A/43/PV.7 General Assembly

9.  GENERAL DEBATE Mr. PAPOULIAS (Greece) (spoke in Greek~ English text furnished by the delegation): On behalf of the European Community and its member states I should like first to express my most sincere congratulations to the President on his election to the presidency of the forty-third se8sfon of the General Assembly. I should also like to express the Community's profOUnd appreciation to the outgoing President for the way in which he conducted the deliberations of the forty-second session of the General Assembly. The 12 member states of the European Community wish to pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Perez de Cuellar, for his tenacious and constant efforts to find solutions to the problems facing the international community. We are delighted to see that in a number of cases his efforts have led to positive results. The forty-third session of the General Assembly of the United Nations opens in a climate marked by positive and encouraging developments. East-West relations have undergone a favourable evolution, highlighted by the summit lD~etings between the leaders of the United States and the Soviet union. An important and significant agreement on arms limitation and control which involves the destruction of nuclear weapons has been concluded. The Treaty between the SOyiet Un ion and the United sta tes of America on the Elimina tion of The ir Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles - the INF Treaty - which brings about for the first time the destruction of a whole category of weapons, is a milestone in the history of East-West relations and has opened the way for further progress in other areas of arms control and disarmament. It as an initiative fully supported by the Twelve. Considerable progress has been made towards the peaceful solution of some of the major conflicts affecting the world community. Soviet troops are in the process of withdrawing from Afghanistan; there is a cpase-fire in the Gulf; the conflicts in Cambodia and Angola look less intrr~table than they did a year ago. The TWelve, which have actively contr.ibuted towards bringing about this climate, cannot but rejoice. However, there are still serious problems to which no solution has been found and new challenges are looming on the horizon which will require persistent efforts on the part of all members ~L the international community. It is therefore essential that we pursue our efforts, convinced that it is in a 9rowin~ spirit of realism, cO~PAration and dialogue that the problems that preoccupy us may find suitable solutions. The United Nations is and must remain the advocate of this spir i t. It is with great satisfaction that the Twelve have welcomed the Organization's growing role as well as its accomplishments in recent mon~hs. It is an encouraging sign of the strengthening of respect for the principles enShrined in the Charter, which constitute the best basis for ensuring world peace, as well as for promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms and economic, cultural and social progress, especially this year when we are celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the Universal Declar3tion of Human Rights. We are therefore detern:ined to support every effort in order to enhance the authority of the Unitp.d Nations and render it~ ~xisting mechanis~~ and activities more eff~ctivp.. I must lay emphasis here on a problem of particular concern to us, that of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Need I recall the priority which the Twelvp. give to them and the importance they attach to the proootion of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedom.c; in all countries? In this field, t~e Twelve's activities are guided by the pr inciples which were set C)ut in their Declaration of 21 July 19a6, principles which werp. initially enshrined in t~~ Charter of the United Nations, t~e Uni~ersai Declaration of Human Rights and the two Covenants. We expect all Members of the United Nationc; to live up to the Obligations they have freely assumed. We welcome any efforts aimed at strengthening the e~isting mechanisms estahlished to ensure that nations' words ar~ ma tched by deeds. ThiR year in which we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let us all recommit ourselves to its principles and their implementation for a better, humane world. The r~cent political events have enhanced the role of the United Nation~ in the process of settl ing international oonfl icts. It i1'>, however, iron ic that our Organization and, not least, its peace-keeping operations face a most serious financial crisis at a time when confidence in itc; usefulness i::; grl:>wing. The '!Welve have made "!fforts to fulfil their financio'll obligations to the Unitl~d Nations and are determined to do so in the fut •.u:e. ~~e strongly urge all t<1ember States tn sho'''' their support for the Organi.,,~tion by fUlfilling their financial obl iga tiona in fu lL .'tnd on time, according to the Charter. We hope that our commitment to a strong and effectillp. United Nations will be shared b}' "'11 Member States. WP. livp. in an increasingly interdependent world in which very few problems can be solved by anyone country alone. The very exi~tence of the European Community reflects acknowledgement of this fact. A year ago my colleague the Foreign Minister of Denmark, which held the presidency of the European Community, stated that wi th the en try into force of the Single European Act the Community had entered into a new phase of close collaboration. I can add today that, in fact, the Community has embarked upon a stage of its dev~lopment that is characterized by new momentum for integration combined with renewed confidence in our common future. We have made headway towards the objective of advancing European unity an~ contributed together to making concr~te progress towards a European union. We have increased our efforts jointly to formulate and implement a European foreign policy, thus striving to promote peace and stability in Europe and the world. The Community is not, however, an inward-looking organiza'.ion. It is inspired by an open spirit of co-operation and active participation in solving the political, economic and soci.al problems affecting the international community. The Twelve have long supported and actively contributed to the process of improvement in East-West rel:.ltions and are determined to continue to work in this directi.)n in a realistic and constructive manner. They welcome not only the devel,opments in the soviet Union and Bastern Europe which have led to the opening of the political systems and economies of those countries but also the developments in the way those countries approach certain international issues. The changes cantr ibute to consol ida ting and int~nsifying East-West relations. It i::; only between open soci~ties which get to know one another and communicate without barriers that real trust Crln be creato?d, this being the only reliable basil> for lasting security. r, this contl?Kt, effortg regarding arms control and disarmament are of qreat importance. Since our last session of the General AS$e~)ly we have witnessed very (Mr. Papouli~s, Greece) posi tive developments in th is field, above all the si gna ture and ra ti fica tion of the INF Agreement, which the Twelve fUlly supported. Many of the Treaty's provisions set an important precedent for future agreements on arms control, in particular asymmetrical reductions and intrusive verification procedures. The Twelve fUlly support efforts to bring about a 50-per-cent reduction in the strategic nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as an agreement on space issues which would be a significant contribution to world-wide stability in this field. We also strongly support the efforts made within the United Nations to tackle the probl~ms of nuclear and conventional disarmament, verification, confid';i1,ce-building measures and military transparency in the mili tary field. (Mr. Papoulias, Greece) The Twelve strongly advoca te the early es tabl ishment of a global and effectively verifiable ban on chemical weap:lns and reaffirm their commitment to the total elimination of those weapons. ,Joint efforts at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva can br ing closer the resolution of pending problems, including the complex but fundamental verification issues, in a way acceptable to all. Those of the Twelve who ;lre participants in the Conference will continue vigorously to pursue this goal at the negotiations. The adoption of Security Council resolutions 612 (19H8) and 620 (1988) was a notable fur ther milestone. 'rhe Twelve consequen tly rei tera te the ir support for action wh ich could be under taken to es tablish impar tia lly the facts rela ting to alleged use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish p:lpulation. The Twelve regret that the third special session devoted to disarmament was not brought to a close wi th an agreed concluding document. However, important constructive work was done during the session and it is hoped that the First Committee will profit from this experience. It is not surprising that in the framework of arms control and disar~ament the Twelve attach particular importance to problems concerning security in Europe, where serious imbalances persist, in particular in the conventional field. Therefore. the need for conventional arms control - the key issue of European secur ity - is especially urgent in this area also. The Twelve have long advocated the establishment of a stable and secure balance of conventional forces at lower levels~ within the framework of th Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) process, the elimination of disparities prejudicial to security, stringent verification and the elimination of the capability for launching surprise attacks and for initiating large-scale offensive action in the whole of Europe. W€ have noted with interest that certain ideas put forward recently by the Warsaw Pact (~r. Papoulias, Greece) countries reflect, in part, our concerns. We also favour an agreement on a new set of enhanced confidence- and security-building measures aimed at promoting more openness and transparency in the military field. The Twelve accordingly consider. that the negotiations on oonventional stability and new confidence- and security-building measures should begin as soon as poss ible in a cons tructive spit it after the satisfactory conclusion of the current C<;CE follow-up meeting at Vienna. Progress in the field of conventional arms control in Europe thus depends on the conclus ion of the Vienna CSCE meeting, wi th a subs tan tial result in the field of human r igh ts and fundamen tal fr eedoms • The CSCE pr ocess sha,,",s th e way to overcome the barriers of dis tr ust which divide the con tinent. Mili tary securi ty agreements alone cannot bear the full weight of East-west relations. The Twelve note wi th sa tisfaction the progress being made in the resolu.tion of the issues before the Vienna follow-up meeting. We hope that the present sixth round of negotiations will bring that meeting to a prompt and successful end. In th is respect the Twelve recall their recent appeal to the other par ticipa ting States of the CSCE to settle the remaining issues, particularly those relating to the human rights and human contacts provisions of the Helsinki Final Act. The Community's aim remains an agreement on a balanced and substantial concluding document, permitting progress in all baskets and in particular in the fields of human rights and fundamental freedoms, co-operation and security. As far as human rights and fundamental freedoms are concerned, the Twelve insist on a better implementation of all commitments entered into by the states participating in the CSCE process. We believe that progress in the human dimension of the CSCE will make a substantial contribution to the creation of a real climate of confidence in Europe (Mr. Papoulias, Greece) and in particular will give East-West relations the stability and continuity which they must have. The Twelve are determined to continue to strive for a dynamic development of East-West relations. A successful and balanced outcome of the Vienna meeting would secure the opening of negotiations on conventional stability in Europe, aiming at the establishment of a stable and secure balance of conventional forces in Europe at a lower level, on a further set of confidence- and security-building measures, and the convening of a conference on the human dimension. Turn ing now to the ques tion of Ojpr us, a member of the European family, I cannot disregard the fact that the tragic division of the island remains unchanged. The Twelve attach great importance to a just and viable solution of th is problem. To th is effect we reaffirm our strong supper t for the independence, sovereignty, terri torial in tegri ty and unity of the Republic of Cyprus, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions. We stand fully by our previous statements and reject any action which purports to establish an independent State within Cyprus. We also express our satisfaction with the successful effor ts under taken by the secretary-General to br ing about a resumption of the intercommunal dialogue in the search for a settlement in Cyprus, based on the above principles, and we call upon the par ties concerned to co-opera te fully towards the achievement of that objective. The improvement in the international climate should render the task of finding just solutions to the regional crises, which continue to affect our age, more promising. The Twelve firmly believe that an important element for the implementation of arrangements or agreements to settle these conflicts will be the present and future United Nations peace-keeping operations. Some of the peace settlements we fervently hope to see materialize in a not too distant future will (Mr. Papoul ias, Greec~) require peace-keepin~ and observer forces. Member Sta tes of the European Communi ty have contributed Blue Helmets in ~~e past and some of us are doing so right now. In view of the considerable peace-keeping tasks which may lie ahead, the TWelve will continue to attach great importance to the matter and are giving active consideration to its various aspects. They also wish to assure the secretary-General that he can count on their full support. We emphasize our view that the costs related to peace-keeping operations based on decisions of the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, are to be regarded as mandatory expenses, unless it is decided otherwise by the security Council, to be borne by all Members of the United Nations, having been carefully examined in the appropr ia te way. We should be prepared to pay the price of peace. The TWelve call upon all States Members of this Organization, and especially the two super-Powers, to render their full support to these operations. It is only with this support that the encouraging developments we have recently witnessed will lead to posi tive resul tso (~r. Papoulias, Greece) The European Community and its member States have importan~ ties with the countries and peoples of the Middle East, and they cannot be passive about or indifferent to the ser ious problems affecting a region which is so clo.c;e to them. Today the conflicts in that region continue. The Arab-Israel i confl ict remains an issue of deep concern to all of us. The stiltuo quo in the occupied territories is not sustainable. The sit'Jation in those territories remains tense. We have repeatedly deplored the Israeli repressive measures, which make a peaceful settlement harder to find. We urgently renew our call on Israel, pending its wi thdrawal, to fulfil scrupulously its obliga tions as an occupying Power, in accordance with t.'le Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949. The 'IWelve's views on the key elements which must make up a solution to that conflict are well known. In accordance with the Venice Declaration and other, subsequent declarations, two principles are fundamental: the right of all Statrs in the area, including Israel, to exitolt within secure, recognized and guaranteed borders and the right of the Pale::;tinian people to self-determination, with all tll.lt that implies. These principles cor" inue to be the bas is of the policy of the 'l\Ielve. For the implelnenta tion of th is policy, we have on several occas ions reaffirmed our support for the International Peace Conference, under the auspices ')f the United N3tion~, as the suitable framework for the indispensable negotiations >etween the parties directly concerned. After so much suffer ing, so much tragic loss of human 11 fe, the time has come '':0 brealt the vicious circle of repression and hatred. There can be no re..~l ,eClJr ~ ty, nor any real peace, r"::>r any of the peoples in the region without a jus t, 'OOIprehem; iv~ and las ting set tlement. All par ti~s concernert should recogn ize eac:h th~r's right.,;. l'le therefore address from this rostrum an urgent appeal to all the rlftip.s concerned to mak~ the necessary effort:,; to achieve that aim. At thi:> lcti'~'lldr roment it seem~ eGpeci.~lly important for all parties concerned t(') show poli tical respons ibility in order to permit the pl?ace process to move forward. For our part, we remain ready to play our role fully in that effort. In Lebanon also, after 13 years of war and sUffering, it is vital that a political solution be found. The proper functil')ning and strengthening of Lebanon's constitutional bodiel; is a pre-condition for such a solJtion. We regret that the . mandate of President Gemayel expired w\thout a new President's being elected. We strongly appeal to all parties to favour the election, in all freedom and without external pressures, of d Pres itient capable of carrying out the task of national reconciliation and safeguarding unity, independence, territorial integri~y and sovereignty in Lebanon. We emphasize our support for the Unitp.d Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) a!ld appeal to all parties to ensure that that Force is allowed to fulfil its mandate without hindrance. The TWelve have been following with great satisfaction recent developments in the Iran-Iraq confJ. ict. loJe have welcomed the announcement of a cease-fire and the decision of the Governments of Iraq and Iran to accept that cease-fire, to be followed by direct t~lks under the d'lspices of the Secretary-General. The Twelve remain determined to support the efforts of the Secretary-General, and they call upon both parties to co-operate il1tensively with him in order to achieve a comprehens ive, just, honourable and durable set tlement of the con flict, in full compliance with Security Council resolution 598 (1987), so that peace and security may be restored to the reqion. In th is connection, the TWelve pay a tr ibute to the Secretary-General for his untiring effort~ and dedication. The success of his endeavours enhances the pres tige of the Un i ted Na tions and paver; t!le way fot' the Organ ization to play an increasing role in the maintenance .')f internation.)l peacp. and secuJ:iCy. The Twelve note with satl~facti'>n the improvement ill relations ill1\onq thp. coun tr ies of t~e r-taghreb. That dev~!...'