A/43/PV.33 General Assembly

149.  SMDG2NCf ASSISTANCE TO JAMAICA' DRAFT RESOLUTION (A!43/L.S) The PRESIDER! (interpretation from Spanish)~ The Assembly has before it a draft resolution (A/43/L.5). I call on the representative of Jamaica, who will introduce it. Mr. BARNBTT (Jamaica) & As rspresentatives are aware, Jamaica was struck on 12 8eptembH last ::>y hurricane Gilbert, ene of the worst storms seen i!\ this hellisphere during this century. The hurricane, whieb traversed the island from east to v6st, was tho greatest disaster in the history of lIOdern Jamaica. Fortunately, given the magnitude of hurricane Gilbert, the loee of life was sercifully low but nevertheless distressing. BowtiYer, maasive destruction was done to homes and other buildings, to domestic and export Agriculture &nd to services .uch as electricity and water. In its wake 'Che hurricane left about 5UCI,OUU persons ho_less, vith one out of every two holies \tither destroyed or dalUged. public buildings such as schools, hoepitale and health centres were also severely da_ged. ~ricultural crops and livestoct vere deatroyed, and in any areas the eeonOllic bue of the far.ing colDUnity wa. cc,li!Pletely wiped out. This is a particularly severe blow, a. over one th ire! of the vork-forc. is engaged directly OK indir.ctly in this sector. services .uch u .l.ctricity, watEr and co.-unicatiOllC were disrupted. other ••ctar:s, .uch as touri_ &M aininej, vere le.s ."'llr.ly affected. Lateat etsti_te. by the Qover,..nt of J.-ica indicate the overall cost of the da_~ in both public and private sect0l:8 to be between IUS 818 .iUion and 'US 1,uuu .1lUon, repr.sentlnCJ approxiutely 80 pe... cent of our annual export earnings. But th.Be are still 1n aany rcapoctB p....li.1n~...y figu...... Ja_ica therefeze faces an encr:mus ta8lc in exder to recover and rebuild froll the devastation wrought by hurricane Gilbert. Happily, heMever, this process ha already begun, largely due to the resUience of our own people and to the gen.ouB support of the international co_unity. Progr alllleS, involving both public and pr ivate sectors, to ensure that the mst needy have access to food, are in place. Aseist.,ee to householders is also being prO'lided BO that hOlMB can be rebuilt or repaired by the end of this year. Inputs neceslJary to restexe the agricultural soctor are being assessed and obtained so that far_rs can be back in operat1cn - also, it is to be hoped, by the end of this year. SOurces of vital imports of food, building ..ter lals and agdcultural supplies have been identified and are art'iving in the island as quickly as poaaible. Priority has been given to l'estexmg areas of electricity which serve water supply systellS, hexapitals and aajor tour isa ..d manufactur ing c~raticnB BO that ~oduct1cn can reotart. Our aim is to ensure that 800ft_a adjustllent measures which Jamaica has been carrying out over the lot few yeEs, 8nd "'iell had begun to show pcsitive results, re-am on oour5e BO that .. can continue to focus on the social well-being pr:ogr_e recently introdUced by IIY COver_ent. I should like, on blbalf of the GoverRlient and people of Juaica, to e••s our deep 91'&ti tude to thee. counU iu, including those in the Ca.1' itlbean and Latin ABer iea and other Eeas of the developing world, agencies and indiv1ellals who respcmded so generously and .0 rapidly to tile tragedy that befell ay counUy. I willh also to e,,_1I our apeclaUon to the 8ecretary-General •.,d the United Rations, in PIi1'tiCU1E thl) Office of the ~lted Nations Disutar R8lief Co-ordinator (UNDRO) and the tJnibt& Hatians DevelollBent Progr... (mmp) 11 which have been so hel~ful, apociaUy dur!ncJ tile daYII i_diattDly after the hUl'dcan. vb..- m-.mloat1cn with .1.-ioa vu ., difficult. Although we in Ja_ica fully realize that reccwery frOll this disuter li•• within our own bands, the support and assistance of the internatimal co_unity are valuable elements in our reconstruction efforts. we hope that we cm CCX\tinue to ClOUllt on this support during the medium and long-term process of our recovery. COftBequently, we wish to present for consideration and adoption by the Assembly the draft resolution entitled -BIIIergency Assistance to Jauica- contained in document A/43/L..5. It hu been sponsored by Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the BahUlaS, Bangladesh, BarbaCbs, Belize, Bolivia, Brail, Ca.roon, Canada, Chile, ColoJlb1a, Costa Rica, Cuba, DellOcratic Yemen, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guateaala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mlxico, Morocco, MozaJllbique, the Netherlands, Nigeria, PanalUl, Peru, the Philippin., saint Kttts md Nevis, saint IAlcia, saint Vincent and the Grenadinu, SilO Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sudan, SUrin.., Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, th" United Kingdaa, the United States of AIledca, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zinbabife. In the Pteamular section, the draft resolution recognizes the destruction out reu::onetruction. 'rhQ operative paragraphs express solidarity and support for the GoYernment and people of Jamaica) expl'ess appreciation to the States, international agencies and fton-goverDltental Oll:ganizlltions prcwiding emergency relief, calls upon all States to contr!bute generously to the relief and reconstruction efforts) and requests the secretary-General, in collabor:atim with the internatimal financial institutions and the United Nations system, to assist the Government of Jamaica in identifying ••erg_cy, medium-term and Img-term needs and in mobilizing resources, as well as helping with the task of reconstruction.. It ls our hope that the Assembly will be able to adopt by consenaul! the draft resolution before us. Burrican Gilbert has brutally reminded us of the vulnerability of island =...tri88. However, a8 this year in particular has hic1llighted, all dweloping coWltri. are vulnerable in the face of natural disasters. OUr sympathy goes to the oth.r: victiM of Gilbert in the Cayman Islands, Baiti, the Dominican RepUblic and Mexico, all well as to the victims of the floods in the SUdan, Bangladesh and India.* Last year, the General Assembly adopted resolution 42/169, whim declared an international decade for natural dilluter reduction. '!'bat resolution reoo~ized the iJllP)rtance of reducing the impact of natural disasters for all people, and in pu'ticular fee developing countries. we were verypleas~ to sponsex that r ..olution, little did,.. realize that we 1IIOuld be able to mare first-band expe.denoe 80 som.. we therefore urge' all McDber States to wcxk actively in en.uring that the goals of this decade are met .