A/47/PV.73 General Assembly

The Assembly will now consider the reports of the Sixth Committee on agenda items 125 to 136, and 151. In view of the desire of Member States to dispose of all reports of the Sixth Committee at one time and expeditiously, may I take it that the Assembly wishes to consider agenda item 151 at this meeting, notwithstanding rule 15 of the rules of procedure, which provides that seven days should have elapsed since the item was placed on the agenda? If I hear no objection, it will be so decided. It was so decided.

I request the Rapporteur of the Sixth Committee, Mr. Wael Kamal Aboulmagd of Egypt, to introduce the reports of the Sixth Committee in one intervention. Mr. ABOULMAGD (Egypt), Rapporteur of the Sixth Committee: I have the honour of presenting to the General Assembly the reports of the Sixth Committee on its work on the 13 agenda items allocated to it at this session. The reports are contained in documents A/47/580 to A/47/591 and A/47/713. Before introducing each of these reports in the order in which they appear in the Journal. I would like to make a few general remarks. The constructive atmosphere which has characterized the deliberations in the Sixth Committee during the last few years prevailed this year as well and even to a greater extent. Thus the Committee succeeded in adopting a record number of 12 resolutions and decisions out of 13 without a vote. Participants in the work of the Committee at this session will agree that

If there is no proposal under rule 66 of the rules of procedure, I shall take it that the General Assembly decides not to discuss the reports of the Sixth Committee that are before the Assembly today. It was so decided.

Statements will therefore be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the various recommendations of the Sixth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. May I remind members that, under decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that: "When the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, i.e., either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee." (decision 34/401. para. 7) I remind delegations that, also in accordance with General Assembly decision 34/401, explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. Before we begin to take action on the recommendations contained in the reports of the Sixth Committee, I should like to advise representatives that, unless delegations have already notified the Secretariat that they wish to do (Mr. Aboulmagd. Rapporteur. Sixth Committee) otherwise, we are going to proceed with the voting in the same manner as was done in the Sixth Committee. This means that where a recorded vote was taken, we will do the same. I would also hope that we may proceed to adopt without a vote those recommendations that were adopted without a vote in the Sixth Committee. We shall first consider the report (A/47/580) of the Sixth Committee on

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude our consideration of agenda item 125? It was so decided.

I ask the Assembly to turn its attention now to the report (A/47/581) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 126, "Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts". The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 8 of its report. The draft resolution was adopted by the Sixth Committee without a vote. May I consider that the General Assembly wishes to do likewise? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/30).

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 126? It was so decided.

We turn now to the report (A/47/582) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 127, "Consideration of effective measures to enhance VI- the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives". * Subsequently, the delegations of Bangladesh, Mauritius and Vanuatu advised the Secretariat that they had intended to vote in favour; the delegations of Belarus and Samoa had intended to abstain. The Assembly will now take a decision on the recommendation of the Sixth Committee contained in paragraph 8 of its report. The draft resolution was adopted by the Sixth Committee without = vote. May I consider that the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/31). (The President)

We turn now to the report (A/47/583) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 128, "United Nations Decade of International Law". The Assembly will take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 10 of its report. The draft resolution was adopted by the Sixth Committee without a vote. May I consider that the Assembly wishes to do likewise? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/32).

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 128? It was so decided.

The Assembly will consider next the report (A/47/584) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 129, "Report of the International Law Commission on the work of its forty-fourth session". The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 8 of its report. The Sixth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I consider that the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/33).

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 129? It was so decided.

I reguest the Assembly to turn its attention now to the report (A/47/585) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 130, "Convention on jurisdictional immunities of States and their property". The Assembly will tak-s a decision on the draft decision recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 11 of its report. The draft decision was adopted by the Sixth Committee without a vote. May I consider that the Assembly wishes to do likewise? The draft decision was adopted.

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 130? It was so decided.

We turn next to the report (A/47/586) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 131, "Report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on the work of its twenty-fifth session". The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 9 of its report. The Sixth Committee adopted this draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/34).

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 131? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now consider the report (A/47/587) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 132, "Consideration of the draft articles on the status of the diplomatic courier and the diplomatic bag not accompanied by diplomatic courier and of the draft optional protocols thereto". The Assembly will take a decision on the draft decision recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 10 of its report. The draft decision was adopted by the Sixth Committee without a vote. May I consider that the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft decision was adopted.

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 132? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now turn to the report (A/47/589) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 134, "Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country". The Assembly will take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 7 of the report. The Sixth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I consider that the General Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/35).

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 134? It was so decided.

The Assembly will turn next to the report (A/47/590) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 135, "Additional protocol on consular functions to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations". The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 9 of the report. The Sixth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I consider that the General Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/36).

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 135? It was so decided.

The Assembly will now consider the report (A/47/591) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 136, "Protection of the environment in times of armed conflict". The Assembly will take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 10 of its report. The Sixth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I consider that the General Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/37).

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 136? It was so decided.

The Assembly will consider next the report (A/47/713) of the Sixth Committee on agenda item 151, "Request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice". The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft decision recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. The draft decision was adopted by the Sixth Committee without a vote. May I consider that the Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft decision was adopted.

May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to conclude its consideration of agenda item 151? It was so decided.

We turn next to the report of the Sixth Committee (A/47/588) on agenda item 133, entitled "Report of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization". The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended by the Sixth Committee in paragraph 9 of that report. The report of the Fifth Committee on the programme budget implications of the draft resolution is contained in document A/47/714. The Sixth Committee adopted the draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same? The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 47/38).

