Senegal takes pleasure in addressing, through me, its
heartfelt congratulations to the President on his illustrious
election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its
fifty-third session. His election is eloquent testimony to his
intellectual and moral qualities and to his vast experience
in international relations, and also reflects the unanimous
recognition by the Member States of our Organization of
your country, Uruguay, for its ongoing commitment in the
service of international peace and cooperation.
We express profound gratitude to his predecessor, Mr.
Hennadiy Udovenko, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Ukraine, for the skill and commitment with which he
discharged his duty throughout a particularly difficult year.
Finally, I should like to pay a well-deserved tribute
to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, a man of
conviction who deserves our unreserved support in the
pursuit and achievement of the outstanding work of
reform, to which he is fully committed in order to ready
our Organization to meet the realities of the twenty-first
century.
The annual sessions of the General Assembly
provide special opportunities for the great United Nations
family to come together to consider collectively and
thoughtfully the situation of the world and the problems
and challenges that our Organization must meet as it
seeks to bring about peace, progress and solidarity for
human society.
As this century fades, we are living in an era marked
by major challenges that involve all of us individually and
collectively. Our world is in the throes of transformation,
internationally as well as within each of our States, and
our transition towards the third millennium is not without
certain contradictions.
Globalization has become a worldwide phenomenon.
The movement of people and ideas, the computer and
information revolutions, the protection of the environment
and the fight against drugs and terrorism have also
become transnational phenomena that call for global
reform and thoroughgoing international solidarity, which
is the only thing that will allow us to attain our major
objectives — for while we are all similar, we are also all
different.

At the same time, fragmentations are increasing and
differences are asserting themselves at the national level,
thereby leading to civil wars and ethnic and tribal conflicts
that often jeopardize the structure of our States. Formidable
wealth has been created for a tiny minority, while vast
expanses of absolute poverty remain; and while human
rights are exalted here, they are mocked or trampled
underfoot elsewhere.
The United Nations, which is the repository of the
universal conscience, must adapt to these changing realities
and develop the capacity to act, often with urgency, in the
service of peace and to respond appropriately to the
legitimate aspirations of humankind. As we seek to attain
the goals that are before us, our Member States have the
responsibility and the duty to endow our Organization with
the tools that will allow it effectively and rapidly to
implement the agenda for the twenty-first century.
In this context, I should like to emphasize and
welcome two major developments that have marked the
recent history of the United Nations. I shall refer first to the
establishment of the International Criminal Court, not
because it takes priority but because the head of State of
my country, President Abdou Diouf, has conferred upon me
the honour of being involved in this issue for the past two
years. Senegal was among the first signatories of the Statute
of the Court and is waiting only for the certified copy
before ratifying it. The Diplomatic Conference in Rome
was without doubt a historic gathering, as for the first time
the nations of the world, in particular those from Africa,
united by a single and shared desire for justice, together
found a legal means of deterring those who might be
tempted to commit crimes against humanity, war crimes
and crimes of genocide; a means of bringing them to trial,
if there are grounds for doing so; and a means of
sentencing them if they are found guilty. In short, we have
succeeded in forging the missing link in the international
legal system.
That gathering will also be remembered as historic
because the Statute of the Court, which we solemnly
adopted on 18 July 1998, in such a symbolically rich place
as Rome, introduced major innovations in relations between
States and between national and international jurisdictions.
Finally, if anyone needs to be reminded, I am happy
to say that the Statute and the final act governing the Court
complement, and thereby imbue with greater meaning, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose fiftieth
anniversary we are commemorating this year as one of the
great milestone events in the history of the United Nations.
What is more, the Statute makes the ideal of justice more
precise and more alive.
I am pleased to say that my country, Senegal,
recently became the first State member of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU) to ratify the
Protocol on the Establishment of the African Court on
Human and Peoples? Rights, which was adopted at the
most recent OAU summit in Ouagadougou.
Last year, during the fifty-second regular session of
the General Assembly, we all warmly welcomed the
reform proposals of the Secretary-General, contained in
his report (A/51/950) entitled “Renewing the United
Nations: a programme for reform”. We were unanimous
in believing that those judicious, balanced, innovative and
action-oriented proposals were very timely because they
were in tune with the spirit and letter of the Declaration
issued on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary, which
stated:
“In order to be able to respond effectively to the
challenges of the future and the expectations of the
United Nations held by peoples around the world, it
is essential that the United Nations itself be
reformed and modernized.” (resolution 50/6,
para. 14)
This conviction, which we all shared, has today
become an imperative. Indeed, through the dynamic
impetus provided by the President of the General
Assembly at its fifty-second session, Mr. Udovenko, the
General Assembly adopted resolutions through which it
endorsed and reaffirmed the implementation of the
measures and proposals recommended by the Secretary-
General. In this regard, I should like to convey my
sincere congratulations to Ms. Louise Fréchette, who has
been appointed to the distinguished position of Deputy
Secretary-General of our Organization, with particular
responsibility for development issues. To her, our partner
in development, I wish every success in carrying out her
honourable and important mission.
In calling to mind the reforms that will enable the
United Nations to become the cornerstone of a
multilateral system better attuned to the realities of the
twenty-first century, I could not ignore the delicate and
complex negotiations under way within the Working
Group entrusted with the question of restructuring the
Security Council. Security Council reform is a
fundamental element in the overall reform of the United
2

Nations, but we must recognize that it will not be an easy
task.
We all agree on the need to modernize and
democratize that essential United Nations body, but we are
finding it difficult to reach consensus, or even general
agreement, on such fundamental issues as the enlargement,
composition and right of veto. Despite five years of
discussions within the Working Group, we must not
abandon our hopes and become discouraged. If we redouble
our efforts and benefit from the momentum that we have
created, I am convinced that in due course we will succeed
in this great undertaking to restructure the Security Council
by conferring on it greater legitimacy, credibility and
transparency.
Africa certainly has its place in this reform — a place
that must be acknowledged given its history and its destiny
as a continent of the future in which there is room for
continued growth.
The United Nations has traversed half a century, and
during the course of those years we have progressively laid
the groundwork for an international system that should be
able to ensure our collective security. In this regard, our
Organization has been and remains an irreplaceable tool for
the promotion and maintenance of international peace and
security. Despite the numerous achievements recorded in
that area, we must agree about how much farther we have
to travel, as well as about the bold initiatives to be taken in
order fully to secure international peace and security.
Longstanding conflicts continue to resist our efforts at
resolving them, while a number of fresh crises — a new
generation of conflicts linked to an upswell in ethnic or
intercommunity violence — continue to be a source of
major concern for our countries, especially those in Africa.
Thus, in the subregion of western Africa, while Sierra
Leone was moving towards the total restoration of
constitutional order with the return to Freetown of the
democratically elected President owing to efforts by the
United Nations, the Organization of African Unity and
especially the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), a mutiny broke out on 7 June last,
spearheaded by part of the standing army of the Republic
of Guinea-Bissau.
At the express request of the legal authorities of that
country, Senegal and the Republic of Guinea, another
neighbour of Guinea-Bissau, dispatched troops in
accordance with the relevant provisions of the bilateral
agreements signed by each of the two countries with
Guinea-Bissau.
I should like to reiterate that Senegal?s involvement
in Guinea-Bissau is designed solely to help restore
constitutional order, ward off threats to the safety of the
civilian populations and foreigners, and contribute to the
strengthening of stability and security in the subregion
and throughout Africa.
On 26 August 1998, ECOWAS, together with the
Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, succeeded
in inducing the parties to sign a ceasefire accord, the first
step towards the normalization of life in Guinea-Bissau.
In the Horn of Africa, we have witnessed a drastic
downturn in the relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Indeed, the armies of those two fraternal countries —
forced by history, geography and culture to live in perfect
harmony and peace — launched military operations. And
yet there have been numerous initiatives designed to bring
about a political solution of this new conflict. The
brotherly Governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea should
agree to sit down at the negotiating table and endeavour,
with the help of the current Chairman of the OAU, the
countries of the subregion and other participants of
goodwill, to find ways and means of reaching a peaceful
solution.
Elsewhere on the continent, in Angola and in
Somalia, the road to peace is winding — if not
tortuous — and uncertainty continues to prevail.
Allow me to pay once again from this rostrum a
respectful tribute to the memory of Matre Alioune
Blondin Beye, Special Representative of the Secretary-
General in Angola, and of his companions in misfortune,
who included our fellow countryman Moctar Gueye, a
journalist, all of whom died in an accident on the field of
honour in the service of peace.
All of Africa aspires to progress and to a better life,
even though the conflicts it is enduring continue to pose
major obstacles to a balanced and lasting economic and
social development. We therefore have the obligation and
the duty, as members of the family of nations, to continue
to strive to bring about a world order that is more stable,
equitable and just.
Aware of this reality, Africans together, working in
concert with the OAU and in close cooperation with the
United Nations, are participating more and more actively
3