}pment cre,) tes n~w prosf.lP.cts for CO-l)per~tion between the two shores of the Medi terranean Sea and for regional stability. We also welcome the positive reactions by the parties cl)ncerned to the peace plan on Western Sahara which has been put forward by the secretary-General and endorsed by the Security Council and which is aimed at the holding of a referendum on self-determination under the auspices of the United N3tions. We believe that i'lll parties will demonstrate their willingness to restore a just and lasting peace to the region. In southern Africa there have been some encouraging signs of progress after years of South African aggression and destabilizing acts against neighbouring States. The Twelve have, bOtll individually and collectively, declared their support for the efforts currently under way aimed at securing peac~ for Angola and inde'pendence for Namibia on the bas is of Secudty Council resolution 435 (1978). They have also welcomed, as recently as 26 August in their statement on the occasion of Namibia Day, the encouraging agreements reached in the quadripartite talks for the implemen ta tion of tha t resoLJ tion. The Twelve are look lng forward to the rapid and successful conclusion of the on~oing negotiations, leading to Namibia's independence. They express the hope that the dialogue that has been initiated will ease the existing t~nsinns and pave the way for peace, security, stability and social and economic dev~lopment, based on respect for human rights in the entire region. In this connection, they welcome th prospect of ;3 bilateral agreement between Angola and Cuba which will include a tilllt~table acceptahle to FIll par ties for the phased and total withdra\'lal of Cuban troops from Angola. The '!WeIve rp.iterat~ their strong support for the efforts of the front-line States and other countries of the Southern Afric~n Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC) to achieve security and economic stability. Furthermore, the Twelve reaffirm their willinl]ness to contribute to the implementation of the Oslo Declaration and Plan on the Plight of Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons in Sou ther n Aft' ica. Yet the abhorrent system of apartheid cemains entrenched in South Africa. This year has again been macked by serious and disturbing developments, lilte the adoption in February of new restrictive measures against a number of organizations peacefUlly Opposing apartheid and several of their leaders, the arrests of church " and trade-union leaders, the detention without charge of men, women and even young children and the maltreatment and torture inflicted on a number of detainees, the uncertain fate of the Sharpeville Six, and the bill threatening to deprive peacefUl anti-apartheid organ iza tions of e::ternal funding. All those developmen tS point to the fact that Pretoria is still unwilling to commit itself tn real and significant change, and we fear that that will worsen even further the relations betwee:'l the TWelve and South Africa. The Twelve once more stress that apartheid must he totally aholished by peaceful means and the vicious circle of repression and violence that it provokes must be replaced by a constructive national dialogue. Only negotiations invoiving the genuine representatives of the black community and all other components of the South African population can bring about a future of peace and prosperity in a free, democratic and united South Africa with no racial discrimination. In our view, there can be no dialogue as long as the state of emergency still in force and the African National Congress, the Pan-Africanist Congress and other political parties are banned and while Nelson Mandela, now seriollsly ill, and other political prisoners are not released. In pursuit of their stated objectives, the Twelve follow a policy of persuasion and pressure. Apart from declarations and pressing demarches to the South African Government, the European Commun~ty and its member States have adopted a number of restrictive measures as well as positive programmes of assistance to the victims of apartheid. As cegards the Horn of Africa, the Twelve have noted with satisfaction that normal relations have been established between Ethiopia and Somalia, which represents a step towards achieving lasting peace in the region. However, the serious tensions in both Ethiopia and Somalia, which have caused loss of life and an exodus of civili~n population as well as economic and material damage, continue to be a cause of great concern~ The conflict in northern Rthiopia ~till endangers the distribution ef food to millions of people thLeatened by famine and starvation. The Twelve appeal to all concerned to make serious efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the region. The Twelve express their deep concern about the dramatic events in Burundi and the resultinq flood of refuqees at the Rwandese horder. They hope that the situation will soon be normalized and that a satisfactory and lasting solution will he worked out in order to prevent further outbursts of violence in Burundi. Nearly 14 months ago the international community warmly welcomed the historic decision by the five Presidents in Central America to sign the Esauipulas II Agreement in order to hrinq about stable and lasting peace in their region, a process to which the European Community and its memhe~ States have given their unremitting support. We have on several occasions appealed to all the parties directly or indirectly involved to '!ve effect to the agreement in letter and spirit by fully implementing all the commitments they have assumed and to contribute towards the region's efforts for peace, democracy, economic development and social justice. Today we wish to express our concern that the momentum of the peace process should be maintained. Although prQ9ress has been achieved in some fields, the Twelve note that the principal conditions for a stahle and lasting peace in Central America have not yet been met. Our view concerning the solution of the rgqion's problems is hased on the principle that responsihility for peace and democracy rests with each country indiVidually and with all of them collectively. The arrangements provided for in the Esauipulas II Agreement represent an indivisible entity and should he implemented as a whole. J must stress once again that there will be no authentic democratic process without pluralism, involving respect for human rights and promotion of social justice. There will he no peace and democracy unless the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and the right of all nations to choose their economic, political and social models freely and without external interfe~ence of any kind are respected. We urge the Central American countries to make every effort to qive new impetus to the peace process. For their part, the European Community and it~ , member States wish to reaffirm, once again, that they are cowmitted to contributing, to the best of their ahility, to the process set up in ESQuipulas, inclUding the creation and the functioning of the Central American Parliament, and to the economic and social development of the region. We call on other countries to do likewise. We have followed with particular interest the efforts initiated last Novemher in Acapulco by the Reads of State of eight Latin Americ~. countries to establish a permanent mechanism for consultation and concerted political action. We welcome this initiative, which has opened up new paths for regional concertation, and we inteno to pursue our dialogue with these countries aimed at promoting peace, development, democracy and stahility in tatin America. The Twelve are encouraged by the progress made in the process of democratization throughout tatin America. We appeal to the Governments of those few countries that have not yet seen the re-estahlishment of full pluralistic democracy to engage in a process of genuine democratization that will enable their peoples to express themselves freely and to build a future worthy of them. The Twelve welcomed the signing of the Geneva agreements on Afghanistan, which constitute an important step towards the settlement of the crisis. ~hey now call on all parties involved to spare no effort in pursuing the peace process. An overall political settlement of the Afghan problem involves the withdrawal of all Soviet troops in accordance with tha agreed timetable, the unimpeded return of refuge~s in safety and honour, the estahlishment of a fully representatIve government through a genuine act of self-determination, and the re-establishment of a genuinely independent and non-aligned Afghanistan. Tt is easential that the resistance he fully involved in this process. Also in this forum I wish to reiterate the readiness of the European Community and its member states to contrihute, when the time comes, to the resettlement of refugees and displaced persons as well as to the reconstruction of the country in accordance with the priorities laid down hy the United Nations Co-ordinator for Humanitarian and Economic Assistance to Afqhanistan. Concerninq the auestion of East Timor, the Twelve reiterate their support for the contacts hetween Portugal and Indonesia under the auspices of the Secretary-General of the United Nat~ons. They express the hope that it wi.ll soon be possi~.le to achieve progress, thus paving the way to a ju~t, comprehensive and internationally accepted settlement of the Question, with full respect for the .. interests of the people of P.ast Timor. ~ return to peace and stability in South-East Asia is still contingent upon a solution being found to the problem of Camhodia. This conflict is the result of a foreign military occupation in violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations and international law a~d must be hr.ought to an end. In this connectio~, the Jakarta informal meeting was an encouraging step towards a rpli t ical solution of the conflict reSIJ tting in an independent, democratic, neutral t'ti'ld non--aligned Cambodia. We express our Ei rm support for the con~tructive efforts made by the Association of f:outh-r~ast Asian Nations for the promotion of a political solution to the Cambodian problem that would ease tension in the region and enable the CamhoOian people freely to decide their own future. We stress the essential role that ?rince Norodom Sihanouk can play in a new Cambodia that must he free from any prospect of return to the universally condemned policies and practices of the recent past. The Twelve renew their appeal to Vlet Nam to withdraw all its troops from Cambodia. We call upon all concerned to pursue their efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive ~oll1tion in accordance with repeated United Nations resolutions. Thete is no doubt that the full withdrawal of the Vietnamese troops and the re-estahlis~~ent of a genuine peace in Camhodia would open the way to international co-operation for the reconstruction of the region. Furthermore, the dramatic increase in the number of boat people from viet Nam is a source of serious concern for the Twelve. In co-operation wi~h the countries in the region and with international organizations, we have been trying to alleviate the suffering of these people and to help them. l~e believe that Viet Nam must assume urgently its responRihilities according to international law and internationally accepted practice. The Twelve express their deep concern at the renewed violence and loss of life in Burma. They are firmly convinced that the Burmese people's clear desire to enjoy the henefits of peace, prosperity, the full protection of human rights and a multi-party democracy should he met. As we recently declared, we are ready to assist, to the hest of our ahility, a fully representative dem~ratic Government in Burma to secure the social and economic recovery of the country. As to the division of the Korean Peninsula and the continuing tension there, we welcome efforts to resume the suspended direct dialogue between North and South as the only way to reach a solution hy peaceful means. As in the past, we express again our hope that, on the hasis of the principle of univer.sality, the people of Korea may soon gain ~ull memhership of this Or9ani~ation. It is encouraging to note the progress made towards democratic reforms in the Republic of Korea. Turning now to the Olympic Games in Seoul, we expr.ess our appreciation that they are taking place in an atmosphere consistent with the classical ideal that gave birth to them. The TWelve have repeatedly and firmly condemned terrorism in all its forms. We reaffirm the principles adopted by the Council of Europe in 1986 - in particular, the principle that there should be no concessions under duress to terrorists or their sponsors. We have never left any doubt about collective determination to fight terrorism by all means. Unfortunately, terrorism has continued to take innocent lives and to bring bloodshed to our countries. We are determined to continue our efforts and to strengthen international co-operation to fight this scourge of our age, for t~rrorist attacks ca~ never be justified and do not serve whatever political cause the perpetrators claim to be assistin'J. In this context, we support the initiatives undertaken in multilateral organizations, both to strengthen international protection of civil aviation and to enhance maritime security. We reiterate our appeal to all the countries which have not yet signed the international conventions on this matter to examine the possibility of acceding to these important instruments. The TWelve, consider ing that drug abuse and traffick ing have become a tecr ible scourge for the whole of mankind, make an appeal for wider and strengthened int~rnational co-operation in this field. In this spirit, they call for a successful outcome of the plenipotentiary conference in November-December in Vienna, with a view to the adoption of the United Natifms convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. Moreover, specific initiatives are needed in the area of supply reduction, demand reduction and the rehabilit~tion of drug addicts. It is, therefore, extremely important that the role of the united Nations and its institution' in this field, especially the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control, be strengthened and increased. Recent weeks have seen a succession of natural disasters that have taken a heavy toll and caused much sUffering. The European Community and its member States wish to express their sympathy and support for the Governments and peoples of all the affected countries, and their willingness to continue to provide, to the best of their ability, humanitarian assistance as well as, where c~propriate, longer-term support for economic recovery. Allow me now to turn to another very important issue. Two years ago all States Members of the United Nations undertook the difficult but essential task of improving the Organization and making it more efficient and effective in dealing with the complex problems of contemporary reality. At this point I would like to rei terate the full support of the Twelve for the Secretary-General, who has demonstrated his determination to follow up seriously the reform process initiated by General Assembly resolution 41/213. The Twelve believe that the Secretary-General, in implementing the part of the reform that was entrusted to him, has performed his duties with flexibility and political jUdgement. The matter is now at the ha~ds of Member States, which must show the same kind of political perspicacity and determination. In this respect we cannot fail to note with regret that the Special Commission undertaking the in-depth study of the United Nations intergovernmental structure and functions in the economic and social fields has not been able, so far, to achieve concrete results. Concerted action during the summer session of the Economic and Social Council led to a consensus resolution concerning the ratlonalization of the work of the Council. However, no considerable progress was made on other issues. Our commitment to reforms remains strong, and we consider the reform of the Economic ·.and Social Council to be another significant part of this exercise. We expect that other l<1ember States will not lack the political will to engage in fruitful consultations with a view to reaching a substantive reform that WQuld undoubtedly enhance the ability of our Organization to deal effectively with the current economic and social problems. The improvement in the political climate coincides with encouraging developments in the general economic situation. The European Community, through the achievement, by 1992, of an economic space without internal frontiers, is determined to make its full contribution to enhancing world-wide economic growth for the benefit of all. (Mr Papoulias, Greece) The upturn in economic ac~ivity in the industrialized countries in 1987 was greater than expected. Moreover, it is encouraging to note that the stock market crisis in October 1987 did not unduly upset the growing climate of confidence in the economies of the industrialized countries. For this year the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts a further increase in the growth rate to almost 4 per cent. Whether this growth performance is sustained will depend, inter alia, on how the international community deals with problems such as renewed inflationary pressures, rising interest rates and continued large external imbalances. Moreover, the level of unemplo~nent in many industrialized countries is high and the state of the international financial markets remains unsettled. To turn to more specific matters, the economic situation of the European Community in 1988 has been characterized, so far, as in 1987, by a growth performance of 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent. Average inflation is scarcely a quarter of what it was in 1980, despite certain deviations. However, vigilance is needed to prevent its re-acceleration. There has heen an increase in productive investment in industry and services. Trade, both within the Community and with the rest of the world, forms the corner-stone of internal recovery. On the other hand, unemployment, which affects 11 per cent of the active population, is a grave economic and social problem for the Community of 12 and afflicts 16 million Fouropeans, particularly young people and women. The developing countries, for their part, are expected to show an average growth rate of some 4 per cent, but that figure conceals considerable differences between the various regional groupings. While economic growth remains strong in certain Asian countries, many other developing states, for example in sub-Saharan Africa, continue to experience low economic growth and falling standards of living. (Mr. Papoulias, Greece) Above all there is the problem of the external debt of many developing countries, a problem which concerns the whole international community. The burden of debt servicing is compromising prospects for growth and political stability, particularly in African and South American countries, and in the case of some countries it is a constant threat to the international financial system. Economic maladjustments, aggravated by adverse external developments, have affected the growth performance of these countries negatively and undermined confidence in their economic prospects. As a result there continues to be cause for concern. It is essential, therefore, to strengthen international co-operation and increase individual and collective efforts in a number of areas. The Eurt' )ean Community and its member States are fully aware of their weight in the world economy and their responsibilities with regard to future economic growth and development and the international trading system. They have taken, and will continue to take, specific actions to achieve balanced, non-inflationary growth and a strong, liberal, multilateral trading system. No effort is spared to assist developing countries in dealing with such obstacles to rapid, sustainable growth as debt problems, excessive economic dependence on raw materials, trade protectionism and structural bottlenecks, and in protecting their environment. The European Communit and its member States believe that the evolving debt management strategy, which is based on a co-operative approach by all the parties concerned, remains the only viable response to the developing countries' debt problems. They continue actively to support attempts in all competent forums to find suitable growth-oriented solutions to the debt problems. Major initiatives have been taken since the last session of the General Assembly to strengthen and update the implementation of the debt strategy. In particular, the financial (Mr. Papoulias, Greece) resources of the IMF, notably through the Enhanced structural Adjustment ?acility, the World Bank and the African Development Fund have been extended significantly. ?ollowing t.he conclusions of the recent Toronto ~conomic summit, the poorest indebted developing countries should continue to benefit on a case-by-case basis :rom deht-service relief through the Paris Club. The Twelve are participating actively in the co-financinq of internationally lpproved programmes. Moreover, the Community has also taken action O~~ its own )art. !n D~cember 1987 the Council of Ministers adopted a Community progr~mm~ to lid certain highly indebted low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Under that lrogramme, 5UO milliun ECUs were made available, of which 3UO million ECUs were ddttional to existing commitments under the Lome Convention. This facility was ~pidly put into effect. It is intended that these resources be fully disbursed by 99u. This initiative is tied in with the ~elevant measures being taken by the )rld Bank to help the indebted countries in Africa, measures with which most of le memher states are also closely associated. The Co~nunity believes in the effective and efficient functioning of the onomic and social sectors in the United Nations system. We stress our readiness . explore with other parties any initiatives aimed at improving their operation. The Community has ~lways shown a special interest in the problems of o-Saharan Africa. I think that the mid-term review of the Uni ted Nations oqrarnme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Deuelopment 1986-l99U at the .