A/44/PV.29 General Assembly

9.  (continu!2) GmERAL DEBA'tE Mr. OLH1\YE (Djibouti): Allow me at the outset, on behalf of my deleqation and on my own behalf, to extend our warm brotherly felicitations to Mr. Garba of Niqeria on his unanimous election to the presidency of the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly. His lonq-proved record in public and international service, couJ)led with his broad diplomatic skills and h is keen sensitivity to the manifold issues before us, makes him uniquely qualified to quide us ably in our del iberations. I wish also to take this opportunity to convey to his predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, our sincere appreciation of the fine leadership qualities he brouqht to bear on the conduct (of the last session. We are proud to reooqnize, as usual, the quiet but effecti~9 diplomacy deployed re1,entlessly by the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, in both his que.3t for endurinq solutions to the numerOlE intractable conflicts and his efforts to enhance the awareness of crucial developmental })robleJ8. We hiqhlv value his unruffled stewardship as he perseveres in steerinq us carefully awav from collision and confrontation towards co-operation and consensus-buildinq. The chanaes that are now taking place in the domestic and foreign policies of the countr ies of eastern Europe have fundamentally affected the climate of internatiooal relations. For more than four decades the world has been plunged in divisions and tensions as a result of political polarizations, which has inevitably placed a tremendous burden 00 I'Il1tual respect and concurrence. It was, indeed, an era character.bed by a massive build-up of arms and troops as it naturally also embraced regional conflicts and the superiority of national security interests as a political strateav. The developing countries, loosely lUllI)ed toaether as the third world, not only became the ideoloaical pro'des or testing arounds g but were coveted prizes in the underlvina politics of the biQ-Power rivalry. In the in terven inq years these poor countr ies have been alterna tely confused and elChilarated by the apparent choices open to them, so that often local, social and ecooomic imperatives have been subordinated to broad p,olitical initiatives. Even bread-and-butter issues involving basic human needs have lacked the desired focus. In taking stock, therefore, of our past problems we ought to be careful not to be misled by false impressions of aecanplishment. The reality is that standards of living dropped, political instability increased and sustained economic growth diminished. In all too many inst.ances this malaise was associated with the absence of r~liable infrastructure, inadequate education, chaotic housing and social problems. It is a relief of some kind that the new perceptions in international relations seem to lI'tderscore aenuine concessions, relative predictability an~ enhanced credibility. (Mr. Olhaye, Djibouti) No one, perhaps, is better qualified than the Soviet leader, Mr. Gorbachev, who convincinqly has stated that ·Soviet security cannot be achieved at the price of the insecurity of other countr ies." All this has serious implications for the many countries with protracted conflicts in their i>ackvards as well as across their borders. Whether las tinq settlements to the looq-simmer inq disputes are to be found at the local level, throuqh super-Power co-operation or throuqh the United Nations, this definitely is the most auspicious moment for peace. Let us seize it; let us qive peace a chance.. We are extremely encouraqed by the post tive developments in peace-mak inq and peaceful overtures that have been demonstated everyWhere, at both the domestic and the reqional level. The ga ins thus ach ieved in the international pol itical arena, both in atmosphere and in substance, OUQht to be translated into practical action. Thev need not remain the exclusive preserve of the super-Powers; nor need they be directed only towards political and economic liberalization in the East. It would be inconsistent with moral justice and social equity if the improved climate of East-West relations bred complacency and neqlect of third-world issues. In the words of David Newsorn, former Under Secretary of State and current Director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacv at Georqetown University: "To declare victory new, and to imply that the end of the cold war makes issues in the third world of less relevance, is to iqnore reqions in which serious qlobal problems have ar is en in the past and may aqain." The African continent faces formidable challenqes in the 1990s in its efforts at improvinq the liVing standards and quality of life of its populations. The worseninq economic performance, aqainst the backqround of severe drouqht cQ'lditicns, deterioratinq terms of trade, weak international demand and high debt-servicing costs, continues to be a source of qrave concern. while the lonq..-term growth prospect has policy implications for improvinq human capital, mobilizing domestic savings and promotinq exports, we need at the same time to give recoqni tic:n to the inherent structural problems. Some of .these will be insurmountable so lonq as external constraints - such as dwindlinq export earnings, a dearth of finance for development and the stagqering debt-servicing burden - play a majQr role in the continuing unsatisfactory \IMcro-econornic performance of the African economies. These constraints severely limit efforts towards economic restructurinq and policy refo!:'tnS intended to enhance recovery and bring about sustained Qrowth and development. The adverse effects of the cciJ)plinq external debts are far-reachinq and unfa thomable, wi th debt servicing swallow inq up over 40 per cent of export earn iugs in the case of Afr iea. Accordinq to the Economic Report on Afr iea, 1989, of the Uni ted Nadons Ecc:nomic Commission for Africa: "The continuinq r tse in the volume of debt and debt ratio underscores the excessive burden imposed on African economies and their vulnerability to adverse external developments. The proper understandinq of African debt crisis, therefore, requires it to be placed within the framework of the concorni tan t adverse developments in colllllodi ty pr ices and r esoorce flcua and the onqoing efforts of adjustment." At this juncture, we wish to record our profound satisfaction at the timely and qenerous decisions to cancel the entire outstandinq public debts of over 30 African countries by France, Canada, Belgium, Italy and the United States of America. (Hr. Olhaye, Djibouti) Most of the initiatives desiqned to alleviate the debt burden seem, reqrettably, to share a common s't:rateqy linkinq debt relief or debt reschedulinq arranqements to medium-term adjustment proqrammes, with a stronq element of structural reforms, which, in International Monetary Fund (I"iF) and World Bank parlance, "are aimed at reducinq economic distortions and financial ittilalances". tiiore often than not such a strategy does not achieve the desired objective. Instead, it enqenders untold hardship and domestic civil turmoil, not to mention, of course, the inev' ~le political dimension of the impact of structural adjustment. Perhaps it is a matter not so much of deficiency in the strateqv as of its true relevance to the level and pattern of development of most developinq countr ies, in particular in Afr lea, where zero economic qrowth has been the characteristic trend, despite the presence of the larqeat per capita number of foreign advisers in the world. That undeniably 1 ies at the h~art of the problem. If that is not the case one may well ask why it is that economic and social conditions in Afr lea todaY are s iqnlficantlv worse than 2S y~ars aqo qiven the substantial infus ions of financial and technical ass istance from the World Bank, the IMF and the deV'eloped countr iea. It is hiqh time, therefore, that the premier international development aaencies realized the uniqueness of this qroup of countries and devised an appropriate, novel philosophical basis and theoretical framework for a specific, lar-reachinq, responsive and huiltm\e development strateqy. Needless to saY, this requires coutaqe and iconoclastic vision on the part of those institutions. (Mr. Olhaye, Djibouti) The Belqrade Fin!ll Declaration of the NOfl""Aliqned Move1lent cautions that -there can be nn stability, nor better prClBpeets for the world without reduclnq the disoarities in the level of qlobal deYelOPaent w• We are hopeful re.on wUl prevail to stave off a looming crisis that may enqul! an iaportant secr-ent of IMnkind.. The United Nations can be a useful forum for addressinq the qrie"70us nsture of this prebl., which encaapasees virtually every area of lUe" includlnq agricultural production, industry, econoeics, finance, trad\!, ec\1cation, infrastructure, research, housinq and health care. The world continues to seethe under the Endur ing effects of the thornl§t: areas of contention, despite the uaprovement in the international p~litlcal cli1lllte~ In the Middle East, the intifadah in occupied Palestine is now enterinq its twent,v-second ftlOnth with carnaqe, brutaUtY and bloodshled continu inq unaba ted. The Palestinitms live in a precar ious situation of pe~petu~.l r iak. That the Palestinian ptobl. as yet is not susceptible to dialo<,ue or to a properly structured inta:mational conferenee simply attests to the dismal failure of international diplomacy. In our view all alternatives have been tr ied. lln place of l)ractlcal political accoamodation and early proaress towards direct negoUations we ~te saddent:4 by the infusX>n of yet another dellberate distraction and C()nfusion by Mr. Bhamir - this time a tailor-nade electim proposal which is notblntlJ 1101'8 than a tai t acccaoli, a deception, indeed a prolOitgation of the ugly status quo. Naturally, it had to fl1ll on its face. Thanks to Egyptian diploRltic dexterity, Preaident Mubarak, lookinq for ways to keep the MOMentulI alive, unveiled not: an alternative to Shalllr's plan but a lO-point aqenda to aerve • the b.1B for Cc.orehens ive «lialoQue. It received vide support from Palestinians, the Israeli Labour Party and the United States Administration. By now, however, we ara all aware of its fate, it he (Mt. OlhaYf:l, Djibcut1) becoae the latest casualty, like theserles of peace initiatives, plans and proposals in the past. of the so-called inner cabinet of the Israel i Governaent. UneSer the circu.tancea <:c\e doubts whether Israel "ill ever ftlQVe in the direction of pe&C~ before violence destroys aU prospects of peace. For now it see.- that the onlY viable policy oJ;>t!on left for Israel, in the words of an Israeli Cabinet Minister. is one that promises the continuation of "for~e. lIiqht and beatinqs". The wideninq 4ulf of mistrust in the Middle East l)Oses serious challenQes to the eas inq of tens ions between the super-Powers. We urqe the United States to use its considerable influence over Israel in order to place realistic limits on its recalcitrance. More and more, Israel has become impervious to international outcry and moral crusade. has become increQs ingJ.,v impervious to General Assellbly and Security Council resolutions and decisions, and also to international pressures; it is content only in heapinq Ul) international wrath. On the contrary, the Palestine Liberation OrqanIzatian (PLO). the sole representative of the Palestinian people. has amply demonstrated to the world that it can be·a credible partner in an international peace aqreement. Its historic policy chanqe embracinq the cessation of all hostil ities and acceptance of the two-State pr inciple based on relevant United Na tions resolutions. requ ired unequivocal reciprocity by Israelf in accepting the land-for-peace pr inciple and restor inq full political r iQhts to the Palestinians, includinq the right to self-determination. It is ironic that the openinq offered by the PLO should reinforce Israel's intransigence. We believe the POO position offers a reasonable basis for fairness, equity and justice. Outright rejection of the notion of a Palestinian State is wholly unjustified. Pressinq for more and more unilateral concessions bv the PLO without correspondinq flexibility on the part of Israel would not at all serve the cause of peace. (Mr. Olhaye, DjiboutU In Lebanon, urbm tank wars Md artillery duels have taken their heavy toll of tbe helples civilian population. Pourteen years of sectarian clv11 strife, cc:apouncJed by proxy wars waqtlC1 en its soil, have caused untold destruction and sUUerinq and er_teeS confusion, division and anarchy. Lebanon's aqony is bound to persist until Lebanese authority 11' fully restored. We fully endorse the initiatives of the Arab Leaque Tripartite Co_ittee for the restoration of Lebanen's sov~eiqn~ and territor lal inteqrit'/ .. We welooae the pOsitive developments leadinQ to the independence of Naaibia. Nearly three decades of continuous diplollllltic efforts to overcome the impasse have finally borne fruit, and Namibia