-.d that the international co_unity CM, in th. near future, us. the enora')us teClbno109i.cal capacity .eilable to it to •••• th. buun 8uffering which is currently the re.ult 6f such dinublrll. * Hr. Moushoutaa (Cyp:us), Vice-Pr. ident, took the chair .. 'rhs PRBSIDarr, May I take it that it 18 the "ish of the Assesbly to adopt the draft resoluticn? Draft resolution 'A/43/L. 5 vas 'adopted (resolution 43/7). Tbe'PRESIDENT, That cClftcludes our consideration of agenda item 149. AGBNDA ITIII 150 IMBRGBHCY ASSISTANCB 'It) TBB SUDAN' DRAI'T RBSOW'l'ION (W43/L.9) The 'PRESIDBMT,3 In connection with this itea the Assembly has before it a draft resolution (A/43/L.9). In this regard, I call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Sudan, Mt. Bussein SUleiman Abu 6alih, who will introduce the draft resolution. Mr. 'UUSALIB (Sudan) (interpretation from Arabich on behalf of the people and government of the SUdan, allow .. at the outset to express our deep gratitude and profound appreciation to the General A8s8lllbly for its favourable r_ponae to my delegation's request to inscribe an additional item on emergency u.istallce to the Sudan on the agenda of the current Illusion. This unanimous ..dec.e.ant is a genuine reflection of the solidarity of the international co_unity with the Sudan and a clear unifestation of the lofty principles of international co-operation, as SUdan cmfrcnts a serious and tragic economic situation brought about by unprecedented torrential rains and flClOds. In August and septeJltJeE' 1988 the SUdan waa bit by a naturat' disaster unprecedented in its modern history when torrential rains and widespread floods devastated the country, causing _give de.truction. More than 3SU,UUU houses were totally d.stroyed and an esUllated 2 II1l1ion people left ho.-less and without food. A lIublltantial QGtctor of the country's infrastructure ha. been severely disc-upted, including crope, reade, rail.ay lin.., water and electricity supplie", ha-pital., schools, health centre. and other e:e-llUDication SysteM. Por inatance, in the agdcultUl'al HCtor:, ewear 2 aUUan acr•• of cultivated lMdtI VHe intlfldated, IOU village. and i.landa colIIPletely.•ub.r~dl OVH 7,uoe ••U far_r.' ~oj.cta 8nCS oo-Gperativ.. WHe c:onIIiderably da_~. Aa a COMequenQ41, th. natiOlllal .oon~ bu lc.t ••ub.tantial portiOlll of ita ..jar agrlcultural.xporta, _uab .. cottOlll Md. oil ...&1" .. ".11 u food cropa, .uab u ._t and .«gb•• Tbe total loa. to the 800ft.., in thl. d....ter la ••tinted at 14 billion SUdan... pounda, including 4 bilUon in loat output. No doubt the As.~ly i••"H. that thla dl8uter re~__ta a ._io....tback to the co_try'••ccitc.y and to the ocw t'. effort. to aceel.ate IIOcial and .con_e d.velO(lllMnt, particularly .lnca tbla di••telL' coincide. "ith th. already .xisting c:c.ple. dlfficultl.a iXought eout by the ~olC'Xlged drought and de.&!'tificatiOlll, the ....lv. influx of refugees and 2 llillian di.placed peraon.,.•c well a. the locWlt imruian. Tb. Gov.r..-nt of.the Sud8n, in co-operatiOlll with fri_dly coWltl'i.., the secretary-Ge.al, llpecialiBe4 ageci•• Iftd non-gcw......tal orgciaatlona, ha• • _l'te~ enormU8 efforts to tra.ppl't ..rgency .uppli.. b!) th. aff.cted populatlOlll• All tben cUaut.....re further aggrav.ted by th•••••e extorn.l econoalc envuan_nt, cbar.cbtrlaed by high-level indebtedn•• and • debll'iOl:ation in terM of tr.de Md in ca -alty pdc.., wlch continue to confront d..eloplneJ eGuntd•• in gen.al and the 1...t cSeveloptd in psI:ticul.r • ..., Gcw.....t bu .pued no effort ~ the lICbill'Mt1on of _tar..1 and huun r..ou~Olt. to .iti..... the a.iou c»n.equences of tht.a 4i.....r and to .n..,i..... the .uffering of our: people. Bow..,., the ugnltucle of th. dwastatian and eta_ge i. f.r b.yond the _ana ad 1Ib1l1t1.. of the SUdan alone to rectify. Bere 11_ the critical lapcxtMce of the role of the tnt..nation.l caadl1ty in ~odding ••statance a"d supporting our: efforte towarda .ll"'1.tin~ thl. d1•••ter. I Ibould llke first of all to e.p:e.., on blb.lf of ~. Gcw_naent and people of tb. lUdo, our s!ncere gr.titude and .ppreci.tion to .,n .ta....r: and friendly eountri.. and to the lnt.natim.l inatitutiau and non-gonrnJHfttal ccglfti••tion. wbieb canuibotecS genuo_ly in .upporting our: OOWltry in the field of hu....itari.n ...latance. I lIbould llke in particul.r to thank the secretary-Genual of the Uftitad Ratian. for the effort he h.. undertaken, particularly hi. initi.tive in ~..ulng .n int.national appeal for aulatanCft to the Qldan Iluxtly .fter the ocourrenOlr of the disuter. That InitiGtive had • positive iapact in th• •n.tatloo of the suff.rings that faced our: people at an .xu....ly difficult tiMe However, I wtsh to lOint out that the v01u_ of international ••siatance re.,.i"ad so far fall. far Ihor:t of the r••l and ur:g_t needl. Additional and sub.tantial international .ssistance i. tb••for. ab_Glutely crucial fOr the r~ubllltatian and r6cawuuction of the IOcio-economic inft:..tructue, and all tb.e efforts require mre per.erveranea on the INIrt of the international ca_unity . , to rand.. the ..gent ••tatanm we nHd tn thia ph..e. Pl'OD tIlta rc.true I call Oft ell fr i.adly State., unite~ Ration. boc:Iin and (Mr. Abu salih, SUdan) specialized agencies to cantiru. to respond prCllllptly and gener~usly to our: eNrgency needs and reCfulr..nts in the per loe! aJJead. In canclwsion, it is lIy honour and privilef:Je to intro&1ce briefly the draft r4so1ution entitled wEmergency Assistance to the Sudanw (A/43/L.9) which is sponsored by 36 countries, .