A/50/PV.38 General Assembly
The meeting was called to order at 3.20 p.m.
29. Commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Special Commemorative Meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Address by His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland
This afternoon we hold the fourth meeting of the Special Commemorative Meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations.
The Assembly will first hear an address by His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland. King Mswati III: I bring with me from the Kingdom of Swaziland the greetings and good wishes of Her Majesty and of the entire Swazi nation to all our friends and fellow members of the United Nations. My task today is a very simple one: it is to declare my country’s continuing commitment to the founding Charter of our Organization and to pledge our support to the United Nations and its agencies, through the provisions of the Declaration we shall be adopting. This Declaration includes the original purposes and principles of our Organization and the same hopes and expectations of the founding leaders. For them, after the experience of two world wars, the idea of a world united in pursuit of peaceful development represented the best chance for humanity to focus its energy and resources, not on the futility of conflict, but on the necessities of survival. Fifty years later, experience provides us with a clear image of our failures — as well as of our achievements — and requires of us that we learn from our mistakes and build on our successes. We have much to be proud of, and we honour particularly those whose lives have been dedicated and lost in the service of mankind. Among those of us who have the privilege of addressing this historic gathering, I may, if God so wills, be one of the few who will be present when we commemorate our Organization’s centenary, in the year 2045. I say this not out of pride, nor in the rashness of youth; I say this because today I stand before you, representing not only my country, but also the youth of the world and the generations still to come whose expectations and hopes for their own lives and for the And what are those expectations, those hopes? I believe the United Nations founding fathers would have recognized their own goals in those of my generation. They are not too much to ask. They are, after all, what every human being has a right to expect — to have good health, shelter, security for one’s family, to be free to pursue the ideas and beliefs of choice, to be educated and employed and, above all, to be able to live in peace on equal terms with one another and in harmony with all God’s creations. The Declaration we have before us, with its blueprint for the improved performance of the United Nations, represents our best chance to realize our people’s dreams. It requires of us, as Members of an Organization from which not one person or nation must feel excluded, to work together with a common purpose and to a collective set of priorities and principles. We recognize the need for the United Nations and its agencies to have the structures and capacity to be able to work on our behalf with efficiency, transparency and accountability and always with an ear to the wishes of its membership. The key decision-making bodies in which we place our trust must adapt in such a way that they truly represent all countries and arrive at conclusions that take into account the opinions and welfare of our peoples. As Members, we must each of us recognize the responsibility we assume with our membership: to support our Organization, to respect one another’s sovereignty, traditions and individuality; to implement the plans of action designed for our social, economic and political development and to abide by the principles of our founding Charter for the good of those whom we represent. In the year 2045, I wish to be able to stand and meet the gaze of my children, and my grandchildren, and say, “We did our best”. If we can all share this commitment to future generations — and if our Organization can adapt to the changing requirements of the times — then the world in 50 years’ time will be a safer, happier place for all and we will have discharged our duty to our own peoples and to all mankind. On behalf of the Kingdom of Swaziland, I do so commit myself and my people to the future of the United
His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland for his statement.
His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State of the Kingdom of Swaziland, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Rtd. Flt.-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, President of the Republic of Ghana
The Assembly will next hear an address by His Excellency Retired Flight-Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings, President of the Republic of Ghana. President Rawlings: Today we acknowledge and applaud that powerful vision of the equal rights of nations, large and small, of men and women, and of freedom and justice enshrined in the noble Charter of the United Nations. The Charter has given the post-war international community of States moral and legal bearings. It has expressed in unforgettable words, with irresistible logic, the principles on which a new, better world could be built, a world where tolerance and mutual respect would reign. This fiftieth anniversary is indeed cause for celebration: United Nations membership has grown from 51 States to 185; the old colonial empires, as we all know, have been dismantled, even if new forms are emerging; the cold war may seem to be at an end, though many of us are still living with its very painful legacies; and issues of the environment, women and children, social development and population have been placed at the centre of the development agenda. Let me on this occasion pay tribute to the honourable lady from Tanzania, Mrs. Mongelia, under whose leadership the Fourth World Conference on Women, in Beijing, successfully got its point across to the world. Today, we know that development means people and the quality of their lives, and not just statistical indices. In congratulating the United Nations, we are applauding ourselves. The Organization is very much us. It is the collective will of the international community of sovereign States, embodying our collective weaknesses as well. This fiftieth anniversary is therefore also a time for very sober reflection on our failures. Talking about our failures, I think it is also important that on this occasion, as we applaud ourselves for our successes, we must at the same time acknowledge that expressed in the many conflict situations in different parts of the world are very painful situations resulting in the loss of many lives. Within this sober reflection, we must also admit failures that are manifested in the revival of genocide and in ethnic cleansing, blatantly practised in different guises around this globe of ours. These failures are shown on the distended stomachs of malnourished children all over the third world, and most especially on my continent, in Africa. For us in Africa particularly, the next 50 years will perhaps be even more crucial than the past 50 years. We want to see in the international community, and in the framework of the United Nations, a reversal of our continent’s marginalization. We cannot help being struck by the fact that the international community is willing to spend $5 million a day on United Nations peace-keeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina — and we do not begrudge those noble people such international solidarity; indeed, they deserve it — but when we have asked for a sum that represents 10 to 15 days of that bill to help those of us in Africa who are making every possible effort to assist ourselves with our meagre resources, there is a deafening silence. Should such double standards continue? This is the question I put before you. How long will world statesmen omit even a glancing reference to Africa as they survey the world scene, despite the numerous resources that she has provided to today’s modern world? We must equally deplore the international focus on only what is negative about Africa and the indifference to the positive that also prevails on this continent: the images of starving children but not of new schools and clinics; the emphasis on failed policies but not on success stories that have been chalked up all over the continent, very often with the assistance of the developed community, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well as the World Bank; and the focus on urban degradation but not on new industrial progress, which is another unfortunate misrepresentation of what is taking place on our continent. Let us hope that the next 50 years of the United Nations will see the end of these double standards in our international affairs. As we salute the Organization’s achievements and acknowledge its shortcomings, we must do everything possible to commit ourselves to reform and democratization within this august body. Let us together recapture that vision of the Organization’s founding fathers and keep the hopes of millions alive. Let us, the trustees of that vision, turn our words into positive action for generations to come. Let us build a world in which the sense of internationalism that gave us this honourable Charter will carry us into a twenty-first century where right and not might will prevail; where justice will subdue injustice; and where the small and weak can safely live alongside the big and strong without feeling intimidated. Let us remember that there can be no bright future for the world, no new international order that is sustainable, without Africa occupying a dignified place, her rightful place at the table of humanity and in the councils of global decision-making.
His Excellency Rtd. Flt.-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, President of the Republic of Ghana, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the President of the Republic of Ghana for his statement.
His Excellency Rtd. Flt.-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, President of the Republic of Ghana, was escorted from the rostrum.
The Assembly will next hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Soeharto, President of the Republic of Indonesia. President Soeharto (spoke in Bahasa Indonesian; English text furnished by the delegation): I deem it a distinct privilege for me to participate, on behalf of the Government and people of Indonesia, in this historic commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations is particularly significant to us in Indonesia, for this year we are also celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of our independence. It is no coincidence that both the Charter of the United Nations and the Constitution of Indonesia embrace the same principles and objectives, both yearning for the universal peace that will come only when all humankind share the fruits of freedom and justice. For Indonesia, the United Nations is an important forum for the fulfilment of our constitutional mandate to contribute to the eradication of colonialism, domination, poverty and injustice everywhere and to the shaping of a new international order. The United Nations has figured prominently in Indonesia’s struggle to preserve its freedom. The United Nations has played a crucial role in containing conflicts in various regions. To ensure peace in this post-cold war era, however, we need to enhance the capabilities of the United Nations through more effective global and regional mechanisms for peacemaking, peace- keeping and post-conflict peace-building, as well as preventive diplomacy. On the whole, the United Nations and its specialized agencies have pursued an immense array of activities that touch every aspect of people’s lives all over the world. It cannot, however, continue to carry them out with undiminished success and vigour while it totters on the brink of financial insolvency. This situation cannot go on indefinitely without adverse consequences to the world community. Let this fiftieth anniversary of our Organization be an occasion for all of us to address this critical issue, as well Since the 1960s the United Nations has launched a series of international development strategies, but these have not been sufficient to redress the imbalances between the developed and the developing countries. The gap between them continues to widen. The developing countries remain marginalized from the world economic decision-making processes. With the end of the cold war, there has been a new surge of interdependence and multilateralism, while the world economy has become increasingly globalized. The Non-Aligned Movement, at its Jakarta Summit in 1992, adopted a new approach and orientation and launched an initiative to once again engage the developed countries in a dialogue, based this time on mutual interests and benefits, equitably shared responsibility and genuine interdependence. It is our hope that the revival of this dialogue will be distinctly reflected in the Agenda for Development so that it will adequately complement the Agenda for Peace. In these troubled times, we, the Governments and peoples of the world, look up to the United Nations for the sustenance of our hopes. There is no question but that we need the United Nations. What we often forget is that the United Nations needs us too. We applaud its triumphs, but we often forget that its failures are ours too. Its responsibility is our responsibility. The United Nations has served us well over the past half century. However, we will never be able to realize the new international order of greater peace, social justice and common prosperity so long as the Organization is allowed to remain in the state that it is in today. We can reach that goal only after we have finally made the United Nations the effective instrument of peace that was envisaged 50 years ago.