will soon take its place anonq the free nations of the world. FrOlll the start of implementation of the United Nations pbn for Namibian independence in acc:ordance with Secur ity Council resolution 435 (1978), nu.erous but ine'l!table set-backs were encountered: to mention a few, the aenace of the Koevoet, the notorious counter-inSUfQency force, reqistration irreqular Itv and the lack of se~recv of the ballot box. We however take pride at the reassurance by the South West Africa People's Orqanization (SWAPO) of its commitment to peace, hUllan riqhts and economic praq_Ua. S~'eh positive spirit of leadersbip will pave the way for a qenuine national reconciliation. In South Africa, the word -chanqe- is belnq overplayed a'l the psyche and I ellOtlons of the black majority. The new Pusident continues to assure his country and the world that an era of chanqe lies ahead. Whethp.t this is poaturinq and Mere style or a ~relude to Cl fundamental reform ~roqUl\1lle, the cominq months wUl tell. Re has been associated with the introduction and def<!rtce of apartheid uws. will " he nOlI be the aqent of chanqe that the country deeply needs for the rel_ee of Nelson nandela and other political prisooers, and n&~otiations with the African National Conqre8s of South Afr lea (ANC) about a post-apartheid constitution? We Qte indeed sceptical about his cQllllitaent to deliver real chanqe. SOUth Africa re_ins a country beset by deeD .is~rust and divisions. Over 3 million black South Africans have been forcibly rellOVed, thus caus inq intense sufferino and social disruption. A coaon feature of apartheid is the redrawinQ of boundaries of tribal hOllelands re8ultinq in deprivation and violeLlt repression often associated with torture, beatinq and lDa1ntlnq. Much nee6s to be done, not 1.9 t to translate De Klerk's platitudes aJa4 Mllbiguities into a lDeln in'~ful reform proQumroe. It is inconceivable, so lonq as the reprehensible system of apartheid is in J)lace, that it "oula be feas ible to brinCJ vot~less blacks into qovernlllent or even to build a new South Africa with full but unspecified political riqhts for the black majority. We strongly urge the scrappinq of repressive measures and institutional racis., the end of undiluted minority rule, affirmation of political and economic dqhts and the creation of dellDcratic institutions! Whsn talkinq of chanqe or hope, 'lie cannot rIlelp reminding ourselves of the imortal Drophecv of the late Alan Paten, that indefatiqable literary qiant and anti-apartheid activist who, over 30 years aqo, wrote: ·South Africa is the kind of country where one is tilled with hope en Monday' only to be catapulted into utter despair on Tuesday·. With Mr. De 1tlerk~ it ia -bm iness as usual" so far. In the absence of qenuine and far-reachinQ refortls, the international co.-unity must continue to intensify its pressure for the total abolition of &partheid. The situation in the Gulf remains unpredictable and vulnera>le. The peace process nec::ds a new impetus. We are satisfied that, under the scrutiny of the United Nations peace-keepinq forces, the cease-fire is holdinQ and further reckless destruction of property and loss of l>recious liv61 have been thvarted. We deeply reqret, hCMever, the lack of proqreas towards the full implementat.ion of Security . COWlcil resolution 598 (1987). The preva ilinq impasse of lino peace and no war" has da.:, ~ ~r...')us implications fer BU!6uinable peace in the reqion. We believe that it is in the interests of both Iraq and Iran to demonstrate more readiness and flexibUity to neqotiate in good fai~"", so that the exchanqe of prisoners of war can proceed and important initiatives leadbkl to the normalization of relations can be undertaken. Djibouti had Qreat hope that the Paris Conference on KalllPur.hea would brinq an end to the conflict and tension, and pave t~e way for the restoration of full dell~ratic r iqhts to the people. There can be no enduring stability in Soutb"'East Asia until foreign forces are totally withdrawn and the Cambodian pSC'ple is left to determine its own destiny freely. We urge, therefore, a co~tehensi',e peace settlement to the Cambodian question. "ith respect to Western Sahara, ':4e supJ,)Ort the efforts of th f4 United Nations and the Orqanization of African Unity directed tOIIards the search for a durable solution to the problem~ ~e are a few IIlOnths .,ay irom the second anniversary of the conclus Jon of the GSleva Aqreeaents on AfqhanlstM Uld there are aB yet no prospects for ;)eace in slqht. We believe that peace and tranquillity will continue t.o elUde the Afqhan people in the absence of a reprMentatlve and gopularly elected Gewernllent. ("'t. Olhave, Djibou..S!) I i As for the Korean peninsula. we are quite encouraqed by the continuinq dialogue between the two States, and hoPe that these exchanqes will effectively contribute to an blprovelaent in relations and further enhance the prospects fol': peaeeful unificatio~. In accordance with the principle of universality and consistent with the earnest desire to ease tensions in the peninsula, we su,,~ort the a4lission of both Koreas, separately or simultaneously, to full menbership of the United Nations. Alarming environmental hazards pose or threaten to J)CSe increas inqly sevell:e threats to the huun condition and to our survival. We tend to tre&t enviratmental issues, such as degradation, resource depletion, hazardous solid wastes and pollution, as mere pass ine; dlenomena. Die:asters like desertification, destruction of tropical rain forests, drought and famine have left a lastinq impact in large parts of the world, particularly Africa. We are convinced that environmental issues cannot be separated from economic developmel1t, and that realization should provide the dESired impetus for.a concerted a collaborative effort at fNery level. It was in response to tllat cOlll1\On concern that six countries in East Africa forqed envirCl'lmental unity by the establishment of the Inter-Governmental Authotitv for Drou'Jht and DevelofJll1ent (IG\DD). Headquartered in Djibouti, lGADD is fast becominq a catalyst for the formUlation of approJ)r late policies and prQjects in e/erv member country. We wish to record our qrstitude to the many countries and orqanizations that continue .to provide tGADD with direct institutional support and needed financial resources,. In the vi., of our Pres ident, iUs Excellency Mr. Hassan Gouled Aptidon, WThe real enemies of men are not other men but rather hunqer, disease, lack of water, homelessness and poverty·. • (Mr. Olhaye J Djibouti) ThOle ~riorit., blBic bU1I8n needs require far aore serious attention Iiftcl allocation of acSequate resources. Despite satisfactory advances btiinq lIIade in all atop of developcent, D11~tl is still poor and far frOll acbievinq many of ita 4oals. unfavourable cU.•tic con4itions. declininq economic activity, the constant influx of refuqe., ov'-Cstrained social services, and external constraints are 80ae of the principal factors that mUitate against sound and steady proqr.a. The deatructh'e rainfall. and subsequent flooding that occurred earlier this year in Djibcutl left behind heavy physict'l damaqe to vital infrastructures. We are deeply qrateful to the friendly coootries and orqll\izaUona that. responded swiftly and qenerously with critically needed medical and relief supplies. We are confident that the internaticnal COlllaunity will continue ~o Supl)Ort Djibouti·s qenume developnent efforts. In concl\Sion, I wish to state that the Republic of Djibouti has a vital interest in peace and in helping to bulld UP a climate of confidence in our Dart of the world. Foe a young nation, small and lackinq in _jor rESources, the maintenance of & reasonable degree of internal hari'ilOl\Y and the pursuance of a realistic and prudent foreign policy qO hand in hand. Our positive reqional and international diplomacy will continue to be matched by praqmatic doMeStic r~licie8. Mre BWANALI (Malawi): 1 should like, on behalf of the Malawi ,ieleqation~ to conqratulate Ambassador G~rba on his unanilflOus election to tha presio.'e~~~'i of t..~~ forty-fourth session of the General ASSellbly. He brings with hi. to that iaportant position ttell-tested political and diplomatic skills" a$ well as a widely acknowledged wealth of experience in international affairs. We tire already a\fare of his outstandinq achievements In the many illlPOrtant posts he has held in the service both of his own country and of internaUonal orqanizations, includinq the United Nations, re1atinq to the prOl!lOtion of international lmderstandinq and (ltt. 01baye, D'libouti) co-operation~ ~': are more than confident. therefore, tQat Wlder his leadershi~ and guidance tl'je Aas~ly will be able to achieve success 171 aillinq for praqasatic resolutions in its work. 1 should like to assure him of the Malawi deleqation's full co-operation at all times. My deleqation also conqratulates his predecessor. Mr. Dante Caputo, forller Minister of Forei~n Affairs of Arqentina. m the effectiv~ manner in which he pres ided over the forty-third session. Dur inq that session the General Assatbly was able to accomplish almost all of the work that had been assianed to it. We believe that much of the success was me to the business-like manner in which Mr. Caputo approached th1! duties and responsibilities entrusted to him. as well as the firmess and fa irness with which he directed the Assembly's del iberations. My delegation wishes him well in all his future endeavours. I should like to express the Malawi GoverMlent's satisfaction at the manner in ':mich the secretary-General. Mr. Perez de Cuellar. ,has continued to manaqe and direct the affairs of the United Nations. 'I'he past 12 months have seen vet qreater efforts to ensure further improvement in the operations of the Orqanization and in the manaqement of its financial and other resoorces. Meanwhile, we note the patience and diliqence with which the Secretarv·~General and his staff have carried out the mandates already qiven them by the General Asselllbly and the securitv CQuncil. especially in respect to the solution of already existinq problems. We have also noted with satisfaction the timely initiatives taken by the Secretary-General to facilitate the search for formulas for solutions to the problems that have emerqed since the last session of the AssenOlv, thus effectively helping to reduce international tensions and conflicts while at the same time promoting understandinq and co-operation. My deleqation "iflbes to assure the secretary-General ana his staff of the Mal.d. Govern.ent's full sUP.PQrt for their invaluable contribution to the pr.ervation of internatiClftal p.ce and to the proantion of int_national understandinq, co-operation and devel~ent. My de1eqatien would Uke to express ita aenee of encouraqellMt at the aany siqns of apparently J:Qsitive develapaenta we have observed durinq the past 12 IIOnths in the sJ)here of internaticnal pace. For, "'ile so_ incidents of tension and confli~ bave occur~ed durillQ that period, in qenefal the international ataosphere see. to bave been _rked by relative tranquillity. Althouqh there would see. to be cause for aptiaisll en the political plane, the situation in the econoaic sphf!re does not, alas, SeeII to have p~ovided us ,,1 tb as IlUch reaSQl to feel the sue kind of encouraqeaent. While some very Interestinq initiatives mdertdcen 01' proposed by countries of the industrialized North have been noted, North-South relations have reained unbalanced in favour of the North. At the sa_ tt.e the econo.ic situation of IlOSt developinq countries has ccntinued its rapid deterioration, with the consequent threat to their political and social stability. The Malawi deleqation wishes to join those who have spoken earlier in expressing pleasure and encouraqement at the fact that a nullber of questions of conflict and disputes that have pteoccupied the international cotaunity ay very soon be removed frOll the Ass~lIlbly's aqende. In th is context we have in alnd, &ItOnQ otherc thlnqs, the question of the .Territorv of Nallibia, wh:l.c:b, under the Bupervlsicn of the United Sations, now see_ well advanced Ql the road to independence. We in Mclawi welcomed the news of the succesoful conclusion of the 8Qreeaent8 slqned in New York In Decemer 1988, which prodded for the withdrawal of Cuban and SOuth African trOQo,)S frOll Anqola and facilitated the tllplellentatiDn of Security COW'lcil resolution 435 U'78) Q'l th~ independence of NaIRibiag Despite eoae of the difficultiES that threatened to derail the process of transition in NaMibia, we beU~ve that it ean now be confidently expected that the elections for the Constituent Assellibly will take place in November, as scheduled, and that in the New Year the new State of NaMibia will finally be born. Of those who .1ght still feel telDpted to illPede the process of transition to independence we ask these questions. Have the people of Naaibia not ~aited lonq enouqh for their country's indftpendence? Have the people of Namibia not already paid Ii\C)re than sufficiently fot their own birthright to freedom? We would like to pay a special tribute to the Secretary-General and to those servinq in ttae United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) for their couraqe and deter.inatian in strivinq for the faithfUl impleme~tation of the independence process in accordance with Security Council resolution ~35 (1978). For its part, and in recoqni tion of the importance of th is independence process, as vell as in the hope of actively helping to ensure its fulfilment, my country has decided to join t.