\lgel'ia, Bahrain, Bangledesh, Cameroan, Chile, ColOllbia, COIW)ros, Cuba, DeIllOCl'atic re_n p Dj ibout!, Egypt, 8th iopia , Guinea-BialSau, JaMic:a, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, the Libyan Arab Jamahir:iya, Madagascar, Mauritanta, flbzallbique, PIlk istan, Peru, the Phillipines, Qatar, Rollania, Rwanda, Sao TonIe and Pr inclpe, SOmalia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, the United Arab Bmirates, the United Rapublic of Tanzania, the Yemen Arab Republic, and fI'/ own country, SUdan. The pceamble to the draft reselution recalls resolutions 35/56, on the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, and 42/169, on the International decade for natural disaster reduction and the substantial new prograrDllle of action for the 198Us for the least-developed c»untries. The resolution expces.es concern over the extensive and unprecedented de_ge to the infrastructure and the ~oductive sect«s of the economy and affirms thLlt Sudan hae ,Shouldered the lIajor part of the burden in dealing with the disuten. Purthermore, the resolution affirnus the need for the response of the international coillllunity to the request for emergency, humanitarian assistance as well as rehabilitation and reconstructian of a least developing country in ~acing grave and COiipCU.llckd disaster situations. The resolution a180 ex~es8es appreciation for the response to date of var ious countries and lntergcwernllental and fton-q""ernllental organizations for their contribution and notes that the secro~ry-General has sent an inter-agency mission to the SUdan to assess the emergency conditions and that a United Nations (..~. Abu 8a1ib, SUdan) nwelopact Progr"'''1e/1fcx1d Bank _lti-dcno~ flood ~.cau'Qty pcogr... ai..ion i. cu~~ent1y in the SUdan to ...... the illpact of the flooda and p~epar. pcegr.... for reconauuction. The opelative PII~.gr.ph. of the draft l'Holution expc... 8Olida~ity with the GcwKnaent Md people of the SUdan in fac1ng this caaple••Us.tU' ..d itI!J appreciation to aU friencUy coW\u!. and intefnationa1 orgAnbaUona ¥bieb h."e rendereel support ana a.. bt8ftCA to the &ldM in ita ~e1ief and rehabiUtaUan effo~ts. It expres•• gratitude to the SClcretary-Gen.a1 fo~ the stepa he h.. taken to co-ordinate and IICbtlbe l'''OU~C. fOIl relief and nhabtlltatlon effotta. It caUs upon aU States to contr !bute genero..1y and r_pond u~gantly _d effectively to the n_ds of reUef operationa, nhabiUtation and reconatruction. The draft ~..oluticn requests the seere~ry-Genu.1, in cl(18e co-oPl~atlcn with the Gw.naent of the SUdan, to co-«dlnate eff«ts of the ~ited Nation8 Syatellll to belp SUdan in ita e_~gency reJurbllitation and reconstruction efforts and PinaUy, tb~ draft r.olution r....ta the hcreta~y-Generalto ~~port on the taple.entQtion of the pr....t ~..olutlC1ft to the Geneal AAellbly at ita forty-fourth a.sion. In pra.tAng this draft :i':'lfiflolGticn for cxm81der.tion by the Qitneral "'s.'21y ! .. confident that it will be adopted, Uft8ftimualy. The PRBSIDBN'l'a In connection with the draft rUolution whicb h.. just - be.. ~..ented and lntrodllced by the repr....tative of &ad..., the following countri. have b_oo_ sponsorsa BcuacJor, Bthlopia ad Oallbla. May I tIIk. it tbat it 1. tile "lab of the Aaaellbly to adopt tU draft (flbe Pr.1dInt) r_o1Uticn? Draft 'r_01ution ·A!43/L•• ._ .•p" (resolution 43/8). '!b.·lRISm.~, '!be Aaa.llbll' bM CGlc1au.~ its cOMld.ation of agenda . ltea 15U. AGIIRDA 1.,. 151 8..,...,.... MlDIUJI...,.. All) UXOc;-ftM SOW'f1Ol8 '10 .,. IRCISLIMS 01' M'fUML DISMftU 111 8AIIGLADDS, DMft' aaounJOII (A!43/L.lu/Re".1) tbe'1'U8JD• ." I call upen tb. r.IIE••tatlvc~f BlnCJlade. to lRtr04sc:e the draft rMoluticn. 1Ir. a. M8IAII (Bangl•••bh "b. ckaft r.olution in cJocu_nt A/43/L.1U of 14 OCtober, _titled -8bort-t.., _diu.-t•• IIId lang...tua .olutlnna to the IIEcDl•• of natural 418...1'. in ..ngl••b-, "u iDltia11y .pon.cr:ed b!l 41 COUfttd..., mclaeUng. BMg1&48.. It bu, bow•• , sl.ya bettr' o...4aavour to . aui". tor con_••• an a draft that ...Ie. the aupport and llUutanoe of the entire "or:ld CIClII_lt.y. Witb that cbjectl". in ain'" ". b•• oonaclou81y .ought to accOlIID&lte .U,,_gent CCHlCOl'M that have been ••••eeI IIIcS to .rrlv. at • draft acoapt.llbl. to all COUfttrl.. 'ftlat n." draft. 1. in docaet Al43/L.lO Rw.1 et' 17 OCtDbK. In vi., of ti_ con.ttainm it ha not been po.aibl. to OOfttact or ocm8ult all tII••po..ora on tal. n." _Kt .ubtlltt:e4, ant I alle tb.tr ln4llg_ce to aoceed the .... unr~."ed solidarity and support to thla draft, whleb ... bape and bell•• aould be adopted "i tbtaUt a wota. Since the .ua-iulon of tbia new, rwiaed taxt, .""c.l aexe _lib•• have aocorcJlld their .n8ocllbip, bringing the nllllber to 53. In adlUtion to th08Ct alr...4y ••tlCMd in tb, docualftt, ... now bav. J••iea, Demc:rat1c y__, the PhUippin., the 1II1dl"., CIft., Japran and the UnltAtd !).ng(Joa. I beU..,e that it 18 nece••uy at the outset to _t8blillh tile back91'0un4 and .etting that ba led to the .ub•••len of tb18 .sialtanClt draft re&oluticn, wbleb background .d .etting cannot, of cour••, find detailed roflection in the text. In the la.t fe" days of AuCJ1.t 1988 Banglade.b "a engulfed by a flaod of di.utrOWl _9lUud!l, blanketing ltCCe the t.ee quartK. of ita Ilnd .... of 144,OUO square kilc.eu. in a.b..t of ".tar for aJ.Jm8t tbI''' ...Dc.. La.t year'. flood, wbich .truck in JUly, had be.. co.id.eeI tile wexat in decad... '!hi. y...'. flood cverlltepped the hi91 c1anCJIr aarle of 48 MU., .et after lut year'. fr..k ocourr_08, by al..t 3 _tree, 01' 8 f_t. Both the _j01' riv..., the Olftg.. and the Br._puus, wbieb n«..l1y rise at di.perHd 1evo1., flacK;ed aiaulaneoualy. '1'b.e tIIo rlv... Md thek lI«e lben 50 tributaries, wiell lit.ally serrate the terl'f.mry of Bangladesh, bGtCa. indiatingu1ebable !n a QOntinuoua expans. of water Tbe con...uenClt. defy deser Iption. SO_ 20 IlilliClft to 30 rlillion people, r_dued 2la.e1e.a, were fexced to ••ek melt. an the anly high ground avaUable - the ...Ie_nt8 ra1aecS to 1¥otect the land frOll floo6ing. Th•• th••elv.. were .\mdered by OU'el' 30 .ne. of lx_ch... A ••U.r of nWlbw of people were .ffectaCS byfloo4 vater. that llarC'JOfted th_ in Ute relatively few pockets of llDd 8bCll!1e 8ea level. and in the bi_er Ibelt•• av.Uable in ur~ ar..s. More than 1.2 aillien hoos. "er. colllPlet:ely destl:o,.d, ..d 2.5 sUllon bo.... ".e partially gut'*!. Millions of hectare. of crolW "ere &a_ged in the _in riClt-g~Clfing....en, "bleb n«_Uy pcodooe. 8 m1lten tons. (M~. R. Rata.., Bangladl.h) "data of laporu of food graiu.e now PIt at 3 .,Ulien to... 'lb. ('tf&ct Oft li,,_tlock can ~_dlly be i.gin..SI cv_ 100,ouo had of cattle ,..edrcwnecS GC tied of etarvaUcn. oaage to the inftutzucture va. ext...i"., ~alJlfing all oo-.nicaticn. B"en the Ilb•• Inta~natienalAirport vu uncSu water: for mre th_ 10 cSaYII. '1'.ee thou••d le llCl!llttre. of _talled roacJa v.e cta.gecS, QS v.e 1IOr. tb_ 6u,ouo IeU~tr. of .arthen roads. 0Ir. 600 IeUc.-u. of ~ail tracke lIfte totally daaC)lcS6 mcluding 44raUway «id,.. so_ W,uuu .4Jcaticmal inatitlltlan. tIIat ••"e as focal point» for 8heltler m .n.uter .ituat1ooll were ao.plete1y er partially __geeS. In the aft_.tb of tbe flcodil ve bad the cUre dan~~ of vatar-bccne cU....., aff.cting te~1I of tbaueanda of people. 