in regional efforts aimed at conflict prevention,
management and resolution.
I should like to take this opportunity to welcome the
publication of the Secretary-General?s report on the causes
of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and
sustainable development in Africa. In this invaluable report,
the Secretary-General offers a well thought out and
objective analysis of the causes of conflicts in Africa,
rightly pinpointing the close link between stability and
development, and finally recommending criteria, conditions
and ways and means of ensuring, building and safeguarding
peace in the interest of sustainable development in Africa.
My country, Senegal, convinced of the importance of
peace in the Middle East and of the need for greater
progress in that respect, is actively supporting the peace
process and remains committed to the achievement of peace
in the region based on the relevant resolutions and
agreements, which must be respected by all parties, if only
on the basis of the principle of pacta sunt servanda.
The time is ripe urgently to call once again on the
parties involved, the co-sponsors and all peace-loving
nations to ensure that fresh initiatives are taken to reconcile
the widely divergent viewpoints of the Palestinian Authority
and the Government of Israel in order to restore a climate
of confidence and cooperation, which is the only possible
basis for peace and peaceful coexistence among the peoples
of the region.
Ongoing efforts to bring about general, complete and
verifiable disarmament represent a major step in
strengthening international security. While significant
progress has been made in this realm in the past decade, we
must acknowledge that global disarmament, today more
than ever, remains a long-range objective.
Indeed, the conflicts we have seen in recent years have
demonstrated that the massive destruction caused by
conventional arms requires that initiatives be taken to deter
their proliferation, and in particular the illicit traffic in
small-calibre weapons, now a real scourge in Africa. Major
efforts are being mobilized on the continent to fight this
threat, but it is obvious that Africa alone cannot possibly
overcome it. Senegal will spare no effort to contribute to
the elaboration of an international convention to fight the
illicit traffic in small-calibre weapons.
At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the universal
character of the United Nations has achieved wide
acceptance, and its universality gives our Organization
greater credibility and effectiveness.
In keeping with this principle, Senegal unreservedly
supports the request by the Republic of China to rejoin
the community of free nations and to be admitted as a
member of our Organization and of its specialized
agencies. Accordingly, we have proposed that the General
Assembly reconsider that part of resolution 2758 (XXVI)
that excluded the Republic of China from the United
Nations and from its specialized agencies.
In keeping with its purpose — to be a centre where
nations work together for social progress through the
achievement of improved living conditions — the United
Nations has made a remarkable contribution to
pinpointing the problems facing humankind.
Throughout this decade, the United Nations has held
a series of major conferences that have enabled the
international community to adopt at the highest political
level a set of consensual plans of action. These have laid
the foundation for a new global partnership for
development based upon the principle of national
responsibility and the imperative of international
solidarity, in the quest for a united response to the
challenges that face all of us. Never before has so
generous and so highly promising an approach been taken
to the concerns felt by the community of nations.
These action plans, apart from their degree of
relevance, constitute a set of formal commitments on
measures that should be taken together. Without the
corresponding mobilization of new and additional
resources, the specific actions expected from these noble
initiatives, whose grandeur and legitimacy derive their
very force from the ideals embodied in the Charter itself,
are liable to translate into severely compromised or
dashed hopes.
Above and beyond the problems linked to
implementing the results of the major conferences held
throughout the decade, the fact is that international
cooperation for development now poses a paradox that we
cannot ignore without betraying the ideals of peace and
development that inspired the founding fathers of our
Organization.
4

Miguel de Unamuno, Rector of the University of
Salamanca in Spain, once said:
“Under certain circumstances, to keep silent is to lie”.
How, then, can we remain silent before the obvious
contradiction between the incessant expansion of needs for
economic cooperation for development and the constant
decline in official development assistance, which is today
at its lowest level in 25 years? How can we forget the
persistent imbalances in multilateral international trade,
whose first and foremost role was, after all, to ensure for
everyone, in developed and developing countries alike, the
benefits of a trading mechanism that was to be open,
regulated, transparent, equitable and predictable? What
values of humanity can still be invoked when at the dawn
of the third millennium, in a world that has become a
global village, over a billion men and women are deprived
of even the barest elements of a decent life? The
marginalization and exclusion that haunt the daily lives of
these men and women give proof once again of the
absolute priority that the fight against poverty must have at
both the national and international levels.
This is why strong measures to breathe new life into
North-South exchanges are today more imperative than
ever. The General Assembly?s high-level debate devoted to
relaunching a dialogue to strengthen international
cooperation through partnership and the draft plan for an
international gathering at the highest level for development
financing are encouraging initiatives, as would be initiatives
for fair compensation for commodities and a global
settlement of the debt crisis of developing countries.
The fifty-third session of the General Assembly
coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The promotion, consolidation
and expansion of the underpinnings of the State based on
the rule of law throughout the world; the strengthening of
national institutions for the defence of human rights; the
integration of human rights into the major activities of the
United Nations system; the promotion of the right to
development — these seem to us to be the essential pillars
of a global policy for the benefit of human rights and
freedoms at the end of this century.
In this context, my delegation would like to salute the
major initiatives undertaken by Mrs. Mary Robinson, High
Commissioner for Human Rights since she took office,
particularly those directed to our continent, Africa, which
are fully in keeping with our expectations. This means, in
fact, that more than ever before, we must promote dialogue
with Governments, strengthen dialogue between
institutions within the United Nations system and strive to
rationalize the machinery of human rights.
The fight against the global drug problem remains a
concern shared by the entire international community
because of the multiple and pernicious ties that drug-
trafficking has been able to establish with phenomena
such as transnational organized crime, terrorism, large-
scale banditry and illegal arms-trafficking networks —
particularly those involving small calibre weapons,
especially in Africa. This illicit trafficking in narcotics
and psychotropic substances has become a dangerous
threat to the peace, stability and security of all nations,
States and regions of the world at the end of the
millennium.
This is why my country, Senegal, welcomed the
holding last June in the presence of numerous heads of
State and of Government in this Hall of the special
session of the General Assembly devoted to the drug
problem. Now it is important for all of us to work for the
effective implementation of the important conclusions
reached at that meeting, both at the national and
international levels.
Before I conclude, allow me to say a few words
about the financial crisis and the need to strengthen the
effectiveness of the United Nations. Our Organization has
been in the midst of a very worrisome financial situation
for several years now. The causes of this situation have
been debated at length right here and it does not seem
necessary for me to recall them now. I would simply like
to stress that the reform process that we have all
undertaken cannot possibly be brought to a successful
conclusion within this situation of financial instability that
the Organization is experiencing at a time when it is
being called upon to act on many different fronts.
The new international context, and the
multidimensional nature of the challenges to be met
require that we have a restructured and modernized
United Nations that is endowed with the capabilities
necessary to come to our help in resolving our disputes,
eliminating injustices and disparities and avoiding
exclusion and selfishness.
It is enough for us to want these things, because we
possess the resources and capabilities to attain them.
Humanity has already met so many challenges in the
course of its troubled history that we can have no doubt
5

now that it is indeed capable of meeting the challenges of
the third millennium as well.
So far as we are concerned in Senegal, under the
leadership of Mr. Abdou Diouf, President of the Republic,
we are ready to shoulder our responsibilities in a genuine
spirit of solidarity and collective effort in order to realize
our ambitions and dreams. We owe it to ourselves, but
especially to the generations to come.


I bring greetings, Sir, from the
Government and the people of Nigeria, on whose behalf I
am honoured and privileged to address this fifty-third
session of the General Assembly, which is taking place
under your presidency. Your election to the presidency is
an expression of the confidence which Member States
repose in you and a measure of our faith in your capacity
to bring to bear on the work of the Assembly your wisdom,
competence and diplomatic skills. I congratulate you most
warmly on your election and also wish you a very
successful tenure.
My delegation would also like to pay tribute to your
predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko of Ukraine, for the
excellent manner in which he conducted the affairs of the
fifty-second session.
We also take this opportunity to express our
immense satisfaction with the way Secretary-General Kofi
Annan has steered the affairs of our Organization. We
wish to assure him of our fullest support and cooperation
as he leads our Organization into the twenty-first century.
The United Nations represents the will of all
mankind to collectively seek solutions to the common
problems facing our world. It demonstrates the ingenuity
of the human spirit to assemble the diverse peoples of the
world in a collaborative effort to attain the goals of
international peace and security, promotion of socio-
economic development, respect for human rights, good
governance and rule of law. Our active participation in
the affairs of this Organization since independence in
1960 is indicative of our belief in its continued relevance
as a unique institution where all nations — big and small,
rich and poor, developed and developing — meet on the
basis of equality and mutual respect to harmonize their
interests and policies for the common good.
It is for this reason that we have continued to
demonstrate our commitment to work in collaboration
with Member States for the strengthening and
revitalization of the United Nations and its agencies. We
therefore believe strongly that the issue of reform and
democratization of the United Nations must be brought to
the front burner. Reform is a continuing process and is
consistent with the rapid changes taking place in our
world. Our Organization will become irrelevant if it fails
to adapt its structures and management style to present-
day realities. In this regard, my delegation wishes to
commend Mr. Kofi Annan, our Secretary-General, for his
dedication and steadfast commitment to the cause of
reform, and the generally positive attitude of Member
States to the critical issues of reform and democratization
of the United Nations.
However, we must admit that substantive progress
has been very slow because of the narrow positions which
some delegations and regional groupings have continued
to take on the fundamental issues of reform and
democratization of the United Nations. We therefore urge
all Member States to demonstrate urgent political will in
this task of renewing the Organization for the next
millennium by working out mutually acceptable
compromises that will move the reform process forward.
In doing this, we shall be able to build an Organization
with the capacity and the potential to make our world
safer and more prosperous.
7

