A/45/PV.27 General Assembly

I now call on the representative of the United Arab Emirates. Mr. AL-SBAALI (United Arab Emirates) (i~terpretation from Arabic): In the name of Allah the merciful, the Compassionate, "Come back thou, to thy Lord, well pleased and well-pleasing unto Him. Enter thou, then" among my Devotees" (~ Holy Koran« LXXXIX:28, 2j). Last Sunday, the United Arab Emirates lost one of its most distinguished statesmen" His Royal Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Sased Al-Maktoum. Sheikh Rashid greatly contributed to the establishment of the Union of the ~~irates" in co-operation with his brother" His Royal Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, the President of the Stato. All hill deputy and Prime Minister he helped lay down the foundation of a modern State which has become a leading Union experiment and a pioneer in the Arab world. !h. 4.c••••4, .1DC' he. C~ IDto authority iD the m.lr.te of Dub~l la 1151, ••tabll.h.d ID 1171 hi. id5a. aDd .xperieDc, h5lpe4 eatabliah the State on • .ound, d.veloped ad 1I04.rn b••b. Bb cODtribution. to the wiel.-rug!.. ,colllOll1c altuation of the IMirat. - with it. MU,. ..lrlr. pr09r-.. ~ ha. aad. of it ID int.rnational oa.l.. SiDC' taking over the pr.mier.hip An lleO r hi, politic.l wi.dOM aDd ability have distingui.hed the United Arab Z.irato. policy abroad 1D4 at ho... WIllle ve 1I01IrD the decaae.d, we thuk you, Hr. Prol'l14ellt, for your tine! initiative od for .ul0CJ1.iDg hia before the Aas.llbly. ft18 .all a gr.at c.fort to u.. W, al.o .xtend our 9ratitudo for the f.o11D9' that "Ira .spr••••d b7 the l••derl of the regloDQl group. IDd of the hO.t·COUDt~. wa vl11 CODvey their con401,ncell to the fully of the 4.c••••4 ad to the GoverDllltDt au4 peopl. of the Unit.d Arab BIIirate•• we ••1.. till, opportunity to r.it.rate our pl.dge to the As.eably that the Unit.d Arab "irat.. continu.. ita policy b•••d OD iat.r••tieDa! chartaI'll and .vr....nt. ai_4 at the ..lnt.DUlc. of peac., ••cudty, ..lfar. a4 .tabillty for all countri.. of the vor14. AGDDA ITIM 1 (copUpu.d) .. . GDlIAL DBBAU Hr, IUIU (btigua ad aarbudah P1.a•••ccapt rq eowatry" coogratulatioal, 811', OD your UDa~u. el.ctioD aa Pr••ld.at of the forty-fifth but aleo, and pri..r117, ~cau•• Malta i8 • amal1, la1and cOUDt~·.ucb lit. our•• Malta'a role ID iBt-rDltloDal affair. 8.tv511 a•• be.COD of .chl.~Dt for ...11 (Mt, AI-Iblll!. Voit.« Arib lIIirlt••) cOUDtrl... We cODgratulate you, Ill', 9. JOur el.cUo. to W. Idp offlc. aII4 bo14 gr.at .zpactatloDa for tbo .acc.as of th!. ••••10a. My 4.1egatloll ..lc... Ll.chteuui. to tU f_l~ of aatlon aD4 ......... to .zpr... particu.lar pdde la tile a&d••loa of a aM11 ltat.. 1IIa11 Itate. uo4 the Uadte4 ••tloa., Mllberllh1p fol' _ 1. aaltJMtr a lUU1'1' _I' ... afgrtJlo1l9ht. 80vevel', If the .¥eat. of tbe ...t eight ,,"JEll uve taught a .1..1. MW 1•••01ll, it rul. of la", .0 ...c••a&l1' for tbe pr.'.l'¥&tloD of ,.ac., 1. of par&llOWlt !JIpol'tuce If the pdadpl. of tbo loftrelp e«JUaUt~ of ltatea 1. to e..sure. a.a11 Itatea CD be ••,ure" of the peruMaae of tboll' aoftrolptl' br 1»&1.., 1'. of tM UDite4.aUoDa, tU world" ,arll....t u4 ,.ae.~l.. lKMSJ'o Cl0DlJl'atulate ~ Secretal1'-GelDel'al, Mr. Jav!e:- hr•• ae CMl1., oa ~ lea4eI'.Jd, 1'01. be baa pl.,.4 la aecurl89 ,..ce. (Hr. br'li. bl;!pa pP:! larb""') Mbusa40r Garba of .iCJftda. le, ~leg&~loD 1IOrlEd cl0••1~ with h1a «ull11 the•• put 12 lIOatha .lace tU r.'r••••t.U". of AIltlgua aa4 1Hbac1a vu .1.ct~ Vlc.-Pre81deat of tU GaD8ral Aa•.-blJ' at 1~. fort7-folll'tb ••••10a.. .. ha". c.. awa1''' Ill'" with the Ial.....t retar4 for Ma iat.llect u4 for bb .kl11 .. a 41,I011at. 818 1.ac1erllhl, aariDe) coutl... Mg'OtlatlDg ••••10u cOllflma the faith ,lace4 la blll lot rsar u4 • .,I&1a8 the acJIIbatloa .. bu _a~ 'la. PH,lo of ~ ...11 coutl'J' .ated .,.clal thuJe. tc. fome!' P&"••ldeat GHba fol' tbe 1£184 wrda a44r•••ees to .. la hio partlDCJ .tat_lIlt. Twelllty-flVG ~.re lip, tbl'H out.ta41DlJ Caribbeu .tat__a - 81'1'01 Barrow of Barba40., 1'0rM••anall_ of Our- ucl Voro C. 811'4, • Pr* lUalater - BOt at Dick.uOD .ar, btlpa" to 1.DC! tbo1r .lpata,ee to tJMt cbal:'tel' of what 1. bcnm to4ar u tb. Culbbeu C~ltrlD Hr _11, developllWJ. 1.1aa4 coutl'J' tu•• ,r14. la bovlDIJ tha~ It bu ••lmI4 u tIut bedrock of rttfloul lat84)l'atloa la the Cuibbeu. fte CaJr'lbbftu Ca-waltr. 25 J'8ar. 014 th!. pDr, .. "rac•••ftl'J' IDgUeb-.,.atlDfJ ID4e».Ddltat cOUllltl7 la the Cal'lbMea aD4 tlal'H DOD...ID4epeDCSeat Car1bbeu Stat... ArJ tbe 1'4t91oul lategratloll at III tU Carlbbema ,alu _AtUII" our .sped.•aco bn c:oDflrM4 the rtlon IIa4e la 1••5 b.r the foUll4er. of the Car1b1Htaa Cc.maltl'. '!her ba4 10" arpacl tbat ••_11MJ1~ latractul~ CGMOa ,robl... withl. uc1 MODlJ _tiOD. ar8 Milt t.c~le4 b7 tba altUat.ral aptroacb. MF 101a4 contlY will thu. cODtlDue to ,Z'.cte InIltl1at.raU., coavlllcd that It doea pl'~v14. tJuD _ehul.. fol' co-operatloa, cCDtSil.lt~ aDC1 ,.acwful coo.l.t~Dc•• c.....•••Il.. .p'p~oaeb to ,robl.. lIolvlag• . It 1. "ldely recop18e4, fol:' ••.,10" that tbo ,r.atip of the Ualte4 _.Uoc. today .la blCJber t!wa it ball .vel' buD. NJ' delegatio. la flDll~ (:oiW1Dcec1 that tU (He, .r'li. APlil.. M4 "mw) ua..!-eu. cODde.Dltloa of Ira; for it. illva.loa IDd aDDOxatloD of KUWAit 1. pos.ib1. ID 1190 because of tho .ulti1ateral .pproach adopt." ia the hour of cri.i.. If aatioD' 1a~. Or a.Dl1, wealthy or poor, ara to be per.uad.d to turD th.ir .vorde iato p1oU9h.har.. aa4 their .pear. lato prualDCJ-hook., th.D .u1tl1at.~.li.. 8O.t bec~ • t.n.t of the for.ign policy of Stat••, IDd the ..ciwliaa of the Uaita4 .aUoD' .u.t H r.l114 apoa I" IJl latlgral actor. The Ualte4 RatioD' .u:=tzaot be .ad...r.1y a cODy.ai.Dt tool to be iDC1ud.4 iD or exclud.d fr. tuaultuou& world av,ats at the whbb ef Stat••, the legitlaacy of the Dait.d .aUoa. vU1 qulct1y H 8r04ed If it a,,.11'8 to H the hudJlaid'll of • few. My Gaver_lit aD4 people join iD tho UDlwr.a1 coad.uatiolll of Irag. As a _11 State, .. f••1 a !M)D4 with the peop1. of Eu.ait, n .har. their •••se of 1088 aDd outrage, ucI ...lah th•• to tao" that ay ...11, c1.v.lopiDCJ, i.1a4 cOUDtry "Ul 40 all that it ea "ithin th••• "a11a awS .1••vh.r. to help bdDCJ ID 'Dd to the laju.tlc•• perpetrata4 by the lavld.ra. Anoth.r lDiu.tic., per,petrat.4 b.r 184ift.r.Dee IDd gr.e4, br••• without .uree..e ia the Car1b!Ntu ClOuatl'y of S.ltl. ID 1804, wh.1l the Baitin r.volutionary TouG••iat L·OUv.rture .ucc••d.4 ia era41cat!DCJ .1av.r,r froa Salti, he h.rald.d a ••w wod4 oral' which, ia the thr•• 4eea4e. following, ha.teGID4 the ••4 of the evU .yet.. of a1a"erl" throughout the CadbHa. Salti bec.... tha fir.t thr••bo14 of aaotber DeW world order, 4.MOcracy in .alti cri8s out for a.slstanc•• ft. United R.tioae 18 beiDA; .ake4 to prov14, • t.at.4 _th04 of aaai.tHc, at the beh••t of the GoverDll8lDt of Saiti. My ..ll CadbHID country, .s.temlD.d to repay Itll hilltor!c." 4.bt to Bait! 04 to l'D4 IIhape to the ••rCJl89 Dew world order, bal!l jOiD.d iD GpoD.ori89 • draft re.o1utioD wbleb is .ure to be a40pted UDaDlaously by this A•••ab1y_ A r••olutioD Oil Baiti 4oe. DOt, however, trlD~lat. iDtO material (Hr. hr.S;. Ap!;igua Md Barbydl) a.si.tance, it behooves Ul to make p1.0ge. of finaDcia1 ,~ppo~t for the electoral proce" in Baiti anO to contrlbuta to the eventual rebui1diug of an economically viable anO politically Itable Balti. If we 00 not lucceed with thi. initiative, if we fail in this venture, then.. ahal1 have fal1eO in our effort to contribute to the creatica of a fair and decent world. A fair and decIDt South Afdca e1uc1e. u. for yet another year. rhe evil 'ylt.. of lPa~theicJ ha. beeD Ihaken by continued univerla1 cOlleteaatioD; the re1e.,e of Re180n MaDOe1a anet other political prisollerl anO the UDbaunlllg of the African .atioDal COllgre.. anO othcr political group. are the direct relult of the mcnmtiDg prelsure brought to bear 011 South Africa »y .nctloDs .luposeO by the Ullited Kation.. The•• auctions CUUlct be rel.14 at this tiM. My country and peop1.....lco_ the far-reachiDg chuge. takillg p1ac. 1n South Africa. We cODtinu& to ea1l on the racist regiMe to ~ve .wift1y to Ollaent1e apartheid, cOllscious of t~~ f~ct that the lODger official racl.. re..laa iD place the -er8 difficult will be the recoDstruction periOd fo11ovi89 It. 4,.1.e. Apartheld ~.t be AI.-ant1c" DOW ID orOer to save South Africa's black ..0 whit, children fre. sUfferlag the paiD alld .lsery· infllcte" OD aOu1t. and chi1dreD alike b.r aD oppre.mlve and unjust arste...iataiDed by force. The cODtinue" vio1e.ce against indigenous peopl.. iD the 1I04.rl1 world clDIlot b. a110weO to contiDue. A year ago ADt~9U. anO BarbaOa iasue4 a call for their protection following rllv,latioDs thmt IIIOre than 200,000 iDc1igenous people bad perished by violent ...ana in the preceding twelve-IIODth period. fte pllght of the world'l indigenous peepl•• aince the. ha. Illprove4 not at 811. Oo14-.i.el"., 1and-grabberl IDd thought1... crimlnala have iava4ed the 11D0a of indigenous people., causing dil.a••, environmental degradatioD aDd ....iv. 4isruption of trac1itional Ufil. The 1a1a4s of 'IIJf Cadbbeu "re ODce the hOIN of s.veral 11ld19111l0u. peopl". that ..re virtually e~tel'llillat.cl by war and .1ave1'Y, begismilig ill 1""2. Today'. illdi98IlOll. people. fight, ~ite the heroic Caribbean people. of celltud.e. pa.t, agaiD.t _re forwidable fOil., who "ill "urely allo 4ri~ the. illto .ztiDCtioll~ ADtigga aDd 2arbuda "ill thus readily give it••upport to thll Group for the Study of Ill4igellou. Populatioll', cOIlDected to the Ullited Ratioll' Subcommitt.e for the Protectioll of NIDoritie., lD propo.illg that 1992 ahoulcl be declared tJw "InterDatiollal Year of the Indigellous People. of the World". Two year. after becalD9 a Mellber of the UDited Natioll8, Antigua ad Barbuda joiDed "ith Malayda 8114 .lIveral other developing cowatdo. to pro.. for the protectioll of Antarctica. It would Dot be unreasoDable to conclude that we are disappoillted with the progre•• ma4e tbu8 fal'l yet wo hold great espectatioD' for the outco.. of the eDviro~Dtal protectioD confereDce of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parti.. to be hllld iD Cbile Dozt month. Me ••••rt the ri9ht o~ the S.cr.t&rr-GeDe~a1or hi. r.pr•••ntatlve to be pre.ent, though .. .cbowledge the gre.ter ad for DOll-Treaty parti.. to have a RulnCJfu! role in the docl.1on~iD9proce.s. It i. our fi~ beli.f that Antarctica Ihould be brought UDder the UMbrella of contl'ol of tbo United ••tloo. fte fro••n continent ••t DOt HCOlle the po••••l1on of large State. oDly~ My count&y 1. walhaJcabl,. ple&J.ct to tJw C.UI. of pre.ervil:lAJ Antarctica a. the COMOn h.ritage of all 1UDk1nd. Our contribution to th. etebat. OB the rational enviroa.eDt. Threat. to the B.rth's .nvlroDMent have _u1tlpll.4 Q thou.andfold 11ace the etart of the IDdultrla! revolution, ~t the turn of thAw C.Dtu~. ID 1••• thu 100 y••r., lIukill4 ha. IUCC".e-et in up••tting the ecological ballmce which evolve4 over ~ 3,500 .11l10B-rear hiltory of our pluet. Within the nezt to yearl, It 11 e.t1aatad that auklllU! v11l burn IiOr. fu.l than hal bee. con.WII8d .lnce the 41Icov.