 At the outset. Sit, let me, on behalf of the delegation of the Kingdom of Morocco, extend to you most sincere congratulations on your election to the presidency of the Assembly. I am convinced that your experience and the many different responsible posts you have held represent the best possible guarantee for the successful completion of our work. Through your election the Assembly has paid a special tribute-to Nigeria, a brother country with which Morocco maintains very friendly ties.
I should also like to express our appreciation to your predecessor for the wisdom with which he guided the work of the forty-third session. Let me also take this opportunity to express to Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, the Secretary-General of our Organization, our sincere thanks for the efforts he has made towards reducing tensions and strengthening peace and security throughout the world.
The current situation across the globe calls for œ to stop and think. Indeed, out world is on the threshold of a new, more promising era, one in which dialogue and understanding would appear to prevail over confrontation.
Within this framework, out Organization, which has come of age, remains an irreplaceable instrument for leading the international community to greater harmony and justice between nations.
It is gratifying that the consolidation of peace is gradually gaining ground nowadays. The conclusion, in December 1987, of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, the beginning of negotiations between the two super-Powers to reduce the numbers of strategic nuclear weapons, and the resumption of negotiations to prohibit underground nuclear testing have, in this connection, marked a decisive turning-point. The latest developments announced last week before the General Assembly by President Bush and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the USSR confirm this trend. None the less the fact remains that the progress made falls short of the progress the international community would wish to see take place in so fat as disarmament is concerned. On the other hand, beyond the danger threatening mankind in terms of the existence of enormous means of destruction one must never cease to remind oneself that resources, no less enormous, that are wasted on excessive armament, could certainly be better invested in helping much of humanity to emerge from want and misery.
Morocco has taken cognisance, with full interest, of the proposals made and initiatives launched by various European countries in the context of reducing arms across Europe and the establishment of a climate of confidence among States of that continent, which continues to be the theatre of operation of the two major military alliances, even its special position reflecting its geo-political situation, Morocco cannot remain indifferent to all that affects peace and security in the Mediterranean, inasmuch as peace in that region is closely linked with peace all over the European continent, as has been emphasized in the numerous resolutions of the General Assembly as well as in the successive declarations issued by the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.
Given this fact, the Kingdom of Morocco hopes to see concrete steps taken in the near future in the field of disarmament to transform the Mediterranean into a zone of peace, security and co-operation, free from any disputes and confrontations.
We likewise hope that this detente will spur progress at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and enable it to overcome its present period of stagnation and thereby make it possible for productive negotiations to be held with a view to arriving at those agreements we are impatiently awaiting, including an agreement to ban chemical weapons.
We should have liked to have seen the region of the Middle East benefit in turn from the encouraging climate of detente now evident in international relations in all parts of the world. But we must note that the intransigence shown by Israel and its blocking of all serious initiatives launched by the Arab side, compel us to give up all grounds for optimism.
As the General Assembly will recall the Arab States at the Twelfth Arab Summit Conference held at Fez in 1982, adopted a comprehensive Peace Plan, which was received favourably by the international community. The peaceful solution of the problem has been consecrated by the attitude adopted by the Palestine National Council in last November as well as the statements made by the President of the State of Palestine last December before the General Assembly meeting in Geneva.
That peaceful approach enjoyed the backing and encouragement of the entire international community.
At the Arab summit held last May in Casablanca to which Morocco played host, the Arab States reaffirmed their adherence to a political solution. They recalled that any settlement roust be based on: Israel's total withdrawal from all Palestinian and Arab territories occupied since 1967, including first and foremost the Arab Al-Quds; the restoration of the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian Arab people, including their right to return to their homeland, self-determination, and the establishment  of their own independent State in Palestine; and the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East with the participation of the five permanent members of the Security Council and all parties to the conflict including the representatives of the State of Palestine, on an equal and independent footing in order to achieve a comprehensive and just solution of the conflict in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) end all the other pertinent United Nations resolutions, as well as the restoration of the national inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and granting security guarantees to all countries of the region, including the State of Palestine.
The summit also decided to support the Palestinian position on the question of the elections so that they could take place after the Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories under international control and within the context of a comprehensive peace.
The fact that the intifadah has been going on for almost two years now notwithstanding all the repressive end terrorist means employed by Israel, has highlighted the desperate struggle of the Palestinian people to spare no sacrifice to regain their dignity end defend their homeland.
The time has come for Israel to put an end to its intransigent policy and to respond to the repeated appeals being launched by the international community in favour of holding a peace conference. Morocco firmly believes that the path of dialogue is the only one that can establish peace in that part of the world.
Lebanon, whose very name until recently was synonymous with tolerance and coexistence, is living today an indescribable tragedy. Morocco, which has so many close ties with that brother country, cannot remain indifferent to the tragedy of the Lebanese people.
As part of the efforts being constantly made by the Arab States to resolve the Lebanese crisis the last summit meeting at Casablanca decided to establish a tripartite committee composed of His Majesty King Hassan IÎ, the Guardian of the Holy Places, His Majesty King Fahd Ben Abdul-Aziz, and His Excellency, President Chadli Bendjedid. The committee has been striving to put an end to hostilities and to lay the foundations for national reconciliation. To that end it has been able to put forward a plan aimed at bringing about an immediate cease-fire and making possible a propitious climate of security that would make possible the adoption of the measures necessary to restore constitutional institutions to Lebanon.
The Tripartite Committee has succeeded in establishing a cease-fire, and the resulting security committee that emanated from it has worked to ensure that the cease-fire is respected. The positive positions taken by the parties concerned at the meeting of the Lebanese Parliament provide grounds for optimism. We hope the parties will be able to bring about constitutional reform on the basis of the draft document submitted by the Tripartite Committee·, reform that would take account of economic political and social developments in the com try.
The international community is duty-bound to help Lebanon overcome its ordeal and reach national reconciliation. It must also support legality in Lebanon, based on concord, and consolidate efforts by the State of Lebanon to put an end to Israeli occupation and exercise full sovereignty over all Lebanese territory with a view to protecting its security and stability on its own, as stipulated by the Casablanca Summit Conference.
Morocco is satisfied that the cease-fire between two brother countries, Iraq and Iran, has held, under the terms of Security Council resolution 598 (1987). We sincerely hope that the provisions of that resolution will be implemented fully in the near future, and that lasting peace between the two countries will be achieved
While Morocco hailed the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, it cannot but regret that the war drags on. We hope that Afghanistan will regain full sovereignty, its non-aligned status and its freedom to make the political and economic choices it deems necessary for its development, without foreign intervention or pressure.
With respect to the Cambodian question, we hope that peace efforts by all parties of goodwill will continue. In that respect, we welcome the Paris Conference, which enabled all the patties to join in dialogue with a view to finding a just and lasting solution to the problem that would guarantee the withdrawal of foreign forces and give the Cambodian people the opportunity to take charge of its own affairs.
With the same interest, we follow events, in Cyprus and hail the efforts of the Secretary-General, which aim at ensuring that the dialogue continues between the two communities that make up that non-aligned country and that peace be established within the framework of its territorial integrity and on the basis of respect for the interests of both its communities.
The countries of Central America whose efforts resulted in the Tela agreement, are worthy of all our encouragement and support. We sincerely hope that this agreement will be implemented and that the peoples of the region will finally emerge from the cycle of despair and regain peace and stability.