His Excellency Mr. Soeharto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the President of the Republic of Indonesia for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Soeharto, President of the Republic of Indonesia, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Bailey Olter, President of the Federated States of Micronesia
His Excellency Mr. Bailey Olter, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the President of the Federated States of Micronesia for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Bailey Olter, President of the Federated States of Micronesia, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Glafcos Clerides, President of the Republic of Cyprus
The Assembly will now hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Glafcos Clerides, President of the Republic of Cyprus. President Clerides: As we are commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, I consider it my solemn obligation to pay tribute, on behalf of the people and the Government of Cyprus, to the founders of our Organization, whose vision and determination made its creation possible, and to encourage and congratulate all of us who take part in this Organization. The world Organization, born out of the ashes of the Second World War, has, despite the vicissitudes of the cold war and the present turbulent world situation, achieved admirable results. The vital issues of decolonization, peace- keeping, human rights, democratization, development and the codification of international law have been addressed with considerable success. On the other hand, efforts towards global peace and security, the primary responsibility of the United Nations, have had varied results. The much hoped-for peace dividend from the demise of the cold war, has unfortunately eluded us, and numerous ethnic conflicts exert, as a result, their daily heavy toll on human life and produce material losses. At the same time, some long-standing problems, including the problem of the invasion and occupation of Such situations give rise to questions regarding the validity of the United Nations Charter and the effectiveness of the Organization. The United Nations Charter, a great human achievement, embodying the wisdom and vision of the drafters to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, constitutes the legal and moral foundation for international relations, and is as valid and relevant today as ever. What is really needed is to reduce the gap between principle and practice created by the failure to apply objectively and universally the provisions of the Charter, thus causing insecurity, frustration and bitterness. It is also essential to uphold the authority of the Organization against those who flout international opinion as expressed in United Nations resolutions. We are now witnessing the ever growing and dramatic direct engagement of the United Nations in the complex maintenance of international peace and security in our ever changing, interdependent world. Because of these challenges and those that lie ahead, we must deal on a priority basis with the very important issues of revitalizing, both financially and otherwise, reforming and strengthening our Organization so that it may become a more potent instrument in the service of mankind, in whose name it was created. The human genius that was enlisted in the cause of peace immediately after the Second World War is called upon to face new challenges in the cause of peace, development and cooperation between nations. Perhaps no tribute to our Organization would be more fitting than to recommit ourselves to the everlasting principles and ideals of the United Nations Charter and join in determined efforts, now and in the years that lie ahead, to invigorate both our institutions and our own resolve for the promotion of the universal aspirations for peace, justice and cooperation between the countries and peoples of the world. The Republic of Cyprus pledges its determination to make every effort so that the activities of the United Nations will be further expanded, its principles and values universally applied and its resolutions fully complied with. We pledge our resolve to defend the principles and
His Excellency Mr. Glafcos Clerides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the President of the Republic of Cyprus for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Glafcos Clerides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Armando Calderón Sol, President of the Republic of El Salvador
The Assembly will next hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Armando Calderón Sol, President of the Republic of El Salvador. President Calderón Sol (interpretation from Spanish): Fifty years ago, the destruction and suffering caused by two world wars led us to reflect deeply and join together to create the United Nations, an Organization intended to maintain international peace and security and foster justice, dignity, human well-being, understanding and cooperation between nations. The international order of the post-war period was marked by antagonism and ideological confrontation. None the less, the United Nations attained important and substantial achievements, outstanding among which were its significant contributions to avoiding another world war with unimaginable consequences, eliminating colonialism and racial discrimination, encouraging the codification of international law, strengthening the international system of human rights protection and promoting international cooperation for the improvement of the political, economic and social conditions of our peoples. After so many years of tension and insecurity in the bipolar era, the world has become a substantially different place because of the deep-going transformations it has undergone. The cold war is over, the geopolitical map has been radically altered, a worldwide democratization process has emerged, cooperation has replaced confrontation and a globalization process has begun in the political, economic, social and environmental spheres. In the light of today’s international reality, we are convinced that the purposes and principles of the United The global agenda we have before us requires prompt and effective responses to the problems of drugs — production, trafficking and consumption — terrorism, money-laundering, organized crime, corruption and all the other scourges afflicting humanity today. At the successful conferences on human rights, environment, population, social development and women, organized by the United Nations, we reached very important worldwide commitments that should be properly followed up. The eradication of poverty continues to be the main challenge facing the Members of the Organization, and we must not rest until we have broken the fateful cycle that condemns those born into poverty to die in poverty. In order to put a duly modernized United Nations in the best position to respond effectively to the challenges it faces, it is essential that all Members have the political will to meet their financial obligations. In connection with the reform process of the Organization, we are in favour of promoting opportunities for participation and increasing representativity. For their very survival, small States must usually be more creative, and that creativity could be put to better use if our right to more equitable participation in all the principal organs of the United Nations were respected. Similarly, the representativity of the Security Council should be augmented to reflect the new structure of the international community. In commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Organization, we wish to reaffirm our confidence in the United Nations, especially because its cooperation enabled the Salvadoran people to achieve peace and end a fratricidal conflict that had lasted more than 10 years. The successful contribution of the United Nations to the reconciliation process in El Salvador has served to strengthen our commitment to the principles inspiring it.
His Excellency Mr. Armando Calderón Sol, President of the Republic of El Salvador, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the President of the Republic of El Salvador for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Armando Calderón Sol, President of the Republic of El Salvador, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of the Republic of Cape Verde
The Assembly will next hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of the Republic of Cape Verde. President Monteiro (spoke in Portuguese; English text furnished by the delegation): First of all, Sir, I wish to tell you how pleased I am by your election to the presidency of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly and, at the same time, I wish to express my firm belief that your well-known personal qualities and extensive experience will guarantee that you will lead the work of our Organization in an effective and decisive manner. Similarly, I wish to convey our sincere appreciation to your predecessor, a distinguished son of a fraternal country, Côte d’Ivoire, His Excellency Mr. Amara Essy, whose leadership of the forty-ninth session was a valuable asset in the performance of the United Nations. To the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Boutros Ghali, I reiterate my warmest tribute for his devoted performance of his duties; he deserves the international community’s appreciation and respect for this. This Special Commemorative Meeting on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations is of undeniable importance and significance. This is no mere celebration. The representatives of our countries have a crucial task before them: to assess the course taken in the past half-century and, more important, to assess the future of our Organization. We are at the dawn of a new era, with new challenges and different demands. As for peace, the United Nations has an effective capacity for conceptualization and action, but it needs to be improved. This cannot be delayed in view of the new situation that has occurred since the disappearance of the old East-West confrontation. The current reality requires firm leadership on the part of the United Nations to preserve peace and security in such a way that, in the context of observance of the values and rules of international law, all Member States, big and small, will focus their abilities and energy on the promotion of the well-being to which all peoples have a right. Therefore, it is essential to underline that development is a vital issue for humanity and I strongly believe that no efforts will succeed without a framework in which peace is an overriding value. Peace and development are components of the same struggle — a common struggle requiring, thus, the commitment of the international community as a whole, on the assumption that what is at stake is the future of humanity. From the combat against desertification and drought to the protection of the global environment, from poverty eradication to the prevention and management of intra- and inter-State conflicts, from addressing demographic problems to the solution of related refugee and dislocated persons issues, from the perplexing condition of women to social development strategies, from international crime prevention to respect for and promotion of human rights: these are just a few examples of fields requiring the contribution of all those who truly believe in and wish for a better world. In sum, this is a burden we should not transmit to future generations. We must commit ourselves to efficient, long-term strategies. Yet, in the present context of economic globalization, it is important to overcome the deficit in cooperation and coordination; this is so necessary to ensuring the viability and cohesiveness of Furthermore, our Organization must, above all, reflect the present world with its own dynamics and intrinsic balance. This is how the ongoing reform process should be addressed. Continuing consideration should be given to financial matters so that problems in this area do not impair our ability to act, in particular, in development. Enhanced lucidity and courage should guide us in our endeavours to promote reform leading to equality of rights among States, as well as transparency and democratization of the United Nations, particularly in the Security Council. We must overcome the gap between provisions in the United Nations Charter and the palpable reality that we experience internationally. We should not close our eyes or be satisfied with half-solutions; rather, we should be creative and daring. Let us seize this historic, changing momentum. An organization cannot be and cannot do anything other than what its Member States want it to be or to do. This is, therefore, the only way the United Nations can continue to be, at the dawn of the third millennium, an indispensable tool of the international community, the tool that we celebrate today and we bequeath to coming generations.
His Excellency Mr. Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of the Republic of Cape Verde, was escorted to the rostrum.
The President thanked the President of the Republic of Cape Verde for his statement; His Excellency Mr. Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro, President of the Republic of Cape Verde, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency The Honourable Bill Hayden, A.C., Governor-General of Australia
The Assembly will next hear an address by His Excellency The Honourable Bill Hayden, Governor-General of Australia. Mr. Hayden: As I stand here today before representatives of nearly every nation on earth, I am deeply conscious that the world is a very different place from the one which, 50 years ago, gave birth to the United Nations. As delegates in San Francisco in June 1945 prepared to Their answer was to create an organization which sought to enshrine the universal values of tolerance, social progress and respect for human dignity within international machinery; to ensure that all peoples and all nations, whether large or small, could be spared the scourge of war and provided the conditions for economic and social advancement. The founders of the United Nations were not able to prevent war completely, either in their time or, regrettably, in ours. But the past 50 years have not seen global conflicts again and for that the United Nations can claim no small share. It has also been a time of unparalleled progress in a wide range of areas, some of which is immediately recognizable as the work of the United Nations but much of which has brought to the Organization only rare recognition. The United Nations has played a crucial role in the pursuit of arms control, in developing the infrastructure for the global nuclear-safeguards system and in identifying and defining international human rights. The United Nations has done much to promote economic and social development, to work to improve the status of women, provide humanitarian and disaster relief, and tackle head-on — with remarkable success — world health problems. And, as one of its greatest achievements, the United Nations has played a central role in decolonization and in the exercise by hundreds of millions of people of the right of self-determination. I recall with pride Australia’s contribution to the founding of the United Nations, because of the central role played by Australia’s then Foreign Minister, Mr. Herbert Vere Evatt. While Australia’s primary goal for the United Nations in 1945 was the creation of a system in which conflicts between nations could be settled peacefully, in accordance with accepted international legal principles, Mr. Evatt argued, with great effect, that the political activity of the United Nations would not be enough by itself to prevent future conflicts and that the more fundamental causes of the world’s problems would have to be tackled if international peace and stability were to be guaranteed. The challenge the United Nations faces now, and into the next century, is to reintegrate the functions of the Organization in the way the founders intended, to avoid the sterile and rigid division of peace and security issues, development issues and human-rights and justice issues. As Mr. Evatt and the other founders of the United Nations recognized, international peace and — perhaps more appropriately in our day and age — peace within States must be based on an inextricable linking of the concept of peace and security and the concept of development. If human needs for dignity and liberty are not met, all the material gain imaginable is unlikely to lead to sustainable peace. Peace without freedom, without dignity and without basic human rights is forlorn, barren and, at best, temporary. Change and adaptation in the United Nations presents new challenges, which will require innovative solutions. The United Nations can only do what its Member States allow it to do, and a reintegrated, revitalized United Nations needs not only to lead new thinking on the part of its Member States but also to reflect new thinking. Any path forward must take account of that two-way process. Moreover, we must not forget that if the United Nations is to work in the way we want it to, it must be provided with appropriate resources, and ultimately we must be prepared to pay for it. In the short term, this means that Member States must pay their assessed contributions in full and on time. Sadly, however, there are Member States that are in arrears not because they are unable to pay but because they are unwilling to do so. Beyond this, it is the Australian Government’s view that if we are to address the longer-term problem of how to pay for the United Nations we must look seriously at the options that exist for supplementing Member States’ contributions by external sources of finance. To overcome the present and likely continuing financial crisis of the United Nations, clear- sighted and innovative thinking is necessary in an examination of the entire issue of its funding. The fiftieth anniversary should be a time to resolve what it is we can do for the United Nations — not what we cannot do. We must act cooperatively, decisively and
His Excellency The Honourable Bill Hayden, A.C., Governor-General of Australia, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Governor-General of Australia for his statement.
