A/47/PV.38 General Assembly

Earlier this month I gave the General Assembly a tentative programme of plenary meetings for the remainder of October. The following is a tentative programme regarding some agenda items to be considered during November and the first week of December. As announced earlier, on Monday, 2 November, and Tuesday, 3 November, the General Assembly will hold a debate on agenda item 79, "Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development". On Monday, 16 November, the Assembly will consider agenda item 18, "Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples", and reports of the Fourth Committee. On Tuesday, 17 November, in the morning the Assembly will take up agenda item 22, "The situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti", iK^^tenda item 36, "The situation in Central America: procedures for the of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region freedom, democracy and development" On Tuesday afternoon, 17 November, on Wednesday, 18 NovembJ Thursday, 19 November, the Assembly will consider agenda it apartheid of the Government of South Africa", together with "United Nations Educational and Training Programme for Souta On Wednesday, 25 November, in the morning, the Assembly will take up

Allow me to begin by expressing our sincere felicitations to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Ghali, for his thought-provoking report "An Agenda for Peace" and also for the report on the work of the Organization. They represent a timely and essential contribution to the reform and reorganization of the United Nations, in view of the recent transformations in international relations, and contain innovative ideas and concrete proposals to make the United Nations an effective and efficient (The President) Organization responsive to the needs and challenges of contemporary times and realities. Hence they deserve our sincere and careful consideration. We are meeting at a turning-point of world history. The divisive era of the cold war is gone, but a unifying and constructive structure is yet to emerge in its place. Inter-State and intra-State conflicts abound with potential to threaten international peace and security. Poverty, hunger and underdevelopment in many parts of the globe provide ever new breeding grounds for more conflicts and threaten inter-State harmony and security. Unabated environmental degradation all over the world is pushing us to the brink of disaster. Fairness, justice and equity in inter-State relations have been replaced by brute power politics based on short-sighted gains. Against this backdrop, we need to think and work harder together and to redouble our efforts to bring about necessary and realistic changes in our Organization, which stands as our only hope in the face of so many built-in adversaries and difficult challenges. Legitimate security concerns of small States remain largely ignored and, what is worse, ameliorating operative actions are hardly taken in time. Small States, which constitute the majority of the international community, are the most vulnerable in terms of security. The provisions of the Charter, if followed and implemented, are the best guarantee of their sovereignty and security. The world of today, which is free from ideological rivalry, offers a unique opportunity to the United Nations to act decisively and resolutely to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the small and weaker States. I should now like briefly to present my delegation's comments on the key proposals of the Secretary-General to strengthen the United Nations in the field of maintenance of international peace and security. (Mr. Chowdhury. Bangladesh) We agree with the prescription articulated in the report to employ diplomacy and all pacific means to ease tensions before they develop into conflicts, on the basis of the age-old golden rule that prevention is better than cure. Confidence-building measures and strict adherence to the norms of good-neighbourliness are the very preconditions to avoid conflicts and promote peace and harmony between States. The Non-Aligned Movement therefore attaches great importance to the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and.non-interference in each other's internal affairs. Resort to fact-finding missions and the growing emphasis on strengthening the early warning systems of the United Nations are - and indeed should be helpful tools to help preventive diplomacy work. We do not therefore have any hesitation in going for the proposal of preventive deployment, since an impartial and prudent use of such a measure may prove to be "a stitch in time" that can save "nine stitches" later. Such steps, although they involve high risk, have the potential of preventing both internal and inter-State conflicts. Bangladesh hopes that the Security Council will provide due leadership in such situations. It is axiomatic that all Member States would abide strictly by the letter and spirit of the prescription for the pacific settlement of disputes set forth in Chapter VI of the Charter before taking any peacemaking measure referred to in Chapter VII of the Charter. There can be no two opinions about the fact that the Charter provides a central role for the Security Council in the realm of making, keeping and enforcing peace in the world. But the current world political setting also provides opportunities to the (Mr. Chowdhury. Bangladesh) Secretary-General to play an important role in assisting the Security Council and the General Assembly in performing their peacemaking role. The role of the General Assembly also needs to be strengthened in the domain of the maintenance of international peace and security. The General Assembly, as the conscience of the world, can and should be made more effective in creating a world public opinion and legitimizing United Nations actions against aggression and containing any situation that might threaten peace and stability in any region of the world. The important and decisive role of the International Court of Justice in the United Nations system should be utilized for the resolution of conflicts wherever possible in the changed global context. Greater resort to the Court, which has so far been underutilized, would surely enhance contributions to peacemaking and promote the rule of law in international relations. Although an innovation on the Charter, the United Nations peace-keeping operations have been resorted to on very many occasions and have been successful in implementing many peace settlements. The increase in the number of regional and ethnic conflicts in recent years has without doubt imposed tremendous demands on the United Nations peace-keeping operations. This has posed problems with regard to logistics, equipment and personnel and, most importantly, with regard to finance. Bangladesh is participating in a number of United Nations peace-keeping operations, such as the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM). And these troops are going through the joys and tribulations of maintaining peace. We stand ready to provide military and civilian personnel for deployment in United Nations peace-keeping operations in any part of the globe. We are, however, deeply concerned at the limited availability of resources for peace-keeping operations as this is bound to create problems for present and future United Nations operations. Bangladesh, in this context, agrees with the Secretary-General's proposal to establish a