mutual development. In this context, all steps by all
parties should be taken in a measured, balanced and
equitable manner.
My delegation wishes to express its support for the
Syrian Arab Republic in insisting on its right to regain
sovereignty over its territories in the Golan that have been
6

occupied since 1967. We also call on Israel to withdraw
completely and unconditionally from southern Lebanon,
pursuant to Security Council resolution 425 (1978). The
past has taught us that inequitable peace is the shortest way
to more crises. This must be realized by all those who are
interested in the future well-being and stability of the
region.
Security, stability and political balance in sensitive
regions are important. Territorial and boundary claims
aimed at changing the present boundaries of States are
matters of concern to my country. It is our conviction that
the ideal means of dealing with such issues is to respect the
existing and generally recognized borders between States,
and to settle all differences that may rise by peaceful means
acceptable to both sides.
Accordingly, we stress that Iraq should implement
Security Council resolutions relating to Kuwait and should
officially recognize Kuwait’s sovereignty and release all
Kuwaiti and other prisoners of war and detainees. As we
call on Iraq to comply with the requirements of
international legitimacy, we express at the same time our
insistence on Iraq’s unity, sovereignty and territorial
integrity and our sympathy with the brotherly people of
Iraq, who are beset by difficult economic and living
conditions. It is our hope that these conditions will change
once the causes for them have been removed.
It is regrettable that the dispute between the United
Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran in relation
to the question of sovereignty over the islands of Abu
Moussa, Greater Tumb and Lesser Tumb has not abated,
because it adversely affects the security and stability of the
Gulf region. With that in mind, the State of Bahrain calls
on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the invitation
by the United Arab Emirates to seek a settlement of the
dispute over those islands through serious bilateral talks and
through other peaceful means available for the settlement of
disputes between States by mutual consent.
The situation in Somalia is still precarious despite all
the good offices and sincere efforts of the United Nations,
the League of Arab States and the international community
at large. While we voice our concern over the situation in
that sister nation, we maintain that it is the Somali parties
themselves that have the primary responsibility for the
achievement of peace, the protection of Somali national
interests and the rebuilding of the institutions of a unified
Somalia. Bahrain also supports the recent League of Arab
States resolution calling for the establishment of a
ministerial committee to follow, along with the Secretary-
General of the Arab League, the situation in Somalia and
developments there, and to maintain appropriate contacts
with a view to finding a suitable solution to the dangerous
state of affairs and to achieving national reconciliation, in
the interest of Somali unity and the well-being of the
Somali people.
The plight that has afflicted the Republic of Bosnia
and Herzegovina for the last two and a half years persists
with full intensity. This year, the Serb aggressors have
continued relentlessly to commit appalling massacres,
killings, torture and rape against unarmed Bosnians, in
flagrant disregard of the rules of international
humanitarian law that outlaw such practices. In
pursuance of their policy of fait accompli through the
seizure of more territory, the aggressors persist in
preventing delivery of humanitarian relief supplies,
violating the sanctity of and destroying places of worship
and carrying out “ethnic cleansing”.
The unabated aggression against the Republic of
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a clear test of the effectiveness
of the United Nations and its role in providing protection
to populations. The Serb aggression against Sarajevo and
Gorazde has shown the extent to which the Security
Council is intentionally avoiding ensuring that its own
resolutions are implemented against the Serbs. Although
in all its relevant resolutions, including resolutions 900
(1994) and 913 (1994), the Council has affirmed the
sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and political
independence of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
none of these resolutions have yet been enforced. The
Security Council is now in a dilemma, since
developments have shown the great difference between
adopting resolutions and taking action to implement them.
The adoption by Security Council of resolution 943
(1994) which relaxed the sanctions against Serbia and
Montenegro was, in our view, tantamount to rewarding an
aggressor whose credibility has not been demonstrated.
We believe rather that the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina is the one that deserves reparations and
should be rewarded for accepting the peace plan advanced
recently by the five-party Contact Group — a plan
rejected by the Serbs. Through its President, Mr. Alija
Izetbegovic, the Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina also
accepted the proposed postponement of the lifting of the
arms embargo against it for another six months, a position
that indeed warrants appreciation by the international
community and all peace-loving nations.
7

With regard to the situation in Afghanistan, we are
deeply concerned over the escalation of fighting between
the parties to the dispute. We appeal to all Afghan factions
to put the national interests of the Afghan people above all
other considerations by putting an end to the fighting
among them, pursuant to the provisions of the Mecca
agreement of 1993.
Among the appalling developments in Rwanda this
year were the dreadful massive massacres committed in
tribal strife within the nation. For our part, we support the
efforts exerted by the international community with a view
to repatriating the refugees and displaced persons and to
putting an end to the tragedy resulting from the civil war.
As far as the Cyprus question is concerned, we are
interested in seeing the obstacles to settlement removed.
