A/43/PV.27 General Assembly

9.  GENERAL DEBATE Mr. BONeD (Gaboo) (interpreta tion from French) ~ On behalf of the Gabonese Government Sir, I offer you most cordial and heartfelt congratulations on your election to pres ide over the for ty-th h:d session of the General Assembly. I am convinced that your experience, your long and praiseworthy career in international affa ir s, and the fact that you are a man of cuIture whose depth is recognized by all, augur well for a successful outcome to the session. I am also haPI?Y to take this opportunity to greet in you, Sir, the re presenta tive of a great coun try, the Argentine Republic, wi th which the Gabonese Republic, my coun try, has commendably close rela tions. I wish also to take th is oppor tuni ty to pay tr ibu te to Ambassador Peter Flor in, your predecessor, for the outstanding way in whidl he guided the work of the forty-second session. The Gabooese delega tion includes in these congratula tions and tr ibutes to the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar. No praise is too high for his admirable initiatives and the action he has taken, aimed at calming tensions and secur ing the peaceful settlement of disp,1 tes, to give concrete form to the contribution of the United Nations, the strength of its principles and the soundness of its purpose of bringing about world peace and prc."3perity. Gabon continues to be dedicated to those fundamental principles of international life as set forth 1n the Charter, just as we reaffirm that our foreiCJl\ policy, based en the permanent quest for solu tions CClI'ullcive to peace and developnent, manifestly serves nable causes. The work of this session is beginning at a turning-point in international relations, first with the col'llnl!1ftOration this year of the fortieth anni.veroary of the Universal D!claration of Human Rights, an ideal common to all peoples and all nations, and, seconcUy, with the setting in notion of a process of ending regional conflicts and eventually securing their dafinitive settlement by peaceful means. On a number of occasions Gabon has emphasized that the establishment of the United Nations constituted a decisive phase in the history of the world and has expressed the hope that everything will be don& to attain the goals and principles enshr ined in the Char ter in San Francisco. The fact that the organiza tion is contributing to the settlement or adjustment of conflicts by peaceful means demonstrates its ability to promte peace and internatimal aecurity. It is a source of satisfaction for Jfff country to see the United Nations carrying out one of its missions in this way, thus earning the Ncbel PMce Prize, which has been awarded to the Un i ted Ha tions peace-keeping forces. This is a fi tting occas ion to point out that this event received special attention from the President of Gabon, Ms:. Qrlar Bongo, who eddressed cS special message of congratulations to the Secretary-General in this connection. How can we fail to express our satisfaction at the series of negotiations now . going on in order to resolve the ~oblems of the independence of Namibia, the frmtier dispute between Chad and Libya, the western Sahara and the Iran-Iraq conflict - to mention only those. we can only welcome the positive developuents in eac:h of those disputes, at the same time urging the concerned parties to show Cl spir it of open-mindedn~ss and dialogue. The COJllllemoration of Nor ld Namibia Day ora 26 August last prcwided us with tan opportunity to note with great interest the developnaent of the situation in that part of Africa, which we believe is destined to achieve independence in the near future. Gabon welcomes the conclusion of the Geneva kcord providing for the withdrawal of SOUth African trOOjiS from Angola and has been follOllJing with interest the modalities of its implementation, which, to be effective, require the consent of the parties calcerned, particularly the frClnt-line States. It was in that spirit that the President of the Qepublic of Gabon took the initiative of meeting, on 1 OCtober th is year, at Franceville in Gabon, wi th the Beads of State of Angola and Cmgo. There they discussed the ques tion of the peace and security in Angola and the independence of Namibia, noted w! th sa tisfacUm the peei tive development of the quadripartite t~lks which will shortly resume in Brazzaville and welcomed the eiforts made by the People's Rep~lic of CClI'lgo in ordsr to secure the successful condJct of the negotiations. i!\u:ther, they encouraged the psrties to the negotiations to do their ISt1llClBt to achieve a final agreement as soon as possible, this being a prerequisite for lasting Place in the aubregion. WithoUt any doubt, such Cl maeting auguts well for the illplQmentation of the prOYisions of the Geneva Accord, the PJrpose of which is to organize free elections, under United Nations supervision w in accordMce with Fecw:ity COWlCU resolution 435 (1978). The entry into force of the cease-fire in southern Angola and Clft the Namibian border, in accordance with the provisions recently accepted by the parties, ccnfulIl8 the posi tive role 1ltbic:h they have played. While we therefore welcome developnents in southern Africa, we must remember that southern Africa consists of more than just Namibia. The problem of apartheid is IIlOre than a source of concern in that part of the continent and it remains as grave as ever. Apartheid is considered a crime against mankind, as it: excludes from the exercise of power some 20 million blacks, who are constantly the victims of aggression and torture and Yl08e lives are always in danger. It is thus a factor of permanent insecurity in international relations. Far from being excessive, the description of apartheid as a crime against mankind is now clearly widely accepted by the international O)l1I'ftunity. Recently, under the auspices of the Olited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), two meetings were held in Rarare, in Zimbabwe - an international (X)nference of children against apartheid and a symposium of persons involved in science, the a~ts and letters, to prollDte the survival and developnent of children in the frClftt-line States. That double meeting was an opportunity to re-emphasize the indignation felt throughout the wos:ld at the atrocities and sufferings inflicted Clft the black majority in South Africa. At the CClftference of Foreign Ministers of the non-aligned countries just held, in September, in Nic.osiftt representatives of States from all continents onC!: again \ agread on the wisdom of the description of apartheid as SI crime against mankind and emphasized that its regime constitutes an insult to the universal conscience. The lt1ited Nations must attach prime importance to that judgement by the non-Aligned Movellent and find within itself the resources to meet this historic challenge. The frmtier dispute between Chad and Libya has always been in the forefront of the concerns of Gabon, particularly since the Organization of African Unity conferred upon it in 1977 the mandate of chairmanship and entrusted it with the work of the Ad Hoc Conrnittee of Mediation charged with finding ways and means of bringing about a settlement. The forty-second session of the Gener.al Assell'bly has already given me the opportunity to report on the oonelusions of the first sunrnit meeting of that Ad Hoc Committee, held in Lusaka, zanbia, in septenber 1987. I now take pleas9"fe in reporting that in fulfilment of the decisions taken at that time the second summit meeting of the Ad 'Hoc Committee met in Addis Ababa last May, dur ing the twenty-fourth sum! t meeting of the Organization of Afr ican Unity. In accordance wi th a reaolu tion adopted by tha t body, Md on the invi ta tiorn of the President of Gabon, the Foreign Ministers of Libya and Chad met at Libreville fr~'m 7 to 9 July last - for the first time, it should be noted, since the outbreak of the conflict. The representatives of the two parties then broached, in a spir it of open-mindedness and candour, all questions wich needed to be discussed in order to br ing about an atmosphere of trust conducive to the normalization of their relations in spheres of common interest, particularly these of diplomacy and co-operation. (Hr. Bongo, Gabon) The recent release by the au~~lties in Tripoli of Chadian prisoners, the recognition of the Ndjamena Governlnent by Libya, affirmed here again by Iff!{ Libyan colleague, and the recent decision by the two countries to restore diplolMtic relations are the logical sequence to the meetings that I have described. We can only welcome these wents Md express our keen hope that the two parties, in good faith, will make whatever efforts are necessary to resolve all the questions still pending in accordance wi th the char ter of the Organ iza tion of Afd can Uni ty (OAU) and the United Nations Charter, in a spir it of fr.sternity and resp:msibility and in co~peratiat with the Id Hoc Committee. With regard to western sahara, the Secretary-General's visit to Afr iea in February 1988 enabled him to focus attention on this issue. The decision taken .st the forty-second session of the General Assembly by the Chairman of the OAD and the Secretary-General to send a technical mission to that region for fact-finding purp'ses and to secure acceptance by the two parties of the proposed United Nations peace plan, which provides for a cease-fire followed by a referendum on self-Qetermination, is a source of satisfaction for Jf'tI country. We follow this momentum for peace "ith partiCUlar attention, since it will lead to a climate of detente and co-operation in the inter-M&ghreb zone. With regard to the Iran-Iraq coofUct, my country wishes to pay a well-deserved tribute to the 8ecretary-General and his Person&! Representative for their efforts to ensure the successful outcome of the Geneva negotiations aimed at finding a compromise satisfactory to the two parties in accordance with Secur ity Council resolution 598 (1987). My delegatim takes this opportunity to appeal most emphatically once again to those two brother countr ies to associate themselves fully and in good faith with the proc... lex the ••ttle..nt of this cOl\fUct that 18 now being pur Heel under Q'lited Hationa auspices. The situation in the Middle Bat, particularly recent devGtloptMnU in the occupied Arab territories, is a thr_t to international peace and security. That is why Gabon rufflr. and supports our Org..izatlon's