It gives me great pleasure to begin my statement by
congratulating Mr. Insanally of Guyana on his election as
President of the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session
- the "session of peace". This choice reflects the confidence
of Member States in his political ability and diplomatic skill
and their regard for his country. He will have our full
cooperation and support. We are confident that, with his
experience and wisdom, he will lead us to success in our
work.
I should like also to express to Mr. Insanally’s
predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, our deep appreciation and
gratitude for the excellent manner in which he conducted the
work of the General Assembly during its forty-seventh
session.
It also gives me great pleasure to welcome, in the name
of the State of Qatar, all the States that recently joined this
Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 17
international Organization, which, session after session, has
reaffirmed its universal character. We look forward to the
contribution of these States in an Organization that
represents all nations of the world, without exception.
On this occasion, I should like to convey to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, my Government’s deep appreciation for his
commitment and dedication to the principles of the United
Nations, for the political ability and diplomatic skill that he
has demonstrated, since he assumed this high position, in
dealing with international problems and crises, and for his
unremitting efforts, his discernment and his farsightedness in
revitalizing this world Organization so that it may face up to
the challenges posed by a changing world and achieve peace
on earth. This is reflected in part by his praiseworthy report
entitled "Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), which contains
important proposals in the areas of preventive diplomacy,
peacemaking and peace-keeping.
The new phase the world has embarked on after the end
of the cold war and the emergence of new complexities in
international relations, side by side with the deterioration of
the economic situation, especially in developing countries,
now face the United Nations with new burdens and
responsibilities, which necessitate the restructuring and
revitalization of the Organization in order for it to be able to
meet successfully the demands of a changing world. As
such restructuring and revitalization should include the
activities of the United Nations in the areas of security and
social and economic development, the State of Qatar
believes that it is necessary to consider an increase in the
membership of the Security Council in order to make the
Council more representative of the international community,
since the number of Member States in the Organization has
risen, on the one hand, and the balance of power and
economic weight of some States have changed, on the other.
Such an increase should include both permanent and
non-permanent members of the Security Council, and there
should be adequate representation of each of the five
continents. It is necessary, however, that the membership of
the Council should remain within the manageable limits that
may enable it to maintain its effectiveness in dealing with
world crises that are constantly increasing in gravity.
Since the end of cold war and the disappearance of
East-West confrontation, major steps have been taken
towards arms limitation at the international level. Nuclear
arsenals have been reduced, nuclear tests have been frozen,
a Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and
on Their Destruction, has been opened for signature and
Qatar was among the first to sign it. In this respect,
however, I should like to stress a very important point,
namely that arms limitation, particularly with respect to
weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, should be
given a high priority in the interests of the peace and
stability of the States of the region so that the funds released
thereby may be channelled to development and the
achievement of economic and social progress. This,
however, must apply to all the States of the region without
exception. Consequently, it is my country’s view that it is
important for all the States of the Middle East, without
exception, to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons. Qatar supports all initiatives aimed at
making the Middle East a region free from all nuclear and
other weapons of mass destruction and their systems of
delivery, especially as we enter upon a new era of peace
which, by its nature, contradicts the very idea of developing
and stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.
The State of Qatar is very much concerned about the
international economic situation, believing that a stable
international economic situation is the cornerstone for the
building of a new world order that could be characterized by
stability, security and prosperity. We are particularly
concerned about the economic situation of developing
countries, most of which are suffering from a heavy burden
of indebtedness, the service of which exhausts a large
portion of their limited resources which are hardly sufficient
to meet the needs of their struggling peoples. We therefore
believe that addressing the problem of indebtedness is the
first essential step towards strengthening the economies of
those countries. We know that there are numerous studies
and propositions on this issue, but what is needed more are
the political will and genuine desire on the part of rich
creditor States to solve once and for all the problem of
indebtedness in favour of developing countries, particularly
the African least-developed countries. Needless to say,
continuing civil wars in the countries of the third world and
conflicts among them have taken a heavy toll in the case of
those countries and their economies. Among those countries
are those of the Gulf region which have had their share of
suffering because of recent crises and events in the Middle
East.
The security and stability of the Gulf region are the
foremost objectives that the State of Qatar seeks to achieve
by its efforts and contacts. Security and stability, as we all
know, are important not only to the States of the region, but
also to the entire world because of the region’s strategic
importance and its energy resources that the world needs.
The State of Qatar believes that this security and stability
cannot be achieved other than by cooperation between the
18 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
States of the region themselves on the basis of good
neighbourliness, mutual respect, non-interference in internal
affairs, respect for sovereignty and independence, respect for
recognized international borders and for the agreements
concluded among themselves, and the settlement of
differences and of disputes by peaceful means, particularly
through negotiation, mediation and international adjudication.
From this perspective, the State of Qatar supports all
efforts being made to solve the dispute over the three islands
of Abu Mousa, Greater Tunb and Smaller Tunb between the
United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran
through negotiation and by other peaceful means, in the hope
that these peaceful efforts will result in settling all
outstanding issues between the two States. In this
connection, we welcome the recent statements by officials of
both countries in which they expressed their desire to resolve
the dispute by peaceful means through bilateral channels.
By the same token, the State of Qatar reiterates its full
support for the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait and its
territorial integrity within its international boundaries as
demarcated by Security Council resolution 833 (1993) on the
Kuwait-Iraq boundaries. The State of Qatar also reaffirms
its concern for the preservation of the territorial integrity of
Iraq and calls upon the United Nations and the international
community to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people,
especially in basic civilian and humanitarian areas. This
requires full compliance by Iraq with all the relevant
resolutions of the Security Council, first among which is
resolution 687 (1991) in all its provisions.
The State of Qatar is following with great interest the
successive and positive developments in the march towards
peace in the Middle East. These developments in our
opinion turn a new page in the history of the region. We
have welcomed the agreement reached by the Palestine
Liberation Organization and Israel concerning self-
government in the Gaza Strip and Jericho, as a first step
towards a just, complete and lasting solution to the
Palestinian question and the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis
of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973),
the principle of land for peace, full Israeli withdrawal from
all occupied Arab territories including the holy city of Al-
Quds and the Golan Heights, southern Lebanon as well as
the occupied Jordanian territories, and the implementation of
the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people,
including the right of self-determination. This will lay the
foundation for security and stability in the Middle East. In
this respect, Qatar reiterates its continued support for the
peace efforts undertaken according to and on the basis of the
principles agreed upon. It looks forward to seeing the
ongoing negotiations make fundamental and parallel progress
on all tracks. Short of this, no real peace, in our view, could
be achieved in the region.
We also follow with hope and admiration the efforts by
our sister country, Lebanon, towards political stability,
security and reconstruction. The State of Qatar will spare no
effort in supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and sharing in the
reconstruction of that country in response to the call of
brotherhood. In this context, Qatar calls for full and
unconditional implementation of Security Council resolution
425 (1978).
The State of Qatar, which condemns terrorism in any
shape or form, values greatly the question of human rights.
This stems from Qatar’s belief in the dignity of man and its
adherence to the eternal principles of Islamic Sharia, which
uphold the right of the individual to a decent life of freedom,
justice, peace, brotherhood and the equality of all men.
Given this belief, Qatar views human rights as a high moral
value that should not be used as a means of or a pretext for
interference in the internal affairs of other States, and an
issue that should not be addressed by varying standards that
differ from the case of one State to the other. In view of the
universal character of human rights, their basic principles
should include the right to self-determination and the
inherent link between human rights and the right to
development. In view of the fact that each society has its
own customs, traditions, culture and principles which it
cherishes and adheres to in line with its creed and outlook,
consideration should be given to the historical and cultural
frameworks of the Arab and Islamic world as well as to
those of other cultures and civilizations. Here I should like
to point out with justified pride that Islam, 14 centuries ago,
upheld the right of the individual to live in peace, freedom
and dignity. This is the true picture of human rights in
Islam.
The international community, as represented by the
General Assembly and the Security Council, has condemned
the Serbian aggression in the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina and the unprecedented practice of "ethnic
cleansing" of which the Bosnian Muslim people was the
victim. But what use condemnation? Condemnation has
had no effect whatsoever, as it has not been backed by
action: the successive resolutions adopted by the Security
Council have remained ineffective; aggression did not stop;
"ethnic cleansing" continued, the safe areas have not been
safe and even relief assistance did not reach the people in
the besieged cities and areas. Yet, the Security Council has
not taken the necessary steps to enforce compliance with its
resolutions as it has done in other cases. Even the arms
Forty-eighth session - 4 October l993 19
embargo the Council imposed on the former Yugoslavia was
not lifted in the case of the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina regardless of the fact that lifting it would
enable the Bosnians to exercise their legitimate right of
self-defence; nor were the offers of some Islamic States to
send forces to take part in protecting the safe areas accepted.