We are deeply encouraged by the good offices of the
Secretary-General and hope they will lead to a solution that
may be satisfactory to both communities, especially now
that both sides have declared that they accept, in principle,
a set of confidence-building measures.
In a few months, we shall see the dawn of 1995. In
that year we will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the
United Nations. Although the Organization coexisted with
political polarization during the cold-war era, the peoples
and Governments of the world continued to be loyal to it
for five decades. They are now counting on the
Organization to contribute to the formulation of a new
world order for the future. To that end, it behooves us as
Member States to make available to the Organization the
capability and the necessary means which would enable it
to face all the challenges ahead. The Organization should
develop itself into an effective instrument capable of coping
with global changes. A number of important steps should
therefore be taken, including above all gaining the support
of the Security Council for the desired reforms. The
growing number of Member States and the emergence in
the international arena of new influential Powers justify
such reforms.
It should be noted in this respect that a growing
number of Member States have begun in recent years to
assume effective roles in the work of the Organization and
to contribute to the maintenance of world peace and
security. Proceeding from this, Bahrain looks forward to
contributing to such efforts should it be elected to a term
on the Security Council.
The ability of the United Nations to prevent disputes
and to maintain world peace depends greatly on the
credibility of the principles of the Charter, which should,
as a basic rule, guide the discussions and decisions of the
United Nations, and particularly of the Security Council.
If it is perceived that application is selective, credibility
will suffer and the moral authority which is a basic
feature of the Charter will be weakened.
Notwithstanding certain failures, the many great
successes the Organization has achieved in many parts of
the world deepen our conviction that the United Nations
an indispensable guarantee for a future in which our
hopes for international peace and security will be fulfilled.
As it approaches the end of the twentieth century,
mankind longs for a world in which international relations
will be governed by the principles of equality, justice and
the renunciation of the use or threat of force. Mankind
longs for stability and peace based on solid foundations
of understanding, good-neighbourliness and non-
interference in internal affairs as a means of consolidating
the ideals of justice, security and peace amongst all
nations.


At the outset, I should like to extend my sincere
congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to the
presidency of the forty-ninth session of the General
Assembly, and to the newly elected members of the
Bureau. Your outstanding personal and professional
qualities are, I am sure, a guarantee of the success of our
work.
I also take this occasion to pay a tribute to your
predecessor on the podium, Mr. Samuel Insanally, who,
often in difficult circumstances, fulfilled his mandate
expertly and efficiently. For instance, the opportunity he
gave us freely to express our opinions and ideas on
several important problems of our time, such as that of
development, was a significant initiative that will certainly
5

have a positive impact on all our further thinking and work
on these questions.
I turn now to our Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, to thank him warmly for his efforts in
undertaking the very complex and sensitive missions
entrusted to him by the General Assembly and the Security
Council over the past months. Given that, in many
respects, the state of the world continues to deteriorate,
these efforts have been all the more worthy. While some
conflicts were born or rekindled, others - often long-
standing, but no less virulent - have become worse or have
expanded. Brutality and violence, sometimes interethnic,
have all too often exploded, and no real means have existed
or been available to redress their effects or the harm they
have caused.
While we have been heartened by certain encouraging
developments in South Africa - which we welcome back to
democratic life - or in the Middle East, many potential
conflicts remain and others have already erupted or are
about to do so. Entire peoples are still under the yoke of
dictatorship. The suffering and barbarity entailed are all the
more vicious and painful because the methods of repression
have kept pace with scientific and technical advances. The
crimes of the highest civilization go hand in hand with the
crimes of the highest barbarity. More than ever before,
women, children, the elderly and the weakest and most
vulnerable are threatened and victimized. When peace
collapses - and the more fragile it is the more violent is its
collapse - war quickly becomes total, and civilian
populations, especially the poorest, are rarely spared.
The international community, pained and
overwhelmed, can only resort, in desperation, to
humanitarian assistance. Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Rwanda are the most striking examples of this. Most often,
this humanitarian assistance comes in response to tragic
situations and complex political circumstances that make it
difficult to deliver and, despite all the haste and the efforts
made, render its benefits uncertain.
Bearing in mind the decisions taken by the Security
Council in the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a view
to protecting the civilian populations, and inspired by the
courageous and generous initiative recently undertaken by
France in Rwanda with the support of Africa and the
United Nations, should not the international community
adopt a convention-based instrument that would meet this
challenge? For such challenges could face it again in the
future.
Through such an instrument, States parties would
undertake in advance to authorize in case of a conflict the
establishment of protection and security areas reserved for
defenceless children, women and the elderly. The
boundaries of these zones would, of course, need to be
clearly established, with the agreement of the State or
States concerned. Special access routes to such areas -
neutralized airports, roads and railroads - would be
provided for in this treaty in order to ensure the delivery
of humanitarian assistance. The protection and
functioning of these areas would have to be guaranteed by
unarmed agents, preferably volunteers, under the auspices
and responsibility of the United Nations, and they would
wear white helmets or have some other distinctive
insignia, as has already been suggested.
The Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12
August 1949 - which envisaged cordons sanitaires and
security zones, without however making them mandatory
- could serve as a model to a great extent when we
consider this matter. Does not protection for the most
vulnerable sectors of the non-combatant population -
children, women and the elderly - deserve true
international commitment? It would be particularly
significant and symbolic if, on the occasion of its fiftieth
anniversary, after considering a desirability study drafted
by the Secretary-General, our Organization equipped itself
with such an instrument, open for signature by all States,
providing for the establishment of humanitarian zones in
time of conflict.
In this way, the High Commissioner for Refugees,
the United Nations Children’s Fund and international
charitable institutions such as the International Committee
of the Red Cross or certain non-governmental
organizations recognized for their humanitarian activities
would be in a better position rapidly to provide
protection, relief and assistance to the civilian populations
afflicted by destructive conflicts and deprived of their
most fundamental rights.
While it is more important than ever for our
Organization to secure for itself effective means of
protecting innocent civilian populations, we must none the
less not neglect future generations. By depleting the
natural resources of our Earth and damaging our
environment, often out of simple negligence, we are
jeopardizing the future and the happiness of our children.
The Principality of Monaco is fully aware of this and is
striving to assist to the extent within its power in
6

protecting the environment as well as in combating
pollution in the oceans and seas.
By virtue of its maritime traditions, Monaco has
primarily throughout its history stressed the protection of
the resources of the marine environment. A large number
of initiatives have been taken in this respect on the local,
regional and even international levels. The Principality is
always ready to step up its efforts and to strengthen
international cooperation in these areas.
Indeed, in this respect a cooperative undertaking with
the United Nations has existed since 1961. Pursuant to an
agreement concluded between the International Atomic
Energy Agency and the Government of Monaco, an
international marine radioactivity laboratory has been
operating in the Principality. This laboratory has garnered
important and interesting experience in the realm of the
measurement of levels of radioactivity in the seas and
oceans. With the assistance of the United Nations
Environment Programme, it has developed various methods
of monitoring the marine environment on a worldwide
scale.
The proclamation of 1998 as the International Year of
the Ocean, as proposed by the Economic and Social
Council, would, I am convinced, provide an opportunity to
bolster this international cooperation and to once again take
stock of the marine environment, after the assessment
drawn up in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 at the Earth Summit.
In this spirit, we have paid particular attention to
certain conclusions of the Fourth United Nations
Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory
Fish Stocks whose migrations take place both within and
outside exclusive economic zones, which took place here in
August. The alarm that was sounded as a result in
particular of the report drawn up by the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with respect
to the overexploitation of the seas and oceans cannot leave
us indifferent. The careful husbandry and use of such
precious marine resources and the stepped up struggle to
combat marine pollution should continue to be the subject
of the most energetic and attentive concern on the part of
this Organization.
The agreement recently adopted in the context of the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - and we
very much welcome the felicitous conclusion of that
agreement - demonstrates that with goodwill, the
international community can find the right formulae to
accommodate the interests of all by preserving the general
interest, that is, thinking globally but also acting locally.
Only world cooperation can make it possible to
solve the grave problems associated with safeguarding our
environment and as a result respond to the tremendous
challenges that we face now and will increasingly face in
the future. With future generations in mind, I feel
impelled to speak of the future of our Organization,
which next year will celebrate a landmark event: its
fiftieth anniversary.
Important world conferences - the one on population
and development which has just concluded in Cairo, the
one on social development scheduled for Copenhagen in
March next year, or the Fourth World Conference on
Women, which will take place in September 1995 in
Beijing - have been and will be opportunities to intensify
our thinking and build up our means of intervention in
key areas for the future.
The work in progress to improve the functioning of
the Organization and its structures is encouraging. The
Government of the Principality is following these
developments with interest.
I should be remiss if I concluded my statement
without thanking the members of the Security Council
and the States that have contributed to peace-keeping
operations and without stating that the Principality fully
appreciates the sacrifices made. Men and women serving
the Organization have lost their lives. We salute them
and pay tribute to their memory. We must be watchful -
and this is a major responsibility - in order to ensure
better protection for these soldiers of peace while
remembering their wives, their children and their families.
Our action is and should always be designed first
and foremost to serve mankind, to alleviate its sufferings
and remedy the evils of its plight. Is it not time at last to
say, as André Breton wrote, "for man to go over to the
side of man, lock, stock and barrel".
I wish, as I conclude my statement, to express my
fervent and sincere wishes for the success of the work of
this forty-ninth session of the General Assembly.