insistence that any settl...nt of the MidlSl. list cr isis MUst neCl.lssar 11y involve the total. and lDlconditlonal withdrawal of Israel frOll the Arab territories occupied since 1961J de jure recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) aa the sole, legitl_te representative of the Palestinian people~ and reQ09I"ition of the Palestinians' right to the free exercise of their right to self-deterllinaUon and, especially, their right to their own State idthin internationally recngniled borders. Gabon alao .ndor... the holding of an 1t\ternational conference on peace in the Middle But, Wider the auspices of the ltlited __ tions and with the participation of all the parties concerned, inclUding the PLO. The sit~tion in LebanCl'l causes us great concern, in particular because of the excellent relations between Lebanon and Gabon. That is why we call upon all the parties concerned to put an end to this fratricidal struggle, and for an end to all the foreign interference that has caused the threat of parti tion to h..g ewer that CO\mUy. Wi th regard to the situatien in Afghanistan, Gabm encbrses the pr inciple of the right of the Afghan people to decide for i taelf the ferm of its own ljJcwernllent and to choose its econolllc, political and social system without foreign interference. My coW'ltry welcomes all the efforts and initiatives that have r..ultllt4 in the withdr~wal of fcxel9\ troops frOll Af9han territory, thus helping to tx ing about the political solution of the situation in that State. We are alao convinced that the wlthdraw~l of all fCC'eign forces from Kallpuchea is a pcerequiaite for a juat and lasting 8ettleMnt of the problems of that comtry, ...,ia. aust regain ita inaU.enable right to choose freely its political, economic and aocial syetea. The situatic;n in the iforean peninsula is still deadlocked. Gabon, which is pleased to count both lceeas allOng ita best frienc1a, will support .ole-heartedly any initiative ailled at the reunification of Korea. The agreement which the two Ior:eu have reached en t.be inclusion in the AsseJd)ly's agenda of an item enti tled , -PrOlllOtion of peaca, reconciliation and dialogue in the Korean peninsula- is an encouragil1CJ developlMtnt and prc.pts us to urge them to persevere in their sear.ch for a negotiated solution, for a united Korea woul-.l be a guarantee of peace and stability in Sooth-But Asia. The JIOunting tension in Central _er iea is also a source of great concern to my country. Gabon reiterates its support for: the Cmtadora Group and welcomes the additional contribution ..de by the Lillla group, since these prcwide the framework neces8ary for dialogue -.d better IIUtual ID'lderstanding in the region. In mention ing these vu iou8 conflicts I intend only to highlight the cc.aitment of the O\i ted Nation8 and various Hemer S' ..ltes, particularly the 8uper-Powers, to reach a 8ettlement" with the increasing help of the seere tary-General. The third special s.ssion of the General Assembly devoted to disarlMment, which was held in New York froll 31 May to 24 JWle last, was preceded by the _er iean-Soviet agree_nt en the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range ancll Shorter-Ran9'! Missiles - INF Treaty - in DeceRber 1987, demonstrated that the pl'ot:agcnists an the international scene are acting in keeping wi th tbe purposes and ~,rinciples of the United Nations. Particularly meaningful in this general lIOVe.nt are the agree_nu that hwe been reached and the eYents that have taken place in the field of disar....nt in the course of this yeer between the two super.,PolIeril, which will contribute to reinforcing cWtente in internaticnal relations. That is .y .y country wel~lIes with interest not only the Ilmer iean-Soviet agree_nt, but also the inclusion in the agenda of the current session of item 72, -Review af the illp1elHnta tion of the Declaration on the StrengthEning of International security". Gebon considers, in particular, that resolution 42/92, adopted at the prEvious session of the General Assembly and containing a provision calling upon _amers of the Security Council to take appropriate and effective measures to turn Africa into a nuclear-free zone, deser yes practical follow-up. It is specifically in th is CClIltext that Gd)an, concerned about the future of Africa, notes with alarm and is w~tching the compelling manoeuvres, both treacherous and illegal, directed towards making OUt cCllltinent the depository, the rubbish-bin, for the toxic wastes of the industrialized countrieso The agreements entered into for this purpose between some African countries and multinational enterprises have quickly been revealed as fool's bargains. Hence, at the most recent summit meeti.ng of Heads of State and Government of the Organization Of Afr ican Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa last May, such an operation was viewed as constituting a criminal act against Africa and African p'pulations and that meeting reconrnended that member States of the OAtJ should participate in a working group to prepare a world convention to monitor trans-border carriage of harmful wastes. My country can all the more easily endorse that step because it has not respQlded to the various offers that have been extended to it to give all or any part of its territory to those new merchants of death for the purpose of storing their dangerous pcoducts. Similarly, it endorses any initiative that has been taken within the United Nations directed towards preparing an international convention on the transfer of waste. we 8!l:',' therefore pleased to see that this question has been included on the agenda of: our work and we express the hope that the General Asserrbly will consider it with all due attention. For our part, we are convinced that the inwstrial development of Africa must not become counter-productive, in particular by destabilizing its ecological and human balances. Development must be ach ieved in secur ity in order truly to be a bearer of peace. Hence, secur ity and development are interconnected. Disarmament and dwelopment are as well. This is a concern which, upon the initiative of our Gaver nmen ts, is being discussed in var ious in ter na tional bodies, both at th e wor Id level and at the regional level. In this connectioo, my country apprc:nes the work that has been carried out by the Regional Centre of the United Nations for Peace and Disar,mament in Africa, whl ch met in IDme, 'l\:)go, last February. (Hr. Bongo, GabQl) It is easy to note that, beginning from our Organization and its own involvel'Mlht, this wind of peace that is blowing throughout the world is dependent upon the will of the parties to conflicts themselves, and, generally speaking, upon the restored spir it of mutual trust in the conci1ct of current international relations. The wor k of the United Hations is not solely restr icted to the pol i tical sphere. All Meni>er States will agree in noting that the United Nations recently has been concerned at the particularly er itica1 economic situation on the Afr iean conUnent. A number of its ini tia tives have led to the establishment, in December 1986, of a Steering CoJll'llittee complsed of the directors of United Nations agencies, as well as the establishment of an Advisory Group on Financial Flows to Afr ica. Each of these mechanisms is to reconmend to the United Nations solutions which can limit the serious financial problems which our countries are experiencing. With regard to the Advisory Group on Financial Flows to Africa, the most recent. Conference of Ministers of the Non-Aligned Countries noted that it had estimated a yearly shortfall of approximately S5 billion between the real needs of African countries and prospective contributions. On the basis of that estimate, the Conference felt that it should emphasize the urgent need to reduce that shortfall. It seems timely to me to point out that the economic situation in Gabon clearly deteriorated in 1986, just at a time when its fifth five-year plan, begun in 19.&4, had very nearly achieved its objectives. In the course of that difficult year, the average price of Gabonese oil, our main source of revenue, fell by more than one half, the slwnp of crude and the elec1ine in the rate of the Uni ted States dollar being at the root of that movement. The outcome has been a drastic decline in our gross national product. This handicaps our development and prevents us from finding solutions to our ills. These include insufficient infrastructure in river (Mr. Bongo, Gabon) transport and telecommWlications) the use of migrant labour, \lIhich is expensi"e for the country) and the weakness of the Clgr icultural sector, sharpened by the rural exodus. With regard to this last point, I should like to tell ~u that Gaboo is able mly to mee t 20 per cent of its food needs itself. The rema in ing 80 pea; cent dangerously affects our balance of payments, resulting in insufficient savings and systematic recourse to loans in order to finance any projects, to such an extent that debt servicing is becoming ever rore heavy. Here and now I should like to thank the authorities of the United Nations Developnent Progranme which, in the course of fits work in the Governing Council in Geneva, from 6 June to 1 July last, annulled Gabon's obligation to become a net contr ibutor to reimbur sing pre-financing of some of our projects. Thb ev idence of attention and pragnatism CX\ the part of international organizations towards our country constitutes assistanoa which we appreciate at its proper value. However, these are not the only reasons trwi'ly we are concerned when we kno"" that, between 1985 and 1987, the count~ies of sub-Saharan Africa paid the International ~etary Fund a net amount exceeding $2.2 billion and, as w~s noted in 1986 by the EXecutive secretary of the United 'Nations Ek:onomic Commission for Africa, Mr. Adebayo Adedeji, the decline in comilDdity prices and debt servicing caused an outflow of capital at an amount of $34 billion \-lhile, at the same time, Africa received no more than $18 billion. The Final Declaration of the seventh session of the United Nations CCX'lference on Trane and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva in July-August 1987 sh~ds a new light on our awrehensions in that, in view of the i,nstability in export revenue from our comll'Odi ties and the resultant vu1ru~rability of the economies of our COWl tries, UNc,w.l'AD is advocating a diversification of exports on the