The southern half of the African continent is on the threshold of a historic event for which it has ceaselessly striven. The strenuous efforts made everywhere and, in particular, the enormous sacrifices endured by the Namibian people have at last begin to bear fruit. We are thus witnessing the crumbling of the last Bastion of colonialism in Africa, with the 1 April 1989 commencement of the process envisaged by the peace plan for the independence of Namibia set out in Security Council resolution 435 (1978). I am sure difficulties may surface, but we remain convinced that the path leading the heroic Namibian people to freedom and independence cannot be blocked. Given the wisdom and determination of the Secretary-General, we are certain that the Namibian independence process will proceed in accordance with the wishes of all peace-loving peoples.
Mr. Sam Nujoma's recent visit to Morocco and his meeting with His Majesty King Hassan II reflect again the steadfast support my country has always lent the Namibian people and the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), as well as our desire to establish ties of constructive co-operation with a free and independent Namibia. Equally, Morocco cannot but voice its gratification over the climate of reconciliation that is beginning to emerge in Angola. We hope that the efforts that led to the Gbadolite meeting in Zaire will continue until all Angolans can live in peace and harmony. For its part, Morocco will remain faithful to its commitment to contribute to all endeavours to secure the unity of the Angolan people and enable them to devote themselves exclusively to achieving development and prosperity.
The deteriorating situation in South Africa continues to be of concern to the international community because of its grave and negative effect on the elite of detente that is beginning to emerge in the region. Morocco remains convinced that the international community, as it followed with anxiety the developments in South Africa over the past few weeks, should remain vigilant until the disappearance of apartheid and the establishment of a democratic regime respectful of human dignity and fundamental rights.
Since the last session of the General Assembly our region has made major strides towards the long-cherished goal of peace. Our peoples have constantly been aware of belonging to one linguistic and religious community and of sharing the same cultural values.
The establishment of the Arab Maghreb Union, therefore, is an imperative, given the nature of the economic and social problems which face our countries, and whose solution requires joint efforts in a regional framework - the more so since current world trends point in the direction of regional integration as a means of standing up to the many challenges we face and as a necessary element for peace, harmony and stability
The efforts begun by the five Maghreb Heads of State at their first summit meeting, held at Zeralda, were crowned with the signing, on 17 February 1989 at Marrakech of the Treaty establishing the Arab Maghreb Union comprising Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia and Morocco. The Treaty is intended to strengthen the fraternal ties that unite the States members of (the Union and their peoples, and to achieve progress and prosperity for their respective societies, along with the defence of their rights. It is intended also to contribute to preserving a peace based on justice and equity. 'To that end, the Arab Maghreb Union will pursue a joint policy in various spheres and strive gradually to bring about among our countries free circulation of goods, persons and capital, in conformity with the programme of action adopted by the Heads of State.
Since the Treaty establishing the Arab Maghreb Union was signed, sustained efforts have been in full swing with a view to developing the Maghreb Integration to the fullest, and making it a reality In every sphere. That Is why hand In hand with the establishment of the Union's institutional bodies we have been working to implement the programme of action.
As regards the Union's relations with other regional groups, we declare our determination to strengths ties of co-operation and co-ordination with the Arab Co-operation Council and the Gulf Co-operation Council, on the basis of the common values and purposes that unite us. We also declare our determination to strengthen our co-operation with other economic groupings of our continent, as that is the best way towards broader regional integration.
The same strong determination prompts us to establish effective co-operation with the European Economic Community (EEC), which is moving towards having a single market. The setting up of the Arab Maghreb Union will, of course, facilitate co-operation between the two communities and lead to a more fruitful dialogue that is compatible with the strong economic ties existing between them. We also look forward to establishing economic co-operation with the Council foe Mutual Economic Assistance (CMBA) and other regional groups.
Starting from its oft-reiterated commitment to see the problem of the so-called Western Sahara resolved by the holding of a referendum on self-determination under the auspices of the United Nations, Morocco agreed in principle on 30 August 1988 to the Secretary-General's peace plan.
Pursuing his efforts to implement that plan, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar visited our region last June to hold talks with the various parties concerned. As a result of that visit the Secretary-General set up a technical commission which he entrusted with working out the arrangements of implementing the plan.
For its part, Morocco will continue to support the efforts of the Secretary-General as well as those of the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity. Although the international situation has become relatively more relaxed, the world's economic situation offers not the least glimmer of hope. Political stability will remain fragile so long as it is not accompanied by economic improvements and especially if development continues to be the prerogative of the North.
The problems of the South have worsened: to the deterioration in the terms of trade  the rising tide of protectionism, the fall in commodity prices and the fall in the net-flow of resources from abroad we must add the spectre of debt that undermines all the efforts of the developing countries.
In the long run, the widening of the gap between North and South can also have negative effects on the economies of the developed countries themselves. Hence out collective responsibility to face up to the problems of underdevelopment that beset the countries of the South. Our duty is to spare no effort in rescuing the numerous developing countries trapped in this tragic situation.
It is well known today more than ever before, that it is no longer enough to adapt stop-gap measures with regard to the present order. What we need is a thorough re-examination that will enable us to restructure the world economy, taking into account the interests of both sides within a framework of sincere co-operation.
In that connection, the Ministerial Conference of the Group of 77 that was held in Caracas this year responsibly drew up a list of priorities and launched an appeal for a genuine dialogue between North and South that will serve the interests of the international community as a whole.
We are hopeful that the special session of the General Assembly on development questions planned for next year will not be a missed opportunity and that it will enable us to pool our efforts in order to adopt concrete measures that will lead to more balanced international economic relations.
Although we consider North-South co-operation to be a vital factor for world economic balance, we also feel that South-South co-operation is an indispensable factor. In addition to the fact that such co-operation gives concrete meaning to the concept of solidarity among countries, it also enables them to benefit fully from the complementarity of their resources and from their diverse individual potentials.
Morocco has made such co-operation with the developing countries a pivotal concept in its external relations. Indeed, we believe that South-South co-operation can be an important factor in restoring balance to world economic relations.
Morocco's increasing co-operation with fraternal countries on the African continent is the best example of our faith in South-South co-operation  d of our desire to translate that faith into a concrete reality. Thus, our country acted as host last March to the first ministerial conference on co-operation in marine resources held by the coastal African States on the Atlantic seaboard.
The conference examined the potential of co-operation, which could benefit all the countries concerned, without overlooking the interests of the land-locked African countries. It is a living example of South-South co-operation and a clear illustration of what our countries can accomplish in such vital areas.
The deterioration of the environment has become a world-wide concern. Indeed, desertification, the damaging effects of acid rain, the accumulation of dumped toxic substances and the increase in the release of carbonic gases now diffused in the atmosphere have further compounded the development problems with which two thirds of mankind ate already grappling. Such a situation calls for effective international co-operation to adopt the necessary measures. For that reason, the World Climate Conference scheduled for next year and the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development scheduled for 1992 must be carefully planned.
In that connection, Morocco, which took the initiative with other States to make the Organization aware of the problem of natural disasters, is especially pleased to see the International Decade for the Reduction of Natural Disasters beginning next year.
The scourge of drugs is another phenomenon that requires the mobilization of the entire international community, particularly since recent tragic events in Colombia have shown the extent to which drug-traffickers will go. International co-operation is indispensable if we are to meet this new challenge. On the threshold of the third millennium, the world is undergoing a profound structural change - ideological and political, economic and social, scientific and technological. The problems it is facing - whether they relate to the debt crisis, environmental degradation, or the struggle against drugs - will henceforth have to be tackled on a global scale. International solidarity has indeed become an imperative. It must prompt us to work more closely together in managing world affairs. We have the machinery to achieve that goal - the United Nations. It is our duty - especially since we are all aware of the positive role the Organization is playing - to strengthen it and to give it the means to assume those new responsibilities we wish to confer upon it, so that peace and prosperity may reign throughout the world.