~ of fire half e D1l11oD yearl a90. Incre.siag level, of pollution, coupl.d with. 81ault...oua decr•••• in the ability of natural _y.to..e to ab.orb ataoapheric W.lt••, vil1 accelerat. QnvlrODaental d.cllne. lain for••tl, the -e.t valuable of RaDklD4'. terre.trial &s••ta, are being ".ltroye4 at AD alam11lCJ rat. dally. Our oceu. are pollut.a by vadou. cont.-tnuta - IDCludlng fertl11.er fun-off, Indultrlal w••te. and 011 Ipl11. - vhll. low-lylng agr!cultur.l 1uc!II wc-Id w148" Includlag .nt1l'e illude In the C.rlbbeaa ADc! ID the South Paciflc, are threate.ed with lubmers!oD by 1'1.189 .ea- 1.".18 J»rought aJK)ut by 910))&1 wamiDl) Mc! the ..ltlDg of the polar ice-capsc Our. 11 all 111 pluet which will beCOllft 1101'8 111 unl••• our countri•• mre willin9 to alt.r l1ga!ficutly our patterD~ of =onsu-,ptloa. IroDlcally, the ..11.,r189 of tblE atate of affaira CaD be found iD cau••• at_Iq fr. both wealth ua povertr. Developed n4 developlnq countdea both cODtribu~.. The solutions therefore lie iD both national aDd international action 0 My cOUDtry thus welco_s the 1992 ConfC9reDce on BnvlrolUl8l1lt and J)evelopll8llt, to be hosted by Brazil, od app1auda the Ml1dives for the Confer.nce on Sea-Level .1•• held recently. ODe ROnth ago at the Unitea NatioDs CODCJr.s. on Cd..., held iD Ravana, ay GovorDaent outlined lta po1ici.. to combat international cri.. - ODe of the modern scourge. of.mantind. ADd, at the special se.siOD OD drug. earlier this year, we sharad with the As.emb1y our concerns and the approaches we have adopted to eliminate the danger poled by drug trafficking. At the Conqre.8 on Crime and at the special .ession on drugs, the CODsenlUS elearly pointed to a n.ed for a multilateral aSlau1t OD the purveyors of these evila. My COUDt~ ha. thus formulated a ragioDal plan of action in concert with eight other Caribbean island nation. to deter r~glona1 drug traffickers and to dis.uade criminals with grandio.e Bcheme.. W. have for.ed a reglonal .ecurity force which i. ~r.pare4 to respond swiftly and forcefUlly to aDy threats to its My Goverument haa also 9iven its support to the proposal, put forward by Trinidad and Tobago, to breathe new life into the idea of aD International criminal court of justice. We are confident that .uch an institution would provide a workable Mchanhm .s part of a whole range of .ervice. i'eguirecJ for the fair administration of international criminal justice. Drug traffickingBDd criminal terrorism pose .pecial security problems to island countries with hundreds of mile. of unguarded shoreline. &Dd with scarce resources ~o match the ultra-modern eguipmeat which wealthy druq baron. have ths wherewithal to purchal~. But beyond .ecurity lie. another probl••• We have learned from othor island countri.. in advanQed stlge. of 4evelopGent, like Singlpore, that investment in childre. and youth i. the ~.t certain route IWIY from under-development. Priority in my island country hi. thus been giveD to the development of human resources. To neglect our hW'lID resource blse !B to undermine the potential for future economic growth. Yet, .carce finlDcial resources must be diverted ~o combat drug trafficker. and crt-inal terrorists, while official development Issiatonee slows to a trickle and borrowing, at lower than the market rite of interest, hiS become unlvailable. My relatively poor island-developing country, with I per clpita income blrely esceecling '2,000 per annum, hIS been gradulted to a middle-income country, thereby putting conceasionsry lOaDS beyond our grlsp. Smlll island countries eo wlnerable to aevastltiDq Dltural catastrophes, so licking 1n Dltural resources &bd with ezcee4ingly small populations, cannot relsonably be judged by the same economic yardsticks IS populous, resource-endowed, large countri.s. We therefore call once again for the use of more reliable ecoDomic indicators in jUdqinq the well-being of small island-developing countries. The economic well-being of ID independent Namibia i. of gre,t importlnce to Antigul and Blrbudl. We welcome Namibia to thls forum aa a freeg independent Member country. Our small voice w,s frequently ralsed in condeMnation of South Africa for its unllwful occupation of Namibia, and we have recently matched our words with & financial contribution to the nation-building ezereise. Politicll indep~ndeDce can become meaningless if economic conditions remain poor and Namibia remains depenaent on South African goodwill. Continuinq on the African continent, we wish the people of Western Sahara also to know thlt they can count on our continued support iD their struggle for self- determination. My country welcomes the approval by the Security Council of the Secretary-General'. plan to supervise a ceaaa-fire between Morocco and the POLISARIO, and to orgAnise and conduct a referendum. Antigua and Barbuda la equally pleased by th~ decision of the Cambodian parties to accept an eDhanco4 role for the Unite6 NetioD. snd to for.a a Supreme _.tional COUDcil to f&~illt.te negotiations. !here has be8~ D~ prog~ocs la Cyprus and the situatloD in Lebanon appearG to be at a atalemate. Ko must redouble cur efforte here at the Unitod XatiOD& to bring theso tortuous civil wars to an end. We will also continue to seek & just molutioD to the Palestinian problem. In Central America .e velcoma tho triumph of peaca and reiolae with the nicaraguan and Panamanian peoples. Ke a«ber, to our earlier proDoUDce..mts that aconoalc injustico is the root cau.e of many of the cODf1icte in that region. They vlOre e.acerbatea by cold-war tenslona, which, thankfUlly, have disappeared. Until ~coDOMic rofo~s are ~Dmtituted, Central America .i11 continue to ezperience ciVil We have a110 .itn.s••d a l8sS8niDg of tension. in lurope. the Federal Republic of Ge~any and the German Democratic Republic, previously .eparated by a hideous -.a-Mado wall, peacefully reunitecl and bec... the nation of Gemuy. TIlt. r....rkab1. chugs ls parhaps the MO.t elllcouragiag indicator that laat-West cold var tellsions are disappeariDg. The destruction of the Berlin Wall demenstrates the Irreversible change. taking place OD the eaDterD half ef the European continent. On behalf of the GoverlVllant and. the peop1. of Antigua ua aarbuc1a, 'ItfI delegation welcomes the De. Gemany to the United Nations, and extendas heartfelt. beat vilhes to ita GovermneDt u4 its ptiople. The 1e••ening of tenaions ~an also be .itn.aoed on the Korean peninsula. It i8 our hope that the Itereus, lite the ~l'IIlus ad the Ye_nI8, wUl join huds one «ay 800B. Until that day, IIY country supportG the aepublic of Korea in its re«Juest for -embership in the Orqanla'tlon. Wc =onaidar unjust the continued deDial of IlClllber.hlp foZ' Z08caons Gthllr the thoelit stipulated in the Charter of the Unitecl MatioD•• As mankind approach.s th& fiDSl deca4e of the twentieth century, it ia faced with the tllk of f.ahioDiDCJ what i. Incre8li1ngly beiDg call.~ e Ill.~ world order. It i. our fODction at the U~lt.a Natlona to givo structure to current evelllts 80 that the world of th. tventy-fir5t century Mla}" !Ht utter 01'9_18.4. Our task ls to ...t the need. of the huseD f..il~ while MiniMising environmental degradation, eliminating brutal dictator.hip, cDaiD9 aparth'id and ••ase1888 discrimination agailllst WO_D, oe! d!.p(!tna!DCJ u aeeeptol••tudarci of h!lalth, houa!.ag ail education to the wor14'. poor and poverl•••• A COUi!try 611 aall •• ay ova "Ul D~t pi'6teD4 to have a Maaurab1e J.llpaet upon ay ••rgin9 De. world ort10r'1 but it would H dugeroady pre.umptuous for 13!'ge Dation. to a••~ that tber~ 1& nothing to be learned fzoGa small countri.s• It vaa the Haitian rovolution which ba.ten.d the d••tructlon of .1averY.aDd paved the way for the introduction of a n.w .conomic .y.t.. in the W••tern h~i.phere at the dawn of the nin.teenth century. It i. Li.cht.nlltoin, the _ne.t State Meaber of the Unit.d Ration., which .njoy" the hiJh.llt per cBpita lncOM of any country in the world. It wa. Moreu. Garvoy of Jualca who fired the .lnd. of African and Caribbean laaders in the .truggle to eliminate coloniali.. in the twentieth c.ntury. It vas Sir Arthur L.wia of Saint Lucia who•• writing. on d.velopment economics and whoao practical suggestion. for economic development plana .arned him the Nobel Prize for economics 12 year. ago. Antigua and Barbuda can be count.d on to live up to it. responalbiUty to it. people, to it. r.gion ud to the world at large. What.ver the forum, be it the ·.8binet, the Caribbean Co_unity or the cOIllnUllity of nation., my country "Ul cour_g.ou.ly promote tho.e idea. that constitute the corn.r-.tone of a new world order. "Small .180", lIlY Pri_ MiDil1ter ha. fr.CJUently said, "410.8 not _an 8111all .lnd. or the absence of grand iaeas... And the grude.t idea. are peace and ju.tlc•• Mr- IIBG (Barbado.). Mr. Pre.ident, I am plea••d to join those who have cODgratulated you OD your vell-deserved el.ction as Pre.ident of the forty-fifth ••••10n of the United Nations General A.s.mbly. I am particularly delighted that JOu, a representative of a .mall i.land Stste, .hould have r.ceived thi. honour, at a ti.. wh.n the Unit.d Hat!ona has achieved .uch pro-eminence. May I alao take this opportunity to endor.. the tribut.. paid to your di.tingui.hed pred.c~••or, Ri8 Bzcellancy Major-General Jos.ph H. Garba, for his maeterful l1IanAgement of the forty-fourth ••••10n, and to .xpr... our appreciation to His Bzcellency Mr. Jovial' Per•• «8 Cuellar for his st.adfa.t stewardship a. Secretary-GoDoral of the Organisation. (Mr. Burst. Antigua agd BOtbuda) On behalf of the Government ~d the people of Barbados. I should also like to avail IIlself of this occasion to eztend a wam v.lce..., on behalf of tha GoverDMnt aDd the people of Barbados. to Liechtenstein, ae it joins the community of nations within the Orguisc.tioll. A mere two IIOntha IgO, the world seemed poised on the threshold of a De. and ezciting era. Prospecta for worlel peace were better the at any other t1ll8 within the 45-year