one hand and the prepara tion of studies of p,enomena that impede such diversi fiea tion • (Hr. Bonso, Gabon) Despite a slight increase in comllOdity prices in 1983-1984/ the unfavourable conditions that weighed on our markets since the beginning of the 1980s oontinued in 1985. The weakness of comrrodity prices in the course of recent years is due to the fact that despi te increased supply of products / demand has hardly increased. With regard to debt, in order to avoid its increase, our countries have had to red..1ce imports and sums reserved for invesbnent. Despite this, the debt of Africa exceeds $200 billion. (Mr. Bongo, Gabon) The debt and its servicing, between 1984 and 1986, averaged $10 billion a year. The figure will exceed SlS.S billion between 1987 and 1989. In its 1988 report the O\i ted Nil Hons Conference on Trade and Development (UNClAD) emphas ized that in sub-Sahar an Afr ica Sle per capi ta gross natio"al product had declined by 14 per cent in real terms ::»etween 1980 and 1987, and said that this debt burden had destabilized internal economies by sharpening social conflicts and affecting expendi ture on imprcwing the human resources and ma ter tal infrastructures essential for future developnent~ These data, which were reported to the fbciety for International Development by Hi. Stephen Lewis, the former Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations and now the Secretary-General's special Adviser in connection wi th the United Nations Progralll1\e of Action for African Ehonomic Recovery and Developnent 1986-1990, revealed the extraordinary situatim that our countries are confronting. That is why the member countries of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) defined a common position regarding the urgent convening of an international conference Oh African debt, since it is the aim of our countries to embark resolu te1y on the pa th of eCCXlomic growth and development. The recent proposal of the Head of State of Gabm for a discounting of Afr ican oountr ies' debts has the same objective. Taking all this into aocount 6 the Secretary-General has emphasized that the margin of manoeuvre available to Africa in the implementation of the Programme of ktion has been reduced by an unfavourable financial climate. This justi fies his conclusion that it is essential for the intp.rnational community to act speedily to free acxUtiona1 financial resources and increase flexibil ity. I cannot conclude wi thout re ferr ing to some social and cultural aspects of man's develoPl\ent in his mal dimension, indivicllal and collective, which has been ale of the concerns of our comtry, and, first and foremost, human rights, which cannot be forgotten this year as we eonrnemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Careful thought and the exper ience gained regllonally, nationally and internationally h~ve convinced us that there can be no development without a policy of promoting and protecting human rights 17 just as there can be no promotion and iXotection of human rights without a peace policy. Gabon, a delegation which participated in the work of the meeting of the Govern ing Council of the Uni ted Hations Children 's Fund (UNICEF) in New York from 18 to 29 April 1988, greatly appreciates the reoonmendations made by that institution for overcoming the prese~t particularly difficult economic situation. llmong the measures proposed, the promotion of "human adjustment", whicn is designed to protect vulnerable groups while struggling effectively against the economic er isis , and the Bamako initiative, designed to lead towards the establishment of a self-help system with regard to medical assistance, enjoy our country's support. As UNICEF has indicated in its 1988 annual report, the mortality rate for children under 3 yeurs of age remains very high, at approximately 174 per 1,000. ~r country is pursuing a social policy with the following objectives: to contribute to protecting the family, children and yt')Uth~ to participate in the fight against such major endemic social scourges as tuberculosis, leprosy, alcoholism, venereal diseases and diarrhoea, epidemics, mental illness and juvenile del inquency • In the context of this policy, vaccination, thanks to the expanded vaccination progranme, carried out in our country with the assistance of UNICEF, had covered more than 50 per cent in 1987. Pediatricians noted five times fewer cases of measles than in previous years. OUr country is pleased to see that UNICEF's activi ties have found their place wi thin the broader context of the Programme of Action for Afr iean &:onomic Recovery and l)eve10pnent 1986-1990. This satisfaction extends also to the recommendation made by the Governing Council of UNICEF that the needs and priorities of w.omen be taken into account in all projects that receive its ass is tance. Wi th regard to all these activities, Gabon would like to express its special gratitude to the United Nations for its pragmatism and effectiveness. MJch certainly remains to be done. That is why I take this opportunity to assure the Assenbly of my country's readiness to co-operate with the Organization so that t\lgether we may contribute to the progressive improvement of the social condition of mankind. At this IOOment, as we reaffirm our dedication to the purposes and principles of the Uni ted Nations, we must declare fai thfully that we will do nothing that might impede their achievement. Let us oommit ourselves to do our utmost to ensure that these words become a reality, that the Organization truly becomes an effective tool in the service of peace, freedom, secur ity and justice - values which mankind has perhaps lost, but which it hopes to regain in order to recover its self-esteem. This is the message that I address to the represeiltatives of other nations meeting in this Assenbly, and the commitment that I reiterate on behalf of the President of the Republic, Mr. Hadj Qnar Bongo, and the Government and people of Gabon as a whole. Mr. SOMARE (Papua New Guinea) ~ I congratulate you, Sit', on ~ur election to the important: post of President of the forty-third session of the General Assembly. My delegation shates the confidence that the members of this body have placed in you. Let me assure you of my delegation's full co-operation in the discharge of the high dlties entrusted to :1"Ou. May I also take this opportunity to place on record my country's appreciation of a job well done by your predecessor, Mr. Peter Florin. I have had the honour of addressing the General Assenbly on two previous occasions in my capacity as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea: on 10 OCtober 1975, shortly after my country gained independence, and in 1983. X am especially honoured to be able to refresent Papua New Guinea as Foreign Minister at the forty-third session of the General Assembly, an oooasion which marks the for tie th ann iversary of the adoption by t.J'le General Assenbly l:lf th~ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As I stated on those two previous occasions, Papua New Guinea regards the United Nations as having a special role in working for the resolution of tensions and conflicts and for building a stronger framework for international oo-operation based on nutual respect and understanding. Papua New Guinea remains O:)lmtitted to playing its part in o:mtr ibuting to this objective. As in previous years, the agenda for this session of the General Assembly is Cl oomplex one. Many pressing issues remain unresolved, and many uncertainties still exist in international relations, uncertainties Which have a direct impact on the developnent processes of a great: number of developing countries, including Papua New Guinea. But despite these uncertainties, there can still be some cause for hope and optimism. It can be said with a measure of confidence that a number of positive ste~ have been taken in t.ackling problems which are the subject of this session's attention. Mf delegation highly commends the secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de CueUar, for his unwaver in9 efforts in upholding the purposes and principles of the Chartp.r. we also commend the comprehenzive report he has presented to the Assembly. It is especially pleasing to note the progress that is being made in resr;,ect of the situations concerning Afghanistan, the Iran-Iraq conflict, Namibia, Kampud'lea and Cyprus. But his report also underlines other pressing issues, including disarmament, trade, finance and human rights, where more resolute international action is required. We remain convinced of the n~d for Cl strengthened United Nations system to play a central role in proltDting peace and security and more equitable ecmomic relations between developed and developing countries. Our own region in the Sou th Paci fic is comparatively free of major conflicts. Indeed, the region oontinues to enjoy peace and stability. But there are some changing trends and, unlike the past, more countries and organizations beyond the South Pacific are showing an interest in engaging actively with the region. The South Pacific is not immune from the effects of internatimal tensions and many of the worrying trends in the world economy. Our region is one where in some parts colmialism has not been brought to an end, where in other parts nuclear activi ties continue to be coneucted, despite si:rcng protests from Governments of South Pacific nations, and me where there &re growing tendencies for big-Power rivalry. The South Pacific conmunity is made up of many small island States scattered in a vast expanse of ocean, which depend on only a small nunber of agricultural and mar ine products for their livelihood and export income. I am pleased to be able to say that: there have also been some positive trends in the South Pacific since the last session of the General Assenbly. In New Caledonia, constructive ptogress has been achieved by the French administration in re-establishing dialogue between different ethnic groups in the Territory. One year ago, my predecessor drew the Assellilly's attention to the presence of a large nurrber of French security personnel stationt!d in New Caledonia which, among other things, served to intimidate the Kanak people in their just struggle to seek independence from Fr ance. In April this year, Papua New Guinea and other island nations were outraged by the merciless kill 1ng of 16 Kanaks by French security forces and the build-up of tension