'Ib.e •• but 80M of the bi_ligbu of tile C01a-Al 4aage inUict8d. The co.t i!\ mneta~y ter_ in truly !nca1aalable. Tbe iapact _t talee into aCl'JC)unt tile eu_lati". veigbt ef national dieut•• that h•• • tricken Bangl.ad.... vith pcogr••i"e intensity m th. P1at. Over 17 IeUI- cyclcn. blllle struck S••uJla.....b in the l_t 25 par., the vcret, in 1970, taicing a tell of 11«. 3UO,OUU 1i"... PlOCMls h.e occurred in regu1a~ succee.ian in 1974, 1977 f 1983,1984 and 1987, with th~1r acca.panying toll of deatb, 4..tructicn and total d1alDoation of the ecanoay and tb. infrastructure. Inaongrt»u1y, in the dry ....en drougbt ha al80 ~a1aecS ita ugly head, vi th the aC0C8paymg epectl:e of f.ine. An obviowa fact:o~ of rd.mat are the eaue.. of tb.e rCQI~r1ng dil!l..te~., particularly flooding. Tbe factora are _ifold, bearing CUIU1att". veight, but their ••ct iapact in aany ca... 18 still the .ubject of swc.ty and discu••ten amng rainfall. lioi.tu~...1a6tn tract. w!net. s...ping c«oae the Bay of Bengal.e sci_tista and e.peru. Cli.tologlllta bell..,. tb~t the _in ca..e is heavy attractiHJ to the, ,lOw pr...or. «.tad by the Gab! Dee81't in China ..d the 'lbar ''BUt in ••tarn India. "bey co. upagain.t ~. l_gth and br..cStb of the (Hr. R. Rahllan, Bar.gladash) Banglauesh Md the f«k of the HilllalZlyas is the recipient of ..,. of the heaviest rainfall. Towards septeat. ' the winds f-=ueat back towards the low pres..sures on the Bquatoc and bring their accompmying, though generally lover, rainfall. This OGnstitutes i:he Imnsoon per iod t whim lasts about four mnths, frOll June to S8ptllaber. 8in('9 this ~r iad also coincides with the hot BWlll'er, the rain-fed waters are augMented by melting snow in the high reames of the Hi_lay.. CliatolDgista bave also pointed to sudl diverse envucn.ntal effQcts as what is called the -81 ~U.fto southern osciJation- ~"er Latin America, 1Ilhich appears to affect carbon Uoxide and ozcne concentrations in the 1«)rld~s atllOsphere and has an inverse relationship td th the iJIlpact of the monsoons. Another contributing factor is the geophysical instability of the area ltretc:hing froll Napal to Assam in nort:hel'n India, lItIhicb has seen Periodic .larthquak_ anI! tremors of high intenoity. Indeed, the floods in Bangladesh were xeceded by swere trema:s in Nepal and the C)nset of heavy landslides. As it is, iterally Ulicns of tonra of silt &re carried down the rivers to Bangladesh, aising the level l,)f the surface _tees and lHking difficult, if not impossible, he task of dredging on a oontinuous basis. AboI7e and beyond these natural phen..-ena are the obvious oonseq..nces of the mironllflftul depl'6dations of man - massive defcxestatian and the dire impact of )verty and increasing poPlJation. In the larger oontext, the precise impact of IIlan technological ~ctivities on the Barth's ecosysteM is still unknown, and is le subject of both oonuoversy and increased study. In elabCEating these cancerne, the point to be mdersccxed is that in the , larch for r_dial action the impact of the recurring disasters that afflict nCJladelb is otniously far beyond its capacity to control ex effectively to c' tigateo (Hr. R. RahMft. -Bangladesh) It is in this context that we turn to the _in thr..t of the p&'eallbu1ar first, the dke _ero...ccmOlli~ iapact on the eccnollY of Banglade8h _d the consequent need for s..tained c1evelosaent ...istanClil over the long t:era to ren_ and r_ita1.is. the eccnoay) seccmdly, the nud fex vieb1e appEoadles in coping with the l,Dena.ancnof natural diu_tars, particula~ly their .....lIellt, prediction, aitigatiCD 8\d pc...tion, end f« a..i8tMce wer ti_ in this specific regud. Obvi~ly, responsibility in dealing with both thes. upecta reats pr1Buily an the Gcw...ent of aangladeab. Di••t.s are not new in B_gladeab, and, dupite vell-klK"ft and even er ippling lillitations, IItrenuoua efforts hwe been undltrtaken to ...t and altigate th. to the beat of our ability. '!'bat ha. been illustrated this par by tht.' fact tb",t the nuber of de.ths has b..n r_tr icted to only mbout 2,uuO, relative to the ....iv. 1011. of life in put dis.ters. (Mr. Re Rahun, Bangladesh) Under the p:esent GcNer.lIIlent, a caaprehensive national p'ograJII~e was drawn up and is being continuously refined to deal with the three IMjor aspects of disaster: short-term measures for relief and rehabiUtaticn; ftCodiWl-term measures for immediate recovery, rehabilitation and r&oonstruction of the eOOnOillYl and 10figer-term measureo, with speci~l ut'lasis on disaster preparedness and preventive schemes. These have been accolllplnied by broad-based institutional arrangements, including the establishment of a national dis.ter ~evention council, directly under the Presidentl and standing operation"l proceclJres, to be activated throughout the country at thfl iramediate onset of a disaster ald for auick deployment of civilian and armed fo.:ces personnel ~nd pre-positioning of food and essential materials. The ,sheer magnituda of these disasters, however, inevitably defeats the degree to which we have been able to respond. As was pointed out by the POt'eign Minister of Bangladesh in his statement in the general debate, despite the vicissitutks caused by the floods in 1987, genuine progress h~d been _de th is year towards the achievement of a 6 per cent growth target, spearheadad by good recovery in the agricultural sectoc: at the begiming 0.£ this year. The latest floods have constituteda severe brtake on our efforts. The ability to manoeuvre is severely constrained, and this is exacerbated by the balance of paytlents disequilibrium, the mol.l\ ting burden of external debt and dwindling domestic resources. Projections fer: growth has been dramatically scaled mwn, fronl 6 per cent to 2 per cent. Diversion of tightly budgeted resources to meet the exie,;,encies of the latest disaster has made literally impossible the tasks of adjustment in our planss The constraints on Bangladesh's ability to deal with the critical issue of disaster prell'ention a.."ld preparedness are highlighted not only by our present economic malaise but also by the fact that they are in many C4ses beyond our (Kr. R. bhllllfi, Bangladesh) centrol. '!'hus, the need to strengtheit bilateral QO-opwation ftlllOng c:.ountri~s of the region hu b"n hif#tlighted in the draft resolution, as vell as the possibility that these nultiple bilateral apICoaches will strengthen co-operation, co-ordinett.on and convergenCCl of IlUtual intereats" leading to practiC81 arrangellents to PCOlIDte solutions f« the assoe8!llent, pcedicticn, prev~t1cn md II1tigation of natural disll8ters and to joint approaches fer a permanent solution. The draft resolution a180 recognizes tile respons:lbility of the Olitod N8tions system to facilitate thls pcoce8S, particularly through stillulation of studies and dissemination of latest infor_tiCft, .,d through progrumes fer technical assistance and technology transfer. These have already bun highlighted by the United Nations rftolqtion on the International. Decade for Nat\ttal Disaster Reduction.