In conclusion, I wish the President the fullest measure of success in his work, and hope that we shall indeed make greater strides towards our goals, the essential aspirations shared by all mankind.


I have pleasure in extending to Mr. Garba, of Nigeria, the warm congratulations of the Mauritanian delegation on his well deserved election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session. This choice is an indication of the great respect and esteem that Nigeria enjoys on the international scene, and a tribute to the experience and personal qualities of Mr. Garba, whose leadership will guarantee achievement of the objectives that have been set for this session. I should like to pay tribute also to Mr. Garba's predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, with whose country - Argentina - we have friendly relations, for the high quality of the work that was done during the forty-third session. I want also to extend our congratulations to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his tireless and devoted efforts towards the realization of this Organization's ideals of peace, justice and equality.
The continued improvement in the international political climate and the new prospects for a settlement of certain regional conflicts give rise to great hopes. Peace has started to become a reality for peoples that have been deprived of it for a long time.
This process has made it possible, inter alia, to end hostilities between Iraq and Iran, conclude an agreement on Afghanistan, begin the process of implementing Security Council resolution 435 (1978) concerning the independence of Namibia, and pursue the mediation efforts of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity relating to the settlement of the problem of the Western Sahara. While lauding the progress achieved in moving towards peace, Mauritania cannot but express its deep concern over the continuation of the Middle East conflict as well as the aggressive practices of the policy of racial discrimination committed against all the peoples of southern Africa.
The unshakeable solidarity of my country with the just and legitimate struggle of the Palestinian and the South African peoples has been a constant of our policy, which stems from the fact that we belong to both the Arab and the African worlds. Our geographical and human realities, as well as our history, qualify Mauritania to play an active and constructive role in this field. That role is manifested in our unremitting efforts to cement relations between those two worlds, as well as our active participation in all Arab and African organizations and sub regional groups in North Africa and in the southern Sahara. In this connection, the establishment of the Arab Maghreb Union on 17 February last in Marrakesh, was in response to the aspirations of all the peoples of the region, which have, for generations, longed for such a Union.
While positive elements of current international events in recent years are a source of pride and hope for the international community as a whole, regions of crises and tension remain where our serious and prompt efforts could bring about the necessary solutions.
In this context, the question of the Western Sahara continues to be the focus of the attention of the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations. The acceptance of the peace proposals of the Secretary-General by both parties concerned, and the initiation of a direct dialogue between the King of Morocco and the representatives of the POLISARIO Front last January, are welcome and positive elements. We sincerely hope that that question will be resolved in a satisfactory manner as soon as possible. That would undoubtedly contribute to the consolidation of a united Maghreb and of African Unity as a whole.
These signs of hope, unfortunately, do not emerge everywhere. In the Middle East, the valiant Palestinian people continues to suffer under oppressive Israeli occupation, despite the Palestinian resistance, which grows by the day. The intifadah launched almost two years ago is intensifying in such a way as to leave no doubt that it is not an ephemeral act but is a truly deep expression of the rejection by an entire people of foreign occupation. Therefore, the intifadah will never come to an end as long as the national rights of the Palestinian people continue to be denied.
The conscience of the whole world continues to be touched by this tragedy, which has been going on for more than 40 years. Today, a historic occasion is at hand to find a comprehensive, just and final solution to the Palestinian problem, which undoubtedly lies at the heart of the Middle East conflict. The brave decisions adopted by the last meeting of the Palestine National Council in Algiers and the peace message of Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PI/D) and head of the Palestinian State, sent to our Assembly at its previous session, are evidence of a sincere desire for peace. In this context, the beginning of an American-Palestinian dialogue is an encouraging sign.
But all those peaceful intentions and the desire for dialogue have encountered the intransigence of Israel, which persists in its practices, thinking that it can stop the course of history through the use of blind repression. It is up to all of us who have the power to bring influence to bear on the course of events to remove the last obstacle to peace, in compliance with the resolutions and recommendations repeatedly adopted by the General Assembly.
We continue to believe that the only possible way of achieving that result is by convening forthwith an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation, on an equal footing, of all the parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. That solution will necessarily have to lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with the Holy City of Al-Quds as its capital, and to the withdrawal of occupying forces from all occupied Arab territories.
If the situation remains highly precarious in the Middle East because of the expansionist Zionist policy, peace and security are no less threatened in southern Africa, where the shameful apartheid regime continues to commit the most heinous crimes against the peoples of that region.
The policy of violence which that regime has built into a system of government continually arouses the conscience of the entire world aid brings forth its condemnation. Patriots -such as Nelson Mandela still languish in South African gaols, and the most elementary rights are still denied the South African people. This policy has already been condemned as a crime against humanity and must not continue. We believe that comprehensive and mandatory sanctions ate necessary and that any attempt to delay or oppose them is tantamount to prolonging the suffering of the South African people.
As stated and demonstrated on many occasions, Mauritania will continue to support tirelessly the just struggle of the South African people until the odious system of apartheid is completely eradicated. In Namibia, hope grows anew with the incipient implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978). After the terrible suffering endured during a lengthy, bitter and pitiless war for national liberation, signs of a final settlement are beginning to emerge as a reward for the Namibian people, who sacrificed life and property in their struggle under the leadership of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO). At this critical juncture, however, when the destiny of an entire nation is at stake, it is necessary to be more vigilant and resolute until the legitimate aspirations of the Namibian people have been completely achieved. While Mauritania commends the efforts made by all parties in order to achieve that result, it hopes and desires that the process thus begun will lead to the independence of Namibia, under the leadership of SWAPO, the sole and authentic representative of the Namibian people.
In the Gulf the war between the neighbouring countries of Iraq and Iran has been ended thanks to the cease-fire that entered into force on 20 August 1988. Mauritania, which has always worked to bring an end to that destructive war, is pleased at the cessation of hostilities. It expresses its hope that direct negotiations will take place between the two parties, with no pre-conditions whatsoever, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General in order to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace that will restore stability to the region and enable the two peoples to devote their energies and resources to their own development efforts.
In Afghanistan, the Geneva Agreements of 14 April 1988 have led to the withdrawal of all foreign troops. My country cannot but welcome the impressive victory of the fraternal Muslim people of Afghanistan, who did not grudge any sacrifice for the sake of its freedom aid dignity. We hope that the Afghanis will be able to surmount their differences in order to tackle the task of rebuilding their country.
In Kampuchea, we take hope from the continuous efforts under way to reach a peaceful solution to its problems. That solution must be based on the many relevant and wise resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, all of which reaffirm the need for the unconditional withdrawal of all foreign troops and the free exercise by the Cambodian people of the right to self-determination.
In Central America, the peace process has been re-launched by the Tela agreement. Mauritania is pleased at that positive development and hopes that it will lead to the establishment of a just aid lasting peace in that region.
With regard to the Korean issue, my country has always advocated the peaceful reunification of the peninsula in the interest of all the Korean people. That reunification, however, must be the outcome of negotiations and dialogue. We are pleased at the initiatives taken by both sides in this connection aid we hope that they will rapidly be crowned with success.
The world economic situation remains a source of major concern. The industrialized countries have registered a significant expansion. But the economies of the developing countries are still deteriorating, in spite the major reforms and structural adjustment programmes undertaken by their Governments. The gap between developed and developing countries continues to grow, and the latter still face the decline In the prices of their main products, the overwhelming burden of debts, and the many obstacles to the transfer of technology.
The Heads of State or Government of the non-aligned countries have just reaffirmed at Belgrade that only the resumption of the North-South dialogue and global negotiations to establish a new international economic order can lead to the acceleration of the economic aid social development of developing peoples.