With regard to the particular issue of the reform and
democratization of the Security Council — a subject to
which my country, being one of the original sponsors of the
relevant resolution, attaches great importance — I am
disheartened to note that no tangible substantive progress
has been made five years after the creation of the Open-
ended Working Group on the subject. We note here again
that mistrust and suspicion among States thwarted any
visible movement towards a successful outcome. Yet the
status quo is not in the best interest of the general
membership of the United Nations. Surely, the Council
needs to be restructured, its membership expanded in both
the permanent and non-permanent categories and its
working methods, decision-making methods and decision-
making processes improved. This is the path towards the
democratization of the Council, which will thereby enhance
the legitimacy and effectiveness of its decisions on critical
issues of global peace and security.
My delegation is also of the strong view that the
reform of the Security Council must also touch on the
proper relationship between the Council and the General
Assembly. The Charter of the United Nations assigns to the
Security Council primary, but not exclusive, responsibility
for the maintenance of international peace and security;
hence, there is also a role here for the General Assembly.
Unfortunately, however, the voice of the General Assembly,
which is the most democratic organ of the United Nations,
is often drowned out by that of the Security Council on
issues of global peace and security.
On the specific issues of the composition and size of
the Council, my delegation continues to assert that the
current anomaly of African non-representation in the
permanent membership category must be corrected as a
matter of urgency, as our continent, with its 53 Member
States, collectively constitutes almost one third of the entire
membership of the United Nations. In this context, the
decision of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to
seek two permanent seats for Africa in a reformed and
expanded Council can simply not be ignored. The demand
is legitimate, credible and made with a full sense of
responsibility and relevance in the international system. It
deserves the full support of all Member States.
It is our deep conviction that a world without the
United Nations would be inconceivable, especially in the
wake of renewed conflicts in several parts of the globe. In
this regard, it is a matter of concern that Africa accounts
for a disproportionate share of global conflicts, with their
implications for human suffering and deprivation. The scale
of human tragedies arising from conflicts within and among
African States is alarming. We are pleased to note that
the Security Council is currently giving special
consideration to the causes of conflict in our continent,
with a view to identifying how the international
community could work in partnership with us to resolve
them. This initiative to focus attention on the need for a
renewed and concerted international effort to promote
peace and stability in our continent is clearly
unprecedented and deserves our commendation.
Nigeria?s role in the furtherance of the objectives of
the United Nations, especially in the field of peacekeeping
and peace-building, is well known. We have made great
efforts in the promotion of peaceful resolution of conflicts
in parts of Africa where innocent lives and property have
been dangerously at risk. Nigeria has joined hands with
like-minded States to restore law and order. This was the
case in Liberia and, most recently, in Sierra Leone, where
President Tejan Kabbah was restored to his position as
the democratically elected President in March this year.
This was the first time in the recent history of Africa
that a democratically elected regime overthrown by a
military coup was restored as a result of a collective
action in a subregion. As the current Chairman of the
Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), Nigeria is proud to have provided the
leadership within the ECOWAS Monitoring Group
(ECOMOG) for the collective subregional efforts which
resulted in that epoch-making event.
I should like to take this opportunity to express our
deep gratitude to the international community for its
overwhelming support during the crisis, which helped, in
no small measure, to demoralize the rebel forces and
speed up the restoration of democracy and the rule of law
in Sierra Leone. The war in Sierra Leone is over; the
same can be said of Liberia, but the threat remains. We
therefore urge the international community and
international humanitarian organizations to take an active
interest in rehabilitation efforts in the two countries. A lot
remains to be done there.
Currently our subregional grouping, through its
Committee of Seven, is actively involved in restoring
peace in Guinea-Bissau, where a rebel group took up
arms against the elected Government. It joined efforts
with like-minded groups and a result a ceasefire was
agreed upon a few weeks ago. We are optimistic that this
agreement will hold.
8

We have also helped to create within the Organization
of African Unity a continent-wide Mechanism for Conflict
Prevention, Management and Resolution. This facility
enjoys wide support. However, it has been unable to live up
to the lofty ideals for which it was set up, owing largely to
inadequate resources in terms of military hardware and
funding. We invite the international community and other
interested bodies to support the cause of peace and security
in Africa through the OAU regional and subregional
instruments for conflict prevention, management and
resolution.
Nigeria is disturbed by the escalation of terrorist
activities in many parts of the world. The recent tragic
bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, where some 260
innocent lives were lost, have brought home graphically to
us all the fact that no country or society is immune from
the activities of terrorists. We condemn these bombings.
Terrorism is one of the most heinous crimes against
humanity. It constitutes a serious threat to international
peace and security. We must enhance international
cooperation to combat and eliminate it in all its
manifestations. We must reflect our common concern for
this problem through support for an international convention
on terrorism.
My Administration came to the helm in Nigeria last
June and began its short tenure with a few clear-cut
objectives and policy thrusts. The most important is the
design and implementation of a transparent, free and all-
inclusive programme of transition to civil rule within the
shortest time-frame. This decision was welcomed by the
political class.
Our goal is to return our country to a democratically
elected civilian government on 29 May 1999. To this end,
we inaugurated the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) on 11 August 1998, with full powers
to organize and manage the various stages of the electoral
process without pressure or interference from any external
body or authority. There are no restrictions to the formation
of political parties, and several political parties are already
seeking registration. The party registration guidelines just
issued by INEC emphasize the role of the electorate as the
ultimate determinant of the existence and success of
political parties. This is democracy par excellence and
confirms the confidence of Nigerians in INEC.
Furthermore, the Independent National Electoral
Commission has published the timetable for the various
elections in the Transition Programme, beginning with the
local government elections in December 1998 and
culminating in the presidential elections scheduled for 27
February 1999. We are committed to sustaining the
independence, integrity and transparency of INEC. Every
stage of the elections may be freely observed by
international monitors from the United Nations, the
Commonwealth and other interested bodies. These
measures will ensure the credibility and integrity of the
whole electoral process. In this regard, we note with
satisfaction that both the United Nations and the
Commonwealth have already dispatched assessment teams
to Nigeria to meet with INEC officials with a view to
reaching agreement on the modalities and the substance
of cooperation between the Commission and the two
organizations.
The draft constitution presented by the National
Constitutional Conference in 1995 has now been
published and will be ready for wide circulation in due
course. All comments and views arising from the public
will be duly presented for consideration prior to
promulgation.
I am aware that on the question of human rights
observance, Nigeria has recently been the subject of
international attention. It is the objective of my
administration, with the support and understanding of the
international community, to move Nigeria in the direction
of fullest respect for fundamental human rights, good
governance, accountability and rule of law. This
commitment to human rights has been amply
demonstrated by the release of political detainees, the
granting of pardons to some convicted persons and the
withdrawal of charges against others. The general level of
individual freedom, in particular freedom of expression
and association, has greatly improved. The cases of
people who are being detained and have not been
arraigned before the courts and of a certain class of
persons already convicted for offences are being
examined, and appropriate decisions will be taken.
Already, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of
the Federation, in conjunction with the Minister of
Internal Affairs and the National Commission on Human
Rights of Nigeria, have zoned the country for the purpose
of accelerating the decongestion of prisons.
We wish to reiterate our call on those Nigerians who
are currently in self-imposed exile to return and
participate in the political and economic development of
our country. With our quest to improve our socio-
economic infrastructure and climate for governance, we
will conduct a census of Nigerian professionals and those
9

with special talents currently excelling worldwide with a
view to harnessing all of the country?s human resources.
I have also visited all our military formations to
reconfirm the commitment of the armed forces and police
to the democratization programme. The officers and men of
the Nigerian armed forces and police, like the majority of
our people, yearn for democracy in a united and peaceful
country. They are overwhelmingly in support of our
democratization programme.
I stand before this body as the leader of a country
which is now fully engaged in a genuine and irreversible
process of transition to democracy. Therefore, having
honoured our commitment to the restoration of the
fundamental human rights and freedoms of our people and
advanced the prospects of democratization in Nigeria, we
now call on the Western countries to lift the sanctions
which some of them have imposed on our country. Today,
perhaps more than ever before, we require the support and
understanding of all the friends of Nigeria and the
international community as a whole to help us in the
implementation of our programmes and policies aimed at
uplifting the living standards of our people.
In conclusion, a silent but peaceful revolution is taking
place in Nigeria. Our people are determined to ensure that
sustainable democratic governance is established in the
country. Nigeria is clearly at the threshold of a new
beginning in its domestic political and socio-economic
structure and its foreign relations agenda. This is the time,
therefore, for the international community to give the
necessary encouragement and support for our endeavours.