peace-keeping reserve fund of $50 million to meet the start-up costs of peace-keeping operations. Bangladesh also supports the proposal for the establishment of a United Nations peace endowment fund in order to make available a support base for future United Nations operations. The concept of peace-building is very important and constructive since it would make peace durable and reduce the chances of conflicts reoccurring. We fully agree with the Secretary-General's view that measures to consolidate peace and instil a sense of confidence in people are essential for peacemaking and peace-keeping operations to be truly successful. Adequate international support and a conducive environment are essential for healing the wounds and restoring the damage caused by conflicts. Financial and technical assistance are very important to the rebuilding of the battered economies so that people's confidence can be restored. The promotion of regional cooperation is of great significance to the attempts at post-conflict peace-building. The Secretary-General's proposal to streamline the Secretariat in order to make it more efficient and to avoid duplication of work deserves our (Mr. Chowdhury. Bangladesh) attention. We think he is on the right track when he considers measures to reform and revitalize the Organization by 1995 to ensure the fullest utilization of its potential. Making the Organization more democratic, transparent and responsive to new realities is as essential as ensuring proper coordination between the various organs and agencies of the United Nations. There is a growing realization that international peace and security have very important socio-economic dimensions. The inextricable link between socio-economic development and peace needs to be recognized. Widespread poverty, hunger, malnutrition, disease, illiteracy, social backwardness, deprivation and economic stagnation constitute potential sources of conflict. It is imperative that no agenda for global peace and security be formulated or implemented without giving due attention to eradicating poverty and reactivating the economic growth of developing countries. Can any durable peace be achieved when more than one fifth of the world's population lives in absolute poverty? The post-cold-war era has provided the United Nations with a unique and central role in international relations. The future of our planet and our well-being depend on how best we can utilize the potentials of the Organization and how efficiently and speedily we can translate into reality its objectives as enshrined in the Charter. The proposals of the Secretary-General are certainly aimed at making our Organization more efficient in facing the new challenges and adapting to the new realities. We strongly feel that an open-ended working group should be established to consider the Secretary-General's valuable proposals. This group could study the proposals in detail and Member States would also be able to contribute to the efforts to strengthen the United Nations. In conclusion, my delegation would like to underscore the importance of enhanced cooperation of the States Members of our Organization to make it more dynamic and equip it with the necessary tools effectively to maintain peace and stability in the world. I sincerely believe that our concerted efforts in this direction will enable us to achieve a better United Nations and build a better future for future generations.* * Mr. Elhouderi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya), Vice-President, took the Chair.

Allow me, at the outset, to extend to the people and Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt our sincere condolences over the natural disaster that befell that country, and the resultant death of hundreds of people and much material damage. My delegation is grateful to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for preparing the valuable report before us at the request of the Security Council at its summit on 31 January 1992. By reviewing a wide range of issues, and by putting forward proposals aimed at enhancing and reinforcing the efficiency of the United Nations under the Charter to enable it to undertake the tasks of preventive diplomacy, peace-keeping and peacemaking, the Secretary-General has been able to generate among the Members of the General Assembly a fruitful discussion on how this might be achieved. The post-cold-war era is characterized by the spread of democracy, pluralism and support for human rights. All these principles have been adopted by a number of countries at a time of widespread belief in their validity and in the need to ensure adherence thereto in the interests of international peace and security. However, we still believe the point of departure in dealing with such concepts should be the realization that they are social variables that are very difficult to entrench outside the context of interaction with national characteristics, namely, the demographic composition, religious beliefs and cultural values of every people. Coercion and the projection of specific ready-made models of democracy will create nothing but tensions and will lead to nothing but social imbalance. Proceeding from this, wisdom demands that the international community, while trying to enhance the principles of democracy, should encourage the adoption of democracy in every country without imposing any ready-made models. In any case, we need to generate consensus regarding the model that we assume would be applied in an absolute manner. However, this conclusion does not preclude other endeavours by the human mind to search for alternative models that may be applicable to all. None the less, unanimity can be achieved through the effective means of promoting the concepts of democracy and human rights as being indispensable to shouldering international responsibility with regard to the socio-economic-development process and as being the pillars for enhancement of the democratic process. In this context, we must expand the concept of international security to include action to deal with matters related to the elimination of racism and the dismantling of apartheid as well as with the dangers of pollution of the environment. Most importantly, we must deal with the causes of disputes and wars that are still rampant in the world. All of these matters should be dealt with on the basis of collective responsibility and through the promotion of equitable socio-economic development. The role of the United Nations is growing in this period of transition in international affairs. While that role has been enhanced, the importance of the Organization's being a model of democratic practice would be clearly demonstrated by an approach of consultation and by the participation of Members in decision-making, which would produce the balance that is necessary to revitalize the role of the General Assembly and the nature of its links with the Security Council. (Mr. Al-Hadad. Yemen) With regard to issues relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, the Organization must demonstrate its credibility. The litmus test is the avoidance of duplicity and double standards, and full compliance with the provisions of the Charter when it comes to matters that may be regarded as breaches or violations of international peace and security. We do not know what course the transformations of the present era will take, and we do not deny the increasing interdependence or the common interests of us all. However, by