>resent. session will give us ':he chance to evaluate together the results achieved and th~ progress mane in this sector. But more needs to be done. Additional financial resources are need~d to give that continent a chance to develop - a view th~t is $upported in the report on financing African development. It is a fact that the majority of developing countries derive a large proportion of their revenue from the export of raw materials and first-stage processed products. They have therefore been adversely affected by the generally low level of commodity prices during the last few years. However, there are now signs of an increase in the prices for some commodities. There is a clear need to seek ways and means of bringing ahout a diversification of commodity-based economies and an approach to trade in commodities that takes into account market conditions. In this context, the Community and its memher states operate a system of stahilization of export earnings. The Community and its member states are ready to play a constructive role in the proceedings of the Governing Council of. the Common Fund for Commodities and expect other countries to do their part to enable the Fund, when it is brought into operation, to function with maximum efficiency consistent with ttoe altered economic environment of the late 1980s. FQr all countries as a whole, another important development, one that calls for even greater attention than it commands today, is the depletion of natural resources, along with the degradation of the environment, to the detriment of future generations. It is becoming increasingly clear that progress depends not only on growth rates but also on the Quality of such growth. The concept of sustainable development must - as was done by the participants of the Toronto economic sumntit - become endorsed by all countries. The Community is prepared to contribute to international environmental co-operation as mentioned at TOl~nto. We urge that similar resolve be demonstrated in all regions and organizations. We wholly support the action set in motion within the united Nations to promote sustainable development. With a view to the further improvement and expansion of international economic relations, the Community supports the development of a more open, viable and durable multilateral system of trade within the framework of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) through the negotiations under the Uruguay Round. It is imperative that in order to preserve a favourable negotiating climate, participants in the Uruguay Round should implement the commitments to standRtil1 and rollback undertaken at Punta del Este. We are convinced that greater liberalization of international trade, which is envisaged in the new Round, will bring major benefits for all the countries taking an active part in the negotiations, and in parti.cular the developing countries, which the Community is certainly not going to ask to take on ohligations that are incompatihle with their level of development. Indeed, the Community has accepted, in accordance with the commitments in the Punta del Este ~eclaration, that special attention should be given to the fullest liheralization of trade in tropical products which are of particular interest to developing countries, and has suhmitted concrete proposals in Geneva. It is not, moreover, a matter of chance that despite its sensitive nature and the problems encountered in international trade, for which all countries hear some responsibility, the agricultural sector in general, which is of particular interest to the developing countries, has heen included among the items under negotiation. Having recognized this need, the Community has, for its part, since 1984, taken far-sighted measures with the aim of fundamentally restructuring its agriculture. In Fehruary 1988, we agreed upon a series of measures for a range of products which provide for automatic reductions of guaranteed support prices where production thresholds are exceeded, ensure that producers will hear a proportion of the costs of disposing of i.ncreased outputs, and fi'lcilitate the withdrawal of land from pr~1uction. Clearly, these adaptations are helpful in the context of ongoing negotiations within the framework of the GATT uruguay Round. As we indicated in our proposals, both short and long-term actions are needed to reduce support. All producing countries should contrihute to this end with a view to the restoration of balance in the international markets. In D~cember, at the ministerial meeting in Montreal, there will he a review of the results of two years of negotiations in all sectors. The Community is looking forward to the meeting in the hope of a fresh political impetus that will help to further advance all aspects of the negotiations. On the hasis of the progress that is seen to have heen achieved, guideli~es will he established for the next phase, (Mr. Papoulias, Greece) so that the entire effort will he in line with the principle of glohality, that is, balanced results for all participants at the end of the negotiations. The Assembly will also be well aware of the close relations between the Community ann the African, Carihbean and Pacific Group (ACP) which, within the framework of the Third Lome Convention, are in many respects a model of relations between industrialized and developing countries. Already, with a view to the renewal of this Convention, those concerned are giving intensive consideration to the problem involved in an effort to further improve and promote co-operation. In this context, it is in the first place important to safeguard what has already been achieved in the earlier Convention, and in particular the priority given to agricultural development and security of supplies. At the same time it is necessary to adapt, in agreement with our ACP partners, the next convention in order to be able to respond more effectively to the current situ3tion in those countries. The Community is intent on widening the r~nge of its support for ACP-partner countries pursuing structural adjustment and confronted with grave macro-economic difficulties. The European Community has constantly supported the normalization, improvement and development of East-West relations at all levels and in all sectors. On 25 June the European Community and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), signed a joint declaration l~stablishing official relations between them. Such relations are being established between the European Community and most of the member States of COMECON. These are very important steps and will, it is hoped, lead to the i~rther development of East-West relations in general and economic relations in particular. These relations with our European neighbours should pave the way for the rapid development of intra-European co-operation and its extension to all sectors of common interest which are of mutual advantage. In this context, I should like to emphasize the importance of the European Community-Hungary Trade and Co-operation Agreement, which was signed yesterday. Agreements are also currently being negotiated with other CQMECON member States and contacts are being maintained in order to define future relations with the remaining countries of the group. This is a clear indication of our desire to make substantive progress, where economic and political conditions allow, as opposed to the past when links between the Community and its Eastern European neighbours were either limited or non-existent. The European Community has, moreover, wide-ranging bilateral agreements with individual Mediterranean countries. The purpose of these agreements is to guarantee continued favourable access of those countries' exports to the Community market, provide financial assistance to agricultural and industrial development, and promote large-scale co-operation. ~he European Community has also developed, during the last few years, constructive relations with a number of Asian and Latin American countries. Th~ wide-ranging co-operation agreement with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in particular registers very active progress. Since the Community is itself the reflection of a strategy of regional integration, it is only natural that it encourages and supports similar efforts of other countries in a way compatible with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). For that reason, it has also signed co-operation agreements with the Andean Pact and the Central American countries. Finally, the Community recently signed a co-operation Agre~ment with the Gulf Co-operation Council, which provideR for the hroadening and diversification of economic relations hetween the contractinq partieR and, in a second stage, should lead to the liheralization of hilateral trade. The completion of the internal market of the Community hy the end of 1992 means, on the one hand, that goods, s~rvices, capital and people will move freely within the European Community. This holds true for imported qoods as well as for goods produced in the Community. Therefore, as far as goods are concerned, 1992 will mean hetter access for exports from third countries. All the European Community leqislation reqarding the r.emoval of internal harriers will he co~sistent with GATT. The Community will seek to preserve the halance of advantaqes accorded, while respecting the unity and the identity of the internal market. As far as services are concerned, the Community will make sure that internal progress towards free circulation shall he tran~lated into more free trade at the international level through progress in the tJruguay Rounri. On the other hand, the completion of the Common Market, through the comhination of economies of scale and increased competition, will improve the structural adjustment capacity of the community, incr.ease its qrowth performance and thereby improve prospects for world economic growth and international trade. More specifically, we believe that through this challenge and the efforts made through the structural, regional and social funds th~re will be a further one-point increase in the rate of growth of the Twelve, which will in turn hring ahout a further increase of 1.2 per cent in third-cou'ntry exports to the single market of j2u million consumers. In short, the creation of a cingle European market will help to achieve greater economic liberalization internationally. ~.ANDERSSON (Sweden): Forty years ago this month, my compatriot Count Folke Bernadotte was murdered during his mission as United Nations mediator on Palestine. His name reminds us of the planned political violence which, however meaningless, is !'lUll a reaUty. His name also reminds us that the practical work for peace and security has been a central task of the United Nations during its entire existence. ~he world's expectations of the United Nations have varied over the years. The United Nations role in recent efforts for peace has once again raised expectations. r,ast year we were many in this Assembly who discussed how the UniteJ Nations was to overcome the crisis that threatened its existence. The issue today is how the Organization can live up to the expectations, how the United Nations can best make use of the "window of opportunity" that has opened. Under the skilful leadership of the Secretary-General, the United Nations has contributed to creating new opportunities for solving conflicts and restoring peace. Strong support for the United Nations work for peace is called for. Such su~port would also contrihute to making the United Nations the strong and effective organization that is needed if we are to meet the global challenges of the 199Us: halting the arms race, protecting the environment, safeguarding our resources and promoting development. The threats to our survival are coming from various directiors. We are becoming increaAinqly dependent on global co-operation. It .is the United Nations that must channel and organize this co-operation. The cease-fire between Iran and Iraa has brought to an end eight years of war with immense human SUffering and immeasurable material damage. Security Council resolution 59~ !l987) and the Secretary-Generalis intensive work to implement the resolution have been important contributions. The negotiations that have been initiated have Sweden's strong and active support. Conseauently, Sweden has responded in a positive way to the Secretary-Generalis reauest for participation in the united Nations Iran-Iraa Military Observer Group. The Swedish Government was honoured that the Secretary-General, in consultation with the parties, appointed Mr. Jan Rliasson, Sweden's Amahassador to the United Nations, to he his personal representative at the peace negotiations. It is our fervent hope that the parites will show goodwill and succeed in achieving a comprehensive, just and honourable settlement. United Nations peace efforts have also made proqress in the Afghanistan conflict. Sweden supports the endeavours to carry through the Geneva agreements, not least by participating in the United Nations Observer Group in the area. Peace has not yet come to Afghanistan. Continued warfare is delaying the enormous work of reconstruction that needs to be carried out. The millions of refugees cannot yet return in safety. It is of utmost importance that the United Nations he given a central and co-ordinating role in the repatriation of refugees and in the reconstruction of the country. In the past years Sweden has given humanitarian assistance to the war victims in Afghanistan. We also intenc to give strong support to the assistance programme being prepared through the united Nations Co-ordinator of Humanitarian and Economic Aid to Afghanistan. In the Middle East, the uprising in the territories occupied by Israel has created a new sit~ation. The people in the occupied territories have clearly shown that they no longer accept their plight. Israel's continued control over these areas rests on force. We condemn Israel's brutal oppression of the Palestinians. The occupation must cease and Israel withdraw from all the territories occupied since 1967. This is the path to the achi~vement of a lasting peace. A heavy responsihility rests upon Israel and the Palestine Liberation Orqanization (PLO). They must recognize each other as negotiating parties. Israel must recognize the right of the Palestinians to self-determination, including the right to establish a State of their own. The Palestinians must recognize Israel's riqht to exist within secure boundaries. Both the PLO and Israel have to accept and implement resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Both sides must renounce terror. An international peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of all the parties dir~ctly concerned, is the path that should be taken as soon as possible. To oppose this is to Oppose the auest for peace. Progress has been made in the negotiations between Angola, Cuba and south Africa. The negotiations must lead to independence for Namibia hased on security Council resolution 435 (1978), and also to peace for Angola. Sweden confirms its undertaking to assist the United Nations in this process through, among other things f participation in the united Nations Transition Assistance Group. Sweden is also prepa~ed to enter into extensive development co-operation with a free and independent Namibia, as we did with the frontline states. Settlement of the auestions of Angola and Namibia will not eliminate the root cause of conflict in southern Africa, which remains aparthei~. south Africa's apartheid policy and its destabiliz~tion of neighbouring countries continue to constitute a massive violation of human rights and a th~eat to international peace and security. Pending a united Nations decision on effective sanctions against South Africa, Sweden has introduced a han on both trade with and investments in south Africa and Namibia. This is in accordance with a Nordic programme of action. We hope that our measures and those of other countries are the embryo of massive pressure on south Africa to abolish the apartheid system. The search for a peaceful settlement in Kampuchea is still at a preliminary stage. A peaceful solution reauires that the Vietnamese troops be withdrawn and that the Kampuchean people be allowed to decide their own future. Also, guarantees must be given that atrocities of the kind that took place during the years 1975 to 1979 are not to be repeated. The best foundation for peace in Central America continues to be the peace plan signed by five Presidents of the region a year ago. Great efforts have been made to implement the peace plan, but the breakthrough has yet to come. Renewed efforts must he made by the Central Americans themselves and by the international community. The peace plal~'s principles of democracy ~nd of international law must be respected by all, both in and outside the region. With its great influence, the United States bears a special responsihility. Development assistance is necessary if the countries in the region are to be capable of tackling the conseauences of many years of economic and social injustice. Those are the primary causes of the conflict. In Cyprus and in Western Sahara, the Secretary-General has contributed to renewed hopes for progress towards a peaceful settlement. We also hope that the contacts that recently took plac~ on the Korean peninsula will lead to reconciliation and a peaceful solution. While positive steps are being taken in several regional conflicts, human suffering has increased in the countries in and around the Horn of Africa. The United Nations ~as an important role to play in supplying aid to refugees and others in distress in that region. The political problems in the region are also in urgent need of a solution. Sweden has a long tradition of participating in United Nations peace-keeping operations. The most recent United Nations operation in this field illustrates the Organization's capacity to meet new demands expeditiously. It is all the more disauieting that the financing of the peace-keeping operations remains a grave problem. It is in the interests of all Member States that these operations rest on a solid financial foundation. Armed conflicts afflict people in a brutal and shockingly palpable way. There are, however, other kinds of threats, which develop slowly and less spectacularly, but which in time have come to constitute a danger to the entire planet. Among those are environmental degradation and its dramatic and large-scale effects. As a threat to our survival it is not inferior to the arms race. Alarming research reports tell us that the climate has begun to change as a probable result of the greenhouse effect. Life-giving resources are being destroyed by erosion, desertification and the devasta~ion of forests. People's health is increasingly being affected by the poisoning of water and food chains and depletion of the ozone layer. The causes of these threats to the environment lie in excessive exploitation of natural resources, brought on by poverty, and in industrial pollution and waste of resources, not least in the field of energy. The impact of man on the environment may have reached the threshold of unknown environmental disasters. The united Nations is in a uniaue position to rally the world's Governments to action. preparations should immediately be initiated for a global united Nations conference on environment and development in 1992. Such a conference must take concrete decisions on joint measures both to solve acute environmental problems and to achieve long-term changes in policy. This year's session of the General Assembly should decide on a conference and reauest the Secretary-General to p~esent to its next session proposals on the aim and direction, organization and preparation of' the conference. As I mentioned in the Assembly last year, Sweden is again prepared to act as host, if this is the general wish. The agreement between the united States and the Soviet union on the elimination of land-based intermediate-range nuclear weapons is historic. But it is essential that results be rapidly achieved in the negotiations on the reduction of strategic nuclear weapons and of conventional forces as well. The third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament ended without agreement on a concluding document. However, we must now look ahead and take as a starting-point what was achieved during the special session. We must auickly bring about negotiations on a comprehensive test ban within the framework of the Conference on nisarmament. The time is also ripe to investigate the possibility of the prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons, based on international law. Continued attention must be given to naval armaments. The United Nations must be given an increased role in monitoring compliance with (Mr. Andersson, Sweden) disarmament agreements. The nucle~r powers must abandon their policy of neither confirming nor denying the existence of nuclear weapons on naval vessels visiting foreign ports. ~his would remove a cause of widespread anxiety among the general public. (Mr. Andersson, Sweden) The united Nations reports on the use of chemical weapons in the war between Iran and Iraa have once again reminded us of the terrible effects of these weapons. We have also been greatly concerned by allegations that they are ~till being used by Iraa against the Kurdish population. Sweden and a number of other r countries have requested that those allegations be investigated. The cessation of hostilities between Iran and Iraq must not be exploited for the persecution of the Kurdish minority. Chemical warfare is a violation of international law and must be condemned. The negotiations on a global convention banning chemical weapons must be concluded with urgency. Sweden looks favourably upon the initi~tive launched yesterday by the President of the united States on the convening of an international conference on the use of chemical weapons. One of the most important contributions of the united Nations has been to draw up rules within the field of human rights. Several conventions have come into existence over the last 40 years, but rules are of little use if they are not observed. In. all too many parts of the world the task remains to translate the rules into practical use. Respect for the rights and personal integrity of the i~ividual must not remain just empty words. The past decade has been a period of deepening crisis for many developing countries. The debt crisis, low domestic savings and falling investments are today among the most serious obstacles to development. The internal readjustments that have heen necessary as a conseauence of this hi~ve been distressing and have aggravated