I venture to hope that thanks to general goodwill and
mutual understanding we may be able to find practical
and effective solutions, in keeping with the spirit and
letter of the Charter of the United Nations, to the key
issues before us for our consideration.


On behalf of the
Government and people of Thailand, I extend warmest
congratulations to Mr. Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire on
his election as President of the General Assembly at its
forty-ninth session. I am confident that he will provide
the General Assembly with the leadership to guide the
session to a successful conclusion.
I should also like to pay tribute to Ambassador
Insanally, the General Assembly’s President at its
forty-eighth session. My delegation very much
appreciates his untiring and effective leadership and his
dedication to the work of this body. Under his
presidency, the General Assembly had an eventful year,
and its role was enhanced in ways which were beneficial
to the Organization.
Thailand joins the rest of the international
community in congratulating the Government and people
of South Africa on having established a united,
democratic and non-racial country. They have shown us
that compromise is possible and that even the most
long-standing and bitter of conflicts can be resolved
peacefully. This achievement is due entirely to the
exceptional vision, courage and pragmatism of the
country’s leaders - in particular, President Nelson
Mandela and Executive Deputy President F.W. de Klerk.
Tribute must also be paid to the United Nations, and in
particular to the Special Committee against Apartheid, for
its contributions to the positive changes in South Africa.
There is another bright spot giving all of us hope for
a more peaceful world. Since the Thai Government has
long supported the Middle East peace process, the
18

termination of the state of war between Jordan and Israel,
announced in Washington in July this year, following last
year’s historic agreement between Israel and the PLO, gives
all of us reason to rejoice. We hope that it will lead to
further agreements on "other tracks" acceptable to all
parties concerned, so that a durable peace in the Middle
East may finally be achieved.
We also welcome the positive developments
concerning the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and
hope that dialogue and negotiation between the parties
concerned will eventually result in that part of the world
enjoying lasting peace and stability.
However, in spite of the promising outlook for
international peace and security, there remain political and
military conflicts of both global and regional magnitude.
It is therefore imperative that countries continue unfailing
efforts to secure a stable and peaceful international
environment. As a first step in this direction, the
international community could support and cooperate in
efforts towards comprehensive reform and total
revitalization of the United Nations to enable the
Organization to meet the new challenges of today’s world
and to assist Members efficiently in their peaceful
endeavours.
Thailand pledges its continued support for the
Secretary-General’s proposals in "An Agenda for Peace".
These constitute an innovative and practical framework for
the maintenance of international peace and security and
deserve serious consideration by all Member States.
In South-East Asia, realizing the need to ensure a
secure and peaceful international environment, the
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) took the
lead in promoting political and security dialogues and
consultations in the Asia-Pacific region by initiating the
establishment of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
Designed to be a high-level consultative forum on political
and security matters, the ARF held its first meeting in
Bangkok on 25 July 1994, after the twenty-seventh ASEAN
ministerial meeting. Nineteen ministers from countries in
the Asia-Pacific region and from the European Union
attended this historic meeting to discuss political and
security cooperation issues, such as the latest developments
on regional situations, and decided to carry out some
practical confidence-building measures applicable to the
Asia-Pacific region.
As Chairman of the first ARF meeting, Thailand is
pleased with the results of the meeting and its
achievements. In particular, Thailand is grateful for the
kind cooperation it received from all countries concerned.
Since the success of this first meeting, the ARF has
become a viable forum for the promotion of trust as well
as political and security cooperation within the
Asia-Pacific region. The ARF has also demonstrated its
potential to make substantive contributions towards the
United Nations efforts at preventive diplomacy and at
maintaining international peace and security.
In other words, the ARF got off to a good start.
Thailand is fully aware that the first meeting of the ARF
in Bangkok was only the beginning. For this reason,
Thailand views the inter-sessional activities at various
levels among officials from ARF countries as necessary
for the ARF’s continued success. These activities could
help the ARF find its future direction and enable it to
become more efficient and productive.
Political and military security are but one aspect of
the bigger picture facing us. As we search for a new
international order based on a common set of principles
and values, we need to change our way of thinking. We
also need a new culture of development cooperation and
new definitions of the notions of security and
development.
The winds of change have begun to sweep across the
globe. We are now witnessing the creation of major
landmarks of international consensus-building. In 1992,
the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit set a new stage for
global partnership on the environment and sustainable
development. Last year (in Vienna), the World
Conference on Human Rights was held, producing a
world programme of action. Last month in Cairo we
witnessed the International Conference on Population and
Development. Next year in Copenhagen, the World
Summit for Social Development will be held. This
Summit will serve as a bridge between this year’s
Conference on Population and Development in Cairo and
next year’s Fourth World Conference on Women in
Beijing. It also presents a unique opportunity for the
international community to respond, on a global level, to
urgent human and social concerns that place people at the
centre of the development process.