The interdependency of nations and the interaction of problems and interrelated interests call for such an approach. It is to be hoped that the Second United Nations Conference on the least Developed Countries and the international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade will contribute to achievement of that goal.
The developing countries are particularly sorely tried by heavy indebtedness, repayment of which has nullified all their efforts towards development and has led to a situation whose overall outcome is to the benefit of the developed countries.
The urgent need to reverse that situation requires the deepening and expanding of the various initiatives that have been announced in tills connection. The initiatives taken by certain court tries such as the Bader al Republic of Germany, France and Canada deserve particular mention.
The economic situation in Africa is still particularly critical. Per capita production in the continent has once again declined. Development efforts are still being impeded by external factors over which Africa has no control. Africa is also suffering from the tragic effects of drought, desertification, and the seasonal invasion of locusts. No African com try is capable alone of overcoming the combined effects of economic crisis and natural disasters. Nevertheless, African countries have undertaken major large-scale reforms, in keeping with the commitments entered into in the context of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development 1986-1990. The co-operation that was to have been engendered by that Programme has not, however, materialized.
As a result, the responsibility of the international community remains undiminished in connection with the international community’s contribution to the continent's economic recovery and development.
In the immediate future an appropriate solution to the debt problem must be sought, and the best way to do so remains, in our view, the convening of an international conference on the subject.
In national terms, Mauritania is continuing to implement the programme of economic reforms begun in 1985. It has just initiated a programme of economic recovery that has met with the support of our main financial markets, particularly our Arab brothers, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. That programme is aimed in the long term at ensuring self-sustaining development and socio-economic growth. The country's population is already participating effectively in that development effort thanks to widespread democratisation at the grass-roots level, which has made it possible for urban and rural municipalities to control their own independent management.
The campaign against illiteracy is another important aspect of the development programme  A special State secretariat has been established to eradicate that scourge by the year 2000. Special attention is being given to the participation of women, who have been playing an increasingly active role in society. In order to institutionalise that role a ministry on the status of women was created a year ago.
I should like to take this opportunity to express our very deep gratitude to the countries and international organizations that have helped us to put our various development programmes into effect. Recently, when thousands of our citizens returned to the national territory under tragic circumstances, those friendly countries and international organizations quickly and generously participated in our efforts to reabsorb the returnees.
In our view, economic questions constitute the major challenge of our time, and for that reason they deserve special attention. The paradox here is that the resources of the Earth aid the degree of scientific and technological progress we have reached do make it possible to meet all the needs of mankind, but some States still apparently disregard this fact and are devoting to the arms race immense human, material and technological resources. There is a striking contrast between the hundreds of millions of dollars thus allocated to the manufacture, improvement and stockpiling of weapons and the deprivation and abject poverty in which two thirds of the world's population live. The stockpiling of weapons does not guarantee security: it gives rise to the arms race and festers suspicion among States. The time has come to put an end to this escalation, to resort always to peaceful means of settling disputes and to seek security in general and complete disarmament under effective international control.
We are pleased at the developments that have occurred over the past few years, but we still hope that further substantial progress will be achieved in this field. Disarmament measures must make it possible to release -additional resources for development and thus contribute to the settlement of urgent international economic problems, which, in turn, would enhance the prosperity and welfare of mankind as a whole.
The solution of the world economic problems and conflicts that are still in evidence is within our reach to solve them, it is sufficient to respect the purposes and principles enunciated in the United Nations Charter, to resort to the means of settlement it sets forth. The progress made along these lines has been great, but it must be consolidated. The peoples of the world aspire to peace, and peace is inseparable from development. The main responsibility in this area lies with the United Nations, which was set up to preserve international peace and security and to resolve international problems of an economic and social nature. But to truly carry out this noble mission, the United Nations needs the confidence of all its members. The increased interest in it that has been demonstrated recently bodes well for the future.
The Islamic Republic of Mauritania has always been faithful to the ideals of the United Nations Charter and is convinced that the only way to meet the world challenges we ate facing today is to uphold the noble and humanitarian principles of the Charter of our Organization.


I should like to express my sincere congratulations to Mr. Joseph Garba on his unanimous election as President of the General Assembly at this session. His qualifications and outstanding activity in this Organization are of fundamental value for the success of our work. I also wish to express my thanks for the excellent work done by his predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, and to reiterate our full support and deep gratitude to Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar for his untiring work at the head of the Secretariat.
Since the founding of the United Nations, we have probably never witnessed as we do today so many efforts to improve the international climate or so many changes in the framework that has governed international relations for the past 40 years. Ideological intransigence, confrontation as a means of diplomacy and indifference to the overwhelming economic, social and political problems of a significant part of mankind have started to give way in the face of mankind's growing aspirations to broaden the scope of coexistence, to lay the foundations of true peace and to consolidate the notion that the individual is the direct and primary beneficiary of all government action. Although, unfortunately, many bloody conflicts persist in various parts of the globe, in recent times the use of force as an instrument in international relations has been shown to be futile. International co-operation, in which multilateralism must, in our opinion, be a key factor, has now to a large extent reduced the level of confrontation and the number of situations that could lead to war. Owing to the globalisation of current problems, we must also judiciously consider other dimensions which are equally essential to peace, and in which this increasingly vital international co-operation has not progressed as much as we would have liked. I refer, for example, to issues such as the differences between rich and poor countries, economic development, man's relationship with nature and the progressive deterioration of the environment, and phenomena such as terrorism and drug trafficking - to which I shall refer later in my statement.
First, with regard to the changes in Europe, the new climate in East-West relations - which has been observed in this Assembly - is encouraging. This is true not only with regard to the reduction of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union and between the military alliances and their members, but also in relation to domestic changes in many countries, with progress in democratisation and respect for human rights. In this context, I wish to highlight the processes under way in Poland and Hungary and in the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, not all Eastern European countries are following these desirable paths.
The Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) , with all its dimensions, has played a fundamental role in this whole process of European detente between countries and within countries. Moreover, it has been imbued with fresh vigour with the adoption of the Final Document of the Vienna meeting.
We welcome the significant role played by the United Nations in the present international context. Recognition by its Member States of the undeniable value of multilateralism has considerably broadened the Organization's scope for manoeuvre and has enabled its efforts to be more fruitful. The growing political realism of many countries which in the past were reluctant to accept solutions that were not extreme; the progress towards more pragmatism in the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries; the resolute action of the Security Council reinforced by the new co-operation among its permanent members; and the intelligent work of the Secretary-General are basic elements of that stimulating process.
Nevertheless, we are still a long way from an international society in which violence, poverty and the violation of fundamental human rights are absent. The United Nations can do and has done much to bring us closer to that objective, but its action cannot be successful if, at the same time, those engaged in these conflicts do not have the clear political will to terminate them.
Security Council resolution 598 (1987), adopted over two years ago, laid the foundations for negotiating a solution to the bloody war between Iran and Iraq. It is true that since then the guns have been silenced, but peace in the region is fragile and little progress has been made towards a just and lasting solution reached through the full implementation of resolution 598 (1987). Therefore the process of negotiation now under way under the auspices of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative must be intensified, and I assure them once again of the full backing of my Government for their delicate mission.
In Afghanistan, the signing in April last year of the Geneva Agreements opened the way to a solution. This year the final withdrawal of Soviet troops has been completed, making a peaceful settlement of the problem possible. Efforts must nevertheless be intensified to achieve a lasting settlement based on the Afghan people's exercise of the right to self-determination without outside interference. In order to achieve that goal, a broadly based Government representing all the parties to the conflict must be formed and any refugees wishing to do so must be allowed to return. The continued efforts of the Secretary-General to achieve that peaceful settlement should be supported, and the General Assembly should renew his mandate.