the social problems. The international community has an ohligation to mitigate this crisis. It is disheartening to have to say that only a few among the most affluent have reached the goal of 1 per cent of gross national product for development assistance. (Mr. Andersson, Sweden) Co-ordinated measures to alleviate the deht burden of the poorest developing countries are tod~y an important task for international assistance. All united Nations activities concern peace and security in one respect or another, and they reauire an efficiently functioning Organization. The work on reforming and revitalizing the United Nations continues, largely thanks to dedicated efforts hy the Secretary-General and his staff. This process must be carried further. Progress in the reform work depends on the loyalty of Member States to the world Organization. The United Nations must not be forced to struggle with an acute financial crisis at a time when great and urgent tasks require its attention. All Member States must fulfil their financial ohligations laid down in the Charter. We are gratified to note that the united States intends to change its position on this matter, as did the Soviet union some time ago. Tt is imperative that Member States establish a sound and lasting financial hasis for the world Organization's activities. Sweden has actively participated in discussions with the Secretary-General on solutions to both the short-term and the long-term problems. We are prepared to continue t~ese discussions and accept our share of the responsibility in order to overcome the crisis. Sweden earlier put forward ideas for a more even scale of assessment. This would he one way of making the Organization less vulnerahle. No conflicts have been finally settled anywhere during 1988. We know how easily relapses into earlier conflict patterns occur and how ouickly the international climate may change. But the glohal challenges we are facing are of such a scale that this time we cannot afford to return to the antagonisms that permeated and divided the world community for so long. (Mr. Andersson, Sweden) The utmost efforts are reauired of all united Nations members to strengthen and develop the positive trend that has characterized 1988. Let us all contribute to makinq this year a turning point in the aspirations both to live in peace and to build a united Nations capable of upholding respect for international law and coping with the threats to our survival. In these endeavours there is no alternative to a strong global organization. In closing, I should like to auote the late Swedish Prime Minister, Olof Palme, who said: "we look at our world today and remain convinced that the United Nations is cnly at the beginning of its history." (A/40/PV.43, p. 64) Mr. PALM (Burkina Faso) (interpretation from French): It gives me particular pleasure to welcome the election of Mr. Dante Caputo to preside over this forty-third session. I sincerely congratulate him and wish him every success. His aualities as a seasoned diplomat guarantee that our work will proceed smoothly. I also congratulate the other officer~ of the General Assembly and assure them, as well as the President, of my delegation's active support. I should also like to express our satisfaction with the excellent work accomplished at the forty-second session under the presidency of Mr. Peter Florin. I wish to pay a special tribute to our Secretary-General, both for his tireless devotion to promoting international co-operation and for his perseverance in the search for peace. We are all familiar with the personal part he played in the resolution of certain conflicts. J wish to express renewed appreciation of his exemplary faith in our Organization and of his courageous efforts to prgserve its prestige and credihility, despite financial difficulties. I have been instructed by our Head of State, Comrad~ Blase Compaore, to deliver to the Assembly on his behalf a messaqe of friendship and peace from the Popular Front ~overnment and the people of Burkina Faso• It will be recalled that last year, during the forty-second session, the people of Burkina Faso were having to deal with one of the most serious crises in their history. We are a peaceful people; the world was not used to seeing bloodshed in our country, therefore the confusion felt by some people was understandable. What we did not understand, and are not prepared to accept, was that, because of the charisma of a man who knew how to look after his image, the regime that replaced his and the whole people were condemned in certain circles. Burkina Faso has made great strides since during the past year; it has staunched its wounds and embarked resolutely, with the Popular Front; on the road to recovery. On 15 October 1987 an era ended, an era of repeated deviations from our revolution. We had to restore the socio-political and economic balance nationally and re-establish a basis for co-operation at the international level. It was essential that our people, who had made great sacrifices in ~upporting our revolutionary construction, should be ahle to achieve their legitimate aspirations without being submitted to the terror of a police regime or the economic reverses that would inevitably result from the autocratic system imposed upon them. (Mr. Palm, Burkina Faso) It was high time our neighbours were reassured and our partners' fears allayed. To our neighbours above all, we had to give proof of our desire to practise with them the virtues of good neighbourliness and non-interference. Here I should like to say that we succeeded better than we had hoped in restoring confidence and the basis for subregional co-operation so necessary for our fragile and vulnerable economies. Although I have stated this in other international bodies, I should like to restate here the desire of the Burkina Faso Government to live in peace with its neighbours and with all peoples of the world, to seek with them solutions to the innumerable scourges which overwhelm the international community and to build a world of justice and progress. I should like to repeat our devotion to the principles and ide~ls of the organization of African unity (OAU), the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, and the United Nations. Armed with this determination we shall participate in this general debate. The excellent report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization gives a striking picture of our world in flux. It is also a stark reminder of our responsibilities to future genera'tions that we are in the last stretch of the twentieth century, which has been so eventful. At this moment of truth there have been few successes, This is true in particular of the decades proclaimed hy this Assembly, whether of disarmament or development. With regard to development the third world countries have paid and continue to pay a steep price for the structural crisis of the world economy. Our countries have impotently witnessed an increasing deterioration year after year in their terms of trade with the rich countri~s. It is regrettable that speculation has further distorted the normal conditions (Mr. Palm, Burkina Faso) of international trade which were at the outset certainly not satisfactory for any one. It is indeed difficult otherwise to explain the fact that the developed countries have succeeded in exercising their systematic control over the commodity markets. Neither the old capitalist law of supply and demand nor the accords of guarantee in the case of specific commodities are any longer reliable mechanisms. The only thing that now counts is the will of the cartel which has been established for a particUlar commodity or group of producers, and always pressure is exercised to lower prices. One year after the seventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (rmCTAD) and despite the entry into force of the Commodities Funds there is little chance that the rules of the game will change so that the countries which produce these raw materials can derive income to finance their development projects. Far from it. They are trapped in machinery that will inevitably lead them to borrow more to make up for lost export earnings, to invest not in efforts at development but in efforts for sheer survival. Therefore the North-South dialogue which was so encouraging has become a well-oiled machine designed to drain economic flows and cause a reverse transfer of resources. Thus debt has become for all developing countries a nightmare, and its solution, the s~uaring of the circle - doubtless - a monstrous concept which neither the debtors nor their creditors want to tackle head on, still less together, Each side simply sizes up the situation and proposes solutions that are more or less realistic, more or less radical, all under the paternalistic eye of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Africa has an opportunity to speak with a single voice hecause States composing it have collectively confronted the monster. I refer here to the extraordinary summit conference of the OAU on African debt held last November. Rut it is clear that the deht prohlem cannot he taken out of context. It should he considered ftom the standpoint of international economic relations. Toqether with Africa, we must tackle the question whether the developed countries want to have economic partners worthy of the name or simply zones of influence. I laave the question open. In order to resolve the crisis, Africa has, in it~ Priority Programme, chosen discipline with sa~rlfice. The international comnunity has responded ny adopting the United Nations Proqramme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development. This Programme of Action, which is now at mid-point, and whose review has now been going on for .a few weeks, is one of our major concerns. I wish to • salute the meritorious efforts of the Secretary-General to ensure implementati.on of this plan hy agencies of the united Nations system. But it is no secret that implementation of the programme has fallen short of expectations and that everywhere Africa has been disappointed in its hopes and in its desire for co-operatioi'. ~\ .,. The dehates that took place in this forum a few days ago enabled us to take stock of what has been done and to comprehend what remains to be done. As long as ~ome of our partners, States and international organizations alike, do not admit that the pressure exercised on our economies and societies by structural adjustment efforts may certainly have beneficial effects, hut equally disastrous consequences, we will not transcend the hottle-necks and the present lack of understanding. We hope that the international community will take a salutary initiative so that by 199U the Progra~ne of Action and the Priority Programme can he implemented in full. The survival of an entire continent is at stake and at the end of this twentieth century hunger, endemic diseases and despair are the daily lot of its peoples. Africa needs, for its.survival, aRsistance in its efforts to rehabilitate its environment, sorely tested by drought and other natural disasters. Right now I refer to loc~st invasions which could, in particular in the Sahel region, wipe out the efforts of almost 15 years at reafforestation and soil rehahilitation. No individual country nor region acting in isolation can stop desertification or the invasion of locusts. Looking at Burkina Faso, although h~ving a national environment safeguards programme, it has, with its partners in the Permanent Inter-state Committee to Comhat Drought in the Sahel and other organizations in the subregion and with the assistance of the international community, been carrying out action on the basis of solidarity of an integrated kind. Here the United Nations Sahel Office has an irreplaceable role to play. Our world may live to see the day when people with an acute awareness of the problems facing mankind and the intellectual and techno~ogical means to analyse them can resolve them. Safeguarding the environment is one of these problems. The outstanding work done by the Brundtland Commission two years ago, but whose conclusions are still valid, is one such analysis. Unfortunately, when we talk ahout mobili?ing ourselves and fighting these scourges, even for our survival, our world seems to be impotent. We can only hope that humanity will soon find the collective means to confront adversity and mend its ways. At this stage, I should like to voice the indignation of my country at the scorn shown by industrial societies for the lives of our peoples by transforming Africa into a cheap dumping ground for their refuse, whether radioactive or not, but certainly harmful. We appeal to the conscience of the rich states to consider with us those practices as being crimes bearing the seed of long-term genoci~e. Already, uncontrolled nuclear tests have disrupted our ecosystems, attacked the ozone layer that protects our earth. Right now terrible and unnecessary numbers of weapons continue to he huried under innocent feet, transported by air and sea, ready to take off into outer space. The children of the twentieth century and the people of the t:-.renty-first are condemned to experience the nightmares of the apocalypse unless ~~e big Powers br ing th is to the inevi table end for which WF.! have bp-en wai Hng since Hiroshima. The develoanents in the negotia tions between t."le two super-Power s and the Umi ted agreements they have reached are promising. Never theless, these negotiations must be pursued further and in other directions. At this stage and in this context we cannot but regret that the hopes of the international community were dashed. by the fa ilure of the fi fteenth special session of the General Assentlly, the third such session devoted to disarmament. Burkina Faso, for. its part, will welcome every bilateral or multilateral effort to bring about disarmament. It is high time that our intellectual and matF.!rial resources were used in a way more in keeping wi th the aspir.a tions of the people of our time for development, grea ter well-being and a bettF.!r quality of life. Just as we welcomed the progress mad!? in detente, so also we welcomed wi th relief the announcement of the signature of the Geneva Accords on Afghanistan, the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq and the promise of a solution to the Kamp.Jchean and sou ther n Afr ican problems. We reiterate our appeal to our fr iends in Afghanistan for national reconciliation, which is a prerequisite for any consistent effort at reconstruction. The welcome develo;;mel'lt regarding the Iran·-Iraq conflict is a tribute to the two belligerents, which h ?\Ir*~ spared the world the holocaust to which the grea ter invol~ement of the foreign Powers in the Gulf region would inevitably have led. We tiOpe that the cease-fire clauses will be respected and that negotiations on pending issues will be concluded, so that lasting peace may be established. As an active member of the Organ iza tion of the Islamic Conference, we exhort the two brother States, Iraq and Iran, to arrive without delay at a complete reconcil ia t ion. We have been following with great interest negotiations at all levels aimed at putting an end, after more than a decade to the tragedy of Kampuchea. We hope that the Cambodian people will soon be reoonciled and will rebuild their beauti ful country amid the friendly interest of their neighbours and with the .:lssistance of the international community as a whole. For us, the situation in southern Africa arouses mixed feelings. Of course, we are pleased that quadripartite talks between Angola, Cuba, South Africa and the United States have taken place in the last few month5 without any major break. Similarly, we welcome the results that the protagon! ts have reached, because we are aware of the determination of our Angolan broth":::,, s to safeguard Afr iean interests in the region, in particular those of Namibia. If we have mixed feelings, it is because we are thinking about the road that remains to be travelled to arrive at a final solution to the problem. South Africa, which seems to be responding to pressure by the international community to begin to accept Security Council resolution 435 (1978), on the independence of Namibia, continues to burn schools in that Territory, persists in its refusal to recognize the South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), the authentic represen ta tive of the Namibian people, and practice the ter ror ism of apar theid against the people of South Africa. I have been to southern Africa. A few months ago I had an opportunity to visit some of the front-line States. Already there, at the gates of the South African hell, one could not help doubting that the accursed regime of apartheid could ever reform itself - if, indeed, one was not certain that it could not. Only the determina tion, courage and unsel fishness of the front-line Sta tes and the fai th of the South Afr ican people in their fu ture and the inev i table v ictory of their strugqle strengthened my feeling that all was not lost. All is not lost if Pretoria's friends finally make possible the realization of the unanimous aspira tion of the peoples that make up this Organiza tion. Only those countries hold the key to the problem, which is to decide to impose on racist SOuth Africa mandatory sanctions under Chapter VII of the Cht1rter. This would do them honour and alla.y doubts about violation of the cardinal principles of our Organization by the nations that are responsible for peace and security in the wor Id and th a t de fend human r igh ts • The General Assembly has decided that aeartheid is a crime against humanity. It must be dealt with as such. Apart from ~rtheid, the Palestinian tragedy is the major political question concerning the solution of which our Organization has already disappointed two gener ations of people. The successive wars in the Middle East since the State of Israel was established, the gradual disintegration of Lebanon, and in particular the plunder of the Palestinian people and its reduction to statelessness, are a black mark aga inst the Uni ted Na tions. We therefore welcome, as the last chance for the United Nations to play a de'cisive role in the settlement of this problem, the idea, which is gaining groun1, rega~ding the convening, under United Nations auspices, of an international conference on the Middle East. The success of that Conference can be guaranteed only if the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole representative of the Palestinian people, is admitted as a fully-fledged participant on the same footing as Israel. I cannot conclude wit.hout mentioning the concern that my cot.!ntry, as a menb~r of the Non-Al' 1ned M:wement, feels about the problem of the reconciliation of the two communiHes in Cyprus, the independent and peaceful reunification of the Korp.an peninsula, and the process of peace and int~gration in Central Amer iea. All the peoples concerned wish to live free of foreign interference and hegemonistic designs; some to forge a national identity, others to forge a regional entity. The fulfilment of these noble aspirations can only b~nefit o~r Organization and the international community. I think it is right to say that the international situation, despite the persistence of the economic crisis, seems better this year than it was at the same time last year. There has been a relaxa tion of the most acu te tens ions and na tions are engaging resolutely in the search for peace and the building of a better fu ture. On the strength of this, I venture to hope that at the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly the last guns will have been silenced on the last battlefields of the worlG, the Palestinians will be back in their land building a future together with the Israelis, the state of emergency will have been lifted in South Africa, Nelson Mandela will have been released from the a par theid gaol and, finally, Namibia will occupy in this Hall p somewhere between Mozambique and Nepal, the place that has been its by right for so long, and for which it has waited far too long. Mr. CORDOVEZ (Ecuador) (interpretation from Spanish): We are proud that Foreign Minister Dante Caputo of Argentina is presiding over the General Assembly. Argentina and Ecuador are States linked by brotherly ties in the past and by solidarity in the present. Apart from his great qualities as a statesman, he firmly believes in democracy and his presence here leading our debate is therefore a guarantee of success. ~ Through the Secretary-General, we wish to reaffirm our adherer.