hiatory of the United Rations. Today" the crisis in the Gulf caused by tragi. blatant aggression in invading neighbouring Kuwait ie placing a damper on thou. prospects. and is a reminder of the fragility of peace. The Gover_nt of Barb.do. COllaellDs the invasion of l:u"ait~flulC! calls for an 1mftediate and unconditional withdrawal of the IraCJi forces. If. condder the invasion a flagrant violation of the norms of international law aDd the principles of tb. Charter of the United Rations. At the beginning of the forty-fourth sesalon of the General Assembly. no one would have predicted the .ignif!cant change. wbieh wou14 take. place throughout the world in 18SS than one year. An end to Bast-West confrontation has lea to .1guificant political. .ocia1 and economic change. in lastera Burope. Today we .alute the peoples of Germany on their l'eun1fication and welcome the. to the United Hations aa a single State. In a .im!ler vein. my Government i. heartenecl by the dialogue now taking place bet.en the Governments and the peoples ef the Itor.an peninsula. We loot forward to the early and full representatioD of the paop1es of Kore. in the United lfatiOl!l8 in keeping with the principle of the universality of the OrganisatioD. ~ delegation is particularly encouraged by developments in southern Africa. The people of Haalbia bave gain84 their independence and have taken their rightful place In the OI':;,uisatloD. In South Afdca. we welcome the re1e.se of Mr. Handela. (Mr. ling, Barbldo.) the UDbaDD1Dg of the African B~tioDa1 Congr••a &Dd other political parti.. and the ra1••Uon of SOM oth.r re.tdctiv.....ur... n. d.l89.tion of Barb.do. 1. a1ao ...courage" by the two round. of talka .t Groote Schuur aDd .t Pretoria antS by other area. of provr.... •• indic.t.a iD the r.port of the S.cret.ry-Gea.ral 011 the pr09r.....d~ in the t.p1...ntatioD of the Dec1aratioD 011 Agartb.i4 aDd ita Deatructlv. Conaequ5Dc•• ill SoutherD Africa, adopted by the Gan.ra1 Aa••ab1y at ita aiat••nth apecial ,.ulloD. But a groat d.a1 1101'1 .til1 n.ed. to be donI before the ayet.. of ARllrthPld CDD be aboliahed and • trUly repre.elltativ. DOD-raclal deaocratic lociety ••tab11Bhad III South Afdca. The at.pa towardll that goal. let out iD the Declaration adopt.a at the lpecial 1••llon. have be.n r.affi~d iD r••olution 44/244. UDull10ully a40pte« by the GeDera1 be.llbly OD 17 S.pt.llber Ilg0. ... vi,,, thtI a.v.lopMDtl which havI occurred Mr.ly al It.pl ill the right cUrecUoll. ... eall on the illternational co.-unity to ..intain all fO~1 of pre••url. Includln9 '&Dctionl. to .Dlur. that the .vil of apartheid il eradlc.tatS fra. the fac. of the (Hr. IS., IIrboOol) The war ~t_.1l Iraq aD" Ira bas COMe to u eDdll thit conflicts ID AfghlUllataD and Central America have boen largely r.aolve4~ and the 10Dg-standlDg cri,ie iD ClIIbodla ••••• to be on the way to an acceptable re.olutioD. OD. foature of the current wave of .ucce.. la the prt-ary role p1a,.4 by tho United .atioDa aDd in particular by the Security COUDCU. With the ch8la. of euper-Po_r eonfroDtation aDd idoologlcal polarisation there now GE1.t. • refreshing Ipirit of eo-operation, and prospects for laltlDe) world peace have Dewr beeD .e 9004. For the firat t_ iD Ita esi.toDce the United Satlona DOV hae aD Id.,l opportunity to build and .aint,in the world ord.r for which the Orguillatlon vaSl cr.,tod. To 4!0 .0 ,ucc••'fully, of cour••, requir•• commitMent &Dd adberance to the prlnelpl•• rt •. aDshrln.d in the United .atloD' Charter. The dlcialve IIaJUler in "hich tb. Secudty Council ha. «jODG about it. bue!na'l in recent weekmprovid.. t&Dglb18 ,vidence of the crucial an4 unique role of the United .ltiODS iD pr•••rvlDCJ woi'ld peaee 04 .ecurity. 1'01t' a. grave a. le the eri8i. in tho Gulf, it ha. aleo provide4 aD admirable opportunity t~ dODODltrate the extent to which th. interDatloD~1 ca-B~ity can co-ope~.t. In the qu'lt for peace Dd iuat.lce. It 11 to be hoped that till. new-found apir1t of eo-operatic. will prevlil OD other occ••ioac when tbe aatioDel interests of tho auper-Powers happen to coincide. Of cour.. we fully lupport all the Unlt.d Batloa. Security Couaeil re.olutlon. UDcoDGltionll withdrawal frea Kuwait an4 l~.e .andatory leone-le Bcnctlon. OD tba 899r•••or. Iraq'. 899r,••loD DOt only 1. a thr.at to iaternetionel peaee and ••curity, but allo bring. Iharply into fOCUD the IDhereat VUlnerability of ...11 Stat•• to I ••aulta on their .ecurlty, .overeignty an4 territorial integrity, aDd It poiate to the vital ne.4 ...11 State. bav. for the United Ration. to .afeguard (Mt. ling. BarblGel) their IDter••ts. It 1. thu. erl~lcal1y ~rtaDt that the U.ltad ••tloaa abou14 prevall ID tb8 cur~.Dt crl.l.. DOt becauae tbl. -ay ~ ID the .trat-wlc lDter••t of prlDc1pl•• of laterllat:loaal law whleb pwm reIatiolUl MOag Stat••• If B, too4 I. to CaM frCII thl. cd,la it 1• ., Goftr.-aDt t • f.n-ellt JaG,. that, aft." the wlthcka..l of 11'..1 forCIl8 u4 tbe r••tOl'atloD of tU .overeApt" of Kuwait. the Or9aDl••tloD vill turD Its urgent att.otloB with eggal vigour to flndla; • peaceful aD4 co-preh.aslve .ettl"'Dt of the out.taD41ag cODfllcta 1. the 1114410 last. '!be .w-foWl4 .plrlt of IDt.rutio.cl political co-opel'atloll. urke4 bf the dec".... la 14101og1cal t.D510... pr~'~Dt. a gOldeD opportualt, for tba powerful aa4 la4u.trl.11~ advanc.a State. to bl'lag about • aajol' l'e41.trlbutloD of I'e.oul'c., ID the creetioD of • De. world order. Bow"£', "" f ••r. with ... juatlflcatloD. that the 1D4u.tdaUae4 Dat10u "1' be 41rectlaw tbelr atteatloD later..l1,. with!D ~ .Ol'tb. at the e.,eD'. of tbe South. Aa t.be leet-Me.t divide ..rl'ova., tile .orth-South 9ap .... to .,ide.. b4 80 we r_lD4 the coutrl•• 'of the .orth that developl..., cOUDtrie. eODtl.u. to feee bard... such aa the Bet outflow of r.aourc~.. 1Dcl'...I89 trade protectloDl.. the l'eductloD of cODcea.10aary aDS other flD&Dc1.1 fl0W8. aDd ever-ADcr•••lag oil pric... Val.&. ~ iatera.tlo..1 c~lt~ addr••••• tb5•• critic.l ,robl...~ I rearDwlll continue to alua. ua. 2hrougb ... aa4 creative aolutlo.. let .. rea, 41atdbute4. Nb11. Barbado8 1. coacoraed about the .00Do-lc p119ht of developiDg cOUlltrl•• ID plleral, I tue \hi. epportUDltJ' to I:d.gbU,bt ... of our ova .,ec1el probl_ ••eluded f~a- the debt-r.ll.f pr09r~. of the i.ter.atic.al finaDclal lutlt"tlou Heaua .. ar& DOt cl..~If1e4 a. a 1•••t 4evolopecJ COWltry. Otbor 4ebt-re4uctlon pleDD do DOt &441'... our pacQllar situation. Coatinued acc... to cOllc•••loDary f!DUc:1DlJ la belag effectively delllied WI becau.e of aD ovar-eaphui. OD the gro.. DatloDal pr04"et (GIP) per capita critorioD, pract••ly at • tiMe vbea our ec0BaOllY face. great challeDSJe.. fto lroDy i. that .. are being penll••4 for !he Gover.-.Dt of Barbadoe i. of the vie. that a -ore dynamic aDd reali.tlc approach to the pxoov1810D of developlMDt· a••1Btuce ."st be adopte4. Tbls should 411" duo "ui. to t!w r-..loa&l U4 cubregloDal d1lleaalon. of developlUnt. For It bu bec.. abUD4aDUy cl.ar that 4evelopllODt ..Ul" .iD the final .al1'DI8, be 1'01. of 4eveloplD9 cOUDt~le. a. .uppl1ora of the l=puts, both ..tertal aDd advl.orr, for regio••1 techDleal a••istance pr09r~. funde" by the United .atio••• ceDt,,1'1' tbu that of foat.dll9 cnvlro_Dtal1y .oud ecollOltic clevelo~Dt. Tblll tat ha...1& eDt~u.te4.... It .ho"ld N, to the United .atioD. (oDfereDce oa IDViroDaeDt aa4 Dev51opDent. to be held la 8ra.l1 ID 10'2. Tb••UCC~D. of the 1002 CoafareDca "Ul depeD4 OD our &bUit.y"· , ch agree_at oa .a."re. to elibgce r••ource 04 techDolO91' tru.fers to c1evelopiBCJ couatd... Tbla la ••••nti.l U' 4evelopllig' coutdoll are to be eDBbled to play their role lD l.-ple.ntlDg _re .".talaabl. pettera. of d.v.lo~Dt•• • Mr. AWOODO!' (Glw'ia), Vice-Prc.ident, took tU Chair. T04ay there i. wldeaproad 1..tarDmtloM1 CODce::1Il about the probl_. of drug traff!cklag. Thi8 CODc.rD ••• evident at the forty-fourth .~••lon of the UDit~d .aUo... o...eral Aa.e.ly aDd at the ••va..t ••nth epecla1 g"••l@D, devoted to internatlo..al cOeoperatlon agal"lt illicit productlon, .uppl~, 6.....d, tr.fficking and dl.tributloa of narcotlc drug. and psychotropic .ub.tance•• It i. the vl." of ID}' delegation that o..e of tho aajor advuc.. at the .ev...teenth .peCi81 ••••io.. w•• th.recognitioD th.t the d.....4 for narcotic drug_ 1. a. de••rvlag of concerted int.rnational action •• the .upply. Furth.r ••ph.ais wae 9iven to ~. d••aD4 compoD.nt by the Dad.ratioD adoptad .t the Modd Mini.tart.l SumMit to loduce the Demand for Drug- aDd to C~t the Cocain. Threat, .. b~ld in LondoD iD April thb yoar. Me HUeft that the ....ur.. contaiDed iD the cOllbat drug abu••• In IIY coatry, Berbado., our P.rU....Dt this year p••••4 Da" od e.taDdve legi8latioD to combat drug trafficklag. Provi.ioD b.. bee....d~ to forfeit aDd drug-relatad off.nces have beeD .barply iDcreas.d aDd .a" offe..ce. relati~g to drug trafficki.., bave bee.. creeted. I ea happy to report that Berbadoe will .bortl~ .ceoae to the Vienna Co..veDtlo.. OD narcotic drugs aD4 p.ychotropic .ub.tanca•• It ia ay GovarIUHDt·. beUaf that aD iDdlape...able cODditiOD for peace IUIOlIlg DatioD. aDd the rational development of the resourc.. of thi. planet for tha good of all peopla. ia tho ob.ervuc. of hUllD d9ht~ IUIld democracy. It 1. for that roaaOD that tbs Gover~Dt of Barbado. pur8ues pol~ci.' of creatlDg and etreagthcDin9 internatioDal iD'tr~at' for tbe pra-ctlon of huaan rightl. It i' for that re••on that tha GovorllMDt of Barb.do, will ,peak out 4.-ocl:"c1" occur. It iD &180 for that re.,on that we cODdeane4 the recent vio1eat ••••ult on the deMOcratically elected Gov.r~Dt of our ai.ter republic of Trinid.d and Tobago. In purluance of our policy to .upport inatrUReDtl that promotc human rights, I IUI happy to &mlounce that I have today depollted ay country', inltl'WlMtnt of ratific.tion of the hl.toric CODveDtioD on the Right. of the Child. Sarbadol look. forward allo to the adoptioD of • COBvention OD tha Protection of the Rlghtll of all Migrant Workerl and Their 1'8IIUio., 10 that thoulIlUlda of MD and women froN developing countrie, who contract to work iD foroign land. vill be protected from ezploitatioD and abuDe. The interDatloDal co.