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 1337 It was so decided.

The Assembly has thus concluded its consideration of all the reports of the Sixth Committee. TENTATIVE PROGRAMME OF WORK

The General Assembly has now concluded its consideration of the reports of the Fourth and Sixth Committees. I should now like to make an announcement concerning the reports of the other Main Committees. The General Assembly will consider those reports on the following dates: First Committee reports on Wednesday, 9 December, in the afternoon; Special Political Committee reports on Friday, 11 December, in the afternoon; Third Committee reports on Monday, 14 December, in the afternoon; and Second and Fifth Committee reports on Friday, 18 December, in the afternoon. I should like to remind members that the General Assembly will take up the report of the First Committee on agenda item 60, "Chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons", as the first item on Monday, 30 November, in the morning. I should further like to remind members that, in accordance with the decision taken by the General Assembly at its 3rd plenary meeting, the Assembly is scheduled to recess on Friday, 18 December.

I call on the representative of Nigeria, who will introduce draft resolution A/47/L.24 in the course of his statement.

The Nigerian delegation welcomes the positive developments that have taken place on the international scene during the past two years. Those developments, which relate to matters of international peace and security, disarmament, development and the environment, will no doubt contribute to the achievement of the purposes of the 1986 declaration of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. Prominent among those developments are the end of the cold war, a movement from confrontation to cooperation between East and West, a breakdown of ideological rivalry between those two blocs, and incipient attempts to define and establish a new world order. It is our expectation that the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic, which was conceived as an initiative within the ambit of South-South cooperation, will also benefit from the understanding and the cooperation of the North. "An Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277), proposed recently by the Secretary-General, which continues to be the subject of debate and consideration by the General Assembly, has, as expected, prescriptive relevance for the countries of the South Atlantic in their pursuit of the goal of peace and security for the zone, which in turn represents a vital component of the global guest for international peace and security. In that connection, my delegation thinks it fit and proper to suggest that progress towards nuclear non-proliferation in the region of the South Atlantic has not only engendered confidence among States of the zone, but has also had a salutary effect on the progressive development and concretization of the new international climate. In that regard we welcome particularly South Africa's accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its agreement to subject its nuclear facilities and programmes to the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). That development brightens the prospect for a nuclear-weapon-free African continent. On the Latin American side of the zone, Argentina and Brazil have taken the laudable initiative of agreeing to submit their nuclear programmes to IAEA safeguards inspection, thus declaring their peaceful intentions and facilitating the full entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin Amarica and the Caribbean originally the 1967 Treaty of Tlatelolco. Conceived also as a bridge between African and Latin American countries of the South Atlantic, the zone of peace and cooperation has, from its inception, devoted particular attention to the protection of the environment, with special emphasis on the marine environment and the enhancement of knowledge of its resources as a factor for intensifying economic cooperation and social development. At both the first and the second meetings of the zone, held respectively at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and at Abuja, Nigeria, the protection of the environment was high on the agenda. At those meetings, the States of the zone expressed their concern over the continued deterioration of the environment at the global level, and affirmed their support for a global approach that recognized the development needs of States of the zone. They therefore looked forward to the United Natio.is Conference on Environment and Development as an opportunity to address the problem of the environment in all its ramifications. The adoption of Agenda 21 in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 fulfilled this expectation. It is hoped that this valuable document will constitute a guide to the States of the zone in their regional action to attain sustainable development. We draw attention in particular to the Agenda's chapter 17, which deals with the protection of the oceans and all kinds of seas and coastal areas as well as with the rational use and development of their living resources. The judicious management of the environment will lend support and additional meaning to the cooperation already embarked upon by the States of the zone. As delegations are aware, cooperation in the region extends to all possible spheres, including political, economic, social and cultural. With the initiative taken by the Namibian Government to act as host to a meeting of Ministers of Trade and Industry of the countries of the zone in the first half of 1993, cooperation in the area of trade and industry will receive <a boost in furthering the objectives of the zone that will have positive implications for South-South cooperation. It is anticipated that additional initiatives will be taken by other Member States to further the purpose of the zone and to enhance mutual cooperation between them. The political import of the hosting of the forthcoming meeting of the zone Trade Ministers by Namibia, the newest member of the zone, cannot be underestimated. We wish to share with Namibia and the rest of the international community this feeling of great achievement at seeing that dear country assuming and consolidating its place in the comity of nations. It is indeed a reason to encourage the United Nations not to relent in its efforts as the international community looks to it to ensure the complete transition of South Africa to a non-racial democratic society. In this connection the States members of the zone are following with great interest the evolving situation and developments in South Africa. We hope that those developments will achieve the desired objective and that we may be able to welcome in the near future a non-racial South Africa into the community of the South Atlantic States. The conflicts in Angola and Liberia, however, constitute a sad chapter in the development efforts of the region. These conflicts, which have led to the loss of many lives and wanton destruction of property, must be promptly and effectively contained and resolved to ensure that every member of the zone is able to contribute its guota to and derive maximum benefit from the regional association. We therefore express our support for the efforts that have and will be undertaken by the Uiited Nations, by the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and by other organizations to end all hostilities in the two countries and enable them to pursue reconstruction rehabilitation and development in peace. On 27 October 1986, when it adopted resolution 41/11, the General Assembly took an important "!tep that today has borne fruit in the enhancement of international cooperatio.i and further stability in the region. The Assembly, I believe, shares the satisfaction of the States of the South Atlantic in that regard. Here today we wish to commend the support we have enjoyed from the international community in fulfilling the objectives of the zone. The annual resolution of the General Assembly receives ever-increasing support from the States Members of the United Nations, illustrating broad confidence in our efforts to fulfil the objectives of the zone. In its capacity as current coordinator of the zone, Nigeria seizes this opportunity to thank all Member States for their noble support and encouragement, as well as the Secretary-General and the Secretariat for their assistance in implementing the pertinent General Assembly resolutions on the zone. In this connection we should like to mention in particular the Office for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea and the United Nations Development Programme, which have rendered assistance in organizing zonal seminars. We look forward to similar assistance as well as, to the other technical assistance necessary to further the implementation of zonal projects in the areas of, inter alia, communication, energy, water-resources management, environmental protection and management of toxic and hazardous chemicals and wastes. The zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic is a vibrant instrument for promoting South-South cooperation. It should be assisted to become a viable mechanism for enhancing global security and achieving sustainable development. Permit me at this stage to introduce, on behalf of the States members of the zone, draft resolution A/47/L.24 on agenda item 26, "Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic"- The draft resolution, in its preambular paragraphs, recalls some important elements in last year's resolution 46/19. In its operative part, it recalls some important developments in 1992. For example, it makes reference to the joint Argentine-Brazilian-Chilean initiatives aimed at the full implementation of the Treaty of Tlatelolco, the results of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held at Rio, and the valuable instruments on climate change and biological diversity that were concluded at that Conference. The draft resolution further draws attention to the situations in South Africa, Angola and Liberia, expresses the hope for a quick and desirable denouement to those conflict situations and calls for increased humanitarian assistance to Liberia and Angola in order to mitigate human suffering. Finally, the draft resolution notes with satisfaction the initiative of the Namibian Government to host a meeting of the Ministers of Trade and Industry of the countries of the zone in 1993 and requests the relevant organizations, organs and bodies of the United Nations to render all necessary assistance to the efforts aimed at further implementation of the declaration of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. This year's draft resolution continues the positive mode of enunciating the objectives, hopes and aspirations of the States members of the zone. It takes into consideration the various perspectives that continue to enjoy global consensus in order to qualify for the continued firm support of the international community. At the same time, it takes care not to lose sight of issues that have great relevance to the achievement of the purposes and objectives of the zone. The States members of the zone, which are also the sponsors of draft resolution A/47/L.24, are pleased to commend it to the General Assembly for adoption without a vote whej a decision on it is taken in the next few days.