His Excellency The Honourable Bill Hayden, A.C., Governor-General of Australia, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Central African Republic
The Assembly will next hear an address by His Excellency Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Central African Republic. President Patassé (interpretation from French): I cannot contain my feelings on this exceptional occasion, when the nations of the world are assembled here to testify, equally with the many others who have spoken, to the long road that has been travelled since the signing of the Charter in San Francisco. Today, on the occasion of the jubilee of our Organization, which is characterized by the density of its history and especially by its experiences, it is more than ever appropriate for the international community to draw the necessary lessons on which to base new hope, but especially, and above all, through which to fulfil the grand design of the Organization, in the interests of our peoples. In the light of recent achievements, we pay tribute here to the perseverance of our elders, which led to the dismantling of apartheid and, especially, to a glimmer of hope of a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is our hope that the same will happen in respect of the various conflicts, latent or acknowledged, which cry out to the United Nations by revealing to the international community the barbarities and atrocities which, unfortunately, we are still witnessing on this the threshold of the twenty-first century. Hence, it must be emphasized that it appears unfair to certain nations that an Organization which wishes to be universal and democratic excludes other nations from its decision-making bodies. This being the case, it is a matter of urgency that the Security Council be expanded and that the United Nations system be decentralized so that there can be a better response to the sensitivities of the peoples making up the Organization. We pay tribute to the United Nations for its efforts to support all transition towards constitutional legality, and especially its unshakeable opposition to any desire to revert to dictatorship, whether civilian, military, semi- constitutional or autocratic. We draw the international community’s attention to the very special efforts that we should like to see made on Africa’s behalf. Indeed, if there can be no sustainable development without democracy, neither can there be democracy without economic and social development. Africa is therefore resolutely committed to the path of democracy. Today more than ever, the international community must mobilize itself to promote a new international economic order that honours human dignity and supports Africa’s efforts to overcome the obstacles it faces: institutional under-representation; a low participation in international trade; a weak capacity for investment because of the burden of domestic and external debt; and above all, the cost of establishing new institutions in States that have just successfully completed their transition to democracy. That is why, in keeping with the statement I made here in 1994, I repeat my desire to see the establishment of a genuine Marshall Plan for the development of Africa in order to support the irreversible democratic conviction of our peoples. To the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations, we repledge our firm support for his work and our sincere faith in the United Nations, guarantor of universal peace, security and global well-being. We wish to see greater determination to combat injustice and more democratic rigour to preserve the universal mission of our Organization, particularly in putting an end to the tensions between the two Chinas and the two Koreas.
His Excellency Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Central African Republic, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the President of the Central African Republic for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Ange-Félix Patassé, President of the Central African Republic, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Mukar Cholponbayev, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic
The Assembly will now hear a statement by His Excellency Mr. Mukar Cholponbayev, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic.
His Excellency Mr. Mukar Cholponbayev, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic, was escorted to the rostrum.
It is a great honour for me to represent my country at this historic Meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Drawing lessons from the tragic mistakes of the past, the Organization was created so that we might join forces in providing mankind with the future it deserves.
As representatives of an ancient people but a young nation, and reflecting on our own history and the half- century of efforts to create a new code of international cooperation, we express today our profound gratitude to the founding fathers of the United Nations. Thanks to their efforts, the world community has been successful in interrupting the tragic cycle of world wars. Today our discussions cover not the problems of global war, but rather global development.
Although we hear criticisms of the United Nations from various directions, we are united in our commitment to its goals and principles. This shows that the United Nations is a living body and that it is needed by all of us. Let us then join our efforts to make it more effective and more responsive to the contemporary challenges facing mankind.
My country highly appreciates the efforts of the United Nations in providing support to countries that have only recently achieved independence. We see our future
We are grateful to the General Assembly for its support for our celebration this year of the thousandth anniversary of our national epic Manas, which reflects the humanistic vision of our people in harmony with the ideals of the United Nations. In consideration of this support, the people and Government of my country are presenting the United Nations with a sculpture of our national hero, Manas. This gift will be presented to the Secretary-General, Mr. Boutros-Ghali, as a symbol of our hopes for solidarity and brotherhood among the peoples of the world.
The world has changed radically in the past 50 years and we believe that it will follow the path of solidarity, mutual trust, tolerance and cooperation. In this connection, our Organization should be restructured to meet the challenges of the new post-cold-war era. We support the proposals made here concerning the membership of the Security Council, the main aim of which is to make this important body more effective. While paying tribute to the role of the nuclear and economically powerful countries in resolving problems of security and social and economic development, we are not in favour of turning it into a club for the rich and powerful. Moral force, alongside other considerations, should be imperative in the Council’s work.
We sympathize with the feelings experienced by small countries in the world community. Here the key to the problem lies in reaffirming the principle of interdependence in the world. The large countries cannot enjoy material and spiritual prosperity until they recognize that they are part of the same world as smaller countries. This logical combination of realism and idealism is the basis for mutual understanding and accord in the future.
Yes, the United Nations today is far from ideal. The main reason why a world war has been avoided is the fear of nuclear catastrophe. But we have yet to grasp the catastrophe threatening humanity from persistent prejudice in our mutual relations, estrangement, and national selfishness. Today, in the final count, peace and prosperity alike are indivisible. There can be no expectation of a lasting universal peace while factors giving rise to hatred, intolerance and conflict persist. At the epicentre of many calamities lie such detonators as poverty, feelings of hurt national pride, and social and psychological tension. In this
The strength of the United Nations is in us — its Members. The efficiency and authority of our Organization depend on our own will and trust, our political and financial support and skilled human resources. My country, as a new Member, is ready to bring to the next 50 years of the United Nations its peacefulness and good will, its energy and enthusiasm and its knowledge and experience. We believe in the United Nations.
I thank the Chairman of the Legislative Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Mukar Cholponbayev, Chairman of the Legislative Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Dahuku Péré, President of the National Assembly of the Togolese Republic
The Assembly will next hear a statement by His Excellency Mr. Dahuku Péré, President of the National Assembly of the Togolese Republic.
His Excellency Mr. Dahuku Péré, President of the National Assembly of the Togolese Republic, was escorted to the rostrum.
At this solemn time, when our community is paying tribute to the major figures who created the United Nations, the fiftieth anniversary of which we are celebrating, I would like, on behalf of the Head of State of Togo, His Excellency Gnassingbé Eyadema, to convey his greetings and express the joy and just pride that I feel, in speaking on behalf of Togo. The importance of this event, the fiftieth anniversary, deserves to be celebrated at the Special Commemorative Session.
In my country, this event has a very special character, for two reasons. First, as a former ward of the
The people of Togo and their President would like here to express their profound gratitude to the international community for the inestimable support they gave to Togo in its struggle to affirm its identity and personality in order to meet its destiny by becoming independent.
On this solemn occasion, my country renews its firm commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. This solemn meeting offers us an opportunity to think about the major problems facing the world. Coming as it does at the end of the cold war, this fiftieth anniversary gives Member States an opportunity to strengthen the friendship and solidarity among their peoples so that a new approach in relations can emerge, truly based on the independence and equality of States. Henceforth, these relations should develop as part of a dynamic partnership based essentially on independence.
A rapid survey of the activities of our Organization over the last 50 years shows that while it has allowed the world to escape a world war of a scope comparable to the last two wars, the effects of which traumatized humanity, our Organization has not fulfilled our hopes — either in the area of peace-keeping or in the area of economic and social development. Indeed, despite the enormous means invested in safeguarding and restoring regional and international peace and security, this goal is far from being achieved. The world is witness to new armed conflicts the end of which cannot be foreseen. In the light of the lessons drawn from the experience of peace-keeping operations, it is important, in my country’s view, to strengthen the capability of the United Nations in the area of preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
With respect to the reforms we are thinking about, we might more actively involve the General Assembly, which is fully representative of the international community when the modes of settlement prescribed by Chapter VI of the Charter are applied.
With regard to restructuring the Security Council, we must take into account the claims of a number of States which would like to have equitable representation in that body, so that its composition might reflect today’s international realities, and so that the management of
Economically speaking, we must deplore the fact that efforts to date have not made it possible to meet the challenges on the road to development and to improve the well-being of the populations in the South. It is a fact that the progress registered in the countries of the North and the stability of the world cannot be consolidated if the international community does not more firmly commit itself to the eradication of poverty, misery and illiteracy.
It is now a matter of correcting the inadmissible imbalances that characterize the economic relations between the developed and the developing countries, and thereby bring about justice and fairness.
Similarly, it is a matter of pressing urgency to reform the international financial and monetary system in order to improve the international economic environment, bearing in mind the deep aspirations of the majority of the peoples of the world.
The goals that our Organization has set for itself cannot be achieved without adequate economic support or without real solidarity between the rich and the poor countries. These things are interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
This constantly changing world is far from being the one that could provide the vital minimum that all humanity needs in order to survive. Our Organization is obliged to redouble its efforts to achieve the goals of justice and fairness. In order to do so, we must explore and exploit as best we can all the possibilities which agencies and institutions have — be they subregional, regional or international — in order to ensure peace on the one hand, and on the other hand to ensure economic relations solidly based on partnership.
After 50 years, we must be able to affirm that, thanks to the United Nations, the course of history has profoundly changed for humanity. This change will bring further happiness to humanity if the efforts made by the United Nations can be adapted to the new international context. That is the only way that we will be able to accomplish our noble missions.
People throughout the world, while lauding the scope of the work already done by the United Nations to bring about peace and solidarity among peoples, expect that it
I thank the President of the National Assembly of the Togolese Republic for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Dahuku Péré, President of the National Assembly of the Togolese Republic, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency The Honourable Owen Arthur, M.P., Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs of Barbados
The Assembly will next hear a statement by His Excellency The Honourable Owen Arthur, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs of Barbados. Mr. Arthur: The adoption of the Charter, by consensus, at the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in 1945, represents one of the great moments of history. Today we are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, which embodied the hopes and aspirations of a world devastated by war. The vision of global cooperation enshrined in the new world Organization blossomed and matured into an extensive network of institutions — the United Nations system — whose service to humanity has touched the daily lives of people in every corner of the world. The United Nations has built a proud record of accomplishments. It has become our best hope for promoting global peace and security, even as it fashions a body of international law that enables global interdependence, cooperation and communications. This Organization, particularly through its specialized agencies, has coordinated international efforts against disease, hunger and suffering. It has promoted democracy and economic and social justice, and, to this end, has provided a universal mechanism for charting international economic and social policy. And within the process of decolonization, the United Nations has not only secured the dismantling of apartheid, Barbados salutes the leadership provided by the distinguished Secretaries-General and the dedicated staff who have served with distinction the noble mission of the United Nations. These accomplishments must not blur the real difficulties or complexity of the tasks that have confronted, and continue to confront, this Organization. Many setbacks have occurred along the way. In moments of frustration and disappointment, we have even wondered, often aloud, if the United Nations has failed us, perhaps forgetting that our United Nations represents no more and no less than the collective will of our Governments, which it serves. Looking ahead, the United Nations of the next 50 years must embark on its unfinished journey, reformed and re-energized, to meet the challenges of a world of tumultuous global change. Barbados reaffirms its commitment to the ideals of the Charter, which will guide us on this journey. The reformed United Nations must construct a new system of security along the lines contained in “An Agenda for Peace”, to reflect the changed nature of today’s conflicts, conflicts mainly within nations rather than between nations. It must accelerate and intensify its development mission. In particular, it must respond with dispatch to the cry and suffering of the world’s poor, whose plight weighs heavily on the conscience of the international community. It must implement the wide- ranging Programmes of Action created by the continuum of United Nations conferences, from Rio to Beijing; and, of special significance, the Bridgetown Declaration on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. Should it do so, we can contemplate a happier future, in which nations live in peace, diverse cultures flourish in harmony, and all people enjoy freedom and material well-being. The United Nations remains a special place for small island developing States. Often buffeted by both natural and man-made disasters and by the economic dislocations of globalization, they look to the United Nations for protection and support. For Barbados, this United Nations — even though less than perfect — is still our greatest hope for peace, development and social justice.