The evolution of the situation in southern Africa over the past year has shown hopeful signs on some fronts. Unfortunately, the intolerable system of apartheid persists in South Africa. We trust that the recent political changes in South Africa will lead to a more realistic and intelligent attitude when the time comes to undertake the necessary process leading to a truly democratic, pluralistic and non-racist society in that country. Once more we demand the lifting of the state of emergency, the legalization of all political parties and groups that oppose apartheid, and the immediate release of Nelson Mandela and the other political prisoners.
The historic process that started in Namibia last April has our unconditional support. We are confident that the process of independence will be completed within the agreed schedule and we reiterate our full confidence in and support for the Secretary-General and his Special Representative regarding their mission in Namibia. Spain is participating by means of a large contingent in the United Nations Transition Assistance Group. I should like to place on record here our determination to provide financial backing for the new country.
We welcomed with great satisfaction the Gbadolite agreements complementing those which, towards the end of last year, made it possible to start the gradual withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola. We trust that there will be a total cessation of hostilities, which will lead that country to national reconciliation. free of foreign forces. At the same time, we support the contacts established in Mozambique with a view to ending the violence. We call for the immediate cessation of all outside attempts to destabilize that country. We also express our hope that the processes begun in Namibia and Angola will have a positive influence in Mozambique and the southern region as a whole, particularly in the front-line States.
The withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia constitutes a positive but insufficient step. We regret the suspension of the Paris Conference, where greater flexibility from the parties involved in the conflict could have been expected. Efforts must continue in pursuit of a settlement allowing for the establishment of a broadly based Government of national reconciliation that will enable the country to face its future reconstruction with optimism, with no possibility of a return to a recent past which inflicted so much suffering on the Cambodian people.
We have followed with interest the proposals by the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to engage in bilateral talks. President Roh's initiative submitted at this forum on 18 October of last year was particularly praiseworthy. However, tension on the peninsula still prevails. This can be overcome only through intensified dialogue and greater flexibility.
The tragic events that took place in China deeply moved large sectors of international public opinion. We are following the evolution of the situation with the greatest interest and we hope that the process of reform and openness in all its aspects, including the political, will gain strength shortly, in order to satisfy the Chinese people's legitimate aspirations to liberty and democracy.
The Maghreb is a region of special interest to Spain. My Government has already expressed its satisfaction at the historic agreement reached at the summit in Marrakesh, at which the Maghreb Arab Onion was set up.
We must increase the co-operation and efforts aimed at solving the Western Saharan problem. Spain is following developments in this respect with justifiable concern. The positive steps taken last year - and particularly the acceptance in principle by the parties involved of the Secretary-General's proposals for the holding of a referendum on self-determination in satisfactory conditions, under United Nations supervision - gave a great impetus to the process, which nevertheless has not yet finally crystallized. Spain, which is providing all the necessary technical co-operation, continues to support unreservedly the efforts aimed at unblocking the process. The pursuit of direct contacts between Morocco and the POLISARIO Front could contribute significantly to that.
The Cyprus problem has yet to be solved despite the renewed efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative. The interruption of the inter-communal dialogue is a cause for concern. We state once again that the solution must be based on respect for the unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus, pursuant to the relevant United Nations resolutions.
In the Middle East, prospects for achieving a just solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict remain uncertain. The situation in the occupied territories continues to deteriorate dramatically. We deplore the measures of collective punishment carried out by Israel, which have merely increased the already great; suffering of the population. We appeal to the Israeli authorities to abide by the Security Council resolutions on the subject and to respect the provisions of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which is fully applicable to the occupied territories.
We believe that the permanent members of the Security Council have an important part to play in achieving a rapprochement between the parties to the conflict and facilitating the convening of the International Peace Conference. The Palestine Liberation Organization must participate in that Conference, which we still believe to be the appropriate framework for bringing about the opening of direct negotiations between the parties involved.
The guidelines of the policy of the Twelve are reflected in the Madrid Declaration referred to by the current Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Dumas. We trust that the appeal that we made in Madrid to the parties involved lead to peace and will not be disregarded. President Mubarak's efforts to bring about talks between Israel and a Palestinian delegation deserve our support, with a view to an overall, just and 1,as ting solution based on the principle of peace for territories.
In that context, our call for moderation and good sense in Lebanon is even more peremptory. There has been a tragic deterioration in the crisis. Violence has claimed thousands of innocent lives, including that of the Ambassador of Spain in Beirut, Mr. Pedro de Aristegui. We confirm our backing for the work of the Tripartite Committee. Once more we call upon all the parties to the conflict to co-operate unreservedly by immediately establishing and respecting a total cease-fire, which will enable the necessary internal reforms to be implemented and make peace possible in a sovereign, independent Lebanon, free of foreign forces.
Central America has continued to be the focus of the international community's special attention. The Security Council has given explicit backing to the Central American agreements. Over the course of recent months we have had clear evidence of the political will of those directly involved to overcome their differences and find solutions through dialogue. The El Salvador agreements reached last February and the recent Tela summit conference of Presidents outlined a very positive set of initiatives.
That progress also owes a great deal to the tenacious action of the Secretary-General aid his collaborators. At the express wish of the Central American Presidents, the United Nations is playing an important role in this process. The time-limits foreseen in the Tela agreements have been changed to speed up the process. We trust that the Security Council will adopt the necessary resolutions to ensure that this process will be set in motion as quickly as possible.
Spain is especially hopeful about this process, which it has encouraged from the beginning. It has given - and remains willing to give - all the necessary help within its power. Our will is clear. There is no alternative to this framework for peace. We will support with concrete actions, not just with words, all efforts in this direction. In this connection, I wish to remind you of the support provided by the European Community to the programme for Central American regional economic integration. In this respect, we welcome the discussions which have already begun between the Government of El Salvador and the EMLN, and we trust that these may lead to complete national reconciliation.
In this context I would like to discuss peace-keeping operations. The United Nations is playing an ever greater role in the search for solutions to regional conflicts. We are pleased that it is receiving the necessary backing from the Security Council. Spain has decided to participate in various operations. It has supplied military observers for the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and a significant part of the air component of the United Nations Transition Assistance Group. Spain is also willing to co-operate in the operations which will presumably be launched in Central America.
The United Nations has contributed decisively to the process of decolonisation, which, with the forthcoming independence of Namibia, is approaching its conclusion. However, some cases are still pending. One of them is that of Western Sahara, to which I have already referred. East Timor is another. The start of talks between Portugal and Indonesia is a positive element towards a solution in conformity with the principles of the United Nations.
With respect to the Malvinas Islands, we have always supported direct negotiations between Argentina and the United Kingdom as a means of solving all outstanding problems between the two countries, including that of sovereignty. There have recently been new expectations of dialogue and we hope that the talks to be started by the two countries next month will lead to progress in this direction. We are pleased that both countries, with which we have friendly relations, have chosen Madrid as the place for the holding of these talks.
A particularly anachronistic colonial situation persists on the European continent, which affects the territorial integrity of my own country. No one is unaware of Spanish sensitivities in connection with the question of Gibraltar. We have chosen the path of negotiation as recommended by the General Assembly, with a view to concluding the process of decolonisation through the restoration of our territorial integrity, while at the same time preserving the interests of the Population of Gibraltar as well as those of the population of the "Campo de Gibraltar". As regards disarmament, confidence and transparency are. and we hope, will continue to be crucial elements in the process of East-West detente. We must continue to seek the reaction of the existing balances in the various categories of weapons as confidence- and security-building measures. In this process of enhancing security through disarmament and the reduction of levels of armaments, verification must play a fundamental role in order to ensure that agreements are copied with and also to avoid arousing suspicions.