entrenching the conviction that democracy must be enhanced and that human rights must be upheld, we should be adopting as our guide the principle of national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. This should be protected by the Charter of the United Nations and by the rules of international law. In this connection, the role that ought to be played by the United Nations in respect of collective security and preventive diplomacy with a view to prevent disputes or to de-escalate them and prevent them from deteriorating into conflicts, as well as in respect of all questions of peace-keeping and peacemaking, should not be allowed to become a vehicle for violation of the Charter or for the adoption of resolutions in a selective manner. In conclusion, I should like to say that my delegation agrees with the this comment by the Secretary-General in the report that is under discussion: "The principles of the Charter must be applied consistently, not selectively, for if the perception should be the latter, trust will wane and with it the moral authority which is the greatest and most unique quality of that instrument." (A/47/277, para. 82) (Mr. Al-Hadad. Yemen) Mr• ELARABY (Egypt): I wish to begin by conveying the appreciation and gratitude of my delegation to the President and to all those who have expressed kind sentiments of sorrow following the tragedy that struck Cairo and other parts of Egypt last Monday. Almost 50 years ago the international community collectively decided to establish the United Nations as an instrument to maintain peace and to ensure a more just, peaceful and humane international order. Many consider that the record of our Organization falls short of the original expectations. I do not intend to dwell on the reasons behind the inability of the United Nations to fulfil the vision of its founding fathers; what is relevant to our deliberations now, and what I wish to emphasize, is that we must seize every available opportunity to redirect and rededicate our course towards achieving the fundamental objectives of the United Nations. The international climate now is propitious, the political will now seems to exist, and we have before us the Secretary-General's report "An Agenda for Peace" a thought-provoking document that focuses attention on the issues that could determine the future role of the United Nations. The United Nations by way of trial and error was forced to undergo many changes in a pragmatic, piecemeal and sometimes improvised manner. The pressure of circumstances dictated that the United Nations membership abandon some of the original Charter concepts and seek ways and means to adjust to the future reguirements of the international community. As long ago as 1959 the late Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, recognized the inevitability of change to cope with the dilemma confronting the United Nations. In his 1959 introduction to the annual report he wrote the following: "The statement of objectives in the Charter is binding and so are the rules concerning the various organs and their competence, but it is not necessary to regard the working methods indicated in the Charter as limitative in purpose. Thus, they may be supplemented by others under the pressure of circumstances and in the light of experience if these additional procedures are not in conflict with what is prescribed." (A/4132/Add.l. p. 2) I believe what he wrote more than 30 years ago is as valid today. The working methods contained in the Charter have indeed taken a turn away from the original plan.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Central American countries - Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador. First of all, may I express our sincerest condolences to the Government and people of Egypt, through its delegation, on the tragedy that that country had just suffered. Central America has often suffered the scourge of natural disasters, and we therefore understand the tragedy that has occurred in Egypt in all its dimensions. Our participation in the debate on agenda item 10, concerning the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization and on the document entitled "An Agenda for Peace", is prompted by the experience of our subregion in the application of the concepts of preventive diplomacy and peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building, which has been regarded as a sui generis case in the Organization's peace-keeping procedures and mechanisms. Central America considers it to be timely and important to express some views on vital principles that must be upheld in an initiative which, although of general interest and deserving the support of the whole international community, must be studied carefully in order to adopt the most appropriate procedures and mechanisms, thus avoiding any action that might not serve the shared interests of the international community. For several decades, as the Secretary-General indicates, there were obstacles to multilateral action by the Organization aimed at achieving its purposes international peace and security and the promotion of development. These obstacles resulted from the prevailing conditions in international relations, characterized basically by confrontation between two different ideological, economic and political systems, each eager to make its own authority and its security concepts prevail. These factors were compounded by negative structural economic and social conditions in a large majority of developing countries, generating instability and conflict and endangering international peace and security, a situation that was reflected in the United Nations. With the cold war at an end, the present decade has begun with an encouraging outlook, because of the spirit of cooperation and the strengthening of multilateralism. We welcome the range of ideas and proposals contained in the reports of the Secretary-General aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations so that it can respond appropriately to old and new challenges that threaten to increase instability in the international community, not only for political or security reasons or because of the arms race, but also because of new rivalries and the further deterioration of the living conditions of many peoples in the developing world. We hope that this initiative, aimed at the renewal and revitalization of the world Organization so that it can contribute with greater strength to the building of peace and of a safer world, will come to fruition with the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, because there is an evident confidence and commitment on the part of States, particularly the members of the Security Council, which declared at their Summit Meeting on 31 January this year their commitment to cooperate closely with the Secretary-General in the attainment of his objectives, including that of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Nations system. That means responding adequately with regard to the financial requirements created by the increase in United Nations activities and respect for the principles of international law and of the Charter in resolving international disputes. There can be no doubt that the responsibilities of our Organization have increased as they have evolved over time, and we are aware of the scope and variety of the complex tasks that it has to carry out today. That is why its institutional restructuring, within a concept of globalization, must