His Excellency The Honourable Owen Arthur, M.P., Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs of Barbados, was escorted to the rostrum.
His Excellency The Honourable Owen Arthur, M.P., Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs of Barbados, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency The Right Honourable Manuel Esquivel, Prime Minister of Belize
The Assembly will next hear a statement by His Excellency The Right Honourable Manuel Esquivel, Prime Minister of Belize. Mr. Esquivel: Fifty years ago world leaders gathered in San Francisco to declare their determination to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Succeeding generations, including our own, have seen continuing progress in addressing the issues set out in that opening paragraph of the Preamble to our Charter. We applaud the successes, even as we must pledge to correct the failures. We must recognize that the preoccupations of 1945 are not necessarily those of the present generation. The 50 original signatories to the Charter could not have foreseen that 50 years later this world Organization would consist of Member States with populations ranging from 1 billion to 16,000 people. It is easy to understand that war and the peaceful settlement of disputes would have been the number one priority in 1945. I suggest that in 1995 priority number one is to be found not in the Preamble to the Charter, nor even in Article 1, but rather in Article 2, which states that this “Organization is based on ... the sovereign equality of all its Members.” In 1945 Members probably regarded that statement as self- evident. Today, as the large and powerful sit side by side with the small and vulnerable, the principle of sovereign equality is a difficult pill for some and an elusive goal for others. In the political realm, despite this Organization’s success in destroying the ramparts of colonialism, I regret that the embers of formal inequality burn very bright in the composition of the Security Council, the most vital organ for peace and security. It is time that we amended the Charter to guarantee that we will hear the important voice of small Member States and of all geographic regions in both echelons of membership of the Council. In the social field, the Organization has only just began systematically to address such issues as full employment, social integration and poverty, in the national and international context. Clearly, we need to recognize that formal equality must here play an important part. We have been most active about enshrining formal equality for nations in matters of trade and economics. However, when we inquire why this is so, we must confess that this doctrine seeks not so much to benefit all the nations and peoples, large and small, as much as it happens to coincide with economic doctrines that are designed to serve the interests of the larger economies. It is for this reason that I must express my deep concern about the pressure being brought to bear on smaller nations to join in the rush towards the new economic orthodoxy of free trade. For small, largely agricultural economies to survive in a world of free trade, a level playing field is not the only prerequisite for fair competition. The sporting metaphor that is more appropriate is that of the horse race, in which the stronger and more experienced bear a heavier load to help equalize the potentials of the weaker and the less experienced. Many sectors of first-world society are still at a level of evolution where they cannot accept the minimal obligation that those societies should effectively transfer a nominal 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance. In fact, this year the developed world has allocated a mere 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product to development assistance, the lowest level since 1973. Legal scholars still fail to accept that there may be a binding legal obligation to provide development assistance or economic cooperation for the world’s betterment. Many of the world’s wealthiest nations fail to acknowledge a moral obligation to help the poorest, or even to recognize that their own continued wealth ultimately depends on the growth of the purchasing power of the 4.5 billion people living in the world’s developing countries. Yet most of the systems of religion and ethics that are represented in this Hall today espouse credos which acknowledge or require a responsible social conscience. I share the Secretary- General’s fear, expressed in “An Agenda for Development”, that “development as a common cause is in danger of fading from the forefront of our agenda”. (A/48/935, para. 5) Equality is the great unfinished business as much for this Organization as for all humanity. It is incumbent on us, at this time and in this place, to revitalize the commitment to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war by resolving promptly to complete this unfinished business. In that connection, let us recall the original intent of the creators of the Charter of the United Nations, expressed or implied even before the United Nations Charter, in the Atlantic Charter and other wartime documents, that freedom from fear and freedom from want are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. Let us therefore resolve to vitalize and generalize the slogan of the recent World
His Excellency The Right Honourable Manuel Esquivel, Prime Minister of Belize, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Prime Minister of Belize for his statement.
His Excellency The Right Honourable Manuel Esquivel, Prime Minister of Belize, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al- Nahayan, Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy of the Head of State of the United Arab Emirates
I now call on His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahayan, Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy of the Head of State of the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Al-Nahayan (interpretation from Arabic): It is an honour for me to convey to you the blessings and greetings of the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahayan, and of the Government and the people of the United Arab Emirates on this important occasion marking the passage of 50 years since the foundation of the United Nations. The establishment of the United Nations was an important, historic turning-point in the lives of nations and peoples because of the Organization’s active role in affirming the right to self-determination, the achievement of economic and social development and the maintenance of international peace and security. Our participation in these celebrations clearly reflects our firm belief in the important and historic role of the United Nations in the establishment of a new era of international relations and in strengthening peace and security, especially in the Arab region, a region that has been ravaged, over the past few decades, by numerous wars and conflicts that have consumed its material and human energy and resources. The peoples and countries of the region expect the United Nations to perform a larger role in addressing the problems that resulted from those wars and conflicts and in finding radical solutions In this context, the Iranian occupation of our three islands poses a direct threat to the security of the region in general, and to that of the United Arab Emirates in particular. On this important occasion when all countries shall renew their commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter and to the rules and norms of international law, we reaffirm our resolute political will to strengthen the role and increase the effectiveness of the Organization and its specialized agencies, in order for it to achieve the purposes for which it was established: namely, the creation of a world that would be free from war, repression, injustice and poverty. We reaffirm our position of principle against extremism, terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the illicit trafficking in drugs, and call for the liberalization of international trade in the interests of international cooperation. It is our hope that these celebrations will be a step towards evaluating the lessons of the past, and a new departure towards a bright future in which all mankind would enjoy security, stability and development.
His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahayan, Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy of the Head of State of the United Arab Emirates, was escorted to the rostrum.
Mr. Dehaene (Prime Minister of Belgium), Vice- President of the General Assembly, took the Chair.
I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy of the Head of State of the United Arab Emirates for his statement.
His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al-Nahayan, Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy of the Head of State of the United Arab Emirates, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General of Saudi Arabia
I now call on His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General of Saudi Arabia. Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (interpretation from Arabic): It is with pleasure that I congratulate the President of the General Assembly on behalf of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on his election to the presidency of the current session, which coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and, thereby, acquires special significance. His election is an expression of esteem for him and for his country. I also wish to commend the efforts of His Excellency the Secretary-General in the service of peace. As I journeyed to New York to participate in this historic occasion, I reflected upon personal memories and general impressions. Fifty years ago the late King Faisal, then the Foreign Minister of my country, accompanied by King Fahd, embarked upon a similar journey to the United States with instructions from the late King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, to participate in the establishment of this Organization, which arose out of tragic events. At the time, my country had just emerged from its own experience in establishing the foundations of peace and security over most of the Arabian Peninsula. After King Abdulaziz had succeeded in reunifying the Kingdom in accordance with the noble Islamic Shariah, which calls for justice, equality and brotherhood among people, he participated in the establishment of an international Organization which strives for the same principles on a universal level. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represents the heart of the Muslim world, from whose soil the Islamic faith emerged; a faith which places peace at the forefront of its virtuous principles and rejects violence and terrorism. As a result, King Fahd continues to spare no effort in enabling the Kingdom to discharge its mission towards peace. The Kingdom has completed an ambitious development programme and has made positive contributions towards the creation of a better world. A good example is my country’s well-balanced oil policy and its foreign aid programme, which has contributed a total of $70.6 billion over the past two decades to the benefit of 72 developing nations. I wish to note that the Kingdom attaches great importance to the safety and territorial integrity of Iraq. However, it holds the Iraqi regime responsible for the suffering of the Iraqi people and believes that the only way to alleviate this suffering is for the Iraqi regime to fully implement all Security Council resolutions, including the release of all prisoners of war. International cooperation has had a positive impact in setting in motion the Middle East peace process, which was launched at the Madrid Conference. While the peace process has not yet achieved its ultimate goal, the opportunity still remains to move it forward, in particular on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, provided there is adherence to its basis, namely, Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978) relating to Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories, and Security Council resolution 252 (1968) regarding al-Quds al-Sharif which occupies a special place in the heart of every Muslim. In order for the desired peace to be based on trust, all weapons of mass destruction must be eliminated from the entire Middle East region. The Serb aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina requires firmness in confronting it. The aggressor has refused to respond to all international pleas, while the Bosnians are denied the ability to acquire the means of defending themselves. The international response, under the leadership of the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), was an appropriate one, even if it was late in coming. This tragedy highlights the need for the United Nations not to be a strictly humanitarian organization, but to resume its role of establishing peace on the basis of justice and equality. Our Organization should not merely manage conflicts, but prevent them. Delays in responding to events cause the United Nations to waste its resources on failures rather than successes, and on death rather than on life. The capabilities the United Nations has demonstrated over the past 50 years and the constructive role it has May God Almighty help us attain the objectives we strive for. As the Almighty reveals in the Holy Quran: “Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour”. (Susa V., verse II)
His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of
I thank His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General of Saudi Arabia, for his statement.
His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General of Saudi Arabia, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Highness Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar
I now call on His Highness Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar.
Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani (interpretation from Arabic): I should like to express our joy at this major celebration, the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. This body is the source of all the hopes for a stable world of peace and well-being for mankind. Qatar hopes that this anniversary will provide us with the opportunity for new departures towards the establishment of a new world that would strengthen the trust of peoples in the norms of civilized living and that
We ardently hope to see the birth of a new United Nations, which can firmly and effectively face up to the challenges of wars, internal conflicts, ethnic intolerance and other hurdles which hold back mankind’s progress. This can happen only if the Organization can do more than set up machinery to deal with conflicts after they erupt. Preventive measures should be taken to forestall such conflagrations through the development of societies, economically and socially and combating poverty, sickness and all the other causes of underdevelopment.
In order for the United Nations to achieve this, it must increase the effectiveness of its machineries: its councils, organs and specialized bodies, especially the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council. Membership of the Security Council should be expanded, the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process should be improved, the Organization’s role in the economic and social fields should be reactivated and the shortcomings in the performance of its specialized agencies in these two areas should be rectified. This should be done in the interests of the Organization’s goals which would lead to the prevalence of justice in the world and make it possible for all peoples to ensure for their future generations a future of peace, security and prosperity.
The question of the Middle East and the establishment of peace and justice in that region have been the focus of considerable efforts by the United Nations since its establishment. Today we can see some of the results of those laudable efforts.
The present peace process will, we hope, achieve the desired goal of finding a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement in the Middle East.
The State of Qatar, which appreciates the achievements of the United Nations, reaffirms its commitment to supporting this international Organization in order for it to achieve its noble goals and realize the aspirations of mankind. Given its belief in the mission of the United Nations and its awareness of the Organization’s positive role in working for the emergence of a new world that would be founded on the purposes of the Charter and on commitment to its principles, especially those relating to the sovereignty of States, their territorial integrity and non- interference in their internal affairs as well as to the settlement of disputes, by peaceful means, the State of Qatar will continue, within the limits of the resources
On this solemn occasion, we look forward to a new United Nations that would be capable of translating into concrete reality the goals it was established to achieve and that would, thereby, earn the confidence of all the world’s peoples; a new United Nations that would contribute effectively to the making of a future of security and development for all men.