~e Orqanization of African Unity Obs<el:'ver Group in Namibia. Meanwhile, the Malawi deleqatlon looks forward to seetnq Namibia take its place in the Assembli at its next session. Wben I had the honour of addressing the Assen:bly at the forty-third session t observea that most of the breakthrou$s that had been achieved on a number of political questions during the previous 12 IllOrtths were due mainly to co-operation between the super-Powers, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In this connection we expressed the hope that the two super-Pow-us would also turn their attention to two of the seeminqly most intractable probleu confronting the international co_unity: namely, the political deadlode in the Middle East and the danqerous situation in southern Africa arising from South Africa's Cf,jmpcign to prEServe i~ policy of &!?!rtbeid. (Mr. BwanaU, Malawi) (Mro Bwanali, Malawi) . We in Malawi have noted with much encouragement the apparent indications that the super-Powers AY indeed have bequn to co-operat0 on these issues" for SOlle very siqnificant new developaents have occurred, hintinq at the possibility of new approaches to the two questions. With regard to southern Africa we have witnessed durinq the past 10 IIIOnths a number of encouraqlnq developments. Fot' us in Malawi, perhaps the JlIIClBt siqnific&nt aspect of those develoJDent8 is the apparent new desire for peaceful, negotiated solutions to existinq political disputes and conflicts. In this context we welcoMd the agreellent in June by the leaders of Angola and UNITA - the Un ion for the 'rota1 Independence of Anqola - vbich provides for a cease-fire between the Anqolan military forces and those of UNrrA and also calls for nec.;otiations fex: a settlement of the political differences between the MPLA Government and UNITA. My deleqation has noted that despite the difficulties that have iq)eded proqress efforts continue in the search foe ways to resume the process of neqotiation. We support those efforts because we believe that nc.>g()tiation is the Cl\ly vehicle for reachinq a permanent t eq1itable settlement. We have bean similarly er.-:ouraged by recent positive announcements with reqard to the political situatim in Mozambique. Far too many human lives a..,a too mch invaluable property have been lost, while Mozambique's social and economic development has been severely impeded as a result of thE!! insurqency by REN1tMO rebels durinC) the past 14 years. We believe that it is ~illle that the people of Mozambique were finally able to beqin to enjoy the peace, stability and socio-economic developnent: that they hed expected to come after their lonq and bitter war of liberation. As one of the neiqhbourinq countries that have also borne part of the brunt of the conflict in Mozubique, Malawi fervently hopes that the invitation issued by Pr_ident Joachi. Chiss8nO to REHIMO to join his Government in seeking a neqotiated solution will b_r fruit. We support the Moz&'llbique Governraent's bold initiative on this utter. I should therefore .like to take this opportunity to declare Malawi's readiness to render such assistance as it can to contribute to the furth«ance of the current initiatives and to their successful conclusion. The countries in our subregion of southern Africa are very clesely intullnkec1, historically, politically, ,oc1a11y and econc.ica11v. ConsequentlY, instability or conflict in anyone country invariably has an effect on the others .. w.ll. 1Ie bave already seen the daIMqinq i_pact that the conflicts in Anqola and MozUlbique have had on neighbourinq countries. Similarly, the tensions and conflicts en~endered by apartheid inside SOuth Africa have left 11\ indelible IlUlrk on all the southern African States. Therefore, any further escalation of the violence that now pervades that country would in our view not only have adverse implications for the future develoPlent of South Africa itself but also qretly worsen the political and economic difficultiea now beinq eKperienced b¥ its neighbours. It is for this feason that we in Malawi have welcomed the siqns of apparent rethinking by the Government, aB well aB by some anti-!partheid movements, on how best to bring about political change in South Africa. We wiah to express the hope that these deYelopllents will provide the much-needed impetus for a rapid movement tcwardt'- a solution to t.he probl_. with regard to the Middle East, we in Malaw.i believe that the declaration l&9t December by the Palestine Liberation Orqanization (PLO) of ita recognition of the State of Israel rellllCWec1 the 1Qllin obstacle to any lIeaningful search for a solution (Mr. &vanali, Malawi) to the political problems of that reqion. But that declaration, in our view, constitutes only one of the prerequisites for any permanent and equitable solution. The others include the right of the State of Israel, as well as all other States in the reqion, to live within secure and recognized boundaries and the riqht of the Palestinian peop},e to their own homeland • .We note that in the wake of t.he PLO declaration recognizinq the State of Israel and affirming that organization's readiness to enter into a dialogue on the political future of the Palestinian people a number of interesting proposals have been prcse."lted on how to resolve the problems of the Middle East. We welcome the dialogue, both direct and indirect, between the various parties to the Middle East questim that has been reported in recent months, and we sincerely hope that all these developments will a:>ntinue and that they will contribute tQlards a universally acceptable formula for solvinq the Middle East problem. Another matter that we believe needs the concerted attention of the major Powers, particularly the super-Powers, is the situa don in Lebanon. In this connection we are plEased to note the resumption of the pan-Arab efforts to bring the two sides in that country's 13-year-old civil war toqether to neqotia te a permanent peace agreement. None the less, we wish to appeal to all those with an interest and influence in the Lebanese situatim to qive this quest!at the most urgent attention. (Mr. Bwanali. Malaw i l In the mean time, we should like to observe that in order to be viable any solution to this question must include the total withdraral of all fcreiqn troops and other forfJiqn elements from Lebanon. For until all external forces end their physical presence in that country and refrain from encouraqinq intercommunal rivalry among the Lebanese people, peace will not return to that land. We therefore appeal to all of Lebanon's neiqhbours to respect its sovereiqnty and refrain from interfering in its internal affairs. Wi th reqard to the problem of Western Sahara, we are encouraqed by the continuinq co-operation between the United Nations and the Orqanization of African Unity (OMJ). Indeed we welcome some of the Secretary-General's most recent initiativES on this matter. However, the ..alawi deleqation notes with deep reqret that, despite the optimism which was enqendered by Morocco's and the POLISARIO's acceptance l&9t V3Ar of Mr. Perez de Cuellat's proposals for brinqinq about a solution to the qtAestion, there has apparently been no further proqress. We belielle that time is of the essence, Md that the time to act is now. My deleqation continues to b~ OPtimistic that lastinq Deace will eventuelly come to the var ious parts of the world currently loclced in conflicts. The Malawi Government therefore supports the continuinq efforts aimed at findinq solutions in the various other areas of tension and conflict in the Mediterranean, Asia and in South-East Asia and in !;8'ltral America. We es'Decially welcome the withdrawal of all foreiqn trOOJ)6 fran some of these areas as a first ate)) towards findinq durable. and lastinq solutions to their respective problem. While the resolution of all these existinq reQional conflicts ~ as well as others that miqht vet occur - could brinq some Deace, this in our view would not by itself assure permanent peace or quarantee international security. It is necess&rv to eliminate the causes of differences between nations, as well as the tools of war (Tltr. Bwanali, Malawi) that tend to encourage nations to turn differences and tensions into armed conflict. Hence to us the adaQe that "If you want peace, prepare for war" is no lonqer a sound principle upon which nations should base their security. We believe. rather:!, that secur itv today demands that the adaqe be chanQed to "If you want peace, prepare for peace". In this conte2:t, the Malaw i deleqation is encouraqed to note that concerted in~ernationdl effort in searm of ways to brinQ about total and comprehensive qlobal disarmament remains a hiQh priority, despite the many setbacks often encountered. We applaud the important role the United Nations 'Plavs in keeping this question at the centre of international attention. We are also encouraqed by the steady increase in co-operation between the super-Powers in matters of disarmament. The initiatives and measures they have embarked upon, or on whim aqreements have been reac.'led, in particular with respect to the elimination or the reduction of certain types and classes of weapons in their own respective arsenals, have had a pes i tive effect Q\ the world-wide callPaiqn for disarmament. Permit me, however, to express th~ Malc::lti Government's hope that the super-Powcswill realize that, "'hile the elimination of all types of arms is indeed necessary and urqent, the use of outer space only for purposes that will increase man's knowledqe of his ",orld in order to prol1Ote develo'j)ment and welfare here on his own planet will enhance the des ired qoal of Qlobal disarmament and security. It is a matter of conceLn to my deleqation that the situation on th~ economic front, Qspecially for the majority of the developinq countries, has continued to worsen despite clear warninqs of the fr iqhtful implications for Qlobal peace and security. The debt burden plaquinq the dev~lopinq countries has reached a crisis (Mr. 9wanali, Malawi) point, the reverse net flow of fWlds frClll developing to developed COWltl'ies nov runs into billions of dollars. The teru of trade have becolle totally unrealistic. The prices of prillary qoods produced by the countries of the developing South have continued their doWnward spiral, while higher tariff barriers against their finished qoods have risen in the markets of the developed countries of the world. We have of course clmely followed developments since tbe Monu.l Declar~tion by the industrialized qroup of states in 1988, and we have also noted with some interest recent initiatives, inclUding those taken by the United States of America, Canada anc! Prance, ailled at easinq the difficulties of countries facing heavier debt burdens. t'.e1oolle as such initiatives mAY be, they can only serve as palliatives in the face of the enormous economie problems facing the affeeted eountrles. Moreover, we are rather uncerta in about the helpfulness or justice of the condi tionalities, such as the acceptance of an externally prescribed structural adjustment programme, attached to sCIIle of these initiatives. It Is especially so in view of tilo nON accepted fact of the non-\I\iversal applicability or effectiveneslB of &djustllent scbeMs. Indeed, even whete there has been an apparent pOSitive effect, such as in the seelllinqly successful balancinq of na tienal books of accounts, the £Ocial cost of illlPleaentinq such procu:a_es has been very hiqh and frauQht tlitlt great political risks for the GtNernllents CQ'lcerned. My -';'eleqatlon wishes to recall that in its lIid-term review in 1988 of the United Nations Proqrul'Ile of Action for African Sceno.le Recovery and Development 1986-1990, the General AlSseably pointed out the consensus that the structural adjustllftnt proqra.lI. currently preecribed by such interna tienal f!narac121 inl!titutions as the International Monetary Fund, especially in the case of Africa, (fir. Bwanali, Malawi) have tended to exaeerbate r!'