It is my distinct honour and
privilege to address this body once again. In doing so, may
I take the opportunity to offer, on behalf of the
Commonwealth of Dominica, sincere congratulations to
you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the
General Assembly at its fifty-third session. My thanks are
also extended to Ambassador Udovenko, who so ably
guided the fifty-second session.
Our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, has been
indefatigable in his efforts to bring about peace in various
countries and regions. To him we express our thanks and
congratulations. Last year, I extended an invitation to him
to visit the Caribbean. He has not yet done so. The
invitation remains open.
The Caribbean region continues to demonstrate its
commitment to the democratic process. Since we last met
in this forum the people of several of our States, within
the provisions of the existing rules, freely expressed their
will as to who should lead them into the new millennium.
Our assertion that democracy is alive and well is not
a reflection that all is well in the region. The Charter of
this Organization imposes an obligation on all its
Members to work for the peace, security and economic
and social development of all peoples of the world. As
we seek to discharge that obligation, it behoves us to be
constantly cognizant of those factors and events which
would militate against our success. Some of these are
natural and unavoidable; others are man-made and
regrettable.
The Caribbean was only a few days ago severely
impacted upon by one such natural disaster, Hurricane
Georges. The damage inflicted was extensive, particularly

in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti and the
Dominican Republic. On their behalf, I urge this body to
generously respond to their expressed need for assistance in
the reconstruction work. But the Charter obligations of the
United Nations call for more than an ad hoc response
arrangement. We must first recognize the acute
vulnerability of small States to natural disasters such as
hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes and so on, and
their intrinsic limitations in mitigating and responding to
them.
What is being proposed, therefore, is the establishment
of a disaster reconstruction fund under the auspices of the
United Nations, the resources of which would be available
for quick and effective response to the needs of small
States post disaster. And there is still more that must be
done. Global warming and the greenhouse effect must be
halted.
There are on the agenda of this fifty-third session of
the General Assembly many matters of profound
importance to the Commonwealth of Dominica and the
Caribbean Community as a whole. These include
macroeconomic policy questions on trade and development;
the revitalization of the economic growth and development
of developing countries; the United Nations Decade for the
Eradication of Poverty; the protection of the global climate
for present and future generations of mankind; and
cooperation between the United Nations and the Caribbean
Community.
That cooperation is nowhere more necessary than in
our fight to maintain the integrity of the market for our
bananas. Our fight is against some very powerful members
of this very United Nations, which seem determined to
derail our democracy, upset our efforts to eradicate poverty
and undermine the peace and security of our region.
The people of the Commonwealth of Dominica and
the people of the Caribbean Community look to the United
Nations to intervene on their behalf. The people of the
Commonwealth of Dominica and the Caribbean Community
are firm in their conviction that globalization and trade
liberalization cannot be allowed to result in the
marginalization and economic disintegration of small
developing States.
We seek a level playing field on which our people can
engage meaningfully in trade and development, rather than
be for ever subjected to the aid-and-dependency syndrome.
Our expressed desire to hold on to our banana industry,
which has served us well, in no way reflects any
misunderstanding of the reality of the current trade and
economic environment.
We in the Commonwealth of Dominica are actively
engaged in the diversification of our economy, involving
the agricultural, tourism and service sectors. We have
made progress towards improving air access to our
country and are providing increased opportunities for our
children to receive secondary and tertiary education.
We consider the recent naming of one of our
national parks, Morne Trois Pitons, as a World Heritage
site to be a resounding statement of our commitment to
the preservation and effective utilization of our
environment.
It is a source of comfort to us that all this has been
achieved in an environment of social and political
stability. We must, however, sound the warning bells, as
we note with great foreboding the practice by some of
deporting to our countries hardened criminals who have
learned and practised their trade in their adopted
homelands for several decades. In like manner, the
unwarranted disruption and dismantling of families
through inhumane immigration laws requires the attention
of this Organization.
I respectfully submit that in all our deliberations and
actions, as indeed in every aspect of human endeavour,
the aspirations and legitimate expectations of the people
must be central. The 21.5 million people of the Republic
of China on Taiwan aspire to be represented in this body.
They have a legitimate expectation that their country, a
founding Member of the United Nations, should have its
membership restored. We cannot but lend them our
support. Ours must be a policy of inclusion.
A cursory look at our agenda reveals 21 items
dealing with the financing of United Nations
peacekeeping or observer missions, all associated with
war, threats of war, “ethnic cleansing”, terrorism and the
like. This suggests that although much has been achieved,
much more must be done. We must focus our attention on
the preservation of peace and security, thereby reducing
the need for the restoration of peace and security.
There should be no compromise in the fight against
terrorism, whether it be in Kenya, Tanzania or Northern
Ireland. We note and are glad for the encouraging signs
emanating from the Middle East. We should take our cue
from the famous British politician who said “To jaw-jaw
2

is better than war-war”, and seek to settle our disputes
peacefully in the spirit of our Charter.
By the time this fifty-third session of the General
Assembly comes to a close, many speeches will have been
delivered from this podium, articulate, substantive speeches,
delivered by men and women who together hold and wield
enormous power.
The peoples of the world have heard us talk. But is
that all they want from us? I submit that the answer is a
resounding no. They want action. An agenda that includes
165 items suggests that much work lies ahead of us. Yet I
propose one additional task: that the Secretary-General and
his able team of professionals subject all of our speeches to
detailed scrutiny and analysis and, in keeping with the
directive of the Summit of the Americas, let us “put words
into deeds”.
In this way, we will give the lie to those critics who
claim this place is only a talk shop, and demonstrate to
them that it is indeed an action station.
The Commonwealth of Dominica and the Caribbean
Community hold dearly to the principles enshrined in the
Charter of the United Nations. We are firmly committed to
working with all Members and nations to bring about an
improved quality of life for all the peoples of this world.


The light of
human existence is kindled by man's longing for
salvation. The essence of the message of divine prophets
and the content of the teachings of prominent sages have
been primarily aimed at human salvation. It is painful to
observe in the arena of human history the deprivation and
abject misery of human beings; the deprivation of women,
men and children enslaved by the whims of the ruling
powers; and the ill fate of rulers deprived of compassion
and sympathy for their own nations. Hence, virtuous rule
and good governance have been evanescent in human
history.
Ironically, much too often will and freedom of
thought have been frustrated and liberty suffocated in the
name of salvation, and much too often salvation has been
portrayed as disposing of any and all restraints on
insatiable human desires. Reason and love have thus been
sacrificed at the altar of the whim. At times, liberty has
been trampled in the name of justice, and at other times
justice has been obliterated in the name of freedom. The
result has been humanityâs age-old deprivation from both
justice in liberty and liberty in justice.
It is only a few centuries since genuine knowledge
began to be construed as the source of power rather than
an agent of its control. Ever since, knowledge, instead of
serving human salvation and exalting human character,
has been used as an instrument in the hands of those
whose only object is to advance their own narrow,
utilitarian self-interest.
Despite its magnificent progress, humanity has
suffered massively over these centuries from
discrimination and anguish. Survivors are still among us
who can testify to the incalculable destruction caused by
the two world wars, and despite the birth of the United
Nations â€” a positive achievement for mankind â€” true
peace based on justice still remains a scarcity.
Particularly desperate is the situation of the countries
in the underdeveloped world, where so many still suffer
from famine, illiteracy and disease, and some remain at
the mercy of rulers who do not even take the trouble of
pretending to respect democratic standards or enjoy
popular support. So often they attempt to replace the
absence of popular support by dependence on power
whose sole purpose is the pursuit of domination and self-
interest.
Oppressive and dependent governments deny their
people the opportunity to experience democracy by
perpetuating intimidation and terror in society, and they
3

promote a culture of violence which inadvertently leads
their opponents to resort to the same. The powers that breed
and nurture such regimes can therefore not escape blame.
Primarily responsible here are those powers whose
intelligence services take pride in their dark record of
overthrowing popular governments and supporting
unpopular ones.
This image of our world is indeed grim and repulsive.
Until the day that the wise and the learned wrest the reins
of power from the unwise and the capricious, this image
cannot at all be transformed.
Nonetheless, in my opinion, beyond the darkness and
doom, genuine beauty can still be discerned in the deeper
layers of history. I can assert with certitude that, on the
whole, human life has blossomed spiritually and materially.
Anti-colonial struggles and independence movements of
many nations in this century exemplify this blossoming and
progress. The collapse of the bipolar world order in the
final decade of this century and the swift march of the
world towards diversity, coupled with renewed assertion of
identity in the international arena by nations demanding
equality, are other significant achievements in this direction.
The fantasy of a unipolar world ruled by a single
super-Power is but an illusion, indicating the failure of its
holders to keep pace with history. I am confident that
powerful nations, such as the American people, will not
accept that their good name, potential and national prestige
be exploited for the advancement of the dream of a
unipolar world by the politicians, motivated by the short-
sighted material and factional interests of a few. The
evolution of public opinion in the West in support of
peaceful relations on the basis of mutual respect testifies to
this assertion.
Now allow me to speak here as a man from the East,
the origin of brilliant civilizations and the birthplace of
divine prophets â€” Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed,
peace be upon them all. I come from the noble land of Iran,
representing a great and renowned nation famed for its
ancient civilization, as well as for its distinguished
contribution to the founding and expansion of the Islamic
civilization, a nation that has survived the strong winds of
despotism, reaction and submission, relying on its cultural
and human wealth. It is a nation which pioneered in the
East the establishment of civil society and constitutional
government in the course of its contemporary history, even
though, as a result of foreign interference and domestic
deficiencies, at times it may have faltered in its course; a
nation which has been at the forefront of the struggle for
independence and against colonialism, although its
national movement was subverted by a foreign-
orchestrated coup. And it is a nation which carries the
torch of its popular revolution, not won by force of arms
or a coup, but by dethroning a regime of coup dâÃ©tat
through the power of the enlightened word. In the course
of its new experience, our nation has endured eight years
of an imposed war, pressure, sanctions and various unfair
accusations. It has also fallen victim to terrorism, the
ominous phenomenon of the twentieth century.
Today, the Iranian nation draws on its past to
contemplate a better future, while defying reactionary
tendencies and, backed by principles and ideals rooted in
its religious, national, historical and revolutionary heritage
and benefiting from positive achievements of
contemporary civilization, marches, be it through trial and
error, towards a promising tomorrow.
The Islamic revolution of the Iranian people was a
revolt of reason against coercion and suppression.
Certainly, a revolution which resorted to logic in the
phase of destruction is much better disposed to resort to
dialogue and reason in the phase of construction. Hence,
it calls for a dialogue among civilizations and cultures
instead of a clash between them.
From this rostrum and the pulpit of the United
Nations, I announce that humanity, despite all calamities
and hardships, is heading towards emancipation and
liberty. This is the unalterable divine providence and
human destiny. The malice and depravity of no individual
can ever violate divine providence and the course of
history.
The word â€œhistoryâ€ predates â€œphilosophyâ€, and man
is the pillar of history. History itself is the reflection of
the light of being upon various facets and dimensions of
human existence. Thus, it is a unique and universal entity,
albeit diverse in nature. Whenever this unique entity takes
on a new guise, a new era is ushered in. Our assessment
of history indeed emanates from our perception of
humanity â€” its pivot and pillar.
Human beings, who, in the Persian poet Saadiâs
eloquent description borrowed from a saying of the holy
Prophet of Islam, are various organs of the same body,
are outside the reach of biology or psychology.
Understanding human beings requires a philosophical and
reflective view of man and history. God created man with
His own hand and in His own image, and He breathed
into him of His own spirit, and thus humanity is but a
4