The Thai Government accords special importance to
social development. In light of this, we have established
a social cabinet dedicated to formulating policies and
finding solutions to a number of pressing social problems.
We have also organized a joint committee comprising
members of the private sector and of Government and
19

chaired by the Prime Minister. Its mandate is to oversee
efforts to alleviate the social problems that beset a growing
economy, such as those being experienced by my country
and others in the region.
Thailand has participated and will continue to
participate actively in all global deliberations. These
conferences create new paradigms of international conduct
which give rise to the various comprehensive global plans
of action. They have also started the new process of
redefining the notions of security and development.
Security in this final decade of the twentieth century
goes well beyond the familiar concepts of old. It must
involve people - how they live and how they exercise their
choices. It should be security with a human face, because
it must deal directly with political, economic, environmental
and social aspects of our lives in a comprehensive manner.
Development, as pointed out by the Secretary-General,
must be seen in its five interlinked dimensions: with peace
as the foundation; the economy as the engine of progress;
the environment as a basis for sustainability; justice as a
pillar of society; and democracy as good governance. My
country shares these perceptions and supports their premises
as envisioned by the Secretary-General.
It is with this awareness that Thailand approaches its
work on the international agenda for development. Such an
agenda should reflect and indeed promote self-reliance as
well as interdependence among Member States. There is
no doubt that development is primarily a national
responsibility. Yet, it is also a shared responsibility of the
international community. It is our firm belief that the
development effort of any State in today’s world must be
supported by a conducive international environment, based
on free and fair trading practices. The completion of the
Uruguay Round and the creation of the World Trade
Organization now hold out the prospect of providing
significant benefits to the world economy.
A United Nations agenda for development should not
be given any less importance than the agenda for peace.
These two intertwined issues must be the core of any effort
to strengthen the role and activities of the United Nations
as we approach the next century.
Together with the "An Agenda for Peace", "An agenda
for development" should serve as an instrument for the
coordination of activities within the United Nations, as well
as between the United Nations and the Bretton Woods
institutions, and other non-governmental organizations. It
should be an instrument to create unity of purpose, at
both the policy and operational levels, within the
Organization. The United Nations cannot be a strong
force for peace unless it is also a strong force for
development.
The United Nations remains humanity’s best hope
for creating a more desirable world - a world with a
conscience, a world which recognizes that humans
everywhere, young or old, strong or weak, are at the
centre of our communal and individual efforts. To this
end, I should like to reaffirm Thailand’s commitment to
this vision, which cannot be fulfilled without the active
participation of Member States. Thailand will do its part
in contributing to this end. We hope that other countries
will also chip in with their fair share of contributions. A
world united by this vision and this unity of purpose will
surely be a better place for us all and, more important, for
our children and grandchildren.


I wish cordially to greet you, Mr. Amara Essy of Cote d’Ivoire, and to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I pledge the fullest cooperation of the delegation of Paraguay.
Nor can I fail to echo the congratulations offered to Ambassador Samuel Insanally on the way he guided the work of the last session of the General Assembly.
It is my pleasure also to hail the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and convey to him well- deserved congratulations on the excellent manner in which he has carried out his tasks. On behalf of the Government and the people of Paraguay, a founding Member of the United Nations, I pledge to him our full support for the Organization. It is our hope that he will visit our country as soon as he can; this would be further testament to our support for the United Nations and to our expectations as to what the United Nations can do to assist Paraguay in its current process of full democratization. That democratization has been under way in Paraguay since February 1989; it is now being consolidated under the Administration of Mr. Juan Carlos Wasmosy, President of the Republic.
In this Hall one year ago, the President of Paraguay committed himself to consolidating the democratic process, with the support of the vast majority of Paraguayans from the different political parties and organizations that demonstrate the pluralism of our society, which is irrevocably determined to defend freedom, democracy and respect for human rights. Today, the name of Paraguay does not appear in the dossiers of human rights violations. Not a single United Nations or other agency of the international community has failed to note the undeniable progress in our country in every area connected with dignifying the human person, and the efforts we have made in the social sector.
Hence, as I pledge on behalf of my Government and my entire society that we shall never, under any circumstances, diverge from the democratic ideal, I cannot fail to observe that problems remain in achieving a level of development with social justice; we shall keep trying to solve them resolutely, and in many cases with international cooperation.
We shall not be satisfied until we secure for our inhabitants - Paraguayans and foreigners whom we have welcomed into our land - living standards considered adequate according to United Nations indexes. In view of the magnitude of the task, we again stress that the burden cannot be borne by one people alone. For us to be competitive, conditions in the international system must change: markets must be more open; credit must be more readily available, and at lower interest rates; and technology must be more accessible. We therefore believe in global solidarity, especially of the developed nations.