* The operative psragraphs follOli on the basis of the two majol:' elements of the pceamIe - an appeal to sustain dwelopllent 8ssistMce to Bangladesh to enable it to restore its overall economy and undertake its plans Md prograllill38 for longer-term rehabilitation and reconstructicmJ and, secCI'ldly, to bolster its capacity to address the critic:al aspects of coping with natural disasters, their assessment, Predictian, mitigation and prevention and in this regard ';0 assist Bangladesh to draw up a specific feasibUlty plan. Ob/louDly, the operative paragraphs refer to our deep gratitude to Menber States, international organi:ationa within and outs!&! the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and individuals and groups that have so gEnerously assistGd the Govunment of Bangladesh in its immediate relief and rehabUitation * The President returned to the Chair. (Mr. R. Rahun, Bangladesh) effora. '!bey alllO expres. our deep Gppceciaticn to the secretary-GM.a1 fex the urgent ste~ he ha tAk.. to mbiliae huunitarian assistance and through the appointamt of the united Nations Dis.ter Relief CO-ordinator: a his Special Rlpr_enQUve to oo-or\iinate acUvi~es of the Unitlld Nations. agenci.s in the field for purpclMful and \Dified au1Btance by the internatiClfta1 couunity. Tbe ll1PGct of natural db_tars is nothing shext of the iapact of a ujor W&I' - but in a aborter, lIOCe concentrated period of tiMe Aa the Q\ited HatioM gears itself to undertake the re8p)nsibillty of dousing regional conflicts and 8ecur~ peace, it is our belief that it ha an equal responsibility, and perba~ Q mre ~irect and effectiv. one, in helping to titigate and prevent natural di••terse It is our bope that this draft resolution will constitute one step in that direction and will be adopted by oonsensus. Before I conclude, I would call a~teftt1on to a eliqnt <:blDge In consuuction in the penu1ti_te pro.mular paragrapb of the draft resolution in doCWIflllt A/t3/L.1U/Rev.1.. The beginning of that paragraph should read, -Recognising the responsibility of the united Nations syBtem, at. the request of c:onoern~ GoverlUlentB, to facilitate studies ••• -. The'lIRBSmBMT (interpretatial frOll Spanillh)' I wtllb to inforll aellbers that Algeria, Italy and Mexico have beoo_ sponsors of the draft resolution naw before WI in doCUJllIlt A/t3/L.10/Rev ..1. May I take it tbat it is the wish of the AsseMbly to adopt thia draft reaolutien? Draft·re.olution·A/43/L.10!Rev.l·was·adopted (r.solution·43/t). ft. 'PRBSmBHT (interpretaticn frOll Spanillh~ I '!'bat ccnclu4es our consideration of agenda ita. 151. AGIHDA IftM 146 PROMOTION 01' PBACB, RBmHCILIA'l'ION MD DIAlDGUB IH TBB KORlWl PBHINSULl 'rbe'!USmm (1nt.~etat1m frc:. SplIllllh): In accordance with the deci.im take by the Genual AIIse.bly at ita 3rd plenary .eting, held en PdcJay, 23 sept8l1bw 1988, I Iball caU en the President of the Rapublic of !toeea, aiR ac~ll_cy Ml'. R3h 'la. WOo, who hu e•••eed the 1Iiah to participate in the cOlWider:atlon of tht. itell. Ik. Ibh ''la. ,WOo; .Pr.ident 'of' the 'Republic'of 'Korea; 'was' .800r.ted 'into 'the Gen.al baellb1y'Ball. 1'he PRBSmBlft (interpcetation frOll Spanish), ~ babalf of the General AUellbly, I b.e the hClllOur to welCOll. to the ~ited Ratione the President of the RepulbUc of Korea, al. Bltcellency *. Ibh Tae WOo, and to invite hill to Bake his statelaent. President :ROB (.poke in I'Druns 84gltah text furnished by the delegation) I PCX'ty-tbree yeK. ago, .8 the second 1fal'ld War cue to an end, the world vu taking 8tepe towucIa the creation of the United Batiens, with great hope for luting peace. The new body wu to be entrUBted "itb c:barting a new intern.timal order of peace and etabllity•. In ay COURtry the end of the geccnd Wcxld War gav~ riB8 to wer...lItling jubUation and hopG a8 the Korean people were liberatod frOll the yoke of colClftul rule and recovered the l~ tlbicb had been theue foe thous.de of year8" The joy of lib••tlcn, however, 800n turned to deapair wc the tragic divisim of our hOllelMd. (President ~) Aa a atter of comenlenee, in the process of cUsaraing lb. defeatad colanla1 forces, a Une of artificial divi8ien was drawn through the a1d-sectic::n of the ~cx.an peninsula alcng the 38th parallel. 'l'he declaim to divide our lancJ was _de again8t the will of the Korean people, dictating the fate of the natlcn in the decades to COM. avKnight, this «uel diviaicn turned brother agaiIWt brother and plunged the Iorean peninsula into a violent storm of the cold war. on a peaceful Smday ~ning in June 19SU, war bl:ake out en the f\orean peninsula, and soon the wole nation was in fla_8. Over the next three year8, tens of thou8ands of young people froll 20 countrie8 .teed the war, and eIIentually OVM three lIillion lives fell victl. to the cluh of ideologies. The war also recllced nearly everything en the peninsula to allbea. Experieneing battle a8 a volunteer soldier still wear ing fW/ h iCJb-lICbool lDifora, I saw the ~unCJ and innocent dle in the flue. of war md cue to long foE' peace and reconciliation. I a180 ca. to believe that we _t aake all posl1ible efforts to end the division ..d canfraltation which were causing such great suffer ing in our nation. The conflict ceased in 1953 with the signing of an araistice, but this did not bl'ing about genuine peace. A state of tansten .d ccnfrcntation between the two parts of Korea has persisted ever since. Even thOUgh lIMy s.senB have co. and gane and the wCll'ld has changed draaticaUy ewer the decad.s, this h08tile confrc:ntation alClngth. Korean Amlstice Line has r.ained frozen in tiIIe and CQltlnues to be a source of dangH ..ic:h could trigger hostUiU.. involving the whole tIOrId. Beyond tb.e political and strategic _plications, the huaan coats of tbla stand-off have been encxmus. Millions of fully ..lIbea - fath..s .d notber., huabandll and viv.., brothers and slaters - h•• r.ain8d ••par.tad between the North and the SOUth eince the WE Md have been wulb1e to exdiaage wen 1ett... or te1epbcne calla.. Th. -.ottena1 _trl1ins aausees by this situation run cJeep in both tile Hocth _d ~e SOUth of Ker.... Is there nQ way out of thls i_paallc/? I stand here today to ana"er thill hasten th;s cODing of the .