Now, if this painful situation does not change and if the
necessary measures to enforce these resolutions are not
taken, history will record our disgraceful failure to uphold
the principles of the Charter and to force aggressors to
respect the norms of international legality. Besides, we must
not forget that it is important not to allow such grave
violations to continue to be committed with impunity. These
violations are crimes against humanity and, therefore, the
State of Qatar fully supports the resolution relating to the
establishment of the International Tribunal to prosecute war
crimes in the former Yugoslavia.
The State of Qatar follows with great interest the
developments in the Russian Federation. We hope that that
Federation will overcome its crises so that it may continue
to perform its important role in resolving global crises in its
capacity as a permanent member of the Security Council, a
co-sponsor of the peace negotiations in the Middle East and
a participant that has taken significant steps in the area of
limiting nuclear armaments.
Qatar supports the United Nations operation in our
sister country, Somalia, and welcomes the determination of
the world Organization to continue this operation, which
aims at restoring peace and security in that country and at
the reconstruction of its State institutions in spite of all the
difficulties. We call upon the Somali leaderships to continue
the process of national reconciliation, to support the United
Nations efforts, to play their role in the process of political
reconstruction and to refrain from doing anything that would
obstruct that process.
The State of Qatar follows with interest the historic
positive developments taking place in the Republic of South
Africa, and welcomes the progress that has been made
towards the final dismantling of the hideous system of
apartheid and the establishment of a democratic system for
the first time in the history of that country. While
welcoming these important developments in the political
arena in this Republic, Qatar supports the call by Mr. Nelson
Mandela, president of the African National Congress, for
lifting the economic sanctions imposed on his country and
from which its people have been suffering for years. This,
in our opinion, would promote the democratic process and
consolidate economic development in that country.
Stability of the situation in South-East Asia was among
the positive results we have witnessed in the peaceful
settlement of conflicts. This was achieved by resolving the
conflict in Cambodia, drafting the new constitution and
restoring the monarchy. This peace was achieved after long
years of persistent struggle under the leadership of Norodom
Sihanouk for establishing peace and security in the country
and restoring its territorial integrity and its sovereignty over
its whole territory. In this connection, we commend the
continuous efforts made by the United Nations and its
Secretary-General, efforts that paved the way for elections
and led to success of the peace process in Cambodia.
The last decade has witnessed increasing interest in
environmental issues at both the official and popular levels.
Indeed, the environment has become a high priority on the
agendas of States and an integral part of their national
interests and security. This is a positive and necessary
development. It is, however, most important in this respect
to identify precisely the sources of pollution and the
relationship between the environment and economic
development. The imposition of an energy tax at the present
time would limit the possibilities of development in the State
of Qatar and other oil-exporting States. It would affect
adversely their ability to meet their obligations and limit
their ability to finance the exploration and production
operations that would enable them as producers to satisfy the
increasing demand on oil. In an independent world, such
negative effects will not be limited to the oil-exporting
countries but will extend to other countries and to other
economic sectors all over the world. It is obvious that the
idea of an energy tax on exporting countries is unfair both
in its proposed rates on the sources of environmental
pollution and in comparison with other sources of pollution,
such as coal. The negative environmental effects of the use
of coal far exceed those of the use of oil. Notwithstanding
such facts, however, we find that the tax rates have been
proposed in the reverse ratio to the effects of the pollutants.
On the other hand, the proposed tax does not take into
consideration the amount of pollution caused by every
individual State. A single major industrial country may very
well pollute the environment to a far greater extent than any
number of oil-producing countries put together. Regardless
of this, however, the tax targets the latter in a manner that
suggests objectives other than the preservation of the
environment.
It is no exaggeration to state that the world we all live
in faces numerous challenges. The economic, social and
political problems which face many countries in today’s
world have become so enormous and so complex that they
may well seem intractable. However, if we let ourselves be
20 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
guided by the spirit of the Charter and the principles of our
world Organization, and if we stand as one behind the
United Nations, we are bound to find proper solutions to
those problems, which have become a common denominator
to all the States of the world. There is no other way but to
work harder in the context of world solidarity and
international cooperation towards the building of a world
wherein the lights of peace, security, stability and well-being
would shine brightly.


It is with
immense pride that I congratulate you, Sir, on behalf of the
Government and the people of Trinidad and Tobago, on your
unanimous election to the presidency of the General
Assembly at its forty-eighth session. Your election to this
important position is a tribute to the active and constructive
role played by Guyana in international affairs over the years.
It is also a tribute to your own personal integrity and
diplomatic acumen. As a fellow representative of a member
State of the Caribbean Community, I am confident that you
will bring to the deliberations ahead the necessary measure
of impartiality and astuteness that will be indispensable in
reconciling the differing views on the many complex issues
before us.
My delegation joins in welcoming the six newest
Members admitted into this family of nations in 1993:
Andorra, the Czech Republic, Eritrea, Monaco, the Slovak
Republic and The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
These new Members, all of which are relatively small, can
draw some inspiration from the election to the presidency of
the General Assembly of a representative from Guyana, the
smallest developing country in terms of population, ever to
assume that position. For indeed, small States must continue
to be afforded every opportunity to be full and active
contributors to the collective search for peace, security and
economic and social advancement for all.
All States, particularly the more vulnerable among us,
can derive much hope and encouragement from the
developments of September 1993, which set the course for
a new relationship between Israel and the Palestine
Liberation Organization and improved prospects for peace in
the Middle East. The historic exchange of letters of
recognition between Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and
Chairman Yasser Arafat, and the subsequent signing of the
Palestinian-Israeli agreement, which extends limited interim
self-government to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and in
Jericho in the West Bank, constitute a momentous
development in the turbulent and violent history of the
region.
Who among us could have anticipated that, in the midst
of current growing tensions and conflicts worldwide, such
sworn enemies in the perennial theatre of conflict in the
Middle East would have conceded so much in the pursuit of
a better future? In today’s troubled times, these bold
partners in peace have renewed the faith of many the world
over in the capacity of diplomacy, political will and
enlightened self-interest to overcome decades of hatred,
mistrust and fear. We all recognize the tremendous
difficulties and challenges ahead. Trinidad and Tobago
wishes these leaders well and urges active United Nations
involvement in assisting all parties concerned in a smooth
transition from a state of belligerence to one of cooperation
and peaceful co-existence. Given the centrality of the
Palestinian question to the conflict in the Middle East, all
parties need to work indefatigably to translate this initial
success into a comprehensive and durable peace for the
region.
A similar concerted response on the part of the United
Nations and the international community will be imperative
in assisting the people of South Africa in their transition to
a united, democratic, non-racial South Africa. After more than 45 years of anguished attention to the despair, suffering
and injustice in that country, the provision of token measures
of assistance would be unacceptable.
If the world is to give any credence to the United
Nations new thrust towards post-conflict peace-building, a
tangible commitment to the success of the transition in South
Africa needs to be made. We therefore join the call for an
enhanced United Nations presence in South Africa, a
presence that is urgently needed prior to the elections of
April 1994. Trinidad and Tobago is taking the necessary
steps to implement the decision taken on 8 October by the
Assembly to lift economic sanctions against South Africa
(resolution 48/1). It is our hope that the international
community will respond positively and generously to this
historic decision; and that it will quickly lead to the
provision of ample financial and technical assistance, as well
as to appropriate investments, that will allow a new
non-racial Government to begin redressing the grave
inequalities in all aspects of life in South Africa. We also
hope that, in time, the advancement of greater economic and
social equity in South Africa will mitigate, and eventually
resolve, other problems that are the legacy of apartheid,
including the rampant and widespread violence which
threatens the process of transformation in the country.
Over the years the Government and people of Trinidad
and Tobago have faithfully monitored the progress of the
South African people on their arduous journey to this critical
point in their history. We have adhered assiduously to the
various sanctions and other restrictive measures adopted
against South Africa by the United Nations. Within our
limited means we have also extended a helping hand to the
victims of apartheid. Trinidad and Tobago has shared in the
anguish of South Africans in their long struggle against the
racist system of apartheid. We will also rejoice with them
in their victory as we anxiously await the dawn of a free,
just, non-racial and prosperous society in South Africa.