!lther than allleliorate the eCClfiomic situatian plaqulnq the continent. It was for that reason that the African States took the initiative i;o eonsider the possibility of elternative adjustment progcaMes or Me:tunisllB. The African Ministers of Finance and BconOllic Planninq recently !I&>~ted, and the OMJ Heads of state or GovernlleRt SWlm.t endorsed, the Alternative Strategy for African !cono.lc RevitaU2:fttion PralMlWork. The second sessJon of the BconOlDic and 90cial Council has already considered that Sttateqy, \llhleh is elle to ~ presented before this AsseJlbly. It has been studied by experts frOll international financial institutions, includinq the International MCZ\etary rund and the World aaM, ""ich foW\d it viablQ 58 an alternative to the current stru!:t~ral adjustment mechanisll. The Malawi deleq&t1on sincerely hopes that the General AsseJl!bly wUl find it possible to lend it its support. Iri the liqht of factoru such as that Strateqy and other alternative ways of deal inq with the eClClnollic prcb1ellS, the Malawi dele9a t:!.on considers that the insistence upon progra_es presented by the Internaticn21 rtonetary :runo and the world Banlc M pre-candi tiOhS for receivinq eccnolllic relief is not COlIpletely helpful or fully just. The economic ~r isis facing the deve10pinq countr tea cannot, as exper ience has shown, be reekeQed bv merely lookinq at anly one aspect in isolation of other aspects. We have consistently stated that the 1I08t effactive way to cSa111 with the problem is to approach it in a global .anner, addreoainq all of its aspects together ~ both frOll the parspective of the developing oountr lea and also fre. that of the developed countries. Only in that way can a cOIIprehenelve and effective forl!Ula for so1vinQ the existing p~cbl_ be reched. (Mc. BwanaU, Malawi) It is for tbis ICe_en that my delegation looks forward to the special session t)f the General Assembly on aconomic co-operation to be held in April 1990. It ls our sincere hope that the special session will prGvide an opportamity for the crecti. tor nations of the North and the debtor States of the South to work toqether in findinQ better solutions to these problems. As has been observed by economic and development experts, the problems currently af~lictlnq developinq St~teB have an equally neqative impact CI1 the economies of the developed. A resolution of these problems would therefore be of mutual benefit to all. The onus of finding an effective soluUen is ipso facto, the IlUtual responsibility of both devaloped and developing countries. On behalf of the Malawi Government my deleqation wishes to express its satisfaction over the apparent improvement in the financial rmources of our Organization. We are also encouraged to learn from the Secretary-General'a anilual repprt that qreater effort has been I1Ilde by member States with arrears on the regular budget to set.tle their accounts. We also note that the proqranme of restructur ing, begun in 1981, is proceedinq smoothly and in most cases is p:oducinq the desired effects. The United Nations ability to function effectively and provid~ the various services it has been mandated to perform depends on having adequate financial and human resources. The continued imprcwement: in the level of funds available to the Orqanization, and the improvement in the quality of the personnel who serve it, assure us that the United Nations will be able to continue to pr~ide the invaluable assistance that is so important in enablinq countries sum as Malawi to carry out their national proqrar.mes for social and economic development. (Mr. ewanali, Malawi) In this context, I would avail myself of this opportunity to express the Malatfi Government's appreci~tion for the assistance it has continued to receive from t!1e United Nations. My GOI7ernment is particularly qrateful at this tille for the special assistance that has been rendered throuqh various inter-aqencv programmes co-ordinated by the Unitec1 Natiens Hiqh Co.miss lonar for Refuqees in connection with the refuqee prClble."D which continues to confront Malawi. In this connection I should furthe: like to express the Malawi GO'1ernment's encouraqelllent and satisfaction with the co-operation which it has also received from bilateral ana other doncxs. As the General Assembly miqht be aware, Malawi ha since 1986 prewided refuqe for Mozambican refugees, who now nulllbu about 700,000, which is' equivalent to about 8 per cent of our national I:IOpulation. While we are most w11Unq to offer hospiuUty and refuqe to our brothers and sisters, Malawi's economic capacity is very limited and the larqe numer ot refuc:;ees has ser iously strained the country's sccio-economic infrastructure. This Assembly miqht wish to kncM that ag a result of the influx there has arisen a problelll of internal displacement of Malawians who have been CClIIlpelled to move from the areas nc.w occupied bv the refuqees. This has created even qreater problelllS for the Government becalAse, while external assistance has been aenerous, it could not addr ess the problems of land. Permit me to inform donor aqencles, both bilateral and multilateral, that in the case of Malawi the assistance beinq pfO'lided for the refuqee community cannot be and is by no means rechannelled to benefit the indiaenous people of Malawi. It is for this reason that my deleqaltion would wish to appeal once aQain, on behalf of the Malawi Government, for incrMsed intern&tional assistance so as to enable it to prewide rf,!l1ef for refuqees who have flocked to Malawi. (Nr. Bwana1i, Malawi) In conclud1~ lily r~marks, I should like to express once aqain to the President our best wishes for his own personal success and also for a very fruitful outcome to the AsseJrblylla doUberations. Hr. SEY (Gam ia): Let me firs t of all extend to Hr. Garba ury warmest congratulations on his election as Pregident of the forty-fourth 5ession of the' General Asselllbly. His unanimous election is a clear testimony of the hiqh personal reqard" esteewa and confidence whim he enjoys in this Assembly qiven his vast exper ience as a smsoned diplomat, a fine soldier and a statesman. It 13 equally a recognition of the respect we all have for his qreat country and people. My country enjoys most cordial and very special relations with -the siste;: Republic of Niqeria and we are indeed proud of the leadlnqrole hiB country has always played and continues to play in the cause of freedom, iustice and peace. While wishinq him all success in his presidency, I would like to assure him of my delegation's fullest support and co-operation throuqhout the s~s:J.on. I would als{l like to express our sincere thanks cnd qratitude to his predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo of Arqentina, for the efficient and successful manner in whim he directed the work of the forty-third session of the General Assembly. To the Secretary-General, Mr. Jav!er Perez de CueUar, I salute his unswervinq efforts and relentless pursuit of the pronotion of world peace and interna tional understandinq. The fortY-fourth sess ion is takinq place at a momentous time in the history of international political relations, when the quest for collectivf!! security Md peace has witnessed very positive develOJllllents,' parti~lai:ly in the J>revailing atmosphere of detente between the two super-Powers. It is often said that in world dlplolMcV thinqs move qlaclallYJ but the recent positive achievements in reeolvinq recdonal eonfUcts are in themselves unprecedented. The commencement of the :Li~~oendence process fOll: Namibia, the cease-fire in the Gulf and the proqress towards resolv!nq (Mr. awansl!, Malawi) the Kampuch'!M problem are achievements of which our Organization can riqhtly be proud. and it is the fer"ent hope of my deleqation that this encouraqing trend in seeking peaceful solutiom to conflicts between natioM wi:'.l be furthe!' consolidated in the years aheallj. The Gambia believes that in the United Nations we have the machinery fur the peaceful settlement of differences amonq nations; the machinery for replacing mistrust with mutual confidence. for enqendering understandinq instead of susplclon~ and abOlTe all the machinery that can institutionalize dialoque in place of confrontation as a means of settling dispUtes among nadons. Mv deleqation also believes that the achievements made so far in resolving regional conflicts will be negated so long as the threat of nuclear destruction continues to hang over our heads like the sword of Damocl$. That is why we note with satisfaction that disarmament stays on the agenda as a hiqh priority in wcxld politics. The Unit~ Nations has a., exceedin~ly important role to play 1n establishinq a climate conducive to meaningful dialoque on this critical issue. The eliJIination of weapons of mass destruction and an end to the erm race will not only serve the cause of world peace and security. but will also release human and material resources that could be devoted to meaningful and beneficial social and economic proqrammes in developing countries. In this vein. President Bush's declaration before this AsseDbly that the United Statas is ready to destroy over eo per cent of its existing chemical We3J)Ons stock even befQre the conclusion of the chQ!lIical weapons convention and the Soviet Union's positive response to this proposal is an unprecedented occurrence in super-Power relatione that should be applauded by all Mellbers of the united Nationso However. those of ID in the developinq world should admit that t:le end ef the atllS race by the super-Powers would be lleaninglesc in terms of mobilizing mere resources foe national development if those countries themselves continue to spend . colossal sums out of their na tional budqets on defence expenditures. The disproportionate amounts beinq spent on military expenditures by developi~q count~ies not only diverts valuable resources from national development but also puts into question our declared aim of peaceful resolution of disputeso It is reqrettab:'.e that the notable achievements made in the resolution of reqional conflicts or in creatinq a salutary atmosphere in international political relations qenerally are not reflected in the situation in southern Africa, where the racist minority reqime in Pretoria continues to pursue its odious policy of apartheid at home and its aqqression aqainst the front-line States, thereby causinQ havoc and untold suffer inq in the reqion.* The President took the Chair. (Mr. Sev, Gambia) The pernicious and outraqeous system of a;>artheid remains an unacceptable affront to the civilized world and should be met with a firm and unco1JS)ror.ds~.nc:, response on the part of the international community. Attempts at: at)'Peasinq, persuadinq or pamper inQ the racist Pretor ia reqime in order to make it chanqe its policY can only fortify that r~ime in its defiance of world opinion. It is true that the wind of chanqe blew inq across South Afr iea has raised some optimism about the final demise of apartheid.. But it must be admitted that without the couraQeous and determined stand of the freedom fiqhtersof South Africa under the 161dershi;> of the African National Conqress (ANC) and other democtatic and popular movements, coupled with the limited economic sanctions ae;ainst the apartheid reQime, there would not have been the trend towards chanqe in that country. There is need, therefore, to maintain and intensify the pressure for the aholition of apartheid. The tacis t regime should not be left to proceed at: its own pace. The peoples of South Afr iea, as has been demonstrated bV the current caltPaign of defiance of seQreqationist laws and reQulations, cannot wait indefinitely for the reform of a system that is unreformable and must be destroyed. Freedom is en inalienable riQht= it cannot be neqotiated or dished out in small morsels CHer a period of time. The Galrt>ia is fi~rnly convinced that one of the most effective and peaceful ways of compellinq Pretor ia to en ter into immedia te and substantive neqotiations with the authentic representatives of the maiority population is the imposition of comprehens ive and mandatory sanctions aqainst the racis t r~ime. The Gambia has been fol101r1inq with keen interest the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978b, and we are qravely concerned about the obstacles and impediments that South Africa continues to place on the track of the independence process. Because of the continuinq irregulad ties in the implementation of resolution 435 (1918), the minimum condltions for holdine; and fair elections are still absent in Namibia. The continued f!xistence of I (Kr. Sey, Ganb la) free 1 the ~J Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library notorious paramilitary KOe'lToet. elements, which under different Quises harass and intimidate the local population in a reiqn of terror, is des iQned to disrUPt the electoral campaign of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) and enhance the electoral chances of Pretoria's puppets in Windhoek. This is a blatant sabotaqe of the independence process and is totally unacceptable. But what can one expect fi."om a reqime suffer inq from moral bankruptcy and insti tutional decadence? My deleqation would therefore urge the Security Council to continue to intensify its effor~ to bring pressure to bear on South Africa to cOIr4>~V with resolutions 435 (1978) and 640 (1989), which will guarantee frE() and fair elections in Namibia leading to the il!arly independence of the Territory. Apart from the critical situation in Routh Africa, the continent