As we consider

In 1986, when the General Assembly adopted resolution 41/11, by which it declared the South Atlantic a zone of peace and cooperation, it launched a common undertaking with a view to providing new tools for the enhancement of the intraregional links and understandings between African and South American countries on the shores of that ocean. The initiative was geared then, as it remains today, to strengthening the foundations for increased cooperation in the promotion both of peace in our region and of development for the benefit of our peoples. Since then the region has witnessed a series of historic changes and remarkable events, most of them positive, some not. However, the importance of the objectives and principles of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic has in no way diminished. Thus, we acknowledge with satisfaction the increasing support, by now virtually unanimous, enjoyed by the draft resolution presented under this item each year. (Mr. Jallow. Gambia) As stated in the text submitted by the Brazilian Government for inclusion in the report of the Secretary-General on this subject, "in a world in which the end of the East-West confrontation has proved to be less than enough to bring about effective solutions to some resilient regional conflicts, or prevent the resurgence of old ones, and at a time in which the gap between rich and poor, developing and developed, has continued to grow, the relevance of the concepts of peace and cooperation cannot be overemphasized." (A/47/424/Add.l. para. 2). The Government of Brazil has expressed, and wishes to reiterate here, its concern for the deterioration of the situation in Angola, a country to which we are bound by deep links, and its most sincere hope that the Angolan people will soon be able to complete successfully the national peace and reconciliation process, in full compliance with the Acordos de Paz para Angola. This is a process in which the United Nations has played and continues to play a very special role and to which it has dedicated a great deal of effort and resources. It is our hope that the implementation of Security Council resolution 785 (1992) will pave the way for a peaceful settlement of the current problems. The conflict in Liberia is still raging in spite of the commendable and continued efforts of the Economic Community of West African States to restore peace, security and stability in that country, efforts which deserve all the support of the international community. We look forward to the implementation of Security Council resolution 788 (1992). The situation in South Africa is also of particular relevance to our debate today. More than once the countries of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic have expressed their willingness to welcome among them in the near future a non-racial, democratic South Africa. To this end, and quoting Brazil's statement during the debate on this item of our agenda, "it is the sincere hope of the Government and the people of Brazil that the courageous people of South Africa and its responsible leadership may achieve the long-awaited reconciliation and reconstruction of its society in a peaceful and harmonious way at the earliest possible time." (A/47/PV.66. p. 49) The settlement of those serious problems, a goal to which Brazil is ready to contribute to the best of its ability, will certainly bring us closer to a future of increasing effectiveness in the advancement of the objectives of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. Brazil hopes that an important step toward our common endeavour for enhanced peace and security in the region will soon be taken with the full entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Treaty of Tlatelolco. There is a prospect of such a positive development because of the recently approved amendments to the text of the Treaty as a result of an initiative put forward by two countries of the zone of peace, Brazil and Argentina, together with Chile and Mexico. The protection of the environment has always ranked high among the priorities of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. Since the inception of our regional mechanism, concern over the conservation of natural resources and the determination of the countries of the region to act accordingly, and together, nave been basic tenets of the zone. Thus, we welcome with justified satisfaction the results of the Rio de Janeiro Conference on Environment and Development. By the same token, we now look forward with great anticipation to the implementation of the decisions arrived at in Rio, including in particular those related to transfers of technology and to financial resources and mechanisms. It is our conviction that a prompt translation into reality of the commitments reached there, and of the "Rio spirit" in particular, will have a positive bearing on the protection of the environment in the South Atlantic as well as on the development of the countries of the region. The protection of the environment is a most promising field for increased cooperation in the future within the scope of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. Much has been accomplished in the last six years, but it is clear to us that the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic has yet to achieve, as a regional mechanism, the full measure of its promising potentialities. With a view to achieving this end, it is up to the countries of the region to devise further ways and means to translate political will into concrete forms of cooperation, with the support, as appropriate, of the relevant organizations, organs and bodies of the United Nations system. In this regard the Brazilian Government warmly welcomes the generous offer of the Namibian Government to host next year in Windhoek a meeting of the Ministers of Trade and Industry of the countries of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. We are certain that the Windhoek meeting will provide an excellent opportunity for the furtherance of the objectives of the zone. In concluding, I wish to voice the gratitude of my delegation for the impeccable work being done by Nigeria as coordinator of the States of the zone and to express our hope that the draft resolution put forward under this agenda item will be considered by Member States in the same positive spirit in which it was drafted by its sponsors. Mr• HUARAKA (Namibia): Peace, security and development are interrelated and complementary. In the post-cold-war era economic cooperation has shifted to the centre of inter-State relationships. No country is an island, and, for a small and developing country like Namibia, cooperation