Here at the United Nations let us seek to emulate the
courage and statesmanship recently demonstrated by the
major political actors in the Middle East and South Africa.
We too must seize the opportunities for peace and seek to
employ fully the machinery at our disposal in the active
pursuit of a better future. Amid the growing anxieties and
insecurities pervading many societies, member States have
a collective responsibility to the millions around the globe
who continue to repose much faith and hope in this
Organization and its ability to address successfully the
myriad political, economic, environmental and social
problems now confronting us all. Trinidad and Tobago
therefore joins in celebrating a reinvigorated United Nations,
which is seeking to have a more meaningful impact on the
lives of the world’s peoples.
Trinidad and Tobago applauds the heightened
involvement of the United Nations in the effort to restore
democracy to Haiti and to secure the safe return of President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the helm of a legitimate
constitutional government. The United Nations, with its
active involvement in the organization of the 1990 elections
in Haiti, facilitated the free expression by the Haitian people
of their unfulfilled dreams and yearnings for freedom and a
decent standard of life. It is therefore only fitting that this
Organization, with the consent of the legitimate government
of Haiti, should provide maximum support to efforts to
guarantee a peaceful return to democracy and national
reconciliation in that country, without which those dreams
would not be realized.
Trinidad and Tobago is concerned at the serious
deterioration in the situation in Haiti since the welcome
signing in July of this year of the Governors Island
Agreement and the New York Pact. We deplore the flagrant
violations of human rights and the blood-letting, which must
be stopped. We express the hope that international efforts
to establish a new police force in Haiti and to
professionalize its armed forces will lead to greater
guarantees of life and liberty in Haiti. My delegation takes
this opportunity to commend the Special Envoy for Haiti,
Mr. Dante Caputo, as well as the able staff of the
international Civilian Mission in Haiti for their invaluable
contribution towards resolving the crisis.
Developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in
Somalia are among the more worrisome of those in which
the United Nations has been involved, particularly in view
of the Organization’s inability to stem the tide of violence
and suffering. United Nations interventions in these areas
are also increasingly being regarded as test cases for the new
United Nations of the post-cold-war era.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the horror and savagery of
the persistent attacks on innocent civilians, particularly on
the Muslim population, have elicited entirely inadequate
responses from the international community.
Notwithstanding the efforts of the United Nations Protection
Force and the various international and non-governmental
humanitarian organizations, thousands continue to starve, are
expelled from their homes and regions, or perish at the
hands of perpetrators of genocide and "ethnic cleansing".
Yet, despite threats of punishment on the part of the Security
Council, these and other atrocities are committed with
impunity, while violent attempts to dismember the sovereign
State of Bosnia and Herzegovina persist. The United
Forty-eighth session - 12 October l993 3
Nations can ill afford to fail Bosnia and Herzegovina, for
that failure will have serious repercussions in the region and
beyond, as well as repercussions for the Organization.
We have also witnessed alarming developments in
Somalia. In the early stages of United Nations involvement
in the country it was faced with a unique combination of
factors, including massive starvation and famine, widespread
violence, the ready availability among the populace of
weaponry of varying sophistication, and a total absence of
any centralized authority. Today, with the assistance of the
United Nations and other organizations, Somalis of good will
can be proud of the successes achieved in breaking the
backbone of the devastating famine and in making
significant, though limited, strides towards the restoration of
civil government and political reconciliation.
It is impossible, however, to be oblivious to the major
military engagements in the Somali capital of Mogadishu,
which have led to tragic loss of life and have seriously
imperilled the United Nations operation in that limited area.
Trinidad and Tobago deplores the vicious attacks on the
peace-keeping forces of the United Nations Operation in
Somalia (UNOSOM II), which could ultimately derail efforts
to restore peace and security to the country and frustrate the
attainment by the Somali people of their goals and
aspirations.
We also support the call for urgent steps to be taken to
ensure the safety and security of the tens of thousands of
men and women who are engaged in these difficult and
dangerous United Nations peace-keeping operations around
the world.
The extent of human suffering and instability now being
experienced as a consequence of general economic
stagnation is as disconcerting and disheartening as that
visited upon us by war and strife. Many communities are in
the midst of economic and social crisis. Poverty,
unemployment and crime are increasingly threatening the
very fabric of societies and are clamouring for the concerted
attention of the international community. The United
Nations must heed this call since, as stated by the
Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali:
"social peace is as important as strategic or political
peace". (A/47//277, para. 59)
This issue is of utmost importance to Trinidad and
Tobago, which has not been spared the ravaging effects of
a decline in economic activity. The price of the single
product which represents the mainstay of our economy, and
which accounts for more than 40 per cent of government
revenue and over 80 per cent of foreign exchange earnings,
has been in steady decline. This reality, and the structural
adjustment policies which have had to be implemented in
support of long-term development, have resulted in serious
dislocations in the short term. The ranks of the unemployed
have grown to approximately 20 per cent and there is an
increasing need to provide safety nets for the more
vulnerable in this society at a time when government
revenue continues to fall.
Further, Trinidad and Tobago’s very capacity to provide
sufficient social services to those not in a position to make
the burdensome sacrifices required of the general population
has also been severely hampered by onerous debt-servicing
payments. These challenges which we are experiencing in
Trinidad and Tobago are widely shared by other developing
countries.
The same spirit of cooperation and activism which now
characterizes the United Nations approach to political and
security questions must also impel the international
community to address economic and social questions with an
equal sense of urgency. The United Nations agenda for
development, which the Secretary-General has been
mandated to prepare, must be given priority attention in the
year ahead. In this context, and with the aim of forging a
new partnership in the quest for solutions to global economic
problems, it may be opportune to consider the convening of
a world economic summit.
Trinidad and Tobago is of the view that the United
Nations agenda for development should not be restricted to
providing guidelines for future action by the United Nations
in the economic and social sectors. It should also include
recommendations for strengthening the capacity of this
Organization to enhance international cooperation in these
fields and to promote the advancement of developing
countries.
At its forty-seventh session the General Assembly
reaffirmed that development is a shared responsibility. If
our collective war on poverty, disease, unemployment and
other challenges to development is to succeed, it must also
be undertaken on the basis of a true partnership, a
partnership involving individuals, States, regional and
international organizations and non-governmental entities, for
we must engender a sense of inclusion among all of
society’s economic and social actors, while giving due
recognition to their respective roles and responsibilities.
However, Trinidad and Tobago also shares the
perspective of the Secretary-General, as stated in his 1993
report on the work of the Organization, that
4 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
"States and their sovereignty are increasingly
recognized as indispensable building-blocks of
international order and problem-solving." (A/48/1, para.
13)
While all credible entities should be allowed to contribute to
their greatest potential towards our shared objectives, States
must not be deprived of the proper tools of governance and
the opportunity to utilize them effectively on the basis of
considered national strategies and priorities.
The concept of partnership must apply equally to the
area of development finance and to trade. As regards the
latter, Trinidad and Tobago has steered the steady course of
trade liberalization but, like many other developing nations,
has encountered persistent restrictions in the markets of the
industrialized countries. It is hoped that the formation of
mega-trading blocs will not compound these difficulties
further.
We witnessed the application of the principle of global
partnership in the convening of the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development and the
adoption of Agenda 21 in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. To
date the first important steps have been taken towards the
implementation of the comprehensive programme of
activities for sustainable development contained in Agenda
21. The 1994 Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island States presents the next
important opportunity for the international community to
demonstrate the continued political will to fulfil the
commitments undertaken at the Earth Summit in 1992.
For small island nations like Trinidad and Tobago, this
Global Conference, to be held in Barbados in April of next
year, is critical to our efforts to forge, with the assistance of
the international community, appropriate strategies for the
implementation of Agenda 21, as it pertains to our specific
situation. We strongly believe that small States should not
be penalized for their limited capacity to inflict major
damage on the global environment. Positive recognition
should instead be given to their greater propensity for
attracting a disproportionate share of environmental damage.
Trinidad and Tobago hopes that adequate concessional funds
will be provided for the sustainable-development activities of
the small island developing States, as an important
complement to initiatives taken at the national and regional
levels.
The urgency that developing countries, such as my
own, attach to the elaboration of the proposed agenda for
development signals the importance we attach to achieving
a proper balance in the level of resources devoted to political
and security questions and those allocated to economic and
social programmes. The World Conference on Population
and Development in 1994, the Fourth World Conference on
Women in 1995 and the preparations for these Conferences,
will also contribute significantly to a strengthened economic
and social agenda within the United Nations.