-ulty i' f...Ular vith the effort, of the Baitiu peG,l. to achieve .oclal aDd ecoDomic progr••• within a atable democratic framework. The Bea41 of GoverDlKtnt of Caribbe. countdaa have, over the yeara, followed the .ituatioD iD Haiti with d.ep concarD for the ..lfaro of the Baitian poople. Caribbean Comm~itr Minilterial Mi••ions an4 Working Group. of Senior Blectoral Officer. from Caribbean Stat•• have vilitea Baitl iD the pa.t YQar, .eekiD9 to help our lilter Caribbean country ia ita .fforts at democratisation end econo_lc development. At their meeting iD Jamaica, In July 1990, Reads of GovOrDmeDt of Caribbean State. reaffirmed th~ir _lllingDe.. to co-operate with the GovorameDt and people of Baiti, with the United RatioD' a4 vith the Ol'gubatioD of American Stet•• in providing al~l.tance for the holding of fre. and fair electloal la Baitl. The General Aasombly at its forty-fifth se••ion will be asted to cOD.id~r a r.solution CO-spoDlorod by Caribbean and Latin AMerican States requosting as.istance with the .lectoral proce•• in Baiti. M. hope that that r••olution vill rec.ivo the UDanimous support of this Assembly &Dd that its provisions will be implemented without delay. Despit. the .erious threat to internatioDa1 peace and security currently confronting the world - inde.d, ironically, almost because of it - the forty-fifth session of the Assembly haB opened in on unprecedented atmosphere of optimis., espectation and confidence. At this critical juncture in history, States MGtmbers of the United Nations .ust use this moDlentUII to forge a co-operative approach to the IIlDDagement of our p1snet Barth that eddres.es the root causes of conflict, inter 011. the eztreme oconomic and social ine~ual1tie. between and within States, bUDget, poverty and dis.aIl8. Man, who has created the computer and con~uere4 the moUD, who has split the atoll rmd decoded the gene, now haa the chance illl DD age of entente to harne.s hi. creativity intelligently towards the development of the whole human family and toward. the pre.ervation and eDharacemeat of the environment iD 'tfhi~h he Uves. It Is appropriate and necessary that the United Rations should take the lea4 in structuring the ne. Igenda for development for all by the year 2000. Hr. MWANANSRIJal (Zambia)a I joiu the speakers who have preceded _ in congratulating you, Sir, OD your well-deserved election to the presidency of the Oenera1 Assembly at ita forty-fifth se.alon. W. are living 1D critical timeD characteri.ed by revolutionary change. in world politics. My de1egatioD i8 therefore p1.as.d that a seasoDed and well-respected leader ls guidiD~ the work of this Assembly. Ne have no doubt that, given your vast ezpedence in international affairs, JOY~! ',at••r our deliberations to a succe.sful conclusion• ·Your predece.sor, Major-General~08ephGarba of Nigeria, pr••ided OVGlt" the laat s8ssion with exemplary .eal at a time of unprecedonted develo~nts, particularly In Bastern lurope and southern Africa. I~1eed, the world witn.ssed during his tenure of office the successful implementation of Security Council resolutioD 435 (lg78), leading to the independence of Namibia. We commend him most sincerely for his tirele.s efforts in the promotion of global peace. It is with great pride that my delegation welcomes the Republic of "aibia as a Member of the United Nations. We are happy tDat the independence of Namibia has closed the mad chapter of colonialism on the continent of Africa. My delegation is also delighted to welcome in our midst the Principality of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein's admission to the world body brings us a step closer towards the realization of the goal of universality. I also wish to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to our Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Peres de Cuellar, for the commendable efforts he continues to make in the promotion of international peace aDd security. Since we last met to review the complex issues confronting the world, a number of events have come to pass. Of these, the most importADt is, of course, the welcome improvement in the relations bet.een the auper-Powers, resulting in the end of the cold-war era and in the emergence of a process towards the elimination of hotbeds of tension in the world. Forty-five years ago the founding fathers of our Organization envi8io~ed a world in which peace and security would be preserved through international co-operation and understanding. With thlS end of the cold war, manJd.nd ha., for the first time since the eDd of the Second World War, en opportunity to brinCJ about the realisation of th~t vision through tha abolition of Duclear and chemical weapons and the redu~tio~ of conventional ve~PODS throughout the world. Against thi8 ba~kgroUDd. my delegation welcome. the reeent po8itive achievement. iD the area of arms control ADd di.om_nt. In thi. regard. the! agreement to eliminate a c1a.. of nuclear weapons. which was 8igned bet...n the Soviet Union and the United States in 1987. represents ea important corner-.tone and 8 good beginning. Since then. effort. aimed ata reduction in strategic mi8.il.s have continued. We loot forward to aD agre.mont on a treaty OD strategic ml'8iles. which we hope will be signe4 800D. !he ultimate goal. however. remains the eventual complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction from the face of the Earth. To achieve that goal. there has to be a comprehens~Ya nuc1ear-test-ban treaty. which will forbid improvements in weapon systems of mass de.truction. We have also welcomed the continuing effort. aimed at the projected destruction of stockpile. of chemical weapons. and we call for a total baD on the manufacture of those destructive weapons. Ne havs followed with great illterest the negotiatiolls In Vi.DDm OD the reduction of conventional weapolls in Burope. Me ..lco_ the progre•••a4e and we congratulatethos. involved in the negotiations. Let _ DOW turn to southern Afdca. The frollt-line States coatinue to follow events 111 South Africa with teen illterest and some CODCern. While we have welcemed the "talks about talks" between the African Rational CODgre.sof South Afdca aDd the Government, which have resulted in the Groote Schuur and Pr.to~la Mlllute., v. remain cODcerned about the increase in violeDce in black townships in recent time., which has led to great los. of life ~d property. No reaffl~ our call on the Government of South Africa to end without further tho same time W8 urgoall anti-apartheid organisations in South Africa to demonstrate unity of purpose against their common enemy, the apartheid system itself. The international community hal a binding responsibility to ensure that APartheid is eradicated. The Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa ve adopted by CODleDSUS last December remains a blueprint for establishing a climate conducive to negotiations leading to the ultimate elimination of apartheid. Ne are delighted that the Assembly continues to remain unanimous in its cODclusions that the measurea taken thUD far by the South African regime do not constitute profound and irreversible change, aa calle4 for in the DeclarGtloD, aDd that therefore this ' 1 not the time to relu the e:dsUDg suctionll against South Africa. Our :judgement remains that the oppres.ed people of South Africa, Which the sanctions vere intended to support in their struggle Qgaln8t APArtheid, are the best :ju4ge. of how and when the sanctioDs should be removed. (Hr. MMaDIQ.bl~u, Iambi.) ID ADgola" talks betweD the GoverDMDt aDd UHITA. a_d at a peaceful "OlutiOD ~® tbe conflict ill that couatry ara \Ul4.r way. M~ appeal to those ezteE'Dal Povere a~C1R9 UlITA to stop such assi.tancs so that DegotiatiQns CaD take place iD an Qaa~iODS of poop1. have beeD displaced by the wars iapos,d oa those couatrie. fro~ @~~oide. As a result, ~y ch!ldr.~, WCmGD and old people contin~e to suffer from ~o effects of destabl11s.tion. Ht appeal to tho iDterDational community to extend lli1~.:::lDitarifU1 asdstuc. to both bgo1a and MosambiCJue. Tbe froDt-1ine States and tho other neighbouring State. in southerD Africa, ~~ach ha.. suffered great «avaatatioD ia both human and material t.r~8 at the handm @~ 8ha aparth,14 r5gt.G, a1ao .Ged internatioDa1 a.sistaoce to enable them to ~o10uUd their .CODOIIio.. Illdaed, South Aldca'" policy of 4"stabiU8ration against @g, , OVll country, the activiti•• of the ROAMO budlte are 011 the iDcr~aD., ~oc ~tln9 ID great lo.s of life ond property. The most recent ca•• to~1c plaee OD GC ted iD th.death of 10 Zambian. and the 4~structloD of several vehicles. It ~lDst thi. background that .. reiterate our call for iDcreas.d assistance to • the affected couatri.. to rebuild their ecoDomie. ae called for iD the OD. ~!'atiol!1. If. are sad4eDe4 by the c1v11 war ill Liberia, .hlah hall brought about pto1d 8uffer~D9 amoDg iuaocsnt clvlllQD.. Me appeal to the internatioDal community to suffering. W. welcOIN the regional IDltiative taten by the cowatrles !IOmbere of the BcoDomic COI'IIIuitl" of W••t African States (BCOtfAS) iu help11l9 to bring peace to Liberia. of the cuualllt Chainum of the OE'(JaDhatioD of Afdcan Unity for' their cODtlBUiD9 effort. to~ar4e the holding of & roferen4UB for ••1f-dote~iD&tion. Mlth rogard to CaucuUa.. we velCOH the unity of purpose displays4 by the Council. We command the countries member. of the As.oclatioD of South-Bast AsiaD Kations (ASBAII) for their cODtribution to thb 4eveloplODt. N. loot forward to a peaceful transition within the frM.work of the plan by the five pemuent Mllbers of the Security Council. Zambia cODgratulates the poople of Yemen for the historic decision to merge their divided country into a siDgle republic. In Korea, we welcome the talks by the Prime M1alsters of the two countries. He hope that this interaction vill lea4 to the re.lisation of the a.pirations of the KoreaD people to achieve unity through peaceful M.II. III the s_ spirit, Zambia warmly welcomes the reunification of Ge~aDY. In Afghanistaa, it remaiDs our hope that recent talk. bet~.D the United State. aDd the Soviet U~iOD will pave the vay to the ach!Qv...nt of a lasting peace in that troubled country. In the case of Cyprus, ve note with regret that, d••plt~ the effort. of the international community to find a solution to tho probl..s of that COUDt~, tbere appears to be little progress in thst regar4. We therefore appeal to the Secretary-General to per.ovore In his efforts to resolve tb. crisi. aDd urge the parti.. concerned to co-operate with hi•• ID Central America, we are 91a41y vitne••IDg a tr&DGfo~atioD f:rea conflict to aD unprecedented atmosphere of Dational and regional reconciliation. we hope that this process vill Ultimately lead to lnstlag regional ~ace, stability aDd development. we vi.w the rec.nt .vent. ill the Gulf rOCJioll with gr.at CODc.rll. Zuabia. ••illtain. goo4 l'elatloDS "ith both Ku".it aDd Iraq, wbich al'. follow ..libel". of the RCl\-AllgD.d MoV811l8nt. ID the context of our fdendly r.latlon. "ith both of the., we h.". call.d Olll Iraq to withdlt'av it. forc•• frOll Kuwait in accorduc. "ith th. ral.vant S.curlty Council re.olution. and urg.d both cOUAtri.. to r••olve any out.tandinq dlfforeDco. bet....n th•• through negotiation•• Tb. Gulf crla18 b.. giv.n 1"1•• to _any ra-ification.. One of th••• is tho apparent r.legation to the backgroWld of th. Clu••tlon of Palo.tine. Th. pligbt of th. Pale.tinian., of which thl. A•••mbly ha. beon ••i.04 .inc. 10t8, _uat ~~ 8d4r••••4 "ith the .ame feroc1ty and d.teminatioD a. 18 beinCJ shown iD th. callo of the Gulf cri.laa It .hould be re..mber.d that thoro vill be no r.al peace In tile Niddl. Ba.t until th. right. of th. Pal••tiniaa people are ju.tly addr••••d. Zaabia contlnu.. to beli.ve that an int.rDatioDal conf.ronc. .hould be conven.d under the 8u8plc.. of the United .atioDe at which all parti••, including th~ Pal••tiD. LiberatioD Organi.ation (PLO), sbould be ropre••nt.d. Tbis i. the 01l11' "ay tII. CODcern. of I.raol, the PLO aD4 the re.t of th. Arab aatiolll. CaD be a4dr••••4. 