Spain welcomes the progress made in Europe in the field of arms control and disarmament since the last General Assembly At our last summit meeting the countries members of the Atlantic alliance stated our intention to conclude the  negotiations on conventional weapons by the mid-1990s, thus contributing to increasing the security not only of the European continent but also of the international community as a whole.
As regards nuclear weapons and the strategic arms reduction talks (START) we trust that by 1990 the negotiations, including the current ones, will be concluded. To that end, the results of the conversations held last week in Wyoming are encouraging.
The question of arms control and disarmament must not be limited, however, to the East-West dimension. The recent Paris Conference stressed the urgent need for the rapid conclusion of the treaty for the complete and global elimination of chemical weapons. The proposals made by President Bush at the current session and Mr. Shevardnadze's positive response to them are encouraging in this respect.
On the question of human rights we have seen undeniable progress made in some countries, although in many others there has been stagnation, if not regression. We must prevent the economic difficulties encountered in some democracies which tend to perpetuate certain violations of human rights. The task of international codification in relevant aspects of the protection of human rights has recently been considerable, and this gives us great satisfaction.
In particular, I should like to express Spain's support for the draft Convention on the Rights of the Child, which we hope will be adopted at the current session, and the draft Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights aimed at the abolition of the death penalty. Nevertheless, we continue to think that rather than concentrating on creating new international instruments, we must emphasize the proper application of those already in existence. We must strengthen the United Nations mechanisms for the identification and eradication of violations of human rights. In particular, we consider highly desirable both the strengthening of the Commission on Human Rights and increased co-operation with it on the part of Member States.
I wish to refer to some items which continue to be on the United Nations agenda and which, unfortunately, will continue to be for some time. First, with reference to human rights - in regard to which there has been undeniable progress in many countries, although in others the matter has been at a standstill and in still others it has been retrograde - we must not allow the economic difficulties suffered by some democracies to perpetuate certain violations of human rights.
I wish to highlight our particular satisfaction with the strengthening of democracy and freedom taking place in Latin America. We are convinced that the forthcoming elections in Chile will lead to the full restoration of freedom in that country. However, the urgent economic problems, which in some countries coincide with the advancement of freedom, democracy and human rights, have given rise to a new phenomenon: economically poor democracies.
The latest report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) points out that there are three problems that have been fuelling one another and leading to a vicious circle: external debt, domestic financial instability, and social and economic stagnation. A number of Latin American countries have failed in their attempts to stabilize and revive their economies.
The burden of debt is strangling many countries. There can be little optimism about the expectations for growth and about inflation in the Latin American countries next year, Patience, tenacity and imagination will be required. We need to build a new global framework for the purpose of redesigning the debt strategy, while at the same time approaching each case individually. The objective is not merely to attain economic growth in those countries, but rather to sustain its development.
Here we must work on two fronts. True, the debtor countries must continue to strive to increase the competitiveness and flexibility of their economies, without dissembling the cost to society. The international community must facilitate the obtaining of adequate external financing through a combination of three elements: repatriation of capital, the reduction of debt and of its servicing and new loans.
I should like to point out the important role of the Brady Plan concerning debt reduction. Here, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank must work together; designing and supervising the adjustment and growth programmes and also contributing to reinforcing debt reduction transactions through the channelling of new funds.
Spain has proposed that a European guarantee fund be set up in the European Community. This initiative was discussed in the Council at Madrid. The European Community has become even more aware of the magnitude and seriousness of the debt problem, as was seen at the meeting we had in Grenada with the Permanent Mechanism for Consultation and Political Co-operation, the Group of Eight.
The main goal is balanced economic development for the less favoured countries. Price oscillations and problems affecting some commodities do not help to achieve this goal. These commodities are of great importance in the export earnings of a large proportion of developing countries. We must regulate the commodities market, hearing in mind the component of co-operation and development aid. We are pleased about the coming into force of the Common Commodities Fund, putting an end to the deadlock which has lasted for 10 years.
We are also pleased, within the context of international trade, by the unblocking of the Uruguay Round.
Finally, we should recall here that the high level of indebtedness and the fall of export earnings in commodity markets have in the case of sub-Saharan African countries been combined with the advance of desertification, cyclical droughts and natural disasters to create a tragic situation. We must support, and are doing so, the various financial initiatives that have been advanced by various international organs, at the same time reinforcing the policy of co-operation with the African continent by giving significant economic stimulus for co-operation with those countries.
I should now like to make a very specific reference to North-South relations within the context of the United Nations.
Next April the General Assembly will hold a special session on international economic co-operation and the revitalization of economic growth and development in the developing countries. We believe that this will be an ideal occasion to achieve, among ourselves, a realistic economic consensus on a world scale. Work in this direction must proceed along with the preparations for a new international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade, the launching of a new substantive programme of action for the less developed countries, at the Paris Conference in September 1990, and, lastly, the International Conference on the Environment and Development, in 1992.
In referring to the environment, I should like to point out that international co-operation of a new kind is necessary in trying to solve another problem that affects nothing less than living conditions on our planet. The recent Hague Declaration, adopted at a conference at which countries all over the world were represented, states that as the problem is planetary, its solution can only be conceived at a world level and that it has three characteristics: it is vital, urgent and global.
The holding in 1992 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development should be focused on an analysis of these problems, apart from co-operation between the North and the South, and hence on consideration of the environmental factor in programmes of development aid.
The Conference will of course deal with questions of world dimensions, such as the greenhouse effect, protection of the o2one layer, the trans-border movements of wastes, and other things. These affect all countries but have major implications for the developing countries, both economically and financially, as well as with respect to technological support and transfers. It is an enormously delicate subject, and any solution therefore must be based on mutual respect and co-operation in a joint effort.
Spain agrees with the Bruntland report recommendation that environmental problems be tackled while taking the different regional situations into account.
I would recall that the European Community has already taken some important steps in some respects for preservation of the global environment. Among these general problems I have referred to, which form part of the new agenda of the United Nations, as I put it, I would like to add a few words about terrorism and drug trafficking. In spite of the efforts of the international community terrorism still gravely endangers the lives of countries and coexistence among nations. This threat manifests itself individually in each country, but it is a collective threat. Terrorist attacks are an act of aggression against the whole international community. We therefore have to strengthen international co-operation. Sensitive to this need, the General Assembly succeeded in achieving an important consensus against terrorism in resolution 40/61. Today, it is our task to consolidate and develop it.
We cannot talk of terrorism without talking about drug trafficking, they are so often connected. In his annual report the Secretary-General reminds us that "the monetary value of drug trafficking has recently surpassed that of international trade in oil and is second only to the arms trade". (A/44/1, p. 23)
We are, then, faced with a problem of tremendous ramifications. The way to fight this threat is through concrete international co-operation, accompanied by reinforcement of each country's domestic measures.
The International Convention against Illicit Traffic in narcotic Drugs is a far-reaching instrument. All Member States should adhere to it without delay.
We should also make progress in harmonizing and bringing national legislations closer to each other. There are matters that must be resolved urgently. We must activate this process. The 1983 Convention can serve as a framework of reference.
As a result of that Convention, the importance of the so-called precursors for drug synthesis has been made clear. Precursor-producing countries must make an effort to control their exports and thus co-operate in repression of the illegal drug trade.
Drug consuming countries also are responsible for the drug-trafficking phenomenon and must carry out programmes and action directed at decreasing domestic demand and thus reducing the traffic in drugs. For some years Spain has been developing educational and preventive measures to this end.