In addition, it is our hope that substantive preparations
for the 1995 World Summit for Social Development will
reinforce the importance of focusing on the ultimate
objective of our development policies and programmes: the
well-being and advancement of people.
Trinidad and Tobago intends to follow closely the
high-level plenary discussions to be held on international
cooperation in the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug-
trafficking. Our country has fallen victim to the increased
transit of illegal drugs through its territory. As is often the
case, increased levels of illicit trafficking have led to
widespread drug abuse and an accompanying rise in other
crimes. We note that this problem continues to plague a
growing number of nations and therefore urge that higher
priority be given to the United Nations programmes designed
to combat this menace.
The United Nations has not been provided with the
financial resources needed to implement its legislative
mandates. We have now exhausted some of the funds from
which relief was frequently obtained in past years, resulting
in a serious threat to the daily operations of the
Organization. However, while it will be readily agreed that
any organization must be provided with the resources it
needs to carry out its functions, it must also be admitted that
there is a growing imbalance between the demands being
made upon the United Nations and the ability of a growing
number of States to meet the cost of these demands. This
is particularly the case with the peace-keeping budget, which
in 1993 is expected to be almost three times the amount of
the regular budget.
The United Nations is now in a critical period of
adjustment and reorientation. Trinidad and Tobago concurs
with the view that there must be improvements in the
administrative and operational performance of the United
Nations in all its activities. Transparency and accountability
must be the watchwords of the Organization.
As we approach our fiftieth anniversary, we the States
Members of the United Nations must remain steadfast in our
support for the fundamental purposes and principles which
have promoted order and security in the world community.
We must also meet the challenges and grasp the
opportunities presented by the altered global environment.
Forty-eighth session - 12 October l993 5
Let us forge ahead, confident in our ability to work together
and to succeed in advancing the cause of peace and
development.


Botswana and Guyana
have, since their attainment of independence, both in 1966,
been the closest of friends. That is why we have welcomed
the election of Ambassador Insanally of Guyana to the
presidency of the forty-eighth session with so much warmth
and anticipation. I say "anticipation" because we are
confident that he has the requisite experience, expertise and
diplomatic finesse to make a good and productive President
for this most hopeful session of the Organization.
Our gratitude goes to the outgoing President of the
forty-seventh session, the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, who
gave the best account of his skills in the service of the
Assembly last year.
14 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
The new Members who have just joined the United
Nations are most welcome in our midst. We assure them of
our fellowship and readiness to cooperate with them in the
service of peace here at the United Nations.
We also wish to congratulate the Secretary-General,
Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, on the creative dynamism he has
injected into the work of the United Nations. We know his
work has not been easy. But under his able leadership the
United Nations has indeed demonstrated its capacity to serve
as a reliable instrument of impartial management of
international conflicts. Increasingly, we are seeing the
fulfilment of the ideas contained in what I think was the
most forward-looking report ever produced by a Secretary-
General of this Organization, "An Agenda for Peace".
Mr. Ansari (India), Vice-President, took the Chair.
We commend the efforts the Secretary-General has
undertaken so far to enhance the Organization’s
effectiveness. Botswana understands the concerns raised by
the Secretary-General when he addressed the Fifth
Committee in August. Many demands and problems foisted
on the United Nations have put a lot of strain on its coffers.
Resources made available by Member States are far from
enough to meet these demands. Thus, the Organization is
facing a financial crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The
biggest problem, as explained by the Secretary-General, is
the failure of some Member States to fulfil their financial
obligations by paying the assessed contribution for both the
regular budget and peace-keeping missions. Member States
must heed the Secretary-General’s call and fulfil their
Charter obligations by paying their contributions in full and
on time.
At the same time, it would be remiss of me not to
emphasize the need and importance of transparency and
accountability in the use of United Nations funds. Of late,
we have heard of many irregularities in the administration of
this Organization’s funds, in particular funds for peace-
keeping missions. A number of proposals have been put
forward by the various Member States for a review of the
rules and regulations governing United Nations finances.
The time has come to set up a respectable mechanism to
undertake this urgent task.
Although the cold war is no more and old ideological
empires have unravelled, the euphoria of triumphalism has
been short-lived. There is turmoil almost everywhere as
age-old nationalisms that have for so long been suppressed
explode with a vengeance that knows no limit. True to
character, the twentieth century will not, so it seems, fade
away peacefully.
The post-cold-war era and the celebrated onset of a new
world order have thus not brought peace to our world, but
more bloodshed, instability and insecurity in many places.
Consequently, there has been a rapid expansion of United
Nations peace-keeping operations - far beyond the capacity
of the Organization’s resources to manage. There is neither
the manpower nor the financial wherewithal for the United
Nations to be everywhere in the magnitude of presence that
is so often requested.
There is, nevertheless, every reason for us to be
satisfied with the valiant efforts which the Secretary-General
and his staff have exerted to ensure that the many fires of
civil war that have become such dominant features of the
so-called new world order do not engulf us all. The United
Nations has shown that, given the wherewithal, it can live up
to what we expect of it in the realm of peacemaking and
peace-keeping. Cambodia has just been saved from
self-destruction. Imagine what Somalia could have become
had the United States and the United Nations not intervened
to safeguard the delivery of the massive humanitarian
assistance which the international community has poured into
the famished country. Even in the Balkans, where the most
brutal and senseless civil war imaginable is in progress,
particularly in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina - a
civil war that for a year and a half has been defying every
solution attempted - the United Nations has played a
mitigating humanitarian role under the most difficult of
operational circumstances.
On Somalia, Botswana stands firm in its support for the
United Nations mission of mercy in that devastated country.
We condemn in the strongest terms the continued attack on
United Nations peace-keeping forces even as we deeply
regret the loss of innocent Somali lives. We cannot condone
the massive loss of civilian lives in Mogadishu, though at
the same time we need to be extremely circumspect in
apportioning blame to one side of the conflict or the other.
An international effort to save a people is in serious
jeopardy. An attack on United Nations peace-keeping forces
must never be taken lightly, for it is fraught with very
serious implications. The horrendous spectacle of the corpse
of a United Nations peace-keeper being dragged like a
garbage bag on the streets of Mogadishu deserves all the
opprobrium civilized humanity can heap on such a callous
act of inhumanity. The international community must not
flinch in the face of the acts of those in Mogadishu who are
bent on thwarting the process of reconstruction and
rehabilitation in Somalia.
In many ways, the United Nations Operation in Somalia
(UNOSOM) has been a success. Botswana is proud to have
made a contribution to UNOSOM, however modest.
Forty-eighth session - 11 October l993 15
The terrible civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a
monumental outrage that must shame us all as human
beings. A world that is able to tolerate scenes of tiny
innocent children being torn to pieces or maimed by
shrapnel and bullets - innocent and helpless victims of a war
that makes sense only to its perpetrators - is a world without
a conscience. The international community must devise
more creative ways and means of dealing effectively with
that savage conflict.
To turn to our own continent, in Mozambique there is
an encouraging movement towards peace and tranquility.
The situation there has stabilized enough to give us more
hope than ever before that the war-ravaged sister country
will soon enjoy the beginnings of economic recovery and
national reconciliation and healing. Humanitarian relief is
now able to reach the famine-stricken. The United Nations
peace-keeping force, among which is our own contingent, is
progressively moving towards full deployment and the
accomplishment of its mandate. It is hoped that the many
cease-fire violations thus far recorded will not sabotage the
peace process.
The survival of the State and nation of Angola is in
very serious jeopardy as the senseless civil war that has been
raging there since the mid-1970s has worsened and assumed
the dimensions of an unstoppable conflagration. All the
efforts of the Security Council to find a lasting solution to
the civil war have come to naught as a result of Mr.
Savimbi’s stubborn refusal to negotiate a peaceful end to the
conflict. Unfortunately, in the face of this stubbornness on
the part of Mr. Savimbi, the world seems utterly incapable
of doing anything more than calling continuously for
peaceful negotiations - a call that is continuously scorned.
The international community must do more to save
Angola. A terrible crime against humanity is being
perpetrated against the Angolan people. We take note of the
recent announcement by UNITA that it is ready to accept the
Bicesse Accords and the results of the 1992 elections. The
Government has in principle agreed to the resumption of
peace talks. We hope that this time the peace talks, if they
take place, will produce the solution we have been
desperately waiting for.