8.coIl41y, tile Gulf criai. ba. givon ri•• to .eriou. ecoDo-ie and fiDaDc!al countri•• that al". clo., to the.region and that are requir.d by th•. intornationa1 ComMunity to participat. In the .aforc...nt of the 8aactlon.. ~e int.rDational community ia .aklaq .ffort. to .iDl.1.. the fiDucial 10.... .uff.r.d by tho•• countri... However, nothing .0 far i. being dOll. to •••let the., e~pocially the oil-i~rtiD9 cOUDtl'le. iD Africa, "ho.. .zternal po.itloD8 have been adv.rs.ly .ffected by the ••calatioD la oil pr1c••• I wl.b to take thl, opportunity to appeal to the Int.r~atlonal c~it~ to COMa to the a••l.tlDe. of tho.. countrl••, Includlag l.-bla, who.. .coD~l.. aro belag ••rlou.ly dl.rupt.d •• I r••ult of. the Gulf crilll•• Th. third aspect of the Gulf crllia r.lat•• to policy and, In particular, to the .nfo~c'''Dt of Security Council r••olutlonl. Since tb, beglDDlag of the Gulf crisi., MUch ha. be.n aai4 in thi' Aa••ably ID4 la the S.curity Council Ita.lf about the principle of the ina~l••ibility of acquiring t.rritory by force. Thla, of cours., 1. a cardiaal prlncipl. in int.rnational relationa, and we in Zaabls subscdbe fully to It. W. do belie"., however, that thl. noble pdncipl. ,1I0uld be Wllv'l'.ally appliedl whor••• it b of cour•• within the COIIpet'DC' of the United I .. Rations to demIDeS that one COUDtry .hou1d withdraw it' forc., frOll 1D0th.r, who•• territory it ia occupying yi et arm!', that de.and .houleS apply equally to all countries who•• force. are illegally occupyl~ th~ territoriec of othera. It la oaly in thl. way that double atlDeSarde will be avo14ed and confidence In our Ol'gaDlaatioD'.Dhence4. Let .. touch now OD a DWlber of ocollOlllc 184 .ocl.1 ll1u... fte reduction in Ideological teaalon. aud the r••ultaat t.proved a~aph.r. for political 41.coul'" al" providlneJ u. with a ulCJ»' opportUliltl' now u4 ID the cOlAIDC)' decade. to bdD9 tho pre••lng i ••ue of ,coD~lc co-operation to the top of the 910bal agenda. For aany year. now, thl. ~u••tlon ha. 11.;erod UDre,0Iv.4 and, as a result, eco~lc po.ltlon of developlDCj c:ountrl••, ••peelally la Africa, haa continued to woreen. IDDovation, far-.i9hte4De••, iMagination .ad atatelMlDlhlp are need8d to r&lolv. the CJu.'tion of ecoDOMlc r.lationl, e.peclal1y tho.e between .orth aD4 South. Th. etatu. gUO CIDDOt be conso!idated IDy furth,r without ri.klng 91ob.l In8tabl1ity. Prob1....ueh •• the net traa.fer of .fI8IDcl.1 r••ou~c•• frOM the d.ve10piDCj cOUlltd... which uouta4 to ,a& b11110ll 1a.t par. .1aply CUDOt continua without d••troyiDg the b••is for future co-operation• ••cent iDDovatlons and iDitiativ.s ill r••pect of the ezternal d.bt crisia. which has be.D with us siDce lOea. offer SOM hope. The ToroDto SUMdt iDitiative.. the Brady etrategy and the roc.at British and rrenCh initiatives cc.e to aiDd here. But for llUy countri.s that ara aff.ct.d. acre requir•• to bedOD. to IIObUi.. r.sourc.. for iDvestMnt "hich "U1 aDab1. th_ to 9row out of the debt prob1... Oi1t'J aopttct of the d.bt cdds ia that aa iDcr.adD9 nWlbar of 10w-iDC"" countries are finding th••••lv.. owiD9 MUch of th.ir debt to .ultilateral finaDcia1 iDstitutions. Tb. burd.D of s.rvicing th.d.bt. owed th••• pr.f.rred cr~ditors ha. require. additional and D." solutioDS. !he fi.1d of tra4e policy is full of UDc.rtainti.s as to "hat dir.ction the iDt_rDatioDa1 tradiDIJ syst.. w111 talc.. Izparts advis. ua that the resu1te of the Uruguay 10UDd.vill be M04.st if the current MOOd eurroUDdiag the negotiations prevails. !he po.itions of developed cOUDtrie. on the iaaues of .ub.idie•• tariff.. ,uantitativ. restriction. aDd other DOD-tariff barriers eZbibit an UDV11!iDgDe.. OD their part to e.tabli.h D.V rule. of trade with!n the priDcip1e of fre. trad•• I••ua. pertaiaiDg to the enVirODMeDt aDd 4eve10~nt have acquired e.pecia1 l!1pOE'tu~•• aDd de••rve 910bal r.cogaitioD. ind.ed. thi. iD a. it .bou1d baP It i. hearteniDi to Dote ~ COMMOD cOMMit8eDt to the pre••rvatioD of our eavlroa.eat. which 1. auif••t189 It••lf iD • Dew .pidt of internatioDa1 eo-operation. ID this regard, ... iD Zuabia loot forward with k••a iDter••t to the fortilc_1DC) Unit.d ••tioD. CoaferaDca OD IhlViroDMat aDd DegelopMllt. !be irr••istibl. int~r.st of the int.rnational ca..unitr in the i.s.e. of huaan right. aDd 4e.ocracr aDd in their r.l.tlua to tu0.tion. of .eoDc.ic 4evelo,..nt .igaifi.. & d.ep-rooted 4e.ire for huaaa progr... to be aDchore4 ID 'uatic., equity aD4 .elf-.ustaiaability. Zaabia welca-e. thi. gro.l89 iat.r••t. Tb. r.cor4 of hUMan right. aDd democracy ID Zaabla 1. true to the Ideal. of .oclal 'u.tic. u4 fab play. The 2MblaD GoverDlllCnt 1& t.en to respod to the d8llOcratlc a.piratlon. of all ~ peopl. of Zambia, and wort. r.lentl•••ly to .aintain this position, our late.t ~ve 1. toward. pluralistic politica, which will be us.4 to Bowever, there are .0tH od4 DOtlODS, OD the is.ue. of haaD right. aDd deMOcracy, which ne4 to be d1acarded by the IDterDational ca-unity. Ther. i. a Deed, for e• .-ple, to di.car4 the tendeDcy to thlDk that • few countri.. ar. the pUlar. of huu rights ud d.lIOcracy ad that all the other. BU.t be ....ur.d by how cloae they ca.e to the liteno.s of tho•• few countrie.. Tbe dlv.~.e culture. u4 history of the hau race, wblcb wa. bred and ia su.tained iD circa-.tace. that are iD DO way unlfo~, .hould be .uffici.Dt t.petua for an early 4..i.e of .uch Dotion.. What le r8CJ1lbod ill for .ach country to 4evelop iDstitutions ad .tructure. that are .pproprlate to it. OVll experience aDd reflect the •••d. aDd fte In.i410u. 8COUl'g. of 4rugs leaves no roOll for COMplacency. International co-operation against the illicit productloD, supply, traff!ctiDg a4 distribution of narcotic druga aDd p.ychotropic substanc••, aDd against the deaaad for th••, .ust be Int.naified. • Th. Pr••ident returned to the Chair. (Hr.....pU.bUna, l"la) Sl.11arly. the prob1.. of AIDS caU. for the lllterutloDal cc.ult7 to evolve ~re atrateglea for It. cODtala.oDt aDd eradicatioa. Tbe illcideace of th. 41••••e i. 9rOwiDIJ" aD4 1. iD -1' c•••• tbreateD11WJ the f.11y uit. ... DH4 to couter thi. 4eDger: with the ~r.e of .ctivi.. to be expect.d frOM a .ocl.t7 thr••t.Ded with e.tlllctioa. lubiaattach•• gre.t 1IIpcrtuce to th~ wlf.re of c1\11dr.D.o ID thla r4tCJard, we welco-e tber.c••t adOptiOD by thi. Aaa.-bly of the WOrld Declar.tiOD OD the Survival. Protect!oD 8D4 DeveloPMDt of the Child. 04 of tho PIu of ActlOD. AlOD9 with the adOptlOD of the .CoaV.Dt!OD OD the lights of the Ch114 aD4 oth.r related ia.trUMellt., the IDterD.tioDal comBualty ha. DOW fl~ly e.tabli.h.d the eaviroa.eat wbere all our chl14r.D, &Dd th.ir chi14re., CaD develop wi~ut the vl01eace of Deglect, 4eprivatioD, abu.. and omploltation. ID co.clu.loD, I wi.h to r.iterat. our belief that, givea th. polltic.l will, the State. ~rs of the U.ite4 .atloDs CaD sake our Or9aDl••tioD play th. t.pGrtut 1'01. for which it wa. cre.t.de ....11'. the ••lllt.DaDc. of iaterD.tlonel ,.ace and .ecurity aD4 the pra.otioD of co-operatio. aDd uderataDdl89 bot...D State. .0 •• to oa.ur. the mucee.. of .ultllateral1... Tb. world D.ed. peace aDd ecollODlc pro.perity. Aa wo approacb the laat decade of the tv••tl.th century, l.t us, la the .plrit of the provalllDg IllteraatloDa! polit!cal or4.~, work together to .&baDce collective security 1~ ord.r to .n8ure a peaceful and stable world for the generatioD. of tho n••t century and b.YODd. Mr. CBU6C (Saint Luci.). I should like to ioin pr.vAoua apeatera in CODgi'atulatlag you, Sir, upon your UDlmDoUS election to the pre.idency of the forty-fifth ae"sion of the General Aaa.uly. ... are all _11 oCCJUainted with your superlative qualiti.a and accOBP11.hment~. I therefore have no doubt that you vlll guide our deliberatione to a aucceasful conclusion in tho ~oalD9 ~nth.. You aBy ezpect nothing but co-operation froa the aelegatioD of Saint Luci•• I should also lite to thank 'your predecesaor, Maior-General Joaeph Garba, for the ••celleat maDDer in which he conducted our affelr8 during the forty-fourth aos.iOD. Thia year "e bave ••OD both expudoDII and reductions in tha IHmbership of the moat i~rtant world Org8Dia.tioD. I am p10•••4 to be abl. to Dote our loaa of DUMerical membership with the unification of YemeD and the reunlfication of Oel1lany. The unity of ~e peopl•• i~ ,th.sc.' two' co~tl'1•• :speaks _11 for the brave Ile. time ill vhich .. live, a time of hope and opportunity. Me lIuat Dot _CJuander it. The admlaaion of .. free" indepondent Hamlbia to membership of the UD~t.4 Rations earlier thia year vaa the fulfilment of a dreaml it took many yeara of atruggle, both on the ground In South West Africa aDd on the diplomatic front hore in Hev York. I am plea.ed" as everyone should be, that thi~ ~tru991. has reached a f auccessful conclusion. I am therefore most hOlloured to welcome Namibia tQ the ranke of the Organisation. Liechtenstein, too, after tvo ce.turies of international relatioDD~ hes ioine4 the Organization thia year. I extend Saint Lucia's cODgratulations to the ; Govermnent and people of Liecht6ill.tein. Ne 100): forward to working closely 'with them far into the future. Thes. promising time. give nev urgency to the principle of the universality of the United Ration.. Saint Lucia therefore atron91y supports the aspiration of the ••public of Korea to mfimbership la the United N~tloDe, for, .a ha. already beeR obstaele to national reunification. The final decIde of this ailleDlua find. tho world poi.ed OD the thre.hold of