We should not forget, either, on this major theme of narcotic trafficking, actions designed to investigate large capitals, properties and the bank accounts of alleged drug traffickers, actions that have made possible a qualitative change in the fight against this scourge. The world banking system shares responsibility for the solution of this problem. We therefore ask for its co-operation. Similarly, it is necessary for the so-called tax havens to understand that hiding information related to business derived from drug trafficking is tantamount to collaborating in one of the most serious acts of aggression against mankind.
We have to continue pursuing action in support of and in co-operation with Governments and peoples of coca-producing countries, helping their economic development and generously promoting alternatives to cultivation of this substance.
The action taken by the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control has proved effective for this purpose.
I should like to stress that there has been exemplary action, which we support, by Colombia, which should receive an adequate response from international bodies in this cause. In Colombia what is at stake is the capacity of the State based on the rule of law to stand up to a group of criminals who are attempting to destroy its basic structures.
In contusion, I should like to make a brief observation. As I have said throughout this statement, international co-operation must now go beyond the mere fundamental pursuit of peace. We must improve the quality of international life, so that we also improve the quality of national life, aid above all the personal life of each individual. We must strive to achieve a new world in which all men and woman count. This Assembly and the United Nations as a whole, will face not fewer but more problems. I trust they will contribute significantly to their solution.
There are some old questions among these new problems, often urgent. We have spoken of poverty and marginalization, and of the threats of drug trafficking and terrorism, which threaten our whole planet and the environment. The time left to us before these problems become catastrophic is not without limits} it is, indeed, rather short. The solution lies in our own hands if we are willing to co-operate. Thus, Spain believes we are witnessing a new era in the history of the United Nations.


May I first address to you. Sir, the congratulations of the delegation of Haiti and tell you how very pleased we were to see you elected to the presidency of this, the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly. Your outstanding personal qualifications, your vast experience in dealing with international affairs and what you have done at the helm of the Special Committee Against Apartheid have allowed us to take the full measure of your qualities, and they ensure the fullest success for the work of this session.
I should also like to voice our gratitude to your predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, who brought the full range of his competence and wisdom to bear upon his work and thus fully merited the confidence the Assembly had placed in him. We pay special tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, who has succeeded with so much courage and determination in pursuing progress towards obtaining the objectives embodied in the Charter. Without a doubt, the United Nations owes him much for the restoration of confidence it enjoys today. Let it be assured of the fullest support of my country as he pursues his efforts for peace.
This decade is drawing to a close with particularly contrasting results facing us in terms of matters economic and political. The forty-fourth session is in duty bound to reflect a period when the international community as a whole is stopping and thinking about these matters. There can be no doubt that we are living through a particularly crucial period in which progressively there is emerging before us a new landscape in international political relations. In this connection, we think it obvious that the United Nations, so long the butt of complaints and denunciation. is, new that it is being endowed with the wherewithal, ready to play a more intensive role in facilitating the resolution of conflicts that have been with us for a long time and were once deemed insoluble. The cessation of hostilities in the Persian Gulf and the emergence of solutions to  the questions of Western Sahara, Cyprus and Namibia are highly significant successes that bear witness to the restored credibility of the United Nations. Rarely in the past half-century or more has the world experienced such dynamic progress towards peace. These results confirm, if confirmation be needed, the overriding importance of the purposes and principles upon which the United Nations is founded and the increasing adherence to them by its Member states. This is a source of satisfaction and hope. At the same time, there are grounds for welcoming the conjunction of factors that now offers an unexpected opportunity to change the confrontational terms of East-west relations. The proposals recently put forward by the United States and the Soviet Union and the commitments made at the Paris Conference on banning chemical weapons give good reason for hope concerning the prospect of genuinely controlling the arms race.
There would be a great temptation to believe that this state of affairs represented a turning point in the establishment of a new international order if there were not at the same time and year after year, the growing, unacceptable gulf separating the North from the South. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the still numerous obstacles that continue to block the road to peace, in particular the persistence of various hotbeds of tension in many areas of the world and the emergence of new challenges that rightly command the attention of the General Assembly at this session.
Once again this year southern Africa is in the forefront of our concerns, for, notwithstanding certain apparent Changes recorded at the level of the political discourse, the structure of the apartheid system has not changed. Neither the expected freeing of Nelson Mandela nor the release of political prisoners, which could have given indisputable proof of good-will, has been obtained from the Pretoria Government. South Africa remains under the yoke of the lest regime in the world to profess a racist ideology, which is expressed in blind, systematic repression of the aspirations of the country's black majority. It is the duty of the international community, which has been to long defied, to do all it can to ensure that the South African Government ends a policy that is universally censured and condemned.
That is why, in declaring our solidarity with those resisting apartheid, notably through the courageous struggle of the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania <PAC), the Republic of Haiti calls for the implementation of comprehensive sanctions against the South African regime. All in all, that is indeed the only recourse the international community has available to it by means of which to ensure that the black majority assumes, with dignity and equality of rights and duties, its rightful place in a multiracial, egalitarian and democratic society.
Following a heroic struggle, actively supported by the front-line States and waged by the genuine representatives of the people under the leadership of the South West Africa People's organization (SWAFO), and many initiatives launched by the friends of Africa, the Namibian people is preparing to decide its future. The Haitian Government welcomes this fact and the forthcoming entry of Namibia into the international community. We reiterate our firm support for United Nations efforts, vigilant action in the field by the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) and the sustained efforts of the United Nations Council for Namibia. They have all worked together to bring about the advent of a sovereign and independent Namibia in keeping with Security Council resolution 435 (1978).
My delegation also welcomes the climate of reconciliation which seems to be gaining ground in Angola and which, we hope and expect, will make it possible for that country to bend all its energies to the task of reconstruction and to economic and social development.
The evolution of the situation in Western Sahara makes it possible, notwithstanding a certain hesitancy, to perceive the possibility of an end to this conflict that has divided the Maghreb States for so long. The Government of Haiti notes with interest the results that the parties concerned have achieved, with the support of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the organization of African Unity (OAU) We hope that the two organizations will pursue their efforts to encourage the resumption of the indispensable dialogue between the parties, with the prospect of a referendum through which the Sahaouri people can freely decide its destiny.
In the Middle East, the violence that has been raging in the occupied territories for some two years now bears witness to the fact that Palestine is an undeniable reality at the heart of any settlement of a crisis that has persisted for too long. The maintenance of the present state of affairs is in the best interests of none of the parties concerned. Clearly, the only possible course is that of dialogue. In this connection, it seems to us that the convening of an international peace conference under United Nations auspices deserves an immediate consensus. That alone is likely to make it possible for the groundwork to be laid for an overall settlement of the conflict.
The Government of Haiti supports fully the convening of such a conference, since it is convinced that just and lasting peace in the region can be established
only on the basis of the principles defined, in particular, in Security Council resolutions 242 {1967) and 336 (1973): that the State of Israel has the right to exist within secure and internationally recognized borders, and that the Palestinian people has the right to a homeland and to self-determination.
With regard to Lebanon, the Republic of Haiti, cardinal principles of whose foreign policy have always been non-intervention in the internal affairs of States and respect for the right of peoples to decide for themselves, is following with growing alarm the evolution of the situation in that martyred country. The Lebanese people are enduring a painful, bloody tragedy, which all friends of Lebanon ardently hope it will soon be ended. This is why the Government of Haiti expresses its solidarity with Lebanon and calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanese soil and consistent action by the international community to make it possible for the Lebanese people to regain its sovereignty and unity, with territorial integrity.