is still beset by the persistence of a number of reqional disputes. It is our fervent hope and des ire a.at these lonq-standinq problems and the new ones that miqht emerge will finally be resolved within the framework of tl:le Organization of African Unity (OAU). The Ganbia will give its full support to the endeavours of the current Chairman of the OAU, President Mohammed Hasni Mubarak of EqyPt, to find 3 peaceful solution to these disputes. On Afghanistan, my delegation is very happy to note that foreign troops have now been withdrawn from that war-torn country and it is our hope that favourable conditions will be created to quarantee the safe return of all refuqees to their country, thereby ensuring the restoration of peace and stability to Afqhanistan. Once aqain I should like to take the oPpOrtunity to pay a tr ibute to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the valuabl~ role it has played in providinq refuqe to millions of displaced Afqhans and also for its endeavours to create an abnosphe,e conducive to the resolution of the Afqhan problem. It is also gratifying to note the suspension of hostilities in the conflict: between Iran and Iraq, a conflict that has bedevilled the international co_unity by ~e intensity of its destructiveness. We stronqly urqe the two partiES to co-operate in the illlPlementation of Security Council resolution 598 (1987) so that the peace process can result in the attainment of the desired obje::tiv~ of a qenuine and durable peace in the Gulf. An end to this fratr icidal conflict not only would enable Iran and Iraq to undertake the nuch-needed national reconstruction, but would also remove the threat o~ the internationalization of the conflict in a reqion of strateqic political and economic importance. The situation in Kampuchea conUnues to be of concern to my deleqation. Despite the continued efforts of the international community in the search for IS peaceful solution t.o this protracted conflict that has resulted in immense sufferinq, the problem still remains unresolved. It is hoped that the recently suspended Paris Conference on Kampuchea will resume in the near future and that a negot!at~ comprehensive settlement will be achieved, a settlement: basel1 on the independence, sovereignty and non-aliqned status of Kampuchea. A qenuine withdrawal of foreiqn troops from Kcunpucl'1ea will, it is hoped, accelerate the peace process in that country, and my deleqation calls on all parties to the dispute to continue to support the efforts of the united Nations· and the Association. of South-East Asian Nations (ASFANl to resolve the l)roblem of KafllDuchea. With regard to the situatim in the Korean peninsula, the Gar.bia welcomes the process of dialogue initiated to ensure the ramification of that divided country, and we are of the view that if membership in the United Ra Hons would facilitate the process of unification the international colllftunity should support the a&aission of the Koreans into the Organization, in accordance with the principles of universality. In the Middle East, the situation continues to pose a qrave threat to international peace and security. My deleqation wishes to reiterate the Ganbia Government's conviction that the Palestine question is at the crux of the Middle East problem and that a just and permanent solution can be achieved only if the legitimate and inalienable riqhts of the Palestinian people, includinq the riqht to an independent homeland, are restored. The Palestinians have suffered 'for decades and have made many sacrifices in pursuit of their aspirations, as manifested by the 22-month-old intifadah. They have also IMde many concessions in the search for peace and security. These peaoe overtures are hiqhly laudable, and we once aqain call on Israel to respond positivelY in order that the qenuine search for peace in the Middle East can take off. We are convinced that unless the attitude of Israel chanqes the Middle East s iwation will continue to be a threat to world peace and security. It is for that reason that the United Nations must be closely involved in findinq a solution to the problem in the Middle. East, and in this connec':"ion mv deleqation renews its call for a United Nations-sponsored international conference on the Middle East with the full participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole and legitimate representative of the PaleStinian people. In the eastern Mediterranean, the Gambia will do all it can to encouraqe contacts and negotiations between the representatives of the two communities in Cyprus under the good offices of the United Nations Sec:retary-General. We ~'~ therefore fully support the search fot a mutually acceptable po11tical arranqement which recognizes the equal status of the two CoJmlunities in Cyprus. (NI. Sev, Ganh ia) The seriously deteriorating situation in Lebanon gives cause for qenuine concern. We therefore urqe the warring factions to put an end to this unduly prota;acted conflict, which, in .addition to the hea'i/Y toll in terms of human and -... material costs, continues to pose a grave menace to the peace and stability of the reqion. We believe that any solution guaranteeing Lebanon's sovereiqnty, unity and territorial integrity must include the complete withdrawal of all foreiQn troops from Lebanese territory. In this spirit we express our support for the peace 'Plan of the Tripartite Corrmittee of Arab Heads of State, c011lPrisinq the KinQdol!S of Saudi Arabia and Morocco and the People's Del10cratic RePublic of Alger ia, and we welcome the r esults ach ieved so far. Although the current session is takinq place at a time of considerable improvement in the int~rnational political climate, deep structural imbalances in the world economy continue to characterize the current international economic envirmment. The most serious and critical of these imbalances is the wideninq soom-economic gap between the developed and the developing countries. These negative trends not only threaten the secio-economic and political fabric of developing countries but also will endanger international political security and peace and will undoubtedly undermine the positive effects of the ongoing relaxation of world tension. The current decade has seen very painful structural adjustments on the part of several developinq count~ies, particularly the least developed ones in Africa. These countries, while already facinq formidable structural handicaps, experienced a sharp deterioration in their overall socio-economic situation, in spite of siqnificant domestic policY measures undertaken by them pursuant to the declared objectives and commitments contained in the United Nations Proqramme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (1986-1990), which was adopted in 1986. Their eflarte, howevGt, have in most cases yielded inadequa.te results OMinq to the insufficient flOlf of external assistance, unfavourable terms of trade and crippllnq debt-service dbliqations. The role of the United Nations system in mitiqatinq the social effects of structural 4lldjustllents cannot be over-endtasized. In this reqard, mention lIUSt be ude of the valuable contributions of specialized agencies such as the United Nations Development ProQramma (UNDP), the United Natione Children's Fund (ONICSF) and tile United Nations Economic, Social and Cul tural Orqanization (UNESCD) in t.'le in!tiation and prollDtion of proQrammes that address those sectors wich are the first to be adversely affected under structural adjustment -proqral'lllles. In particul8.r, the Gambian delegation would like to commend UNICEF for its tireless efforts in providinq support and assistance to the most vulnerable group of our qrowinq population - the child. In this respect, I should like to 8Ilphasize the illlPOrtance we attach to the draft convention on th!! rights of the child, which the General Assembly will be called upm to adopt in the near future. I mould like also to place on record our unequivocal sUJ)port for the holdinq of a world sUlMlit <Xl the child, as proposed by UN! CEF• There is need, however, for the developed countr iea similar lv to W'ldertake appropr fate structural reforms aimed at adjusting the structural imbalances in their economies that have given rise to hlqh interest rates, fluctuat!oils in COIllllOdity prices and a resurgence of protecticn ism - policies that are in imical to equitable international economic relations and also to the capability of developinq countries to address the serious ecenom1c prOO1e1l8 conftonting them. There !Sj finally, a need to devQlop a new debt strategy geared towards IS substantial alleviation of the burden en dE!'lfeloping countries, including possible debt redu~iofi, rescheduling on concessionary terms or debt write-offs. (Mr. Sey, Gambia) As we rejoice at soma of the positive developments in current international relations, we are willing to acknowledge that other ch~llenges continue to require the attention of the international community .. We in tn'! Garrb ia have been payinq special attention to environmental issues. In this regard, we are deeply concerned at the threat of clirratic changes, the over-exploit&tion of the earth's resources and the pollution of the seas. lti delegation would therefore like to reaffirm the need to strenqthen international concerted efforts and co-operation for environmental protection within the framework of the Uni ted Nations. We also welcome the increased international attention being paid to the inextricable link between the env trmment and development. Mv deleqa tion would like to launch a solemn appeal from this rostrum for more supportive measures from the international community to help developinq countries in their efforts to protect their environment. It is our hope that the United Nations conference on the envira'lment and development, in 1992, will be able to address environmental issues f~om an overall and integrated perspective, making possible the formulation of action-or iented programmes with tegard to the most utqent envirmmental and developmental problems facing mankind. The Gambia, being fully aware of the grave danqers posed to our survival by the dumpinq of toxic wastes, is committed to collaboratinq with all menbers of the Orqanization of Afr iean Unity (OAU) in the dissemination of information on the movement of toxic wastes. The practice of the illeqal dumping of these ha2ardous substances in mostly poor and developinq countr iea is a ser ious phenomenon whose repereuss ions are as deadly • the traffick inq in narcotics. Those involved in this practice of dumpinq hazardoUS wastes are tJraffickera in slew-motion death directed aqainst dEWelopinq countries, and theit activities - nay, their trade - should be roundly condemned by the international commultlty. --, III ---j A few weeks aqo we held at the United Nationo the second annual observance of the International Day &qalns~ Druq Abuse and Illicit Traffickinq, l)ursuant to the proclamation by the General ASDembly in December 1987. The problem of druq abuse and illicit traffickinq is of ser ious concern to my Government. In the words of the Sftcretarv-General6 which we endorse, the problem of druq abuse and illicit traffiekinq in druqs constitutes "one of the most devastatinq threats facinq the world today·. We in the Galltiia therefore share the qenerally accepted view that the terrible dimensions of the druq phenomenon transcend frontiers and cut across political, economic and social boundaries. No country can handle it sinqle-handed. No country can consider itsalf immune from it. The adoption, last December, of the International Convention &qainst: Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Druqs and Psychotropic Substances can therefore be seen as a clear indicatioo that Governments are now determined to co-operate aqainst this new social evil, which is undermininq the very foundations of our societies and I II· I destroyinq the future of our youth. The Gambia has already embarked on the necessary process of siqninq and ratifyinq this Convention. We should therefore like to appeal to the international community to make available the necessary resoui"ces, both at national level and with in the relevant international bodies, for a mere forceful, world-wide eampaicm aqainst the production and use of all kinds of illicit drugs. In this reqard. we should like to pay a tribute to the Governments of the United States of America and of the United Kinqdom for the valuable assistance they are providinq in the fiqht aqainst: this modern-day scourqe. An issue of cardinal importance to the Gamia is the question of human r!qhts. The Government and people of the GaJlbia are firmly committed to the protection and promotion of human rights. (Kr. Sev, Ganbia) It is true that recent developments on the international scene auc,ur well for the future of multilateral diplomacy. However, the current favourable international climate of reduced tensic',7's, the new spirit of co-operation between the major Pc*ers and the achievement of peaceful solutions to many lonq~standinq