new opportunity, at • cro••roa4 fre. which there la • choice of direction. We .ay 90 down Dew road. of political peace ud ecoDollic opportunity, or ...ay choo•• the status alP ADce - bu.ine•• aa u.ual. But .., today'. generation of leaders, mU8t choose carefully, l.st future generation. condean u. for having squanderea preciouD opportunities. Ne cannot allow ahaviour, in the Per.ian Gulf or elsewhere, Dot in conGonlDce with our purpo••s to .hatter the .arch of progres•• The twilight of totalitariui••••ems to be returning .ome parts of the world to the brink of • frightening re.urgence of nascent natlonal1sa, threatening to unle.sh a latent ethnic parochiali.. that cu lewd not to natioDal unity but to international balkulaatlon. If ethDic nation.lis., whether in the Soviet UnioD, S••tern Europe or South Africa, .pins out of control, .. ahall be plunged into a dangerous ne. wodd of bal8Dce-of-powr politic., with constatly sh!.fting coalition. that CaD only reach a denouement of forceful consolidation. The new political order .u.t be buttr••••d by aD enhanced international ••curity SYlt••, within the purview of the Charter of the United Ration., that promote. the peaceful s.ttlement of dispute. aDd CaD r.act quickly to eztinguish fire••fore they rag8 out. of control. In thla, the Decade of IDt.rna~ional Law, the rule of law Rust predominate in the conduct of international r.latlons. Intornational law .uat novel' agaln be elleat in the facs of nakGd power. In thi. velD, the world ha. justly condemned the invaaloa and occupation of Kuwait by Iraq. It i. a blatant act of rav IAgqr••aJ.oZl which "Ul lODg 11ve in iDfallY, not only becau.e it ia a wiQko4 act of aggresu!on o~ a large, ailltarlly strollg, State against ....11, ".aker aeigbbou r·• hll\. "lao Mcauall it eoulI at a ti_ I wh.n the arrow la point.d in the dir.ction of p.ac., d••troying the opportUDity for a new P.ac. of W,.tphella, ADd again bringin9 the world to the brink of ADoth.r aajor war. As a small, peac.-loving Stat., Saint Lucia find. the Iraqi political po.ition to be totally ind.f.nl.'l1bl., od w. hope that Iraq will co... to r.cogn18. that it. !Bilitery poa1tion 18 unt.nabl. as well. Saint Lucia haU. the _label'S of the Security COUDcil for th.ir unpr.cedented co-op,ration on this matt.r, and we have already token the Doc,ssary domestic actions to .sc.rtain that we al" in full complianc, with the COUDcl! 0 a mandat,s. Our h.arts go out to thll thousands of peopl., both Kuwaitis and for.ign.ra, whoa. liv.s were disrupt.d by thia invasion. In fiD', it was wron9 for powerful Iraq to have invad.d n powerl.s. n,ighbour, thus violating its sov.r.ignty ADd t,rritorial int.grity. It is right that the Unit.d Rations should unit. its IItr.ngth to fore. the 'ggr.88or to rUlOv. Itll.lf froa Kuwait. For what la right can n.ver be wrong, ADd what la wroDg CAD n.ver be right. As the cold war has .nd.4, the United .ations too has come in froa the cold. I'd'Dds of the Ol'guhatlol\ have long sai4 that if it di4 Dot .ziat .it would have to be inv.nt.d. Saint Lucia is pl.as.d that it d~.s .zist, and now in it. forty.afifth y,ar i. strong.r and mol" vigorous thu ev.r .before in solving the probl,ms w. continually cr,ate. IDd.,d, the past f~w y.ars bave b.,D the years of the Uait.d RatioDs. Again aud agaln the Organisation has been. go04 brok'r of peace, both in d~_IIt1c ADd in int.rnational varm# ADd ha. Inter.d bold n.w .l.ctoral area~, such aa in Ramibia aDd Uicaragua, to .nsure that the voic. of the people calling for the enthronement of d'lIQcra,cy Is not denied a just hearing. The people of Baiti too, who have suffered for far too lODg, look to the OrglDiaation to •••1st·thom in going with the tid. of democracy that i. sweeping the world. Legalistic Dotions of strict constructiouiam ~la~~ the Charter (M[s C,nag. Saint Lugia) IhoUld DOt be u.e4 to throw obstacl•• in the way of the people of"Haiti ae thG1' s••t to .hed their luthoritariAD legacy ADd rebuild an ecoDomy that ca only be a••critHtd as war torn. Ife iD the Caribbean COllll!luity .ee our OVll fate as 11084 to that of the people of Haiti, DOt only until the December election. but foreYer 1101'0. Baiti, thel1'8fol'e, ClDDot be allowed to Ilia. thi. 1a.t train. Within the purview of the Organization of American State. (OAS), Saint Lueia hIS already dbpatched aD electoral team to Haiti. Ne loot forward to doiDq the same within the ambit of the United Nation. a. well. The .eeds of destruction of the vile .ystem of Apartheid have baen .OWD with the relaase of Nelson Mandala and the UDbIDDing of tha African National Congre.e of South Africa (ARC) and the Pan Africenlat' Congre•• of ASaDi~ (PAC), setting South Africa on ID ineluctable cours. to g.nuiDe democracy. There CM be DO turning back. Saint Lueia ia tharefore most distr••••d by tha fratricidal viol.Dce among ARC CAd Inkathl .upporter. that has claimed .0 many lives in the paet fa" ..eka, We hope thlt thi. internecine conflict vill quickly come to an end, pavinq tha wBy for I united front in the negotiations to end apartheid. The global cOlllllunity demonstrated it. UDanimity on the que.tion of officil1 raci.m only la.t Death by its cons.n.ua adoption of the r~.olution at the re.umed ae.aioD of the General Assembly on APArtheid. W. CAD espect no le.. a demonstration of solidarity froll the victims of lParth014. Saint Lucia prai.es the steps taken so far to br~ng APartheid to a long-overdue end but wishe. to -at. it for ever clear that the removal of economic sanctions will be .uppo~ted only wheD real democracy has come to South Africa through the adoption of a systu of "one man.. ODe vot.... Unfortunately, we continue to have a number of problems that have provs4 intractable and thus resistant to the tide of change end conciliation that has been sweeping the world. The Palestinian ip,tifadDh has PiSsed its ol1e-thous&Ddth day ad continues UDahated with no end in sight. The Palestinian dream of a homeland, therefore, .eema as far away 18 it ever was., having been dealt a regressive blow by the current terrible eventa in the Persian Gulf region, Tho long-term conflicts in Angola, MoZambique and the Born of Africa have yet to reach final solutions, and new problems in Liberia causa us great concern. The same i8 true in Cyprus, where no progress has beeD made in the talks between the leaders of the two Cypriot communities. Bowever, in other areas, such a8 Cambodia and Hestern Sahara, VG are on the road to comprehensive settlements, and Saint Lucia continue. to support the efforts and involvement of the Unitea Rations. Despite scattered pockets of bellicosity, the world, for the firat time in many decade., stands at the periphery of the possibility of international peace. With a sweep of the political wand, "e are yell on the "ay to revising the hietorical definition of East and Wos~. The traditional definition of North-South, too, mu~t be revis.d, and that ~11l take a political deci.i~~ of an economic nature, a 4ecisioD "hich ,,111 turn the Plan of ActioD for the Fourth United Nations Development Decade into an eCbDomlc and fiscal blueprint for the devolopment of the South. (Mr. CeRle, Slint Lucia) Raving failed to attain the majority of the goals and objectives of the Third " Development Docade, it is critical, especially in today's volatile internatioD41 ecol1omic atmosphere, that the goa18 of the Fourth Development Decade, which I espeet we shall adopt UDuimously in the coming weeks, should be addressed with a purposeful serioosnes8 by both Borth and South in ordsr to promote their reali.ation with all deliberate dispatch. Last May we adopted the Declaration on International Bconomic Co-operation and Dsvelopment, setting out an agreed understanding for the revitalisation of economic growth and development of the developing countries, so as to realise the b••ic rights of all human beings to a life free ,from hunger, poverty, igDorance, disease aDd fear. That Declaration, in our view, reflects an international conaenSUB on the critical economic situation of the developing countries when viewed in the ag9re9a~.. Close to 1 billion people in the developing world still live in a state of chronic hUDger and malnutrition, and each year 13 to 18 million of them die because of hunger. Last year the developed market economies grew by 3.5 per cent, continuing their lODgest perio6 of ecoDomic expansion in post-war history. However, at the same time, 1989 growth in the developing countries was at ita love8~, in siz yeafs, down by almost 1.5 per cent from the year before, even though the collective value of their exports did increa~e by some $80 billioD. In my own regIon, Latin America and the Caribbean, the 1980s have aptly been given the designation of the "Lost Decade". At the unCI of 1989 real per capita product in the region ~tood at the level of 13 years earlIer. !he rate of growth declined from 5.5 per cent in the 19708 to just over 1 per cent in the 1980s. As a result, per capita gross domestic product this year is almost 10 per cent lower than it vas in 1980. Between 10.80 and 1088 LatiR ANerica's terma of trade fell by about 25 per cent. Rovev4tr, it vas even wora.. for Africa aDd "e.t Aaia, •• their teras of trade fell by almost 40 per cent. A .ajor ecoRomic cri.i. vaa averted by an a1Moat equal decline in fuel pr1cea, amountiRg to about 50 per cent, during the a... period. But, even as I speak, the terms of trade continue to dec11ne for many non-oil-ezporting developing countries as the cost of fuel, ignited by the crisia in the Persian Gulf reqivn, is again going up, affacting the man-ln-the-street in the South and the collective meagre foreign exchange reserves of many poor cOUDtrie.. This could create a critical economic situation, given the fact that most of the affected countries entered the 1990s UDder the burdena of the reca,.ionlry inertia of the 1geO, and their heavy e~ternal commitments. As we enter the finl1 aecIae of the c~ntury, the Latin American and Caribbean region continu.. to be beset by major shortcomings, including the increa,ing obsolescence of ita stoct of capital goods and physical iafr.structure, a growing gap bet..en the !ntensive techDo1ogica1 changes tatiDg place in the world aDd their lack of app11catioR in the region, and the frustration of aD ever-increasing number ot people trying to enter the wort-force. In fact, th1a year lIIy ..11 IM the third conaecutive year of negative per capita growth in t.ati. AlNrica•. In the 4ecade of the 1980.