is essential, in particular with the countries of the zone. The economic cooperation of the zone could be promoted and improved if a suitable trade-promotion mechanism were put in place among the countries of the zone. With peace achieved in the zone, now is the time to give business people the confidence to engage in trade. (Mr. de Arauio Castro. Brazil) The States of the zone attach particular importance to the protection and preservation of the environment. Indeed, the Earth Summit held in Rio last June put the preservation of the environment at the centre of development strategy. The damage that pollution from any source may cause to the marine and coastal environment of the countries of the zone cannot be overstated. It is in this light that my delegation joins other delegations from the zone in expressing concern over the use of fishing methods that cause the over-exploitation of living marine resources. Since the implementation of its policy on fisheries, Namibia has already achieved a remarkable recovery of some species, in particular pilchard and whitefish, due to the implementation of strict conservation policies. For Namibia, fishery is a resource that we can utilize only in a sustainable manner. It is a resource that is fragile and must be bequeathed to the Namibian generations to come. Developments in Angola and Liberia, two States members of the zone, are of great concern to my delegation. The recently adopted Security Council resolutions 785 (1992) and 788 (1992) and the efforts being made by the Secretary-General for the purpose of resolving the conflicts in these two troubled countries members of the zone enjoy the full support of my delegation. We express the hope that the political situation in South Africa will change sooner rather than later, so that a unitary, non-racial and democratic South Africa can become a member of the community of South Atlantic States. In resolution 46/19 the General Assembly welcomed the resolution adopted by the General Conference of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Ccribbean at its twelfth regular session, on the cooperation between the Latin American nuclear-weapon-free zone and the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic. The Assembly further expressed its appreciation for the success achieved by Namibia in the attainment of its independence and called upon the international community to render necessary assistance to Namibia. I would fail in my duty if I did not commend the Secretary-General's report on the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic (A/47/424 and Add.l, 2 and 3 ) . Among other things contained in the report, in chapter III, on "Replies received from United Nations organizations", the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports that "At its thirty-eighth session, in June 1991, the Governing Council of UNDP decided to extend special assistance to Namibia equivalent to that given a least developed country. As such Namibia will benefit from enhanced allocation of UNDP resources in the future." (A/47/424, chapter 3. para. 1) In conclusion, my delegation is pleased to announce the initiative of the Government of Namibia to host a meeting of the Ministers of Trade and Industry of the countries of the zone at Windhoek in the first half of 1993.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. At the request of its sponsors, action on draft resolution A/47/L.24 is postponed to a later date to be announced in the Journal.

At the outset, I should like to thank the President and the members of the Assembly for providing an opportunity for

I now call on the Permanent Representative of Turkey, who will introduce draft resolution A/47/L.25/Rev.l in the course of his statement.

After suffering enormously during 14 long years of war and the attendant devastation, Afghanistan has now entered a new phase in its history when rehabilitation and reconstruction will be given priority. Members have just heard from the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan the magnitude of the task facing that country. Afghanistan is one of the least developed countries, and it faces a critical economic situation. Its economy and social infrastructure have been devastated, and it will take many years to restore the situation there. The return of millions of refugees and their resettlement will be a heavy burden on the limited resources of Afghanistan. Winters in Afghanistan are long and harsh, bringing sub-zero temperatures and heavy snows, leaving many communities completely isolated and cutting off supply routes. The hardships that many Afghan families will suffer during the coming winter are likely to be severe. Indeed, according to the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, without assistance many Afghans may not survive the winter. The repatriation of more than a million refugees this year, the displacement from Kabul of several hundred thousand persons, the lack of infrastructure and the inability to make adequate provisions for winter are among the factors creating the need for emergency assistance. The draft resolution (A/47/L.25/Rev.l) that I have the honour to introduce on behalf of 31 sponsors is entitled "Emergency international assistance for the reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan". In addition to the countries listed in the document, Brunei Darussalam and the United States of America have become sponsors. The draft resolution consists of 11 preambular and nine operative paragraphs. It is an appeal to all States, organizations, agencies and other governmental and non-governmental organizations to provide all possible financial, technical and material assistance. It requests the Secretary-General to ensure the continued operation and further strengthening of humanitarian and economic assistance programmes relating to Afghanistan and to dispatch a team of experts to evaluate the war damage to that country. It also requests the Secretary-General to initiate a plan for mobilizing financial, technical and material assistance, including the convening of a conference of donor States and international financial institutions. The draft resolution also appeals to all Member States to provide emergency financial assistance to the Afghanistan Emergency Trust Fund and to (Mr. Aksin. Turkey) This draft resolution is an expression of the support of the international community for the people and Government of Afghanistan. We are confident that the General Assembly, always true to its tradition of solidarity with its members in their hour of need, will rally to the assistance of Afghanistan and adopt the draft resolution by consensus.