reqional conflicts have not been matched by meaninqful proqress towards increased respect fo!: human riqhts and fundamental freedom in some countries. While international machinery is already in place for the protection of human riqhts, it is still important for the international corrmu.",ity to undertake a world-wide campaiqn and education to ensure that basic human rights are enjoyed by all persons everywhere on this planet, in keepinq wit'" the noble and worthy ideals embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Riqhts, adopted by this Assembly some 40 years ago. We in the Garrbia maintain our position that the issue of human riqhts transcends the narrow barriers of self-centred political and economic interests. This firm t< 'mi tment to the observance of fundamental human r iQhts is embodied in O~.i: dOITJestic laws and manifested in our foreiqn policy. In order further to promote and consolidate our achievements in the field of human riqhts, the Gan'bia has taken the initiative of establishinq an African Centre for Denncracy and Human . Rights Studies. The Ganbia Government has also provided the necessary infrastructure for the headquarters of the Commiss ion on Human and People'S Riqhts of the Orqanization of African Unity (OAU) in Banjul, the Ganbia. His Excellency the President of t.he Republic of GaJl'bia, Alhaji Sir Dawda Kairaba J&wara, whose conmitment to human rights and democracy is rena.med the world over, inauqurated the faciU ties for those ins titu tions on 12 June th is year. We should like to acknowledqe the support qiven by the United Nations Geneva-based Commission on Human Riqhts to the African Centre for DellOcracy and (Mr. Sey, GaJl'bia) Ruaan R:Lqhts, and we appaal to all those who have an abidinq faith in the cause of hUllan rights observance to sUpPOrt and provide assistance to the Centre. Given our stand on the issue of human riqhts, the GaJrbia cannot but be very concerned about the gross violations of the fundamental human riqhts of the Turkish Muslim minority in Bulqar ia~ The unprecedented deportation and expulsion of hundreds of thousands of people of Turkish origin from Bulqaria is a serious development which should be ccndemned by the entire international community. The pathetic sight of thousands of women and children beinq expelled from their CMn country on grounds of race and reliqion. emd sufferinq in refuqee camps. is intolerable. and the international community should speak ClUt lest s Hence be taken to mean acquiescence. We call on Bulqaria to accept Turkey's invitation to enter into a meaningful dialoque so that an amicable solution be found to this humanitarian oroblem. My deleqation therefore supports the proposal.made by the Minister of ForeiQn Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. Mr. Genscher. when he addressed the Assembly on 27 September about the need to appoint a United Nations hiqh ccnmiss ioner for human r iqhts and set up an interna tional court of hllman' riqhts. The pressing political issues facing the international community are complex. but we share the hope of many that. with dedication and determination, they can be resolved, and in a way that assu.res peace and stabilit: for all nations. On the econcnic front. hOt/ever, there is a dire and compelling need for a whole ranqe of North"'South issues to be addressed with qte&ter i30litical resolve and in 8 realistic and constructive manner that wiU take due account of the acute and qrQWinq needs' of the developinq world in order to achieve a more balanced and equitable order. It is therefore imperative that the same dynamic and praqillatic spirit that has characterized international relations, which is indeed responsible for the recent deve~opments on the political scene, shoUld be extended to the economic sphere, with the- hl)pe that it will yield the lonq overdue desited results. I therefore conclude by reaffirminq the GautJiats total commitment to the maintenance o~ peace and seeur ity and to meaninqful internatiDnal co-operation for the economic and social a~lancement of all peoPles. The loft.Y ideals enshr i..l'\ed in the Charter of the United Nations deserve our full attention, our firm dedication and enerqetic support. In this reqard, we shall cont~,nue to render all necessary support to the United Nations system, which is and will remain the custodian of the hopes and aspirations of mank ind for lonq-lastinq peace.. proqress and prcgperity. Mr. PERRIER (Haiti) (interpretation from French): May I first address to you, Sir, the conqratulations of the deleqation of Haiti and tell you hGW very pleased we were to see you elected to the presidency of this, the forty-fourth sess ion of the General Assenbly. Your outstanding personal qualifications, vour vast experience in dealing with international affairs and what you have done at the helm of the Special Committee ~.gainst ADartheid have allowed us to take the full measure of your quali ties, and they ensure the fullest success for the work of this session. I should also like to voice our aratitude to your predecessor, Mr. Dante Caputo, who brouqht the full ranqe of his competence and wisdom to bear upon his work and thus fully mer ited the confidence the AsseRblv had placed in him. We pay special tribute to the Secretary-General, ~r. Javier Perez de Cuellar, who has succeeded with so much couraqe and determination in pursuiOQ prOQress towards obtaining the objectives embodied in the Charter. Without a doubt, the (Mr 0 _Sey, GaTi'bia) United Nations owes hill _ch for the restoratiClfl of confidence it enjoys today. Let hill be assur:ed of the fullQat suppOrt of lIlY country as he pursues his efforts for peace. This decade is drawinq to a close with particularly contrastinq results facinq us in terllEl of matters economic and pOlitical. The forty-fourth session is in duty bound to reflect a per tod when the int3rnational co_unity as a whl"le is stopping and thinking about these llatters. ThEre can be no doubt that we are living throuqh a particular ly crucial per md in .m ich progressively there is emerqinq before us Cl new landscape in international political relations. In this connection, we think it obvious that the United Nations, so lonq the butt of con.,laints and denuciation, is, nOf that it is being endowed with the wherewithal, ready to play a more intensive role in facilitating the resolution of conflicts that have been with us foe Cl long time and were once deemed insoluble. (Mr. Per!:ier 0 Baiti) . The cessation of hostilities in the Persian (Gulf and the emerqence of solutions to the questions of Western Sahara, Cyprl1.S and Nl!mib1e are hlqhly siqnificant successes that bear witness to the reetored credibility of the United Nations. Rarely in the past half-century or IIOre has the world experienced such dynamic progress towards pe!!ce. These results confim, if confirmation be needed, the overriding importance of the purposes and principles upon which the United Nations is founded and the increuinq adherence to them by its Memer States. This is a source of satisfaction and hope. At the same time, there are grounds for welcoming the conjunction of factors that now offers an unexpected opportunity to chanc;e the confrontational terms of East-Mest relations. The proposale recently put forward by the 'united States and the SOlIiet Union and the COIllDlitments made at the Paris Conferenca on banning chemical weapons give good reason for hope concerning the prospect of genuinely controlling the arms race. There would be I! great temptation to believe that this state of affairs represented a turning point in thE' establishment of Cl new international order if there were not at the same time and year after year, the growing, unacceptable gulf separating the North from the South. Furthermore, one cannot ignore the still numerous obstacles that continue to block the road to Peace, in particular the persistence of various hotbeds of tension in many areas of th~ world and the emergence of new challenqes that r iQhtly ccnnend the attention of the General Assembly at this session. Once aqain this vear southern Africa is in the forefront of. our concerns, for, notwithstandinq certain apparent Cbanqes recorded at the level of the political discourse, the structure of the aPartheid system has not changed. Neither the expected freeinq of Nelson atandela nor the release of political prisoners, which (Mr. Perrier, Haiti) could have given indisputable proof of qoodwill, has been obtained from the Pretoria. Government. South Africa t'emains under the yoke of the last reqime in the world to profess a racist ideology, which is expressed in blind, aye tema tic repressJon of the aspirations of the country's black majority. It is the duty of the international c.'omnunity, which ha.s been too lonq defied, to do all it can to ensure that the South African Government ends a policy that is universally censured and condemned. That is why, in declarinq our solidarity with those r:esistinq apartheid, notably throuqh the courageous s truqqle of the Afrioan National Conqress of South Africa (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Conqress of Azenia {PAC) ~ the Republic of Haiti calls for the implementatioo of canprEbensive sanctions against the South African regime. 1\11 in all, that is indeed the only recourse the international community has availcible to it by means of which to ensure that the black majority assumes, with dignity and equality of riqhts and duties, its rightful place in a 1l11tiracial, egalitarian and demcratic society. Followinq a heroic struqqle, actively supported by the front~line States and waqed by the genuine repl'esentatives of the people under the leadership of the South West Africa People's OrqanizatJon (SWAPO), and many initiatives launched by the friends of Africa, the Namibian people is preparing to declde its future. The Haitian Government ~Jeleomes this fact and the forthoominq entry of Namibia into the international community. We reiterate our firm support for United Nations efforts, . vigilant action in the field by the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) and the sustained efforts of the United ttations Council for Namibia. Thev have all worked toqethelr to bring about the advent of a sOV'ereiqn and. independent Namibia in keepinq with Security Council resolution 435 (1978). (Mr. Perrier, Haiti} ,i _:.j My delegation also welcomes the climate of reconciliation whieh seems to be qaininq qround in Angola and which, we hope and expect, will make it possible for that country to bend all its enerqiesto the task of reconstruction and to economic and social. development. The evolution of the situation in Western Sahara makes it possible, notwithstanding a certain hesitancy, to perceive the possibility of an end to this conflict that has divided the Maghreb States for so lonq. The Government of Haiti notes with interest the results that the. parties concerned have achieved, with the sUPpOt't of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Orqanization of African Unitv (OAU) ~ We hope tl\~t the t",o organizations will pursue their efforts to encouraqe the resumption of the indispensable dialogue between the parties, with the prospect of a referendum throuqh which the Sl!thaouri people ean freely ~el"'~de its des tiny. In the Middle East, the violence that has been rac;inq in the oc=upied tezritories fOt' some two years now bears witness to the fact that Palestine is an undeniable reality at the heart of any settlement of a crisia th~t has ~rsisted for too lOM. The maintenance of the present state of aff~ira is in the best interests of none of the parties concerned. Clearly, the only pOSS ibIe course is that of dialogue. In this con.,ection~ it eeeliS to us that the conveninq of an international pgaca conference under United Nations aus~iees deserves an immediate consensus. That alone is likaly to make it possible for the qroundwork to be laid for an overall settlement of the conflict. The Government of Haiti supports fully the convening of such a conference, since it is convinced that just Md Iastinq peace in the region can be established (Kr. Perrier , ,Haiti) only on the basis of the principles defined, in particular, in Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973): that the St~te of Israel has the r iqht to exist within secure and internationally recognized borders, and t!lat the Palestinian people has the r iqht to a homeland and to self-determination. With reqard to Lebanon, the Republic of Haiti, cardinal 'Principles of whose foreign pOlicy have always been non- intervention in the internal affairs of States and r.espect f.or the riqht of peoples to decide for themselves, is followinq with .;Irowing alarm the evolution of the situation in that martyred country. The Lebanese people are endurinq a painful, bloody traqedv, whidl all friends of . Lebanon ardently hope it will soon be ended. This is why th~ Government of Haiti expresses its solidarity with Lebanon and calls for the withdrawal of foreiqn forces from Lebanese soil and consistent action by the international conununity to make it possible for the Lebanese people to reqain its soverei~nty and unity, with territorial integrity. In Kampuchea the process of the withdtaiilal of foreiqn occupying forces, which must be full and f1nal, constitutes the first step in the right direction. we sincerely conqratulate the French Government on having taken the initiative, toqether with the mewbers of the Association of Sout.1.