On behalf of the Emir, Government and people of the State of Qatar, we pay tribute to the United Nations on its fiftieth anniversary and call upon the representatives of the conscience of the world’s peoples to support it, to abide by its decisions and to adhere to its principles so that it may become the true voice of all peoples that gives tongue to their true will and to their aspirations after a better future.
I thank the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar for his statement.
His Highness Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency The Honourable Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho.
I now call on His Excellency The Honourable Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho. Mr. Mosisili: We are gathered here to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations and to reaffirm the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and our commitment to them, particularly the principles of the sovereign equality of States, territorial integrity and non-interference in the domestic jurisdiction of States, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the avoidance of the threat or use of force in inter- State relations. The end of the cold war raised hopes for a better world free of war, bloodshed, privation, famine and “Peace is like rain which makes the grass grow, While war is like the wind which dries it up.” Because the absence of rain is a constant menace to our survival as a nation, we consider rain as being on a par with peace. This explains our founding father’s metaphor. We therefore call on all nations to renounce war and to ban all nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. As we celebrate this historic occasion, we cannot but rejoice in the accomplishments of the United Nations in bringing the nations of the world together. Internal and international conflicts are, however, not over and we need, therefore, to reflect on their causes. Most, if not all, are a result of socio-economic deprivation, political and religious intolerance, oppression, ethnic cleansing, foreign occupation, genocide, xenophobia and colonial domination. All these are inimical to the United Nations principles and purposes, and our common resolve, therefore, should be to work together to build a world devoid of them. It is in this connection that Lesotho is proud of its modest contribution to one of the ideals of the United Nations, namely, tolerance among peoples. During the dark days of apartheid we shared our modest resources with refugees from neighbouring South Africa without making them feel that they were outsiders. We pay tribute to the United Nations not only for its role in hastening the demise of apartheid, but also for material assistance to the refugees. We continue to place great store in the United Nations programme in the field of human rights. As Lesotho has steadily proceeded to construct a democratic governance, it has adhered to instruments safeguarding fundamental freedoms and human rights, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The three pillars of the United Nations agenda in the next 50 years are peace, human rights and the betterment of humankind’s economic and social condition. The Organization’s capacity to satisfy our aspirations in those fields must be especially enhanced and its institutional reform accelerated. In our view, such reform is critical in the three areas to which I have just referred. The Security Council needs to be enlarged so as to reflect current political realities, in Similarly, the organs dealing with social, environmental and economic matters, notably the Economic and Social Council,must be restructured to enable them to better deliver on the Organization’s commitment to meeting the challenges facing the underprivileged members of our international community. Finally, the Secretariat must be equipped to respond effectively to the myriad problems needing the Secretary- General’s attention. Topping the list of requirements, in this connection, is the provision of adequate financial and human resources to the Secretariat. We ought to be proud that up to now we have, through collective action, warded off a calamity such as was the Second World War. It seems that a similar calamity may not recur. However, the economic, social and environmental future of the majority of humankind still remains bleak. Let us therefore rededicate ourselves once more to making the United Nations a veritable embodiment of humankind’s hopes and aspirations for a better world for all.
His Excellency The Honourable Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho for his statement.
His Excellency The Honourable Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Omar Mustafa Muntasser, Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
I now call on His Excellency Mr. Omar Mustafa Muntasser, Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
His Excellency Mr. Omar Mustafa Muntasser, Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of
In the course of the fifty years that have elapsed since its establishment, the United Nations has sought to strengthen the procedures that guarantee the security and safety of peoples, ensure their obtention of their rights, promote their development and accelerate their advancement. But the Organization’s success in achieving these goals has been modest.
Even in the post-cold war era, which had given rise to many expectations, the record shows that developments in the international arena have shown that those expectations were too optimistic. The factors that impeded economic progress in many countries of the world have not been radically dealt with. Unemployment rates have continued to rise. Social disintegration has increased, the vertical development of nuclear weapons has continued and civil wars and regional conflicts have broken out in most regions in a manner that has given the impression that the globe we live on has suddenly exploded.
Failure by the United Nations is not due to any defect in its Charter. It is due to the absence of political will in the case of a number of major Powers that want for the Organization either to become impotent and incapable of performing its tasks by withholding the funds it needs, or to surrender to the pressures of those Powers and to execute their designs. Regrettably, those few States have succeeded in achieving their objectives. The General Assembly, which should be the highest authority in the United Nations system, has had its role marginalized in such a way that it has become a sort of wailing wall where the small and poor countries shed their tears, exchange their woes while nobody listens and nobody cares. Most powers have been concentrated in the Security Council which has turned into a sort of exclusive club whose activities are governed by selfish interests and where double standards are the order of the day. In its actions, the Council no longer observes the rule of law but has turned into a body governed by customary law. This has enabled a few of its members to impose their policies, get their designs adopted and use the Council as a tool to impose sanctions on countries, especially small ones, in an attempt at subjugating them. Worse still, the Security Council, which is the body entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, has become an instrument of aggression.
This situation is untenable and impossible to coexist with. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the actions of the
For these and other reasons, it has become essential to reform the United Nations so that it may carry out its tasks in accordance with the wishes of all its Member States and not as a sword that hangs over their necks, especially the necks of the small ones among them. This requires the independence of the Organization in preparing its agendas and in adopting its resolutions. In this context, the role of the General Assembly in the field of maintaining international peace and security must be enhanced especially when the posture of the Security Council becomes harmful to international peace. The
This is our view of the march of the United Nations — our assessment of its role and our vision of what it should be in order for it to be able to perform its tasks. We hope that this occasion will be a starting-point for an unshackled United Nations that would continue to be revitalized and committed to the service of all peoples and not just a few States that seek to use it as a means to achieve their own ends. These few should realize that the United Nations has not been freed from the shackles of the cold war to find itself shackled by the fetters of major Powers. Should these States insist on making the United Nations deviate from its goals, and on exploiting it in imposing their domination on small and poor countries, they should not forget that it is the small countries that have helped the United Nations increase its membership and attain universality. Those small countries are quite capable of establishing their own organization away from the domination and hegemony of a few major Powers.
(spoke in English)
For people to reflect on, in Macbeth it says:
(spoke in Arabic)
I have conveyed the message to you all.
I thank the Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Omar Mustafa Muntasser, Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Destin Arsène Tsaty- Boungou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophonie of the Congo
I now call on His Excellency Mr. Destin Arsène Tsaty- Boungou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophonie of the Congo.
His Excellency Mr. Destin Arsène Tsaty-Boungou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophonie of the Congo, was escorted to the rostrum.
As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, allow me to add the Congo’s voice to the unanimous tribute paid here to the illustrious founding fathers and the important work carried out by the United Nations in decolonization, the promotion of human rights and the codification of international law.
This fiftieth anniversary comes at a time when a black page in the history of mankind, the page of the cold war, has been turned. But the world continues to face other challenges. Indeed, the widespread desire to bring uniformity to international society in political and institutional terms, on the one hand, and economic and social terms, on the other, has led to an imbalance every bit as dramatic as the imbalance not so long ago when the world was bipolar.
Yet this fiftieth anniversary might have been an occasion to pay tribute to the progress accomplished by Africa in the past 50 years thanks to the solidarity of the international community. This fiftieth anniversary might also have been a time to rejoice that the countries that 50 years ago were poor and dominated, especially those on the African continent, now find themselves today among the prosperous nations of our planet, a natural position, given their boundless natural resources.
Unfortunately, on this fiftieth anniversary we are obliged to note that the same nations that were powerful 50 years ago are even more powerful today thanks to their command of science and technology. The expectations of the African peoples, who, like the other peoples of the planet, contributed to the liberation of mankind in the two major armed world confrontations that preceded the birth of the United Nations, have not been fulfilled by a fitting display of solidarity on the part of the international community.
Today, the end of the ideological war does offer prospects for African development thanks to the democratization of our countries’ institutions. Yet for many African countries, the end of the single-party system that subjected their populations to so many misfortunes and conflicts has not created the conditions for a peaceful and prosperous life — far from it. Longstanding and long- repressed political resentments have turned into civil and even ethnic wars, compromising any chance of creating the conditions favourable to investment and development. The United Nations and the international community as a whole cannot remain indifferent to our peoples’ desire to gain greater freedom, greater justice, and greater social well-being, as well as — and above all — to accede to the most relevant and greatest power of mankind — knowledge. Africa can then be at the rendezvous of the history of nations certain that the principles of solidarity, equality and justice proclaimed in this Assembly as virtues sacred and cardinal to man’s life and prosperity will indeed be the active ingredients of cooperation between North and South.
The President returned to the Chair.
His Excellency Mr. Destin Arsène Tsaty-Boungou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Francophonie of the Congo, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Chief Tom Ikimi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria
I now call on His Excellency Chief Tom Ikimi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria. Chief Ikimi: Mr. President, on behalf of my Head of State, General Sani Abacha, and the Government and people of Nigeria, I convey to you warm greetings as we observe in a Special Commemorative Meeting the high point of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. In the view of my Government, it is legitimate and purposeful that we transcend the euphoria of the occasion to take a hard look at the very purposes and principles which informed the founding of our Organization. As we do so, it is important that we have the courage to admit our failures and record successes. Thirty-five years ago Nigeria was admitted as the ninety-ninth Member of the Organization. On that occasion our first Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, articulated our nation’s foreign-policy principles and underlined our commitment to the United Nations. He said, inter alia: “First, it is the desire of Nigeria ... to remain on friendly terms with all nations and to participate actively in the work of the United Nations. Secondly, Nigeria, a large and populous country ... has absolutely no territorial or expansionist intentions. Thirdly, we shall not forget our old friends, and we are proud to have been accepted as a member of the ... Commonwealth. But, nevertheless, we do not intend to ally ourselves as a matter of routine with any of the Power blocs. We are committed to uphold the principles upon which the United Nations is founded. Fourthly, Nigeria Today, I stand before the Special Commemorative Meeting on the fiftieth anniversary of the Organization to reaffirm these principles of our foreign policy as well as Nigeria’s commitment to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter. All Member States have the duty, under the Charter of the Organization, to respect the rights of all nations, big or small, and to refrain from the threat or use of force and pressure capable of subverting the sovereignty and independence of other States. The theme of war and peace has confronted the United Nations since its inception. Indeed, the founding fathers of the world body expressed their determination “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which...has brought untold sorrow to mankind”. Regrettably, these wars are proliferating mostly in the developing countries and have resulted in mindless human and material waste, destruction and dislocation of social structures, tidal waves of refugees and displacement of populations. A major instrument for preserving international peace and security has been United Nations peace-keeping operations. These operations require huge financial, human and material resources. Nigeria has made important contributions to international peace-keeping efforts. We believe that United Nations peace-keeping operations have largely succeeded in mitigating suffering, staving off hunger and starvation and helping to resolve conflict. Nonetheless, the underlying causes of many conflicts are mainly social and economic. Therefore, the United Nations must strike a balance between the resources devoted to peace-keeping operations and those made available for economic development. Development is a question of the human condition, and for many countries it is indeed a question of survival. Hence, the Agenda for Development must present a fitting complement to “An Agenda for Peace”. When we address the issues of development, there must be a renewed sense of cooperation and partnership between the developed and the developing countries. The benefits of the recent growth in the world economy should also be more evenly distributed among all countries. Countries of the South We in Africa recognize that our socio-economic destinies lie in our hands. Nonetheless, the peculiar and unsatisfactory economic situation of the continent needs to be addressed as a shared responsibility. Therefore, the international community needs urgently to deliver on its commitment to Africa and fully implement the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s. We in Nigeria are grateful for the interest shown by the international community in the evolution of our political and economic experiences, but we wish to recall that the destiny of Nigeria must remain in the hands of the people of our country. In this regard my Administration has taken enormous steps to restructure and revitalize our country’s economy through deregulation and creation of incentives for investment. Our programme of transition to democratic rule seeks to widen the base of governance and ensure the participation of all sections of the country. It proceeds from the premise that our sovereignty is inviolate and our nation indivisible. In our view, sustainable democracy can be achieved only if it draws sustenance from the socio- economic conditions of a people or derives from their political experience. In conclusion, permit me to observe that from decolonization to peace operations, from the promotion of peace and security to the pursuit of development, the management of the environment and the promotion of human rights, the record of performance of the Organization has been impressive. There have also been disconcerting failures. Hence we believe that the Organization needs urgently to reform itself and democratize its major organs, particularly the Security Council and related institutions and agencies, to ensure representativeness, equitable geographical distribution, transparency and effectiveness. In this regard Nigeria reaffirms the position of the Organization of African Unity that our continent should have two permanent members in an enlarged and reformed Security Council.