In South Africa, the horizon of change is more
promising than ever before. Negotiations for a new South
Africa have been torturously slow and painful, but they
have, in a stunning reversal of fortune, produced the first
tangible evidence of the onset of real and meaningful
change. The legislative structures that are to underpin the
transition to the establishment of a democratic Government
in the first half of next year are in place. Four bills -
namely, those regarding the Independent Election
Commission, the Independent Media Commission, the
Independent Broadcasting Authority and the Transitional
Executive Council - have been adopted by the Negotiating
Council and will soon be enacted into law, having been
passed by the South African Parliament.
Once the transitional legislative package has been
completed with the adoption of the interim constitution and
the constitutional principles and fundamental rights at present
under negotiation, the transition will officially begin with the
installation of the Transitional Executive Council. To show
the great promise that the situation in South Africa holds
today, I can do no better than quote Mr. Nelson Mandela’s
momentous speech of 24 September to the United Nations
Special Committee against Apartheid. He said,
"The countdown to democracy has begun. The
date for the demise of the white minority regime has
been determined, agreed and set".
In its statement of 29 September 1993 the Ad Hoc
Committee of the Organization of African Unity on Southern
Africa concurred that enough progress had been made in the
peace process in South Africa to warrant the lifting of
economic sanctions. This was a momentous decision taken
by Africa in the ardent belief and hope that we are truly
approaching a historic watershed in the blood-stained history
of southern Africa: the end at last of the long nightmare of
apartheid. However, as Mr. Mandela and the Secretary
General of the Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania, Mr.
Benny Alexander, have conceded, freedom is not yet there.
With all the horrific violence now ravaging the KwaZulu
countryside and the East Rand townships, in the back yard
of the World Trade Centre in Johannesburg, where the
negotiations are taking place, the process does not lack
enemies or detractors. There is also the unfortunate boycott
of the negotiation process by some parties, whose
implications it is impossible to ascertain. Nevertheless, the
people of South Africa, more than ever before, will need
and, indeed, deserve our determined companionship as they
walk the last and, possibly, the most difficult mile in their
journey to the new South Africa.
Regrettably, progress, if any, has been very slow in the
implementation of the United Nations plan on Western
Sahara. We urge the Secretary-General to continue to spare
no effort to ensure that the referendum is held so that the
people of Western Sahara can at long last decide their future.
Botswana is encouraged by the readiness of all parties
to the Liberian conflict to honour their commitments to the
Yamoussoukro Accords and other subsequent peace plans.
16 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
We are anxious to see the Accords implemented peacefully
and in full. The Secretary- General, in his last report on the
subject (S/26422), notes that a successful implementation of
the Accords would require sufficient resources. We appeal
to all Member States to be generous in their contributions to
the trust fund set up for this purpose.
It is with a sigh of relief that we welcome the adoption
of Security Council resolution 872 (1993) on Rwanda. We
appeal to all the parties to the conflict in Rwanda to
cooperate fully with the United Nations Assistance Mission
for Rwanda (UNAMIR) in ensuring that that war-torn East
African sister country does not revert to the carnage that has
often threatened its very existence.
We celebrate the triumph of the democratic process in
the south-eastern Asian nation of Cambodia. The shroud of
misery and death that for many years eclipsed Cambodia
has, hopefully, now been lifted, and lifted forever. We
congratulate the United Nations and the Cambodians on a
job well done. 89.56 per cent of Cambodian voters,
undaunted by violence and threats of violence, have spoken
loud and clear that they want peace and reconciliation.
In the Middle East, the homeland of the Bible and its
miracles, we have recently witnessed a miraculous
rapprochement between the Jewish people of Israel and the
Palestinian people. The foundations of peace in the area
have been laid, and no effort should be spared to build on
them. No effort should be spared in making the peace
process only just begun a just, comprehensive and lasting
one. Given the desperate conditions in the occupied
territories, we, the international community, have a duty to
support and nurture the peace process by contributing
generously to the economic reconstruction of the area to
enable the Palestinians to taste the fruits of peace.
We cherish the hope that the sudden improvement of
prospects for peace in the Middle East will have a catalytic
and propelling effect on the quest for a workable formula for
the reunification of the island Republic of Cyprus. So long
as the island remains divided, it will remain a source of
conflict and instability in the area.
So it is with Korea. Botswana hopes the divided
peninsula will soon realize that it has become fashionable in
this post-cold-war era for age-old problems suddenly to
become amenable to solution. Change - peaceful change -
through negotiation is the imperative of our time.
In Central America, after many years of conflict, El
Salvador is finally at peace. We hope that the proven
capacity and efficacy of the United Nations in the field of
election-monitoring and supervision will again be put to
good use in El Salvador’s March 1994 election.
In Haiti, we look forward to the imminent restoration
of the presidency of Father Aristide. The success of the
United Nations and the Organization of American States in
shaping the agreement deserves our commendation.
Botswana, a country whose respect for human rights is
second to none, supports fully the creation of a post of
commissioner of human rights. We have no human rights
abuses to hide, nor do we fear criticism - constructive
criticism, that is - should the international community find
some aspect of our domestic policy or policies to be
incompatible with the enjoyment of human rights by our
citizens. This is not an invitation to interference in our
internal affairs. We have always maintained that no nation
has the right to violate the basic human rights of its citizens
while using Article 2 (7) of the Charter as an argument
against intervention by the international community.
Recent reports have revealed that the United Nations is
spending roughly three times as much on peace-keeping and
peacemaking as on development assistance. Problems of
development, as should be clear to everybody, constitute the
underlying cause of world conflicts, and for the United
Nations to be effective in the maintenance of international
peace, more energy and resources have to be expended on
development activities.
Of particular concern are the downward trend in
Africa’s commodity prices, the debt burden and the
shrinking aid flow. In addition, many African countries,
including my own, have had to cope with the serious effects
of drought and famine. The civil strife which many African
countries have had to cope with have also had a crippling
effect on economic activity through damage to infrastructure.
In order for an effective process of development to get
under way in Africa the international community needs to
establish a more open trading system giving access to, and
adequate compensation for, commodities produced in Africa.
For the past several years the market share for African goods
has experienced a dramatic decline. Botswana appeals for
a speedy conclusion of the current Uruguay Round of
multilateral trade negotiations, which we believe will
strengthen Africa’s trading capacity and allow unrestricted
access of our commodities to the world markets.
The debt burden continues to be a major obstacle to
African economic growth and development. Clearly,
necessary measures have not been taken to attend to this
compounding problem. The time has come for the donor
Forty-eighth session - 11 October l993 17
community and the multilateral financial institutions to heed
Africa’s call to reduce or totally cancel the debt stock.
We live in exciting times, exciting in both positive and
negative ways. We have been fortunate to wake up from the
long nightmare of the cold war and bear witness to the birth
of a new world, however imperfect. The birth of any new
epoch has never been easy or free of pain. The membership
of the Organization has multiplied with the rapid emergence
of new nations, whose aspirations for self-determination had
for so long been frustrated.
The import of this most welcome development is, of
course, not simply that we are close to universality but, also,
that the problems facing the Organization have multiplied.
Thankfully, our rejuvenated United Nations seems to have
borne this increased load of responsibilities with a great deal
of enthusiasm. Botswana renews its faith in this rejuvenated
United Nations and in its time-tested Charter.


For the Haitian delegation, the assumption of the presidency
of the General Assembly by, for the first time ever, a
representative of the Caribbean is a source of pride and
satisfaction. I should like to convey to you, Mr. President,
the warm congratulations of the President, the Government
and the people of the Republic of Haiti on your unanimous
election and their best wishes for success in your
endeavours. Your selection is undoubtedly a manifestation
of the well-founded acknowledgement of your eminent
personal qualities and rich diplomatic experience, and also
attests to the growing role of your country, the Republic of
Guyana, in international relations.
I wish also to congratulate your predecessor, Mr.
Stoyan Ganev of Bulgaria, who successfully directed the
Assembly’s work at its forty-seventh session.
This is also an opportunity for me to express our
profound appreciation to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, for his remarkable efforts in the cause of
peace and for the new dynamics that he has stamped on the
Organization.
As the century draws to a close, history is being made
at a remarkable pace. Every day there are important events
that put international life on a new course because of the
profound impact they have on the destiny of peoples. It
seems to us that, at the dawn of the third millennium, the
world is seeking new direction. Respect for the person, the
need for democracy and fundamental freedoms and the
climate of peace to which peoples throughout the world
aspire: these concepts are taking concrete form in major
events that attract our attention today. In the search for a
new dimension to give to peace, leaders in various parts of
the world have begun a dialogue that, in the past, was
thought impossible.
This is the case in the Middle East, where, after
decades of hostility, Israelis and Palestinians have embarked
on the path to a historic rapprochement, which we hope will
be of benefit to the two peoples and the entire region.