The people of the developing countries cannot be asked to make greater sacrifices than they are already making unless they see a similar trend towards the transformation of the international community. If democracy and freedom are to exist and endure, peoples must enjoy development and better living conditions.
I should like briefly to refer to our economic recovery, which began in 1989 and has produced very
favorable results, even during a period of transition and major structural changes.
Paraguay has been pursuing a policy of free trade and floating exchange rates, coupled with total freedom of movement for financial services and capital. The external debt has been reduced to $1.26 billion, almost the same as our current reserves of $1 billion. Paraguay offers a variety of tax incentives to both its own and outside investors for investment in production activities. These incentives place our country among those offering the best and most attractive terms in Latin America.
Our privatization policy, which started with money-losing national industries, is already enshrined in our legal code. Furthermore, we project a growth in gross domestic product of 4.5 per cent this year.
Education and training are a major priority of our Government, because it feels that accelerated development depends on well-trained people.
As regards economic integration, the Treaty of Asuncion was signed in the capital of Paraguay in 1991, establishing the Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR). At the recent meeting of the Presidents of the MERCOSUR countries, held in Buenos Aires on 5 August, they took a decisive step forward by agreeing by consensus to establish a common external tariff.
In connection with this economic integration, we are pleased to confirm that Paraguay firmly and enthusiastically supports the negotiations on the entry into MERCOSUR of the fraternal Republics of Bolivia and Chile. Paraguay has suggested to its MERCOSUR partners the establishment of essential supranational machinery, such as the office of secretary-general and a court of justice. That would allow us to hold joint negotiations with the European Union, as has seemed feasible since its Council's Corfu meeting, and with the signatories of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The summit of American nations convened in Miami by President Clinton will be an event of great significance for relations in this hemisphere in our common search for ever greater understanding among countries of this continent on political, economic and trade matters.
At the subregional level, only a few weeks ago we were able to set in motion the first of 20 turbines of the huge Yacyreta hydroelectric dam, built jointly by Paraguay and Argentina.

The Government of Paraguay has worked hard to develop ties with the outside world in order to break out of the isolation arising from its landlocked condition and, until 1989, its deliberate marginalization by an authoritarian Government.
In bilateral terms, though it may seem redundant to say this, it is appropriate to recall that Paraguay benefits from a vast hydroelectric capacity already in place: the Itaipu station, shared with Brazil, with an output of 12.6 million kilowatts; and that at Yacyreta, shared with Argentina, with an output of some 4 million kilowatts. There is therefore no question but that Paraguay is now, and will remain, an ideal place for major foreign and domestic investment and for implementing a policy of industrialization, based on our abundant, low-cost energy.
It must be remembered, however, that Paraguay suffers a structural limitation that would appear to limit its development potential: its lack of a seaboard. We wish to turn this handicap, which has had a very negative impact on Paraguay in the past, into an advantage. I refer to the fact that Paraguay, being at the center of MERCOSUR, can act as a hinge or pivot par excellence, together with Bolivia, between MERCOSUR and the Andean Common Market.
At the regional, Latin American level, I wish to refer first to Paraguay's involvement in the Fourth Ibero- American Summit of Pleads of State and Government. The presence of our entire Ibero-American community, together with Spain and Portugal, strengthened us all, because of the cultural, historical, political and other ties that bind us closely. I should like to stress that Paraguay regards this conference as an essential link in its ties with the European Union and as a major forum with great potential.
Another important event this year, again at the regional level, was the Eighth Conference of Presidents and Heads of Government of the Rio Group, which ended a few weeks ago. Paraguay fully endorsed the Declaration of the Rio Group, particularly with regard to the situations in Haiti and Cuba and the problem of drug-trafficking.
Paraguay actively participated in producing the declaration in regard to the fraternal Republic of Cuba, which expresses the strong hope that it will introduce significant political and economic reforms in accordance with the people's will, and stating that we respect the self-determination of peoples and the principle of non-intervention. Paraguay lent its fullest support to the Rio Group's decisions, including its declaration on lifting the embargo against Cuba.
With regard to the new post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Paraguay wishes to state that his great efforts with regard to individual rights must be complemented by the promotion of social and collective human rights.
We have throughout fully endorsed the principle of the peaceful resolution of international conflicts, including the case of Haiti. In this, Paraguay is strengthened by its traditional commitment to peace. In 1923 we contributed to international law for the Americas with the Gondra Treaty of conciliation and arbitration, which has become one of the pillars of Latin America's juridical system.
Along these lines of thought and practice, Paraguay enthusiastically welcomes the recent progress in connection with the United Nations Decade of International Law. Paraguay supports the codification of this branch of law; it will be one of the greatest achievements of the United Nations. In this connection, Paraguay has signed and ratified the main agreements that constitute the legal structure created through the United Nations.