I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Afghanistan on their great victory and on the establishment of the Islamic State of Afghanistan. I should also like to express my appreciation to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and his Personal Representatives for all their efforts to help Afghanistan during the war and its aftermath. We are glad that today, after 14 years of war, the Muslim people of Afghanistan have finally achieved their aspiration to found an Islamic, non-aligned and independent Government. Despite the serious challenges facing it, we are fully confident that through unity and steadfastness, and without foreign intervention, Afghanistan can overcome its difficulties and begin the process of reconstruction. At this juncture, what is important is the fact that all segments of the Afghan population should put aside their differences and help the legitimate Government to rebuild the country. No people in recent history have experienced the disasters and disadvantages that the people of Afghanistan have. The country's hardships and difficulties can be attributed to both natural and man-made causes. Even before the war the country's resources, as well as the opportunities available to the Afghan people for economic and social development, had been in need of extra attention. The country's exports barely provided for the basic needs of its population, thus rendering it unable to invest in long-term planning, including the establishment of an economic infrastructure and a human-development programme. In addition to these economic difficulties, Afghanistan's geographical position as a land-locked country has exacerbated its problems. Apart from those dilemmas, during the past 14 years Afghanistan has been plagued by foreign occupation and civil war, thus further reducing the already slim chances and resources for development. The magnitude of the bloodshed and destruction is a matter of great concern. More than 1 million people have been killed and more than 2 million disabled, and nearly 8 million people have either taken refuge in neighbouring countries the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan or have been internally displaced. The fact that a large number of the casualties were young males indicates the losses Afghanistan has suffered in terms of available manpower. The physical destruction of the country is yet another dimension of its deplorable situation. Virtually nothing remains of the country's infrastructure, except ruins. Roads, bridges, irrigation systems, farms, industries, schools and so on all bear the severe scars of war. Few villages can be found that have been spared total devastation. Moreover, heavy damage has been inflicted on the cities, and many public services in urban areas have collapsed. Accordingly, Afghanistan's natural disadvantages and war damage combined have led to a situation in which the per capita gross national product is $218, life expectancy is about 40 years, the literacy rate is 12 per cent and there is only one hospital available for every 218,015 persons. This vast destruction and the tremendous loss of opportunity during those 14 years have caused Afghanistan to fall far behind what it once was. (Mr. Kharrazi. Islamic Republic of Iran) Against this background, the newly founded Islamic State of Afghanistan faces enormously difficult challenges, including the repatriation and settlement of refugees and the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country. Taking into account the importance of returning to normality, as well as the proportion of the population in rural areas as compared with the cities, we see that the first step in the normalization process should be the restoration of basic services and preparation for a resumption of agricultural production. At present the people and Government of Afghanistan cannot take even these preliminary steps on their own. The extent of the requirements for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan far exceeds its existing abilities and resources. As the Secretary-General stated in his Consolidated Appeal for Emergency Humanitarian Assistance for Afghanistan, "the country is still faced with an emergency of dramatic proportions, in which almost everything is needed and almost nothing is readily available." Therefore, in view of the difficulties and uncertainties that lie ahead for the country, the international community has a moral responsibility to respond urgently to the needs of Afghanistan at this crucial juncture. Because of the urgency of this task, we are concerned about the lack of an adequate response to the Secretary-General's Consolidated Appeal for Emergency Humanitarian Assistance for Afghanistan, which addressed the most urgent needs in the fields of food aid, health, mine clearance, voluntary repatriation, agriculture, education, rehabilitation of the infrastructure and drug control. Unfortunately, of the suggested $179.7 million for emergency humanitarian assistance for the period June-December 1992, only $59 million has been recorded. Therefore, the agencies involved in various programmes envisaged in the Consolidated Appeal have not been able to implement their projected programmes. At the same time, the coming winter may make the situation even worse, exposing the already suffering people to new hardships. In this regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran fully supports the note prepared by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on the winter emergency needs of Afghanistan. I would like to confirm the determination of my Government to assist Ambassador Eliasson in implementing his plan. Clearly, in order to respond effectively to the short- and long-term requirements of Afghanistan's rehabilitation and reconstruction, there is a need for a new plan to mobilize financial, technical and material assistance, including the convening of an international pledging conference. An expert team should be dispatched to Afghanistan as soon as possible in order to evaluate the war damage and destruction and to prepare a comprehensive report on requirements for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country. Given the significant role that the international financial institutions can play in the rehabilitation and reconstruction processes, the Secretary-General's plan should also explore ways and means to seek active (Mr. Kharrazi. Islamic Republic of Iran) involvement of these institutions to achieve the targets it is to set. We hope that the international community, and in particular donor countries, will respond adequately to the Consolidated Appeal of the Secretary-General, and the new initiatives to be taken by him, based on the team's report. The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently, throughout the 14 years of foreign occupation and civil war, and thereafter, supported the people of Afghanistan in their desire for peace and prosperity, and we will continue to do so. In the light of this, may I briefly enumerate some of the measures taken by my country to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people. For 14 years, despite the enormous burden of the war imposed on Iran, my country has been host to more than 2 million Afghan refugees, the great majority of whom are still living in Iran. Immediately following the establishment of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, despite the eruption of new hostilities, which threatened the security of relief workers, the Islamic Republic of Iran rushed to the aid of Afghanistan. It is worth noting that to date more than 80 planeloads of aid have been sent to Afghanistan. During the visit to Tehran by the interim President, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani, an additional $50 million in credits was offered to that country. Furthermore, in order to improve medical and health care capacities, several medical teams have been dispatched to Afghanistan, and various training programmes in these fields have been conducted by the Iranian Red Crescent for Afghan nationals. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my country's firm determination to continue its assistance to Afghanistan.