~e to and support for the world Organization. It seems that at long last the value and I us~fulne5s of this visionary instrUli'lent of mankind are being under!"tood. A few weeks agu we Ecuadorians elected a new Government. We see this election as an important step in our effc·:'"t to consolidate delOOcracy. The Government proclaims social justice with freedom, and on this its first attendance at the highest international gathering, it wishes to express its determined support for the principles and c:ommitments ef the international community. nations, to the extent that all of us respect it and to the extent that all of us contribute to strengthening it. O~r attitude and our foreign policy are consonant with that purpose. They ~are clearly defined hy President Rodrigo Borja on his assumption of office. They are aimed at closer ties of friendship and co-operation with all the countries of the world. We shall seek peace, security and development in our foreign endeavours. Without peace there is no freedom nor can there he development. Without security and without development we cannot speak of co-opetation or of international social justice. We firmly helieve, therefore, in the need to defend peace wherever it may he threatened. We have faith in the spirit of understanding and solidarity which is qiving new hope to mankind. We believe in the possihility of huildinq a community of nations which in their domestic and international life will give practical and real effect to the vocation of free men· We believe in the freedcms. We uphold them and advocate them as the framework and basis of all human rights. We link these rights to the possihilities and reauirements of well-being and respect for man as an individual and for peoples as nations. Our conviction leads us to seek fervently the development of our people: an integrated development which goes heyond mere growth and provides opportunities for all, justice with freedom and harmonious coexistence. We feel confident that we can thus advance the national effort, appropriately uniting all interests. We are aware of the magnitUde of our shortcomings and of the seriousness and urgency of the problems. We know that we must make a gigantic national effort. In order to do so we are counting on resolute action from all sectors of the country and we shall ensure respect and security for their l~i~imate activities. We are counting also on co-operation from international bodies and friendly countries~ which we invite to join in the crusade we are launching to create the well-being our people demand. The world we all want, therefora, is a world of peace, solidarity, justice and freedom. In that spirit, we advocate a climate of harmony and of trust in our relations and in those of all countries, so that our borders and all borders will be places to meet in friendship and co-operation and not places of misunderstanding and incidents. That is why we firmly support processes to disarm morally, to reduce militar.y spendin~ and to end the nuclear race; that is why we strongly support the tatin American processes of integration; and that is why we advocate a peaceful solution to conflicts and disputes which poison relations among peoples, forcing them to divert resources to defence by reducing investment in urgently needed development projects. The stockpiling of weapons does not lead to greater security. Armed peace is not safe peace. It never was, nor will it ever be. World peace is indissolubly linked to general and complete disarmament. We welcome the fact, therefore, that the United States and the Soviet nnion have concluded a treaty on the elimination of short- and intermediate-range nuclear missile~. It is important that the first true disarmament measure has been adopted, but new commitments in the same direction must also be adopted and resources that today are devoted to the construction of means of mass destruction must be released in order to meet urgent social needs in the third world. It has also become imperative to ban immediataly chemical weapons, nuclear-weapon tests, the use of outer space for warlike purposes and the illegal and covert transfer of conventional weapons. The enormous sums spent on the arms race are ethically wrong and morally condemnable• The process of disarmament and arms limitation is closely linked with the duty of Statas to resolve their international disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with the purposas and principles of the United Nations Charter, with eauity and with the norms and o.rinciples of international law. Ecuador has traditionally complied with these cardinal rules of international relations. That is why we welcome the fact that the negotiating process which led to the signing of the Geneva accords on Afghanistan has initiated what we hope will be a step towards a different world, in which war, solutions based on force, indirect confrontation and mutual mistrust will be eliminated. It would appear that, thanks to the efforts of the United Nations and of the secretary-General, in the Persian Gulf, in southern Africa, in Kampuchea, in western Sahara and Cyprus we are reaching the stage of the triumph of diplomacy over intolerance, the victory of reason over force, the supremacy of dialogue and ideas over the lethal confrontation of the cannons. We hope that this halo of hope will also surround the Middle East and Central America. We are particularly concerned about the conflict in the Central American region. We call upon all the parties involved to show the political will needed to implement and set in motion the formulas for a settlement which were ao painstakingly dra~~ up and which are rightly based on respect for the sovereignty of States~ on the right freely to elect a certain form of government without foreign interference~ on the exercise of true expressions of democracy, pluralism, social justice, individual freedoms and human rights. Ecuador supports the various initiatives and constructive proposals for a solution to the serious Central American crisis. In particular, we stress the neeo to preserve and carry forward the important negotiating process that has come from the valuable initiatives of President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica and that is enshrined in the Esauipulas 11 agreement. He took great care to recognize the particular interests and situations of all the parties involved in the conflict. At this critical moment it has once again become urgent and necessary to remove immediately the obstacles which have arisen in the implementation of the Arias plan. Perhaps it can be reactivated by the holding of meetings between the parties in oLder to examine certain items or groups of items in a practical manner and with political foresight. We m~st recall, furthermore, that the international community owes a debt to Central America. After the political settlement, an intensive development programme must be implemented with a high degree of international co-operation. unfortunately, the positive aspects which can be discerned on the international political scene are not matched in economic, financial and monetary relations. We shall not have a harmonious and stable international order unless we devise an eauitahle international system which consolidates the best aspects of external trade, reverses the unfavourable terms of exchange, provides just and remunerative payment for the goods we export, facilitates the transfer of science and technology and contributes to a positive net flow of capital for development. The North-South dialogue is deadlocked. That is unacceptable, and the dialogue must therefore be resumed. For tatin America the 1980s have been a ~riod of economic stagnation and deterioration of the standard of living of its inhabitant:.• The consensus at present is that external debt and the manner in which it has been handled are perhaps the main element of the crisis afflicting the region today. However, the external debt of the countries is not an isolated event which arose spontaneously during the previous decade. To a great extent it is a result of the unjust international economic order, which is detrimental to the poorest countries and has limited the possibility of financing the growth of their economies. Therefore, the overcoming of the crisis in tatin America, which has lasted for almost a decade, depends, on the one hand, on the establishment of more just international economic relations and, on the other, on an understanding between debtors and creditors. For many years now the developing countries have called for acceptance of the conditions needed to achieve stable development of international economic activity for the benefit of both industrialized countries and developing countries. We wish to reaffirm here that Ecuador recognizes the legitimacy of the debt incurred and will see to it that its commitments are honoured, without reauiring, to that end, greater sacrifices from a people that has already suffered for almost seven years. We advocate an attitude favouring dialogue and not confrontation. I reiterate that we cannot continue to lay the the full costs upon the debtors alone, ignoring the responsihility incumbent upon those who at one time approached them and offered huge loans without stopping to assess the risks entailed in such operations. In other words, it is essential and urgent to promote understanding between the parties on the basis of mutual respect, seeking eauitable solutions on the basis of which costs are shar.ed for the sake of the resumption of the growth of the economies of the debtor countries. This would of course enahle these countries to discharge their obliqations more co~'~tely. In this task, it is up to the multilateral credit organizations to increase financial flows to the developing countries - favouring the objective of social well-being and reducing conditionality on the basis of strict economic ann financial criteria. In order to achieve this objective, the industrialized countries must honour thei~ commitments with regard to the capitalization of these credit institutions. These thoughts lead us to a conclusion that ~hould he stated in this pre-eminent political forum. It is time for us to understand fully the close link between improving the standard of living of peoples and consolidating democratic regimes based on principles of freedom and justice. The Government of Ecuador has chosen a serious, responsihle and democratic path in order to overcome the economic crisis and place the country within sight of development. We have drawn up plans to stimulate the activities of all F.cuadorians and ensure the success of their efforts. We want a society hased on respect for the law and inspired hy hroad solidarity on the basis of justice and with a strong social imprint. In this effort, we welcome international contrihutions, within rules governed by eauity, realism and due regard for national interests, made in such a way that they will serve our purpose of overcoming underdevelopment, creating sources of employment and ensuring the prosperity of our people. The delegation of Ec~ador will indicate the position of my Government on the various agenda items in greater detail at the working sessions of this Assembly. I have mentioned the Government of Ecuador's concern and support for items of great importance such as disarmament and external debt. There are several other items, such as drug trafficking, that hold the special attention of my Government which, for the struggle to combat this scourge of mankind. International co-operation and the political, economic, social and humanitarian work of this Organization are of prime importance to us. Our contrihution will always be that of a country which looks with hope towards the changes laking place in the international community, which at the edge of the ahyss and of a nuclear holocaust proved itself able to reflect and let the light of reason and common sense prevail. ~he new spirit that can be discerned in the super-Powers must open doors of understanding and comprehension, with vast possihilities for peace and friendship among peoples. It must also promote fulfilment of the just and heartfelt demands of the third world and those for the establishment of a true international legal order. '{l'o: relaxation of tension has been and must continue to be of invaluable importance for harmonious international coexistence. It is, without doubt, an essential factor in liberating minds from the spirit of confrontation and promoting dialogue and co-operation. The present economic crisis, with its tremendous weight of frustration for poor countries, has hegun to awaken the world's conscience and its repercussions are hecoming apparent in all countries. The United Nations has already shown its ahility to adapt to new circumstances; the winds of change must lead to more adjustments and new approaches which will enable us all to respond to the new reauirements of the time and of the peoples. In this spirit and with this conviction, Ecuador pledges its support for the efforts reauired of us all to make this the world we want to pass on to our children. Mr. ~SCHEIKH (Tunisia) (interpretation from Arahic): It is a great pleasure for me, speaking on behalf of the Tunisian delegation and on my own behalf, to congratulate the Amhassador of Argentina on his election as President of the Genel.'al Assemhly at the forty-third session. We are convinced that, with his experience and wisdom, he will preside Duccessfully over the work of this session of the Assembly. In entrusting him with this respon~ihility, the Assembly has paid a trihute to his ahility and also to the important role pl~yed hy his country, Argentina, on the international scenp.. It is also my pleasure to he ahle to assure hi~ of my delegation's whole-hearted willingness to co-operate closely with him. I should like to take this opportunity also to express to his illustrio~s predecessor, Mr. Florin, our admiration and appreciation for the devotion, skill and patience with which he presided over the forty-second session, which underwent a period of intensive and continuous activity during the past 12 months. I should also like to express to the secretary General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, our deep appreciation of the noble work he continues to do to secure the influence of the Organization and its Chart~r. His determination and patience have earned him the trust and sUPI~rt of the international comm'Jnity, thus enabling the united Nations to play the pioneering role set out in the Charter for settling international problems and strengthening peace, security and co-operation among nations. Tunisia has always demonstrated its devotion to the spirit and the letter of the United Nations Charter. This is one of the pillars of our foreign policy and is the principle governing our bilateral relations and determining the position we take on the international scene. Tunisia has always worked to support the united Nations; it has always respected the Organization'~ principles and defended the noble objectives it espouseD, in the knowledge that the purposes and principles laid down in the Charter and the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are among the most valuable achievements in modern history. Guided by these principles, since the events of 7 November 1987 - the change of Government - we have totally redrawn Tunisia's political landscape, enabling our citizens to take part in the decision-making process and to exercise responsibilities under the Constitution. These changes are intended to meet the legitimate aspirations and the authentic civilizing values of the people. Conseauently, a whole series of legal and social measures have been enactp.d. These include an amendment to the Constitution to eliminate any provisions restricting the right of the citizen to exercise freedom of choice or his right to dissent; the promulgation of a new law governing political parties, to act as the legal basis for the creation of political organizations in a multi"part-y Stab~; and the rehabilit~tion of the constitutional institutions - in particular, the Chamber of Deputies - so that they can properly carry out the tasks entrusted to them, with respect for democratic norms, under the aegis of the Constitutional Council that has heen established to ensure constitutionality. Likewise, we have adopted a series of bold measures relating to fundamental freedoms, intended to ensure freedom of opinion and expression, while safeguarding human rights. These measures include abolition of emergency courts, changes in the laws governing custody and preventive detention, and ratification of the international Con~ention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In taking that step, Tunisia withdrew the reservations it had expressed with respect to a number of articles in the Convention. Aware of the noble mission of human rights bodies, the Tunisia of the new age has 'anted those bodies full freedom of action. Similarly, it has confirmed the political and social gains of Tunisian women - these gains being considered as the fruit of a fundamental and an irreversible national choice. At the international level, the new Tunisia has reiterated the fundamental tenets of its foreign policy - upholding law, justice and freedom - as well as its determination to honour its commitments, consistent with strict respect for its sovereignty and independence. In his statement of 7 November 1987 t~e President of the Tunisian Republic, His Exellency Mr. Zine Elabidine Ben Ali, stressed the importance Tunisia attaches to the strengthening of its Arab-Muslim identity and its determination to work resolutely to construct the Arab Greater Maghreh on a basis of commonality of interests and destiny. Together with its brother countries, Tunisia is continuing to make great efforts to improve and harmonize its relations with these countries, looking beyond past vicissitudes, in order to lend impetus to the process of constructing the Greater Maghreb and, thus, give concr~te expression to the will of the peoples and the leaders of the countries in our region to bring about broad and varied co-operation with the ultimate goal of (Mr. Escheikh, Tunisia} attaining organic complementarity within the framework of a Maghrebi con~unity without borde~s or obstacles, a community that is solid and coherent. Thus we have managed to create a climate in which we can eliminate sources of tension and establish constructive dialogue. This has made it possible to meet the pre-conditions for launching the process towards constructing the Greater Maghreb in a spirit of understanding and concord. Our age is one of blocs and regional groups, which necessitate integrated action by our countries - the prereauisite for our survival, for safeguarding our sovereignty, and for managing our affairs in such a way that the Arab Greater Maghreb can become a factor for stahility, peace and security in the region. In this respect, we welcome the outlin~ of a ~ust and lasting settlement of the auestion of the Western Sahara, and it is ou~ hope that the efforts the Secretary-General of the United Nations continues to mak~ will be crowned with success.* The period since our last session has been marked by very positive developments in international relations. Hence this session is taking place in a more favourable climate, which augurs well for an age of understanding and detente. There have been clear signs of detente since the signing, on 8 December 1987, in Washington, of the Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missile~, and the subseauent summit meetings between the leaders of the two countries. These developments have indeed contrihuted to a lessening of tensions and to containing the regional conflicts which had for a long time given rise to serious concern in the international community and caused instahility in many parts of the world. We welcome this course of events, and it is our hope that efforts *Mr. Meza (El salvador), Vice-President, took the Chair • (Mr. Eschaikh, Tunisia) made in gOOd will can help to resolve chronic, and heretofore insoluble, conflicts, dispel feelings of hate and bitterness, and open the road to peaceful c(~xistence and international understanding. It is strange, and regrettable that, despite the climat~ of detente, the international community has said nothing about a policy based on continuous aggression, force, occupation, expansionism and domination that flouts all international laws and regulations, disregarding the strictures of morality. I refer to Israel's policy in th& Middle East. The situation prev~iling in the occupied Palestinian territories as a result of the repressive campaigns waged by the Israeli occupation authorities against defenceless Palestinians since the beginning of the heroic uprising in December 1987 gets worse every day. (Mr. Escheikn, Tunisia) This is borne out by the number of dead and injured, the detainees and individuals deported v as well as by the arsenal of coercive measures which the ccupying authorities resort to daily in violation of united Nations resolutions and international instruments, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, of 1949. In recent months, the Security Council has repeatedly been called on to consider this dangerous situation, and has adopted resolutions conde~in9 these practices. It has called on Israel to observe the Geneva Convention, and has emphasized the urgent need for a just and lasting settlem~nt to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The uprising by the Lalestinian people has demonstrated to the whole world that this struggling people, this people aspiring to freedom and dignity, is more determined than ever, if necessary at the price of its own blood, to regain its rights and dignity, and even the most ferocious repression will be unable to dissuade it. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and all Arab countries have constantly reiterated their determination to work for a peaceful, just and comprehensive settlement based on international law, as set forth in united Nations resolutions, within the framework of an international conference on peace in the Middle East, organized under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation, on an eaual footing q of all parties concerned, including the PLO, arn the permanent members of the Security Council. The purpose of this would be to restore the Palestinian people's legitimate right to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent State, guaranteeing the withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Arab territories and the strengthening of international peace and security in the region. (Mr. Escheikh, Tunisi~) In the same part of the world, our brothers in Lebanon are experiencing a tragic situation which is the direct result of the coloniali~~ policy practised by Israel since its creation. After occupying a part of its territory, and repeatedly violating its sovereignty, Israel has set out to sow dissension and discord throughout the territory, reviving internal ouarrels and provoking massacres and destl:'uction. We welcome the signing of the Geneva agreement on Afghanistan and its entry into force, especially since that outcome demonstrates the special role the united Nations has to play as the framework for dialogue and the settlement of conflicts on the basis of law; it hdS also rewarded the great efforts made by the Secretary-General and his assistants, as well as the efforts made by all peace-loving forces which have greatly contributed to the rapid conclusion of this agreemant. In this regard, Tunisia has always called for respect for the sovereiqnty and independence of Afghanistan, and it has always c~lled for the people of Afghanistan to be able to exercise their right to choose their own system of government. By noting with satiSfaction the continuing withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, in keeping with the Agreements signed by the Government of the USSR, Tunisia also hopes that all the parties concerned will manage to find the be~t possible way to implement the Geneva Agreements under the best conditions. We find deep satisfaction in the fact that our Organization has been able to resume its yroper role in establishing peace and settling regional conflicts. Indeed, after having contributed to the settlement of the Afghan auestion, the United Nations has succeeded, with great effort and imbued with the same spirit, in putting an end to the confrontation between Iran and Iraq. Tunisia has been saddened to see these two brotherly countries, with which it is linked by religion, tear themselves apart in that destructive war. Within the framework of the League Arab states and its Committee of Seven, within the tramework of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIS), of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and the united Nations, Tunisia has constantly called upon of the two parties to resort to dialogue to settle the conflict with a view to a just and honourable peace, in keeping with international law and United Nations resolutions. We welcomed with satisfaction the acceptance by Iran of Security Council resolution 598 (1987), a resolution which Iraa had accepted from the very time of its adoption. This is what we have constantly called for as a means to establish the necessa~y conditions to bri.ng about peace and security and to preserve stahility in the region. We hope that the two parties will succeed in overcoming all the obstacles so that they can turn a new page and huild fraternal links and good-neighbourliness, while respectiog each otherOs sovereignty and t.he political choices, thus restoring peace and security in the region, and thus opening up the way for sincere and fruitful co-operation, and eliminating the spectre of upheavals and the waste of energies. We also observed with deep satisfaction the talks ~hich the leaders of the two Cypriot communities held in Geneva under the auspices of the Secretary-General. We consider them a positive step, one which will strengthen confidence between the two parties and which will prompt them to redouble their efforts to succeed in bringing about a final settlement of the Cypriot prohlem. We welcome the fact that the leaders of the two communities have decided to undertake new negotiations in order. to reach a negotiated settlement before 1 June 1989. We are convinced that the two parcies are sincerely seeking to realize this goal while respecting legality and justice. Similarly we have noted with hope and optimism the signs of detente resulting from the agreement among the Angolan, South African, Cuban and united States (Mr. Escheikh, Tunisia) Governments to end the aggression of the racist regime of Pretoria against the countries of the region and to work for a settlement of the auestion of Namibia. We are very hopeful that this agreement will contribute effectively to facilitating Namihia's accession to independence. The Security Council played a decisive role in the search for a settlement that would hring about an end to the occupation of Namibia when it adopted resolution 435 (1978), Which remains a model of objectivity and fairness. The time has come for the Namibian people, who have suffered so much from colonialist occupation, oppression and aggression to rejoin the community of independent nations. Faithful to its principles, and faithful to its sacred duty to give unfailing support to the just cause of peoples, to the cause of liherty and to everything that might contribute to preserving dignity and human rights throughout the world, Tunisia reaffirms today its unreserved support for the peoples of South Africa and Namihia in their struggle to regain their legitimate rights and to shake off the yoke of bondage and colonialism. Tunisia calls upon the international community to redouble its efforts to eradicate this evil and to put an end to these practices, which are immoral and contrary to the rules of international law. Proud of belonging to Africa, Tunisia, which itself had to fight fiercely for its independence, reaffirms its commitment to the Charter of the Organization of African Unity, which has spared no effort to carry out its role and its responsibility in the search for solutions to the prohlems facing the African continent. (Mr. Escheikh, Tunisia) We are persuaded that the United Nations has a pre-eminent role to play in strengthening the climate of confidence and detente between the two super-Powers. This is done by committing them to intensify their efforts to bring about disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament, in order to crtaate new possibilities for lessening the tensions created by certain international conflicts. This is also done by allowing other countries to commit their natural resources, human resources, and other resources, to the service of social pro~ress, in response to the aspirations of people to live in dignity and ir. peace~ alnd this is also done by promoting international cOoaoperation in the areas of the economy, science and useful technologies. Such has always been the noble mission which we have undertaken constantly to achieve: within the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, a movement which makes tireless effoLts to build international relations on safe and fair principles. This Movement has spared no effort in undertaking initiatives to settle the main problems haunting the present and the future of mankind, so that th· non-aligned countries have become an important partner, enjoying a weight and a prestige which are ac~nowledged on the international scene. The success in the struggle on the part of peoples for their emancipation and liberty, and the signs of understanding and detente visible on the international scene would remain fragile and would be unable to bring about an irreversible process if th~re were not to be a complete restructuring of the international economic order. The situation with regard to international economic relations calls for a radical change in certain factors related to development, such as protectionist policies, the deterioration in the terms of trade, inflation and the debt burden. The road leading to the revival of our economies, therefore, is still filled with obstacles. (Mr. Escheikh, Tunisia) Tunisia has made a number of proposals as its contribution to the search for a solution to the crisis. Indeed, in a message which he addressed to the most recent summit held in Toronto, President Ben Ali proposed; first, the partial or complete cancellation of the public debt of the least advanced countr ies~ :;econdly, limitation of the debt s~rvice of the other countries to 15 to 25 per cent of the export earnings; thirdly, the elimination or the reduction of thE~ interest on all public loans; fourthly, the establishment, in favour of the most indebt::." :"frican countries, of a system which would allow them to convert their medium-term loans into bonds payable over a period of 10 to 20 years. Furthermorp., an in-depth study of the world situation should be undertaken, with a view to establishing a new international monetary order. While the structural adjustment programmes which the crisis has imposed upon us certainly strengthen our credibility, it none the less remains true that our people have been called upon to make enormous sacrifices. The industrialized countries, which to a large extent are responsible for the occurrence and for the pers is tence of the er is is, must there fore !;er iously examine, along with us, the means for restructuring international economic relations, as well as restructuring their own economies. Those countries should not limit themselves to occasional interventions when the crisis worsens. Indeed, it is evident today, for everyone, that the future of the industrialized countries is to a large extent linked to the development and industrialization of the third world. We still consider that the adoption of the final text of the s(~venth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) demonstrated the willingness to pursue and to establish this dialogue seriously. In this regard, we also consider that the proposal made by the developing countries at the last summer session of the Economic and Social Council offers an excellent opportunity for heginning such a dialogue within the framework of a special session of the General Assemhly at the highest level, in order to examine the world economic situation and to revitalize it by reactivating the economic growth and development of the developing countries. Such a session should, in our view, lead to a consensus which would serve as a hasis for international economic relations. Moreover, the convening of such a conference in the near future would allow them to benefit from the trade negotiations which are to take place in necember 1988 in Montreal as part of the Uruguay Round. All the peoples of the world are looking to our Organization for the estahlishment of an international order based on law, justice and eauality of opportunity, for, in the final analysis, the United Nations remains the last hope for a happy future for all of mankind. Mr. YAQUB-KHA~ (Pakistan): I consider it a great privilege to convey to the President, on behalf of the delegation of Pakistan, our sincere congratulations on his election as President of the forty-third session of the General Assembly. My delegation looks forward to working under his guidance to ensure the success of this session. The many complex issues on its agenda demand the aualities of leadership, diplomatic skill and experience which the President so indisputably commands. May I also convey our deep appreciation, through the president, to his predecessor, Mr. Peter Florin, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the German Democratic Republic, who conducted the forty-second .session of the General Assemhly in an exemplary manner. The delegation of Pakistan welcomes yet another occasion to extend heartiest congratulations to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Javier Perez de Cuellar, for his dedicated efforts and tireless endeavours, year after year, to promote the aims and objectives of this Organization in strengthening the foundations of peace and security around the globe. His faith in the role of this Organization as an instrument of international peace and security has never wavered. No challenge, howsoever grave or forbidding, has ever dimmed his resolve or led him to doubt the capacity of the United Nations to meet it. The fruits of his patience and perseverance are manifest. They bring the United Nations to the centre of the world stage, where it clearly belongs and where conflicts that appeared intractable are moving towards solutions through the direct or indirect efforts of its Secretary-General. The forty-third session of the General Assembly promises to he more productive and more lively than those that preceded it. Profound changes have taken place in the world situation and we are keenly aware of the contribution which the U~1ted Nations has made to the improvement of the international climate. No one was more conscious of this welcome trend than our late President Mohammad 7.ia-ul-Haa. He had made up his mind to lead the Pakistan delegation himself to pay a personal tribute to the Secretary-General and to this Organization in a year when a wave of peace was steadily moving across th~ globe and controlling the fires of conflict and confrontation. Alas, we lost President Zia-ul-Haa in a tragic incident hefore he could fulfil his desire. As we look around we see dramatic reversals of the proposition that political problems can be solved by the use of military force. Our international system itself offers the strongest disincentive to adventures of this kind. Indeed, the war weariness and attrition that attend protracted conflicts have provided a fresh impulse to the peace-keeping instruments of the United Nations. There is a resurgence of faith in this Organization and a new commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter. Welcome signs of sup~~rt to the United Nations are "'!merqing from those powerful sources that can either help to build it into a gp.nuine instrument of international peace and secllrity or to relegate it to the back water of a forum for rhetoric and sterile riebate. It was the Secretary-General who said in one of his earlier reports that a modicum of co-operation between the super-Powers was indispensable for the smooth functioning of this world organization. It appears to us that d beginning has been made towards the kind of co-operation betwen the two super-Powers that the Secretary-General had in view. The world situation has greatly improved as a result of the ' ~"r summit meetings between President Reagan and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The united Nations is already a beneficiary of the lowering of tensions betw~en the two super-Powers. 'The signing of the Treaty between the Union of Soviet Socialist Repuhlics and the Hnited States of America on the F.limination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles - the INF Treaty - is a historic achievement which needs to be celebrated and applauded by the international community. It marks the beginning of a great forward movement in the collectiv~ effort to rid our planet of the prospect of annihilation in a nuclear holocaust and to reduce, if not eliminate, conventional armaments, everywhere. This could be a memorable year for the United Nations. All of us, and the Secretary-General in particular, can take legitimate pride in its crucial role in contributing to the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, in bringing about a t.ruce between Iran and Iraa, in the emerging settlement in Namibia and in promising developments in Kampuchea, Western Sahara, Central America ann Cyprus. We hope that the time is not far off when the seemingly intractable problems of the Middle East will also succumb to an irresistable process of peace which has been set afoot as a result of these achievements. While we are entitled to welcome and celebrate the ascendancy of the s~irit of peace over our globe, we must not forget that many of the peace processes in which our optimism is rooted need continuous and careful tending hy this world body if the consummations we so devoutly desire are to be realized. In our immediate neighbourhood, the signing of the Geneva Accord on Afghanistan has ~aid the foundations of peace in that war-torn land. The entirp international community is anxiously awaiting the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops by 15 February next year. We hope that this withdrawal will be completed in accordance ~ith the time-table laid down in the Geneva Agreement. The Secretary-General has rightly ohserved in his annual report th~t: "The conclusion of the Geneva Accords in April represented a major stride in the effort to secure a peaceful solution of the situation relating to Afghanistan and provide a hasis for the exercise by all Afghans of their right to self-determination." fA/43!1, p. 2) We must recognize the fact that the Geneva Accords, which address the external aspects of the Afghanistan issue, have not restored peace in that land. The internal conflict continues to rage. Millions of Afghans who took refuge in Pakistan and Iran will not return to their homeland until peace is restored. A comprehensive political settlement of the Afghanistan problem has yet to be achieved. Central to such a settlement is the exercise of the right of the Afghan people to self-determination. Pakistan has been most profoundly affected by the conseauences of the conflict in Afghanistan. It has been host to more than 3 million Afghans who have sought refuge on its soil from the cruel and protracted conflict in their own country. By accommodating these afflicted and courageous people and by providing them food and shelter with generous assistance from the international community, we have tried to fulfil a humanitarian obligation towards a neighbour. in distress and agony. The conflict will not end for these refugees and, therefore, not for Pakistan, for their sufferings are our sufferings, until conditions inside Afghanistan permit them to return to their home safely and in dignity. We await anxiously the complete withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and the beginning of the process of intra-Afghan dialogue for the establishment of a broad-based interim government. This alone will make it possible for peace to be restored, enabling the Afghan refugees to return, and the Afghan people to exercise their sacred right to self-determination. After the loss of over a million Afghan lives and the exodus of more than 5 million Afghan refugees to Pakistan and Iran, a vast effort will be reauired for the repatriation and rehabilitation of the refugees and for the reconstruction of their war-torn country. We value the appointment of Prince Sadruddin as United Nations Special Co-ordinator for Economic and Humanitarian Assistance to the people of Afghanistan. We trust that this purely humanitarian endeavour will not be used by interested parties for political ends. It is a matter of profound concern to us that our frontiers and airspace have been freauently violated. These violations have continued after the signing of the Geneva Agreements. On several occasions, the intruding aircraft have penetrated deeper than ever into our airspace. About 387 air and ground violations, ca~sing 4U deaths and injuries to 114 persons, have been registered since the coming into effect of the Geneva Accords. The armed incursions have been accompanied by widespread acts of subversion and terrorism. According to an annual survey entitled ~Patterns of Glohal Terrorism 1987", incidents of international terrorism increased by 7 per cent last year, largely as a result of attacks in Pakistan by agents of the Soviet-backed Kabul regime. As many as 259 attacks were conducted inside Pakistan last year alone, killing 264 and wounding 1,069 people. Since the coming into effect of the Geneva Accords there have heen nearly 7u further acts of sabotage and sUbversion, claiming 74 innocent lives and causing injuries to 55 persons. We have a vital stake in the restoration of peace and normalcy to Afghanistan. When peace finally returns, it will have been due to several causes, foremost among them the will and capacity of the people of Afghanistan to resist foreign agqression. The united Nations role in ending the conflict will have been eaually important, as will the supportive role of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement and the staunch support of the united States under President Reagan's Administration. Let us also recognize and applaud, across the ravages of a cruel and searing conflict, the bold and constructive contribution of General Secretary Gorhachev to the successful conclusion of the Geneva Accords. Pakistan signed the Accords in good faith and is committed to their implementation. The united Nations Good Offices Mission for Afghanistan and Pakistan, after a number of inspection visits, has established in its report that no evidence waS found of any violations of the Geneva Accords by Pakistan. The ~eneva Accords pave the way for a comprehensive settlement of the complex situation inside Afghanistan. Therefore, the United Nations will have a continuing role to play in the unfolding situation until the Accords have been completely implemented, foreign forces have been withdrawn and an intra-Afghan dialogue has produced a broad-based interim Government. The Afghan refugees can then return to their homes and all the people of Afghanistan can freely determine their own future. We are heartened by the fact that the call for the establishment of a broad-based Govetnment in