single entity, and so is its history. The hand of God granted
humankind history, will and freedom of choice; the image
of God provided him culture, spirituality and liberty; and
the spirit of God bestowed upon him life and vitality. Thus,
human beings have come to possess history, culture and
liberty.
Not only do all human beings originate from one and
the same origin and share a continuous and integrated
history, but also one may further postulate a single final
purpose. This purpose of history is none other than spiritual
culture, and genuine human liberty is its absolute
prerequisite.
Whether or not one subscribes to the view that man is
doomed to whirl in iterative historical cycles or to grapple
with historical moments or epochs, and whether or not one
holds history to be self-driven, driven by human urges, by
modes of production or by superhuman heroes, everyone
can agree that it is only the ever-inspiring fountain of faith
that breaks every old and new shackle from humanity and
arrests the iterative eternal cycle, eventually emancipating
humankind from the bounds of historical determinism, just
as it is only the vivifying breeze of liberty that can offer
faith and spirituality to humanity.
It is thus that humankind could, in consonance with
the mystic Persian poet Hafez, serenade that
â€œI will subvert this high inverted vault if it should ere
rotate 'gainst my dictate.â€
Or, in the words of the Gospel according to Saint Mark,
if one had faith in God one could say to the mountain
â€œBe thou removed, and be thou cast into the seaâ€ (The
Holy Bible, Mark 11:23)
Through such an understanding of freedom, the tenets
of human dignity can be upheld in the face of political
domination and virtue, and hope against baneful blasts of
despair and nihilism. Here, one can discern the trajectory of
history towards liberty.
The history of humankind is the history of liberty.
Only that interpretation which describes history as the arena
for manifestation of liberty can provide an opening of the
past for the benefit of mankind. Regardless of all
philosophical systems that have attempted to attribute
meanings, directions and laws of evolution to history, we
can realize that because human history is intertwined with
the history of liberty, when human beings are liberated
from imposed constraints of exploitation and social
enslavement, as well as from unrefined animal instincts
such as violence and savagery, they will then side with
truth and justice in line with their human nature. Thence,
human history shall become the glorious history of truth
and realization of justice. And this could be another
expression of the famous religious doctrine of
Messianism.
Whether we embark on an empirical and inductive
study of history or an intuitive one, most thinkers would
agree that the essence of humanity has flourished and that
more veils of ignorance have been removed from the
minds of human beings.
I have deliberately used the word â€œflourishedâ€
instead of the more common terms, such as â€œhistorical
progressâ€, in order to emphasize that, whatever school of
philosophy of history we may follow, we can still share
an understanding of this general and universal conception
of history.
The establishment and continued functioning of the
United Nations is a testament to the progressive path of
the world and of human history. Today it does not require
much argument to establish that instead of war and
bloodshed one could and indeed ought to resort to
discourse and dialogue. That fact has not been achieved
easily, as if the bloodstained history of humanity forms an
antecedent to this seemingly simple proposition.
Yet so long as imprudent potentates can obliterate
flowers and trees, hope and mirth from the face of the
Earth with a quick stroke of their folly and cruelty, it is
premature to celebrate the ultimate triumph of the Logos
over the sword.
The twentieth century did not only witness the
manifestations of violence and human sufferings at the
hands of old colonialists and the unprecedented injustice
of their modern heirs; it was also the century of the rise
and fall of totalitarian regimes. Let us hope that in the
coming century resort to force and violence shall not be
glorified and that the essence of political power shall be
compassion and justice, externally manifested in dialogue
between civilizations.
The question is how the United Nations may take
the necessary measures to respond to this evolving global
climate, and what impact it will have on the changing
course of the life of mankind longing for salvation.
5

I would like to propose, in the name of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, that the United Nations, as a first step,
designate the year 2001 as the â€œYear of Dialogue Among
Civilizationsâ€, in the earnest hope that through such a
dialogue the realization of universal justice and liberty may
be initiated.
Among the worthiest achievements of this century is
the acceptance of the necessity and significance of dialogue
and the rejection of force, the promotion of understanding
in the cultural, economic and political fields, and the
strengthening of the foundations of liberty, justice and
human rights. The establishment and enhancement of
civility, whether at the national or international level, is
contingent upon dialogue among societies and civilizations
representing various views, inclinations and approaches. If
humanity, at the threshold of the new century and
millennium, devotes all its efforts to institutionalizing
dialogue, replacing hostility and confrontation with
discourse and understanding, it will leave an invaluable
legacy for the benefit of future generations.
Similarly, it is necessary that as members of the
United Nations we revisit the history of the formation of
this Organization, with a view to reforming and improving
the institution through a rational exchange of views.
The United Nations took shape in a dark era of human
history, when many of its current members were still
experiencing the bitter and abominable conditions of
colonial rule. As a consequence, the new Organization
reflected the domination of the powerful few. Things have
changed now, and the opportunity has presented itself to
restructure this Organization, particularly its Security
Council. Here I would like to refer to the wise statement of
the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran in his inaugural
address to the Eighth Session of the Islamic Summit
Conference, held in Tehran, that the Islamic countries,
representing one billion and several hundred million people,
should acquire a permanent seat in the United Nations
Security Council, with the same privileges as current
permanent members, as long as they are enjoyed by those
members.
The time has come to reject, through understanding,
the discriminatory veto privilege, and in so doing take
another step towards the recognition of fair and equal rights
of all Member States.
Let us all join hands in solidarity against genocide,
aggression and the humiliation of mankind in various
corners of the world. Let us prevent the continuation of
shameful tragedies which have tarnished the face of this
century in Palestine, Afghanistan and Kosovo, and in
many other parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Peace and security in the Middle East, imperative as
they are, will only be established through the recognition
of the right of all Palestinians to exercise sovereignty over
their ancestral homeland. The presently occupied Al-Quds
al-Sharif ought to be the house of dialogue and
understanding. Resonating from the depth of history, its
voice speaks intrinsically against racism and Zionism.
Great monotheistic religions can live peacefully together
in Al-Quds al-Sharif, but it is the very Israeli rule that has
made such a coexistence impossible. Palestine is the
home of all Palestinians â€” Muslims, Christians and
Jews â€” and not a laboratory for the violent whims of
Zionists.
In Afghanistan, there is no military solution to that
countryâs predicament. The universal outrage at the
massacre and genocide being perpetrated there â€”
particularly the tragic killing of Iranian diplomats and a
journalist, as well as at the continued captivity of the
Iranian aid workers in the hands of the Taliban â€” calls
for sober analysis and expeditious action to bring the
perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
Afghanistan, the land of people of dignity and
culture, has now been turned into a haven for violence,
terrorism and the production of and trafficking in
narcotics. The Afghan people, as other peoples in the
world, have the inalienable right to determine their own
destiny and the right to enjoy a broad-based Government
representing all ethnic groups, communities and
tendencies in that country. This is the only way to restore
tranquillity in Afghanistan. This requires resolute
international cooperation in order to inhibit the lucrative
and deadly business of producing and smuggling
narcotics, illicit trafficking in weapons and cultivation of
terrorism. The United Nations, in cooperation with the
Organization of the Islamic Conference and all concerned
States, should bring all the parties to the conflict to the
negotiating table, paving the way for the tyrannized and
destitute Afghan people to freely determine their own
destiny and, backed by solemn global support, should
bring the rogue elements into compliance with the will of
the international community. Simultaneously the
Organization should plan for the mobilization of requisite
international assistance for the reconstruction of
Afghanistan once the necessary political conditions are in
place.
6