The Pakistan delegation welcomes the consideration by the General Assembly of the agenda item "Emergency international assistance for the reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan". Our deliberations on this important issue have humanitarian, economic and political dimensions. The people of Afghanistan waged a long and bitter struggle to regain their country's independence from foreign occupation and domination. This was a crucial struggle with far-reaching implications for the region and the world. The world cannot but welcome the cessation of hostilities in Afghanistan. We are confident that our Afghan brothers will peacefully evolve a national political consensus. In this connection, Pakistan welcomes the initiation of the electoral process in Afghanistan. The cost of the decade and a half of war and conflict has been monumental. Over a million Afghans have died. More than 2 million have been maimed and injured. And nearly six million have fled, mainly to Pakistan and Iran, as refugees. Afghanistan's infrastructure its roads, bridges and irrigation channels has all been destroyed. Services such as health and education are virtually non-existent. What is more, the entire country is littered with millions of mines, which have yet to be removed. Afghanistan requires extensive and comprehensive assistance: first, for the repatriation and rehabilitation of refugees, as well as displaced persons within Afghanistan; secondly, for the reconstruction of the infrastructure and basic services; and, thirdly, for economic and social development. The Afghan economy, one of the least developed in the world even before the war, must be revived through a speedy process of rehabilitation and reconstruction. An economic revival is essential to support the transition to representative government in Afghanistan and to achieve full reconciliation and harmony among the Afghan people. In turn, peace and tranquillity in Afghanistan will contribute to the evolution of cooperation and stability in the entire region. In this context, the forthcoming admission of Afghanistan, together with the five Central Asian Republics, into the Economic Cooperation Organization linking Pakistan, Turkey and Iran, will be an important development. The world community helped Afghanistan to regain its freedom; it must also help Afghanistan to redress the consequences of the conflict which was imposed on its people. We appreciate the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General to focus on the grave situation in Afghanistan by launching his Consolidated Appeal for Emergency Humanitarian Assistance for Afghanistan. We hope that the international community will respond by contributing additional resources of $180 million to United Nations agencies for emergency humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan to cover the latter half of 1992. These resources, which include a shortfall of $76 million in the current year for the ongoing Operation Salam, are designed to meet food aid, health and mine clearance needs and the needs of voluntary repatriation of refugees. In addition, support is required for the existing programmes of United Nations agencies in the fields of agriculture, education, rehabilitation of infrastructure and drug-abuse control. Earlier this month the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Eliasson, reminded the donor countries that $17.8 million was required immediately to meet the emergency needs of the Afghan people during the next two months of winter. There should be an urgent response to these requirements. It is essential that the United Nations agencies be provided with the necessary resources to meet the emergency needs of the Afghan people. Unfortunately, the targets set forth in the Secretary-General's Appeal are as yet far from becoming a reality. The Appeal also identifies a number of basic economic problems confronting Afghanistan which humanitarian agencies are not in a position to address and which have been brought to the attention of bilateral donors and international financial institutions. Foremost among these are the problems of the acute budget deficit of the Afghan Government and the shortages of food and fuel. Pakistan urges the international community, especially the major donor countries and financial institutions, to provide the financial, technical and material assistance needed for Afghanistan. The Government and people of Pakistan have stood by their Afghan brothers throughout their trials and tribulations of the past several years. We are proud to have contributed to their success in regaining control over their own destiny. Pakistan reiterates the hope that the conditions will be created in Afghanistan to enable all the Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran to return in safety to their homes. The Secretary-General has pointed out that for successful repatriation of refugees it is essential that the international community maintain assistance to the refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan at the current level. Pakistan reiterates its full support for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan and its economic development. We reaffirm our pledge to channel all assistance to Afghanistan through the Government of Afghanistan. The Government of Pakistan has so far extended trade credits to Afghanistan. We have continued to meet the shortfalls for wheat and energy requirements. It is our hope that the General Assembly will resolutely support the call for greater international assistance to Afghanistan to enable this brave country, which has suffered so much for so long, to consolidate its freedom and establish peace, prosperity and democracy. Ms. TAHIR-KHELI (United States of America): I am pleased to appear before the General Assembly as a sponsor of the draft resolution, which addresses an issue of continuing concern to the United States and the international community at large: the pressing need for emergency assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. We thank the Secretary-General for the assessment of the needs of Afghanistan set forth in his 5 June 1992 Consolidated Appeal and in subsequent emergency appeals. As highlighted in the June Appeal, two years after the end of the war Afghanistan continues to face tremendous economic, humanitarian and refugee-related problems. Clearly, while the United Nations and the international community have made significant inroads in alleviating the suffering in Afghanistan, much remains to be done. Recent flooding has compounded existing problems and is yet another cause for concern. Both the near-term need of humanitarian relief during the coming winter months and the longer term challenge of rebuilding the nation's economy demand our attention. Since 1985 the United States has provided approximately $475 million to support programmes in reconstruction, agriculture, health, education and general relief in Afghanistan. These programmes have had an impact more than 1,600 irrigation systems have been rehabilitated, more than 3 million textbooks have been distributed to school-age children and more than 1,500 health posts and clinics have received United States assistance. Some United States bilateral assistance programmes are also already operating in areas affected by the recent floods and will serve to mitigate the impact of the flooding. On the issue of refugees we have maintained strong support for war-affected populations inside and outside Afghanistan through bilateral and multilateral programmes. In addition to our bilateral assistance programmes, the United States channels assistance to Afghanistan through the United Nations and other international organizations. Since 1980 