be accomplished with a sense of responsibility and a shared commitment to international cooperation and solidarity, with the full participation of all States, based on the principle of sovereign equality recognized in the Charter. In this context, we believe that some matters need to be reaffirmed. The first is that institutional restructuring presupposes democratization, which means achieving a balance and harmony of responsibilities in the quest for peace, both between the General Assembly and the Security Council and between them and the Secretariat. This also applies to other organs of the system, including the Economic and Social Council, because of the contributions that they can make to the attainment of the objectives. Secondly, it should be taken into account that, although there is a tendency to form large blocs a source of concern, because of the possible harm to the interests of the developing countries the State still plays a central role in the changes taking place in the world order. This means that respect for sovereignty and for the right of peoples to govern themselves freely and democratically, and the principles of territorial integrity and non-intervention in internal affairs, remain fully valid as preconditions for greater harmony in inter-State relations. Thirdly, intergovernmental regional organizations should be more involved in the process of seeking peace and development, with coordination based on United Nations guidelines. Non-governmental organizations that already have an infrastructure allowing them to shoulder greater responsibilities should also be involved. (Mr. Castaneda. El Salvador) Fourthly, we agree with the Secretary-General that the United Nations must be an institution that inspires confidence. As we see it, this means that its activities and decisions must display transparency, integrity and independence, so that its principles can be applied uniformly and impartially. Only to the extent that Member States feel that the United Nations responds to shared concerns and interests will a consensus be reached to support explicitly and unconditionally the proposed ways and means of achieving peace. Failing this, distrust will rule, and the capacity of the United Nations will be weakened. Fifthly, any activities undertaken by the United Nations to restore peace in particular, those involving economic sanctions or the use of military force - must be in strict compliance with the provisions and mechanisms contained in the Charter. The scope and objectives of any peace-keeping operation must be clearly and specifically established in order to avoid in every way possible the Organization's losing control over its activities. (Mr. Castaneda. El Salvador) We might point out that the globalization of situations and interdependence render obsolete and outdated the era of unilateral problem-solving, an effort that was often based on the use of force. On the contrary, it is now possible to develop more constructive action based on dialogue, consultation and harmonization, since there is a consensus among Member States that our Organization should be the harmonizing centre, as it is the only organization with a universal dimension that can make it a collective instrument capable of confronting global problems in all their dimensions. In this respect we share the Secretary-General's view on the Security Council as expressed in his "Agenda for Peace": "A genuine sense of consensus deriving from shared interests must govern its work, not the threat of the veto or the power of any group of nations." (A/47/277, para. 78) The conflict in Central America, in particular in Nicaragua and El Salvador, was not invented by anyone; rather, it emerged as a manifestation of grave shortcomings and errors within our societies. However, once unleashed it assumed the characteristics of an international conflict, and this caused it to be prolonged, with all the results. This also created special cases in which our Organization, upon the request of the States concerned, and without violating the provisions and procedures of the Charter, adopted innovative measures and mechanisms to respond appropriately to each specific situation on the basis of, and following up on, the Esquipulas II Agreements signed by the Presidents of the region. These are clear examples that enrich the experience and the record of the United Nations in the sphere of peacemaking and peace-keeping. But reality shows that the structure of the crisis, shared by the great majority of the developing countries, still (Mr. Castaneda. El Salvador) exists. This allows room for the application of preventive diplomacy and peace-building measures. In this context, and recalling that it is acknowledged that peace and development are closely related and interdependent, it is vital that the solution to the grave economic and social problems suffered by millions of human beings be given appropriate priority so that sustainable, fair and equitable development can be integrated into the agenda for peace as a basic objective of preventive diplomacy, or of peace-building, as appropriate, in order to avoid and eliminate the roots of violence and the conflicts caused by extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and so on. Consequently, and given the failure of tested models of development, in particular in the poor countries, to overcome stagnation and economic backwardness, as well as on the basis of the mandated responsibility of the United Nations, we share the opinion of the Secretary-General that "In the new climate of international relations, we must not miss the opportunity to develop the necessary international consensus and policy instruments and also to adapt United Nations structures, and interactions within the United Nations system - to promote this integrated approach" (A/47/1, para. 68) to development. Still in the context of preventive diplomacy, we consider that the International Court of Justice is a mechanism that should increasingly be used by Member States to resolve disputes by peaceful means. This would contribute to generating greater credibility and confidence in the system and logically would strengthen the objectives of the Secretary-General's "Agenda for Peace", particularly if there exists the political will to comply with the rulings of the International Court. It is appropriate to mention that El Salvador and (Mr. Castaneda. El Salvador) Honduras placed their trust in the Court to resolve an old border dispute, and we are now at the stage of implementing the ruling. In conclusion, we are pleased to see that there is a widely held view that we are now in a special period that offers an opportunity for the renewal of multilateralism. We agree that the reports of the Secretary-General, in particular the "Agenda for Peace", as we have already said, deserve further thought and more profound consideration in order to attain a consensus on the most appropriate ways and means of achieving the objectives of international peace and security. We reaffirm the appropriateness of the suggestion that the General Assembly establish an open-ended working group for this purpose, but this should not be at any additional cost to the Organization. It is our hope that the expressions of faith in and support of the United Nations will be reflected in concrete acts for the benefit of the international community, in which the solution of global problems requires the participation and full cooperation of all Members.