His Excellency Chief Tom Ikimi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria for his statement.
His Excellency Chief Tom Ikimi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, M.P., Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
I now call on His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Mr. Micah: It is my honour and pleasure to address this Special Commemorative Meeting of the General Assembly to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations on behalf of the people and Government of Papua New Guinea. First allow me to offer my warmest congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of this historic fiftieth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Emerging from the scourge of the Second World War and the devastation inflicted by the nuclear holocaust, the founding fathers of the United Nations designed this unique multilateral Organization destined to foster international harmony, promote development, and ensure world peace and security. Much has been achieved in this first half- century of the work of the United Nations. However, greater challenges still lie ahead. The United Nations no doubt remains the only global entity capable of shaping international consensus in order to instil confidence and facilitate international development cooperation. Papua New Guinea stands to salute the achievements of the United Nations and will continue to support the noble cause and objectives of the Organization. We have reached consensus on a number of important points at the international level, with the focus on social and economic issues, thus giving further impetus to international confidence-building. However, the full realization of the programmes of action has not yet been achieved. It will require dedication, commitment and, above all, political will and moral courage to commit the necessary resources for the effective implementation of the programmes adopted. The forces of economic globalization have profoundly changed the geopolitical landscape, creating new opportunities as well as new challenges. While global economic integration has its positive aspect, it does not however promote homogenous development. The weakness of the international monetary system and unequal trading practices severely retard the economic growth of developing nations and further add to the difficulties of achieving competitiveness and access to markets in industrialized countries. Efforts to establish appropriate mechanisms to assist developing countries are concomitant with the issues of job creation, improving family income, and attaining social progress. Environmental issues have become an all- encompassing international agenda. Within the context of an interdependent world we have collective responsibility, guided by the framework of international conventions, to manage and develop resources in a manner conducive to achieving long-term sustainability. Through effective international and regional cooperation we will be able to meet our obligations as custodians of our biological resources by pursuing policies and strategies that would facilitate sustainable development. At this crucial juncture in human history we are compelled by social and economic imperatives, characterized by growing poverty and marginalization of the powerless and the weak, to choose a course of action that will empower the citizens of the world to develop their full potential in order to enable them to secure their basic needs and improve their livelihood. Given the current international climate, my country strongly deplores the actions of some nuclear-weapon States in continuing their nuclear-weapon testing, acting contrary to the spirit and objectives of the recently extended Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The oceans of the South Pacific hold one of mankind’s unique resources of biological wealth. Continuous nuclear testing within this very sensitive and environmentally vulnerable region not only directly threatens our common heritage but also threatens the basic survival of the Pacific island people. The action of these countries is a backward step which directly undermines the confidence given to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and hence threatens international peace and security. We support the call for the reform of the United Nations to make it more efficient, responsive, and capable of meeting the multifaceted demands prompted by a rapidly changing international environment. We therefore agree that the United Nations future destiny lies in the hands of its Members. Such a process of reform, however, should not be compromised by the dictates of the powerful. Consensus on the goals and objectives of United Nations reform should reflect the needs and aspirations of all Member States, and especially the particular needs of developing countries. The United Nations has a pivotal role to play in shaping positive visions to guide international relations. The values of democracy, interdependence, tolerance and respect for diversity should be upheld in the interests of all Member States. From this perspective Papua New Guinea supports the Secretary-General’s efforts to define a new paradigm for development which emphasizes the empowerment of people and focuses on the human dimensions of development and on securing the basic needs of people and communities. Such a development concept can be pursued effectively through the framework of global governance based on the principles of equity and justice. In conclusion, may I on behalf of my Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Sir Julius Chan, and the people of Papua New Guinea reaffirm our continuing commitment and support for the work of the United Nations and assure the Assembly that we will do our utmost to uphold the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter with God’s help.
His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, M.P., Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea for his statement.
His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, M.P., Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti
I now call on His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti. Mr. Olhaye: His Excellency President Hassan Gouled Aptidon, on behalf of the people of Djibouti, is pleased to extend his warmest greetings to fellow Heads of State and Government and to all who are gathered here to celebrate this important milestone, the fiftieth anniversary of our Organization. Recognition must also be given to the untiring leadership of our Secretary-General, and to the dedicated efforts of the Secretariat of the United Nations whose management of this event has been so exemplary. Ambassador Butler of Australia and his Committee have also to be thanked for so diligently preserving the significance of this occasion. Our programme of transition to democratic rule seeks to widen the base of governance and ensure the participation of all sections of the country. It proceeds from the premise that our sovereignty is inviolate and our nation indivisible. In our view, sustainable democracy can be achieved only if it draws sustenance from the socio- economic conditions of a people or derives from their political experience. In this regard Nigeria reaffirms the position of the Organization of African Unity that our continent should have two permanent members in an enlarged and reformed Security Council. Finally, the United Nations must redefine its capacity and role as well as shift its focus away from crisis management to the pursuit of development and the primacy of international law. To this end the international community can always count on Nigeria’s contribution and support.
His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria for his statement.
His Excellency Chief Tom Ikimi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
I now call on His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. Mr. Micah: It is my honour and pleasure to address this Special Commemorative Meeting of the General Assembly to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations on behalf of the people and Government of Papua New Guinea. First allow me to offer my warmest congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of this historic Emerging from the scourge of the Second World War and the devastation inflicted by the nuclear holocaust, the founding fathers of the United Nations designed this unique multilateral Organization destined to foster international harmony, promote development, and ensure world peace and security. Much has been achieved in this first half-century of the work of the United Nations. However, greater challenges still lie ahead. The United Nations no doubt remains the only global entity capable of shaping international consensus in order to instil confidence and facilitate international development cooperation. Papua New Guinea stands to salute the achievements of the United Nations and will continue to support the noble cause and objectives of the Organization. The end of the cold war provides a rare opportunity to the international community to divert its energies and resources towards positive development directed at meeting the basic needs of our peoples and thereby ensuring long-term peace and stability. We have reached consensus on a number of important points at the international level, with the focus on social and economic issues, thus giving further impetus to international confidence-building. However, the full realization of the programmes of action has not yet been achieved. It will require dedication, commitment and, above all, political will and moral courage to commit the necessary resources for the effective implementation of the programmes adopted. The forces of economic globalization have profoundly changed the geopolitical landscape, creating new opportunities as well as new challenges. While global economic integration has its positive aspect, it does not however promote homogenous development. The weakness of the international monetary system and unequal trading practices severely retard the economic growth of developing nations and further add to the difficulties of achieving competitiveness and access to markets in industrialized countries. Efforts to establish appropriate mechanisms to assist developing countries are concomitant with the issues of job creation, improving family income, and attaining social progress. Environmental issues have become an all- encompassing international agenda. Within the context of an interdependent world we have collective responsibility, Through effective international and regional cooperation we will be able to meet our obligations as custodians of our biological resources by pursuing policies and strategies that would facilitate sustainable development. At this crucial juncture in human history we are compelled by social and economic imperatives, characterized by growing poverty and marginalization of the powerless and the weak, to choose a course of action that will empower the citizens of the world to develop their full potential in order to enable them to secure their basic needs and improve their livelihood. The commitment of resources at both the national and international levels ought to be focused on the development of programmes that place priority on the development of human capacities, and removing institutional and infrastructural impediments in order to facilitate sustained economic growth and sustainable development. Given the current international climate, my country strongly deplores the actions of some States with nuclear weapons in continuing their nuclear-weapon testing, acting contrary to the spirit and objectives of the recently extended Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The oceans of the South Pacific hold one of mankind’s unique resources of biological wealth. Continuous nuclear testing within this very sensitive and environmentally vulnerable region not only directly threatens our common heritage but also threatens the basic survival of the Pacific island people. The action of these countries is a backward step which directly undermines the confidence given to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and hence threatens international peace and security. We support the call for the reform of the United Nations to make it more efficient, responsive, and capable of meeting the multifaceted demands prompted by a rapidly changing international environment. We therefore agree that the United Nations future destiny lies in the hands of its Members. Such a process of reform, however, should not be compromised by the dictates of the powerful. Consensus on the goals and objectives of United Nations reform should reflect the needs and aspirations of all Member States, and especially the particular needs of developing countries. From this perspective Papua New Guinea supports the Secretary-General’s efforts to define a new paradigm for development which emphasizes the empowerment of people and focuses on the human dimensions of development and on securing the basic needs of people and communities. Such a development concept can be pursued effectively through the framework of global governance based on the principles of equity and justice. The United Nations must be strengthened to continue its work to defend the rights of the underprivileged and the powerless and to promote universal values that would embrace diversity and ensure world peace and security. In conclusion, may I on behalf of my Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Sir Julius Chan, and the people of Papua New Guinea reaffirm our continuing commitment and support for the work of the United Nations and assure the Assembly that we will do our utmost to uphold the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter with God’s help.
His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea for his statement.