we have contributed more than $700 million to these organizations. In response to the Secretary-General's June Appeal we pledged an additional $8 million. The United States wishes to continue to play a role in helping Afghanistan rebuild after 14 years of a devastating war. As we consider international relief needs we would like to draw special attention to the importance of de-mining activities. The millions of mines remaining in Afghanistan will threaten lives and hamper relief and reconstruction efforts for years to come. We would also like to make a special mention of the serious risk of hunger in Afghanistan this winter among returned refugees and displaced persons. This risk was described in the recent "Note on Winter Emergency Needs in Afghanistan". The United States and other donors are currently examining ways to respond to this near-term need. Yet security conditions inside the country continue to hamper efforts to get assistance to those who are at risk. The United States is concerned about opium and heroin production in Afghanistan. We commend the Interim Government for the seriousness it has shown in combating narcotics, in its public statements and by forming a commission to focus specifically on this problem. It is important for the international community to assist the Afghan counter-narcotics efforts, particularly by encouraging crop substitution. The draft resolution before us includes the possibility of the Secretary-General's convening a conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan. We wish to stress that the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan will be a long-term process requiring years of commitment. We believe that the establishment of a process in which Afghanistan's reconstruction needs are precisely defined on an ongoing basis and donor efforts are coordinated would better serve the people of Afghanistan than convening a conference as envisaged by the draft resolution. The United States cannot agree to attend such a conference at this time, but it will study seriously any proposal made by the Secretary-General. We strongly encourage the international financial institutions in particular to play a leading role in mobilizing and coordinating a long-term donor effort to help rebuild the Afghan economy. Afghanistan is in the process of forming a more permanent Government that will be representative of all the Afghan people. This task is made all the more difficult by the economic devastation in the country. We urge the Secretary-General to continue monitoring humanitarian conditions and the overall political situation inside Afghanistan, making his good offices available as required. We also urge the United Nations to re-establish its office in Kabul as soon as security conditions there permit. The United States recognizes that the needs in Afghanistan will be great in the years ahead. The United States will do all it can, given resource constraints, to help Afghanistan rebuild and join the world community of peaceful and prosperous nations. We look forward to working with other delegations to craft a draft resolution that will contribute in a meaningful way to this endeavour. Mr. MARUYAMA (Japan): My delegation would like to comment briefly on the situation in Afghanistan, under agenda item 141. More than a million Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran have been repatriated since the momentous political changes that took place in the first half of the year, in what has been described as "the largest and fastest return of a well-established caseload of refugees in the history of the UNHCR". This is a most welcome development. And the flow is not diminishing; according to the most recent Weekly Update from the Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian and Economic Assistance Programmes relating to Afghanistan (UNOCA), approximately 1,600 people are returning to Afghanistan every day from Pakistan and 800 to 1,000 from Iran. While this massive movement of refugees has been made possible by the collapse of the former Government of Afghanistan, the situation as a whole remains unsettled. A number of armed clashes took place in Kabul last August, and sporadic unrest was reported in several provinces. My Government is gravely concerned that the continued failure of the Mujahideen groups to reach a peace agreement may bring to a halt the long-awaited resolution of the Afghan refugee situation now in progress. At this juncture two recent developments are particularly troubling. In the first, an estimated 500,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Kabul and seek refuge in neighbouring provinces as a result of the outbreak of hostilities last August. With the onset of the harsh Afghan winter, the creation of a host of displaced persons threatens to strain the overburdened infrastructure of the country and lower the already miserable living standards of its people. The second development is taking place in border areas, where there are tentative signs of a flow of refugees back out of the country, apparently due to setbacks in the prospects for a political settlement and economic reconstruction of the country. My delegation strongly hopes that these trends will not continue and that efforts will be redoubled to ensure that the momentum of voluntary repatriation efforts is maintained. Since 1979 my Government has stood firmly behind international efforts to resolve the Afghan crisis. It has strongly supported the United Nations and the Government of Pakistan as they have striven to alleviate the suffering of those who have fled their homes. It has also worked actively with other Member States, both inside and outside the United Nations, to bring about the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, one of the first and most important prerequisites for a settlement. This year it has provided $16.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees through various international organizations. With a view to helping facilitate the voluntary repatriation effort which began early this year, it has provided out of that amount a total of $8 million to programmes relating to Afghans returning from Pakistan and $3.5 million to a programme to aid Afghans coming back from Iran. In response to the United Nations Consolidated Appeals launched in June and November, Japan decided to allocate assistance for Afghan refugees to a wider range of programmes this year. For example, it allocated $2 million to a mine clearance programme whose purpose is to reduce the threat of injury to refugees returning home, a threat whose gravity was documented in the report of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It also supports the emergency programme undertaken jointly by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund to provide essential supplies so that refugees will be able to weather the coming winter. Japan has contributed $1.3 million to this programme, entitled the Health Care Project. In addition, it provided $1 million to the ICRC Project for Afghan Conflict Victims to help provide hospitals with accommodation for refugee patients. In conclusion, the situation in Afghanistan illustrates both the potential of humanitarian action and the extent to which it is linked to the activities of peace-keeping and peacemaking. Peace is now within reach in Afghanistan, and my Government calls upon all Mujahideen groups, which once closed ranks and fought for the cause of freedom and peace, to intensify their efforts to achieve national reconciliation and establish a foundation for national rehabilitation and reconstruction. My Government renews its commitment to cooperating in the concerted efforts of the international community to that end.