in the Terr itory. we are pleased that the lbc:hard administration has now set in train a process that will bring about positive changes for the better. The framewOl: k agreement concluded in Par is in August prCNides a bas is on which the different cOn1l\unities in New Calecbnia can work together in a spirit of reconciliation and understanding to achieve independence. att not all causes of tension have been removed. New Calecbnia is on the United Nations list of Non-Self-GCNerning Territories. The Asselt'bly, therefore, has a responsibility to continue monitor ing developnents in New Caledon la. We also hope that the administering Power will live up to all its responsibilities and obligations as prCNided for in the Chart.er of the United Nations. Papua New Guinea has also closely followed developments in other Terri tories in the Pacific. In the case of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Marshall Islands, we believe that the people of those States have expressed their wishes on their political future. Political evolution in those States has been consistent with tbited Nations principles and practices. Papua New Guinea has therefore established full diplomatic relations with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Marshal1 Islands. we urge other Menber States of the United Nations to do the same. We hope that the way will be clear for the people of Palau and the O1i ted States Mministra tion to resolve outstanding I1Btters affecting Palau's political future. Papua New Guinea is a full and active menber of the South Pacific Forum, the l1Bjor regional organization of the SOUth Pacific. we continue to work with other men'ber Sta tes of the SOuth Paci fie Forum in oA;)Osing nuclear testing and the dumping of nuclear wastes in our region. The South Paci fie Nucl~r-Free-ZoneTreaty and the SOuth Pacific Regional Environment Protection Convention are the two most important instruments established to safeguard the environment of our region. Papua New Guinea will shortly ratify both these Treaties. The decisioJ'l by the GOI1ernments of the SCJlliet union and the People's Republic of China to rati fy Protoools 2 and 3 of the South Paci fie Nuclear-Free-Zone Treaty is a welcome development. we urge other nucleaX' Powers similarly to ratify the Protoools and to respect the operation of the Treaty in the South Pacific. At a recent mee ting of Heads of Government of Sou th Paci fie na tions in September it was decided to put in place a nunber of new arrangements to facilitate more constructive dialogue and exchanges with other countries and organizations. A Forum institutional network has been created to bring together all regional bodies opera ting in the Sou th Paci fie for improyed co-ordina tion and collabora tion. Regular high-level consultations between the nations of the South Paci fie and interested third countries are proposed to take place each year immediately following the annual meeting of Heads of Government. These arrangements are intended to draw grea ter interna tional at.tention to the development needs and oonstraints of the island nations of the South Pacific, to draw attention to our resource potential and to mobilize appropriate resources to cootribute to eCQ"lomic developnent, self-reliance, capacity building and the social progress of our people. The entry into force in June this year of the mul tilateral fisheries arrangement between the Government of the United States and the Governments of Pacific islands nations has been an important step forward not only for the developnent of the region's pr incipal resource - fisher ies - but also for the expansion of economic relations in our regial. Papua New Guinea would welcome similar fishing arrangements with other major fishing nations. We urge the Government of Japan to continue the dialogue wi th island States wi th a view to concluding a multilateral fishing arrangement soon. The South Pacific region is relatively unknown among the majority of the States Members of the United Nations, and to many United Nations agencies. The needs of the island communi ties in the Sou th Paci fie are great. The South Paci fie Forum has taken important initiatives to encourage other nations and organizations to con tr ibu te to the development of our region in fields where they are able to assist. Other important regional initiatives are to follow, in arrangements dealing with trade, transport and telecommlmlcaUoll8. Regional co-operation has been a conwr-swne for the developnent of many United Nations programmes. We see a pressing fleed for many of the United .Nations organs to be more sensitized and reoriented to the real needs and aspirations of the island nations of the Pacific. Papua New Guinea's interests extend beyond the South Paci fie region. We seek to strengthen our ties with the countries memers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASFAN~. Our ties with ASEAN have steadily expanded in recent years. we continue to value our special observer status at the annual meetings of MEAN forei90 ministers. My Government is pleased also that the ASEAN nations have agreed to our request to be c::lllowed to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation in South-Eas t As ia. The situation in Kampuchea continues to give cause for CQ1Cern. ~ delegation notes with guarded optimism the developments and initiatives seen in the pelst 12 months relating to the Kampuchean problem. The informal talks held in Jakarta, Indonesia, by. all the paarties concerned with the Kampuchean issue are a welcome development. My delegation believes that the Kampuchean problem will be resolved not only by the unconditional withdrawal of Vietnamese ~roes but nlso by the prevention of the return of the genocidal policies and practices of pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Papua New Guinea colllllends the efforts of the ASPAN group of countr ies to resolve this outstanding problem of our region. The situation of the Korean peninsula is also of concern to my Government. We appeal to the Governments of the People'lll Del10cratic RepUblic of Korea and the Republic of KOrea to cantinue to seek ways whereby dialogue and reconciliation can prevail. My delegation notes favourably the recent initiatives contained in the July 1988 Declaration issued by the President of the Republic of Korea aimed at enhancing the prospects for reunification. We urge the Gcwernments of both coun tr !es to reflect the wishes of their people, who ear nestly hope for ear ly reuni fication. My Government is of the view that the admission of the People' s Democratic Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to the United Nations has the potential for opening up an additional avenue for dialogue. ~. Government associates itself with the growing number of Governments that wish to see North and South Korea join the United Nations. The Iran-Iraq war represents one of the most unfortunate and saddest mobilizations of people in recent times. The unnecessarily prolonged conflict has cost so many lives and inflicted misery on so many persons. My delegation joins other delegations in welcoming the 20 lwgust cease-fire. In that connection, we commend the tireless efforts of the 8ec£etary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuel1ar • The membtlrs of the security Cou-I'\cil have demonstrated the necessary political will to find an ~arly solution to the Iran-Iraq wat, and we oolMlend them also. The leaders of Iran and Iraq owe it to their people to restore peace and harmony as soon as possible. Secur ity Council resolution 598 (1987) prO'lides a sound basis for the early resolution of the unfortW1ate conflict. Recent events in the Middle Fast call for .,!e efforts to be made to address the underlying causes of tension and conflict. My delegation believes that the Palestinians have a right to a homeland. Israel, too, has a ri~lt to exist within secure borders. Those two condi tions are fundamental to any lasting solution to the problem. The situation in Central Itmer iea, especially in Nicaragua, desr:trves the understanding of the leaders of that region and those who are in a position to influence the outcome. We colllnend those leaders in that region who have demonstrated foresight and sensitivity to the problems in their midst. My delegation recognizes the value of the reglonl:ll approac:b to the problems there. Every year we have come to the General AssenOly with expectations that some concrete measures would be taken in response to the problem of .!R!rtheid in South Afdca. !lit, despite many resolutions by the Unit»d Nations, the problem still exists. My delegation believes that the option of mandatory sanctions against South Africa holds some prospects for success. we acknowledge that such a course of action, if adopted, could create economic hardship. But, what other options are there? Economic hardship can be corrected over time, but left unattended aparthei~ will continue to create oppression and suffering. Recent signs that the people of Namibia could regain their freedom and sovereignty give us some hope. Papua New Guinea urges all parties that are in a position to bring about a favourable outcome to spare no effort to facilitate progress towards Namibia's lang-awaited achievement of independence. we in toe P~cific are made up of p,'.ainly small States; yet we are linked wi th the international oomnl'Jnity in many significant ways. OUr environment may be less troubled than perhGps ~liilt of others, but we continue to be highly vulnerable to influences of the international envira'lment. Keeping our region free of big-Power rivalry and of nuclear acHv! ties is an issue to which Papua New Guinea <x>ntinues to attach considerable importance. The conclusion last Decemer by the United States and the Soviet Union of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles is an important step forward in disarmament and arma control. 