In Kosovo, the legitimate rights of the embattled
people should be recognized, and the Yugoslav Government
should be made to respect these rights.
Honest and sincere efforts to combat terrorism in all
its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism,
constitute another important priority for the Government of
the Islamic Republic of Iran. Terrorism is a product of
desperation and nihilism. In a world swirling in the orbit of
violence and oppression, serious combat against terrorism
will not advance beyond the realm of words and slogans.
The eradication of terrorism must be concurrent with a
global search for justice.
This assertion should in no way be interpreted as a
justification for any form of terrorism. As required by our
religious, moral and cultural values and norms, we
unequivocally oppose all forms and manifestations of
terrorism, and we shall combat it vigorously and earnestly.
In our view, in order to eradicate this menace, we should
engage in serious and transparent international cooperation
to combat terrorism, and at the same time redouble our
efforts to attain the objective of global justice.
At the threshold of the third millennium, the world
also needs to be liberated from the nightmare of nuclear
war and weapons of mass destruction. Recent nuclear tests
in our region, which have led to further complications,
make this all the more imperative. We should all realize
that the idea of attaining security through the acquisition of
such armaments is nothing but an illusion.
The manifestation of a resolute global determination
to eliminate all existing arsenals of weapons of mass
destruction within an agreed time-frame would provide a
clear objective and lend credence and add dynamism to the
international efforts against the production and proliferation
of these deadly weapons. The establishment of zones free
from weapons of mass destruction, particularly in the
Middle East, constitutes an appropriate first step in
alleviating tension and mistrust emanating from these
weapons. We in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as victims of
the use of weapons of mass destruction, are more cognizant
than anyone else of their horrifying impact. We shall thus
stay at the forefront of international efforts to establish and
strengthen universal arrangements for their destruction.
Security, development and prosperity in the third
world require the promotion of cooperation and the
utilization of proven arrangements and mechanisms for
confidence-building. In this regard, it is encouraging that
the Eighth Islamic Summit Conference in Tehran, cognizant
of this necessity, established an appropriate mechanism to
foster confidence through dialogue among Islamic
countries.
As a first step in this direction, I invite our
neighbours in the Persian Gulf region, who have
witnessed two destructive wars in the span of one decade,
to establish a security and cooperation system in the area.
In short, confidence and peace cannot be attained
without a sober revision of the mentality of the cold war.
The advancement and promotion of a culture of peace is
contingent upon the recognition of the constructive role of
nations coupled with avoidance of domination,
unilateralism, confrontation and exclusion.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, in keeping with its
fundamental beliefs and deep-rooted heritage of
civilization, seeks a world blessed with peace and
tranquillity based on human dignity. It has accorded the
highest priority in its foreign policy to the removal of
tension. In line with the principles of the Islamic
revolution, Iran is determined to follow its balanced
policy of expanding relations with its neighbours and
other countries on the basis of respect for independence
and equality of rights.
Comprehensive peace, over and above peace among
human beings, also calls for peace between mankind and
nature, which in turn requires that mankind bring to a halt
the systematic devouring of nature and instead emphasizes
the coordination of man and nature. The preservation of
the environment, as the common natural heritage of
mankind, constitutes a most important priority of the
coming century.
Before concluding, I would like to emphasize the
paramount role of the family, women and youth in the
making of a better tomorrow and the consolidation of the
foundations of civil society throughout the globe.
The family is the unique setting for human progress
and the development of the personal and social identity of
individuals. Regrettably, today, especially in the
industrialized countries, the foundations of home and
family have been undermined, threatening the emotional,
material and spiritual health of human life. A global effort
is required to confront this danger, lest the flames of this
centre of warmth, affection and education be gradually
dimmed by the cold and vicious winds of alluring
facades, lust and material gain.
7

Efforts at the global level geared to the promotion and
strengthening of respect for women and their rights require
a critical reassessment of the traditional and inappropriate
views about women. The traditional outlook, based on the
erroneous notion of the superiority of men over women,
does injustice to men, women and humanity as a whole.
Equally nefarious is the view that disregards the differences
between men and women. We should recognize that both
men and women are valuable components of humanity who
equally possess the potential for intellectual, social, cultural
and political development, and that comprehensive and
sustainable development is possible only through the active
participation of both men and women in social life.
At the threshold of the new millennium, the United
Nations should have faith in the new generation, to whom
the next century belongs. It should thus be prepared to
accept and embrace the requirements of believing in youth.
Let us bring ourselves to accept that we are not custodians
of youth and that the young do have the right to enjoy the
social process of growth and development, a right they
should exercise consciously and wilfully. With such a new
perspective, and drawing upon the dynamic ability and
intellectual capability of the new generation, we can
together chart a much better and brighter future for the next
century.


It gives me great pleasure to extend to Mr. Opertti and his
friendly country, on behalf of the State of Kuwait, our
sincere congratulations on his election as President of the
General Assembly at its fifty-third session. We are
confident that his extensive and incisive knowledge of
international affairs will greatly help him to guide the
Assembly?s deliberations to success. Let me assure him of
our delegation?s willingness and desire to cooperate with
him in a businesslike and constructive manner in order to
achieve all the objectives of this session.
I also wish to express our appreciation to his
predecessor, Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, for his remarkable
stewardship of the previous session.
Allow me take this opportunity to commend the
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his tireless efforts
to reform the United Nations, to restructure it, and to
streamline and revitalize it in various fields, with a view to
making it responsive to the demands and challenges of the
twenty-first century. In this regard, we welcome the
statement made by the Secretary-General before the general
debate, when he presented his report on the work of the
Organization. We note with satisfaction that some essential
proposals for reform presented by the Secretary-General
have been implemented.
We hope that the reform exercise will continue with
the full backing of all Member States. The reform of the
Organization and the enhancement of its effectiveness for
the fulfilment of its objectives and the attainment of its
priorities depend in large measure on the political will of
Member States and the extent of their commitment to their
obligations under the Charter and the resolutions of its
various organs. We consider it unrealistic to expect the
United Nations to deliver more while we provide less.
Frankly, Kuwait feels that the success of the reform
exercise hinges primarily on the availability of adequate
funding for the various mandated activities. Such funding
depends on the payment by all Member States of their
assessed contributions to both the regular budget and the
peacekeeping budget. In this regard, I am pleased to
report that the State of Kuwait continues to fulfil its
financial obligations in full and on time. It is our fervent
hope that this obligation will be honoured by all Member
States of the Organization.
The reform and restructuring of United Nations
organs has become a practical necessity required for the
common interest of all Member States. There is no doubt
that the circumstances in which the United Nations was
established over 50 years ago have changed, and that vast
developments which could not be overlooked have
occurred at various international and regional levels.
Therefore, Kuwait is in favour of restructuring the
Security Council so that its composition and membership
reflect current political and economic realities. The
change should also ensure greater efficiency in the
discharge of the primary responsibilities of the Council,
as set forth in the Charter, regarding the maintenance of
international peace and security.
It is clear now, after five years of debate in the
Working Group on the expansion of the membership of
the Security Council and the reform of its methods of
work, that reaching a consensus on the optimum increase
in membership is not an easy matter. Deep differences
still exist among Member States. Nonetheless, we remain
hopeful that reaching an agreement is still possible. In
this context, we wish to emphasize the need to improve
the methods and procedures of work of the Council to
ensure enhanced transparency and wider involvement in
the decision-making process. The comprehensive paper
submitted by the Non-Aligned Movement on 11 March
1997 to the Working Group constitutes an appropriate
basis for working out an agreement on the procedures to
be adopted and incorporated into the rules of procedure of
the Council.
As we stand at the threshold of the twenty-first
century, our world is witnessing the emergence of a
multitude of problems and issues whose implications
transcend national and geographical boundaries. Their
inherent dangers can threaten national and international
security. Unless curbed, such hazards will undermine the
achievements made thus far in the environmental, social
and economic spheres. Among such problems — without
being exhaustive — are terrorism, the arms race, narcotic
drugs, environmental degradation, poverty, human rights
violations, massacres and genocide.
17