Forty-eighth session - 11 October l993 9
Likewise, recent developments in South Africa -
notably the establishment of the Transitional Executive
Council and the announcement that free elections are to be
held on 27 April 1994 on the basis of universal suffrage -
signal the long-awaited building of a multi-racial, democratic
and united society.
Following two decades of civil war, Cambodia is at last
experiencing a period of peace. This has made possible the
holding of democratic general elections and the
establishment of a legitimate Government.
After 12 years of armed conflict, El Salvador, with the
signing of the Mexico Agreements, is moving towards the
consolidation of peace.
We must note that, in all continents, considerable
progress is being made in the search for peace, although the
existence of hotbeds of tension of all types - fuelled by,
among other factors, racial, ethnic, tribal or clan
differences - indicates that dialogue, which alone can ensure
harmonious human coexistence, is not always achieved
spontaneously.
The United Nations has played a decisive role in the
mediation aimed at securing a negotiated settlement of these
crises. We support the Secretary-General’s sustained efforts
to contribute to the process of bringing peace to these
peoples, whose pain, privation and distress resonate deeply
in the hearts of the Haitian people. There is no doubt that
the concepts of preventive diplomacy, maintenance of peace,
restoration of peace and peace building that are developed in
the Secretary-General’s "Agenda for Peace" are guiding
principles for this Organization in its action to guarantee
international peace and security.
But, in order to meet the diverse challenges confronting
it and to respond to the expectations placed in it, the United
Nations must adapt to a new reality and must have adequate
means to do so. In this context, the Haitian delegation
supports the process of reform and restructuring aimed at
increasing the Organization’s effectiveness. We believe that
United Nations activities in the field of economic and social
development should be given at least as much attention as
that accorded to peace-keeping operations.
Unquestionably, the "Agenda for Peace" provides the
Organization with a point of reference, which enables us to
approach the problems of peace in a global environment that
is in a state of change and compels us to reflect on the
question of what constitutes the very foundations of peace.
Some say that peace is indissociably related to democracy
and development. We share this view. Without peace, there
can be no development, and, without development and
respect for human rights, one cannot expect social peace.
My Government, which was established as a result of
the Governors Island Agreements, believes that the
fundamental principles proclaimed in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and in the Haitian Constitution
should be constantly in our minds, motivating us to provide
all the better for the well-being of our people.
For two years the Haitian people has been waging an
earnest and constant struggle for the restoration of
democracy in Haiti and of the fundamental rights that were
stolen from it in the coup d’état of 30 September 1991.
Today, thanks to the constant support of the international
community, we are on the eve of turning this painful page
in the history of our country. In this respect, we should like
to express warm thanks to the Special Envoy of the United
Nations Secretary-General and the Organization of American
States for his inestimable achievement. We hope that we
shall be able to continue to cooperate with him towards
securing a definitive settlement of the Haitian crisis.
As members know, the Governors Island Agreement
was signed on 3 July 1993. That instrument sets the
modalities for the restoration of constitutional order and
democracy in Haiti.
On 30 August a Prime Minister, chosen in accordance
with our Constitution, took office, and a consensus
Government was established. The economic measures that
had been adopted by the Security Council were suspended,
and they will be lifted definitively at the end of the
transitional process. Technical assistance, to strengthen the
institutions and to consolidate democracy, is taking shape
through the United Nations Mission in Haiti, which is
already beginning to be deployed.
With a view to fostering national reconciliation,t h e
President of the Republic has granted an amnesty in respect
of political offences committed during the period of the coup
d’état.
Other steps remain to be taken before October 30, when
His Excellency Mr. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the
democratically elected President, returns to Haiti to take up
again the mandate conferred upon him by the Haitian people.
None the less, recent events, characterized by an
upsurge of violence, greatly discredit the political will of the
other party to respect scrupulously all the terms of the
Governors Island Agreement and the New York Pact. Just
a few hours ago, armed groups demonstrated at Port-au-
10 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
Prince to oppose the arrival of the members of the technical
mission of the United Nations. The national radio station
was under assault by armed individuals manifestly opposed
to a peaceful settlement of the crisis. Such behaviour clearly
jeopardizes the success of the Governors Island Agreement.
The setting up of such institutionalized mechanisms of
violence and intimidation by factions opposing the
establishment of democracy and the growing number of
human-rights violations worry us, because they reveal the
deliberate bad faith of institutions whose function it is
precisely to safeguard security and our citizens’ exercise of
their rights.
Aware that this situation cannot go on, we send out
from this rostrum a sincere appeal to all those who wish in
good will to build a better life today and a better future for
the children of Haiti and to give to our country an
opportunity to renew its path of progress. We also appeal to
the international community to maintain its pressure so that
the minority forces opposing the democratic aspirations of
the Haitian people will find themselves completely isolated
and so that they will have no choice other than dialogue and
reconciliation.
The return of constitutional order in Haiti is part of the
genuine international political plan for which we have
fought, and it symbolizes at the same time an effort for a
democratization process in Haiti and, at the world level, the
triumph of law, supported by the moral solidarity of the
international community.
The free and honest elections of 16 December 1990,
which brought President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power,
represent the country’s first democratic experience since its
independence, the first application of the Haitian
Constitution of 1987 and, above all, the first step towards
guaranteeing the rights of the citizen. Our experiences over
the past two years have convinced us that the protection of
democracy and fundamental rights is a cause that transcends
our national borders and takes on an international dimension.
The return of constitutional order in Haiti will be a
victory of the State and the rule of law over totalitarianism
and imposture, an ongoing struggle that unites us all and
makes it possible for us to confront those who jeopardize
peace.
We know that in the absence of democracy and,
therefore, in the absence of the institutions and structures of
the rule of law, the protection of human rights would be
quixotic and ineffectual, especially in my country. This
democracy requires real participation, pluralistic and
transparent. This democracy, in our view, cannot mean only
the holding of periodic elections; it means, rather, a
collective way of life in an adapted economy.
The invaluable support of the international community
will make possible the return of constitutional order in my
country, and we shall apply all our national resources to the
construction of a State where the rule of law genuinely
prevails, a State that does not content itself merely with
guaranteeing public freedoms, but that also seeks to promote
equality and solidarity. This is the challenge we shall try to
meet, because we firmly believe that a State in which all its
children cannot live because of dictatorship and barbarism is
unacceptable at the dawning of the twenty-first century.
The political stakes the international community must
face are compounded by economic, social and cultural
challenges. Poverty, ignorance and the scourge of disease
are still negative factors threatening the very cohesion of
States and continuing to cause gross imbalances in the
countries of the South, especially the least developed among
them. An unbridled imitation of Western models has led
some countries to ignore almost completely the value of
their heritage of creativity and wisdom and their enterprising
spirit. The result is the absence of a cultural dimension of
development and a lack of participation by an important
sector of their societies: the most impoverished sector,
which is unable to protest, or to protect its own interests, a
sector made up especially of women, children and the
masses of disenfranchised poor.
Efforts have been made at the national, regional and
international levels. A certain amount of progress has been
achieved. In spite of all that, the values proposed -
entrepreneurship, growth, profit and so on - remain
inaccessible to the great majority of people living in the
countries of the South. This poses a grave threat to one of
the very cornerstones of human rights: the right to
development.
Day by day the world is becoming increasingly
interdependent and, in a sense, increasingly integrated. We
are confronting a profound transition that promises to be
complex and hazardous. We must do our best so that this
globalization, this world economy, will not further widen the
gap between North and South. The absence of an equitable
system is being felt increasingly. The South remains in a
position of subordination and dependence which prevents it
from managing this new world order well. Global initiatives
are indeed necessary. As we approach the twenty-first
century a profound reform of the international system,
particularly in the fields of trade, finance and technology,
has become vitally important. I do mean profound reform,
Forty-eighth session - 11 October l993 11
a reform that will bring about a restructured dialogue
between North and South; a reform that will lead to viable
and sustainable economic growth for the countries of both
North and South, a growth which will be measured not only
by growth in gross national product but also by certain social
and political achievements; the access by all without any
discrimination to fundamental services such as food, health-
care, housing and appropriate education; and access to a
democratic form of government and effective system of
justice to protect all the people.
Lasting, bold and courageous solutions must be found
if we truly want to lift the barriers that prevent the economic
development of the group of countries to which we belong.