8Jt more can and should be done in this area by all those who possess nuclear w&<.lpons. Like other representatives who have addressed the Assembly, we believe there is a pressing need for further steps to be taken if effective disarmament, arms reduction and arms control are to be achieved. As I have sought to set forth earlier, vulnerability stems also from Umi ted opportunities to promote economic development. Papua New Guinea attaches imPlrtance to international efforts aimed at dealing with the growing problems of trade protectionism, debt-servicing and the slow-down in financial transfers to developing countries. We have taken full account of t.he many comments that delegations have made in relation to the role and effectiveness of the United Nations at the present time. Miile the Organization has not been able to Cleal wi th all problems ~ffecting the international conmunity, there are positive signs that the ~ ited Nations machinery has been given a chance to work. SOme momentum has developed in tackling a good number of problems for which solutions have been sought for a 1009 time. Let us not waste this opportunity. Mr. JONES (Grenada): I br ing greetings from the Q)vernment and people of my country. My delegation joins, Sir, in the many expressions of esteem, felicitation, confidence and goodwill addressed to. you as you assume the high office of President of the forty-third sessio.'l of the Gf:neral Assenbly, to which the world looks with high expectancy and fervent hope for abundant success. Addi tionally, gra teful apprecia tion is extended to your immediate predecessor, Mr. Peter Flor in, Deputy Foreign Minister of the German Democr atic Repubiic, for his skilful and expeditious conduct of the historic forty-second session of the General Assembly. My delegation wishes to place on record its pr ide in and gratitude for the outstanding contribution that the Secretary-General is making to the international community through his sound, skilful, judicious, committed and unobtrusive leadership. !t is no accident that in many areas of the world peace appears to be springing forth. This can be attributed to the l'ealization that there is nothing to be gained by the indefinite proloogation of conflicts within and among nations. on the contrary, so lIl1ch is lost in terms of human lives and scarce resources that if conflicts are all.:wed to continue indefinitely, there can be neither winners nor losers in the end. international o)l'lIllunity provides a favourable climate for its enhancement. The Secretary-General, a tireless disciple of peace, in his report on the work of th organization, dated 14 September 1988., said o,f the United Nations: e1the small boat in which all the people of the ~r th were ga thered seemed t have caught a 11gh t but favourable wind." (A/43/l, p. 2) Continuing that nautical metaphor, permit me to quote the words of the immortal William Shakespeare: "There is a tide in the affairs of men, Wiich, taken at the flood, leads en to fortune; Omitted, all of the voyage of their life Is bound in shallowa and in miseries." (Julius Caesar, IV: iii) The pieces of peace - if I may be permitted this clWl1sy pun - that are breaking out in certain regions of tl.e world, afford the international community, whose prestige is on the rise, the opportunity to sail with the flood tide in the pursuit of peace. Grenada reaffirms its unswerving conmitment to the United Mations, the organization of Nnerican States, the Commonwealth, the Caribbean community and all other regional or international organizations which assist us in achieving our forei9Il policy objectives, the centrepiece of which is peace. My delegation notes with profound satisfaction the new detente and rapprochement between the super-Powers, whose relationship has for so long been a cause of concern in the international ool1lmunity. We hope that the imprOl7ement in relations will continue and serve to reduce tensions around the world. We take this oP{)Ortunity to oongrattJlate President Reagan and General secretary Gorbachev on their contributions, and to urge them to continue their dialogue so that the process now begun may lead to a significant and internationally acceptable le1lel of arms reduction, both nuclear and conventional - the kind of contr ibution to international peace and security that the wo:ld so desperately needs. Against this background, the international ool1lllunity notes with pleasure the strides made in the past months to secure peaceful solutions to seemingly intractable eituations in certain regions of the world. In Afghanistan, the Geneva Accorda, negotia ted under the auspices of the Secretary-General and guaranteed by the United States of America and the Union of SOIliet SOcialist Republics, afford the region the first real opportW1ity for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, which can provide the basis for self-determination by the Afghan people. The cease-fir.e, on 20 August, in the long and costly Iran-Iraq war, followed by face-to-face talks five days later in Geneva between high level representatives of the two oountries, with the Sscretary-General as mediator, gave hope to the world that at long last a long and costly conflict would f1,nally come to an end. I wish: howeve~, to remind the Assembly of the continuing plight of the members of the Bahai faith in Ii'an. They continue to suffer persecution and death because of their religioiJs belief. The continuance of that problem will always be a hindrance to the attainment of peace and st&bility in that country, and I again call upon this body to take such steps as would cause the Iranian Government: to grant to the Bahais their God""'9iven right to the sacred freedom to worship God in their own way. The quadripartite discussions taking place among Angola, Cuba and South Africa, with the United States as mediator, offer some hope that with goodwill, good judgement and, whenever possible, resort to non-confrontational and non-adYersarial positions, the independence of Namibia may be possible without further bloodshed or delay..* In the interval between the last session of the General Assembly and the present, the si tuations in (.\rprus, Kampuchea and Western Sahara have shown encouraging signs of peaceful resolution through political and diplomatic negotia tions .. *Mr .. Borg Olivier (Malta), Vice-President, took the Chair .. There rema in, however, other regional problems of Calcern to the interna tional colM1unity. In the Mid:Jle East the festering relationship between Israel and the Palestinians has been further exacerbated by recent events en the West Bank and in the Gaza Str ip. It is the hope of my delegation that those who preside over the destiny of nations, espousing first ~s individuals peace in their own hearts, will be capable of devising a formula that will be acceptable to all parties, that is to say a formula that satisfies the quest of the Palestinians for a homeland and protects their right to self-determination and recognizes the existence of Israel as a sovereign, independent State and also its right to exist within secure and recognized bounderies. The situation in Central Amer iea, wheT:e it was hoped that the signing of the Guatemala Procedure in August 1987 by the five Central American Presidents would quickly bear fruit, remains a matter of cautious optimism. Nevertheless my delegation views wi th a tremendous measure of satisfaction the efforts uf the people of the region collectively to assess and define their security needs and to minimize the threat to the peace and stability of the area~ we laud the leaders of the region for their initiatives to resolve their problems within the framework of conSUltation, co-ordination, co-operation and joint endeavour. The fate of the Korean peninsul~ - basically one family, now divided into two parts as a result of the second World War - is a perfect example of the futility, idiocy and tragedy of war. This dichotomous arrangement has resulted in prolonged human suffering of the most heart-rending kind, where families related by affinity, oonsanguinity and spirit\.1al relationship have been torn apart with ooly occasio:lal opportunity to visit ene another. My delegation s(»ke in the general debate last year. We expressed the view that, through the universal medium of sports and through the universal language of music, the world stood the best chance of attaining the universal goal of brotherhood. My delegation is still of that opinion. This reference was made in connectial with the XXIV Olympiad recently completed in seoul. We extend heartfelt congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of J(orea for successfully hosting the twenty-fourth Summer Olympic Games in seoul, substantially free from politically motivated boycotts and tragedies. Moreover, it is the prayer and hope of my delegation that the inclusion of the item entitled, ·Promotion of peace, reconciliation and dialogue in the Korean peninsula·, in the Assenbly's agenda at this session will be debated constru~tively, rationally and in the spirit of conciliation, to the end that a satisfactory resolution of the Korean dichotomy might appear al the;hor1zon. In the case of the Korean peninsula, as in the case of so many areas of conflict, we need to explore the many hidden similar! ties in our apparent diversity. Let us ooncentrate on our collective strength rather than on our individual frailty. In view of the recent successes of the United Nations in mediating di~putes in the international oonmunity, the time has oome for us to consider ser iously whether or not the objective of attaining national reunification between North and South Korea through dialogue and negotia tion would be realized if both countr ies were granted full membership of the United Nations. We have a moral obligation to attempt to ensure that peace, stability and reoonciliation cb not continue to elude the people of the Korean peninsula. I therefore wish to propose that this question of mentJership be given immediate consideration so that the over 70 roiUion people of the peninsula could be accorded their right to representa tion among the membership of this Organization. ! crave the indulgence of delegations to speak a few words with respect to my country, Grenada, five years after it was rudely and abruptly thrust upon the national and international scene £01lo<111ng the execution of the Prime Minister and a number of innocent ci tizens as a result of a vicious intraparty struggle for power. This dramatic and cataclysmic episode took place on 25 October 1983. After law and order were restored, an interim administration was created. U:s. main term of reference was to create the clim~t:£:! and prepare the oountry for general elections and the retut'n to pluralistic, participatory, parliamentary deiIDcracy, which Grenada had always enjoyed except in the per iod 1979 to 1983, when ideological bigots came into power, h~ving overthrown the elected government by force. In the general elections one year later, in December 1984, the people of Grenada elected my party by an OI7erWlelming majority. 