In this context, Kuwait wishes to reaffirm its
categorical denunciation and rejection of all forms of
violence and terrorism, irrespective of their source. We
support all collective international efforts to confront this
phenomenon, including the apprehension and trial of the
perpetrators of these crimes. Kuwait condemns the terrorist
acts perpetrated against the United States embassy buildings
in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam last August and extends
heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the
victims of those tragic incidents.
In the area of disarmament, we welcome the progress
made thus far with regard to the Convention on the
prohibition of chemical weapons, the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the
Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling,
Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on
Their Destruction.
When we in Kuwait talk about landmines, we have in
our minds the bitter memory of the destructive impact of
the millions of mines planted throughout Kuwait by the
invading Iraqi forces. Those mines claimed the lives of
hundreds of innocent children, women and elderly people.
It took painstaking efforts, in which many States
participated, to remove those mines. Kuwait had to expend
great efforts and vast sums on the clearance operations.
We therefore call on the international community to
pursue its efforts to eliminate anti-personnel mines. Kuwait
also encourages the movement towards curbing the arms
race and developing controls and rules that contribute to
tension reduction in all volatile and conflict-ridden regions,
especially the Middle East, South Asia and the Indian
subcontinent.
A significant development in international efforts to
combat crimes of genocide and massacres committed during
conflicts and wars was the recent adoption of the Statute of
the International Criminal Court in Rome last July. It is our
hope that the Court will live up to the legitimate aspirations
of the world community in trying all perpetrators of war
crimes or crimes against humanity and in serving as an
effective deterrent against serious violations of international
humanitarian law.
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Kuwait calls for
greater consolidation of international efforts, to ensure
wider respect for and protection of the human rights
consecrated in the Charter of the United Nations and the
Universal Declaration. We maintain that it is the duty of
all States, irrespective of their political, economic or
cultural systems, to protect and promote those rights, with
a view to ensuring the dignity of the human being and his
or her rights to freedom of expression and belief.
In the area of the fight against narcotic drugs, we
believe that the efforts of the United Nations and of other
competent international institutions to combat this
pernicious phenomenon, and to minimize the illicit sale,
trade and abuse of drugs should be supported and
strengthened. In this regard, we welcome the Political
Declaration adopted at the conclusion of the twentieth
special session of the General Assembly, held last June.
We are hopeful that the steps agreed to then will be
translated into effective concrete measures to stem the
tide of this phenomenon, which poses severe threats to
human health and to the dignity and aspirations of
millions of people and their families, as well as to the
stability and independence of States.
The State of Kuwait has the honour of holding the
chairmanship of the current session of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), which was established in
1981. Since its inception, the GCC has been working
steadily to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of its peoples,
who share a common view of their destiny and future.
Leaders of the GCC member States hold annual summits
to examine and review a wide range of issues and events
that concern the family of the GCC community and have
an impact on regional security and stability.
A major issue on the agenda of the summit
conferences in this regard is the implementation by Iraq
of its obligations set forth in the Security Council
resolutions relating to its invasion of the State of Kuwait.
Therefore, the Gulf Cooperation Council leaders attached
great importance to this question in their last summit,
held in December 1997 in Kuwait. The final statement
issued by that summit reflected a Gulf vision of the future
modalities for establishing peace and stability in the
region. It also outlined the conditions that must be met by
Iraq in order to enable it to reclaim its normal position
within the ranks of the international community. Let me
cite the following excerpt from the Gulf Cooperation
Council summit statement:
“The Supreme Council reaffirms the necessity for
the Government of Iraq to implement all relevant
Security Council resolutions without selectivity,
especially those relating to the elimination of
weapons of mass destruction that remain in Iraq?s
18

possession, the release of Kuwaiti and third country
prisoners, the return of all Kuwaiti property and
compliance with Security Council resolution 949
(1994) by refraining from any act of aggression or
provocation against neighbouring States. It also
stresses that the invasion and occupation of the State
of Kuwait by Iraq was a breach of inter-Arab and
international treaties. Therefore, Iraq must solemnly
acknowledge that by its occupation of the State of
Kuwait, it violated the Charter of the League of Arab
States, the Joint Arab Defence Treaty and the Charter
of the United Nations. The Supreme Council invites
Iraq to take the necessary steps to demonstrate its
good intentions towards the State of Kuwait and other
States in the region in both word and deed, with a
view to sparing the region the horrors of another
similar catastrophe and to ensuring security and
stability for all States of the region. It reaffirms its
support for the United Nations Special Commission in
charge of the elimination of Iraq?s weapons of mass
destruction, and for its Executive Chairman, with the
intention of enabling it to fulfil its mandate, and
invites the Government of Iraq to cooperate in earnest
with the Special Commission without any restrictions
or conditions. It stresses the need for Iraq to carry out
all relevant Security Council resolutions with a view
to mitigating sanctions and alleviating the suffering of
the Iraqi people, a suffering with which member
States of the Supreme Council are sympathetic, thus
prompting them to welcome the oil-for-food formula
as a means of providing food and medical drugs to the
brotherly people of Iraq. It reaffirms its firm position
that the independence, sovereignty, unity and
territorial integrity of Iraq must be preserved.”
In addition to this crystal clear position of the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries, the Non-Aligned Movement,
at its recent summit in South Africa, underscored the need
for Iraq to complete its implementation of all relevant
Security Council resolutions. The same call was made
earlier by the leaders of the Muslim countries when they
convened their summit meeting in Tehran last December.
Despite those legitimate demands and sincere calls to
Iraq to respond favourably to and to put into effect the
resolutions of international legitimacy, Iraq still persists in
disregarding those calls and in challenging the Security
Council resolutions. It claims that it has carried out what it
is required to do. How can such claims be reconciled with
the fact that until now we have not yet heard from Iraq any
declaration or seen any initiative suggesting that it regrets
what it has done? In fact, convenient selectivity is the
dominant feature of Iraq?s approach in addressing the
resolutions and demands of international legitimacy. The
most recent crisis is perhaps a good example of the
Government of Iraq?s procrastination and its breach of
Security Council resolutions and of the Memorandum of
Understanding it signed with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations. Such crises, which are periodically
triggered by the Iraqi Government in its attempts to
disavow and circumvent its legal obligations, have all
failed thanks to the solid coherence and unity of position
of the members of the Security Council, which insist on
full compliance by Iraq with the relevant Security Council
resolutions. There is no doubt that all these crises
unfortunately contribute to the prolongation of the
sanctions, for which the Government of Iraq alone bears
responsibility.
Accordingly, we call upon the international
community to maintain its pressure on Iraq in order to
force it to comply with all relevant resolutions of
international legitimacy, to release all Kuwaiti prisoners
and other detainees and to account for the missing
persons. This is a long-standing humanitarian problem. Its
continuation causes more pain and suffering for the
affected families and the people of Kuwait, who remain
hopeful for the return of their loved ones. It is our hope
that this question will be resolved once and for all, in
accordance with the traditions of Islam and the provisions
of the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The events of the past two decades in the Arabian
Gulf region have demonstrated the need for building a
regional system on the basis of full and mutual respect for
the principles of sovereignty of all States, non-
interference in the domestic affairs of others, non-use or
threat of use of force, the right of each State to choose its
own political, economic and social system, the
sovereignty of each State over its natural resources and
the importance of resort to peaceful negotiation for the
resolution of disputes which may arise between them.
Having said that, and in view of Kuwait?s belief in
the inalienable rights of our sister State of the United
Arab Emirates to the three islands of Greater Tunb,
Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, we wish to reaffirm our
commitment to and support for the final statement issued
by the Kuwait summit of Gulf Cooperation Council
member States last December.
Kuwait follows with great interest and concern the
risks of the current stalemate in the Middle East peace
process, which may threaten it with collapse and complete
19

failure due to the intransigent policies of the present Israeli
Government, which persists in rejecting the implementation
of accords concluded with the Palestinian National
Authority and disclaiming the operational principles and
framework of the entire peace process, primarily Security
Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the
principle of land for peace. This provocative policy which
is pursued by Israel?s Government not only undermines the
peace process but also creates a general sense of despair
and frustration. It also destroys all efforts to build mutual
confidence between the parties concerned. It is a push
towards confrontation, tension, violence and instability
throughout the region.
Therefore, we demand that the Israeli Government halt
its illegal policy of constructing settlements, confiscating
land and demolishing houses. Israel should also cease
taking unilateral measures to create faits accomplis on the
ground inside the occupied territories. Instead, Israel should
implement the United Nations resolutions and fulfil its
pledges and accords signed with the Palestinian Authority
within the framework of the peace process with a view to
ensuring the attainment of all legitimate political rights of
the Palestinian people, including its right to self-
determination and to the establishment of its independent
state on its national territory with Jerusalem as its capital.
Here, we stress the need to halt the unabating Israeli
measures aimed at changing the physical features of the
city of Jerusalem and transforming its legal status. We
condemn the Israeli Government?s decision last June to
expand the municipal boundaries of the Holy City. We call
upon the United Nations and the international community
to fulfil their legal and political obligations in order to force
Israel to comply with Security Council and General
Assembly resolutions on Jerusalem and to preserve its
Arab, Muslim and religious character.
In the same vein, we renew our call to the two
sponsors of the peace process, especially the United States,
to redouble their efforts to salvage the peace process and to
bring pressure to bear on Israel to resume negotiations on
the Syrian-Israeli track from the point at which they
stopped, with a view to ensuring full Israeli withdrawal
from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, as well as its
complete and unconditional withdrawal in accordance with
Security Council resolution 425 (1978) from southern
Lebanon and the western Bekaa.
Indeed, durable, just and comprehensive peace based
on United Nations resolutions and the land-for-peace
principle is the only guarantee for meeting the aspirations
of the peoples of the region for a new era of peaceful
coexistence and accelerated economic and social
development.
The tragic situations that prevail in Somalia and
Afghanistan as a result of civil and ethnic conflicts that
brought suffering to their peoples cause us concern.
Kuwait, by virtue of its historical bonds with these two
countries, reiterates its appeals to all warring parties and
factions there to put an end to acts of violence and
senseless bloodshed. We call upon them to respond
immediately to regional and international appeals and
initiatives for dialogue and negotiation in order to resolve
their differences and to achieve overall national
reconciliation. This would allow them to channel their
potentialities towards the goals of development and the
reconstruction of what these conflicts have destroyed.
In condemning the killing of the Iranian diplomats
in Afghanistan, Kuwait would like to extend its sincere
condolences to the people and the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran and to the families of the victims
of this tragic incident.
We appeal to both the Islamic Republic of Iran and
Afghanistan to be calm, exercise self-restraint and resolve
their disputes through dialogue and negotiation instead of
confrontation. While we appreciate the Government of
Iran?s ability to handle the crisis in a way that will spare
the two Muslim peoples the dire consequences of a war
whose consequences we cannot predict, Kuwait supports
the endeavours of the Security Council to achieve peace
in the area.
On the international plane, while we applaud the
international efforts to ensure full and strict
implementation of the Dayton accords to bring about
peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we regret
the aggressive practices of the Serb forces, including the
systematic uprooting and “ethnic cleansing” of the
Muslim population in the province of Kosovo. We urge
the international community to maintain its efforts to put
an end to these inhumane practices in order to ensure the
right of the native population of that province to a life of
dignity and freedom.
In Africa, we are witnessing with deep regret the
continuation of conflicts and civil wars in several States.
These hostilities jeopardize the security and stability of
many African States and strain their much needed
energies and resources. Kuwait supports the efforts of the
international community to bring about peace and security
20