~ ingtille of peaco and reCJ2nciUaticn on the Korun '*'ilUlula .. In this oonnecticn, I wish to .,.1(1)., on behalf of the Governgnt and people of the Republic of K«ea, the tiaely dtcision of the Gen.a1 Aa.llbly to a~pt tba agenda it.a entitled ·Pl'O&'ti«a of peace, reconciliation and dialogue in the Korean peninsula.. • I mould a180 like to congratulate you, Sir, on )'OUI: electicn a. Presidlnt of the General Anellb1y.. I hnpe that this ••••ion of the Gen.al AIIII.ably will procllca fruitful results .. In the world today w. can ... mv_na tovar4a openness and r.conciliationo The cold-war confiicta .micb have cJaainatec1 the int_national acane .ince the end of the S8mnd ibr1d war have beC)Uft to 8urrender to the pallier of h.... reascn and ~ decency.. Mankind'a expectatlol18 are cbang!n9 frOll c:alfrcntaticn to c:oeXitltence, frOll antagonisa to reconciliation.. I join all the -.b•• of this A••llbly in "elCDlling these trencm. I .ou1d a180 like to •••s. ay gratitude and respect to the Secret.y-Gcn 1, Mr .. '.ea d. Cu.1lar, for bis i ..ight and leadKllbip, tfhicb have helped acbi a ce.s.-fire in tme eight-year-01d Gulf war. Tbanksto the Secretary-GeruKal'. role, all of us have gr_ter ccnfid_oe _d expectations regarding this bulwark of peace.. The Robe! 'UClI Prille just awarded to the Dllted Nations paoe-keeping P«cu le a teatilKlfty to this .. In Afgluniatan, Callbcdta, ._lbia Md the ••tern SIb..a, l1tepe are being talc. towar~ ~aceful rnolution of outstanding c:onflicta. Purtber.ace, it ie biC#lly encouraging that, through tbeir s..it ...Ung8, Pr_ident "agao and Gen••l secretary GDrbacb. have b_n able to recl1ce the nUlllber of deadly "..pons cap,)l. of aM ihUatlng manic ind. I have Co_ h.e in tbG ~pirit of -harmny _d progress-, the th-.. for the SlIOul OlYllplad, .eic:b ended ••ctly two "eeke ago. '!'he 24th OlYIIPic G.... "ere a great fe.tival of co-operation and understanding in wich YOWlg people frail 16u COWltria gathKed together d_pi te differenc•• of ideolOgy, race md religion. Purthermre, the bat and the Neat _t in sp)rting arenas for the fir:lIt till. in 12 years at the seoul OlYllpiad. Aa one of the mat succe••ful Olyapiada ever, the Seoul Ga__ have instilled in an of U8 the hope that at last peace and recCllcUiation ue Deglming to spEead throU91out the .arld. StUl, it Is ironic that that voneJerful fe8tival of peace l'Il!ould be held in a lllld "ere the cSang_ of confiict still lOOM largo. BIt this alllO g1v. us great hope for the future. In fact the hiatlCric:al dra_ I .. retening b) _t be aean as a part of tho lar:g.~ glebel d.elopaent that is ...r91ng fra un'. aspirations for peace and CO~ ~ClIIperity. I .~uld like to talce this oppcxtwalty to exIX••• ray gratitude to the people. of all the CO\mU Id whose participation and support helpa~ 1Iak-. the Seoul OlYllpiad a succe.sful Iftd eafe f_Uval for all unkind. Only a ganKation ago the Korean nation lay in ruw and "u ehade led vitb gret &Uffering, hunger _d poverty. we have OI1erCOlle tit•• adv.siti. Iftd _de grMt proqr•• thro. diligent work .blld with blood and tears. .. are quite PC~ of our acbi••••ta, 'lbicb "e beliw. have contributed to rele.in<J the "ell-.lnga of harmny 8"9 divK.e .,.opl.. It is all10 OUE' 81nQllre "isb that tb•••mien_.u off.r hope an4 courage to an people in d..,.loping nations mo ar••truggling against ••Uar circu_tances. Onlytbl:. decad_ a90 w. wer. a po«, agrar ian IIOcl.ty depcnd.nt on other ..at1ons· b.lp for survival. we were able to tr.,.fora ourAlv•• into a n..ly ind_uialiaing nation cnly through our poopl.'. great desire to acbi..,e, together with a pa..tan fer _cation. we Also took adv.taga of an open and colI(Jetltive political and econOlaic .,.aa ....iell allow. individuals to acbieve their highest potential. HaJ*ind's inviolate righta and inbeen creativity are ••sential .l.ents for l18king societal pcogr.... International trade a180 ha played .. taportant role in our rapid eooncxaic growth. Aa the 12th lug..t trading nation in the wczld, we ace k.enly aware of the fact that the 91'owth of world trade ha helped prOll)te the ri.e in ineo8 and .aploylHnt of trading partners. In tht., the Rritpublic:: of lceea has been especially fortunate. SO, although the world brought national division and other trials to ICE., it al.a _de it pouible fez us to grow and lUke 8ubstantiDl progreas in aany.go.... (President Roh) There are t.l.ldoubtedly many problem facing unt Ind today. But it can be discerned, nwertheless, that progress is being ...de towards reconciliation, peace and prosperity. In order for ents hope to survive &nd progress to be realized, we IIUSt spare no effort to proJlr)te opeMes8 and llltual exchanges, co-operation and reconciliation. There is no alternative. Isolation and confrontation will bring only caluity and suffering to wery c«ner of this global village. As far as the Korean people are concerned, 'lie believe we have been able to progress through international co-operation and openness towafd others. That is why we are looking to the future with opti.islI and confidence that we will eventually achieve democracy, prosperity and national reunification for all Koreans on the peninsula. There is vitality in every corner of the Republic of Korea today as wel). as in every individual, thanks to the freedo. protected by our 80cial system. I am aure that this new vitality will accelerate our progress and br ing nearer the springtime of peace and r:eccmclliation on tbeKore" peninsula. Today our war Id atands at an important turning-point that delineates one era froll! another. It has been said that the only thing that does not mange is the inevitability of change itself. The world of confrontation and conflict is giving way to a world of dcitente, a trend which i8 taking place right here at the united Nations. serious efforts are also connencing to bring peace and the relaxation of tension to the Korean peninsula, one of the last vestiges of the cold war. The distrust left behind by the KOrean war gave rine to the confrontation between North and SOuth Korea. Durinqthe 35 years since the Armistice Agreement, enormous military forces have continued to confront each other across the arllistice line. In order to Plt an end to this hostile stand-off, there is no alternative but (President Rob) to build ...tual trwst by engaging 1n exchange ..d co-operation, ..d destroying the wmll that separ!lt8e uo. To achieve thi8, we n_d 8 fresh approach., And that i8 precillely 1IIhat I ulWsiled on 7 July thi8 year. I have daclared that the North and the South of lorea should i_diately end all forDlS of hostile, confrcntational relations. For instance, tie 8hould immediately cea.e publicly attactcing each other. I have _do it clear that we ~re cJeterllined to pur8ue a relationllhip of partner8hip with North KOf:ea. Our cultural and histar ieal unity dellands that we devote ourselves to the purauit of co.