-East Asian Nations (MEAN), of conveninq the Paris Conference, which, although it has not vet had all the hoped-for results, has none the less been a major step forward in .tne search for a solution. The deleqation of Haiti des ires the tesUll\l)tion of the dialoque between the parties concerned and the continuance of efforts to br inq about tr ue na tiona1 reconciliation. That alone will make it poss ible to put an end to the traQec1y that has fa so many years afflicted the Cambodian na tion. (Mt. Pettier,. Hait~) The Rapublic of Haiti, in welcoming the proposed dialoQue a'l the peaceful reunifi~ation of the Korean nation, believes that the time ~as come to explore ways and means of mak inq the admiss ion of the two Ror eas to the family of the Uni ted Nations a reality, in accordance with the wishes of the parties concarned. (Mr. Petrier, Haiti) We note with qreat satisfaction that the oease-fire between Iran and Iraq is beinq maintained and express the hope that the neqotiations already under way between the two parties will result in a settlement that will open the way to permanent peace. Similarly, Haiti welcomes the evacuation of foreiqn troops from Afghanistan and hopes the fratricidal war there will soon come to an end. Closer to home, in Central America, the initiatives aimed at ending the hostilities and buildinQ peace and delOOcracy should be encouraqed. The Government of Haiti fUlly supports the recent Tela aqreements rulinq out the option of sterile confrontation, foreign pressure and recourse to force amonq fraternal countries that should be workinq toqether in co-operation. The Government of Haiti. shar inq the concerns of many countries across the continent, is lendinq tireless support to the efforts being exerted notably by the United States of America w fight illeqa1 drug traffickinq. Bevond that, the de1eqation of Haiti is fully prepared to lend all appropriate support to the initiative of the Caribbean countries aimed at steppinq up within the framework of the United Nations the relentless struggle that must be waqed against this scourge. We wish particularly to stress our solidarity with Colonbia, whose courageous decisions have placed it in a difficult situation indeed. The Republic of Haiti again reiterates its firm support for efforts aimed at international co-operation and a concerted approach to the protection of the environment from the threats looming over it, which threaten the survival of the entire planet qiven the accelerated deter ioration of our natural resources. Notwithstanding the viqorous economic expansion recorded in industrialized countries, the third United Nations Development Decade is endinq on a note of profound die lUus iaunent: promises have not been kept and the expecta tions of the third world - the vast: majority - have not been met. (Mr. Perrier. Haiti) Suffice it to recall that in sub-Saharan Africa the gross doa.tic pro~ct y)er capita has declined by a record 10 per cent - indeed, over 10 per cent - co...red with the 1980 level, and the situatim in Latin America and the Caribbe8ll is hardly better. Having reached the very limits of the economic, social and human costs we can bear as a result of indebtedness, which is cailpounded by the l)ernicioUB and destabllizinq impact of adjustment programmes, the nations of the South find themselves plunged fier deey)er into despair and doubt that they shall fR« see IIOveJIent towards a better life for our PeOple. HQfever paradoxical it aay appear to SOlle, the third w«ld continues in lar~e lIleasure to finance the prosperity of the wealthy nations throuqh a net inverse transfer of resources aIIOuntinq to economic haemorrhagi~ that we cannot sustain and is morally unacceptable. Faced with such a state of affairs, the deleqation of Haiti stands in solidarity with all those countries which, m the eve of the launchinq of the fourth international develos:aent decade, call for a readjustment of the _chinery qoverning international economic relations, and for substantive manges in strategy at the level of international co-operation, so as to enable our countr iee of the South finally to become m inteqral part of the race to development. To achieve this, an unprecedented effort of international solidarity i. indispensable. Instead of aid - which is often uncertain, lacks COIIIIIOn standards, and is not necessarily appropriate to the mediulD"" an~ long-term needs of the recipient countries - it is necessary for the industrialized countries to derote to co-operation for development those resources that corresp)nd with the needs for overall economic recovery throuqhout the south. What this ..eans, at the very least, is that we IlUst attain the qoals set some 30 vears aqo: 0.7 per cent of the qross domestic product of the donor countries. (Mr. Perrier, Haiti) .. BV the same token we consider urgent the adoption by the creditor countries, in multilateral financinq institutions, of additional measures aimed at liqhteninq the external debt burden and, if necessary, writinq off such debt, particularly in the case of the poorest countr tes, even if these are not necessar 11y the most indebted ones. In this connection, wat comes to mind is France's decision, Slnnounced last May at Cakar, unconditionallY to write off all public credits qiven to 35 African countries. We h~il that step, which we hope and expect will be eJlQlated so far as all the leas t developed countr iea are concerned. We hope that this particular approach will Qain currency. How could we not stress the delicate situation facinq the countr ies of sub-Saharan Africa, island countries and the Caribbean nations, som~ of which have just been hard hit by hurricane Huqo? It Is particularly appropriate for us to eq:)hasize how acute are the social and economic problens confrontinq the least developed countr ies, often disapoointed by the lack of international solidarity they receive, which in larqe measure explains the essential failure of the new substantive proqramme of action for the leas t developed countr iea for the 1980s. HOltever, our country continues to have stronq hopes of the special SESsion of the General Assembly, to take place next sprinq, devoted to international economic co-operatJon. By the same tolten, we welcome the holdinq in Paris next year of the second U!':Iited Nations conference on the least developed countries, hopinq tfr.at in both instances these meetinqs will provide the second wind the North-South dialoque so direly needs. The delegation. of Haiti deems it useful to remind ~he Asserrbly of the evolution of the situation in Haiti at a ti1lE~ when the Haitian people is turninq a major corner in its historyo Havinq first stellllled the adverse impact of successive (Mr. Perrier, Haiti) crises facing our State. the Government of 11 September 1988 resolutely copit\.ed itself to setting up a lastinq state of law. The building of a representative democracy. based on the pre-e{ninence of and respect for l:.uman rights. the effective functioning of pluralism and the quaranteeinq of freedoms, are all now well under way.· The Government of 17 Septemer 1988. heded by Lieu tenant-General Prosper- Avr U. has successfully passed throuqh a nunber of phases ""ich we consider. decisive~ The Constitution which the Haitian people qave itself in 1987 hag been restored. and several articles which. because of the provisional nature of our Government. are still not in final form g will be completely restored as sCX)n as the two leqislative chambers are reconstitl.ited. In this connection, elections will be orqanized. in 1990, at all levels, on the bas is of a fixed timetable, by the permanent electoral counc 11. For the Government, this is a matter of honour. The elections will reflect the free expression of the will of tlle people, and will bring new leaders to the helm of the State in February 1991. We are, of course, well aware that the reforms undertaken and the establishment of new institutions, and the forthcominq electoral contests, however decisive they m.:ty be, will not suffice in and of thelllSelves to quarantee the future of demcracy in Haiti. The experience of the past three years has shown us that the struqqle for democracY can be lonq and difficult. Like many other countries that have recently emerged from the lonQ niqht of dictatorship, Haiti is * Nr. Feyder (Luxemourg), Vice-Pres ident, took the Chair. considering the promises of the future without losinq siqht of the serious handicaps of the present. '1'0 succeed in buildinq a democratic country while the country is still struqqlinq with & particularly acute structural crisis in the econoaic and social spheres indeed is a major chal1enqe for us. (Mr. Perrier. Haiti) In view of the importance of what is at stake, the Gcnernment of Haiti deems it necessary to reiterate its appeals to the international colllllunity to help Haiti make ,up for lost time in the key areas, to free Raiti from the vice of dire poverty. in which three quarters of the population are caught, and, above all, to help them find the road to renewed qrowth. We believe in a renewed and effective solidarity with friendly countries, of the North and the South, in accordance with the wish expressed by the General Assen'bly in its resolution 39/196 adopted on 11 Decenber 1984 entitled -Economic assistance to Haiti-. Unfortunately, that resolution has remained a dead letter - so much so that Haiti has found itsel~ alone in the face of the damaqe caused by the social problems which the country has been experiencinq for more than three years. And even after cyclone Gilbert it again found itself alone, facing the desola tion of the fam iUes in the southern part of the country, victims of th is natural disaster, who are still waiting for some show of international solidarity. We must, at the same time, express our deepest gratitude to the countries of the Caribbean who, responsive to our legitimate &spirations, and with mutual respect, have shown us fraternal support, which we value highly. We are certain that the united efforts of our partners can be of substantial assistance to the people of Haiti in their untirinq search for economic and social betterment. This aim is certainly not beyond our reach. It is, after all, one of the conditions and the Ultimate goal of democratic life. To help us attain it is, obviously, within the framework of the hiqhest mission of the United Nations. We therefore appeal to the Organization to lend Haiti its valuable assistance in co-ordinating far-reaching international action t<.- help the country meet the serious challenges it faces today. We are convincecl that the United Nations, which has constantly manaqed to qo hand in bend with our people in its long trudge towards teal democraey, will once 8gain be by' our side th is time. Jolr. NANTON (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines): The deleqation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines wishes to offer Mr. Joseph Garba its sincere congratulations on his election to the PIes idency of the forty-fourth sess ion of the General. Assembly. We look forward eaqerly to p!ayinq our part to ensure the success of the session under his experienced leadership. The historic forty-third session is still fresh in our minds, and we would be found wanting if we failed to pay a tribute to the former President, Mr. Dante Caputo, for the efficient manner in which he presided over the forty-third session of the Assenbly, thus ensur inq its successful concll:AB ion. My deleqatioo wishES to congratulate the Secretary-General for his enlightening and coq:>rEbensive report on the work 9f the Orqanization and for his initiatives durinq the past year in pursuit of peace and security. There is a wind of chanqe blowing in international politics. We witness a trend in international relations in which confrontation is beinq replaced by co-operation, and bitter cold-war r ivalr ies of the past by consensus and mutual accommodation. The present mood to a larqe extent reflects the eas inq of East-West tension and qreater co.