The questions of debt, delays in the flow of technology,
of capital, and of direct investment to the countries of the
South, the constant decline in the prices of commodities,
worsening access to markets and deterioration in the terms
of trade are all questions that need to be discussed seriously
by the international community if we are to arrive at a better
balanced, new international economic order.
The Republic of Haiti, which over the past two years
has experienced a situation that the Security Council
described as unique and exceptional, is now at a crossroads.
In order to restore the process of democracy and the rule of
law in the country the population of Haiti and its legitimate
Government have made enormous sacrifices. These
sacrifices, together with a long history of corruption, denial
of rights, and plundering, have led to disaster at the
economic, social and environmental levels. Whole sectors
of national production have been destructured and the
environment has been dramatically affected. The social cost
of a return to democracy is extremely high and has therefore
in advance jeopardized all future endogenous development
efforts.
That is why we ask for the unfailing support and
backing of the international community, which, we feel,
should in the short-, medium- and long-term involve
substantial, increased and strengthened technical and
financial cooperation.
The time has come to transform the vast upsurge of
solidarity which we have seen in the course of the past two
years, into a powerful, concerted effort at open, fruitful and
substantially enhanced cooperation.
The Organization, better than anyone, is aware of the
breadth of the challenges today confronting the Government
of Haiti. It would be futile to hope for a strengthening of
the rule of law, which remains our priority objective, if we
are not able rapidly to alleviate the enormous distress facing
the overwhelming majority of the Haitian people.
We want to be assured that today as in the past the
Organization will continue to stand by us at this crucial
stage, as a result of which socio-economic conditions should
be substantially improved in a Haiti that is reconciled with
itself and in which rights and freedoms flourish.
While we recognize that no price can be placed on
peace we do believe that it requires dialogue and
reconciliation, without which the process of transition cannot
lead to lasting democracy.
The fashioning of a new world has been the shared
responsibility of us all since the founding of the
Organization in 1945. At the San Francisco Conference the
Haitian delegation, imbued with the historic responsibility of
being the first black republic in the world, had understood,
above and beyond the inspiration of the day which led to the
establishment of the United Nations, that the Organization
represented an opportunity not only for our island nation but
also for all responsible countries that would join this
community of nations.
We want to take this opportunity to extend a warm
welcome to the new Member States and we hope that the ad
hoc committee which is to study the question of Taiwan will
find a solution that is satisfactory to all the parties
concerned, in keeping with the fundamental principles of
international law.
Let us take the tremendous opportunity being given to
us today to build the new world that generations of men and
women are awaiting; let us take this opportunity to help each
other by establishing a continuous dialogue between North
and South in order to find urgent responses and solutions to
the problem of underdevelopment and poverty, that ailment
of our century which has shaken mankind. May dialogue
become our password.


Please allow me first of all to extend to
Ambassador Insanally of Guyana on behalf of the
Mauritanian delegation its most sincere congratulations on
his unanimous election to the presidency of this forty-eighth
session of the General Assembly. I am convinced that his
experience and his comprehensive knowledge of the
workings of the Organization, together with his personal
qualities, will be the best possible guarantee for the success
of this session and the completion of its work with the
results we all hope for.
It is also a pleasure for me to congratulate his
predecessor, Mr. Stoyan Ganev, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Bulgaria, on the exemplary manner in which he conducted
the work of the preceding session.
It is also a pleasure for me to reiterate to my brother,
Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, our confidence and great respect
for the efforts he has constantly deployed since he assumed
the duties of Secretary-General of the United Nations, to
consolidate the universal reputation of the Organization and
to strengthen its credibility and capacity to act.
I should also like to take this opportunity to welcome
the States which have recently acceded to the membership
of the Organization and to extend to them the
congratulations of the Mauritanian delegation. We are
convinced that their presence in our midst will consolidate
the Organization’s effectiveness in the interest of all its
members.
The past year has not witnessed any tangible
improvement in the international economic situation. A
combination of negative factors such as natural disasters and
the deterioration of commodity prices continues to widen the
gap between developing countries and the industrialized
countries, hence the failure of efforts made by the former to
emerge from the sphere of underdevelopment and poverty.
This situation has continued to deteriorate because of the
crisis provoked by the growing increase of the debt burden,
which is a threat not only to the economic and social
development of developing countries but also to their very
survival. It is now an acknowledged fact that Africa is the
continent which suffers most from the deteriorating
international economic situation, in particular because of its
tremendous debt burden. How could one really believe that
countries which have barely enough resources to meet their
own daily needs and the needs of their people might be able
to cope with such obligations? Is it not time for the
international community, and the industrialized countries in
particular, to give thought to the gravity of such a situation
and to consider the possibility of participating more actively
in the quest for realistic and effective solutions to this very
complex and important problem? In this context, I use the
terms "realistic" and "effective" advisedly, because it is these
two attributes which have been lacking in all the attempts
made in this field to date.
As for the economic and development situation in
general, for all the conventions, strategies and agreements
aimed at promoting development, that situation has remained
static and in many countries it has actually deteriorated.
Tangible progress could have been achieved in terms of real
development for these countries in general and for the
African countries in particular if the industrialized countries
had honoured the commitments they made in certain
documents - commitments such as the allocation of 0.7 per
cent of their national income to official development
assistance and if those countries had implemented the
programme adopted at the Paris 1990 Conference.
In this struggle for the development of Africa,
Mauritania remains convinced that the more the sources of
external aid dry up, the greater the need will be for self-
reliance and the mobilization by every country of its own
resources. That is the reason why, despite the adverse
international situation and the unfavourable climatic
conditions, we have been able to meet our basic
commitments to our partners in development, whether they
be States or institutions.
In 1992, our country achieved a 2.5 per cent rate of
growth. It financed from its own resources 20 per cent of
its investment budget, which amounted to 17.5 billion
ouguiyas. Here I should like to express, in the most solemn
possible way and in the name of the Government and people
of Mauritania, our thanks and our gratitude to fraternal and
friendly States and organizations for the considerable
assistance they gave us.
It is clear that there is an organic link between
development, on the one hand, and democracy and respect
for human rights, on the other. Indeed, what value could be
attached to prosperity and economic progress if we do not
uphold human rights and safeguard freedoms? What
objective for any responsible Government could be more
26 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
noble than having its people participate in an effective way
in the management of their own affairs and the mastering of
their own destiny? In contrast to the situation we have just
seen which prevails in the economic sphere, the past year
has seen a tangible improvement and an increased interest in
the field of upholding and respecting human rights. That
improvement and that heightened interest were made evident
in the holding of the World Conference on Human Rights in
Vienna, at which our country was represented by a large
high-level delegation headed by our Prime Minister. That
high-level representation reflected the great importance our
Government attaches to the question of human rights and
demonstrated its unshakable faith in the need to formulate a
universal concept of human rights applicable to all without
any discrimination. There can be no doubt that the
implementation of the important results of this Conference
will strengthen the progress of peoples towards prosperity
and stability.
The importance Mauritania attaches to the events on the
international scene regarding human rights bespeaks the
commitment of our Government to bring our country out of
the emergency rule situation that used to prevail in
Mauritania as well as in many other countries. To that end,
our Government set for itself, as a priority, the guaranteeing
of fundamental civil rights and the effective involvement of
its people in the management of their affairs and in the
economic and social development policies of the country. In
that respect, I am proud to be able to declare here that there
is not a single political prisoner in our country.
The democratic process started with the organization of
municipal elections, which were a sort of school for
democracy within the context of which citizens exercised
their freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the virtue of
tolerance and freedom of choice. These stages resulted in
the adoption on 12 July 1991 of a constitution which
guaranteed all fundamental freedoms set forth in the
universal declarations and conventions on human rights. The
constitution guarantees a clear separation of the executive,
legislative and judicial powers. These various institutions
were set up and are currently operating in their respective
spheres of competence within the context of political
pluralism and the freedom of speech envisaged in the
constitution - for the first time in the history of our country.
Seventeen political parties have been set up, and more than
100 newspapers and magazines have been authorized to be
published in complete freedom.
Given our awareness of the need to consolidate this
genuine democracy and to ensure respect for freedoms and
rights of all social groups, a law guaranteeing trade union
pluralism that protects, in a clear-cut manner, all the rights
of Mauritanian workers was enacted in order to protect the
rights of citizens in the face of administrative red tape, and
an independent ombudsman, with the rank of Minister has
been appointed to investigate complaints relating to
administrative and social problems. To deal with
administrative problems and to complete the election of
institutions as set forth in the constitution, the President of
the Republic issued a decree which brought forward the date
of municipal elections. In the field of social affairs, the
Government, which has always attached special importance
to literacy and to the promotion of the status of women as
well as to women’s involvement in national development
policies, created a department for each of these sectors.