In Kampuchea the process of the withdrawal of foreign occupying forces, which must be full and final, constitutes the first step in the right direction. We sincerely congratulate the French Government on having taken the initiative, together with the members o£ the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of convening the Paris Conference, which, although it has not yet had all the hoped-for results, has none the less been a major step forward in the search for a solution. The delegation of Haiti desires the resumption of the dialogue between the parties concerned and the continuance of efforts to bring about true national reconciliation. That alone will make it possible to put an end to the tragedy that has fee so many years afflicted the Cambodian nation. The Republic of Haiti, in welcoming the proposed dialogue on the peaceful reunification of the Korean nation, believes that the time has come to explore ways and means of meeting the admission of the two Koreas to the family of the United Nations a reality, in accordance with the wishes of the parties concerned.
We note with great satisfaction that the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq is being maintained and express the hope that the negotiations already under way between the two parties will result in a settlement that will open the way to permanent peace. Similarly, Haiti welcomes the evacuation of foreign troops from Afghanistan and hopes the fratricidal war there will soon come to an end.
Closer to home, in Central America, the initiatives aimed at ending the hostilities and building peace and democracy should be encouraged. The Government of Haiti fully supports the recent Tela agreements ruling out the option of sterile confrontation, foreign pressure and recourse to force among fraternal countries that should be working together in co-operation.
The Government of Haiti, sharing the concerns of many countries across the continent, is lending tireless support to the efforts being exerted notably by the United States of America to fight illegal drug trafficking. Beyond that, the delegation of Haiti is fully prepared to lend all appropriate support to the initiative of the Caribbean countries aimed at stepping up within the framework of the United Nations the relentless struggle that must be waged against this scourge. We wish particularly to stress our solidarity with Colombia, whose courageous decisions have placed it in a difficult situation indeed.
The Republic of Haiti again reiterates its firm support for efforts aimed at international co-operation and a concerted approach to the protection of the environment from the threats looming over it, which threaten the survival of the entire planet given the accelerated deterioration of our natural resources.
Notwithstanding the vigorous economic expansion recorded in industrialized countries, the third United Nations Development Decade is ending on a note of profound disillusionment: promises have not been kept and the expectations of the third world - the vast majority - have not been met.
Suffice it to recall that in sub-Saharan Africa the gross domestic predict per capita has declined by a record 10 per cent - indeed, over 10 per cent - compared with the 1980 level, and the situation in Latin America and fee Caribbean is hardly better. Having reached the very limits of the economic, social and human costs we can bear as a result of indebtedness, which is compounded by the pernicious and destabilizing impact of adjustment programmes, the nations of the South find themselves plunged ever deeper into despair and doubt that they shall ever see movement towards a better life for our people. However paradoxical it may appear to some, fee third world continues in large measure to finance fee prosperity of the wealthy nations through a net inverse transfer of resources amounting to economic haemorrhaging feat we cannot sustain and is morally unacceptable.
Faced with such a state of affairs, the delegation of Haiti stands in solidarity with all those countries which, on fee eve of fee launching of fee fourth international development decade, call for a readjustment of the machinery governing international economic relations, and for substantive changes in strategy at the level of international co-operation, so as to enable our countries of the South finally to become an integral part of fee race to development.
To achieve this, an unprecedented effort of international solidarity is indispensable. Instead of aid - which is often uncertain, lacks common standards, and is not necessarily appropriate to the medium" and long-term needs of the recipient countries - it is necessary for fee industrialized countries to devote to co-operation for development those resources feat correspond with the needs for overall economic recovery throughout fee South. What this means, at fee very least, is that we must attain fee goals set some 30 years ago: 0.7 per cent of the gross domestic product of fee donor countries.
By the sane token we consider urgent the adoption by the creditor countries, in multilateral financing institutions, of additional measures aimed at lightening the external debt burden and, if necessary, writing off such debt, particularly in the case of the poorest countries, even if these are not necessarily the most indebted ones. In this connection, what comes to mind is France's decision, announced last May at Dakar, unconditionally to write off all public credits given to 35 African countries. We hail that step, which we hope and expect will be emulated so far as all the least developed countries are concerned. We hope that this particular approach will gain currency.
How could we not stress the delicate situation facing the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, island countries and the Caribbean nations, some of which have just been hard hit by hurricane Hugo?
It is particularly appropriate for us to emphasize how acute are the social and economic problems confronting the least developed countries, often disappointed by the lack of international solidarity they receive, which in large measure explains the essential failure of the new substantive programme of action for the least developed countries for the 1980s. 	However, our country continues to have strong hopes of the special session of the General Assembly, to take place next spring, devoted to international economic co-operation. By the same token, we welcome the holding in Paris next year of the second United Nations conference on the least developed countries, hoping that in both instances these meetings will provide the second wind the North-South dialogue so  needs.
The delegation of Haiti deems it useful to remind the Assembly of the evolution of the situation in Haiti at a time when the Haitian people is turning a major corner in its history,, Having first stemmed the adverse impact of successive crises facing our State, the Government of 17 September 1988 resolutely committed itself to setting up a lasting state of law. The building of a representative democracy, based on the pre-eminence of and respect for human rights, the effective functioning of pluralism and the guaranteeing of freedoms, are all now well under way.
The Government of 17 September 1988, headed by Lieu tenant-General Prosper Avril, has successfully passed through a number of phases which we consider decisive.
The Constitution which the Haitian people gave itself in 1987 has been restored, and several articles which, because of the provisional nature of our Government, are still not in final form, will be completely restored as soon as the two legislative chambers are reconstituted.
In this connection, elections will be organized, in 1990, at all levels, on the basis of a fixed timetable, by the permanent electoral council. For the Government, this is a matter of honour. The elections will reflect the free expression of the will of the people, and will bring new leaders to the helm of the State in February 1991.
He are, of course, well aware that the reforms undertaken and the establishment of new institutions, and the forthcoming electoral contests, however decisive they may be, will not suffice in and of themselves to guarantee the future of democracy in Haiti. The experience of the past three years has shown us that the struggle for democracy can be long and difficult. Like many other countries that have recently emerged from the long might of dicta tea: Ship, Haiti is
considering the promises of the future without losing sight of the serious handicaps of the present. To succeed in building a democratic country while the country is still struggling with a particularly acute structural crisis in the economic and social spheres indeed is a major challenge for us.
In view of the importance of what is at stake, the Government of Haiti deems it necessary to reiterate its appeals to the international community to help Haiti make up foe lost time in the key areas, to free Haiti from the vice of dire poverty, in which three quarters of the population are caught, and, above all, to help them find the road to renewed growth.
We believe in a renewed and effective solidarity with friendly countries, of the North and the South, in accordance with the wish expressed by the General Assembly in its resolution 39/196 adopted on 17 December 1984 entitled "Economic assistance to Haiti". Unfortunately, that resolution has remained a dead letter - so much so that Haiti has found itself alone in the face of the damage caused by the social problems which the country has been experiencing for more than three years. And even after cyclone Gilbert it again found itself alone, facing the desolation of the families in the southern part of the country, victims of this natural disaster, who are still waiting for some show of international solidarity. We must, at the same time, express our deepest gratitude to the countries of the Caribbean who, responsive to our legitimate aspirations, and with mutual respect, have shown us fraternal support, which we value highly.
We are certain that the united efforts of our partners can be of substantial assistance to the people of Haiti in their untiring search for economic and social betterment.
This aim is certainly not beyond our reach. It is, after all, one of the conditions and the ultimate goal of democratic life. To help us attain it is, obviously, within the framework of the highest mission of the United Nations. We therefore appeal to the Organization to lend Haiti its valuable assistance in co-ordinating far-reaching international action to help the country meet the serious challenges it faces today.
He are convinced that the United Nations, which has constantly managed to go hand in hand with our people in its long trudge towards real democracy, will once again be by our side this time.