Paraguay is keenly following and promoting mankind's urgent demand for international cooperation for development. For it is just as important to build peace through development as to maintain it through law. Here I want once more publicly to express our deep thanks to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), whose timely and effective work we have seen at first hand. We also acknowledge the fundamental importance of the development work of the World Bank, the Inter-American Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
We hail the Secretary-General's recent decision to seek better coordination within the United Nations system on technical cooperation and to make the Administrator of UNDP fully responsible for coordination system wide, including with the regional commissions and all other program. From this decision the United Nations will gain in efficiency and in the impact of its world-wide activities.
Paraguay also backs the entire process for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade and the opening of negotiations on international economic cooperation for development, which appears on the agenda of the General Assembly.

Yet, in a spirit of honor and fraternity, I wish to repeat what I said here in New York at the June 1994 session of the Economic and Social Council - namely, that:
"We feel that the distribution of funds for United Nations programs and projects world wide is imbalanced; as Latin Americans, we believe that the proportion allocated to our region, by UNDP for example, is unfair: only 8.66 per cent is allocated for programs in Latin American countries, while other regions are allocated 50.42 per cent and 40.67 per cent respectively".
UNDP contributes only 17 per cent to Paraguay's program; Paraguay pays the rest. But we appreciate and wish to continue to count on UNDP’s support.
Paraguay looks forward with keen interest and commitment to the World Summit for Social Development, to be held at Copenhagen. We are preparing to participate in that conference and have high expectations about the positive results it can achieve. We have promised that the President of the Republic of Paraguay will attend that great event. Paraguay is so enthusiastic about the conference because the three basic items on its agenda are very closely connected with today's social problems: social integration, particularly of the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups; relief and reduction of poverty; and an increase in productive employment. As the draft agenda points out, all of this must be in the context of a propitious economic environment - and, we would add, with international cooperation. Here, Paraguay cannot fail to note that a characteristic of our times is economic growth without job-creation, a situation that must be corrected, since one of today's problems is indeed unemployment.
Paraguay earnestly supports ongoing efforts, will support future efforts, developed by the United Nations in all areas of disarmament: nuclear, chemical and others.
The Assembly should know that in the area of social development Paraguay has established a special commission to prepare for the Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held at Beijing. The commission brings together State and private bodies, which are drafting a final report on the situation of women in Paraguay.
As a full member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), Paraguay hopes that the results of the Uruguay Round will have beneficial effects for us. We are convinced that the Uruguay Round is the beginning of a process of downscaling policies of subsidy and protectionism. Paraguay confidently looks forward to the follow-up to GATT and to the work of its complementary successor body, the World Trade Organization.
Paraguay fully shares in the entire international community's anguish at drug trafficking, and at the evil effects of that phenomenon. Notwithstanding our meager resources, we are doing whatever is necessary to root it out wherever it is hiding, and to fight it head on. But, with the strength derived from reason, Paraguay affirms that the consumer countries, transit countries and producer countries alike must undertake an equal commitment to adopting vigorous measures. Unilateral efforts, however vigorous, to combat drug production and trafficking can never be successful without gradual shrinkage of the markets that give rise to production and trafficking in the first place.
Linked with this universal scourge, which we condemn with all our strength and conviction, is the phenomenon of corruption, a human failing that is seen in varying degrees in all four comers of the Earth. Corruption spreads its tentacles as a reflection of a civilization that is prodigious in economic, financial, scientific, technical and industrial terms but is, we must admit, often found wanting in the firm ethical underpinnings and the genuine human values that strengthen and give vitality to a culture.
Paraguay is following with great attention all United Nations efforts with respect to agenda item 142, "Measures to eliminate international terrorism". Recent grave events in certain parts of the world, indeed on our own continent, clearly show that the international community needs a new approach, through well-coordinated action, to overcoming this serious problem, which, as we know, sometimes links drug-trafficking mafias with terrorism.
On the question of equitable representation on and an increase in the membership of the Security Council, Paraguay believes that in today's changing world we must attune the Organization to the requirements of the times and current circumstances. Hence, my country believes it just to democratize the representation of States on the Security Council, and for the Council's decision-making to be transparent. The world situation has changed, and the United Nations must adapt to those changes. We repeat what we said at the last meeting of the Rio Group - namely, that
"because of its legal tradition and its contribution to
the cause of peace, the Latin American and
Caribbean region must be considered in any
expansion of the Security Council".
Paraguay also firmly supports parallel efforts to revitalize the functioning of the General Assembly.
I want to mention and to highlight our great satisfaction at the obvious, sustained advance of democracy in Latin America, and at the consolidation of the various processes that are under way.
We should like to reaffirm that the United Nations must continue to apply the principle of universality, making room within its ranks for all peace-loving States that meet the requirements as set forth in the Charter and that are prepared to honor its principles and purposes. We believe that the entry of the Republic of China as an independent country should be considered, along with the case of any other State that meets the conditions I have just mentioned.