My delegation wishes first of all to pay tribute to the brotherly Afghani people who have struggled for 14 long years during which no sacrifice was too dear in the fight for freedom and independence. I salute the memory of the millions of martyrs who gave their lives to ensure victory, and welcome the establishment of the new Government of Islamic Afghanistan. Egypt's commitment to the just cause of the people of Afghanistan has been solid and consistent throughout Afghanistan's struggle. The same commitment continues and will continue as the Afghani people face up to the present and future challenges involved in the task of restoring stability, rebuilding the State and achieving economic progress and stability. Afghanistan needs intensification of efforts aimed at national reconciliation, unity and the setting aside of differences in a real spirit of brotherliness that puts the interests of the country first. All the parties concerned should commit themselves to the search for peaceful solutions to all their differences and to constructive dialogue since fratricidal strife undermines the cause of peace and stability and runs counter to the very ethic of Afghani struggle. We hope that all the leaders in Afghanistan will act as one man and work for the permanent peace through which progress and prosperity for the Afghani people may be achieved. In this connection, we welcome the initiation of the electoral process in Afghanistan. The coming stage is one of challenges the intensity of which may equal and even surpass that of the challenges of liberation. Afghanistan faces a long haul, a long and arduous period of struggle which requires concerted national and international efforts for the reconstruction of the country's infrastructure which was devastated during the long years of war, particularly in the area of agriculture, as was stated by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan in his statement before the Assembly today. A high priority should be accorded to the intensification of efforts aimed at the voluntary return and the repatriation of the millions of Afghani refugees now in neighbouring countries, and their resettlement in their country, in addition to the rehabilitation of about 2 million people who have become handicapped as a result of the war. Mines in different parts of the country need to be removed. Attention should also be paid to education, as a whole generation has been deprived of the opportunity of benefiting from basic education. In addition, there is the task of revitalizing all the sectors of the economic and social life of the country. The intensification of efforts aimed at national reconciliation and at generating a healthy relationship between the different Afghan leaders would create the necessary climate that should enable the country to benefit from the support of the international community. In our view, this international support should not be limited to the provision of humanitarian assistance with the aim of helping the Afghan people and mitigating its suffering. There is a pressing and urgent need for a process of complete internal reconstruction that requires the concerted efforts of all friendly countries and the solidarity of all the members of the international community. In this connection, the Egyptian delegation expresses its deep regret at the limited response to the consolidated appeal by the Secretary-General made on 5 June 1992 for emergency assistance to Afghanistan. This appeal was the result of cooperation between the various agencies and programmes of the United Nations after consultation with the Kabul authorities on the urgent requirements in the area of humanitarian activities for the period from June through December 1992. Those requirements were estimated to be $180 million. Regrettably, the response so far has been to the tune of $59 million only in financial assistance and assistance in kind. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs has estimated that the United Nations is in urgent need of an additional $17.6 million in order for it to meet the requirements of winter assistance in Afghanistan and to meet food requirements and the provision of fuel, shelter and basic health services for the more vulnerable sectors of the community during the bitter cold of winter months. My delegation joins in the appeal made by the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Eliasson, and urges the donor countries and international institutions to provide the necessary aid needed to mitigate the suffering of the Afghani people, particularly since many parts of the country face a bitter winter. Next to the need to meet the requirements of emergency assistance, there is an equally urgent need for direct reconstruction assistance. In this regard, we support the study on the reconstruction of Afghanistan prepared by the Islamic Bank for Construction within the framework of the Islamic Conference's efforts and wish to highlight the need for coordination of the Conference's efforts and those of the Secretary-General and call for further cooperation between the two organizations. In this connection, we wish to support the leading role played by the Secretary-General in working for the continuance and promotion of humanitarian programmes and economic assistance to Afghanistan. We also think it may be useful if the Secretary-General were to dispatch a team of experts to evaluate the damage and devastation caused by the war and to prepare a comprehensive report on an integrated plan that would include the requirements for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country. This should be followed by a call for a meeting of the donor States and international financial institutions to mobilize the financial and technical resources needed for the implementation of the plan. We are confident that the Government and people of Afghanistan will be able, with our collective support, to rise to the challenges facing them in working for peace and progress. My country, for its part, is fully prepared to cooperate in and to support the discharge of this very difficult task. Egypt supports the draft resolution on emergency international assistance for the reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan and we call on all Member States to adopt it by consensus.

I should like to inform members that action on draft resolution A/47/L.25/Rev.l is being postponed to a later date, to be announced in the Journal, in order to give the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee time to review the programme budget implications of the draft resolution. The meeting rose at 6.20 p.m.