At the outset I express my sincere condolences and sympathy to the people of Egypt on the recent disastrous earthquake. The winds of change are sweeping the world and gaining increasing momentum as nations and States try to adjust themselves, seize the new opportunities and face the new challenges that are simultaneously being presented in the post-cold-war era. The reports of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization and on "An Agenda for Peace" reflect the resolve of our new Secretary-General to take stock of the opportunities regained in the new international era, not only to revitalize the United Nations system to correspond to new demands, but also to be able to function as an efficient, versatile and strong world body that truly represents all nations and is capable of shaping the future in the interests of justice, peace and the common prosperity of mankind. My delegation wishes to express its sincerest appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali and his able staff in the Secretariat for these reports. We have noted with interest that the Secretary-General has indicated in these reports that the United Nations system is being revitalized to focus on the following areas: global partnership for development; management of crisis and humanitarian assistance; and maintenance of international peace and security. "An Agenda for Peace" contains a series of new ideas and innovative proposals aimed at building a stronger and more effective United Nations in various areas of international peace and security. The Islamic Republic of Iran agrees with the Secretary-General that political progress and economic development are inseparable, equally fundamental and mutually reinforcing, which must be pursued simultaneously. Thus, in our view the United Nations should adopt such an integrated approach if we are to seize the opportunity regained for the materializing of the ultimate objectives of the United Nations that is, to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. As the representative of a developing country, one that is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, I wish to say that my Government sees a shining ray of hope that the United Nations will make a rational choice at this juncture and adopt a course of action for the future that is marked by a balanced and integrated approach to international security, on the one hand, and to economic development and social progress on the other. In this context, we have studied the Secretary-General's report "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), and we anxiously await his report "An Agenda for Development". We feel strongly that the international climate in which to address the North-South problem has never been as conducive as it is now. Therefore, in our view the decision of the Rio Summit to establish the Commission on Sustainable Development constitutes a substantial and encouraging step in the right direction. Having said this, I should like to make some general observations concerning "An Agenda for Peace" and leave the detailed and in-depth deliberation of the ideas and proposals to an open-ended working group of the General Assembly, which we hope the President will establish. "An Agenda for Peace" elaborates on the role of the Security Council and

The year 1992 represents an epochal phase in the history of the United Nations. Thirteen more nations have joined the Organization, making it near-universal. In keeping with the spirit of the times, we have received two reports, "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277) and the annual report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization (A/47/1), which, in large part, contains an agenda for development. These reports embody the Secretary-General's vision of an international society in which mankind lives in peace and harmony and is able to devote its energies fully to the attainment of the goals of peace, economic and social growth, and development. I extend my deep appreciation to the Secretary-General for these reports. It may be recalled that the Secretary-General's report on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping was prepared pursuant to the request made by the meeting of the Security Council at the summit level on 31 January 1992, and its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security within the framework and provisions of the Charter. It was the express wish of the summit meeting of the Security Council that the report should be submitted to all the Members of the United Nations. It is therefore appropriate that this debate should take place in the General Assembly concurrently with the work being done in the other relevant bodies of the United Nations. The "Agenda for Peace" contains several valuable and practical recommendations on preventive diplomacy, peacemaking, peace-keeping and post-conflict peace-building. Together, these and the proposals contained in the annual report on development of the developing countries form the framework of a peaceful, stable and vibrant international system. The principles of the Charter provide the bedrock foundation for the functioning of the Organization. These principles have well served the international community until now and must be faithfully adhered to in all the future work of the Organization. A basic criterion in examining the proposals contained in the report "An Agenda for Peace" should be that they are in full conformity with the spirit of the Charter. Given such a consideration, my delegation believes that many of these recommendations can be implemented without much delay. These recommendations therefore deserve immediate and detailed consideration by the international community. The report also contains several proposals for a strengthened and reinvigorated United Nations that can more effectively fulfil its complex and multifaceted tasks in establishing and promoting international peace and security. Such proposals, which are in accordance with the principles of the Charter, can contribute to the credibility and impartiality of the United Nations and the confidence of Member States in the capabilities of the Organization. My delegation supports the Secretary-General in his endeavours and will continue to work actively with him in the achievement of these goals.

When he spoke on 30 September 1992 from this rostrum, which has witnessed so many significant events in the evolution of our Organization, President Abdou Diouf, Head of State of Senegal, warmly and sincerely congratulated the President. He also expressed the appreciation of the Senegalese delegation for the masterly way in which, since his election a year ago to head our Organization, the Secretary-General has been performing his lofty mission with such competence, selflessness and effectiveness. In his address, which I hope will be an inspiration to the work of this session. President Abdou Diouf emphasized and welcomed the important recent * Mr. Moumin (Comoros), Vice-President, took the Chair. qualitative changes in the international arena in the fields of disarmament, the defence of human rights and peace-keeping, which are also essential for progress in international economic and technological cooperation. For that reason he highlighted the increased confidence being placed in the United Nations and the significant role that it will have to play in constructing a new world in which its Member States work together in a spirit of mutual respect to bring about international relations based on peace and security as well as solidarity and mutual trust. In the light of those pertinent comments, which I felt it was important to recall, it can be readily understood that the Senegalese delegation attaches great importance to our consideration of the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization, and especially of "An Agenda for Peace", the subjects of this debate. A careful reading of the documents vividly recalls that historic period from 25 April to 26 June 1945 when a number of States, having learned the lessons of the appalling consequences of two of the most devastating wars humanity has ever experienced, came together in San Francisco to bring into being our prestigious Organization. Since then, a long road has been travelled and significant progress has been made, including the end of the cold war and a greater commitment of peoples to their freedom and to their national sovereignty. The framers of the Charter of the United Nations, whose essential concern was to avert the risk of tension-and war, surely could not have hoped that in less than half a century so many States - 179 in all would have rallied to their cause and that their undertaking would in so short a time have led to such an era of detente, albeit one beset by many uncertainties. The framers of the United Nations Charter were undoubtedly also bearers of a new vision of the world, a world