I should like officially to declare that, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, Paraguay pledges even now to have its President take part personally in the session of the Assembly. The President of our Republic will make the voice of my homeland heard on that most welcome occasion.
Meanwhile, my country has established an ad hoc commission on the commemoration of that major event.
The environment, the subject of the magnificent 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, is a matter of the greatest concern to Paraguay, which is prepared to support any and all initiatives aimed at preserving the environment through sustainable development, as well as to enact any appropriate measures that do not undermine economic growth.
By the same token, Paraguay declares its deep concern at the situation affecting the Pilcomayo River, which is an international waterway inasmuch as its source is in Bolivia and it forms the border between Argentina and Paraguay.
We are now facing a major environmental problem since that international river springs from the mountains and is now growing shallower in its course because of sedimentation build-up. Moreover, the Pilcomayo, owing to works undertaken on Argentine territory, has had some

70 per cent of its volume absorbed in the territory of our neighbor. These facilities are doing a great deal of damage to the Chaco region of Paraguay, especially to its livestock and to the population.
Paraguay hopes that matters will return to normal, that is, that the course of the Pilcomayo River will resume its balance, irrigating both border areas in an equitable way. We fully trust that we will manage to reach complete agreement with the Republic of Argentina to restore this balance at the earliest possible time.
To that end, we will have to go to the very source of the Pilcomayo to seek a rational and comprehensive solution which, inevitably, will require a trilateral agreement in the form of a law governing the confluence of interests of Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay in respect of the river's course.
As Paraguay is a land-locked country, it has an especially keen interest in the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which our country ratified as early as 1986. The provisions of the Convention allow for the mitigation of disadvantages for those States that have no direct access to the sea and, for Paraguay, this will open up the possibility of sharing in the wealth of the deep seabed, or "Zone", which the Convention calls the common heritage of mankind. We view with optimism the entry into force of that Convention on 16 November this year. In the same context, Paraguay has signed the Agreement amending the Convention.
All developing countries aspire to sharing in the scientific and technological progress of the modem world. It seems to me that, together with the other measures the United Nations has already taken or is preparing to take, serious thought should be given to creating a global fund for scientific and technological development that would deepen the relationship between the major research centers in developed countries and the universities and research centers in developing countries.
I should like to express Paraguay's deep satisfaction at the demise of the apartheid regime in the Republic of South Africa and at the observance of human rights for all the ethnic communities of the country. Paraguay has not forgotten the sister nations in Africa, which are striving to overcome immense difficulties in their quest for sustainable development and which deserve wide international support.
Paraguay is similarly disposed towards the sister Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with which we enjoy
fraternal ties. We wish its people peace and brotherhood, and will strive to commit the United Nations towards that end.
We are very pleased to congratulate the State of Israel, the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Kingdom of Jordan on their having strengthened the foundations of fraternal and constructive coexistence in the region, initiated in the agreements between Israel and Egypt. We trust that, given the help of the United Nations and of other major actors, the peace and security process in that part of the world will make steady progress, with the cooperation of other major countries in the region itself.
I should like to voice a few thoughts with regard to the recent Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. Paraguay joined in the Conference Declaration and Program of Action, while clearly and explicitly placing on record its demand for the defense of life and agreeing, in broad terms, with consensual and voluntary family planning. For that reason, Paraguay lodged two reservations similar to those expressed by other countries that share our view.
As I bring my statement to a close, allow me to voice a personal reflection that arises from my many years in international life. I have been active in diplomacy since 1936. Apart from some time spent in academia, I have served my country or the United Nations. I lived through the beginning and the end of the Second World War. My generation was indeed moved when the United Nations Charter was signed. We were filled with hope, and the world seemed to be on the right path in reordering its affairs. We have traveled a long way since then, but we remain all the more convinced of the crucial need for this world Organization.
I have personally known each one of the Secretaries- General of our Organization. I have worked closely with a number of them and shared their problems, their fears and their concerns as we struggled for a more just world.
It has been a privilege to be both a United Nations official and a diplomat accredited to this Organization. Now, in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs, I feel I have been granted an opportunity to renew the commitment of my nation and my own personal commitment. That commitment is genuine and unadulterated support for the effort to keep the peace through law and to build it through development.
The United Nations ideal today compels us to adopt a new way of thinking and living. Indeed, we are not merely representatives of sovereign States or members of a world Organization. We are protagonists and agents who share the same planet, which is in many respects both very similar and very different.
We have to show greater solidarity and regain our universal vision.
As human beings, we all have an interest in whatever makes us more human, in all senses of the term. The vital force that springs from this vision helps us in our mission of saving our common home, the Earth.
Mankind and the Earth:	therein	lies	the	key
motivation for our commitment and for our endeavors, beneath the majestic gaze of the Creator.