and to provide the means that help the African peoples and
States to achieve their aspirations for economic
development and to overcome the problems and difficulties
that they face in various fields. We also welcome the role
played by the Security Council in examining the situation
in the African continent on a periodic basis. Furthermore,
we commend President Nelson Mandela for the role that he
assumed in this regard as Chairman of the Non-Aligned
Movement.
The world economic scene is currently going through
severe turbulence and turmoil that have touched off and
worsened economic and social crises in many countries,
especially the developing ones. The major threat to the
world economy is no longer represented by inflation, but by
recession, stagnation and unemployment. Therefore, we call
for concerted international action to redress those
difficulties, which have adverse implications for everybody.
National plans and programmes capable of addressing the
underlying causes of these volatile situations should be
established, and help with economic aid to the affected
States should be forthcoming from international monetary
institutions in order to help them rectify their economic
systems and restore their vitality.
In this regard, Kuwait, for its part, continued to
provide economic assistance by financing many
development projects in the developing countries through
the Kuwait fund for development, despite the adverse
impact on our economy of depressed oil prices, which
plummeted this year to their lowest levels.
Adherence to the noble goals and principles of the
United Nations Charter, action in accordance with its
provisions and the common endeavour to promote and
bolster them are essential for strengthening the United
Nations capabilities for facing the challenges of the next
century. This will also help us in the crystallization of a
new world order in which dialogue and cooperation can
prevail, and in which conflicts and hostilities would
disappear. It would also encourage active participation by
all in strengthening the pillars of peace and stability, in
consolidating all efforts for the enrichment of human
civilization and in the fulfilment of the aspirations of all
peoples for peace, security, freedom and justice.


First of all, I should like to extend my
warmest congratulations to Mr. Didier Opertti on his well-
deserved election to the presidency of the fifty-third session
of the General Assembly. His recognized skills as a veteran
diplomat and his extensive knowledge of international
affairs augur well for the success of our deliberations.
As we assure him of our complete cooperation, my
delegation would like to wish him every possible success.
I should like also to avail myself of this opportunity to pay
tribute to Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of our
Organization, for the crucial role that he has played in the
preservation of peace and the promotion of socio-economic
development throughout the world. We are extremely
grateful to him for the laudable efforts he has made in the
first two difficult years of his term.
In the past year, the world situation has continued to
undergo changes that are more profound and complex than
in the preceding years. World peace continues to be just
as fragile. In various regions of the world, civil wars,
conflicts among States, border disputes and ethnic, tribal
and religious confrontations continue to take place. Some
of these events offer no glimmer of abatement, while
others have been deliberately provoked against the
sovereignty of other States. In the face of this situation,
it is important for the international community, in its
respect for the Charter of the United Nations, to focus its
energies and do its utmost to reduce tensions and assist
the countries concerned in resolving their problems by
means of negotiations, thus favouring the current general
trend towards international cooperation for development.
On the eve of the third millennium, States and peoples
throughout the world should together endeavour to lay the
appropriate solid foundations to construct a new era of
relations based on peace, social justice and equality.
In certain regions of Europe, there has been a
resurgence of deadly ethnic conflicts, resulting in
enormous losses in human lives and material property.
While coming out in favour of the inviolability of
internationally recognized borders, we should like
sincerely to appeal to the countries involved to show
restraint and resolve their conflicts through dialogue.
In Africa, we are still witnessing ethnic
confrontation, civil war and border conflicts that continue
gravely to threaten peace, stability and cooperation. In
view of the great suffering that the victimized peoples of
certain countries of the region must ensure, the
international community must render its support and
assistance to the countries concerned in their efforts to
resolve their problems by peaceful means and as soon as
possible.
In the Caribbean, an atmosphere of peace and
cooperation continues to prevail. In this context, we
profoundly regret that the 30-year-plus economic,
commercial and financial blockade imposed on the
Republic of Cuba by the United States of America has
not yet been lifted. In the interest of regional and world
peace as well as in the interest of both the Cuban and
American people, it is our hope that the two countries
concerned will commit themselves to reasonable
negotiations so as to resolve their dispute as soon as
possible in conformity with the general trend obtaining
throughout the world.
In the Middle East, the situation appears tense. The
peace process begun following the signature by the
Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel of the
13

Washington Accords of 1993 has run up against grave
difficulties in the past two years in the wake of the
establishments of new settlements in Har Homa in East
Jerusalem and of other unilateral measures that have been
taken. In our view, it is imperative for the parties involved
immediately to put an end to unilateral measures and
speedily to restore a climate of mutual trust and continue
seriously in their negotiations to achieve a general
settlement based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967)
and 338 (1973) and other relevant General Assembly
resolutions in order to contribute to the restoration of peace,
security and cooperation in this very delicate region of the
world.
On the Korean peninsula in general we are witnessing
a reduction in tension. Contacts and talks among the parties
concerned are continuing in a spirit of respect for mutual
interests. While welcoming the efforts deployed, the
Government and people of the Lao Peopleâs Democratic
Republic would like to reiterate their sincere support for the
profound aspirations of the Korean people to live in peace
and to achieve the peaceful reunification of their cherished
homeland.
In South-East Asia multifaceted beneficial cooperation
among States is continuing under good conditions.
Nevertheless, in the wake of the financial crisis that
occurred more than a year ago, the countries of the region
are now going through unprecedented grave economic
difficulties. But thanks mainly to national efforts and
regional and international cooperation, these countries are,
through adjustment programmes, engaged in a process of
profound economic restructuring in order to get back on
track. The international community as a whole has been
called upon to support them actively, particularly those
most affected.
Another important event that has characterized our
region was the holding last July of general elections in
Cambodia, the results of which have been recognized and
approved by the international community. As a nearby
neighbour, the Lao Peopleâs Democratic Republic would
like to express the hope that the Cambodian parties
concerned will speedily form a coalition Government
which, in accordance with the Constitution, will be headed
by a prime minister from the party that has been elected by
majority which would contribute to the establishment of
national concord in Cambodia and the promotion of peace
and stability in the region.
In the Lao Peopleâs Democratic Republic, socio-
political stability continues to be securely guaranteed. In
accordance with the Constitution, national legislative
elections took place on 21 December 1997. The new
National Assembly â€” the Fourth Legislature â€” has been
set up and is made up of 99 members, including 21
women, representing the three major ethnic groups of the
country.
In the economic sphere, the implementation of a
recovery policy based on market mechanisms has
produced generally satisfactory results. However, the
monetary crisis that has severely afflicted all of South-
East Asia and even beyond for more than a year has
considerably affected our economy. But, resolutely basing
policies on the principle of self-reliance and enjoying
external cooperation, the Lao Government has mobilized
all of its capacity in human, intellectual, natural and
material resources to reduce to the minimum the adverse
effects of this crisis on our society and to achieve
normalization.
While some can gain in this era of globalization and
economic liberalization, the fact is that most developing
countries, particularly the least developed, have been
largely marginalized and exposed to enormous difficulties
and risks. In this context, the developed countries must do
everything possible to render the necessary assistance to
these countries so that they might catch up in their
lagging development and have a share in the progress of
the times.
Drug abuse continues to figure prominently on the
international agenda. In this connection, the Government
of the Lao Peopleâs Democratic Republic has taken the
necessary measures with a view to reducing production
and banning the illicit trafficking in drugs, opium in
particular. The results of these measures are satisfactory.
However, the illegal introduction of synthetic drugs from
abroad is still our main concern. In this connection, we
welcome the unanimous adoption by the General
Assembly at its twentieth special session of the Political
Declaration and a programme of action, and we express
the hope that the international community as a whole will
mobilize itself and marshall the necessary financial
resources to implement this ambitious programme.
The question of human rights is no less important in
my country. Thus, on the occasion of the fiftieth
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, my Government has officially announced the
establishment of a national committee to commemorate
this day solemnly on a wide scale with the sole purpose
of publicizing the contents of the Declaration among the
14

multi-ethnic Lao people and to promote harmony and
mutual respect in our society.
The world today is confronted with numerous
challenges. World peace remains fragile. Under-
development, poverty, hunger and disease are among the
priority problems that must be resolved. With the purpose
of consolidating peace and achieving development
throughout the world, the United Nations, our only
universal multilateral forum, must make an important
contribution. To be able to fulfil its mission in this new era,
our Organization needs to restructure itself or to reorganize
itself to be more effective.
In this connection, we would like to express our great
appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the
reform initiatives he presented last year. Of course, these
reforms which must, inter alia, stress the strengthening the
role of the Organization and the promotion of development,
represent an ongoing and difficult process. But in order for
them to succeed, a solid financial basis must be assured. In
that vein, it is high time that, in conformity with the United
Nations Charter, all the Member States, particularly the
main contributors, fulfil their financial commitments in full
and on time. In so doing, we are giving the incipient
reforms a chance, and in the final analysis we would be
infusing energy into our Organization so that it could
discharge its lofty mission as it confronts the challenges of
our times.