His Excellency The Honourable Ben Micah, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti
I now call on His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti. Mr. Olhaye: His Excellency President Hassan Gouled Aptidon, on behalf of the people of Djibouti, is pleased to extend his warmest greetings to fellow Heads of State and Government and to all who are gathered here to celebrate this important milestone, the fiftieth anniversary of our Organization. Recognition must also be given to the untiring leadership of our Secretary-General, and to the dedicated efforts of the Secretariat of the The last 50 years have been momentous ones for mankind. During that time the United Nations has in large part managed to maintain a significant level of international cooperation. This is an achievement worthy of recognition and appreciation. True, the United Nations and its predecessor, the League of Nations, were erected by the victors in the aftermath of global wars, essentially to prevent a repetition of similar catastrophes. But at its formation in San Francisco in 1945, the United Nations was seen as more than an instrument of collective security. It was to embody the collective hopes and aspirations of mankind and to serve as a forum of final resort for States in the throes of an uncertain post-war period. The early post-war period also witnessed the realization of a need to protect not simply nation-States, but the rights of the individual as well, as enshrined in the historic Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The demise of the cold war, with its rigid control over political change both within and between States, has unleashed a period of considerable ethnic and political conflict within States. Designated almost by default to settle these issues, the United Nations has seen its traditional peace-keeping role stretched beyond its limits, having lacked the capacity, experience or resources to cope with these new phenomena. Mandates for peace-keeping have often been too weak, inarticulate or deliberately confused, even as the relatively mundane activity of peace-keeping rapidly became a key instrument of the United Nations system. But the persistence of conflict, particularly in Bosnia and Somalia, has sapped the political will of the United Nations to stay the course. Without a doubt, the atrocities and mayhem inflicted on a whole segment of the population in Rwanda will always haunt the United Nations. Ironically, we have returned to that somewhat indecisive, almost ineffective, posture of the cold-war era, and this is a situation of concern to many who look to the collective- security promise of the United Nations Charter for survival. Will mankind’s future now be one filled with more Bosnias and Somalias, one of dangerous and unresolved conflicts, one where the United Nations shies away from disarming belligerents or protecting innocent civilians because of a lack of the right mandates, adequate resources and, of course, political will on the part of the international community? Our world is moving on, evolving in ways barely perceptible 50 years ago. Colonial empires have been dismantled, the cold war has ended, and mankind has struck out in search of new identities and structures. Rapid technological, economic and political changes have complicated the ability of States to control their own direction, while some have fallen considerably behind in the race for development. The inevitable uncertainties have provided opportunities for many unscrupulous groups to fan the flames of discontent in a rush to power. Once again we have come to realize there is seldom peace without development; democracy is simply another name for peace with development. The sheer breadth of change and people-focused development have created new social realities, as well as demands from people never heard before. The United Nations thematic global conferences of the 1990s have given a significant voice to many of these suppressed groups and issues and have woven a common thread of concern to improve the lot of the world’s majority. Hidden problems of health, education, poverty, environment, women and human and social rights are now glaringly public and unavoidable and call for new approaches to international cooperation and governance. Certainly, the physical life of the individual has improved during the past half century. The spread of disease is much better controlled, and standards are now higher. Even in Africa, the last of the world’s continents to take off economically, life expectancy climbed by 25 per cent between 1960 and 1992, and adult literacy doubled, to 54 per cent, in the last two decades. While we are far from being a totally healthy and socially productive world, at least the possibility is irrefutable. Fifty years ago, a mere 51 States began the United Nations. Today, with “nation inflation”, we are 185 Members. In a world so different in so many ways, few would argue that the United Nations must be reformed if As a small nation, Djibouti is a firm believer in the United Nations system. The United Nations is the most important vehicle we have today to enable us to forge a new international system anchored in justice and equity. Its survival is crucial to our well-being. Let us renew our dedication to keep this superb vessel afloat, for the consequences of not doing so would be tragic.
His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Chairman of the delegation of Djibouti for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Roble Olhaye, Chairman of the Delegation of Djibouti, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by Her Excellency Mrs. Annette des Iles, Chairperson of the Delegation of Trinidad and Tobago
I now call on Her Excellency Mrs. Annette des Iles, Chairperson of the Delegation of Trinidad and Tobago. Mrs. des Iles: I bring to the General Assembly, on the occasion of this golden-jubilee Special Commemorative Meeting, the greetings and good wishes of the Government and the people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Fifty years ago, in the aftermath of the Second World War, the international community, “determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, resolved at San Francisco to create an Organization that would establish the political, economic and social conditions for a new and lasting peace. This resolve remains as relevant and valid in 1995 as it was in 1945. Trinidad and Tobago joined the United Nations in 1962, 17 years after this Organization had been founded. As a small, developing State we saw in the principle of For Trinidad and Tobago, as for the great majority of the Member States which make up this Organization, our first responsibility is to our people: to provide an acceptable standard of living and an improved quality of life for all our citizens, including our young people and our women. It follows that in countries such as ours, this Organization will be judged largely by the extent to which it can assist in this effort. We wish to urge, therefore, that international cooperation for development be placed at the centre of the activities of the United Nations. As we mark the fiftieth anniversary year of our Organization, the United Nations and its specialized agencies can be justifiably proud of many of their achievements, in the fields of decolonization, the eradication of apartheid, the promotion of democracy and human rights and the development of international law and the inestimable and often unheralded work done in such areas as health, education and humanitarian assistance. There is indeed no alternative to the United Nations. Yet it is also true that, as we face the daunting array of challenges that confront today’s world, there is a crisis of commitment to the United Nations, a crisis of confidence in the Organization. Let this solemn commemoration and this fiftieth anniversary year help us to overcome our difficulties and equip the United Nations to face the future. Let us summon the political will and determination needed in order to succeed. Let us develop a true spirit of global partnership based on mutual trust and respect which is essential in today’s global neighbourhood. Let us imbue our deliberations with a greater sense of mission and clarity of purpose. Let us place people, in particular, the less fortunate and the most vulnerable of the world’s peoples, at the centre of our concerns. Let us not be afraid to re-examine concepts and adopt new approaches in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter. Let us, above all, provide the Organization with the financial and material resources required for the many complex and varied tasks which it must perform.
Her Excellency Mrs. Annette des Iles, Chairperson of the Delegation of Trinidad and Tobago, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Chairperson of the Delegation of Trinidad and Tobago for her statement.
Her Excellency Mrs. Annette des Iles, Chairperson of the Delegation of Trinidad and Tobago, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Delegation of Samoa
I now call on His Excellency Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Delegation of Samoa. Mr. Slade: A better world was sought 50 years ago. There was need to restructure from the devastation of war a new order premised on peace, justice and well-being for all. That we are able to meet here today, a vastly increased United Nations, is surely testimony to our endeavours. The dramatic transformation of the world’s political map and membership of the Organization from the 51 States which first met as the General Assembly to almost fourfold today, enriched by observer States and organizations, brings us nearer to the goal of universality. My own country, like so many in this Hall, came to independence through the process of decolonization made possible only through the central role played by the United Nations. That process was a historic achievement. The international consciousness and the moral and the political underpinnings forged are with us today. It is one of the many achievements of our first 50 years that we bear in mind as we celebrate. It is therefore with complete faith that on this occasion Samoa renews its commitment to the Charter. We do so as a small country and with abiding trust in the principles set out in the Charter. The principles are sound; what is missing is the will to apply them. We believe very deeply in the sustaining power of international law in support of the Charter principles. The United Nations has been a necessary and a cohesive force in the elaboration of international law and the rules for international cooperation which now regulate a phenomenal range of human activity. An important development in recent years has been the very high rate of State-party adherence to international instruments and the acceptance of international programmes on the environment and sustainable development and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and other areas. Much more, though, is needed by way of concrete action in compliance with treaty obligations; it is also necessary to implement Agenda 21 and other agreed programmes of action like that on the sustainable development of small island states. Samoa prays for the day of effective disarmament and the total elimination of nuclear weapons. A comprehensive treaty on the banning of nuclear testing next year is a first priority. We welcome the announced intention of France, the United Kingdom and the United States to adhere to the South Pacific nuclear-free zone Treaty. But we need to say again to France that we condemn its nuclear explosions in the Pacific. They are dangerous experiments posing a very serious threat to the health and the environment of my country and our region, and must stop. Of the entire United Nations membership, Samoa is located closest to the test site. World peace and the conditions for peace are not to hand. Too many are without human security. We think far too much is still being spent on armies than on the environment, education and health. More than half of the world’s population is without food. And some countries are three thousand times more prosperous than others. These are awesome challenges that must remain for tomorrow, recognizing that it is perhaps easier to diagnose the world’s problems than to find the solutions, and easier to formulate solutions than to get the public to accept them. Solutions are beyond the capacity of individual States; they must remain the object of United Nations focus and action. It is all too tempting to the sceptic to retreat from support and to lay the failures at the door of the United Nations. But it is unfair to do so. The power of correction lies not here, but in capitals. We now have an Organization structured by a few, half a century ago, that has to respond to the needs of many more, and to a world, and to world forces, which are fundamentally different and which continue to change. It needs to be reformed and assured the financial resources it needs, and strengthened to prepare it for the years ahead. Membership of the Security Council must be enlarged to reflect the realities of the present time and to enhance its effectiveness and legitimacy. Assuredly, this also is an occasion of thanksgiving — to the Secretary-General, and all who support him at Headquarters, to the entire United Nations staff worldwide, and to all Member States who toil in this Hall and in many similar halls all over the world, daily, year in, year out. We do not make little of the disappointments and of the failures. But, with the five decades of achievements, and a world of infinite promise, Samoa is very firmly of the view that the future is on the side of the United Nations.
His Excellency Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Delegation of Samoa, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Chairman of the Delegation of Samoa for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Chairman of the Delegation of Samoa, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Chairman of the Delegation of the League of Arab States
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/12 A, I call on the next speaker, His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Chairman of the Delegation of the League of Arab States.
The Arab States celebrate two important occasions this year. While we participate in the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, we have celebrated, very recently, the fiftieth anniversary of the League of Arab States, the Arab regional organization which was born just a few months before the establishment of the United Nations. The League’s charter included many principles and purposes that were proclaimed shortly thereafter by the Charter of the United Nations. The Arab States participated in the drafting of the United Nations Charter and have taken part in the work of the Organization for the past 50 years. Today, the Arab States, like all other Member States, look forward to a new phase, a phase in which, we hope, peace and justice will prevail and in which human rights and man’s fundamental freedoms will be respected all over the world. We look forward to a new phase in which the old colonialist concepts will disappear together with the logic of aggression, the use of force and the occupation of the lands of others.
We look forward, at the threshold of the third millennium, to an era in which every nation would be able to enjoy social and genuine cultural and economic development; an era in which every State would abide by the United Nations Charter; an era in which every United Nations resolution would be implemented without distinction and without the application of double standards; an era in which every people without distinction, would enjoy just and lasting peace; an era in which every State would support the efforts of the United Nations and share in improving its performance so that it may be able to do all that is expected of it, especially in the areas of peacemaking, peace-keeping and prosperity.
We look forward to a United Nations that will build on its undeniable achievements in such areas as decolonization, the codification of the norms of cooperation between States in many areas, such as the environment, outer space, the seas, human rights, trade and arms control, and many others. Those past achievements of the United Nations are a source of hope. They strengthen our resolve to score further successes.