~ political interaction ID Latin Americ. va• • trengthened, but public in.titutloDa were ..atoned. Nbile popUlar political participation bec... the moGUl yiytpdl, structural .diua~nt had an extr...ly high liocia1 COlt for the middle-level and popular atrata. ThUI, va.t nmlbera of people .a4e political gainl while they pr~r.l.iv.ly lost econe-ic .upport. F1edg11ng democracies are often endUlgered by lack of econOitie foudationa whlch allow. for an equal rate of growth of politlcftl end economic d.~lopment. (Mr. ceRac, Saint Lucia) President George Bush's Enterpris. of the Americas. with its tripartite pillars of trade. investMent and debt reduction. ia therefore timely. In ..eting the.e challenges. we in the region have taten many bold initiatives. a1n8d at conaolidating aud buttressiag the ftconomic pot8ntia1itied of the region. High on .this agenda of initiatives is the .conomic integration of the 34 .i11ion people of the Caribbean into the larger continental Latin subregion. Th~.e activitiea have been given a great fillip by recent actions of the Government of Mezico. taten both at the level of the Economic Commission for Latin America aDd the Carib4eaD and by President Car10s SalinDs de Gorto~l himself. In the Commonwealth Caribbean subregion~ we are eztremely d.lighted that the historic. 1inguiatic. demographic and other criteria that have long separated us iroa La~in America are falling by the wayside as .. ba~~ come to recogal.e that the things that bind us are far great.r than those that aeparate us. we loot forward to this deepening of the integration proc.... elwaye mindful to re.aln iD coap1iance with the .o.t-favoured-nation provi.ions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Though Saint Lucia i. Dot among the 1e••t developed countrie.. those countries are high on our li.t of CODcerns. AM the 300 to 400 .il1ion people of M••tern Burope loot forward to a bright and prosperoua future beyond the watershed ezpectation8 of "fortr••• Burope" in 1002. the 300 to 400 .i11ion people of thQ leaat developed countries loot forward only to • bl~ak economic future. In the 1000a growth in the le.st «eveloped countries 4id not roach ezpeetatlons. achieving only about ~De third of the 7.2 per cent target of the Sub.tBDtia1 Rev Progr.... of Act!o~ which was adopted in 1081. Thi. was aggravated by the «ecllne in inveatment. in the leaat d.velcpe~ eountrie. by about 2 per cent (Hr. Conac, SaiDt Lucio) per year through the 1080s, nd during the I_perlod, agricultural output in the le.at developed countries failed to keep pace with popUlation growth. Both the share of world esportw nd the terms of trade of the least developed countries have been on a aeemingly inevitable downward 81ide aa the modaat Official Development Amdatance target. of 0.15 per cent which they expected was not reallllle4. Tbe failure of last -anth·s Parim meeting to reach a nev, agreed official dovelopment ,ssi.tanca target for the least develope4 countries is therefore aoat cUscouraging. Hine of the 42 least developed countries face th6 additional, monumental difficulty of also being amall island-developing countrie•• In a rapidly changing oconomic world, small islaad-developing countries struggle to teep paco, weighed down by & host of peculiar developmental problems, among which are poor resource endowments I reliance on a fev primary export products, eztremely small domestic marketsI limited possibilities for industrialisation and, ther&fore, little op~rtUDlty for import substitution, almost total dependeDce on foreign capital and social and physical infrastructure; and, certainly not leaet among thes& particular problems, the proneness to natural disastera. In 10aO, nearly 00 per cent of my country's 91'083 40mestic product vas d.stroyed by a hurricane. ri,i suffered a similar fata more recently, losing more than 40 per cent of its augar output. Tbe same 111 true of Tong" where in 1082 a hurricane ~estroy.d 50 per cent of the housing and 90 per cent of the blDlDa crop. Saint Lucia 1. therefore gratined that the Administrator of the Unitod Nations Devel~pmeDt Programme vill have more resources availablo for dislstar mitigation in the fifth programmi8g cycle. We also sce as positive the suc~essful outcome of the first Meoting of the GoverMMtntal l!xpert8 of Island Developing Countries and Donor Countries aad Orgui.aUons, which we held iD Juno this year. It vas the fhat small atep by the global community In recogniaiD9 that small island~developib9 c~UDtri.. have partiCUlar prOblem. and special neeos that are different from those of developiag countries in general• !h. atagnation in int.rn.tional traa. in the l••t d.cad. b.. l.ft a r••14ual legacy of prot.ctioni.- in the dev.loped Market countri.. that C&Dnot be justifi.d by their current unemployment trend.. ROD-tariff .....ur•• continue to reduce world trad. by ov.r '300 billion aDIluelly. Tbe .uccem.ful cODclu.ioll of tho Uruguay .oUDd in the COiling IIOnth. .houle! u.h.r in " 1101'. liberal trading regi_ to the benofit of both Borth aDd South. M. the meilbora of the Cadbbeu Group for Co-operation ill Bconollic Dev.lopment (CGCBD), though member. of a number of preferential trading arraDgement' g experi.nced average unit-price d.cline. for our total ezporta. Ttii. meant that over the paat decad8 ". have ha! to .zport more and 1101'. go04. to earn the '811~ level of incoM. ADc! had we ir. aggregate not ~5d 1I04eat i»cr.a... in our .zport. of manufacturo4 go04., d.clining primary commodity pric•• voul4 have negatively On the po.itive .id., pro.pect. for Rultilmt.ral 4ev.lo~nt a••imtance iMproved la.t y.ar .a commitment. 1'0'. to '35 billion, of which '2 billion ¥ore co-.itmenta for the operational activiti.a of the Unit.d Hationa. ADd net r••ource traD.f.r. to aeveloping countri••, through multilat.ral d.volcpmsnt lOaD', roae by .0-0 '3.5 billion. !h. economic integration proce.. of th. dev.loping world al.o lmprov.d la.t y.ar a. we in the Carlbbeu cOlllRunity gave BC" illlpGtu. to our trading relations UDd.r the Treaty of Chagaramuli, 1D4 we .aw the alplllCJ of the Aalu-Pacific &cona.ic Co-operation Porum Agr••ment, the Arab Maghreb Dalon Tr.aty and ~ Arab Co-operation Council Agr....nt. la conclualoDg then, .. are pol.ed OD the periphery of • Dew political daWDe But we _u.t ~.l.~ the 4a, In the econOMic realM al.o, e.peelal1y In the 4ovelopiag countrl••, for political tranquillity ClDAot thriv. ia the .idat of ec080.1c and aoclal deprivation. at the out.et to CODgratu1at. JOu, 8ir, OD ,our e1ectioD to the pr••id.Dcy of the G.n.ral A..8tlb1y at it. forty-fifth .e.81oD. 1ftt esteDd our be.t "hb.a for .ucc••• iD the .secution of the re.poD.ibi1itie. that this bigb ca11iDg .Dtail.. ID tbi. und.rtaki89 I al.ure you of tha fu11••t co-operation of the LibDriaD delegatioD. Ind••d, your COD.UMa&t. dlp10Gatic .ki11e aDd ..a1th of .~ri.Dce in interDatioDa1 affair. a••ure u. that th. current ••••ion will be Marked by laudable acc0Np1i.bmaDt. f thu. cODtributl89 to the nob1. goal. of the Unit.d RatioD•• I a1.~ bave the k••De.t p1ea.ura in conveying th. .iDcer. appreciation of the Liberian de1.gation·to your illuatrloul pr.a.c•••or, Ambaaaador Joaeph H. Garba, a di.tlngui.b.4 80D of 8igeria and Africa, for the .oat .ffici.nt ManDer in whicb be conduct.d the busin... of th. forty-fourth ••••ion of the GeDera1 Aa.emb1y. My d.1.gation cO..-D4. the S.cretaryoG8n8ra1, Mr. Javier 'ere. do Cue11ar, for bi. UfttiriD9 .ffort. in the cau•• of iDterDatioDa1 peace aDd .ecu~ity. Ria .elf1e.s devotioD to th. UDit.d .atioD. ha. brougbt a r.Dewed .eDae of appreciatioD for the role Multilateral 4iploaacy CaD play iD the re.1i.atioD of MaDkiD4'. cberi~h~d dr.am of a .table iDt.rDatioDa1 .DviroDaeDt. We welcome the a.pub1ic of ...ibia aa it tak.. it. .Mat for the first time at a regular ••••10D of th. GeDeral AI.ellb1y a. a .overeign aDd iDcJepeDdtlDt State. My de1egatioD a1eo welcome. the PriDcipa1ity of LiecbteDstein .a the D.ve.t ..libel' of th1e body. I bavecome to thi. ro.trUII with great .adDe.. beCDU.... evell a. I apeak, a tragedy cODtlDuea to unfold iD ay couatry, Libeda - a country ~bich attaiDed it. iDdepeDdeDce 143 year. ago out of .aD'. iDh.reDt aaplratioD to be fr~e aDd to detel'lliDe hi. on d.,.tlDl'• LbMtl'la. Afl'lca'a oldest ••publlc. u4 a foudl.........1' of tile Ulalte4 ••tl0••• 1~ toc1a~ .apel'l••clDIJ a bl'utal ucl da"••tatl.. ci"ll _I". Ll_da•• coatl7 wIllch bu .Di~ ,..c. ucl atul11t~ fol' .at of Ita aatloDbocNl. la toc1a~ bel.., ton "~I'. Llbel'la. a COUDt~ of a1lloat 3 1I11110D peopl•• bee beeD "ll't..ll~ deatl'opcS. Ita topal.tloD dec1llate4 u4 bUDCll'eaa of tbou..... forcd to HC" I'O:ZU9H. abroact ad c1laplace4 within thell' 0VIl b0ll81ucl. I tate thl. podlua OD bebalf of tho.e lDaoceat vlct~ of the civil var to call OD the IDterDat!OQll COMYDlty to bd,,, aD eDd to that .11'•• V5r which contlDue. to IDflict Incalculabl, 10.8 of hUMIRllf. ID4 ,ropert~. OD behalf of III Liar!aD' vbOll I M duty-boUD4 to repro.,at here toctay. I call UPOIll the Or9u lzatl02 to aDd till. trag'dr. A' ~r. Ire avareg thl, cr181. .rupted ~D 2t D8c.~r 1111 ADd ha. continued uabate4 until today. vith DO eDd ID aJ.ght. Barly Itt.-pts to .ettle the cODflict peacefully prov.~ futile. Appeal. were lIIade to the United lfatioD' aDd to the OrgulaatloD of Aldcn UlJlty (OAU) to prevll1 UpoD all partie, to eDt.r iDto negotiatioD' ai..d at peacefully re,01vlD9 the crl.i.. Later the Liberiu Co~cil of Church., ,ought to ..dlate iD the di.pute. &Dd wheD that failed. th. B.ad, o~ State aDd Govera.-Dt of the BCODa.ic COIIIIIuaity of ....t AfdcR Statas (ICONAS) ~clertoot _diatol'!, effort,. FollowiDg a furth.r deterioration of ~. crlal,. we appeml.4 to the COWlC!l ,.laed of thla .atter. Ilu!ee4." argu.d that the Libeda cODflict cou14 Dot be viewed a, a purllly interDal utter. 81DCO over 500.000 Libedos were refuga., iD DeighbouriDg African couatrie.. nd the cODtinuatioD of the cODflict would a4v8r••ly affect Dot only th. stability of the aubregioD but iDterDatioDal peace n4 ••curlty .s well. After cOD.ultatioD' with the member. of the S.curity Council. it v., decidod that the Unit.d .atioD8 lWulc! d.fer to ICOWAS. which hac! earUor _aD a ..diator 1~ the cODflict. It i. against tbat backgroYD4 that tbe S••4. of Stat. ..4 GoverDMeDt of the ~dlatioDC~ltt..of ICONAS. ...tiDg at I~iul. the GaMbia. OD • Auguet I1g0 propo••d a peac. ,laD which. ilt.r 1l1&. cell.4 fora (1) aD i..-dlat. c••••-flr.' (Z) the 41.,.tch of a p'.c.