1 am happy to report to this fraternal forum of the united Nations that today Grenada is at peace and that human rights and individual freedoms are scrupulously guaranteed. A few cardinal principles inform and constitute the basis of our oonduct within the global family, that is, equality, respect for the sovereignty and independence of States and for their right freely to choose their social and ecooomic syf;'tems. Grenada does not subscribe to reproach and recrimination in pursuit of its international relations. My delegation wishes to refute as utter nonsense the propaganda of a few disgruntled members of this fraternal forum to the effect that there are still foreign forces in my country. The few countries which persist in this course of cooduct have nei ther a democratic experience nor a demcrt.ttic culture. I am pleased to report that the ballot-box replaced the gun as the ultimate instrument of political discourse in Grenelda and to state boldly, categorically and without fear of challenge that there are no foreign troops in my country and that this has been so since 1985. Grenada shares the concerns and suffers the consequences of the vulnerability of island developing countries, in particular, and of developing countries, in general. wi th regard to the question of the specificity of the problems of island developing countries, the destruction recently visited upon Jamaica by Hurricane Gilbert also brings into sharp focus the vUlnerability of islands to natural disasters. It is to be hoped that in devising a strategy of emergency assistance to Jamaica the international community would bear in mind the fragility of island economies. Moreover, under agenda item 82 (b), the General Assembly is being called upon to countenance a series of measures that could alleviate the problems experienced by this specific category of developing countries. M1 delegation issues a call to united Nations agencies and individual nations to respond more favourably to our valid appeals for speciaJ. oonsideration. The General Asseni>ly should also be cognizant of the threat to the ecosystem of island developing countries posed by coastal pollution resultin\.' from the dumping of wastes at sea. Indeed, the recent unpleasant experiences of IL~rine pollution in several parts of the world have highlighted the deleterious effects of resorting to the ocean as a giant dumping-ground. Thus, over and above the concerns being addressed under agenda item 64 (k), it is imperative that a progranme of action against all types of dumping of harmful wastes at sea - be they nuclear, industr ial or medical - be devised, thereby saving future generations from potential environmental suicide. In the matter of the effective ~unctioning of the United Nations my delegation would like to register its concerns regarding the financial situation of the Organ iza tioo. The fact that there are in essence two agenda i terns tClich address the issue, items 50 and 116, is indicative of the paramount importance of the question. It is to be hoped that any revision of the scale of assessments will adhere to the pr inciple of "equitable apportionment" and will respect the capacit}' of Memer States to pay. There should not be the anomaly of developed countries benefiting from a reduction in their scale of assessed contributions, while certain debt-distressed developing countries are burdened with an upward revision of their financial obligations to the Organization. The external debt problem wi th its adverse global economic consequences, especially in the developing countries, hi a perfect example of how international peace and security can be threatened by a situation which can have dire social, political and economic consequences" Debt repayment and debt-servicing pose a hardship for, and stranglehold on, the economies of many developing coun tries, ak in to a millstone around their necks. While the repayment of debt is a legal and moral responsibility of the debtor, debt relief should be a humane and moral consideration of some of the creditors, who, in the context of the present global situatioo, may be practiaing simple justice, by putting back into the good earth a little of what has been taken out. History is replete with examples of how exploitation and injustice could have contributed to the debt problem. (Hr. Jones, Gren~) To the least developing COll'ltries, \1lhose social and humani tar ian programmes are held in abeyance because of debt repayment and debt-servicing, the cynicism mingled wi th humour of a socio~conomist can ba applied, namely that the inherent vice in some economic systems is the unequal sharing of blessings, while the inherent virtue in others is the equal sharing of miseries. In the final analysis, if the external debt problem is allcwed to remain unsolved and unmitigated the eCalomies of both developed and developing countries stand to suffer. An area of global interes t and conmon amcer n is the ill lc1 t tr affick ing in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances which, like the plague, is spreading over the face of the earth and gnawing at the very fabr ic of society_ Concomitant wl th the craze for these dangerous substances is the propor tiata te increase in the level of violence which is fast becoming a seamy sub-cultute in some societies. It is generally believed that drugs and international terror ism have a direct relationship. This twin menace Is growing bolder every day and wreak lng havoc on innocent and unsuspecting people_ we favour a mul tidimensional approach to the tackling of this awesome problem involving the agencies of education, health and law enforcement: in the three crucial areas of the production, trafficking and consumption of drugs. Another area of global amcern is the rapid spread of the acquired irmnune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), ~ich, like a scourge, is approaching pandemic proportions. In this regard the United Nations prestigious World Health Organization (wOO) should continue to focus at the aetiology, prognosis and therapy for this health hazard, which has dangerous social cnnsequenoes. The odious and pernicious practice of racial hatred, aj?artheid, in SOuth Africa remains the greatest impediment not only to peaoe in southern Africa but to world peace generally_ This institutiooalized and systematized phenomenon of racism (Mr. Jates, Grenada) attempts to place a stranglehold on demcratic advancement in southern Africa and continues to de pE' ive the black man of his rights tn freedom and self-determination. If our response is to apply pressure on the south African Government to dismantle the apartheid system, then mwards that objective my delegation favours the employment of collective, comprehensive, mandatory sanctions against South Africa. we are not persuaded by the arguments advanced by a few influential actors in the international community that sanctions will a&rersely affect the black major ity in South AfI' ica. We observe with interest that the imposition of sanctions is a potent and attractive option Wlic:h is applied selectively as a punitive measure or as one designed or calculated to draw conoessions. In any event, it is folly and presumptuous on the part of other countries to attempt to speak at behalf of the black majority of South Africa. Rather, their conO!rns should be reflected in concerted appeals to the authorities in South Africa to initiate negotiations with the legitimate leaders of the people. If it is determined that a spokesman is required, then pressure should be directed at the South Afr ican Government to release, unconditionally, the most artiCUlate and authoritative spokesman of the black cause, Nelson Mandela. This drum major for justice il"l South Afr ica has been impr isaned unjust! fiably for 26 years. We call uptm the Government of SOu th Africa to free him now so tha t he may be able to participate effectively in shaping the destiny of his oountry and his people. We call on South Africa to suspend armed intervention in the front-line states and to respect their scwereignty and terri tor la1 integrity. Tremendous progress towards a peaceful and amicable resolution o( the regional conflict could be achieved wi tb the speedy implementa tion of Uni ted Ha t:ions security Council resolution 435 (1978) for the independence of Namibia which, in rrf:l delegation's view, constitutes the only real basis for the attainment of this objective. (Hr. Jooes, Grenada) Finally, the curtain has risen <Xl the forty-third session of the General Assembly under favourable auspices. The contours of peace are beginning to appear in many regions, the erstwhile battlegrounds of ideological c<XlfUcts and actual war. Just as we know in the p,ysical sciel'lces that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction which can be measured quantitatively, so too, to a limited extent, we can extend the same idea to the social sciences in which peace is central, by applying a qualitative measurement of the promising peaceful events taking place in many regions of the world. The centrifugal forces of dis<X>rd and disquietude are beginning to yield to centripetal forces of peace and concordance within nations and among nations •• *Mr. Pejic, (Yugoslavia), Vice-President, took the Chair • (Mr. Jooes, Grenada) The Washington and Moscow summit meetings bebreen President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and the signing of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Rang::t Missiles, with verification provisions, are factors which we hope will contt'ibute further to lQ'1g-term global peace. My delega tion wants to believe, however, that the tr lad of disarmament, developnent and solidar ity, which have a syllogistic relati,onship, affords humankind the best hope of attaining the universal goal of pl!ace and brotherhood for which the wor ld has been waiting so patiently and so lCl1g. May <bd bless us and guide us as we caltinue our deliberations in pursuit of these lofty aims. Mr. BWANALI (Malawi); It gives me pleasure to join those who have spoken before me in extending to Mr. Dante Caputo, on behalf of the Malawi delegation, heartfelt congratulations on his election to the pcesidency of the forty-third session of the General Assenbly. Preceding speakers have eloquently spoken of his lCl19 experience of international