-on prosperity and altual well-being for all Kore.-M. In the s_ declaratiar., I proposed that we allow not only the reunion of millions of separated fa.Uy IIembors but also free excbanges allOftg political, econOllic and reli9iou5 lead..s as well as ordinery citizens. Also, I have taken concrete steps to pave the way for free trade between the northern and southern parts of Korea. we l1lUst transform the North-South Korean relationship so that we can reconnect • every roadway, whether a ..j()lj. highway or a little path, linking the two sides which rellain disconnected now. Then we could be enabled to go on to develop our COllIlOn lt1i1d by collbining our human, technological and financial resources. If there may be any difficulties for North Koreans in opening their doo:s just now, I believe that we could work together towards this by buildiftCJ a ;lcity of peace· in the demilitarized zene. Witilin such a city, family mellbers who have re_i~ed separated for more than three decades could freely reWllte. Broad trade and other kinds of eXchangea could a180 be facilitated by establishing in the new ·city of peace- such venues as a hOlle for national culture, a centre for scholarly exchanCJes and a trade centre. Similarly, I stated in the same 7 July declaration that we are deterllined to end cenfrentation with North lore in our external relations. It is our sincere 1Io1"ll that North K«ea will p,vticiPlte fully in the international CCIPIunity. DQing .0 can only b••fit the North Korean peopl@t, not har. th_. Within the world COIlI.mity, tile Ncxtb Md the SOUth .ust recognize _cb other and co-oPHa~ to prOlDte the co~ internt of the entire utiClill. It is our "i_ that OUl' alli. and fri.,ds will conUibute to tilt) progress and opening of North iCOre. by engaging Pyongyang in expanding relations. It i. also our poeition tbat tboee socialist countries "ith close ties to North Eecea c(l'ltlnue , to aaintain positive relations and co-operate with NoE'tb Korea even as they laprlWe their r~latiClft8 v1 th us. The p.arsuit of IlUtual respect and prosperity through increasing co-operation, however, is not our IJlti_te goal. It 18 a requisite proceu "e _t go tbEough in order to build the relationship of trust necens.y for the qUClft'S reun1flcation. 111_ .uch a relationship 18 firllly establillbed, ve can loak f«ward to realizing peacefu1 retm lfication. on the anniversary of our national liberation last AuCJUst, I proposed to North KQfe.n Pruident !Cia Il Sung that "e bold direct talks. Since the peninsula bee._ divided, both sides have put forth lUny different proposal. conCerning peace and rQ\mificatim. a..t mat is neceseary no" is that the lad•• of both aid.,. 80 hold the ultiaate responsibilities in their areas .et together without ••tting any pre-cCllcUtions. we IIWIt initiate di8cuuions with a ne" spirit of opeme.. and oxplore togetbK possible avenues of colIIPrOllise acceptable to both side.. we _ust find a COIIIKlIl ground to build institutions f« pellce and create a single national co_unity. Hence, I have taken particular notice of tha fact that President Ki. 11 sung ha r8llcbtd to ay propoul for a North-SOUth a.-it ...tiDg. I hope I can visit PyClllGYAft9 as .oon u poesible. "en the ....it .HUng does take place, I would U: •.~ to propose that .. agrH to a de"laraticn of ftcn-aggr•••ion or nen-use of for'at in order batter to construct a frawtwcck foe _tulll trust and Mcudty. In order to end the military confrontation whim ha la.ted for .,re than ~. decades now &nd bulld a new relationmip dtldicated to Ibared peace and pr:C18perity, we need to create a new buic fraaawork for progres.. Creating .uch a fraaework, of course, can be aCCOIIlplisbed only at the l..,el of direct contact between the leaders of the North ana the south. In this cannection, I want to make it absolutely clear that even before a nan-aggression declaration is .ade with the ncx:thern side, the Republic of Korea will newer use f,orce first against the North. we cannot expect durable peace on the Irorean penin.ula without ending the current military confrontation. I ~op08e that at our sUDit meeting, we discU88 8 incerely and resolve all the prcbl_s raised by either oe both sides with regard to disar__nt, aras control and other ..Uitary _tters. we IIUIIt also explore iMtituticnal structures for peacefUl relations, .umal ex»ntacts and co-operative ventures and, of course, ways of bringing about reunification. we can at the sue meeting a180 aearch for concrete ways to transfor. the Armistice Agree.ent into a per_nent peace arrange.ent. Clearly, the pr:abl_1lI batween the northern and southern Korean sides must be dealt with and resolved by the indepmdent efforts of the Korean people tbemaft!ve.. But due to Korea's geopolitical aituaticn, the prob1_ of durable peace on the Korean l*\insula cannot be considered in total isolation froll its relation. with the surrounding nat.