-IE.a,iDlJ fore. or co••t-fir. IIODltodDCJ 9rouP (ICCII)G) to ••8.1" the ..iDt'DaDC' of the ca•••-fir., (3) the CODV8aIDg of • DatiOD.l colf.reac. of all LlberiaD polltic.l ,artie. aDd oth.r iDter••t 91'0uP. for co••ultatioD. OD the fo~.tloD of a bro.dly b•••d iDt.ria ad8ADistl'&tioDI aDd (4) the holdl89 of fr., aDd f.lr .1.ctioD. witblD 12 MODtb•• A. .. art awar.. BCOMOG wa. d'rloy.d ID Liberi.. At a cOlf.r.Dc. h.ld at laDju1. a 9rouP of LiberiaD'. r.pr••eltiDg all r.cognl••d political partl.. aDd l~t'I'••t group•••l.ct.d aD lat.da Cov.r_Dt. Sub.equ.Dtly. OD 9 S.pt.llber 1900. ID .plt. of tho•• 4.velopllDt•• the civil w.r CODUDU". Tb...jorlty of the LlberiaD peopl. al" DOW the unfortUD.t. vletl•• of tb. cl'l,l.. Th.y .hould Dot CODt!DU' to be 4.Dl.d th.lr ia.li.Dabl. right to 11f.. liberty &Dd the pur,uit of h.ppID'.. ID • peac.ful ADd .tabl. poll~ic.l 'DvlroDmlDt of their ova choo.iDlJ. IDdt.4. r'C'Dt 'V'Dt. iD Liberia .bould t••ch ue th.t political chADg' through viol'DC' oBly perpetuat.. a clrcl. af viol'DC' aDd that the beat hope for the CQUDtry li•• iD the 4.v.lopneDt aDd prot.otloD of It. 4.-ecratlc iD.tltutioD•• we th.r.fore rOD'. the call for .11 i.ctioD. iD the civil .ar to agl'" to aD la.t4iat. c••••-flr. a~d urg'Dtly to .at,1' l.to 4!alogu~. .0 ae to r••olve the cOlfllct peac.fully. •• .Dvb_g.d by the BCOWAS peace pIu. It ahould be I'~r.d that .0 10D9 a. the co.fllet r.m.l.8 UDr••olv.d, It i. the Liberiaa peopl. who will centiau. to .uff.r. Let u. at this ttae. howev.r. acknowl.dg. with grateful appr.cifttioD all cOUDtrle. aDd r.l1.f or9DDla.tioD. which have UDh~a!tatia91y off.r.4 fo04. clothlD9. ahelt.1' aDd oth.r a8llataDell to -.y COuntzr,.D vlao vel" forced to f1~. (Hr. Ipl1. Llbiria) Llbeda41 ....11 ea to tbo•• who ar. 418,laclKt _ltblll tU cowatl'7. ... al.o ~ all of tbo.. coUlltd.. od la41vldua1. who ccatla. to ..alat. la tU LUterl.. c~l.l., &ad VB ,&".~ fo&" 004-. bl•••laga UpcD .ach of rou. l1allul~, .. call upol& tbo•• utiou, lutltutlou aD4 ldlvlc1ua1. t:bat, la HJ' ..~, Iaa.. ~oatrlbute4 or coati... to coatdbutlt to tU huaaa .ufferl.. ID Ll_dl! to bd.. aD sael to tile clvll ..r. fte waft of 4etIocrathat!oa _lela h.. ..pt acroa. ".terD .uro~ ••t be allowcl to flourlah ID couatrl•• Ut. Llbeda. bel the Vnltad .atlou. h... _ral r••poD.lblllt~ ~ aUJJOrt the .av_c..at of tbIt froati.r. of f&"~ u4 tile 4evelopleDt of 4Mocratlc lutltutl0.. throughout tho world. It 1. Hca..e of the f_roeh"" bet...a the UDlte4 Stat.. &DC! the Sovl.t ValOD aa4 tU oael of tbo colcJ Rr that optOrtUllU:l.. have be.D ual.uhe4 for .atloa.. Aa. r••ult, w s•• the _1'14 to4ay .tucU.. ualtecJ agalaat %I'at'. aggrs••loD agelut, aa4 occupatioa of, Kuwait. A ODe. divided Ge~y baa be.a c§Dtrol1e4 .yatea8 ar. br.athlag the refr••hla; all' of fr.edoD aa4 cJeaocraey. WithlD till. coaten, tM LiberlM 4eletatloa .atartalD. ~ hope that the -1'91.. ,artDe~abl, of co-operatloa _Ill 1.Del It••lf to the 14eatlflcatloD of durabl. Kol'.'" peDln.l:il1. ucJ C.Dtral AMdca. We welcOM aa4 .upport e"I'•••lou for the &".UDlf!catlo~ @~ tbQ Kor.a. &Dd ..-berehl, wlthla the Vaita« ••tio••• la4e&4, the support of the ICOMAS peace piu 1& a 4il'ect r•••lt of tbe r........ wUUape.. of the Itate. Mellbel'. of tile UDlte4 .aUoa. to aAel'. to Articl. 52 of the Charter, _lab .acourag•• the re.olutloD of co.flleta through reglo..l arr8DlJ8MDt•• (Hr. Iqll. Liberia) But 1101'0 ne.d. to be 40H. ftere .p,..re ~o be aD Ul'telllt aoec1 to tu•• fro.h non-1Dtetf~renc. in the internal .ffalr8 of ~t State.. .erba,. tbe Secretary-General·. ia.lght into tb8 probl.. provided a .oHriDg reflection wboc, iD bie 19'0 report OD the work of ths OcgaDlsatlolll, be ••i41 (Hr. Iqll, Liblrla) "'Ioc1aJ'. 1. a 'I'owl...-.1' of c....~ tlal'.ata g aatloRl u4 l:at.l'utloA1 ••cudtJ' H. DO 1~...1'_ .AtlJ' .o..abl. u tJIeJ' WIr••fon. I. aot • few couatl'l... cl.l1 atl'lf. ~~ • beavr toll of basaa llf. ... ba8 of CJOve",...t u4 rtoc:l.tr I. 0_ couti'J' aDd 1... .laugilwl' I. UOtMl' I'.pel'c•••lou -road matloul bol'''1'8. '!be 41lllategratlQD of tile latit"tlo.. &1'. two appalU.. lutue... Ie~.tl_. __ a I'al'o .....Ha. cau... .tl'd.. o. both the coutl'J' 41srtlctlr .ff.ctecJ aacs It. ~.te 1l.1,JIboure. ADHabJ' 1. 0.. 'tet......... al'l'atlou wlab .s.ttl. aDOtbel'." (Altl/l, I. 11) 2be .ltuatloa ID Llbol'la UDdoubte41J' fits till. de.cl'lptl0.. ADS 1. till. c.... Ullltfl4 ••tio... i:. obl1,atecl &lid ~1l.11pCJ to act g I'••to". ,..c. to L.lbeda. Shoule! tU bwau d,pt. of • people .,. "lo1ateel1 Il101114 8.ff.d th be vi_lt.et upoa • people whU. tile Bait_ .atlo.. 1'..........U ••t bec tbe probl... al'. pel'c.ived to be 1at.l'ult Let tile ualte4 ••tlou dIlclc1et 1DC1H4. tile I'l,bt8 of .11 PHpl•• are llMUvl• .lb10 aa4 If, tbe UII1Ud ••tlou I. to be tl'UO to its _ral obl1gatioa. ~I' tb8 c:JIal'te". tMD It -.at be 8ftll to .ct IIJ1IicklJ' 111 ad41'•••iDg b_ trap.Il•• whel".vel' tIwJ' GCCa' - i. t.be ••1'.1.. Gulf., tbe ....t lat.d. 9Ovel'-.lIt aac! 4wUit.d•• u4 die.m tU -J' wbo bear CJUD. u4 otbol' ..apoa. of 4...tl'uetloll. ftat fOver_at would bave tile Pl'lIIa~ ta.k of °1'9...1.1119 aDd bo14!DCJ. vltbl8 12 8OIItb.. fl'M uc1 fall' el.ctioH Ull4er IlItel'lI.tioul .upel'vl.ioll. -na.t'. .1'. .1.0 tU fomlcs.bl. tuk. of .&11"9 tile aatioaal woua4a. 1'•••ttUDg the over two 111111011 41e,laee4 r.lMl'leu u4 l'.coDstnctlag tU COUlltcy (Mr. bll. LAIIoW) r ~ lU .co...,. wblcta have bee. devutateel ~ "I'. 1'be1'. 1. abo tile tu' of ,.••todDIJ faith to tM Llbeda» poopl, who u. ~l'tolDlJ.atal ad pb,.leal tOl'tutre. ID orde... to 8441'.'. tbe.. ebel1'D9Gs co.fro~tlD9 LI~l'l." we I' t tbe MMbeI" of the O"9u1••UOB UId the hcretaly-GeMral a.....tl' to lat (1)r,ed. to achl.ve three_jol' ob'.etl"... f1n~. tIMe UIl1U4 ••tio•• 10 r ted to M' It. IIOI'a1 autbodty ucl IDflMDC. to .Dd tbe e1vU .U' ucJ -unol't tile 0.1119 ,.ace IDltiati"., a.~oDd1r" the world body 18 call114 UpoD to '1'"1,61 ul'.,ent h-..a1tadu a••l.taac. to 41.p1ac.4 Llberlaa••• well ea ..t.l'lal ADd 'l-.&olal ..@lstaDc. for the Llberlaa people a..lr.. the de"'lo,.aDt of ~I'atlc lD.tltutlo~. aDd call. UPOD the UDlted ••tlo.. to provide tacbDical a••l.tanc. ID a..,.rvl~lD9 th8 be141ag of ~cr.tlc el.ctl0.s iD Libel'la. Aa we approach tile tweDtf-flC-Alt caDtury thel'. la _ UI'94IDt Md fol' tJw '.1'91.. ad r••ourc.. of ~ lDterD&t1oDal cOIIMUDlty to be foeu. OD the r~iDID9 1.su.. OD tb. eg.~4a of the tweDti.th C'Dturr. If OUI' acco-pli.bMeDt. iD tbe re.olutioD of cODf11ct. al" to be 1a.tlng. ve .v.t a1.0 deBoD8tl'ate ~ l'egul.1t. will to achl.vQ co-opel'atloD deeigae4 to 1'041"" laeta1t1.. iD IDt.rDatioDal .eoDeMlc rel.tioDS. Tb.re al" appalllD9 disparitt•• bet...D the rich cODfroDtatioD will not ba Gupp18Dtea ~ aD ~ilM.t Sortb-Soath divide• •'l'tlUllt IIIODCJ th. 1'...lDillg hllu,. i. the 100II1119 probl_ of 1IDC1erdeve10p.Hllt. pal'ticu1al'ly ill th. thir4 vodd. lAbjoct pcMtrtl'. UllIlf••tlug It••lf through i9DOraD~., di.ea.. aDd val'loue .oclal ill., defl.. ..-lior.tioll br 1114i,,14ual Stat... ID lbi. re.pect. CODcre"••0111tiol!l. CaD _ fo'Wld if cOllc.rted Illt_l'Ilation1 actiOIl i. lauched to bddcJ9 _3e widell1DlJ ,ap ill ecoi1Olllc prospodtl' periodic .ummit. of l.ad.r. from a repre••ntative group of 4ov.lo~4 &Dd dev.loping countries be conveDGd to rcvi.u the world .conomic aituation, ?8rticularly the ....ination of the iD~.~r.lation.hipamong the various coepon.n~. of th. w~rld .coaoMy. Liberia remaiD. .v.r bopeful that the United Bations, with its c~rr.nt .nhanced atatu., ia poi.ed and ready to meet the•• chall.nge•• Liberia, a founding Member of the Organisation, ID .aperi.nc1n9 a national cata.troph.. Today, hi.ter~ ham ordained that we ••rve aa the conseience of our people and call upon the Unit.d Nation. with u~.t urg.ncy to address the situatioD iD Liberia and help bring an immediate end to the tragic civil war. A few days ago, in this v.ry Ball, 71 Beads of State end Gov.rnment committed th••••lv•• to giving children a better futur.. Our children, Llbe~ian childr.n, 11k. all other children of the world, are bleeding, mlck, starving, without mbelter aDd, IIOr. important" without hope. CaD thb body allow thll .s••tr1.ict!on of Dot only Liberia's future but of the world'. future to go uDDotic.~7 I .at you lD the name G~ God and hUManity to cc.e to Liberia's ai4 iD recognition of the faet that we are indeed our broth.r'a ke.p.r. PROGnAMMB or WORE Tbe ?RISIDBU%I I should like to give members aD outline of the tentative programme of pIeearl' meetings for the r.at of October, On Tueso.4Y, 16 October, in the MO~ning, the Assembly will take up iteM 10, "Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization", item 20, "Co-opsratioD between the United Nations and the Asian-African Legal Consultative COlNnlttee", item 21, "Co-operlltion between the United Nationli and tt~. Organization of American States", ite. 24, "Co-oporation betwaen the United Rations and the Latin American Economic System", ad item 149, "Observer status for the International COlNnittee of the Red Cross", On Tuesday, 23 October, the Assembly wUl take up item U, "Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency", In the afternoon of that day, the Assembly will also tllk. up item 150, 'eTGnth annivenary of the University for Peace", On Wednesday, 24 October, in th6 morninq, the Assembly will hold a meeting to observe the fortieth annivorsary of multilateral technical co-operation for development within the Unlte~ Nations syst.m~ On Thursday, 25 Octobor, In the afternoon, the As~embly will take up item 26, "Co-operat!on between ~S1 United Nations and the Organhation of the Islamic Conference"f item 25, "Co-operation between the United Rations Dd the League of Arab States", item 30, "Co-operation between the United Nations and the Organization of AfdcBn Unity", item 22, "Implementation of the Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace", item 31, "Zone of peace anCl co-operation of the South Atlantic"; and item 29, "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security", I Ihould like to ~••lA4 MeMber. that while the A~.embly flx.d tb. dat. of MOnday, 16 S.pt.aber 1991, for the clo.iAg of the forty-fifth ••••iOA, it al.o y.ar. Tt3refor., we should. try to cOlllpl.t. 011:' work by 'that dat•• Furth.r, I .hould lit. to lAfo~ r.pr'l.ntativ'l that the Pll491A9 COAf.reAc, for Dev.lo~!lt Activlti•• vUl M h.ld OA Thurlday, 1 Hov.llber, and Friday, 2 Nov.mber. The Confer'Ac, v111 be open.d by the S.cretary-General. This tentative schedule which i ~ave iust announce4 v111 appear in the verbatim r.cord of this ..et1n9 .a well al In the Journal I~ary. In the m.antime, if there are chang.s, I shall k••p the AII.mbly !nfon~d. The list of speakers for a11 the it.1I1 I have IIIntion.d 11 AOV open. tb. Meting ro" at 5.50 p.m. (tb. PreaideAt)