affairs, his deep oonmitment to the pl'ol1Dtion of: international peace and co-operation and his great diplomatic skills. On our part, we have ali."eady observed the effective manner in which he has been conducting the business of the Asserrbly. ~ are therefore confident that under his leadership and guidance the Assembly's deliberations will come to a succf;ssful oonclusion. I therefore wish to assure him of my delegation's full co-operation at all times. The forty-second session was perhaps among the busiest sessions in recen t years 6 as the Assemly had to be called back so many times in resuned session. The ~sembly was also called upon to deal with many very complex issues, some necessitating late-night sessions of the plenary in search of solutions. Fbrtunately for us, we had in Mr. Peter Florin, Deputy Foreign Minister of the German DellOcratic Republic, a President wose outstanding forti tuda, exemplary (Mr. Jones, Grenada) dedication to duty Md inexhaustible patience, confidence and good humour made the work that was before the Assembly easier. My delegation extends its best wishes to Mr. Florin, and congratulates him on his successful accomplishment of his duties and responsibilities. The Malawi delegation has pleasure also in expressing its best wishes to the Secretary-Genenl, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar. We have noted wi th 1'11100 satisfaction the many achievements scored by the United Nations during the past 12 months. Among the most outstanding are the successful negotiations leading to the Geneva Agreements on Mghanistan and to the cease-fire in the eight-year war between Iraq and Iran. Those achievements have clearly vindicated those who, despi te the doubts expressed by some in recent years about the Organization's relevance to today's international political environment, continued to believe that the United Nations remained the most awropriate forum for the. search for solutions to international disputes, and also that, given the opportunity, it could be a very effective instrument for resolving conflicts between States. Mr. de Cuellar has never wavered in his belief in the efficacy of the Un! ted Nations, nor has he ever doubted the Organization's potential as an instrument for br in91ng about peace. we thus consider the award of this year's Nobel Peace Pr ize to the United Nations peace-keeping forces to be a most fitting recognition of Mr. de Cuellar's personal efforts in keeping the united Nations at the centre of international affairs and a long overdue but welcome tribute to the outstanding cenu !bution of the Un! ted Nations towards international pe&ce during the past four decades 0 My delegation joins others in expressing to Mr. Perez de Cuellar and, through him, to the peac:e-keepingforces, well-deserved congratulations. (Mr. Bwanali, Malawi) A wri ter in cme of the local newspapers observed this past summer that "peace has broken out". Although his oonment. was made rather cynically, in fact it aptly designated the extraordinary phenomenon of the past few months. Indeed, throughout the summer we marvelled as almost everywhere came news of breakthroughs in deadlocks long considered intractable. For ooce it did seem as though peace had, fiinally, been declared. We in Malawi welcomed the news of the successful oonclusion of tha Geneva Agreements, under which it was finally possible for foreign troops that had been in Afghanistan for eight years to withdraw from that country. We hO:?!! that the wi thdrawal of those forces will be completed as agreed in the Agreements so that the people of Afghanistan may move on to the important process of determining their country's political future and embark on the urgent tasks of rehabilitation and r eoonstr uction • In the Persian Gulf we note that, following acceptance of security Council resolution 598 (1987) by both Iran and !raq earlier this summer, a cease-fire came into force on 20 August. We further note that negotiations mwards a permanent peace agreement between the two former belligerents are continuing under the auspices of the United Nations. The road towards that goal will not be an easy ale, but we believe that the parties coocerned understand the high cost of failure. When the Malawi delegation addressed the Assembly last year, we noted with regret that the flurry of diplomatic activity earlier in 1987 centred on the question of Kampuchea appeared to have led to no change. My Government has therefore been encouraged by recent signs of the apparent beginnings of a genuine dialogue between the var ious palp:ties ooncerned. We note, for instance, that following the meeting held in July, Wlder the auspices of the Association of south-East Asian Nations (ASFAN), all the parties have indicated their readiness (Mr. Bwanali, Malawi) to continue the search for a nutually acceptable solution. Allow me to express my Government's full support for those efforts and its sincere hope for a positive outcome v In the first direct political oontact between the two countries in years, parliament",rians of North and South Korea met in August to discuss relations between the two sides of their divided mother land. My Government was pleased to learn that further talks could take place very soon. Malawi supports the decision by the two sides to keep their lines of co1'l11\unication open so as to facilitate the continuing search for a peaceful solution. We remain firmly convinced that through honest dialogue between North and South Korea a viable solution can be achieved. Meanwhile, Malawi welcomes South Korea's call for the cessation of hostilities between Nor th and SOuth Korea. Malawi also welcomes the other proposals by the two side~ for easing tension between them. Malawi has followed very closely the quadripartite negotiations involving represen~tivesof the Uni ted States, South Africa, Angola and Cuba wi th the ultimate aim of bringing about the independence of Namibia, within the context of security Council resolution 435 (1978). In this connection, my Government has been greatly enoouraged to learn that, if everything goes well, implementation of the transitional process envisaged in resolution 435 (1978) could begin as early as next month, with independence elections coming by 1 June 1989. Wh ilst its optimism is tempered somewha t by the exper ience of the iilternational (X)1'I11\unity in having come to the well more than once before and drawing no water, my Government would like to look forward to Namibia's independence and to welcoming Namibia as a fUlly-fledged member (,)f the international community. My Government therefore hopeoc; to join other merrbers in welooming the new independent State of Namibia as a ~;>. ticipant, in its full sovereign right, at the forty-fourth session of the General Assenbly next year. Assembly was selted of the question of the dependent ~rritory of New Caledonia, where the indigenous people and the administering Power were deadlocked over the question of the Territory's political future. We now understand that the administering Power, having t'e'liewed its policy on the Territory, has recently reacbed agreement with representatives of the indigenous people on a formula for a solutioo wich envisages t.'\e early granting of independence to that Territory. My delegation welcomes these developnents. we applaud the Government of France for its courage in not only conceding the right of the New Caledonian people to self-determination but also in acknowledging its obligations towards the real iZ8 tion of tha t right. Malawi looks forward to seeing 'h"eW Caledon ia take its rightfUl place as an independent and sovereign Member of the colllllunity of nations, we hope in the very near future. We have followed closely the 8ecretary-General's oontinuing efforts to find viable formulas for solutions to the questions ()£ Cyprus and Western Sahara. With regard to Cyprus we have noted that the apparent emergence of a congenial atmosphere in rela tions between certain parties whose role would be mcst vi tal in assuring any solution has seemingly brought about a positive change in the attitudes of the leaders of the Greek and Turkieh (.}'priot communities. In this connection we note that both parties have declared their readiness to co-operate wi th the Secretary-Geneil:al in facilitating the resumption of the intercommunal talks and that formal blks h.wJe already been: lleduled fo:: early in 1909. My Government welcomes these developmenta, for Malawi reliBins cmwinced t.toaat only a formula arrived at by or through the participation of the Cypriot people themselves ccm produce a meaningful and permtment soluticn to that country;s political problems. support for the right of the people 01: that Territory to self-determination, wether as an independent sOl7ereign State cc otherwJ.ae. we theref«e support the 6ecret&ry-General '81 initiatives on this issue and aE'e pleased to note that the pr:oposals .mich he recently presented to both the Gcw~tnrllent of Morocco and the IOLISARIO prOl7iao for a referen~m to enable the sal'lraoui people to indicate their preforence aB to wether they should be part of Mcxocco or have their own independent sovereign State. We have noted particularly the aiJllUal'ity between the Secretary-General's proposals and the formula adopted a'l the salle queatia'l by the Organization of African Unity (OAD) almost 10 years ago. The OiW forllUla hY as a main principle the holding of at referendum supervised by the ~ited Nations. M1 Government is therefore happy to learn that both the POLISARlO lind !brocco have naw accepted the secretary-General's propceals and we hope that this clears the way for the early holding of a referUiQ1m en wastern sahara. At the forty-second session of the General Asselllbly, the Mslawi delegation joined others in welcoming and expr:eesing support for the peace plan for Central America initiated by the CClSta Rican leader, President Oscar Arias, and agreed to by all the leaders in the region. Despite the peol'llse held out by the plan, it would now appear that SOIIie parties would have the plan abancbned, seemingly ccndelmling it to the heap of so many other doomed initiatives. lbtwithstanding the set-backs which may have been enoountere4 in its illplell8ntation/l we believe that the Ariu plen still represents the best formula for achieving peace in that region. My delegation wishes therefore to express Malawi's supper t for those leaders who are continuing to seek ways offaciUtating