&.ons. In order for durable peace to prevail on the Korean peninsula, it is necessary ,ot only for the northern and the southern Korean sides to f _ ':11 r:apprOClheaent, but 'for both of them to build and mintain lllOre rational 8ld norml relaUons wi th all ~he nations that have an interest in peace on the Korean peninsula. The Republic of Korea will continue to lIIlintain and expand close co-operation with its traditional allies and friends, including the United states. In particular, we will cmtinue our consulta ttons and conamon efforts for the maintenance of peace and stability m the peninsula. In parallel with such efforts, 'we are also taking positive steps to improve our relations wi th countries such as the People's Republic of China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and many Eastern European nations with which we have had only rellOte relationships due to our ideological differences. By conducting normal relations with Ql\e another under the principles of equality and DUtual respect, all the nations of the world will cQ1tribute to nutual prosperity. This also serves the cause of world peace because, through dialogue and I1I1tual understanding, nations can work to eliminate BOurces of conflict while cementing fr iendship and partoer abip. . . It is from this perspective that I weloome as an encouraging developnent the fact that socialist countries such as China and the Soviet Union are showing a forward-looking attitude in recent months concerning mutual exchanges and co-operatiQ1 with the Republic of Korea in a nuJlber of fields. I find it significant that China, a nation wim traditionally was a good neighbour of Korea, is moving to overcome the wall of separation that has lasted for nearly half a centl.u:y and is expanding its mutual exchanges and co-operatiQ1 with the Republic of Korea. I have also taken careful notice of the pasitive signals being .de by General Secretary Gorbacbev of the SOviet Union. At the same time, we will continue to deepen our co-operative relationships with developing coamtries and, in fact, we intend to strengthen our political, economic and cultural ties with many nations of the third wadd and the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. It is our intense desire to do all that we can to share our dwelopll8ltal experience and technical resources with the developing nations. '1'0 be able to contribute to the developaent of the third world nations would give _ense satisfaction to the Koeean people _0 are the_elves a developing nation. The Asia-Pacific regian is marching forward tawards a n. era of proeperity. Thia i8 taking place thanks to the strengthening of international co-operation as well as the strcng will of thQ region's peoples to achieve p&'ogress based on their infinite potential and dynamilll. Within the Pacific Rill, north-eut Asia constitutes the seat of age-old oriental civilization. Yet that region has c::ballenged wcrld peace as it has endured a century of ccnflicts, nnely the Sine-Japanese war, the Russe-Japanese war, the Pacific war, &nd the Korean War:. It is my belief that without peace in north-east Asia, there cannot be peace in the world, and that without co-operation allDng the area's nations, there cannot CCIIIIDenCle an era of Pacific prosperity. Therefore, I take this opportunity to p&'opose a consultative conference for peace allOng the Unitecl States of America, the {)lion of Soviet Socialist Republics, the People's Republic of China and Japan as well as North and South Korea, in order to lay a solid foundation for durable peace and prosperity in north-east Asia. Sum a conference can deal with a broad range of issues concerning peace, stability, progress and p&'08pedty within the area. To be sure, it .y not be easy to gather these StateB together at the same tat le because of the ousonding differences in ideology, social syste_ and policies allCXl9 them. But I am sure we can ov.reo_ sum difficulties if we all acknowledge the fact that we are inseparable partners in the pursuit of peace and prosperity. The realisation of this proposal will certainly create an international environment IlIOre conducive to peace in Korea and reWlificatiOh of the peninsula. (President Ho!) Looking fcxward to the twenty-first century, I sense that a ne.. cbapter of hulUn history is unfolding. Indeed, changes are taking place in this glebal village, md unk1nc1 is increasingly guided by teneta of reascn and wi.do. rather than by ideological obsessiens. None the les., there is no guarantee that .ankind will not .ome day be plunged into the _klwind of glebel ccnflict.. If we are to avoid this tragedy, openness, peace and co-operat1cn are the only opticns left to . us. I ll:lOk forward to this new cbi!pter of history wherein peaceful efforts towards co"'Operaticn and progress will be the norll rather than the @xception. L1kewise, the t1Jle ..,ill certainly come on the Korean peninsula when the brotherhood of all Koreans, North and SOuth, will tri\llph ewer our differences, leaving the Korean nation free of t@nsion, conflict Md the threat of war. I believe that the present ord_l will finally COIle to an end and the blesaing of peace and remification will be bestowed upon the ICorean people who, incidentally, have n8V'er attellpted invasion of a foreign country tbroul#lout their five milleniulllB of history. Upon the day when swords are beaten into ploughshares on the Korean peninsula, the opportunity for lasting w~ld peace will be strengthened. Believing that this day will ooma, I wUl continue my efforts, together with rtIJ 60 millicn colllPlltriots, in seeking lasting harllClRY in our naticn. This is a sole., respona1bllity of IIY generation and the dreall and passim of our younger generations in Korea. Through concerte4 efforts, we are determined to overCOlle .at~er difficulties we -y encomter. AB the most successful OlYIIIPics ever held just concluded in a land once dOIlinated by ccnfUct and poIrerty, so too the day "Ul COlIe t1hen the wall of sepuatian on the Korean peninsula will fall and harmony wlll pr_all. Lastly, I earnestly appeal to you all to support and encourage the aspirations of all the Korean people ..mo, as expressed by the thei1l8 smg of the seoul OlYllpics, so strongly desire to go ·hand in hand over the walls· and realize the goals of peace and revnifiC&tion. May I also assure you that the Korean people will dellOnStrate that they are worthy of your: support, as we build a Wlified, peac:eable nation on the peninsula. The PRBSIDBNT (interpretation from Spanish): On behalf of the Gen~.1..'al AsselDly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic: of Korea for his statement. Mr. Ibh Tae ibo, President of the Reeublic: of Korea! was escorted from the General Assembly Hall. (President Roh) The meeting was suspended at 11.3u a.m. 'and resu.edat 11~f5 aom. AGBNDA ITEM 3 CREDENTIAIS OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE FORTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (b) FIRST REPORT Oll' THE CREDBN'l'IALS OOMMI'l'TEE (A/f3/llS) J AMEtmMBNT (A/43/L.ll)