in which there would be a stronger determination to achieve rapprochement between all States. This is more necessary today than ever before if the peoples and the nations wish to build together a more secure and prosperous future for present and future generations. The Secretary-General's excellent report (A/47/1) on the work of the Organization provides a striking illustration of that vision of the future, which is the only one that can help preserve collective peace and security. I should like to take this opportunity to offer once again my delegation's congratulations and encouragement to the Secretary-General and to pay a tribute to the founders of our Organization and those who drafted the Charter of the United Nations for their visionary spirit. It is to their credit that, above all, they set forth principles and established purposes for our Organization which, although they might at times have seemed to be illusory and Utopian, nevertheless have made it possible for us today to respond, if we really want to, to the profound aspirations of the peoples of our respective countries. The line of conduct which they traced for us has enabled us to attenuate the suffering caused the world by the cold war and by all the tensions and to help in various ways to promote respect for human rights and democratic principles. These are undoubtedly actions that constitute decisive steps towards our ultimate goal, which is to create a more just and equitable new world order. Obviously, our task is far from accomplished. On the contrary, it has only just started, because after having regained its credibility and aroused so much hope, the United Nations is now more in demand than ever before. The resurgence of international and regional conflicts, which are a constant source of concern and worry to us, is a good indication of the dimensions of this task and the need to give the Organization the means to perform it in the most effective way possible. It is therefore fortunate that, at the initiative of the Heads of State or Government of the members of the Security Council, who met in New York on 31 January 1992, the Secretary-General first devised "An Agenda for Peace". This valuable document contains concrete and pertinent proposals on how to strengthen the Organization's capacities in the spheres of preventive diplomacy, peace-keeping, peacemaking and peace-building, and on the ways and means of enhancing its effectiveness in the framework of the relevant provisions of the Charter. Among the measures proposed in "An Agenda for Peace", those which relate to preventive diplomacy, to peacemaking and to cooperation with regional arrangements and agencies prove on close analysis to be of particular importance. In this connection the Senegalese delegation believes that confidence-building, fact-finding, the setting up of an early warning system, preventive deployment and the establishment of demilitarized zones, are an excellent basis on which to approach the resolution of crises and the creation of the necessary conditions for economic international cooperation that could better serve mankind. The course to be followed also involves vesting more responsibility in the International Court of Justice and resorting to arbitration in the quest for peaceful solutions to disputes. The establishment of a system to mobilize adequate resources to make United Nations humanitarian assistance activities more cost-effective is essential if we are to meet the needs and challenges of the present day. The proposals on peace-keeping operations also have our full support since their aim is to enable the United Nations better to fulfil its task in this sphere, in which Senegal has always been a very keen and attentive participant. With respect to peace-building, the Senegalese delegation welcomes the initiative taken by the Secretary-General to include this element in "An Agenda for Peace". This concept is particularly attractive to the Senegalese delegation since it implies an obligation on the part of the United Nations to involve itself more in the quest for solutions to the underlying causes of conflicts. As we all know, these are generally connected with economic and social factors, poverty or specific interests. In other words, in our opinion the idea of peace-building has the additional advantage of echoing a deeply felt concern of President Abdou Diouf, for whom the other cornerstone of peace is development. Peacemaking, peace-keeping and peace-building are undoubtedly our common objective, but it should be amply supported by our determination to create the necessary conditions for sustainable development. In the implementation of this concept, which was broadly endorsed at the historic United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, the problems of poverty and underdevelopment, which seriously threaten international peace and security, in our opinion can be resolved only in a climate of generalized growth taking broad account of the concerns of the developing countries, and with increased participation by those countries in the building of this new world. (Mr. Sy. Senegal) This shared responsibility in the management of international affairs should therefore, in our view, be brought fully into play in the framework of the peace-keeping operations, by strengthening, as proposed in the Secretary-General's report, cooperation between the United Nations and the regional organizations. Naturally, the Senegalese delegation cannot but welcome such a recommendation because it is dictated not only by a laudable desire to make rational use of the already too limited resources of the United Nations but also, and above all, by a concern to respect the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly Articles 52, 53 and 54 of Chapter VIII. It should be recalled that this Chapter advocates cooperation between the United Nations and the regional arrangements and agencies in managing and resolving crises. In this spirit. President Abdou Diouf, on 30 September 1992, in this very Hall, in his dual capacity as current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and President of the Sixth Summit Conference of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), proposed the convening of an international conference on Somalia, under the auspices of the United Nations and in cooperation with the OAU, the OIC and the League of Arab States. This kind of cooperation is particularly necessary in the light of the statement in the Secretary-General's report that from 1945 to 1987 the United Nations, albeit with difficulty but certainly effectively, conducted 13 peace-keeping operations, and since then it has conducted 13 others. One of the consequences of this situation has been that the United Nations has had to place greater emphasis on peace-keeping, which is undoubtedly a noble task but which has the drawback of sacrificing to a certain extent the achievement of the economic, cultural and social objectives set forth in Chapter IX of the Charter. (Mr. Sv. Senegal) It is precisely because Africa is aware that on its own the United Nations cannot ensure the defence of the world and at the same time promote genuine international economic cooperation that Africa took the important initiative, of which members were reminded here by President Abdou Diouf, of setting up machinery to prevent, to manage and to settle African conflicts. By means of this initiative, taken at the twenty-eighth Summit Conference of the Heads of State or Government of the Organization of African Unity, held from 29 June to 1 July 1992 in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, Africa's aim was, with the international community's assistance, to restate its resolve to take its destiny into its own hands. Africa is equally convinced that the aspirations of the developing countries to justice, equity, democracy and peace cannot be effectively met if the specific characteristics of the various societies concerned are not taken into account and if they do not participate effectively. For all those reasons, we believe that the recommendations made in "An Agenda for Peace" are consonant with our own concerns and deserve our closest attention. Like the Secretary-General, the delegation of Senegal is convinced that all the proposals contained in this document stem essentially from the pertinent provisions of the Charter and can help to prevent any trend towards unilateralism, as well as to strengthen international confidence and solidarity. The need to promote confidence and solidarity fully warrants the proposal concerning the creation of a general agreement on solidarity (GAS) an idea mooted by President Abdou Diouf for our consideration. This need also constitutes a strong argument in favour of a renewed North-South dialogue, based on a spirit of partnership and shared responsibility, in the true interests of both parties. We find this approach particularly