Afghanistan, which was made with the understanding of the four sic~natories to the Geneva Accords in April this year, was further endorsed by the conference of Foreign Ministers of the non-aligned countries which was held recently in Nicosia. I tdke this opportunity to convey to the Secretary-General and his Special Representative, Mr. Diego Cordovez, who is now the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, our gratitude for the contribution which they made in working out the Geneva instruments, and for the patience and skill which ensured the signing of the Accords by all the parties concerned last April. Pakistan was also closely involved, through the Organization of the Islamic Conference, in the promotion of the peace process between Iran and Iraa in the long-drawn-out war which brought so much death and destruction. That is why we join in celebrating today the great success achieved by the Secretary-General in hringing ahout a cease-fire that will, it is hoped, pave the way for a comprehensive peace settlement, so that a new chapter of peace, friendship and fraternal co-operation between these two countries can be opened. There was deep anguish in Pakistan while this conflict lasted. AS with Afghanistan, so with Iran and Iraa, not only are we close neighbours in a geographical sense, but historically, spiritually and culturally we are tied to them by the strongest bonds. The role of the Secretary-Genernl and the Security Council in hringing about the cessation of hostilities in the Iran-Iraa war was a critical factor. It demonstrated that concerted action by its members could enable the Council to fulfil effectively its primary responsihi1ity under the Charter. We agree with the ~ecretary-Genera1'sobservation in his annual report that there are two essentials for continuing success in implementing Security Council resolution 598 (1987); namely, a conviction on the part of the be11igerents that genuine peace will provide the opportunity for reconstruction and progress that an uneasy truce cannot; and the continued exertion of its influence by the international community, particularly the permanent members of the Security Council, to bring about a just and lasting solution. (Mr. Yaaub-Khan, Pakistan)) The eight-year-old Iran-Iraa conflict, which is mercifully coming to an end, was a comparatively short-lived calamity, as against the Arab-Israel conflict that has ravaged the Middle East for more than 4U years. Throughout this period women and children of Palestine have demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience in keeping alight the flame of freedom. The most ruthless use of force hy Israel has not extinguished that flame. The people of Palestine are in a state of constant ferment and for as long as their legitimate aspirations have not been fulfilled Israel cannot hope to live in peace. The latest phase of the Palestinian uprising, which began last December, continues unabated. Unless the relevant United Nations resolutions are honoured in letter and spirit, peace in the ~!iddle East will he as elusive in the future as it has been in the past. The people of Pakistan have a deep commitment to the cause of Palestine's freedom - a commitment that is as old as Pakistan itself. We shall continue to uphold the Palestine cause, and we shall work unrelentingly for the restitution of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and nationhood under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), their sole and legitimate representative. The withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Palestinian and Arab territorip.s, inclUding Ai Quds Al Sharif, is indispensahle to the restoration of peace in that ~ncient land. We urge the early convening of an international conference, with the participation of all parties concerned, inclUding the PLO, for the realization of a just and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East. It is our fervent hope that the for.ty-third session of the General Assembly, which is witnessing the resolution of many a regional conflict, will also witness accelerated progress in the resolution of the Middle East auestion, the oldest unresolved item on the Assemhly's agenda. (Mr. Yaauh-Khan, Pakistan» There is a discernable movement towards the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts from Kampuchea to Western Sahara and Namibia. We hope that the Vietnamese troops in Kampuchea will be withdrawn i.mmediately and that the people of that afflicted country, like the people of Afghanistan, will be left to decide t~1ir own destiny, without any interference or pressure from external sources. We also hope that this vital question will be resolved by the United Nations in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and with the collective effort and support of all freedom-loving countries. We welcome the signs of progress towards the resolution of festering political problems in Namibia and other parts of southern Africa. Pakistan is committed to the independenc1:; tlf Namibia under the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), the sole and authentic voice of the Namibian people, and we will continue to give whole-hearted support to the Namibian people until they have acheived their sovereignty and independence. Pakistan is eaually conunitted to the eradication of the abominable system of apartheid in South Africa. In our adherence to the Charter of the United Nations lies our commitment to uphold "the dignity and worth of the human person". The inhuman policies and practices of the Pretoria regime and its aggression against the front-line States cannot be tolerated. We salute Nelson Mandela, that redoubtable fighter against aeartheid, and demand an immediate end to his long incarceration, which has failed to break his spirit or to weaken his resolve. We also welcome the signs of movement towards a peaceful settlement of the ~roblems in the Central American region. The Guatemala peace accord of last year, initiated by President Oscar Arias Sanchez of Costa Rica, together with the on-going efforts of the Contadora Group and the Support Group, holds hopeful prospects for peace and stability in that ragion. We hope that the return of peace in our own part of the world and in the Gulf region will be conducive to improvements in our relations with India. We give special importance to this, while we work for peace and friendly co-operation with all our neighbours, bilaterally as well ·'lS in the framework of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). We have taken a number of initiatives to demonstrate our desire for a good-neighbourly and co-operative relationship with India, on the basis of mutual advantage and sovereign eauality. The development of friendly relations between Pakistan and India would be greatly facilitated by the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which continues to hinder the process of normalization of our bilateral relations. We shall cpntinue to seek a peaceful settlement of this problem, in accordance with the Simla Agreement and on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the united Nations. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation holds great promise for our region. Peace and prosperity can best be ensured through planned co-operation by all its members acting together. Co-operation and joint action would be particularly efficacious in such si~~lations of natural calamity as unfortunately have befallen Bangladesh ~.n the reC'lnt past. We feel the deepest sympathy wit~and most profound concern for, our brethren in Bangladesh for the grave loss of life and property resulting from the recent inundations, which submerged most of its countryside and agricultural land. Indeed, at the third SAARC summit in Katmandu it was decided to undertake a study of regional measures to preserve our environment and prevent natural disasters. We are convinced that timely action and co-ordinated efforts by the member countries in pursuance of this decision can effectively contrihute towards preventing the recurrence of such natural disasters. The on-going super-Power dialogue on arms control and disarmament has produced signifioant results. We hope that a treaty on reducing strategic nuclear weapons will soon be concluded. We also welcome the current efforts for confidence-building measures between the two major military alliances and for the reduction of their conventional forces. The super-Power bilateral negotiations on disarmament, though important, cannot be a substitute for the multilateral disarmament process. Three months ago the third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament debated issues affecting not only the auestion of peace and security, hut also the threat of nuclear annihilation which hangs over mankind. Nearly all the participants underlined the close relationship between disarmament, security and development, and urged the reinvigoration of the multilateral disarmament pr.ocess. While there were divergences on certain issues, the debate revealed the existence of agreement on many important subjects and an emerging consensus on others. It is now up to the international community to preserve the gains emerging from that special session and to build upon them in order to promote the objectives of general .and complete disarmament. In this context, there is a pressing need for such measures as a convention banning chemical weapons, a comprehensive nuclear (Mr. Yaaub-Khan, Pakistan) test ban and the extension of security guarantees to non-nuclear-weapon States, a halt to the development of nuclear weapons, the prohibition of the introduction of new weapon systems, either on land or in the oceans, and the prevention of the arms race in outer space. Pakistan is deeply concerned by the prospect of nuclear proliferation in South Asia and the introduction of sophisticated weapons and delivery systems in our region. These matters include the stockpiling of fissionable material and the acauisition of nuclear submarines as well as the indigenous production of lethal weapons, such as long-range surface-to-surface missiles, which will upset the regional equilibrium. Pakistan has made several proposals in the field of nuclear and conventional disarmame!~t in order to avert the dangers of nuclear proliferation and a disastrous arms race in our region. We are convinced that in our auest for general and complete disarmament regional approaches to disarmament hold increasing promise and can contribute effectively to this objective. Pakistan is fully committed to this approach, which we believe is the only viable one in a region that has a long history of tension and conflict. Our proposals, in both the bilateral and the regional contexts, aim at allaying the mistrust and suspicion "about each ot~er's intentions and capabilities and at fostering a climate of good will and understanding, so necessary for the promotion of the well-being of our peoples. The international economic situation, particularly for the developing countries, remains a cause of concern. The 1980s are shaping up as a lost development decade. Hunger, disease and poverty continue to stalk entire continents. The living standards of many poor countries have dramatically declined. Their debt problem is increasing with the passage of time. It is important to seek concerted solutions to the international economic (Mr. Yaaub-Khan, Pakistan) problems. The results of the united Nations efforts in this direction need to be carefully assessed so as to e~olve a fresh agreed approach at the multilateral level, revive growth and development and address the problems of the developing countries, including the issues of trade, finance and debt, and monetary reform. The growing interdependence of the global economy underscores the paramount need to establish a long-term perspective for international economic I collaboration. My delegation fully supports the recommendation of the Economic and Social Council calling for the initiation of a comprehensive process for the preparation of an international development strategy for the fourth united Nations development decade, and the proposal of the Group of 77 to convene a special session of the General Assembly by 1990 to revive growth and development in the developing countries. The co-operation between the two super-Powers, which has been instrumental in laying the four-dation of a significant process of disarmament, will, no doubt, have an impact on the roles they play at the United Nations. In a refreshing approach to the united Nations, General Secretary Gorbachev has singled it out for praise, and the Soviet Union has decided to pay the arrears in its contribution to the Organization's peace-keeping forces. There are signs of a similar revision of the United states policy towards the payment of the arrears to the United Nations budget. (Mr. Yaqub-Khan, Pakistan) Financial support to the United Nations in this critical year is indispensable. It would indeed be tragic if, at a moment when the Organization is poised to accomplish important missions for peace which would restore humanity's faith in it, the denial of resources should cripple its efforts and deprive it of the opportunity of achieving its purposes and goals. It is a good augury that both super.-Powers as well as other permanent members of the Security Council and the general membership of the United Nations wish to see the United Nations strengthened, at the end of a lean period induced by super-Power rivalry. The recent successes of the United Nations in dealing with regional conflicts owe a great deal to the process of dialogue, and even a degree of convergence on certain issues, which has developed between the two super-Powers The prospects for peace in many parts of the world - most conspicuously in Afghanistan, southern Africa, western Sahara, Kampuchea and the Gulf region - have hrought unprecedented credibility to the united Nations system and to the future role of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security. There is a new consciousness that the United Nations is the hest instrument for forging a sound international partnership for peace and progress. It is the only forum throug. which the moral, intellectual, political, cultural and scientific resources of all States can be combined for the henefit of mankind. As the Secretary-General says in his annual report: "Multilateralism has proved itself fiu more capahle of inspiring confidence and achieving results than any of its alternatives. Millions around the world have had a gratifying demonstration of the potential of the Organization and the valirlity of the hopes they place in it." (A!43!l, p. 2) Towards the end of a decade marked by conflict and convulsion and often clouded by cynicism and despair, we have reason to look to the future with confidence and consolation. Nations was seen by many as marginal to the great issues of the world, events during the past year have demonstrated auite the contrary. The Organization can play a key role in the solution of serious international conflicts. In particular, after years of tragic and bloody wars in Afghanistan and between Iraa and Iran, the united Nations has made crucial contributions, in co-operation with the various par.ties, towards hringing them to an end. ~he painstaking and meticulous efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Representative with regard to Afghanistan were brought to fruition with the conclusion of the Geneva Accords in April; and in August, tran and Iraa finally agreed to a cease-fire, on the basis of Security Council resolution 598 C1988l, after years of careful diplomacy hy the Secretary-General and the Council. Much remains to he done, of course, hut firm hases for hringing the:1e international conflicts to an early end have been formed. I,et me take this opportuni ty to pay a special tr.ibute to the Secretary-General for his skilful and auiet diplomacy, as well as to those military officers from various countries who have selfle~sly volunteered to serve as United Nations observers in the two areas. ~he United Nations and it~ secretary-General have also, in varying degrees, important roles to play in finding comprehensive, just and l~sting solutions to other regional conflicts: Cyprus, Kampuchea, southern Africa, the Arah-Israeli conflict, r.ehanon, Western Sahara, Central America. ~'1hile the rolitical will to find peaceful solutions on the part of the partiers concerned is indispensahle, impartial United Nations mediation provides an essential inqredient in helping these parties to overcome their differences and implement agreements reached. All Memher States must support such effort~. My Government welcomes this resurgence of confidence in multilateralism. It is testimony to an increasing awareness that regional conflicts affect us all and that commonly agreed solutions are therefore called for. With these suhstantial achievements in mind, one can hardly believe that the united Nations is at the same time struggling financially. The fact is, however, that the very existence of this Organization is at stake owing to withholdings of assessed contributions from Member States. It is evident that it is time - indeed, more than time - for all Member States to live up to their financial commitments to this Organization. It is not only a Charter obligation, hut also, as illustrated recently, in the clear interest of all Member Stetes, both individually and collectively, to have a strong and effective United Nations. While statements of political support are important, lhey must now be followed by the necessary action from those Member States which have not paid their dues. In this connection we welcome the recent first steps taken by the united States Administration. At the same time this Organization must be efficient and rational. The reform process decided upon two years ago has already shown much progress, in particular owing to the follow-up action undertaken hy the Secretary-General. However, with regard to the study of the united Nations intergovernmental structure and functions in the economic and social fields undertaken hy Member States, the results were highly disappointing. Denmark helieves that renewed efforts towards achieving major reforms in the economic and social f.ielns are necessary in order to make the United Nations more effective and thus to strengthen its work in these areas. The international situation facing us today is fille~ with signs of hope and promise, and in some cases also with remarkahle achievements. It would he incorrect, however, if t tried to imply that all is~ues on which the East and the West do not see eye to eye have disappeared over the past year. That is still far from being the case. Bu t even in th is field we have witnessed developmen ts and resul ts which make us believe that the community of na tions is on the right track in coming to grips with many of the outstanding problems. The achievement of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev at the summit meeting in Moscow, where for thP. first time in history agreement was finalized on the dismantling of a whole class of nuclear weapons, sent a message of hope to people all over the world. Regular and constructive dialogue at the highes level is a positive factor in its own right and gives us great encouragement. The agreed solution to end the tragic OCCupation of Afghanistan is another sign of improved international relations. Those are only examples, albeit very important ones. I venture to believe that developments will not stop here, that the process of improving East-West relations will go on, that both sides know the agenda ahead of us and that there is a willingness to move forward. We are aware that many of our partners in the East are deeply engaged in transforming their own societies in fundamental ways. We are following their efforts with interest and we are hopeful that these efforts, if successful, will in themselves serve to lessen tension and to promote understanding and co-operation among countries in both East and West. Still, we must get on with the work between us. An early conclusion of the Vienna Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) follow-up meeting with a balanced and substantial result will be a major contribution to consolidating the improvement of East-West relations in Europe. A 9u~cessful conclusion of the Vienna meeting will pave the way for East-West negotiations on conventional stability. Tt will also open up possihilities for major progress in the human rights field of direct relevance to ordinary human beings in all Europe. Possibilities for achievi,,' substantial progress in negotiations on disarmament are favoured by the prevailing political climate in the world. Against this background we regret that it did not prove possible to reach consensus on a final document from the third special session on disarmament. It would, however, be wrong to classify the session as a failure. The discussions and negotiations took place in a positive and co-operative atmosphere, and valuable work was done during the session. On many issues the session succeeded in narrowing differences and in reaching new grounds of consensus. One of the tasks of this session of the General Assemhly ~'~ll he to recognize and affirm the progress made in individual areas and to continue the pressure and encouragement towards further agreement in the disarmament field. We must strive to maintain confidence in the