the implementation of the plan. Preceding delaga tions have already cbserved that if today WG can speak of breakthroughs with regard to the various international ~cbleld that mea seemed insoluble it is because of the pesi tive inte:venticms, direct Md indirect, of t:.'le two super-PcMers, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Significantly, it has been noted that these positive dsvelopments have occurred foUalling the apparent improvement in relations between the United states and the SOITiet Unicn. We have always been of the view that whenever the two super-PaNel's agree to coaoperate they can contr !bute immensely to the common good of the entire international Q)lIIl1unity. That is why rtrJ delegation wishes to take the opportunity to express the hope that the two super-Powers will find it equally possible to work together in the search for solutions to the other regional Q)nflicts and areas of tension which continue to threaten international peace and security. The most urgent of these are the situations in South Afr icaand the Mi&!le East. N1Ue developments on the Namibb question hwe provided the most positive news to come out of the southern African subregion in almost a decada, the news fran south Africa is that of a rapidly deteriorating situation. ~l~he root cause of the problems of SOuth Africa is mrtheid, but we believe that .neJ.ther the use of force by the SOUth African author! ties to maintain the policy of apartheid nor the resort to violence by the opponents of apartheid will resolve this p:;;cblem. That is why the Malawi delegatiCln would like to reiterate its call to all the parties to the conflict to enter upon Cl genuine national dialogue. We are convinced that even at this late hour it would still be possible to adlieve a peaceful solution if only all the parties concerned would have the couraCJe to place the wider long-term int~rests of their country above the short-term interests of their respective canstituenc1es • Contrary to expectations of a possible mcwement forward - raised by the O'Ierwhelming support declared during the past two years by the majority of the Memers of this Assell.'b1y - towards the holding of an international conference on the Middle East, the past 12 months have seen the situation in the area deteriorate to perhaps its most precarious level in many years. A sharp escalation of violence in the occupied territories, resulting from a campaign of resistance to Israeli authority, and the increased use of force in order to reaffirm that author ity on the part of the Israeli Government have led to great loss of life as well as a deepening of animosity and suspicion. Meanwhile the decision by the Government of Jordan to withdraw its authority O'Ier parts of the occupied territories which it had previously administered has increased the uncertainty and anxiety about future developnents. In our view, any solution to the Middle East conflict must necessarily focus on two central issues if it is to be viable~ fulfilment of the right of the Palestinian people to an independent homeland on the one hand and a guarantee of the right of the Israelis to live within recognized and secure boundaries on the other. Those elements have been of primary imper tance in all the main resolu tions on the Mid3le Fast question since the General Assembly adopted resolution 181 (II) in 1947. Viable solutions to the questions of the Middle East and of South Africa must Ultimately come from, or be found wi th the direct participation of, the respective peoples concerned. However, my delegation is also of the view that there are certain other countries which, through their special relations and influence, could facilitate the early achievement of such solutions. That is why flri delegation wants to appeal to these countries, which inclUde the two super-Powers, to use their influence positively with those parties which, because of mistrust or insecurity, have been reluctant to take measures that are necessary in order to l'DO'ITe forward. The intervention of these countries on other questions has led to positive results. We are convinced that they could contr ibute to similar results wi th regard to the issues of the Middle East and South Africa. last O:tober the Mlslawi delegation joined others in welcoming the conclusion between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Treaty on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range ~clear Missiles - the INI!' Treaty. The Malawi delegation observed that that Agreement constituted the first major step towards the elimination of all nuclear arms. At the same time we expressed the hope that the Treaty would give an impetus to ongoing negotiations on other classes and types of arms, especially chemical weapons, so as to hasten the achievement of the Ultimate goal _ complete and comprehensive disarmament. (Mr. Bwanali, Malawi) The Malawi delegaticn, further, drew at.t.enUm t.o the fact. that. int.ernat.t.enal security 18 of cont'ern to all States, big and small alike. In this connection, the delegation reaffirllBd Malawi's belief in the need for a multilat.eral appcoach to disarllaJlent and for the United Nat.ions to be associated with all initiatives on disarmament. We thus considered it a happy coincidence that the proposed date fer the for_l signature of the Olited states/SCPIiet Union agreement should have fallen just a month before the start of the General Assembly's third special session on disallllllment, _icb was held here in New York in June th is year. Haorever, rtl';i delegat.ion regarc1s it as a matter of deep regret that the third special session could not agree en the final cbcument and thus adjourned wi thout & formal Q)nclusion.. Nevertheless, we believe that the session waB still useful in ~oviding an opportwity to assass progress achieved since the two previous sessions. we are certain that the conclusions that were drawn from the session will prove l~a:uable as we plot the way forward. My delegation has on several occasions declared the Malawi (bvernmentls comiction that. internaticnal security cannot best. be ass~ed by the size or quality of the arsenels that. count.r lea may possess. Rather, we believe that genuine international sec~ity Ues in all States respecting each other IS independence and sovereignty, regardless of size or economic and political strengtho we have therefore been alarmed by certain developnents <1lring the past 12 IOOC1the wich see_d to suggest that some States might want to return the world to that era, lQ'lC) thought to have disappeared for ever, whel might was right, and bigger States assumed for the_elves the right callously to intel. vene in the internal affairs of the a_ll and weaker mesa (Mr. SWanali, K&l~~d) My delega tion "ishea to rei tera t:e 1ts appeal for r .pect 811lQ1'lg States fez ~ch other IS sovereignty, strict adherence to the principle of nan-interference in the internal aff&1rs of others, and respect for the principle of the non-use of force. Only in that way can we assure international peace and security. Among the subjects 1JIbich the General Aaaeably will consider during the current session is the critical econcmlc situation in Africa. Before it will be the report en the mid-term review an the iapleaentation of the O'Ilited Nations Program... of Action for African Economic Racovery and Developaent 1986-1990. My delegation looks foewarc) to the discuuiona on this report. I should like, hOltevu, to express our disappointlllent at the fact that despi te the sole11l\ undertak ing by the internatimal danor community to enhance its assistance to Africa with specific regard to the implementation of the progra_e of Actian, and in spi te of the efforts that African States have exerted in fulfil_ent of their own obligations, at tilles with great risk to national political stability, very little international asslst.-ace has beEill forthcoming. In the meantime, lmfortunmtely, the economic cr 11118 in Africa has worsened further, and MOre aid than was projected in 1986 will now be required to lleet the ProgtUUlle IS original goals. It is our sincere hope that the results of the mid-term review will be taken seriously by Africa es partners and that cancerted efforts will be made by them to fulfil their mUgations 4.lring the seoond half of the Progralllllels projected five-year span. Meanwhile, we have noted with interest the measures adopted recently by SOIlIe of the developed countries vi th a view to helping ease the financial burden facing developing countries, especially the least developed countries. we welcome these mc:wes. However, we would like to join others in rei teratinq that the ecanomic (Mr. SWanali, Malawi) problems of developing countries need to be add!essed in a global manner if lasting solutions are to be found .. Before concluding my state_Rt, I mould like to take this opportunity to express my Government's gratitude to the Office of the United Httions High Conmissioner for 3efugeas and other agencies of the United Nations for the invaluable assistance they have prO'lided to enable the Government of Malawi to cater for our brothers and sisters fro. tbzubique who have come into Malawi dur!ne; the past two years. These refuge. now nunber over 600,000, tlhichis EqU ivalent to about 8 per cent of our: national populationo we are porticularly grateful for the secretary-General's timely initiative in sending last year a mUlti-agency team to study this problem with a view to determining how best to assist Mslawi to deal with both the short-term and the lcng-term needs arising from this situation. Malawi's economic capacity is very lillited and the sudden surge in population has seriously strained the country's SOCi01C<l\ollic infrastructure. Malawi is also grateful to the many countr les and the other international organization's that have contributed 80 generously in various ways towards enabling us to p:ovide for our brethren. In this context, I should like to express MIIlawi's satisfaction at the outcome of the International Conference on the Plight of Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons in Southern Africa, held in Oslo, tbrwy, last August, with the full support of the United Nationo. It is our hope that: the principles enshrined in the Oslo 4eclaration and plan of action will receive full international support. It is therefore my delegation's hope that the General A85elfbly will endcxse the Oslo declaration and plan of action. (Mr 0 &wanali, Malawi)