interesting because any conflict of interests between the North and the South cannot be of benefit to either side. The world of peace and prosperity to which we all aspire can be built only if all States work together for the benefit of their populations. We must never tire of repeating that the North and the South are interdependent and, therefore, condemned to live together. .Their chances of achieving harmonious economic and social development hinge essentially on their capacity to pool their strengths and their means, as well as the creative talents of their peoples, in a genuine spirit of solidarity. Their chances of establishing lasting global peace and security are especially dependent on their determination, through peaceful coexistence and joint endeavours in the service of development, to set aside any threat of mutual destruction. That is why the delegation of Senegal is profoundly committed to the achievement of a general agreement on solidarity (GAS), which we believe would be the best possible means of meeting the target set in "An Agenda for Peace" - to make available to the United Nations the resources not only to forestall conflicts and to keep, build and strengthen international peace and security but also to give fresh hope and confidence in the future to the majority of those peoples suffering from the detrimental effects of poverty and squalor. I cannot conclude this statement without sharing with other Members a very wise and very appropriate thought voiced by a prominent figure of this century. Chancellor Willy Brandt may he rest in peace who, as a part of what he did throughout his life in the service of good causes, emhpasized that the loss of a human life in wartime was as morally reprehensible as indifference to someone condemned to die of hunger, thirst, disease or poverty. Hence it will not be sufficient for us to silence the cannons and halt the tanks and then consider that we have completed our mission. A great deal more needs to be done, because peace is not merely the absence of war. The reality is that we shall have to convert these frightful machines for the destruction of the human race and its environment into tools of production and instruments that will help to safeguard the balance of ecosystems. We shall have finally to vanquish war, disease, hunger and illiteracy. In this way we shall help to alleviate the plight of the disadvantaged and to avoid despair, which leads to behaviour that is prejudicial to our endeavours to preserve peace and security throughout the world. In fact, we really have no choice. While it is true that there will never be development without peace, it is equally true that peace and security without development are doomed to remain a pious wish or merely an illusory and fragile dream. I should like to thank representatives for their kind attention and to take this opportunity to reiterate to the delegation of Egypt our deep condolences and sadness, as well as our sympathy and solidarity, in the wake (Mr. Sy. Senegal) of the recent natural disaster that has so sorely tried its friendly and fraternal people. Mr. ELHOUDERI (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (interpretation from Arabic): Among the objectives and purposes of the United Nations is the maintenance of international peace and security. To this end, the international community has encouraged initiatives to enhance the role of the Organization in this field. Accordingly, the delegation of my country welcomes the report of the Secretary-General entitled "An Agenda for Peace", which is contained in document A/47/277, as a valuable contribution to the international Organization's efforts to realize its purposes and objectives. It is a timely contribution as it coincides with joint international efforts to overcome the negative consequences of the cold war and to formulate new approaches for a secure and stable world. In his report "An Agenda for Peace" the Secretary-General touches upon points that would enhance the role of the United Nation in the maintenance of international peace and security and includes in his report several important proposals and recommendations, concerning which my delegation would like to make some comments. My country supports all efforts aimed at enhancing the capability of the United Nations in the fields of preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping in accordance with the goals and aims of the United Nations Charter. We emphasize that respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as defined in the Charter, should be the fundamental basis of international relations and of any measures adopted by the United Nations in that regard. My country also supports the call for all United Nations organs to discharge their mandates under the Charter. In this context, the General Assembly should play an effective and practical role in the maintenance of international peace and security. Also in this regard, we should like to reaffirm the importance of coordinating the relationship between the General Assembly and the Security Council. The General Assembly, like the Security Council and the Secretary-General, should play the role defined for it by the Charter and should take the necessary measures to guarantee the implementation of its resolutions and see to it that all United Nations organs scrupulously abide by provisions of the Charter without discrimination or disregard. (Mr. Elhouderi. Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) Proceeding from the fact that a well-balanced and integrated approach that would enable all United Nations organs to perform their allocated roles in maintaining peace and security is the best way to observe the letter and spirit of the Charter, we support the call for greater reliance on the International Court of Justice and recommend that all international disputes of a legal nature should be referred to this Court. We should also make sure that other organs within the United Nations do not encroach the functions of the Court by interfering in the settlement of disputes that fall essentially within the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. We also support the call for the Secretary-General to be authorized to take advantage of the advisory competence of the Court in accordance with relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. The Charter has called for regional arrangements in dealing with issues relating to the maintenance of international peace and security. Therefore, my country supports the call to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations on such issues provided that that is done in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter and that the primacy of the United Nations should be ensured in maintaining international peace and security. There should also be agreement by the concerned parties in cases where regional arrangements and organizations are involved. The maintenance of international peace and security cannot be achieved without solving economic, social, humanitarian and environmental problems. That is why we support the call for the Economic and Social Council and other related agencies to perform the roles entrusted to them by the Charter by preparing studies and reports on economic and social developments that may endanger international peace and security. In our opinion, international peace does not consist solely of the absence of armed conflict but requires the promotion of development, the upholding of human rights and the eradication of hunger and poverty in all parts of the world. Regarding post-conflict peace-building, the Secretary-General submitted valid recommendations, including his reference to war remnants as an impediment to reconstruction. My delegation expresses its gratitude to the Secretary-General for raising this question because we, in Libya, have greatly suffered from the remnants of war, especially the mines that were planted in Libyan territory during the Second World War. In addition to the prohibitive human and material price the Libyan people have already paid, these mines are still causing death and injury to many people as well as damage to much property. These mines are a great hindrance to our efforts to combat desertification and conserve the environment. Easing the financial situation of the United Nations and safeguarding the rapid and effective implementation of peace-keeping operations require providing the United Nations with a solid base, namely the availability of sufficient funds. The United Nations cannot perform the role entrusted to it without adequate financial resources. In his report "An Agenda for Peace" and in his report on the work of the Organization, the Secretary-General referred to old proposals and submitted new ones. In order to create a sound and stable financial base for the Organization, my country deems it necessary to prepare a detailed study of these proposals.