multilateral negotiating system. Many have been the calls over the years for a han on chemical weapons. We appreciate the progress made at the Conference on nisarmament. The abhorrent use of chemical weapons has made even more urgent the task of reaching agreement on a global convention prohibiting such weapons. All sides must take an active part in the negotiations towards this end. Denmark has signed the 1925 Protocol without conditions. We do not have any chemical weapons. We do not want any. This has always been our policy and we have declared it openly. It would be a sign of confidence and an important political signal if all countries declared their policy towards chemical weapons and whether or not they possessed those weapons. We note the call made yesterday by the President of the united States in his statement for an international conference to consider actions which can contribute to prevent the use of chemical weapons as an important initiative, which is of particular attraction after the horrible use of chemical weapons which we have witnessed in the Gulf war - a USe for which not even the slightest excuse can he found and which we strongly condemn. The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains one of the most important arms control agreements reached to date. since its entry into force 20 years ago, it has made a significant contribution to world stahility. Reports of nuclear ambitions of certain countries in various parts of the world are ext:emely worrying. The nuclear option must never become an attractive solution to perceived security needs. Suspicion and mistrust must be countered by openness and trust• . The non-proliferation regime is a crucial part of building that trust. We therefore urge all States at present outside the NPT to accede to the Treaty. Increased concern over the complex issue of conventional disarmament has been manifest over the last years. All states have a direct responsihility in this field, and the issue of conventional disarmament should also he kept at the forefront of the multilateral debate on disarmament in the united Nations. This would serve to stimulate and support efforts and negotiatiorls at the regional le~el. Among regional conflicts, one area which suffers from particular tension and armed violence is the Middle East. Lately, however, we have seen the heginning of a dialogue take the place of armed confrontation in perhaps the most hrutal conflict of our times. Denmark has consistently supported the efforts of the united Nations to hring at~ut an end to the war hetween Iran and Iraa, and we rejoiced when it hecame clear that a termination of the h~stilities is no longer a distant hope but a real. ty at hand. It is understandable that eight years of warfare does not create an atmosphere of mutual confidence conducive to a peaceful settlement of the dispute. The road to permanent stahility may be long and arduous, but we must do whatever possible to ease and shorten it. Peace and security will not only hring immense benefit to the peoples of Iran and Iraa; it will make the world a safer place to live in. I pledge our wholehearted support to the Secretary-General and his Personal Representative, Amhassador Eliasson, in their further efforts in this conflict. The Danish participation in the United Nations Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG) bears witness to our commitment to qontribute to a peaceful solution. It is a source of deep concern to the international community that, in the aftermath of the war, arms have heen turned against Kurdish civilians. Not only is this brutality evidencea by the presence of a huge numher of refugees in a neighbouring country, but we have even received reliahle reports that chemical weapons have been applied. This is despicable. The use of illegal weapons and violations of human rights are not internal matters but a legitimate concern of the international community. nialogue has regrettably not replaced confrontation in the Arab-Israeli conflict. ~n atmosphere of violence and mutual mistrust prevents the creation of an environment of mutual trust which is indispensable for getting negotiations between the parties off the ground. The tragic events in the territories occupied by Israel hear this out only too clearly. We appeal to all parties to ~xercise restraint. The repressive measures taken by the Israeli forces are not in conformity with international law and must stop. The declaration of 31 July hy His Majesty King Russein to the effect that Jordan no longer claims sovereignty over the West Bank has created a new situation. I implore all parties to exercise moderation and take only steps which will further the cause of peace. An international conference under the auspices of the United ~ations seems at present the only way to bring about a just and lasting settlement of the confli~t. In Lebanon, mutual mistrust has had disastrous conseauences in terms of disorder, civil strife and human suffering. T~~ constitutional crisis over the election of a new President has highlighted the problems, and we appeal to all parties to exercise restraint and good will to save the very existence of Lehannn. It is obvious that the serious situation now existing in southern Africa is to a very large extent the result of South Africa's policy. Through acts of destabilization in the form of military aggression, economic pressure and direct support to armed rebel movements in the neighbouring countries, South Africa has severely undermined social and economic development in the region, thereby adversely affecting the daily lives of millions of persons. In South Africa itself the abhorrent apartheid system continues without major changes in sight. Apartheid remains a flagrant violation of the fundamental human rights laid down in the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Many thousands are gaoled for political offences. Others ~re forced to seek refuge abroad. For the millions of victims of apartheid that remain in South Africa the situation is constantly deteriorating. There is an urgent need for a genuine national dialogue in South Africa across lines of colour, politics and religion. It goes without saying that it is incumbent on the Organization to reflect and act upon the deep concern and indignation of the entire internationa" community at the persistence of such serious violations of fundamental human rights as those being perpetrated by the apartheid regime. Apartheid cannot be reformed. It must be abolished. In Namibia the South African illegal occupation and the oppression of the population continue. Namibia's independence is long overdue and should he pursued by all peaceful means. The ongoing negotiations between the United States, Angola, Cuba and South Africa have established the basis for some hope that the South African Government will withdraw its forces from Namibia and that Security Council resolution 435 (1978) will he implemented. Denmark hopes that the negotiations can stop armed interventions hy South African troops inside Angola and lead to the establishment of peace in Angola. The Danish Government has for many years actively supported the struggle 19ainst ~partheid and assisted the countries of southern Africa in their evelopment efforts. Pending mandatory sanctions by the Security Council, the anish Government has taken unilateral measures in order to terminate trade with outh Africa and Namibia and to limit other relations with south Africa to an bsolute minimum. Our diplomacy is engaged in a systematic effort to encourage ther countries to increase their contrihution to reinforced and more effective ~ternational pressure against apartheid. In March this year Denmark and its Nordic partners adopted a revised Nordic :ogramme of Action against Apartheid. The Programme calls for increased ~sistance to South Africa's neighbouring countries in order to alleviate the I 'fects of destdhili:?ation, to strengthen their power of resistance and to reduce 1 eir dependence on South Afr ica. Many of the countries of southern Africa are major recipients of Danish velopment assistance hilaterally as well as regionally through the Southern rican Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC). Our joint efforts are geared wards promoting economic, social and human-resources development. Such ~elopment is also of prime importance to enable these countries to handle the ~cial problems of the region brought about by apartheid, political disturbance natural catastrophes. My Government welcomes the successful conclusion of the Afghanistan talks with t signing of the Geneva agreements on 14 April, paving the way for the withdrawal soviet forces after more than eight years of occupation. We congr~tulate the ~, ~retary-Genera1 and his Personal Representative on the success of their untiring 3,e 1 skilful efforts; and we pay a trihute to Pakistan for its readiness to accept mn lions of Afghan refugees over the years. These agreements represent an (Mr. Ellemann-Jensen, Denma~) important step towards a solution of the Afghanistan cr.isis. We hope this will lead to a comprehensive politioal Eettlement, including the voluntary r0~urn of the refugees, the opportunity for the Afghan people to eKerci~e its right to self-determination, and the re-establishment of a sovereign, independent, neutral and non-aligned Afghanistan. Major aid efforts under United Nations auspices are .~ under way, and Denmark will not fail to make its contribution in this regard. The people of Kampuchea has suffered untold hardship, first at the hands of the notorious Pol Pot regime~ then because of the Vietnamese occupation. Kampuchea must be free both from foreign troo~s and from any prospect of a return to the appalling brutality of the Khmer Rouge. The Jakarta Informal Meeting in July offers glinooerings of hope that all parties concerned now realize that a political solution is called for. We urge that the dialogue be vigorously pursued, and we hope that it will lead to the re-estahlishment of a sovereign, independent, neutral and non-aligned Kampuchea in accordance with resolutions of the united Nations. The right to self-determination of the Kampuchean people must be fully respected. l~ith regard to the Korean peninsula my Government has been encouraged hy initiatives in recent months, in particular President Roh's declaration of 7 July and his proposal for a meeting of the Presidents of the North and the South. A resumption of the suspended direct dialogue hetween the two parties is the only way to reach a solution by peaceful means. Denmar.k is on record as being a firm supporte~ of the principle of universality~ it is our hope that, in keeping with that principle, the people of Korea may soon gain full membership of the Organization. My Government extends its best wishes for the success of the Olympic Games in Seoul. A year ago there was a feeling of satisfaction and relief in the Assembly after the conclusion of the Guatemala peace plan. During the autumn of 1987 we saw a number of measures taken by the Central American countries in implementation of that agreement. However, genuine peace and true demccracy have not yet been achieved in the whole of Central America. And recent developments, unfortunately, point in the wrong direction. Respect for freedom of information and opinion and other fundamental libertie~, intended by the Guatemala accord to be the corner-stone of the process, are again being gravely infringed. Violence and disrespect for basic human rights go hand in hand with attempted. coups and other disturbances. Genuine peace and true democracy again seem a distant hope. The Danish Government continues to believe that without democracy, allowing for full public participation in the political systems, and without respect for basic human rights no lasting solutions to the manifold problems of the region can be found. Thus we remain convinced that it is vitally important for the countries of Central America to continue their efforts in accordance with the agreement reached in Guatemala. At the same time, all countries with links to and interests in the region must co-operate constructively in that process. Together with our partners in the European COlnmunity, we are ready to continue our active support for these efforts. nenmark's support of United Nations peace-keeping operations has always been an important part of our united Nations policy. We have actively demonstrated our support by participating in peace-keeping operations and observer missions in the Middle East, Kashmir and Cyprus, as well as in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Most recently, Denmark has placed officers at the disposal of the united Nations Iran-Iraa ~'ilitary Observer Group. We have also reiterated our willingness, in principle, to participate in the united Nations Transition Assistance Group in Namibia. (Mr. Ellemann-Jensen, Denmark) Denmark has time and again stressed that all united Nations Member states carry a joint responsibility for the peace-keeping activities o~ the United Nations and for the financing of these activities. Regrettably, some peace-keeping operations are still faced with serious financial problems, especially the united Nations Interim Force in Lp-banon and the United Nations Force in Cyprus. In these two cases the financial burden is carried by the troop-contributing countries to an unreasonable degree. If the United Nations Transition Assistance Group is decided upon as planned, it will no doubt add a new and even more difficult.dimension to the already existing problems. Against this background we find it imperative that agreement among Member States be found on the financing of ongoing and forthcoming peace-keeping operations in order that the financial burden will no longer be carried by the troop-contributing countries alone. Should efforts to this effect, however, prove fruitless, Denmark might feel compelled to reconsider how best to allocate its contributions to peace-keeping operations. Turning to international economic questions, I wish to emphasize the crucial importance of a common understanding of the challenges confronting us. Improved macro-economic co-ordination is necessary in order to correct the major imbalances. Another important element is the successful outcome of the Uruguay Round. We all share the responsibility for securing and strengthening the open, liberal, multilateral trading system. Protectionist tendencies must be curtailed, and solutions must be balanced with increased benefits to all participants, inclUding the developing countries. While respecting the principle of differential and more favourable treatment, the newly industriali?ed countries should gradually and in accordance with their ability be encou~aged to integrate themselves more (Mr. Ellemann-Jensen, Denmark) fully into the open, multilateral systems of international trade and monetary and financial matters. It is hardly possible to speak on a number of economic development problems without also underlining the necessity of such development being sustainable. Short-term solutions which undermine the environment and the natural resource base upon which longer-term economic and social development must build are - where at all avoidable - cynical and an affront to coming generations, which do not have a voice to spe~k out against today's decision-makers. Recent incidents of illegal exports of dangerous waste to other countries are but one of many examples of practices that have to be correct~ It is to be hoped that the ongoing process of study, review and implementation of recommendations set forth in the report of the World Commission for Environment and Development and in the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2UUU and Beyond will gradually take us a large step in the right direction. There is a need to strengtheil the concessional assistance to the low-income countries in support of the efforts to revive social and economic development. Resources, however, remain scarce. It is of serious concern that the level of official development assistance lags far behind the internationally agreed targets. In fact the ratio of Official development assistance to gross national product is declining, and I therefore urge all industrialized countries to increase their Official development assistance. A few years ago Denmark decided on the basis of a broad political consensus to increase the development assistance gradually so that it will reach I per cent of the Danish gross national product in 1992. In 1988 our development assistance has reached U.88 per cent of our gross national product. Many of the economically and socially strained developing countries are facing (Mr. Ellemann-Jensen, Denmark) serious environmental disruption. The problems have assumed such dimensions that often they are beyond the financial and administrative capacity of those countries. Therefore it is important through multilateral and bilateral assistance to strengthen their capacity to solve the environmental problems so as to support sound and sustainable development. The United Nations system has a leading role to play in these efforts. Politically the need for action has been acknowledged. This understanding must be transferred into operational and concrete action. Women play a decisive role in the development process. Therefore it is imperative to continue and to strengthen development efforts for the advancement of women economically, socially and legally. The conSensus adoption in 1986 of the united Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development was a recognition of the need for strengthened and concerted efforts in tackling the problems of the sub-Saharan countries. The Programme has proved its success by the concrete initiatives which have been taken during recent years by the African countries themselves and by the international community. The outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Review of the Programme of Action underlines the continued mutual commitment to the Programme of Action and clearly demonstrates the need for further action by all parties. We are on the eve of a fourth United Nations development decade. Unforeseen changes in the international environment have drastically altered the realities of the present decade. We have learned that a strategy cannot address all development problems in general. A new development strategy for the fourth development decade should be flexible in its targets. A fresh approach is necessary. It must be pragmatic and realistic, committing developing as well as developed countries. The fortieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which we shall all celebrate on 10 December this year, reminds us that one of the basic (Mr. E11emann-Jensen, Denmark) duties of this Organization is to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. After 40 years this duty is, unfortunately, ~till relevant. SInce the adoption of the universal DeclaratIon this Organization has been engaged in intensive work of standard-setting. One of the important tasks for us in the years to come is to implement these standards. My Government is therefore concerned that the implementation of various instruments is weakened by the fact that some Governments do not fulfil their financial ohligations under these instruments, thereby hampering the monitoring systems. If the united Nations is to he more effective in combating human rights violations, it is necessary that all States adhere to these instruments and meet their financial obligationR. A sad conseauence of the many abuses of human rights is that mi~~ions of people have been forced into fleeing their countries out of fear for their life or liherty. Although we have witnessed some encouraging developments in the world refugee situation over the past year, the international community is still faced with the enormous challenge of findinq durable solutions to the plight of these millions of refugees. We recognize and commend the efforts carried out by the Unit~d Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but at the same time we realize that these efforts will succeed only if his Office can count on the full support of all members of this Assemhly. (Mr. Ellemann-Jensen, Denmark) Over the years my Government has been a staunch supporter of the Office and would like to see its role further strengthened and developed. To this end my Government launched two years ago in this Assemhly some ideas aimed at strengthening the tole of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, inter alia through a glohal scheme of resettlement places at the disposal of the Office and through additional financial resources to countries of first asylum. In Europe the outline of a structure to deal in a humanitarian spirit with this prohlem is heginning to emerge. My Government feels confident that only through such concrete action, and with the active involvement of the UNHCR, shall we he ahle to work towards a comprehensive approach to the international refugee problem. It is my hope that the elements contained in this undertaking can be further neveloped and employed in other regions where the refugee situation is presenting an eaually distressing picture. This session of the General Assembly will have to deal '·~ith numerous complex issues of peace and human progress. Bearing in mind the important progress made on several questions over the past year, it is my earn~st hope that further headway will be made in the months to come.