-operation between the major Powers. The international community welcomes the proqress made by the United States and the Soviet Unwn in neqotiations aimed at reducing by half their stockpile of strateqic weapons. The prospects for a cOltf)rehensive and ver ifiable treaty banninq chemical weapons, whim has been proposed by both super-Powers, is also very exciting. The eyes of the world are upon us at this time. The General Assembly at this session will earn the respect of the present as well as future generations, if, throu'~ its deliberations and decisions, it can sustain the present trend and widen the current detente to ensure peace and 'Progress for all manic. lnd. The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines applauds the 'People of Poland for their historic decision to enhance democracy and move to an open-market econauy. The positive developments in the Soviet Union, Hungary and East Europe, inspired by General Secretary Gorbachev, hold tremendous lessons for the thitd world on the evolution of political theory. The cordial atmosphere of international politics today presents an opportunity which should not be missed fot resolvinc; those intractable reqional conflicts which for so lonq have destabilized t.lle world community. In Afghanistan, in spite of the 1988 Geneva Aqreements and the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the war continues unabated. The delegation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines supports the Secretary-General in the efforts he is makinq to facilitate a settlement. We look forward to a return to normalcy in that country torn by civil war, and to the early return to their homeland of the millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. The fragile cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq war and the direct talks between the two sides have yielded no conclusive results. We urqe the Governments of the two countries to co-operate with the Secretary-General's efforts to transform the present cease-fire into a lastinq peace based on Security Council resolution 598 (1987). (Mr. Nanton, Saint Vincent and the Grenadlnes) While the Paris Conference on Cambodia held in Auqust did not yield a cOJl1)rebensive solution to the problem, it was nwertheless a coamendable step towards acbiwinq the conditions necessary for the Cambodian people to freely exercise their right to self-determination. We also applaud the diplomatic and other initiatives of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and hope that all other interested parties will join in the search for a durable peace in Cambodia. The problem of the two Kores still remains unresolved. It appears that efforts to establish a machinery for dialogue and peace have made no substantial proqress. It is the firm belief of my delegation that the acl'Aission of the RePublic of Korea to the United Nations would not only be in conformity with the principle of universality, but would help to create a better political environment for a peaceful solution of the Korean question. My delegation looks forward with enthusiasm to the i.q)lementation of the Secretary-GeneralIs peace plan for Western Sahara. We hope that there can be an early referendum on self-determination. We urge continued dialogue betw.een the POLISARIO and the Kingdom of Morocco and a continued search for a settlement of this issue within the frant...,ork of the proposals of the United Nations and the orqanization of African Unity. While encouraqlnq signs have emerqed on the political horizon in many parts of the WOl'ld, there are some intractable problems which dofy our best efforts to find solutions. The oppressed majority of South Africans are still suuqG!linq to adlieve their free<bDi and self-determination. My delegation reiterates its call for the intensifica tion of sanctions and other forms of pressure by the international oonmunity on South Africa for the dismantlinq of the inhuman system of aparthe~ and for the unc.onditional release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners. The end of Namibia's lonq road to independence is in siqht. The withdrawal of South African forces and the demobilization and disarminq of territorial forces were'carried out on schedule; the draft electoral law is under careful examination before final assent is qiven; political detainees have been released by both part.iea to the conflict; some 83 per cent of estimated eliqible Namibians have demonstrated their commitment to the electoral Drocess by rea;.sterinq to vote a month before the deadl ine; and many thousands of refuqees, some in exile for a tmole qenera tioo, have returned to their homeland. These are all posi tive steps leadinq to the eventual independence of Namibia. We join those who have paid a tribute to the Secretary-General, his Special Representative and Deputy, and the many United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) military police and civilian ,personnel for their dedication and perscnal commitment to Namibia's freedom. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines fully supports the United Nations plan for implementirq Security Council resolt":ion 435 (1978) and calls on all parties not to impede the movement towards peace. My country looks forward to the day when the Namibian people, who have wai ted so Iona for the opportll1ity to determine their future, take their sea t as the newest Memer of this Orqanization. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is concerned that recent efforts to brinq about a settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict have not yielded any positive results. My country will support any initiative which is aimed at securinq a cc:mprehensive, just and 1astinq peace in the Middle East based on Security council resOlutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). There is today qrowinq support for a properly structured conference based on Israel's riqht to exist and recoqnition of the legitimate r iqhts of the Palestinians. We suPport that proposal. The bloody civil war draqs on endlessly in Lebanon. My deleqation supports all initiatives, includinq those of the Arab Leaque, for stabilizinq the situation in that strife-torn country. All the parties to the conflict should move towards securinq an effective cease-fire and initatinq the process of national reconciliation leadiDeJ to the full exercise of Lebanese sovereiqnty. All eKternal pressures in Lebanon should be removed in order that the Lebanese parties miQht aqree on some viable system of peaceful coexistence. Last year this body paid a glOl/!inq tribute to all those servinq and those who have served in the United Nations peace-keepinq forces on beinq awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "their achievement and their contribution to the United Nations peace-keepinq operations and, by eKtensim to 'World peace and security". Today, we lament and deplor~ the traqic, ccld~blooded murder of Lt. Colonel william R. Higgins, a United States citizen, while servinq in the United Nations peace-keeping forces in Lebanon. We call on these orqanizations or qroups which are at present holdine:; foreiqn hostaqes to release them and thus end their suffer lng and that of thetr relatives and fr iends. We also urqe those countr ies with influence over the hostaQe-takers to assist in arrestinq this crime aqainst humanity and to help to bdnq' all the foreign hostaqes home froln Lebanon. Turning to rIr/ own reQion, Latin America and 'the Caribbean, my deleQation welcomes the very positive developments in Central Arner lea. We CClIImend the five Central American Governm~ts for their determined efforts to ~estore peace and (Mr. Nanton, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) stability to the region and call on the international community to do all in its power further to adva~ce the peace process. My country welcomes the ratification of the Cartagena Protocol which opens the way fer accession of the Caritb~an nations of Belize ana Guyana to the Organization of American States. We also note with satisfaction the progress being made in the R.epublic of Chile for the full restoration of its demcratic institutions. The eastern Caribbean, particularly Antiqua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat and Saint Kitts and Nevis recently egperienced the full force of hurricane Hugo, which left death and considerable damage to housing, infrastructure a.'ld 8Qriculture in its wake. The road to recovery will be long and costly and we hope that the international colllllunity will move swiftly to assist in the rehabilitation efforts. While being encouraged by all the positive developments in the international community, my Government feels, however, that insufficient progress was reqistered dur ing the pas t year in r esolv ing var wue edsting non-mil i tary thr eats to global peace and security. These threats include persistent poverty in many parts of the world, lack of economic growth and development, largs-scale unemployment, injustice and inequalities between nations and severe environmental degradation. These problelOO tend to be global in scope and require the concerted efforts of the international community to find solutions to them. The fruits of science and technology are very unevenly distributed internationally and in the current North-South frame of analysis, the de'1elopinQ countries of the South find thenselvE!S falling further behind in the race for development a~d prOQress. (Mr. Ranton, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) , The external debt crisis continues to impede qrowth in developing countries and this situation is aqqravated by fundamental imalances in the international monetary systen. Protectionism is on the increase and the terms of trade for the primary-producing countries still work aqainst them in the current unfavourable international market situation. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines welcomes the conveninq of the special session of the General Assertbly devoted to international co-operation, the Second United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, and the preparation of the international development strategy for the fourth United Nations development decade - all of which will be held within the cominq year. We hope that these conferences will lead to a clearer understanding of the present problems in the areas of. trade, external debt and development. The international community should be constantly reminded of the problems of small island developing States, in which cateqory Saint Vincent and the Grenadines falls. These States are characterized by narrow economic bases, Hmi ted internal markets, diseconomies of scale, and lack of opportunities to take advantaqe of external markets. There is a further disadvantaqe in that many of these States - like Saint Vincent and the Gt:enadines - are archipelagic, a phenomenon which poses serioU3 problems with consequential economic and social cost. Their small size also makes such States run the risk of beinq overlooked in lnternaticnal economic: and financial decision-makinq. It is important that adequate resources be made available to them on appropriate terms for national development 0 The population exP1CB ion of our time and over-exploitation of the natural UBources of our planet due to poverty and rapid eccnomic expanaionhave resultedj (Mr. Nanton, Saint Vincent and the Grenadinef!) in a number of envirmmental problems which put at riSic the entire human race. issues of toxic waste. deforestation. desertification, acid rain, the wideninq qap in the ozene layer. erratic cUmtic c:hanqes and the greemouse effect are qlobal in scope and must. be dealt with by the entire international oonrnunity workinq toqether. Swift: and workable solu tions must be found if mankind is to preserve the environment for coming qenerations. (Mr. Nanton, Sa lnt: Vincent and the Grenadines) The Other problem in society, such as the international flow of refuqees, the status of women and children, and the international scourqe of druqs continue to require the urgent attention of the international community. The Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines recoqnizes the qrave danqer that international drug trafficking and druq abuse pose to all countl'ies. That scourge transcends national borders and it is imperative that intern~tional co-operation be increased and intensified to eradicate it from the face of the qlobe. To that end, my delegation qives unqualified support to the proposal of Trinidad and Tobaqo for the es tablishment of an in terna tional eriminal court to investigate and adjudic~te the er iminal reE .....nJsibilities of persons enqaqed in druq trafficking, and to the initiative of Jamaica for the establishment of a United Nations multilateral, multiseetoral force that would provide assistance to States, on their request, in the areas of intelligence and interdiction. The next decade will l)erhaps be the most challenginq ever faced by human society. Advances in Bcience ~d teC'hnoloqy have put into our hands the means of achieving unlimited proqress. Current developnents in nuclear technoloqy, space travel, oceanography and biotechnology will profoundly affect our lives in the future. But the same technology can be the msans of annihilatinq the human race. Some of the fundamental issues faeinq the world today have to do with life and death and survival. As we examine these issues dur inq the r enainder of the for tV-four th sees ion of the General Assemblv, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will work with all other nations in the interest of wor ld ~ence., secur ity and prosJ)er ity.