HIV/AIDS is spreading faster than was estimated some 15 years ago. What used to be a personal problem talked about in hushed voices in close-knit family circles is now being discussed in national and international forums. What used to be a lone statement at a lone funeral by a lone village chief in …
The report of the Open-ended Ad Hoc Working Group on the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa, contained in document A/55/45, provides the General Assembly with proposals on how to move forward in a concrete manner on recommendations made by the…
It is indeed a privilege for Botswana to address the General Assembly on agenda item 37, on implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the special session of the General Assembly, on behalf of the members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Ango…
I congratulate the President on behalf of the Botswana delegation on his election to lead the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly. He can count on our support as he discharges his onerous responsibilities during this historic session and in the year that lies ahead.
I also take great pleasu…
I wish to align my delegation with the statements made on this issue by the spokespersons of the African Group and the Southern African Development Community. Since the item before us has been discussed exhaustively in this body, I shall be brief and to the point.
As the delegation of a country fro…
Last year we welcomed with open hearts and much optimism the report (A/52/871) of the Secretary-General on the subject of causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa. We did so out of our sincere appreciation for the comprehensive manner in which the S…
The search for peace in the Middle East continues unabated. The peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has achieved a great deal despite its interminable ups and downs and prolonged breakdowns and brinkmanship. The leaders of Palestine and Israel who, despite the deep-rooted bitterness an…
As the new millennium dawns, we are challenged to ponder and reflect on the human dramas — the tragedies and wasted opportunities, intermingled with the many and momentous triumphs of the human spirit — which have been the hallmarks of the century to which I am sure we all bid farewell with a sigh o…
I take great pleasure in congratulating you most warmly, my dear brother, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. Your great country, Namibia, and its illustrious leader, President Sam Nujoma, have been very generous indeed in allowing us to benefit fr…
On behalf of your brothers and sisters of the African Group, Sir, let me say how delighted and proud we are to see you in the Chair as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. Our fifty-three leaders, Presidents, Kings and Foreign Ministers, will in full measure celebrate your …
The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 50 years ago today was a milestone in the annals of human history. Sovereign States agreed to be bound by a common standard of human rights. That was in itself a feat of no mean consequence. The national interests and political orientation of…
In the First Committee my delegation voted in favour of draft resolution A/C.1/53/L.23/Rev.1, now draft resolution H in document A/53/584, entitled “Regional disarmament”. The affirmative vote cast by my delegation was borne out of our commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nucle…
It is common knowledge that the question of Palestine is the epicentre of the Arab- Israeli dispute. It is abundantly clear that without a comprehensive and just solution to the question of Palestine, prospects for peace and stability will continue to elude the Middle East.
The presence all over th…
In making my contribution to the debate on this agenda item, let me first of all reiterate the abiding commitment of my delegation to the positions taken by the Organization of African Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement. I do so in the belief that these positions, as all others, are meritorious beyo…
My delegation welcomes the Secretary-General’s progress report on the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF). The report contains a very detailed analysis of constraints that continue to impede the economic development of
While some pro…
On 16 July 1997, six short months after assuming office and in a bold demonstration of dynamic leadership, the Secretary-General presented the General Assembly with a big United Nations reform package in a report entitled “Renewing the United Nations:
The draft resolution marks a new beginning for …
There was a time in the not distant past when one could not think of the question of Palestine without comparing it to the equally vexing questions of apartheid in South Africa and the illegal occupation of Namibia by apartheid South Africa. On the eve of the demise of communism, the bogeyman of rac…
We have studied the report of the Security Council to the General Assembly with great attention, and we would like to thank all the members of the Council for their determined effort to foster peace and security around the world. The report underscores the remarkable progress that has been achieved …
Allow me, Sir, to express to you and to your delegation our sincere congratulations on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-second session. As you are an experienced United Nations diplomat, we entertain great expectations of your tenure of office as President of the …
Botswana warmly welcomes the recent inauguration of the Government of Unity and National Reconciliation in Angola. It is our fervent hope that this momentous political development will set Angola on the road to irreversible peace and stability. The people of Angola have suffered; they have bled and …