While we in the Arab world would welcome all the steps that have been taken towards the achievement of a peaceful settlement to the Palestinian question and the
Today, as we congratulate the Organization on the passage of 50 years since its establishment, we must seize the unique opportunity of the presence of such an impressive number of Heads of State and Government to take stock of the realities of the new international milieu we all live in particularly in the light of the fundamental changes that have taken place over the past few years. In so doing, we have to benefit from the object-lessons of the past, cherish the achievements that have been made and, thereby, manage to enrich the twenty-first century with a United Nations that is adequately equipped with the means and the machineries that would enable it to serve the peoples in whose name it was created.
In conclusion, may I, on behalf of the Secretary- General of the Arab League, extend to you, Mr. President, and to the United Nations Secretary-General our most sincere congratulations, and assurances of the Arab League’s continued cooperation with this international Organization in the service of the common cause of the two organizations: peace and development.
I thank the Chairman of the Delegation of the League of Arab States for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Aboul-Nasr, Chairman of the Delegation of the League of Arab States, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Hans van den Broek, member of the European Commission
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/12 A, I now call on His Excellency Mr. Hans van den Broek, Member of the European Commission, on behalf of the European Community.
Mr. van den Broek: It is an honour to address this Assembly on behalf of the European Community. It is indeed a unique opportunity to highlight the achievements of the United Nations and to give new impetus to its future work.
Undoubtedly the achievements of the past are impressive. The United Nations has contributed vastly to the maintenance of international peace and security, and it has been a vital player in the fields of disarmament, non-proliferation and development cooperation. The United Nations has been at the forefront in the promotion of human rights, the eradication of disease and the protection of the environment. The United Nations has been playing a crucial role in alleviating the plight of refugees and in supplying humanitarian aid all over the world. It has embodied some of the purest and noblest aspirations of mankind’s perennial quest for freedom and prosperity.
I would therefore like to pay tribute to the United Nations and to its successive Secretaries-General for all that has been achieved despite so many difficulties and obstacles.
But the present agenda of the United Nations has become more complex and more demanding than at any other time in the Organization’s history. Instability has entrenched itself in many parts of the world. We have been witnessing the revival of nationalisms, of ethnic cleansing, of unprecedented humanitarian crises, of gross violations of human rights, and even of genocide. The world therefore needs the United Nations today more than ever — a strong and effective United Nations adapted to the new agenda, unhampered by the ideological controversies of the past.
However, the United Nations can only be as strong and effective as its Members permit. This also applies to its financial means. It would indeed be more than appropriate to mark this commemoration by putting the Organization again on a sound financial footing.
The European Community has frequently expressed its full support for United Nations ideals and action. When the United Nations was established half a century ago it enshrined the hopes of people who wished to prevent war, who had faith in human rights and who were
This partnership has been translated into many hard facts. Let me mention just a few of them. The European Community, through its Humanitarian Office, is the second- largest single contributor to, and operational partner in, the work of the High Commissioner for Refugees and is one of the largest donors to the World Food Programme. Half of the world’s trade subject to preferential treatment for developing countries is being carried out by the Community. The European Community and its member States give about half of the world’s total official development assistance.
We must now agree on an innovative agenda for development. This agenda must, as far as we are concerned, send two strong messages. The first message is of the crucial need to put international cooperation for development at the centre of our common endeavours. The second message concerns the enhancement of the role and effectiveness of the United Nations in development. Our efforts will build upon the outcome of recent global conferences. Economic growth, social justice, the empowerment of women, the protection of the environment, democratic institutions and the promotion of all human rights must be seen as fundamental components of a common vision for a sustainable development.
The Commission of the European Union is determined to enhance its support for the United Nations. Our aim is to make the Organization more effective, more capable of shaping a better and safer world and more operational in ensuring freedom and prosperity for all.
I thank the Member of the European Commission, speaking on behalf of the European Community, for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Hans van den Broek, Member of the European Commission, was escorted from the rostrum.
Address by His Excellency Mr. Emile-Derlin Zinsou, President of the Permanent Council of Francophonie
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/12 A, I now call on His Excellency Mr. Emile-Derlin Zinsou, President of the Permanent Council of
His Excellency Mr. Emile-Derlin Zinsou, President of the Permanent Council of Francophonie, was escorted to the rostrum.
Not long ago, this Assembly considered a draft resolution, submitted by the group of countries whose common language is French, concerning cooperation between the United Nations and the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation. In adopting that resolution, the Assembly demonstrated its interest in the community of francophone countries, which I represent here today. I extend our warmest thanks.
I am greatly honoured to tell this Assembly of the sustained attention with which the 47 States and Governments that make up our community follow and support, within the framework of the francophone community, the aims and initiatives of this Organization, to which I pay a solemn tribute and whose vitality on the eve of the third millennium is so clearly reflected in the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary today.
The Francophone community sees itself above all as a place of solidarity. It finds unity in the diversity of its membership, which extends to every continent. In this United Nations, a lofty forum for dialogue, and especially for North-South dialogue, my presence attests to one of the fundamental dimensions of that community, most of whose members are from the South. The principal aim of our solidarity is development, the key factor for stability and security in today’s world.
We wish our activities to be consonant with the crises besetting the contemporary world. We are devoting our priority efforts to promoting democracy, the rule of law and human rights, in the belief that no society can evolve towards economic and human development without a stable and legally appropriate policy framework. In this regard, we are striving to direct our efforts increasingly towards conflict prevention. The francophone community intends shortly to step up its efforts in this field.
We wish to be ready to meet the major challenges of the twenty-first century, such as control of demographic shifts, the maintenance of peace, environmental protection or the struggle against such terrible scourges as AIDS and drugs. Our presence in Rio, Vienna, Cairo, Copenhagen
We are aware of the difficulties and even the paradoxes involved in many situations. Let me cite but two examples on my own continent, Africa. How can we fail to see that the movement towards democracy, so eagerly initiated, has bogged down in ever-proliferating conflicts? How can one fail to note that the efforts being made to protect the environment are being increasingly hampered by drought, famine and creeping desertification in our countries?
Such examples enable us to gauge the uncertain results of our efforts, but we are all the more resolved to pursue them, knowing that they are shared, with the same determination, by the entire international community. Moreover, by honouring us with his presence at the Fifth Conference of Heads of State and Government of the countries with French as a common language, which was held in October 1993 in Mauritius, the Secretary-General gave us the opportunity to define our common ground and to confirm the francophone community’s full support for his work. I wish here once again to pay a tribute to his endeavours and to tell him how enthusiastically we look forward to reaffirming our support for him at the forthcoming summit to be hosted by my country, the Republic of Benin, in early December 1995.
The extent to which the objectives of our group and those of the United Nations coincide is evident. It has become even more apparent since the francophone community strengthened its political activities by initiating the summit meetings of Heads of State and Government. This common ground must become even more tangible from this day forth. The member countries of the francophone world, together with the entire international community, would greatly benefit thereby.
It is true that the francophone countries are relying on their specific solidarity — the foundation of their union on the basis of their mission, the francophone movement — in order to create an entity for cooperation that can act as a credible partner in the new world order. But their future remains closely linked to that of the entire international community. The interdependence which today more than ever is a feature of international relations makes the development of some dependent on that of the rest. This encompasses all the problems of globalization and marginalization to which the Secretary-General has referred
It is in this spirit that the francophone community is preparing to play an active role at the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements in Istanbul next year. The value of that Conference and the issues at stake cannot leave us indifferent. Indeed, they touch on the very context within which our societies will evolve in the future.
We wish this shared aspiration to be squarely placed in the common service of progress, peace and development in the world. This is the role and duty which the francophone community increasingly seeks to perform in the family of nations. It is the meaning of the resolution adopted by our Heads of State and Government in Mauritius on francophonie and international relations, in which they reaffirmed their resolute support, alongside other international bodies, for the efforts to find appropriate solutions to major political and economic problems affecting the contemporary world and stated their determination to develop, alongside and within those bodies and during the great world Conferences, continued and enhanced francophone cooperation.
This is the objective of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation in establishing representations with international organizations in Geneva since 1991, in Brussels since last year and, most recently, in New York with the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Our message is thus a message of hope in the future of the United Nations and of our own resolve fully to participate in the universal consciousness that shines over the work of the United Nations. It is our purpose thereby to contribute to the great value of this institution as a meeting place for the world’s cultures and civilizations and the instrument of choice for the advancement of peace and development in the world.
I thank the President of the Permanent Council of Francophonie, speaking on behalf of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, for his statement.
His Excellency Mr. Emile-Derlin Zinsou, President of the Permanent Council of Francophonie, was escorted from the rostrum.
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 49/12 A, I now call on His Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Mr. Anyaoku: A decade ago, in commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the United Nations, Commonwealth leaders, in their Nassau Declaration on World Order, affirmed their commitment to the goal of strengthening the United Nations system as the central instrument of peace, security and cooperation. On this historic fiftieth anniversary, I am honoured to reaffirm that solemn commitment and support. The Commonwealth has representation from every continent. It includes people of the world’s major races, religions, cultures and traditions. Its member countries are at every stage of socio-economic development and comprise more than one quarter of the United Nation’s membership. The Commonwealth is, therefore, more than a regional group; it is a global sub-system in the world community. The importance which Commonwealth Governments accord to the United Nations is a testimony of their commitment to multilateralism. Commonwealth leaders were among the visionaries who framed and signed the United Nations Charter. And Commonwealth countries continue to contribute to the work of the Organization in many significant areas, including peace-keeping operations, in which Commonwealth countries rank among the leading troop contributors. The Charter of the United Nations has endured for 50 years and provided inspiration for many seminal achievements. To mention but a few, the United Nations has contributed to the process of decolonization; provided a means of conflict resolution and containment; facilitated the development and extension of international law; and provided a means of mobilizing world concern and action on a range of global problems such as the environment, disarmament, trade and development, and human rights. In the dramatically transformed global environment of the post-cold-war era, the Organization has been obliged to make unprecedented and far-reaching decisions in response Faced with new challenges and opportunities, it is right that the reform and adaptation of the United Nations should have become a pressing priority. Numerous proposals have been made for structural, programmatic and managerial reform of the United Nations, its organs and its agencies, including the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Bretton Woods institutions. But, whatever the merit of any individual proposals, the underlying imperative must be a recognition that the institutions and arrangements fashioned 50 years ago, in the age of colonialism and in the aftermath of a hugely destructive world war, are scarcely adequate to the demands of the present age. That is why the Commonwealth supports meaningful and speedy reform. A strong and effective United Nations is crucial to building a more humane world order. The United Nations is the globe’s only truly universal Organization, held by Member States in trust for the world’s people. We hold firmly that the effectiveness of the Organization is directly linked to the commitment and support of its constituents. The commitment of all Member States — including those of the Commonwealth — to the United Nations should reflect their determination to strengthen it and make it the dynamic and strong Organization which they have consistently advocated. And so, as we celebrate this fiftieth anniversary, the task before Member States is to enhance the capacity of the Organization to respond to the problems at hand. This requires us to update its system and to ensure that we meet our obligations to enable it to face the challenges of the next 50 years.
His Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary- General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, was escorted to the rostrum.
I thank the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat for his statement.
His Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary- General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, was escorted from the rostrum.
Before adjourning the meeting, I should like to ask all members and delegations to be very punctual tomorrow at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m., because tomorrow we have, as the Assembly knows, the longest
The meeting rose at 6.45 p.m.