The initiative of the Security Council Summit of 31 January 1992 will undoubtedly be marked as a milestone in the coordination of the United Nations efforts towards bringing more peace and prosperity to the present changing and turbulent world situation. My delegation congratulates the Secretary-General for submitting a useful and comprehensive report entitled "An agenda for peace: Preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peace-keeping". The delegation of the Islamic State of Afghanistan has studied with particular attention and interest the report of the Secretary-General on

The Charter of the United Nations begins with the oft-quoted words, "We the peoples of the United Nations". However, while deeply concerned with the peoples, their lives and their aspirations, the Charter in Article 2 explicitly states: "Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state ..." Thus the Charter primarily addresses the interaction of nation States. Today a changed and still rapidly changing world in the economic and social sphere, the environmental sphere and the sphere of international peace and security demands a new and fresh look at the Charter and the ways in which the United Nations functions and responds. Accordingly, we, like others, greet the Secretary-General's important report entitled "An Agenda For Peace" with considerable interest and appreciation of the vision and foresight it exhibits. The representative of Indonesia, when he spoke on behalf of the non-aligned countries, succinctly expressed some views of my own country. We now take this opportunity to expand on a few of our own specific views on this very important report and its far-reaching proposals. Several issues raised in the report require careful thought and consideration, particularly in the light of the very delicate balance between the rights of people on the one hand and the rights, duties and obligations of nation States on the other. Democracy within, between and among nations is a sound foundation for the development and promotion of peace and social progress in the world. We have all borne witness to the wave of democracy sweeping over the globe. However, that wave of democracy may prove to be deceptive if the current relations between nations are not also democratized and do not reflect the sovereign equality envisaged in the Charter. Every country has an interest in international peace and security, and every country has the responsibility to help foster and uphold international peace and security. This is true, no matter how large and wealthy or how small and economically less well situated a country may be. We are one of those countries that believe it is not healthy for international democracy for a small group of countries to make all the major decisions involving peace and security for the entire international community. How can such decisions be made, and then supported by all of us, without the benefit of the thoughts and other possible contributions of all members of the international community? All of us have ideas to offer. All of us have abilities which could and should be utilized on behalf of the effort to develop international peace and security. All of us have values, perspectives and points of view that should be considered when decisions involving international peace and security are about to be made. We thus concur with the very relevant observation by the Secretary-General that democracy within the family of nations would require "... the fullest consultation, participation and engagement of all States, large and small, in the work of the Organization." (A/47/277. para. 82) A very critical issue for my country is respect for the human rights, dignity and equality of all human beings. For us, human rights, including their very important civil, political, economic, social and cultural components, are indivisible and interdependent. We see the right to economic and social development as an essential element of human rights. Thus it saddens us to see human rights addressed selectively at the expense of the legitimate economic, social and cultural concerns of developing countries. We (Mr. Vohor. Vanuatu) would wish to proceed with great caution in endorsing proposals that would allow overt intervention by developed countries in the affairs of developing countries for the selective promotion of certain aspects of human rights. After all, what country, either developed or developing, can claim to have a spotless record giving it immunity from the scrutiny and even the criticism of others when it comes to every dimension of human rights? We certainly agree that the international community should not sit idly by and witness widespread patterns of human-rights abuse. We do not want to see innocent people victimized and in some instances even have their identities erased. However, we must respect the rule of law even in developing and fostering international human-rights law; we cannot take part in a selective infringement of the sovereignty of certain States while leaving the sovereignty of others untouched. Many of the proposals made in this area have merits. However, they can gain broad international acceptance only if they are general in nature and non-discriminatory, and if their provisions can be objectively applied in all instances. Every nation represented here is very well aware of the historic reason why developing countries, particularly those that have only recently emerged from colonialism, are cautious when it comes to proposals that might be seen as affecting their national sovereignty. Some have now begun to speak of certain limits to national sovereignty as a natural progression in mankind's political and social evolution. For those of us who have had to struggle to reclaim our legal, political and cultural identities it may be somewhat premature to propose potential limits to our deeply cherished national sovereignty. This is especially true when so many of the historic grievances of developing countries are not even addressed, let alone resolved. (Mr. Vohor. Vanuatu) On balance, we support "An Agenda for Peace". However, we feel that everyone's views must be carefully solicited and that we must carefully analyse and weigh the potential impact of provisions which could be seen as potentially restricting national sovereignty. (Mr. Vohor. Vanuatu) Therefore, we join with others in proposing the establishment of a working group to study the report. We believe it to be appropriate to assign detailed consideration to a working group given that specific mandate. This will accord the matter the importance it merits. In conclusion, we consider "An Agenda for Peace" to be a very valuable contribution. We look forward to making our own contribution to the process which will see the ideas contained in the report evolve into useful tools for the future growth and development of international peace and security for all countries and all peoples. The meeting rose at 6.30 p.m. (Mr. Vohor. Vanuatu)