His Excellency the President of the Republic has shown
on more than one occasion the interest he attaches to youth
and children as an essential asset whose role is absolutely
indispensable for the present and future of our nation.
In the health sector, the choice we have opted for,
namely health for all has been based on three essential
points: first, a continuation of the hygienic efforts and
preventive care in their various aspects; secondly,
development of specialized medical services; and thirdly,
making available to citizens essential medicines at reasonable
prices.
The satisfaction we feel at the progress achieved in the
field of consolidating democracy and respect for human
rights in our country and for our people is equalled only by
our feeling of concern at the violations to which those same
rights are subjected in other countries and against the
interests of the peoples in other regions of the world. This
situation is a threat to peace and harmony in the entire
world.
Does it stand to reason that the lives, property and holy
place of religions of peoples could continue to be trampled
and desecrated at the very heart of a continent such as
Europe with its age-old traditions of democracy and respect
for human rights? The atrocities of torture, mass murders
and ethnic liquidation are all crimes which the Serbs in
particular have been perpetrating daily in full view of and
with the full knowledge of the entire world, against the
Muslims of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This naked defiance
of the entire international community, requires that the
community as a whole should assume its full responsibilities
and act accordingly. In view of this situation, we call once
again for pressure to be brought to bear by all legal means
on the Serbs and Croats so that they may comply with the
will of the international community.
Forty-eighth session - 7 October l993 27
Mauritania has always set as a priority the question of
Palestine. It reiterates its constant support for the fraternal
Palestinian people under the leadership of its sole and
legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO). It is in that spirit that Mauritania
welcomed the agreement concluded between the PLO and
Israel, because we believe it is an important step which will
lead, we hope, to a comprehensive solution to the Middle
East problem that would enable the Palestinian people to
regain all their legitimate rights, including the right to self-
determination, and guarantee the withdrawal of Israel from
all the occupied Arab territories, including the Holy City of
Al Quds. It should also make it possible for all resolutions
adopted by the Security Council relating to this problem to
be implemented, and it should create conditions conducive
to peaceful coexistence between all peoples of the region.
My country, which has the honour of presiding over the
present session of the League of Arab States, would like to
reaffirm here that Arabs have never been warmongers. To
the contrary, they have always been a nation oriented
towards peace, and working for peace. Now today, the
Arabs, and the Palestinians in particular, have demonstrated
that for peace they are capable of going beyond hatred, the
pain, the wounds of the past and the many, many sufferings
to which they were subjected during the Middle East
conflict. Could they have made such sacrifices for peace if
that were not the foundation, the very foundation of their
civilization, and one of their primordial values? Could they
have done so if peace were not a way of life and an end in
itself in their traditions? Does not "peace" in their language
mean life? Those whose salutation means "peace" and
whose prayer ends with peace; those who, when they are
transgressed against, react by calling for peace; a people
bearing such values surely deserves the support of the
Organization in bringing about a just and comprehensive
peace after which they aspire. It is the duty of the
international community as a whole to respond positively to
this just aspiration for the recovery of legitimate rights.
In this part of the world, the Middle East, the
consequences of the Gulf war are still there to see in every
country of the region. Mauritania, which has always
affirmed and continues to affirm its commitment to
international legality and which expressed total rejection of
any violation of the independence of the sister country,
Kuwait and the safety of its citizens, rejects any violation of
the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq. We appeal to the
international community to alleviate the suffering of the
children and women of Iraq.
Because of the moderation, the sagacity and the
objectivity which have always characterized the postures of
the United Arab Emirates, and also because of the legitimate
position of this country with respect to Abu Musa, Greater
Tunb and Lesser Tunb Islands which belong to it, Mauritania
supports the position of the United Arab Emirates. We hope
that Iran, the sister Muslim country and neighbour, will
respond favourably to the legitimate claims of the State of
the United Arab Emirates.
The Middle East is not the only Arab region which
suffers from tension. In the Arab Maghreb, despite
sustained efforts which have been made for almost five years
now, aimed at laying the foundations of a promising
regrouping which would promise prosperity for the peoples
of the region, as we have seen in the practical and important
results reached at the summit of Nouakchott held in
November 1992, two problems continue to be of concern to
our leaders and our people. The first problem is the
question of Western Sahara. In that respect, the United
Nations continues to make efforts to smooth out the
difficulties, which have heretofore made it impossible to
reach a solution. While expressing our hope that these
difficulties will soon be ironed out, we will continue our
efforts together with the United Nations and the parties
involved to reach a just and lasting solution. That solution
would, no doubt, be an important stage towards the building
of an Arab Maghreb, and a factor of stability and
development in the region.
The second problem is the blockade imposed on the
fraternal people of Libya, which is detrimental to the other
Maghreb peoples as well. In view of the willingness
expressed by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to cooperate with
the United Nations and the parties concerned, we should like
to express our hope that the resolution on the blockade will
soon be revised, and that this question will be dealt with
through dialogue and understanding.
As for the southern part of the African continent, we
should like to record our satisfaction at the new signs of the
disappearance of the last bastion of racial segregation, and
this is a good occasion to pay tribute to the wisdom and
farsightedness of President Nelson Mandela for the path he
has followed in dealing with this question. We express here
our hope that the measures adopted will be fully
implemented so that a democratic non-racial regime could be
set up so that it may guarantee the rights of all citizens of
this sister African country.
In Somalia, a brother people continues to suffer the ill
effects of internal divisions, war and famine. If operation
28 General Assembly - Forty-eighth session
"Restore hope", begun last December, resulted in a certain
amount of progress in humanitarian terms, unfortunately, its
political outcome has not been satisfactory to all concerned.
We hope that the international community will step up its
efforts to achieve the objective initially defined for that
operation. We also appeal to our Somali brethren to
overcome their factional differences and quarrels so that the
Somali nation may survive.
Turning to the question of Angola, we hope that our
Angolan people will listen to the voice of reason and
cooperate with the United Nations Representative with a
view to ending this fratricidal war, which serves the interests
of none of the parties.
With regard to Liberia, we note with satisfaction the
peace agreement that was signed on 25 July 1993, under the
auspices of the Economic Community of West African
States. We have every hope that the opposing sides will
implement that agreement and put an end to this destructive
war, which has been devastating the country for several
years.
In Rwanda, there are new prospects for peace and
stability as a result of the signing, in Arusha, on
4 August 1993, of a peace agreement between the parties to
the conflict. We can only applaud this positive step while
expressing the hope that it will mark the beginning of a new
era for the people of Rwanda.
It is encouraging that Mozambique has returned to a
state of normalcy following the signing, on 4 October 1992,
of an agreement that made possible the initiation of United
Nations operations there. At the political level, President
Joaquim Chissano and the leader of RENAMO met on 23
August 1993, thus confirming their determination to put an
end to the instability that their country has been experiencing
for several decades.
In Asia, the Cambodian people has achieved a major
victory with the holding of the recent elections. All
Cambodians, under the leadership of His Majesty King
Norodom Sihanouk, must now consolidate that achievement
so that harmony may prevail and national reconstruction
begin. There is no doubt that the United Nations and the
international community will stand by the Cambodians, as
they have done in the past.
The United Nations, which has an indispensable role to
perform in the maintenance of international peace and
security, deserves our full support and help. The
Organization’s universal character, which is today given
expression in the membership of 184 independent States,
requires, more than ever, a revision of its structures and its
methods of operation - in particular, through enlargement of
the Security Council.
In that context, we should like to pay tribute to the
Secretary-General for his report "An Agenda for Peace", the
study and implementation of certain aspects of which has
already begun. In this respect, I am very pleased to
underscore the fact that at its last meeting, which was held
in Cairo, the Council of the League of Arab States
recommended the strengthening of cooperation and
coordination between the United Nations and the League.
In two years’ time the United Nations will celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of its founding. My country has the
honour of being involved in the bureau of the Preparatory
Committee for that event, which, we feel, will be a real and
important watershed in the life of the Organization, as well
as an opportunity for its Members to assess the progress that
the international community has made towards achieving the
noble objectives that were set for the Organization when it
was established in 1945. Let us ensure that that assessment
will be positive. Let us do so by redoubling our efforts to
establish justice and peace and to promote the cause of man
- the means and the end of all social- and economic-
development operations. For its part, the Islamic Republic
of Mauritania will continue to move forward in this
direction, in accordance with its unfailing determination to
achieve development - development for man and by man.